by Kay Maree
He takes one from me, and we walk out of the house that was never a home. I don’t look back because there is nothing there that I want to remember.
As we pull back out on Main Street, Maverick stops the car on the side of the road.
“Wait here,” he says as he gets out and runs into a small café. He comes out after about five minutes with three drinks in a carrier and a brown paper bag.
“I guessed that you drank coffee, but Cam doesn’t.” He motions to the drink carrier as he hands it to me.
“Good guess.”
He shrugs and drives us down to his apartment. Once inside, he sets the table and places something wrapped in aluminum foil on each plate. It’s all very domestic and that strikes me as odd because Maverick doesn’t seem the domestic type, at all.
“I smell delicious goodness,” Cam declares from the corner of the kitchen.
I practically jump. “Jesus, you scared the shit out of me.” She ignores my comment and sits down, peeling back the foil.
“Can I eat it?” she asks Maverick.
“Uh, is that a trick question?” he asks her. “I hope you like breakfast burritos. Dana’s Deli has the best.”
Cam takes a sip of the orange juice and her eyes practically bulge out of her face. “This is the best OJ that I’ve ever had!”
Maverick laughs. “It’s fresh-squeezed.”
“I didn’t know it could taste this good,” she says as she gulps half of it before stuffing her face with the burrito.
“Sit. Eat,” Maverick commands. I look at him in a way that says, “step off, I don’t take orders.” And then I comply.
It only takes one bite of the breakfast burrito for me to forget his demanding behavior. “This is soooo good!” I moan.
“I’m telling you, Dana makes the best ones in town. I usually treat myself to one at least once a week,” he says as he sips his coffee.
“You want sugar or cream with that?” he asks. I shake my head. I had long forgotten what such frivolous things tasted like in coffee. Usually, I just had instant coffee made in an old kettle I found for a dollar at a garage sale.
Cam finishes her burrito and turns to Maverick. “Maverick?”
“Yes, little fighter?”
“Are you…rich?” She scrunches her nose when she says “rich” like it’s a bad word.
At first, he stares at her like she might be crazy, and then he laughs, a full belly laugh that has him wiping his eyes. He holds up his hands to apologize after a few minutes. “I’m sorry, little fighter. I…no, I’m not rich,” he says.
“Why’d you think that was so funny?” she asks.
“Because I think you might be the first person to ever ask me that question.”
Cam is unphased. She shrugs. “It’s just…your home is so…uh, fancy. And you get takeout every week. And you have condiments in your house, like real ones.”
Maverick sighs. “I’ve forgotten what it feels like…you’ll see someday,” he says. I don’t understand what he means and clearly neither does Cam. But before we can inquire further, he stands.
“Time for your training,” he says to me.
“My training?” I ask.
“It’s only seven thirty. We’ll train for thirty minutes and then you can come back up here and do whatever studying you have to do before work.”
“I don’t know,” I say as I bite my lip.
“Nonnegotiable. You want to stay here, then you train,” he states as he clears the table.
“I can clean up,” Cam offers.
“Go get showered and dressed, Cam. You can train when your sister finishes.”
“OK,” she says cheerfully as she runs back to the bedroom.
I stand. I don’t much like being told what to do, but I have a gut feeling Maverick isn’t the type of guy to be told no.
“Don’t push me, Bridget,” he says from the sink, his back to me.
“I don’t take orders,” I mutter as I walk toward where I put my bag of clothes in the hallway. I half expect him to follow me and bend me over his knee to spank me, but he doesn’t. There’s a small part of me that wishes he would.
CHAPTER NINE
MAVERICK
She’s a complete distraction. I can’t help following the beads of sweat as they run down in between her perfect tits. We are doing partner push-ups. And to be honest, I’m impressed by her strength.
“You don’t seem like the fitness type,” I admit to her as we clap hands and go back down again.
“I’m not,” she huffs.
“You have to work out if you can do these.”
