“Hmm…” he hummed before giving her forehead another peck. Damn, her skin was soft from head to toe. “What if what she thinks is the wrong idea is spot on with what you want her thinking?” he asked. His heart should have been jumping out of his chest at what he was insinuating. Instead, his free hand stroked her hair with the tips of his fingers, and her soft sigh against his chest filled him with a peace he had never felt.
“We should get up and ready,” she announced the second her eyes opened. Maverick didn’t like her ignoring what he’d said. He rolled them over so his body was over hers, and he stared at her.
“Moving day,” he finally said after searching her eyes for something. He ignored the pang in his chest at the thought of her no longer being down the hall of his own bedroom, under the same roof.
“Moving day,” she repeated, and he wondered if she was looking forward to being alone. “Plus, we didn’t get back last night. We have to—“
“Don’t worry. Gabe probably rested, and I know your mom’s friend was picking her up around midnight. It’s early enough for us to sneak back in and say I took you shopping. No one will be the wiser.”
“Okay,” she agreed easily. He didn’t want to move and let her go, but with so much to get done, he needed to.
“Come on… Moving day,” he repeated and stood, holding his hand out for hers. She grabbed it, and he pulled her up and into his body. They were both naked. Her sinful body made his hard all over again.
“We should shower first.” His voice deepened with his suggestion, and her breasts pressed closer against his bare chest.
“Shower, huh?” she asked. Her eyes glittered with mischief, and he knew they were both thinking about the last time they were around a running shower.
“Yeah. I’m going to get you dirty and then clean you up so damn good, you fucking sparkle.”
“God, that sounds good,” she moaned against his lips.
Lifting her in his arms, he took them into the bathroom, where he made sure to keep her until she sparkled at least twice for him.
Sofia
“That’s all of it,” Maverick mumbled, and I smiled at him over a box I was emptying.
“Thank you, Maverick. I couldn’t have done it without you,” I honestly shared.
“You could have,” he said from the archway in the kitchen. “It would have just taken a little longer,” he added. I liked that he believed that. I liked that he saw the independent woman I could be but still offered his help.
“You’re probably right.” I smiled.
Sitting on the floor of my kitchen, I let my eyes roam, trying to make a mental list of things I would need to buy once I started working.
“I better get going,” he muttered. I tried to disguise the disappointment I felt.
“Oh.” I stood up, brushing the back of my leggings. “Any chance I could talk you into staying?” I asked. He looked torn.
“Your mom went back home. Someone should make sure Gabe’s alright. Plus, I go back to work tomorrow.”
“Right.” Maybe he’d changed his mind? Maybe whatever had started up had lost its allure to him. “I’ll walk you out.”
“I’m a grown man, kid.” Kid? Just like that, my heart dropped to the floor. We were back to ‘kid.’ Maverick Bridges was sexy and hot, but he was also starting to become the king of mixed signals.
“I know that, Max.” I gave him my most unamused expression and watched his eyes flare up.
“Mav,” he corrected with a growl. I didn’t flinch as he stalked toward me, pining me against the wall. “I don’t wanna leave, but I have to, Princess,” he shared with an emotion in his voice I wasn’t sure what to make of.
“I know,” I sighed. And I did.
“I’m fighting myself to leave when all I want to do is take your bed for a spin and then fall asleep with you in my arms,” he enlightened me, and I blinked and sighed.
“You could have just said that.”
“Then I wouldn’t be the badass we both know I am,” he joked.
“Drive safe,” I mumbled against his lips as I cupped his face.
“I will. Bye.” I expected him to kiss me. Hard and rough. Instead, self-proclaimed badass Maverick Bridges glided his nose over mine as his hands cupped my face so gently it took my breath away.
***
Lying in bed, close to a dead sleep, my body startled at the sensation of a very warm and solid body sliding in behind me.
“Shhh, just me, Princess,” he whispered against my ear.
“Mav?” I asked, half asleep.
“Hmm…” He kissed the shell of my ear.
