Still Maverick hadn’t moved.
“You look good,” she said, taking a hesitant step toward him. She glanced at the racks of motorcycle gloves and oils and other things she didn’t understand. Yet.
“What are you doing here?” He looked behind her, coming forward and closing the blinds. “What did you drive? You can’t be here.”
Karly put her palm against his chest and pushed. He was so solid and so real, and everything inside her rejoiced to be in his presence again. “I drove my car, Maverick.”
He froze again, and Karly looked up into those eyes that had captured her soul the moment she’d seen them at Mia’s wedding.
“And I can be here. I’m free now.”
“Free?”
“Can we go upstairs and talk?” she asked. “I miss King, and I’m sure he misses me.”
Maverick simply looked at her, and Karly wanted to laugh. She wanted to erase the confusion from his face. Wanted to tell him to relax. Instead of speaking, she put her hands on his shoulders to steady herself, and she tipped up on her toes to kiss him.
He held very still for about half a second, and then he growled deep in his throat and claimed her mouth like he had the first time he’d kissed her. Karly felt all the passion, all the hurt, all the anxiety of the last three months melt right off her back.
“I missed you so much,” she murmured before touching her lips to his again. He kept trying to take the kiss faster, but Karly pulled back again. “Are you okay? Vice said you were doing okay.”
He held onto her waist and skated his lips down her neck. “I’m okay,” he said, his voice rumbly against her collarbone.
“I have a lot to tell you,” she said, her voice mostly made of air. “You were just standing there, though.”
Maverick kissed her again, and Karly kissed him back with as much fervor as she could muster, matching him stroke for stroke. He finally slowed and pulled away, his pulse beating in his neck beneath Karly’s fingertips. She smiled and kept her eyes closed as her own heartbeat calmed.
“You’ve been talking to Vice?” he asked, his tone in a lower register she’d never heard before.
“It’s freezing down here,” she said, backing up and rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “Take me upstairs and make me some coffee.” She smiled at him, threaded her fingers through his, and gently tugged to get him to move. “I promise you won’t be late to your meeting.”
Maverick went with her, and she didn’t detect a limp in his step. “Yes, I’ve been talking to Jordan,” she said. “Just a little bit. Once or twice. I couldn’t risk anyone finding out. But it’s over. I made a deal with the Hawks, and it ended two hours ago.”
“A deal?” he asked. “Who did you talk to?”
“Daddy,” she said, answering what he already knew. She could only make deals with the leader of the club.
“Karly, tell me you didn’t.”
“I did,” she said.
“And you believe him?” He followed her slowly up the steps, and she was thrilled it was warmer in his loft. She barely let him through the door before she pushed him into it, both palms against his chest now.
“I do believe him.” She kissed Maverick, having really missed the opportunity to do so these past few months. “Because I had the upper hand. And I played it. I played it really well.” She kissed him again, some of her suppressed nervous energy coming out as she leaned into him, wishing she could get closer though they were chest to chest.
“Hey,” he said, finally breaking their kiss. “Talk to me first.”
Karly’s face felt too hot, and she smoothed her hair back. “I had a tape of them beating you and the others. I let them look through everything I had. Documents. Files. Bank accounts. Whatever they wanted, they had access to. They can’t find the money they paid Derrick. I don’t know where it is either.”
She moved away from him, dropping into a crouch to pat King. “Hey, bud. Have you been taking good care of your dad?”
He barked as if to say yes, and Karly laughed. Maverick started making coffee, and Karly could practically hear the questions in his head.
“So the deal was, they could look through anything of mine they wanted.” And they had, coming to the house twice in the middle of the night and nearly scaring her to death. Navy had woken once, and Karly had almost scampered back to Sami’s building in town. But she hadn’t. She’d held her ground.
“And they got three months to scrub their books. They couldn’t follow me anymore. Watch me. Terrorize you or the club, my family, all that jazz. And they didn’t. They kept their end of the bargain. When the three months was up, I delivered the tape to them, and I became free.” She turned back to him and found him leaning against the counter, watching her.
“So two hours ago, I’m out of their club. They can’t claim me. I’m not theirs. I’m free.”
Maverick’s jaw tightened, and Karly desperately wanted him to ask her to be his. She wanted him to claim her in words as easily as he did with his lips.
“I can’t believe you,” he said, the words tight in his throat. “They could’ve killed you.”
“They almost did kill you,” she said.
“I’m fine.”
“Oh?” Her eyebrows went up, and she didn’t want to fight with him. But she could obviously fight her own battles—and win. And he should know it. “Is that why you wipe away tears after physical therapy?”
Maverick’s gaze turned stormy, angry, and he just glared at her.
“Maverick,” she said, the fight leaving as quickly as it had come. “I’m here only two hours after dropping off the tape to the Hawks, because that was as fast as I could get here. I’m here because I love you. I’m here because I want you to claim me. I want to be yours.”
She paused, her emotions knotting up in the back of her throat. Why couldn’t he say anything? He looked almost identical to the man she’d known for five weeks at the beginning of the year, but he looked different too.
