by Laura Pavlov
He’d never seen her like this. Even when her mom had been cruel, she’d cried a little bit and moved on. This was different.
“I’m sorry, baby. They checked me out, ran a few tests and made sure I didn’t have a concussion. It’s part of the game. I promise, I’m fine.”
“You weren’t fine though. You threw different after you got up. Your neck was rigid. I could tell, Maverick. You weren’t okay.” Tears streamed down her face. And damn, if the girl wasn’t spot-fucking-on. She’d never seen a football game before this season, yet she had the lock on how he moved on the field. She was different from everyone else. She noticed things, especially when it was someone she cared about. He’d taken a bad hit, no doubt about it. And fuck yeah, his movements weren’t as quick afterward. He made the plays, put the ball where it needed to go. But he was in a shit ton of pain in the last quarter, and he worked through it. His girl noticed, because somehow, they were tied together in a way he couldn’t explain.
“You know when I’m off, or when I’m on.” He wrapped his arms around her tighter as he spoke.
“Yes, I do. And you were hurting. I know it.”
He pushed back. Her gorgeous face illuminated with moonlight shining through the window, highlighting her flushed cheeks, and her gorgeous gaze clouded with worry.
“Hell yeah, it hurt. But it’s not a bad thing. If it were, I wouldn’t have played after. You’ve got to work through the pain sometimes.” He pushed the hair back from her face, using his thumbs to swipe away the moisture falling down her cheeks.
“It worries me. I want to grow old with you,” she said, her voice just above a whisper.
He liked hearing her talk about their future. He was always the one pushing for her to move in with him. She lived by a set of rules. They made no sense to him most of the time, as they had time restrictions and order. He tried to be respectful, but he wanted her with him. All the fucking time.
“Tell me about us growing old together,” he said, studying her. The tension in her face not as prevalent. Her tears almost dry.
Her fingers traced his jaw, leaving him hazy and relaxed. “Well, I see lots of big, bronzed beautiful boys running around our house someday.”
“Ah, future football players, huh?”
“Hmmm, I think they’ll play golf or tennis,” she said, her voice laced with humor, but there was something serious behind her gaze. Hell, he didn’t care what their kids did, as long as they were passionate about it.
“You’re going to dress them in pink polo shirts and plaid shorts, aren’t you?”
Her head fell back in laughter, and he loved seeing her all light and happy again. Her smile straightened, tone more serious. “So do you see why I worry about you getting hurt? Our future doesn’t work without you.”
“I promise not to do anything to hinder putting as many babies in you as you’ll allow.”
She smacked his chest and laughed. “You better put a ring on it first, Wallace.”
“So many rules, Peaches,” he teased, but he already had the ring.
He was waiting until the season was over to propose the way she deserved. With his full attention. Mimi had offered him her wedding set. She told Maverick to use the stone, or the band, take it apart, whatever he thought Elle would like. She wanted to pass on some of the love she and Poppy shared. He knew his girl would appreciate the sentiment behind it, she was all about tradition, but he’d give her something that was her own at the same time. Peyton and Dani went with him to the jeweler, and together, they designed the perfect ring. He used the platinum band engraved with the words: forever mine, which his grandfather gave to his grandmother more than seventy years ago. A brilliant cushion cut diamond with pave diamonds surrounded the band. Classic and beautiful, like Elle. He made the stone from his grandmother’s ring into a pendant for her so Mimi could wear it around her neck.
He stopped by the firehouse last week and asked her father for his blessing. Thankfully, Nick was on board. He knew he wasn’t going to have her mother’s blessing.
“I’d break every rule for you.” She moved closer and rested her cheek against his chest. “But you still won’t let me wear a polo shirt to the baptism, right?”
Her laughter rumbled against him. “No, way. That one I’m not breaking. I found you a gorgeous modern gray suit, and a pretty, pink dress for me. They complement one another, just like we do.”