“Thought you were going home,” I whispered, cuddling into his body, letting him be the big spoon. My ass nestled into his crotch. His very naked crotch to go with his very naked body.
“I did,” he whispered hoarsely. His voice caused me to shiver, my nipples to harden as his small gesture awoke my entire body.
“You’re naked,” I pointed out.
“You’re not. Why aren’t you naked?”
“I don’t sleep like that.” A smile played on my lips as sleep started to fade away. His hands worked their way up and under the bottom of my nightshirt.
“You’re not sleeping right now,” he whispered huskily.
“Mav.” I covered his hand with mine. “Why are you here?”
“I missed you,” he shared easily. His lips nipped and gently kissed my ear, slowly working his way down my neck. “I tried to sleep.”
“Mmm,” I moaned, his way too talented mouth my undoing.
“And I couldn’t,” he kept sharing against my skin, making me buck into him.
“What about Gabe?”
“He’s asleep. I set an alarm. I’ll be back before he wakes up.”
“Mav—”
“Shh… Like I was saying, I couldn’t fall asleep, and I think it’s all your fault, Princess.”
“Mine, huh?”
“Yup. Your fault. Now, quiet down.”
“Why?” I curiously asked though I had a feeling I knew.
“I need to get us sleepy.”
“Oh,” I gasped as his hand pinched a hardened nipple and I felt the bolt of pleasure and pain throughout my body, heat and warmth pooling between my legs. “Well, who am I to get in your way?”
He moved me to my belly and worked diligently on getting us tired.
All. Night. Long.
Chapter Twelve
Maverick
He couldn’t stop himself from sneaking around at night on his days off from work.
Every night around eleven, he would peek in to see if Gabe was okay and then drive his ass over to Sofia’s, where they would fuck like crazy.
The more he had her, the more he wanted. The hunger never sated. Hell, if anything, he only grew hotter and hungrier. His imagination ran wild, and he worked tirelessly making sure they lived out every fantasy he could come up with.
That lasted for a week.
Then Sofi started working at Hank’s, and their routine changed slightly. His days off were spent at her apartment, and during the nights she was working, he would drag his ass over, sit at the bar, and watch her. Watch the way the guys would hit on her, his hands clenched together to stop himself from going after the little dipshits.
He needed to talk to Gabe.
He needed to figure out a way where Gabe could understand Mav’s intentions towards his sister were honorable, though what he was doing to her behind closed doors was less than.
“Hey, man.” Gabe’s hand patted his back. Mav looked at him and forced a smile, hating the guilt burning in his gut.
“What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at home, you know, resting?” I asked, leading him over to the kitchen table inside the firehouse.
“I can rest when I’m dead.”
“Gabe.”
“Relax. The chief said it was okay if I worked out here,” he shared, and Mav frowned.
“Work out?”
“Yeah, you know? In that
room with all the exercise equipment. It would probably do you some good to get in there, too.”
“Didn’t you just have a metal rod go through your calf?” he asked, choosing to ignore Gabe’s dig about him needing to work out. They both knew it was bullshit.
“What can I say?” He shrugged, getting comfortable in the chair, scoping the house. “I have a great physical therapist.”
“Right.” Mav laughed, shaking his head. Trying to avoid Gabe, he grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl in the center of the table, glancing at the TV against the far wall playing ESPN. Not that he was actually hungry; he just needed something to concentrate on. Something other than the guilt.
“Speaking of physical therapy. You have a new piece?” he asked, and Mav swallowed the chunk of apple in his mouth slowly before turning to look at his best friend.
“Piece?” he asked, his face masked with what he could only hope looked like boredom.
“Booty call.”
“Booty call? Jesus, Gabe, what are we, thirteen?” he asked nervously, trying to avoid having to straight out lie.
“Come on, man. Don’t bullshit me. You don’t think I’ve noticed you sneaking in and out of the house?” He chuckled, and Mav coughed.