“I lift heavy trays of food all day. This is not that big of a stretch.” She grunts as she tries to keep going. I can tell she’s about to reach a wall. I’ve been working her for forty-five minutes. Cam sits over by the bookshelf completely engrossed in a book. It’s then I remember the book I got for her.
“Cam?” I call out. She glances over at me.
“Go up to the apartment. There’s something for you in the bag I left on the counter.”
She squeals and jumps up, running out of the gym.
Bridget lets herself fall to the floor. “You don’t have to give her gifts, you know?”
I sit up and look down at her. “I know. But I wanted to.”
She sits up and looks into my eyes. It’s the first time that I’ve really stared into her eyes. They are beautiful. They aren’t any particular color. There’s blue, green, even flecks of gold in them. She reaches over and squeezes my hand. I glance down. Her hand seems so small next to mine. My need to protect her and Cam grows infinitely in that moment.
“I know you are trying to do the right thing, Maverick. I do. But I got this. Just give me two more weeks, OK?” she says, her big eyes pleading with me to listen to her, to do what she wants. Oh, baby, you are asking the wrong guy to cave to your demands. I also know I can’t scare her away. When I claim something as mine, it’s fucking mine and no one does a god damned thing to it. The second Cam came back in and started cleaning, she weaseled her way into my heart. I would run into a burning building to save that little girl. And now that I know Bridget, well, I’d run into the burning building, but I’d also peel off all her clothes and make her beg for more all night long. I push down that last thought.
“Take all the time you need,” is all I say as I toss her a towel.
“I have to go study,” she says as she looks up at the clock on the wall.
I nod as she heads to the apartment. A moment later, a very excited Cam comes into the gym, jumping up and down. She’s so fucking adorable, like the little sister I never knew I wanted.
“OMG! I can’t believe you got me this book!! It’s my favorite, and I always wanted a copy of my very own!” she yells. A few gym patrons look over at us, and I place a hand on her shoulder and lead her over to the punching bags.
“I’m glad you like it,” I say as I hand her a pair of gloves. She sets the book down and jumps into my arms.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she shrieks. She reaches up and kisses my cheek.
“You are the best, Mav!”
“OK, enough. You’re gonna ruin my reputation. Now, lace up. It’s time to work the bag, little fighter.”
She grins up at me. I wink at her, and she giggles as she lets me help her get the gloves on. I ruffle her hair once she’s ready.
“Let’s kick some ass today, little fighter,” I say as I hold the bag for her.
BRIDGET
I’m running through the sand, the wind whipping my hair around my face. I laugh as I fall down. Cam splashes me and I giggle. I lie face-first on the warm beach, letting the sun’s rays heat my back. I feel Maverick’s strong hands begin to massage me. I moan. He slowly slips the knot loose on my bikini and I feel it fall away.
“Maverick,” I groan. His calloused hands feel so good on my skin. I want more. I want…”
“Rise and shine,” I h
ear Maverick saying. His strong hands are on my back, but they are shaking me slightly. I pop up and realize that I’ve fallen asleep studying.
“Shit!” I call out as I stand up and look at the time. I still have an hour before work.
“Hey.” Maverick’s hand cups my jaw and tilts my face up. “It’s all good. Cam told me when you needed to be at work. I figured you needed some sleep…you know, considering everything.”
I sigh. I really did need to study, but I could stay up an extra hour or two after my shift tonight. I yawn and stretch. “Thanks for waking me up.”
“How late do you work tonight?” he asks as I stand and grab my work clothes that he’s washed and neatly folded. I notice a clean, new pair of underwear is laid out on top of them. My cheeks heat, and I keep my head turned away.
“I should be home by eleven.”
“I’ll come walk you here,” he states. I roll my eyes. This whole alpha male thing is grating on my last nerve.
“I can walk alone. I do it every night.”
“Well, you haven’t spent every night living in my home.” I turn and see he’s crossed his arms. He looks foreboding, and a bit sexy if I’m being honest. I let out a breath.