“You complement me, Peaches, no question there. So, what’s with you only mentioning boys? What about a few little firecracker girls, with blonde hair?”
She let out a long sigh, her warm breath tickled his skin. “Yeah. A little girl would be nice too. I’d let her find her own path in life.”
“Of course, you would. You’re hesitant about a little girl, but fine with a pack of wild boys?” He ran his fingers down her arm.
“I’d need to protect a little girl from Mama. She’d want her to carry on the family legacy. You know, the one I lost.” Her tone a mix of tease and apprehension. “God, I just hope I’ll be a good mom someday.”
“Are you kidding me? You’re the most empathetic person I know. You’ll be a natural. And most importantly, you twirl flaming batons, for fuck’s sake. All the other moms are going to hate you,” he said with a laugh.
“I’d want our kids to have a real childhood, you know? I honestly think Mama resents me for being born sometimes. But since she was stuck with me, she made me her toy. And when I didn’t have the same dream as her, she had no use for me.”
His chest tightened at her words and he pulled her closer.
“Well, my mom definitely didn’t plan for me, nor did her maternal instincts kick in after I was born.”
“I’m so glad your parents went to Brazil and found you.”
“Me too. And think about it. If our moms had been different, we wouldn’t have ended up here. Together.”
“I never thought of it that way. I ran as far away from home as I could get.”
“And it led you to me.” He ran his fingers through her silky hair. “So, do you feel better about everything else? I don’t like seeing you upset, Peaches. But this is what I do, and I wish I could tell you I won’t get hurt again, but I’d be lying. I’ll probably get hurt a shit ton more this season, so you need to be prepared.”
“Yeah. I mean, I don’t have much of a choice, right? This is part of who you are. Of course, I’ll support you.”
“Well, if it’s any consolation, it hurts a hell of a lot more thinking of you working with Count Asshat every day than getting tackled by large men.”
Her hysterical laughter trickled around them.
“You’re ridiculous, Wallace. I actually can’t wait for this project to wrap up. Just a few more weeks.”
He tensed. “Is he doing something to make you uncomfortable?”
“No. No, not at all. He’s fine. It’s just an awkward situation, and I know it bothers you. You do know there’s nothing to worry about with him, right? You trust me, don’t you?”
“I do. But he wants what’s mine. My instinct is to fight. I’m trying to taper the urge because you’ve asked me to.”
“Taper what urge?” Her fingers grazed the scruff on his jaw.
“To knock the asshole out. It’s my nature, Peaches. I’m not the sit back and watch type of guy. Hell, my profession is a perfect example. I don’t sit on the sideline waiting for something to happen. If someone tries to take the ball from me, I fight with everything I’ve got to hold on to it. And there’s nothing more important to me than you. It’s not easy for me to sit back and—trust. I’d rather hold on tight and call the plays,” he said with a smirk. He wanted to be honest with her, but she’d had a rough day, and he didn’t want to add to it.
“You trust your teammates, right? Think of me as the catcher, or the runner.”
Fucking adorable. “Do you mean receiver and running back?”
“Potato, po-tot-o.”
He rolled her onto her back, propped himself above her and
pressed his hips against her. Needed to take her mind off things, and he knew exactly how to do it.
Her head fell back, and he paused to look at her. Damn, she was perfection.
“You’re insatiable. Don’t you ever get tired? You had a game today.”
“I never tire of you.” There were no truer words. He’d never spent the entire night with another woman. Never stuck around after sex. Elle was the first, and she’d be the last.
“I love you,” she said, and a long sigh followed.
“I love you too.”
He covered her mouth with his. Loved the little moans she made when he kissed her. He pushed up and reached for the foil packet in the nightstand. He tore it open, sat forward and covered himself. She watched in fascination.
“You like what you see?” he asked, his voice gruff.
She wriggled her brows. “Like a pig in sunshine.”
“I can’t wait to stop wearing these things. Just you and me. Nothing between us.”