“Man—“
“It’s cool. I’ve done that before, too. I was just curious why you haven’t mentioned her.” Mav shrugged.
“Nothing to mention.” The words felt like lead in his bloodstream.
“Come on… Is she ugly?” Gabe pushed, and Mav answered without thinking.
“Hardly,” he scoffed. “Most beautiful girl I have ever seen.”
“Really?” By the tone in Gabe’s voice, Mav knew exactly what Gabe was going to say next. “What the fuck is she doing with you?”
“I don’t know, man. I’m just…” He didn’t have words. How could he express everything Sofi meant to him? Especially after such a short amount of time?
“Shit,” Gabe rumbled, and Mav raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
“You’re serious about this one,” Gabe enlightened him, and he stilled.
“What?” He tried to laugh it off and deny it, but Mav found it impossible.
“Fuck me, man. Can it be true?”
“You’re nuts.” He shook his head.
“Holy shit, the great Maverick Bridges has been tamed?” Gabe teased.
“Whatever, it’s just a scratch that needs to be itched, man,” he muttered too gruffly and knew it was far from true.
“That’s ruthless, Bridges.” Gabe shook his head. “Right, Sofi?” he asked, and Mav’s stomach dropped as he turned his upper body around.
There she was. Whatever she was thinking, she blinked it away, and he could have sworn he could see the walls rising around her, shielding her from him. Fuck, he’d hurt her.
“From everything Mom’s told me, I don’t think Maxwell is tamable.”
“Not at all?” Mav asked, ignoring the way she was calling him by someone else’s name. He could feel Gabe’s eyes boring a hole in the back of his head, but he couldn’t look away from her. She was in a pretty sundress. The kind that made men get on their knees and thank God for having made someone design them.
“Not from what I understand. But see, this is where men are just too dumb for their own good.”
“What does that mean?” Mav asked, sitting up straighter, scowling at her.
“Yeah, I wanna hear about this,” Gabe added, and she laughed. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever she had up her sleeve.
“See, you guys are busy thinking that as men, you are all amazing. ‘Using women for booty calls,’ I think Gabe maturely called it. But what you guys don’t seem to realize is that maybe, just maybe, they are using you.”
“What?” Mav asked, leaning forward, breathing in her scent. His mouth watered.
“Maybe they’re the ones using you to get off and are more than happy to let you think otherwise.” She shrugged.
“Is that what you do? Use a guy to help you get off.” His jaw clenched. He didn’t know why he was getting pissed, but he was.
“Why not? You guys do the same thing.” She gleamed. An evil, sexy little smirk played over her face.
“So, what? You just tell these guys now, and they let you hop up on their laps?” he goaded, knowing he should just drop it, especially with Gabe right there watching the whole thing silently, but he couldn’t. Not with the tint on her cheeks letting him know he was getting to her.
“Man, that’s my sister,” Gabe groaned, but they both ignored him.
“What would you do if a woman did that to you? Just said now,” she pressed evilly. He licked his lower lip, taking in her silky legs.
“I would do my hardest to give her a good time.” He winked. Standing up, he started to walk away, knowing the challenge he had just dropped for his pretty princess wouldn’t be one she would ignore.
***
“Do a couple more reps and then hit the treadmill,” he ordered Gabe as he grunted out the next rep on the leg machine.
After checking with his therapist and the chief, they had worked out yesterday. To his surprise, Gabe had returned this morning.
“Yeah,” Gabe grunted before flipping him off. “I freaking hate you, man.”
“You wanted this,” Mav shrugged off, knowing not to push Gabe too much. “You came here, right?”
“Yeah,” Gabe grunted. “Shut the fuck up and go get us water,” he huffed. Mav grabbed a water bottle, tossing it over to him.
As he sat on the weight bench, looking at his best friend work out, Mav contemplated telling him the truth. It was time to man up. “Hey, man, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.”
“What’s up?” Gabe stopped and took a drink of water.