“Ah,” she said, her heart cracking right in half. “You don’t want me. Okay.” She started for the door, wishing she hadn’t worn such ridiculously high heels. But they were cute, and they usually told men exactly what she wanted from them without her having to say a word. It had been a long time since she’d been in the dating pool, though, and maybe women were doing something different now to convey to men what they wanted.
Of course, Karly had just spelled it all out for Maverick, too, in plain English.
“I’m sorry I caused so much trouble for you and the Sentinels,” she said, one hand on the doorknob. “That was never my intent.” She opened the door, and that finally got Maverick to move.
He practically ran across the kitchen to the door and pressed his hand against it to keep it closed. “You’re not leaving,” he said, sending a thrill down her spine and through both legs. He looked dark and dangerous and utterly delicious.
“I love you,” she said again, her voice quivering. She traced one fingertip along the ink on his forearm. “And I’ve been dreaming of tracing these lines wherever they go for months.” She looked up at him. “Please forgive me, Maverick.”
“I forgive you.”
“I want you to be Navy’s dad.” Karly’s eyes filled with tears at the gentle spirit this man possessed.
“I want that too.”
“Did you hear me say I loved you?” She smiled at him, one tear sliding down her face.
“I heard you,” he said, wiping his thumb over her cheekbone. “I’m in love with you too, Karly. I just…I can’t believe this is happening. I thought you were lost to me.”
“I’m not lost,” Karly said, touching her mouth to his again. This kiss was sweet, filled with love between them, and she couldn’t believe she’d found another man to share her life with.
“And you did nothing wrong,” he whispered, his lips suddenly at her ear. “So you don’t need my forgiveness. It’s me who needs yours.”
“I don’t think so,” she said.
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“Oh yeah?” He ran his mouth down the side of her earlobe, sending sparks through her body. “Are you the leader of Motorcycle Club? Did you put a pretty woman and her daughter in danger? Did you make them watch you get beaten up?”
She giggled in his arms, glad he was holding her up, because his breath down her neck was downright bone-melting. “Fine,” she said. “I’m not the leader of a Motorcycle Club. But I would like to be his old lady.”
He chuckled and pulled back, delight on his face now. “You’re learning our language.”
“That’s right,” she said. “Boss. But before that, Vice said you were Phantom.”
“I haven’t used that name for a long time,” he said.
“But why did you?” Karly asked.
“Maybe you should ask Vice.” He cocked his right eyebrow at her. “I’m jealous he’s been talking to you when I couldn’t.”
“Don’t be jealous,” Karly said. “It was a few times. Nothing big. And he’s not the one I’m kissing.” She kissed him again, letting him guide the union, take it wherever he wanted. Her head swam, and she still couldn’t get enough of him.
“I’ll tell you about Phantom another time,” Maverick finally said, removing his mouth from hers right when she thought her lips would bruise. “Okay?”
“Okay,” she said, swaying with him. “What’s the flavor for tonight?”
“You’ll have to stay and find out.”
Karly was fine with that. She never wanted to go anywhere again, not without Maverick. And he seemed to know her thoughts and echo them, because he kissed her again like a man in love.
Chapter Sixteen
“Come on, Navy-bear,” Maverick called over his shoulder to the little girl waddling behind him. Instead of hurrying to catch up, the toddler squatted in the sand and grunted at something.
She was the cutest thing on the planet, and Maverick’s heart swelled with love for her. She looked up at him and pointed one chubby finger at something, babbling away in a language he hadn’t learned yet.
He dropped the beach chairs and abnormally heavy beach bag and retraced his steps, though the sand was hot and wreaking havoc on his bare feet. “What is it, baby?” he asked, getting down on her level. Well, kind of. He had at least five feet on the little girl, and he couldn’t actually fold himself into a smaller package.
Navy pointed again, the sunscreeny smell of her skin meeting Maverick’s nose. Karly had told them to go ahead as she finished loading the cooler. She was almost caught up to them now, as they headed to her family’s end-of-summer picnic. They did one at the beginning of the summer too, and Maverick sure had enjoyed it.
Life with a regular family was new to him, and everything he’d dreamed of having if only about thirty years later than he should’ve gotten it.
“Ma ma ma,” Navy said, and Maverick had no clue how to respond. He couldn’t see anything in the sand either, so he scooped the little girl into his arms and straightened.
“Was it a crab, baby?” Karly asked, joining them and brushing her daughter’s hair out of her face.
“Cab,” Navy echoed, and they both smiled at her.
“Okay, but Grandma’s waiting for us.” Karly pointed down the beach. “Let’s go see her.”
Navy wiggled out of Maverick’s arms and ran as best as a little girl her age could. He chuckled at her and retrieved all the things he’d dropped when he’d gone back to see the mystery crab. “You okay?” he asked Karly, but the cooler had wheels, and she seemed to be faring better than him.
“Great,” she said. “Tell me all the news.”
“Okay.” Maverick took a deep breath. “Mia just announced she’s pregnant and due three days after Declan’s tour ends.” He’d actually heard that one before Karly, even if it was only by five minutes. He couldn’t help it that Declan only had a few friends he considered family and Mia had told her parents first before texting Karly.
