Maia didn't know what it was about Mateo or why her creative juices were on fire when she was around him, but since he agreed to be her muse, Donny and Tati's story flowed like water from her fingertips. Sitting back in her chair, she grinned as she admired another finished chapter. She hadn't written like this in a long time and it felt good.

Her phone buzzed on her desk and a soft laugh left her lips as she eyed the message from her diligent muse.

Mateo >> Go to bed.<<

Maia >> I'm in the zone! Leave me alone! <<

Mateo >> It's four in the morning. Have you slept at all since I left?<<

Maia >> No...😅<<

Mateo >> 😑 You need to sleep to keep that brain of yours healthy to write.<<

Maia >> It's healthy enough. Why are you up, sir?<<

Mateo >> Gotta feed my chickens. You want me to come over after I'm done and make you breakfast? Since I doubt you're going to bed.<<

Maia >> How about I come over there? I wouldn't mind a change of scenery.<<

Mateo >> Alright, but how about I pick you up? It's dark and you don't need to be walking out here alone.<<

Maia chuckled, shaking her head.

Maia >> I can drive you know, but if you insist. I'll be ready in twenty min.<<

Mateo >> See you soon.<<

In the few weeks they'd been working together she realized Mateo was a lot like her character Donny in that he was naturally a protective person and she kind of liked that about him.

She closed her laptop and tucked it into her satchel before she got up and stretched. She yawned, looking out the window at the sleepy town below as her phone buzzed on her desk again. Frowning, she swiped it up and wondered what else Mateo had to say before he picked her up. He probably wanted to know what she had in mind for breakfast or something. That's how he was. Always making sure she had what she needed and what she wanted.

Her heart thumped and the smile on her face fell at the notification on her screen.

Sven >> Can we talk? I miss you.<<

Maia let out a bark of laughter as she swiped the message away. Sven had a lot of nerve messaging her out of the blue with some bullshit like that.

He missed her?

Doubtful.

And she wasn't about to get wrapped up in whatever drama he was trying to drag her into.

Nope.

Maia tucked her phone in her satchel and slipped it over her shoulder as she went downstairs to take a quick shower and forget Sven even bothered to reach out.

She was finally in a good space after their disastrous break up and he wasn't going to ruin her new found flow with his mess. He may have been her former muse and filled her head with his charming sweet talk and lavish lifestyle, but a year without him pestering her about what she ate and how he wanted her to look on his arm was all the clarity she needed to realize he wasn't the fantasy she built up in her head.

Sven wasn't the Prince Charming she thought he was or what she'd dreamed of and honestly, her idea of the perfect man she weaved into her novels would never exist in real life.

And that realization would keep her from ever falling for someone like Sven again.

Maia padded out of her room in her signature Crested Butte attire of black leggings and a long thick cotton sweater. She tied her hair up in a bun on top of her head and wrapped a silk scarf around her thick curls just as a knock sounded at her door.

"Just a minute," she called, grabbing her satchel on the couch and slipping her feet into her boots before she answered the door. "You really didn't have to drive over here to get me, you know," she said, shrugging on her coat as she smiled up at Mateo filling her door in his usual red flannel shirt, denim jeans and work boots.

"Yeah, I know," he said, taking her satchel and slipping it over his shoulder. "But I didn't want you walking in the dark and you haven't slept so I didn't want you driving either."

Maia pursed her lips as she followed him down her driveway to his big black truck. "Just because I hired you as my muse doesn't mean you have to take care of me like this. It's bad enough you cook for me."

"I like cooking for you." Mateo grinned as he opened the car door for her. "And I'm not giving you special treatment, this is how I treat all my friends."

Maia gasped as she stepped up into his truck. "You have friends?"

"Fuck off." He chuckled. "Yes, I have friends, but you're the only one I have here. So, just get used to this," he said, passing her satchel to her before he closed the door.

Maia watched him walk around the truck with a smile tugging at her lips. Yeah, she could get used to this. Mateo was like having a boyfriend without the added fuckery of having feelings and this was precisely why she loved having him as her muse. She got the best of both worlds and in the end, she was going to have an amazing story to show for it.

"So, how many chapters have you written tonight?" Mateo asked as he backed out of her driveway.

"I got two done and they're pretty good, but Donny still needs something."

"What do you mean? He's already a spy with a dangerous crush on his charge. What more does he need?"

"He needs a hobby or something. He's a trained killer and an excellent fighter and marksman," she said, tapping a finger to her chin. "But what does he do to unwind?"

"He could drink until he forgets about his crush on Tati," Mateo said, tugging out a freshly rolled blunt from the glovebox and handing it to her. "Or maybe he smokes weed to do that?"

"Yeah drinking and smoking is a given for him," she said, taking the blunt and lighting with the zippo in her coat pocket. "But that helps ease the memories of the things he's done in the past. He needs to do something to ease the sexual tension he feels for Tati. You know what I mean? What would you do if you were him?"

Mateo chuckled softly. "Not to be crude, but the obvious thing would be to jerk one off."

"I like that you're not shy about these things." Maia grinned, taking a drag. "But I've already got him doing that and my poor Donny is still struggling. He needs something else to take his mind off fucking her."

"Mm, I get how Donny feels, especially for a woman like Tati," he said, turning off the road to his driveway lit up by a row of slim black lampposts leading to his wood and stone ranch. "If his usual tricks aren't working, I'd do something mentally and physically taxing to get my mind on something other than having her in my bed."

Maia didn't know what it was, but something about the way he said that made her clit twitch. She shifted in her seat and took another drag of the blunt. "So, what would you do?"

