Maneater (The Mavens, #1)

by Morgan Elizabeth

“So fucking pretty, so fucking perfect. So fucking mine,” he murmurs, his lips dropping to mine as he slides out and then into me. I moan at the feeling of him moving against swollen, sensitive flesh, gripping him tighter with my arms as I pepper kisses along his shoulders, his neck, anywhere I can reach. “Yes, I’m yours, Rowan,” I moan. “You’ve always been mine, haven’t you?” “Oh my god, yes,” I agree, face in his neck as his thrusts become harder, deeper, more consuming. He’s grunting now with each movement, and each time he bottoms out, I tighten. “And I’ve always been yours,” he says through gritted teeth, like he needs to get this out before he lets it take over him.

As I tighten around him, my face burying into his neck, I come and come and come around him. It’s bigger and better than anything I’ve ever felt, and something in my soul knows it’s because it’s him. I’m screaming his name, chanting it even, a prayer on my lips as he fills me with his own orgasm. And when he lays me down, cleans me up, and climbs into bed with me, I settle into his chest, knowing there is no longer anything between us.

It’s all out on the table, and somehow, despite my going into this knowing for the most part what I was going to hear, I’m thrown a curve. But that could just be because I finally came inside Josie and made her mine, whether she knows it or not. I’m not letting this woman go, assignment or not. I found Josie Montgomery in a bar, and then fate forced us back together over and over until finally, I got the hint.

“Ten, twenty-four, eighteen. Your passcode.” My lips tip in a smile. I should have known it wouldn’t take long for my brilliant girl to understand. “The day I met you,” I say. “I didn’t realize until recently, I swear. I think that day has always just stuck with me.” “Sure, Rowan,” she says with a laugh, and I can’t be annoyed: I wouldn’t believe me either. “And that tattoo is just, what?” So she did notice that one. “A coincidence?” “My luckiest charm,” I whisper,

A valid criticism,” I say, looping an arm around her waist and tugging her in close. It’s been too long without her right by me. Now that she’s mine, I somehow know it’s going to be a while before I feel sated by her touch.

“I want everyone to know you’re mine, Josie. That’s what you are, conversation or not. You’re mine. If you’d like me to take this call with you on my lap, I’ll be happy to. It’ll cause a stir, but if that’s what you need or want, then we’ll do just that. I’ll show everyone you’re mine.”

I’ve had Rowan Fisher more times than I can count, and yet I still want more. I’m unsatisfied and needy anytime I go more than a few hours without him inside of me.

“Josie.” His hand goes to my shoulder, pulling me back as he fucks into me, my back arching and my mouth dropping open. “Gotta stay quiet, troublemaker, or else everyone knows I’m fucking you in here,” he warns, and I hesitate. Not because I don’t want anyone to hear me, but because there is something that is so fucking hot about everyone hearing me, I almost come right here. Because a part of me does want everyone in this fucking hotel to know that Rowan is mine, that he’s fucking me and only me. He might be a jealous, possessive idiot, but so am I, it turns out.

“I’m absolutely wild for you, Josephine Montgomery,” he whispers, almost to himself, but it fills me with warmth all the same. “Good,” I reply. “Because I feel the same way.” We’re still catching our breath, his cock still deep inside of me, when I ask, “Do you think my clothes are dry yet?” His laugher fills the room, a sound I vow to make it my mission to hear regularly.

“My job is flirting. It’s talking to all kinds of people, often men, and making them think they have my full attention, respect, and interest in order to convince them to spill their secrets. I’m good at my job. I love my job. I will not be stopping my job any time soon.” I close my eyes and take in a deep breath before opening them again, softening my expression. “I like you, Rowan, but I love my job. If you make me pick, I will choose my job over you.” Despite my bravado, I’m nervous. I know this is a lot to ask of someone, especially in a new relationship, but I want to have the best of both worlds. Desperately.

“The truth is, you can flirt and flaunt, and you can make every man in the room wonder what it would be like to have you as their own, but I’m the only one who gets to know that. I’m the only one who knows what you’re like when that mask is pulled off, who knows what you sound like when I fill you.” A shallow breath leaves my lips, and a small smile paints his. “I’m the only one who knows the places to kiss to make you moan. That alone is enough for me. You think I’m not okay with that? Having all of you when everyone else only gets hints and scraps, when they get teased but never given more? Hell no. It’s a gift you’re choosing to give me, Josie, and I’m honored to have it.” I stare at him for long, long moments, trying to ascertain his truth, but see nothing but. My face breaks into a wide smile, and I put a hand to each side of his jaw and pull him in for a deep, grateful kiss. “God, you’re perfect, aren’t you?” I whisper, and he smiles. “Perfect for you, I hope.”

he smiles wide and dips his head, his mouth moving over mine, and I know I could so fall for Rowan Fisher. And the craziest part is that it doesn’t scare me at all.

“We’ll figure it out, Josie.” “How are you so fucking perfect?” I ask, confused because there are very few men in this world who would respond that way. He smiles again before using his hand on my jaw to guide my lips to his, pressing them sweet and soft before whispering against them. “Because I was made to be yours, Josie. It just took us a while to figure it out.”

