He just didn’t think he could do that, no matter how much he wanted her. Needed her. He loved her too much to take advantage of her. And wasn’t that just a bitch.
With a sigh, he turned his attention back to work. Zeke had learned a long time ago that life didn’t always work out the way you wanted it to.
Chapter Two
As Rory watched the traffic on Dolphin Toll Road buzz by, he wondered if he should have just gone home. He should be packing his bags for the trip, planning what kinds of things he would like to do while on Oahu. Their trip had been fast and furious for the wedding and he hadn’t gotten to see much of the island. He’d only been to the beach to surf once. The only other time had been for the wedding. So, he had a lot he wanted to do in the short time they were there this time.
Instead, he as standing outside waiting on a woman.
He rolled his shoulders. This was definitely something new for him. As Rory thought about it, he realized he hadn’t really done that for anyone other than Zee. In all his years, Rory had always been the one people waited on, even Zee to a point. It was six months ago when Rory realized that he was sick of waking up alone—even when he was in bed with someone else.
Rory was pulled out of his thoughts when someone honked their car horn. He shook away the regrets of the last ten years. Rory knew he’d been lucky enough that Zee took him back this one last time. In a way, this was for Zee. Rory knew he wouldn’t be as interested in Maura if Zee hadn’t been hung up on her.
He rolled his shoulders again as he thought about Maura. He had always thought Maura might make a good sub. From the moment he met her, Rory had felt a vibe from her that he was rarely wrong about. Zee had been mum on her bedroom personality, and Rory had avoided it—which was a first. Zee wasn’t the kiss and tell type, but it was as if the two of them had never slept together. It was odd but seeing the two of them together the last few months told him all he wanted to know. Zee was still in love with her. Rory could tell. Every now and then he would catch Zee sneaking a glance at her. He hid it from everyone else, but Rory had witnessed the look of longing on his lover’s face. Rory knew Zee well enough to understand he would never admit it. But it was there, and while he could probably get an answer from Zee about his feelings, it hurt a little too much to scratch at that scab. Now that he knew she was into BDSM, and that Zee thought she might be into it, all he had to do was propose the idea.
So he had waited thinking about her—which was dangerous. She was the kind of woman that many men overlooked because they couldn’t get past her intelligence. Throw in her bulldog brother and the fact that she was a neurotic workaholic and well, she was a challenge. He smiled. Rory liked challenges.
He was leaning against his motorcycle when she came out of the building. Her mind was on something else, something that had nothing to do with him or Zee. Her head was down and she was rummaging through her purse for something. For someone so smart, she really did have a problem with paying attention to her surroundings. But, he couldn’t complain when it allowed him to watch her without her knowing. She had a sidewalk-eating stride as if she always had something important to attend—even when he knew she didn’t have anywhere to be. Today, she was wearing one of those short little skirts that showed off the mile of leg she possessed. It was black and when paired with the stoplight red shirt, it made her stand out. She might have been a geek in college, but damn the woman had turned into a stunner. Add in the newly done blonde hair, she sometimes took his breath away. Okay, not just sometimes. All the time.
“Maura,” he said, stepping in front of her.
She stopped, looked up and blinked. She had the most amazing green eyes. There were hints of blue in the iris. They were huge behind her glasses and there was always something very sexy about that. She looked like a prim librarian—although he knew better. It was going to be fun to reveal it.
“What are you doing out here?” she asked warily.
He understood her reaction even if he didn’t like it. He hadn’t been that happy when he’d found out Zee had fallen for the woman. It had come as a blow to Rory. He wasn’t such as asshole that he thought Zee had no other lovers. They both had a history and he was sure Zee also had some people in his past he’d like to forget. When he realized just how in love Zee thought he was with Maura, he’d worried about what he should do. Over the last few months, Maura had grown on him a bit. She was sexy and now he knew she was a sub, she was even more intriguing. Without a doubt, Zee was going to end up back in her bed. Rory realized he didn’t mind that—especially if he were around to control the situation.