Mateo parked the truck in front of the short steps to his home and turned to her with a mischievous glint in his brown eyes. "How about I show you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Right now?"

"No. I need to book it and you need to sleep first," he said, plucking the blunt from her fingertips. "But tomorrow, how about we go on a little excursion and I'll show you what I mean."

"That's very cryptic, sir. Why can't you just tell me?"

He took a drag of the blunt "I can, but I'm not sure you'll be up for it if I do."

"I mean, you've been getting me to do a lot of things I wouldn't normally do and I haven't shied away from any of it. So, I don't see why this would be any different." She shrugged. "I'm pretty much up for anything to help me craft this story."

"Alright then, we'll talk about it over breakfast," he said, passing the blunt back to her. "I really need to feed these animals. You should go inside and grab a cup of coffee. Make yourself at home like you usually do and keep writing."

Maia shook her head. "You're just gonna leave me in suspense about what excursion you want to take me on, huh?"

"Mm-hm, why don't you build some of that suspense into your novel? You like to toy with your readers like that."

She pursed her lips. "You're a dick, you know that?"

He laughed. "Yes, I've been told that many times, " he said, nodding to the house. "Go on, Miss Jefferies. Get to writing. You're in the zone, remember?"

Maia glared at him as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "You better have brewed that good coffee I like."

"Of course. Only the best for you," he said, getting out of the truck. "I'll be in soon."

"I'll be waiting on pins and needles until you do," she said, getting out and walking up the steps.

Shaking her head as she stepped inside his cozy rustic home that smelled of pine and the rich aroma of arabica coffee. She shrugged off her coat and slipped off her boots before padding across the open living room. She sat her satchel on the end of the plush leather couch that curled around the mahogany fireplace before she walked up the cobble stone steps into the kitchen.

A soft laugh escaped her lips as she opened the glossy dark wood cabinet to find a mug. Mateo was really something else. Maybe it was the silly banter they had or the way he could easily slip into the fantasy of her characters that fueled the fire in her writing.

Whatever it was, she was so thankful to have him around and she trusted him. So, whatever mysterious excursion he wanted to take her on, she was happy to go along for the ride.

It couldn't be that crazy.

Maia shuffled into the living room with her steaming cup of coffee and settled on the couch. She took a sip of the creamy aromatic drink and closed her eyes at the decadent taste. Mateo brewed the good stuff and she made a mental note to make sure she picked up an extra bag of the Colombian roast.

Sitting her mug on the coffee table, Maia opened her laptop to delve into Donny's salacious thoughts after seeing Tati in her slinky nightgown. Her phone trilled beside her and a smile graced her lips at the familiar name scrolling across her screen.

"My darling, Demitri. What are you doing calling me at this early hour?"

"I was out with Noa and the crew and I missed you. How's the writing going? I know you were struggling for a while."

"I'm doing better," she said, reaching for her coffee. "I found a new muse."

Demitri gasped. "Have you now? I thought you were swearing off muses for a while."

"I was, but my words weren't flowing until my neighbor sparked my creative juices."

"Mm, this sounds interesting. So, who's this new muse then?"

"No one you need to know about because you'll start getting ideas."

"No. You're the one who gets ideas. I keep you grounded, but you never listen and then you end up falling in love with the vision of a man or woman you've conjured up in your head."

"I–" Maia pursed her lips. "Fuck off," she murmured. "It's not like that this time."

"Mm, okay. Go on then, keep your muse to yourself. I just hope you're being careful."

"I am. It's purely business and he's signed a contract and everything. I'm being safe and I've set boundaries."

"Alright. I'm glad there's a contract involved this time," Demetri said. "How long do you think you'll need Mr. Muse for?"

"I'm not sure," she said, sighing as she took a drink from her mug. "If I keep writing the way I have been, I'll probably need an extra month out here."

"Oh, that's good, Mai. When you left, you were convinced you'd need at least six months. Do you want me to update your housekeeper for you?"

"No. I'll do it when I'm ready, but you could make me a few new outfits to celebrate when I'm finished."

"I've already started working on a few things for you," he said, chuckling softly. "That's the difference between you and me. You will always be my muse no matter what you do or who you date because I love you."

"You love everyone."

"Mm, but I love you the most, my dear," he said, yawning. "Anyway, I'm going to bed. It was lovely to hear your voice and I hope your new muse treats you as he should."

"Thanks, Dem. He is and I love you."

"Love you too, Mai."

Maia sat her phone on the table and tugged her laptop over her lap again. It was good to hear from Demetri. He never used to call her when she was on her writing retreats, but ever since she broke up with Sven he's been extra supportive and checking in on her more than he used to.

He was the one who warned her about getting into a relationship with Sven in the first place and he was right to be concerned about her leaning on another muse because she was good at falling for the love she imagined instead of living in reality.

Demitri never failed to hit her with the hard truths, which was why she didn't want to tell him about Mateo or Sven contacting her. He'd be worried about both of them if she told him how Mateo treated her and Sven admitted that he missed her.

Demetri would be on the next flight to Colorado to make damn sure she wouldn't catch any feelings for Mateo or attempt to go back to Sven.

She didn't need or want him to be her babysitter. Demetri and her sister did enough of that after she ended things with Sven. She was better and stronger now.

And finishing this book would prove to herself that she could handle having a muse again without falling for a love that wasn't there.

A/N: Or could it? 😏 I hope you enjoyed that! I like Maia and Mateo's banter at the moment and I'm pretty excited for this excursion he's taking her on 😁 But I'm also wondering if Sven is going to keep pestering her or will he go away quietly....the blurb of this novel would suggest a hard no! But we'll see!

As always, thank you so so much for reading, Little Bees!