“Whatever, I need to change,” I say, and he turns to leave but pauses at the door.
“You should get more sleep,” he says as he walks out of the room. I sigh. He’s not wrong, but I don’t honestly know when I could get more sleep. I work six days a week and the seventh day is spent doing laundry and catching up on schoolwork.
I contemplate his words as I change my clothes. I would like nothing more than to not worry about money, to not live from paycheck to paycheck. But that’s not in the cards right now. I’m studying business and marketing at the community college. I figure either one of those can help me get a job.
I’m deep in thought as I come out of the room and run right into a wall of Maverick. Damn it! Why does he have to smell so fucking good? It’s a mix of sage and something woody.
“Sorry,” I mutter.
“Let me walk you to work,” he offers.
“I…fine,” I relent. He smirks slightly, and I roll my eyes as I grab my bag and head toward the door. When we get in front of the gym, I see Cam inside talking to a man that looks almost as big as Maverick.
“Who’s that?” I ask him.
He smiles at me. “That’s Mark. He works with me. He’s former military, too. He’s training to be an Olympic boxer.”
I stop and looks up at him. “You were military?”
He nods. “A long time ago,” he says to me as he continues walking toward the restaurant.
“Where did you learn to box?” I ask as we continue on our walk.
“Zeek.”
“He taught you?”
“Yep,” he answers. I want to know more about this mysterious hero of mine. He intrigues me. I wish I had more time to get to know him, more time to be at the gym, more time for anything.
We stop in front of the restaurant. “I’ll be here at ten forty-five,” he states as he turns and walks away.
I shake my head as I walk in and see Abby. Shit. Here come the questions.
“Who’s your new bodyguard?” she asks as I go to hang up my coat. The weather is starting to turn cold as the holidays approach. The mere thought of another Christmas with no gifts makes me want to cry.
“Just a guy,” I say. “He’s teaching Cam to box.”
Abby’s eyes shoot up to her forehead. “Box?”
I shrug. “She needed a place to go during the day and his gym is open.”
She nods her understanding and gets back to a table of customers. I hang up my coat. Phil is lingering in the corner looking at something.
“Hey, Bridget?” he asks. I walk over to him but keep a good three feet of distance between us.
“Can you work an extra shift this week?” I want to say no, but it could mean enough money to buy Cam a small gift and get us our own place sooner.
“Sure.” Tomorrow is supposed to be my day off but fuck it.
“Great. Abby can’t work. So, it’ll just be you and me on the dinner shift.”
I groan internally while plastering a smile on my face. Phil only waits tables when we have a dire staffing situation. One of our wait staff quit unexpectedly a few days ago. I know Phil wants to hire soon, but he’s so damn picky.
The rest of my shift flies by as there’s a bingo tournament down the street and all the old people come in for dinner beforehand. I’m wiping down a table when I see movement by the front door. Maverick. I finish up and grab my coat.
“I’m heading out,” I say to Phil and Abby.
“See you tomorrow, then,” Phil states. I nod and Abby gives me a “sorry” look. I head toward the door. Maverick opens it for me. There’s a blast of cooler air as I walk outside, and I shiver.
“You cold?” he asks, wrapping an arm around me as we walk.
“A l-little,” I manage through my shivers. My coat is threadbare and old. I wanted to get Cam a new one first because she’s growing and her old one doesn’t fit. Plus, I hate to think of her as the kid that would get picked on for not having a proper winter coat. For the most part, Cam hangs out with the smart kids and they don’t care what she wears, but I know next year will be tough when she goes to high school. Kids can be mean.
Maverick ushers me inside the apartment.
“Go grab a shower,” he commands. I want to call him “bossy,” but somehow, I don’t think that would go over well with him.
Cam’s already in bed, but her head pops up as I go inside. “Hey,” she whispers. I want to tell her she doesn’t have to whisper anymore, but I don’t have the heart to point out that there’s no mean, drunk guy in the living room here.
