Page 26 of A Way Out
“You have now. You need to let me help.”
She made it sound so damn simple. To her, it probably was. To him, there was a whole lot of pride and fear and who knew what else blocking his path.
He scrubbed his face and did not look at her. “I’m going to need to talk it over with my mother first. Where do you think I got this whole ‘I can take care of myself’ attitude from?”
“My mother,” she said suddenly, “provided the capital for my sister’s best friend and her mother to start their own business. A coffee shop in the small town where we grew up. The place makes money hand over fist. My mother’s investment was paying dividends within a year.”
“That’s—”
“Do not say it’s different.”
She stepped farther into the room. He watched her warily as she approached and finally rested a hand on his bicep. She didn’t squeeze; it probably wasn’t even meant to be sexual at all, and yet, his body reacted like the two of them were magnets. He caught himself as he leaned into her touch.
All he wanted to do was close that door behind her and toss her onto the bed and lose himself to the moment. To pleasuring her. He had a feeling whatever she liked, he’d like.
He was almost desperate to find out if that was true.
There were so, so many reasons not to go down that path, yet, when she touched him, as innocent as it may be, his brain short-circuited and he couldn’t seem to remember any of them.
“I believe in you,” she whispered, her voice husky, like he imagined it would be during the throes of passion.
He cleared his throat. “In me or in the band?”
“Both.” He was not imagining that her hand was now stroking his arm. Her eyes were dilated, her mouth forming a tiny O. Her face was flushed; the rosy color spread across her chest and disappeared into her bodice. If she’d looked at him like this when he hadn’t had any clothes on, he was pretty sure he would not have been able to close the door in her face.
She would have been in that shower with him. He might not have had enough self-control to strip her first, but then again, it might have been fun divesting her of her soaking wet clothes while the steamy water poured over them.
Ah hell, he was getting hard.
Again.
“Please, Oz.”
Jesus, what was she even asking for?
“Give us a chance.”
Us?
“Give this band a chance.”
Damn it. He knew he was a goner before the words formulated on his tongue.
Chapter Ten
Maria woke on Thursday morning with a full bladder and butterflies swarming in her stomach. Riley was spread out on the bed next to her, and the house was quiet. The sun hadn’t even risen yet. A quick glance at her phone indicated it was just after six.
A faint noise came from behind the bathroom door. Oz was up. Of course he was. The man hardly slept; he was too busy taking care of everyone around him. Sleep wasn’t a priority.
She blew out a breath. Hopefully, now that he’d agreed to let her be the band’s sponsor, he could relax a little, maybe even sleep once in a while.
Gently sliding out of bed so as not to wake Riley, she padded over to the bathroom door and quietly knocked. It opened from the inside and there was Oz, a toothbrush in his mouth, a pair of gym shorts riding low on his hips. Water droplets clung to his bare chest, and his hair was damp and finger combed away from his face.
Maria opened and closed her mouth. No words came out.
“I’m almost done,” he said around his toothbrush, “and then it’s all yours.”
Needing something to do that wasn’t simply standing there staring at him, she snagged her own toothbrush. They stood side by side, watching each other in the mirror, until he finally bent over one of the sinks and rinsed his mouth, and yes, she had to fight the very real urge to lean back and admire his backside when he was in that position.