“This is four of the twenty-one dates I should have taken you on.” My body stills, and I continue to stare at him, confusion mixing with eager anticipation in my veins. Whatever is happening right now, I know to my bones I’ll remember it until the day I die. Cherish it, even. “What?” “I bumped into you twenty-one times before I had a drink with you in the bar.” Goose bumps erupt over my arms, and his hand moves down, rubbing them away absentmindedly before continuing to explain. “Twenty-one opportunities I could have tried to take you out, to win you over.” My stomach flutters as I start to understand, start to put the pieces together. “If I hadn’t been such an idiot who let his bruised ego get in the way, I probably would have been more persistent.” The hand on my back presses, tugging me into his chest, and my hand moves around his neck instinctively. He looks down at me with warm, open eyes, and I see the truth in every single word he’s saying.

if you told me that right now, if you said you didn’t date, it wouldn’t stop me. I’d keep asking. Five times, ten, twenty-one times until I convinced you to give me the smallest shot, to let me in.” “That’s kind of obsessive,” I say with a laugh. “That’s because I’m completely obsessed with you, and even though I couldn’t admit it to even myself until recently, I’ve been obsessed with you for some time. If I had paid attention for just a single moment, I would have realized the world was throwing me a million chances to find my person finally.”

“You’re such a romantic,” I whisper in awe. “No, no. I’m not.” “Look around, Rowan. This is a romantic grand gesture at its finest.” He gives me a soft chuckle and shakes his head. “I’m not a romantic. I’m just wild for you.”

I let out a loud, free laugh, my heart full and light at the same time, the way I always find myself feeling when I’m around Rowan. Even when I used to see him out and dread how he could blow my cover, I also anticipated it. Wanted it. Craved the back and forth of it. Craved him. God, I am so gone for this man. And I think I always have been.

“How do you remember all of this?” I ask after he shows me each table. He shrugs, a light blush on his cheeks. “I can’t seem to forget a single detail about you, Josie, no matter how hard I’ve tried.” I turn to him and smile up at him softly, my hand moving to his cheek as it all comes over me. The past few weeks, the revelation that has been Rowan, the fact that we both want this to work outside of this mission—it hits me with such clarity, it makes my throat tighten. “This is going to work,” I whisper. “What?” His brows furrow, not understanding. I shake my head and smile wider before explaining. “After the assignment, you and I. We’re going to work.” He returns the smile now, pressing his lips to mine gently. “I’m going to make sure of it. I’m not losing something this great, Josie,” he whispers.

Rowan smiles then, shaking his head gently like he’s thoroughly entertained by me. “Will you, Josephine Man-eater Montgomery, be my girlfriend?” he murmurs, and it’s like I’m fourteen, and my crush is asking me to prom; the butterflies in my stomach are going a mile a minute, and the smile on my face spreads into a wide grin. “Did you really have to ask?” I say with a smile before I move to my toes and press a kiss against his laughing lips. We stand there as he deepens it in this spot, the same one I wished to high heaven he’d kiss me in not long ago. Our culprit thrashes at our feet when backup enters, and Rory’s laugh fills the area. God, I love my job.

“I love you, you know,” Rowan says two hours later as we walk along the empty shoreline hand in hand, the soft ocean breeze wrapping around me as he says those words for the first time. Out loud, at least. Rowan’s been showing me he’s in love with me for months now. Years, maybe, in his own strange Rowan Fisher way. I thought when we finally said it, my heart would pound and butterflies would fill my chest, but instead, it’s like warm, soothing water is coasting along my skin, filling my body. It makes sense, though. I think that’s what love is, after all: comfort and desire and friendship wrapped up into something so precious, I can’t believe I once convinced myself I would never want it. Need it.

“I love you, Josie.” The waves crash behind us, reminding me of the Keys, where everything changed for us, our twist of fate that I’ll never stop being grateful for. “My troublemaker.” He presses another soft kiss to my lip. “My man-eater.” “But always yours,” I whisper. “That’s all I’ll ever care about, Josie,” he replies, and that warmth moves through my veins. “I love you too, Rowan.” “I know, baby.” He kisses me again, lips moving over mine before he presses his forehead to mine.

“A while from now, we’re going back to the Keys resort, and I’m taking you to the private beach. One last date. I’m going to tell you something else while we’re there.” I look up at him and move a hand over his cheek, stubble already forming despite the fact that I watched him shave in the mirror of our room this morning while I stood beside him doing my hair. “Yeah?” “It’ll be a question,” he says so low I almost don’t hear him. My pulse starts to pound. “Will it come with jewelry?” He lets out a small chuckle. “Yeah.” I smile again, because even though we’ve talked about this, about our future and where we want this to lead, I’m filled with giddy excitement. “Any idea what you might say? So I can prepare?” I pretend to think for a moment. “You love me?” I ask. “More than anything.” My chest swells. “Then I think you’ll get the answer you’re hoping for,” I whisper. His laugh fills the night air, free and happy, and even though I hear it often now, it still fills me with joy. “I think I may have won over the man-eater,” he murmurs against my lips before kissing me, hot and deep. And even though I’m too preoccupied to respond, I completely agree.