“Hey,” I say quietly. I sit down on the bed. “I’m gonna work tomorrow.”
“Do you have to?” she asks.
I nod. “Sorry, kiddo.”
“It’s OK. Will you have off Christmas Day?” she asks. She looks so hopeful, I don’t want to say no.
“I’ll have to check the schedule.”
“OK. Bridget?”
“Yes, Cammy?”
“You forgot Mr. Bunny,” she says. Shit. Cam’s had Mr. Bunny since she was a baby. He must have fallen on the side of the futon.
“Sorry.”
“Can we go…”
“No! Do not go back there. Ever. Promise me you won’t!” I say to her, almost frantically.
“OK,” she says, her eyes down. I hug her.
“I’m sorry, but your life is more important than a stuffed animal,” I say. “Listen, I need to shower. I’ll come to bed later, OK?”
“OK.”
I find that my sweatpants and t-shirt from last night are clean. I’m not sure when Maverick found the time, but I’m thankful.
I let the hot water pour over me, relishing in the shower pressure once again. I dry off afterward and put on my clean clothes. Everything feels luxurious.
When I step out of the bathroom, I see the light is on in the kitchen. I walk out, and Maverick hands me a mug.
“I hope you like hot chocolate,” he says as he blows on the hot liquid before releasing the mug. I’m completely mesmerized by his lips as he does this. My mind races with a million inappropriate thoughts.
“Uh, yeah. Thanks,” I finally say.
“Did I hear you tell Cam that you have to work tomorrow?”
I nod. “We’re short-staffed.”
“What time?”
“Not until three,” I answer.
I don’t know why at that moment it dawns on me that we’ll be here for Christmas.
“Maverick?”
“Yes, knockout?”
I grin at his nickname for me.
“If we’re going to be in your way for the holidays, I can find another place for us to…”
He places a finger on my lips, and I stop speaking.
“You are not in the way. I usually just go over to Z and Violet’s house for dinner. I’m sure you two are invited. It’s pretty low-key.”
“Oh, no. I wouldn’t want to intrude.”
“Yes! We want to intrude!” Cam yells from the guest room.
I roll my eyes. “Go! To! Bed!” I yell.
Maverick stifles a laugh. I give him a stern look, but I can’t help grinning. He’s pretty fucking handsome when he laughs.
“You should laugh more,” I say to him. He raises an eyebrow. “Just saying.” I shrug.
“You should laugh more, too,” he quips. He’s not wrong, but I don’t have a lot to laugh about at the moment.
“I should get to bed,” I say as I finish my drink. “Thank you.” I go to clean the mug, but Maverick takes it from me.
“Get to bed, knockout,” he says. Although it’s a command, he says it gently, a kindness behind his eyes that I haven’t seen before.
I nod. I lean up on my tippy-toes and kiss his cheek. “Thanks,” I whisper before heading to bed.
CHAPTER TEN
MAVERICK
I decide the girls needed to sleep in today. Mark greets me when I walk into the gym.
“Morning,” he says, but I can tell he doesn’t mean “good morning,” he means “give me the lowdown on the girls living in your apartment.”
“Morning,” I respond, not taking the bait.
“Soooo.”
I hold up a hand. “I’m doing a favor for a family that needs it. That’s it. End of story.” Mark looks a little dejected.
“Listen, man, that Cam girl is a sweet kid and I found out they are having a hard time at home. It wasn’t safe for them, so I offered them a place to stay until Bridget can get the money together for their own apartment. That’s all.” I hope I sound convincing because while that is one hundred percent how this started, it’s not my sole reason anymore. Somehow, those two have fucking weaseled their way into my frozen heart, and I have some caveman need to protect them.
We get into the ring and start our normal early morning routine before our clients begin to roll in for their morning workouts.
“You still thinking about getting back in?” Mark asks me. I hadn’t thought about it in about three days, but I had been giving it thought before then.