“Well… it’s about your sister—“
“Fuck,” Gabe cursed, “I knew it would happen.”
“You did?” Mav swallowed hard.
“Yeah. So, you heard about what happened with that rookie cop, Rocco something?”
“What?” Maverick straightened up.
“Yeah, man. So, I guess” — he chugged more water and swallowed—“the guy has a pair of brass balls. Asked her out a couple of times while she was on shift at Hank’s.”
“He did?” His jaw clenched. Something dark and ugly grew inside him, something Maverick had never felt before.
Jealousy.
“Yeah. At Hank’s while she was working. The little creep. Why the hell can’t Beech Grove have two good bars? That way, the boys in blue could go there.”
“Right. Yeah…”
“Little asshole.”
“What, uh, what did she say?”
“Some bullshit lie. Told him she’s seeing someone.” And just like that, all the rage and fury that had been bubbling up inside of him fizzled out.
“She did, huh?” He wanted to puff his chest out like a peacock, but he couldn’t. Not with Gabe there.
“It’s bullshit, right?” he asked, and Mav blinked.
“What do you mean?” he avoided, wondering if Gabe somehow knew the truth.
“She’s not seeing anyone?” Gabe straight out asked, and Mav cleared his throat. He should tell him. Now. Instead, he found himself asking, “How should I know?”
“You have been hanging out with her,” he pointed out. “At the hospital, did she say anything? Mention anyone?” Other than calling me God while I teased her with my fingers in a secluded storage closet? Mav shook his head and changed the subject easily, steering it towards a call they’d had the night before.
Sofia
Just like every morning he ended his shift, I felt him slide in behind me, his arms wrapping around me, and I mumbled, “If you want to scratch an itch, you’re going to have to do all the work.”
His soft but deep-toned chuckle made my poor, delusional heart warm up as I felt his lips at the top of my head. I should have pushed him out of bed. Demanded he give me back my k
ey and tell him it was all done and over with.
He hadn’t told Gabe. I knew the timing had been off at the beginning with my brother in the hospital, but Gabe was out. He was on the mend. He was even back at the fire station, working out with the guys, for goodness sake. I was starting to feel like a dirty little secret.
And I didn’t like it.
Knowing all this, I still didn’t make a move to kick him out of my bed. And I knew I wouldn’t.
I liked being with him. More than liked. Part of me knew I was in serious trouble with him. The head-over-heels kind of trouble.
“Hmm, I don’t know. I was told I was nothing but a sex toy for women,” he quipped, and I laughed.
“A very talented and cheap sex toy.”
“Cheap?” he asked, amusement laced in his voice.
“Hmm…” I nestled my ass into his boxer brief-covered crotch. “No need for pesky, pricey batteries.” His body shook behind me, and I turned to look at him. Damn, he is sexy. “Morning,” I whispered, suddenly feeling a little shy.
“Morning. Tired?”
“Exhausted,” I told him. My new schedule at the bar was starting to kick my ass. That or the lack of sleep thanks to Maverick.
“I’ve kept you up too late.” Concern washed over his eyes, and in the darkness of my room, I couldn’t make out the blue in them.
“Mmm, but that’s fun.” I tried to sweep away my concern, but the way he kissed the top of my head made me feel cherished. I was in so much trouble with him. “So, most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen, huh?” I asked him, and he shook his head, exhaling deeply.
“I wondered how much you had heard.” His hands brushed back a stray hair off my face, his hand warm and calloused. “This thing between us, it’s more than an itch.” The honesty in his voice was clear. I exhaled a weight I didn’t realize I had been holding since I’d overheard him.
“I know.” And I did. “You were just being a stupid guy.”
“I definitely was that.” He smiled, leaning down to kiss my nose. “I’m sorry I said that.”
“Do you really think you’ll tell Gabe? About us, I mean,” I questioned out right. The question had been burning in the pit of my stomach.
“I will. I promise.” I wanted to believe him. “It’s just not the right time,” he added, and I knew he wasn’t wrong.
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