Page 61 of Forgiveness
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Maggie
Never in herwildest dreams did Maggie think she’d be this close to the finals with the life she’d longed for at her fingertips. Not only was she at the pinnacle of her career, Flux was supportive in every sense of the word. When she’d received praise and a giant check, he never stopped looking at her as if nothing else mattered to him. A warm glow of love and peace spread through her. Knowing Flux was fully behind her made her victory that night sweeter than it ever could’ve been by herself.
Flashes of light blinded her momentarily as she held up the big check for the photographers, who’d blast the picture across the morning papers the following morning.
This is real. This is real.
She kept repeating the words to herself as she petted Odysseus’s nose and he gently nudged her shoulder with his snout. “You did so great out there tonight,” she murmured into his ear. During her run, there’d been a spot about halfway through where she’d thought he wouldn’t make it, but she relied on their connection and it got them through together.
The majority of fans had vacated the stands for the night, but a few reporters remained and asked her questions even though the bright houselights that swathed the arena switched off one by one. As the questions buzzed around her, her mind was on the next few months as she prepared for the biggest competition in the rodeo—the National Finals Rodeo. Shivers tingled down her spine just thinking about it.
“Guys, I think that’s enough for the night. If you have any other questions, please see our PR person, Shania, at the front desk. She’s waiting to answer any and all questions you may still have while we let our winner go and relax for the night. She deserves it, wouldn’t you say?” Barb, the rodeo manager, shooed the rest of the press away, looking over her shoulder at Maggie with a wink.
“Fuck, I thought they’d never leave you in peace. Good thing Barb butted in because I was gonna say something but it wouldn’t have been as nice,” Flux breathed out as his arms went around her waist and he rested his chin in the crook of her neck. “How do you handle all that bullshit?”
“How do you handle facing a 2,000-pound bull?” Maggie retorted, wrapping her free hand over the top of his and squeezing. “Come on, let’s get Odysseus back to the stables. My boy deserves to be pampered after his performance tonight.”
They walked in silence, holding hands, as contentment rolled through her slightly tense muscles. Every few minutes she sensed her body becoming less and less keyed up from the race. By the time she walked Odysseus into his stall, she tried to close her mouth on a yawn.
“You want me to take care of Odysseus and give you a rest?” Flux ran his hand down her horse’s side. “Go sit down in the corner and I’ll get this, okay?”
“Are you actually asking me, or are you telling me?” Maggie put her hands on her hips. “I’m not a china doll who needs to be coddled, you know, I’m fully capable—”
“I know that, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should have to, Duchess.” Flux smiled gently, his face suffused with an emotion she’d never seen before on him. Something way too tender to really recognize because she was afraid as soon as she gave it a name, it would be gone. “Let me take care of you. Sit down.”
Maggie shook her head and stretched, no point in lying to herself that it wasn’t a nice change of pace for someone else to go through her horse’s nightly ritual while she watched them. This time when she yawned, she let it out.
“There you go, Duchess. Doesn’t that feel better?” Flux teased as he unsaddled Odysseus. “Just relax.”
Captivated, she watched him with her horse. Flux was so gentle and thoughtful, and with every small movement, he kept a friendly hand somewhere on her horse’s body, exactly as she would’ve done it herself. He didn’t say a word as he worked, and she was mesmerized by his movements: putting all the tack back in the tack room, brushing out Odysseus with a curry comb, soaking the horse’s back and neck with a warm sponge to get off any gunk or grime.
Maggie couldn’t imagine this biker doing anything unkind to anyone. Though her memory of Flux beating up Chet was still fresh,thatman andthistender, gentle one seemed like two halves of the same coin—only she knew that Flux would never turn the other side on her so long as he lived and breathed. He was protective, sweet, kind, and gruff in his own way, and all of that revolved back to his sense of loyalty and his willingness to right any wrong.
Maggie was convinced Flux didn’t have an actual malicious bone in his body unless he was teasing her with his lips, tongue, and teeth. Only then could he be a downright tyrant—one she readily welcomed into her bed. A flash of the night before flickered through her consciousness. She bit her lip as she remembered his calloused hands pushing up her dress and coasting up her outer thighs before he yanked her off her feet and slammed her down on the small table in their motel room.
Flux’s eyes had blazed with all kinds of unspoken naughty thoughts, and the grin he threw her spoke volumes about what he’d planned for her body. She’d shuddered then, as her hands automatically reached for him, but he’d grabbed her wrists, opening her palms until he put both hands on the back of her head.
“You remember what we did our first time together, Duchess?”
Maggie had nodded, wordless in response to the hunger flickering in his gaze. His intentions were predatory as his fingers continued to roam her flesh and dragged her dress higher until he’d exposed her panties. Without asking, his fingers roamed to her inner thighs putting enough pressure that she knew exactly what he wanted from her without having to say a single word.
Maggie opened her legs, revealing herself to him as her lips tipped up into a knowing smile. Flux groaned and slid his hands through her hair, holding the ends at an angle as he took her mouth and she’d wiggled to get him closer.
“What’re you thinking about, Duchess? You’ve got fuckin’ stars in those beautiful eyes.” Flux’s light drawl came from right next to her in the stall, and she jerked away from the wall. He chuckled. “You look downright guilty.”
Brought back to reality, Maggie wiped her palms on her jeans. “I’m not thinking about anything,” she said, but that damn telltale blush gave her away as she pushed her hair back with one hand and looked down toward the hay. “Are you ready to go back to the motel?”
“Well, you would’ve noticed I’ve been done for about five minutes, but you were a little preoccupied. So tell me what was on your mind.” With each word Flux spoke, he stepped closer and closer until his body drew her back into the boards of the stall with a softthud. Her gaze startled up from the hay and into his way-too-pleased face.
“Tell me, darlin’” he whispered against her ear, tracing his finger down the “v” of her flannel shirt then over the swell of her breasts. Her nipples hardened and poked against her bra while a flood of goosebumps prickled along her flesh. “Tell me or I’ll have to guess, and whatever I guess might just embarrass you more.” His penetrating gaze held her.
Maggie bit the inside of her mouth and trembled when his hand scooped down under her bra to tweak her sensitive nipple. Heat pooled between her legs, and she caught her breath as both hands glided down to his butt. She squeezed him through his jeans, loving the way his muscles tightened against the touch.
“Now how’s that playing fair?” Flux said in a low voice as he toyed with her other nipple and his mouth lingered along her neck, warm air teasing where he had left a sensitive line from his tongue.
“I was …” Maggie started before he took her breath away with his teeth nibbling along her cleavage. “I was thinking about last night.”