“Don’t put the cart before the horse, Wallace. It’s not happening till we’re ready to have kids. I’m not doing what our mamas did. No unplanned pregnancies.”
“I love when you talk about pigs in sunshine and unplanned pregnancies when I’m hovering above you,” he said with a laugh, before rolling on to his back and pulling her on top of him.
“You know what I love?” Her smile reached her beautiful gaze, as she pushed up, straddling him.
“What?”
“I love how much you love me in spite of my flaws. My irrational worrying, endless rules, believing in fairy-tales—throw in my mean mama, who treated you as poorly as she treated me, and you’ve got yourself a long list right there. Not to mention me working for my ex-boyfriend and my unusual gift for pre-love-making banter,” she said.
He pulled her down, his lips grazing hers. “If those are flaws, then you are the most beautifully flawed person I’ve ever met.”
Her fingers intertwined with his. “Perfectly imperfect?”
“Perfectly mine.” His mouth captured hers.
She ground against him and he deepened the kiss. His hands tangled in her silky hair pulling her closer. Needing more. She broke their kiss, reached for the hem of her tank top and lifted it over her head. The move so sexy he lay motionless, watching her, taking in his girl.
“You’re so fucking beautiful.” He pulled her back down to him. Couldn’t wait another minute to bury himself inside her.
Elle shifted and took control. He loved it. Her topaz gaze glittered in the moonlight, tousled, sexy blonde hair falling all around her, like some sort of angel. Almost undid him right there. He lifted her hips before pulling her down. Inch by glorious inch.
And this is where he wanted to stay.
Forever.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Elle’s Tip of the Day
Never trust an egg-suckin’ dawg!
A high pitch sound startled her from sleep. Daisy? Why was she barking? The mattress dipped, and she rolled toward the center and reached for her boyfriend. Her gaze sprung open, struggling to see through her sleepy haze. Maverick sat up, his back rigid against the headboard, and his fingers clenched a pillow in front of him. The sound he bellowed matched the terror in his distant stare.
“Go away, go away,” he shouted over and over.
Daisy continued to bark, and Elle hurried off the bed and crouched down on the floor.
“Stop,” she whispered to the pup.
Maverick shrieked, begging whoever haunted him to leave him alone. To go away. He called out for his mama a few times, and a pain tore through her heart. What had happened to him? He’d been so young at the time. Who could hurt a child? A beautiful child. Tears streamed down her face. This big, strong man was just a child. Small and frightened. She sat with her back against the wall so she could watch him. Damn to hell if she’d leave him in the middle of a night terror. He could hurt himself.
After what felt like forever, the room went eerily quiet, and he slipped back down on the pillow. She waited a few minutes and watched him sleep as if nothing had happened. Grabbing her phone, she set the alarm for five fifty in the morning. Maverick woke up like clockwork every day at six fifteen. She’d promised to go to the guest room if he had a nightmare, but she wasn’t leaving him now. Lying to him wasn’t an option because he’d never agree to see someone about it if he didn’t think he was still having them. She wanted him to see the world-renowned doctor she’d found through a lot of research. But leaving Maverick now? Not happening. She needed to know he was safe. She reached for her pillow, grabbed a throw blanket, and settled on the floor beside him. Tears continued to fall. Her heart ached for him.
When her alarm vibrated beside her, she hurried down the hall and climbed into the guest bed.
“What happened?” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. She must have dozed off again because she jumped when he spoke.
She rubbed her eyes before sitting up and wrapping her arms around his middle. “You had a nightmare. It wasn’t bad.”
“You left immediately, right?” The concern in his gaze caused pain to settle in her chest.
“Yes,” she said, because sometimes white lies were necessary.
“I’m so fucking sorry.”
“You have nothin’ to be sorry for. I don’t know why you insist on me sleeping in the guest room. Your nightmares don’t scare me, baby. I want to be there for you.”
