The Rebel (The Millionaire Malones Book 3) by Victoria Purman Page B

come at her like a flood and overwhelmed her. The point was,she knew he was strong, and it was no surprise he was tanned given all the time he spent out in the water. And anyway, she could see bodies like his every day down at the beach if she wanted. San Clemente’s surf beaches, The Trestles, were a haven for surfers from all over the area. And this was Southern California, for God’s sake. It was filled with beautiful people.
    His body wasn’t a surpriseto her.
    But the size and strength of his cock was.
    It was … it was just … totally unexpected.
    She sighed. It was only natural that she was thinking about it. She was a woman who hadn’t been anywhere near that part of a man’s body—or anywhere near a man for that matter—since Evan was conceived.
    ‘You’re a freak,’ she told herself, ‘You know that?’ She shook her head at the ridiculousness ofher predicament. It wasn’t that she didn’t like sex. She loved sex. If she could remember it. Six years without sex. It hadn’t been anything she’d planned in advance, as if she’d been saving herself for some mythical perfect man. Time had just slipped by, month after month, year after year, until suddenly here she was, a single mom and a born-again virgin. Maggie closed her eyes and rested herforehead against the tile, savouring the warm throb of the water on her skin. She’d probably forgotten how to do it. Her body probably wouldn’t know how to react if she had the chance to have sex.
    Oh, that was such a lie.
    Her body would know exactly what to do and it was doing it right this second. Her nipples were budded and hard, aching and tight, and she pressed her palms flat against themto stop the throbbing. And down in her sex? Well. Fireworks were exploding down there.
    And it was all Cooper’s fault. Because the way he’d looked at her back in the bedroom, when she was pushed up against the door, her nipples on high alert and with side-boob happening? That wasn’t a friendly look at all.
    She wanted to enjoy it, the way his burning look had made her feel, but she couldn’t letherself hold on to it. That was too dangerous. She’d put her regrets about Cooper away in the back of her brain years ago. She couldn’t long for Cooper. She had to find a man who was solid, grounded. A man from San Clemente, or maybe from Orange County, who was dependable and reliable.
    What she needed, more than anything, was a man who would stay.

Chapter Six
    ‡
    A fter her shower, Maggie felt antsy. Parts of her were still traitorously throbbing as she pulled on knee-length shorts, a plain cotton bra, and her baggy Foo Fighters T-shirt. If she wanted to stop the firecrackers, she needed to dress down. Way down.
    Whenshe turned the corner from her short hallway into the kitchen, the two most important men in her life looked up at her. Something about the view took her breath away.
    ‘Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!’ Evan called. ‘Come and see!’ He had a tea towel tied around his little waist and he was standing on a chair at the kitchen table. As he spoke, he flicked his wooden spoon in the air and a dollop of whateverhe was mixing hit his instructor, who was sitting on a chair next to him.
    Cooper squinted and a hand flew to his eye. ‘Ow.’
    Maggie smothered a laugh.
    ‘We’re making pancakes, Mommy!’
    She approached, rolling her lips in to stifle a giggle. Cooper had grabbed a corner of Evan’s makeshift apron and was wiping his face. When he was done, he looked up at her and smiled.
    She felt the tension leaveher tight chest. It was the old Cooper. She had to remember that he was her friend, first and foremost. The world settled back on its axis. Things were right with the world. Good. That was very good.
    ‘Pancakes sound delicious,’ she said as she wrapped her arms around Evan. ‘Can I have one?’
    *
    Saturday went by in a flash. After thedelicious pancake breakfast, Cooper had offered to sit with Evan and watch cartoons—he’d tried to convince her