Free Working_Out by Marie Harte Page B

her to marry me at Christmas.”
    “Congrats.” Mac gave him a thumbs up. “Not as big a pussy as you look. It’s about time.”
    “Shut up.” His buddy grinned. “But we were talking about you and Maggie.”
    “No, we weren’t. You were.”
    Shane ignored his annoyance. “Yep. You were full of great advice when it came to Shelby. I was supposed to use her and lose her. I wasn’t supposed to commit, or else I’d be stuck in another relationship.”
    “And here you are, Mr. Feelings. Like a woman, but with a dick.”
    “Nice mouth.”
    He wanted to say, Maggie seems to like it. But he didn’t want to talk about her like that. What the fuck is that all about?
    “See? There’s that look. You’re introspective now.”
    “Shut the hell up. I have work to do.”
    Shane crowed. “You’re into her. Wait until I tell Shelby.”
    Mac rushed around the desk and put Shane in a headlock until he cried uncle. “Not a word to your girlfriend, you get me?”
    “F-fine. Let…me…go.”
    Mac released him and rested his back against the door, blocking Shane’s exit. “I’m working my way slowly with Maggie. Like you said, she’s a nice woman.” Nice. The blond was a shark in tights. “She’s also Shelby’s best friend. I happen to like your girlfriend, so I can’t afford to have Maggie hate me.” Yeah, like that’s the only reason I’m worried about screwing up with her. It has nothing to do with the fact that I actually like spending time with her. More than is healthy. “So don’t fuck it up for me, Shane.”
    Shane rubbed his throat, still grinning, the idiot. “No, sir. But I have to tell you. The fact you aren’t trying to get straight into her pants is a sign.”
    Worried because he had a feeling Shane was right, Mac swore again.
    “Talk to me, Goose.”
    “What is your need to talk about every damn thing?” Mac sneered. “I hate when you quote Top Gun . Fucking squid movie.” The Navy had nothing on the Corps.
    “Look, what’s the problem here? So you like her. You date, fine. It works or it doesn’t. That’s life.”
    So why did Mac worry about the not working part? He didn’t want to think about not being able to argue with her at the gym when she worked. And he couldn’t believe how much he looked forward to seeing her. Even without the sex, he liked being with her. For Maggie he’d consider going to a freakin’ coffee shop and sitting around, bullshitting with the other metrosexuals.
     Jesus. He really needed to get laid.
    “She’s not bitchy or a money-grubber,” Shane was saying. “You can trust her, and hell, I like her. She’s hot, has a job—has two jobs—and her own place, and is friends with my girlfriend. I mean, what’s not to like? So why all the worry?”
    Maybe Shane could help him. He did tend to think like a woman. “Because I think with her I’ll want more, but I don’t know if it’ll scare her off or not.”
    Shane blinked. “More as in… Oh, more .” Shane knew about Mac’s proclivities toward dominance. They’d talked about it a few times, and Shane had tried the D/s thing with his ex but hadn’t found it satisfying. Personally, Mac loved it. But partners into his kind of kink were hard to come by, and he didn’t want an anonymous hook up at a sex club. He’d been there, done that. Mac was tired of vanilla. He wanted sex that felt right, and he wanted to explore that path with Maggie.
    “What if she isn’t into it? Think that would throw you off?” Shane asked.
    “I don’t know.” The crux of the matter. Mac had always known exactly what he wanted in a steady partner. His ultimate fantasy girl would have to be strong and independent away from him. He didn’t want to babysit and he had no urge to deal with a 24/7 slave. But in the bedroom, he wanted to dominate. He wanted a woman to crawl to him, to satisfy his needs because she wanted to. She would want him to care for her and pleasure her because she’d know that turned him on. An