“Because I can’t risk your safety. I don’t know what the fuck I’ll do. I don’t remember anything. Promise me you’ll leave every time. No matter what,” he said, dropping his head in his hands. Her gut wrenched. She hated seeing him like this.
“I promise,” she said. And then followed her statement with a few silent words of her own.
But I promise to make sure you’re safe first.
****
“It looks perfect,” she said, to Jess and Brandon, the two guys hanging artwork for her.
“Yeah, it’s really come together these last few days.” Jess straightened the last print.
By the grace of God, this project was finally wrapping up. She’d finished all eight floors, and there was nothing left to do. Saturday was the unveiling of the new space to the public, and between Edward and Camille, there were going to be a ton of influential people in attendance. Maverick didn’t have a game this weekend, so the timing worked out well. She made sure Edward knew Maverick would be attending to support her as they were very much together. In every sense of the word.
The mid-century modern space came together even better than she had imagined. The gray office furniture featured clean lines, with splashes of geometric, colorful art on the walls. This was not her typical design style, and it proved challenging to step out of her usual upscale glam décor projects. She liked expanding her horizons when it came to being creative.
“There’s the lady of the hour. I need to speak to you for a moment,” Edward said, as he stepped off the elevator into the large open space. The other two men appeared notably uncomfortable any time Edward was around. He was their boss, and he did carry himself with a certain arrogance.
“What do you need?” She turned and reached for her briefcase.
“There’s a slight problem. Nothing major. However, the opening will be moved to next Friday evening, instead of Saturday. My father wants to be present, and he needs to leave for France on Saturday morning due to family business. I’ve already spoken to Camille, and an email blast has been sent out to all the guests.”
Her stomach dipped. Would he do this on purpose? No. Going to all the trouble of rescheduling a large event just to mess up her plans? No. She was being paranoid. This was just bad timing.
“Is there any flexibility?” Her voice cracked as the words left her mouth.
“No. The date has been changed and the emails have already gone out. What’s the problem?” He didn’t look at her as he continued to study the new art on the walls.
“Well, um, Maverick is recei
ving an award on Friday evening for the work he’s done with a national children’s organization. It’s a huge honor, and I want to be there to support him, just as he planned to be here for the opening for me,” she said.
He turned to face her. “Ah, I do recall hearing something about him winning some award. I’m sorry to put a wrinkle in your plans, Elle, but this is business. My father wants to be present to see your work and congratulate you. Besides, I’m sure you support him enough by attending his soccer games. He can survive one night without you.”
His smug, cool demeanor rubbed her wrong. “He plays football, not soccer. Thanks for the advice, but I wasn’t asking for it. I’ll figure it out. Have a nice night.”
She moved to the elevator, anxiety coursing her veins. He was all too pleased about messing up her plans with her boyfriend. A large hand wrapped around her bicep, stopping her in her tracks.
“Stay. Have a drink with me,” Edward said, pulling her back against his body. His lips grazed her ear.
Repulsed, she yanked away and faced him. “Unless you want to get slapped, you best not touch me again.”
He placed two hands on her shoulders and completely ignored her request. “Stop behaving like a child. I’m simply requesting two friends have a drink together.”
“And I’m simply requesting you get the fuck away from her. Now. Am I making myself clear? She shouldn’t have to ask you twice. I don’t give a fuck who you think you are.” Maverick’s voice startled her, and she whipped around to see him standing behind her.
Edward stepped back and a cocky smirk spread across his face. “How did you get past security without a visitor’s badge?”
Maverick reached in the back pocket of his dark jeans and tossed the plastic badge across the desk. He wrapped two arms around Elle and pressed her back to his front. His warmth soothing, but the anger radiating from him sent off alarm bells. With the project almost completed, the last thing she needed was the two men to get in a fight.
“You touch her again and I won’t need a visitor’s badge to hunt you down,” Maverick said.