“Jon and Cassie are expecting in January. There’s no news from Allegra and Phoenix, or Sami and Andy, but they’ve been acting funny, so we’re going to try to get something out of them while we’re here.” He glanced at Karly. “How’d I do?”
“Sounded a little gossipy there at the end.” She grinned at him. “I liked it.”
He shook his head with a smile. He didn’t care when her siblings had babies or not or if they did at all. He had some news of his own, and if he could just get rid of all these bags and chairs, he could get the diamond from Declan and really make Karly his.
The last five months had been a roller coaster, with huge peaks of happiness and low valleys of setbacks in his recovery. He’d had one more kidney surgery, finally just removing the one that had been damaged too much.
“Hey,” he said, realizing something suddenly. They’d talked about a lot over the last few months, but not if she wanted more kids. Her family waited about fifteen yards away, her mother cheering Navy on as the little girl ran toward her.
“Quick question,” Maverick said, already wishing he’d thought of this before today. “Do you want more kids or not?”
“Is that a real question?” she asked, her eyes sparkling at him from behind those amber-colored lenses.
“Yes,” he said, not sure if she was joking or not. “I mean, I heard fifty is as safe to have a baby as forty. So I’m just….” He had no idea what he just was, so he shut his mouth. He wanted to blurt out that he was going to ask her to marry him, and he should probably know this before he did that. But he wanted the proposal to be a surprise.
“Yeah, Maverick,” she said, dropping the handle of the cooler so it settled in the sand. “Of course I want more kids. Your kids.” She tiptoed her fingers up his chest. “With those gorgeous eyes. I swear, if our kids have my eyes, I’m going to send them back.” She trilled out a laugh, and Maverick joined her.
“All right, then.”
“Was that the right answer?” she asked, stooping to get the handle again.
“There was no right answer,” he said. “I was just wondering, since we’re talking about all of your siblings having kids.” They continued toward the group, and they were the last to arrive. Maverick had learned that Karly usually was to family gatherings such as these. Not so much to Sunday dinners, but definitely for stuff like this.
She liked to make an entrance, which was how he knew he could propose to her blindly today, and she’d be thrilled.
He set up the chairs and accepted a hello kiss from her mother, Olivia. He shook her dad’s hand, and steadfastly refused to remove his T-shirt though every other male there already had. Umbrellas had been set up, and Declan lay on the sand underneath one while his wife lounged in a chair, one hand on her still-flat belly.
“Brother,” Maverick said, and Declan got to his feet. They shook hands and embraced, and Declan held him for an extra moment as he slipped the ring in Maverick’s pocket.
“You ready for this?” the rockstar asked, and a hop, skip, and jump of nerves moved through Maverick’s bloodstream.
But he was ready.
“All right,” Olivia said. “Now that we’re all here, let’s get started.”
Karly exchanged a glance with Maverick, who simply grinned at her. It wasn’t her fault her mom was passive-aggressive with her, and he hadn’t noticed how her mom talked until Karly had pointed it out.
“First, your dad and I have some news.” She looked at Wayne, and Maverick felt all the tension from the Addlers increase. Karly even took a step forward. “Honey?” Olivia prompted.
“I’m retiring at the end of the year,” he said. “Liam will take over then.”
“What?” Liam asked, seemingly as shocked as everyone else. “Really, Dad? Already?” He’d been working with his dad to eventually take over the orchards and resort, but obviously no one had thought it would happen so soon.
“Really,” Wayne said. “Your mother and I would like to travel while we’re still young.”
Sami stepped forward and hugged her mom and dad, and
so did everyone else. Maverick marveled at how much this family loved each other, had welcomed in new people—had embraced him, even with all his tattoos and his loud motorcycles.
Navy fussed at his feet, and he picked her up. “Almost time, Navy-bear,” he said, snagging a potato chip for the girl to keep her happy. His eyes met Wayne’s, and Karly’s dad nodded.
Before he could move, though, Cassie said, “We have a bit of news. I mean, I’m obviously pregnant.” She pointed to her big belly, as January was only a few months away. “But Jon and I decided to find out what the gender of the baby is.” She looked at him. “I guess I’m going to have to figure out how to do hair, because—”
“It’s a girl,” Jon said with her, grinning at everyone. “She cried and cried. Said she doesn’t know how to take care of a girl.”
Karly was crying too, and she stepped over to Cassie with the words, “Girl, I’ll help you. I’m as girly as they get.”
More congratulations were in order, and Maverick kept feeding Navy chips until things quieted down again. Before he lost his chance, he turned to Karly and said, “I have some news too.”
Her eyebrows went sky high, but he ignored the panic in her eyes. “You do?”
He shifted Navy to his other hip so he could dig in his pocket. “I sure do. Karly, I’m madly in love with you, and I can’t stand driving you home at night. I hate leaving you and Navy, and I want us to be a family.”
With Navy in his arms, he couldn’t really get down on his knees, and he probably shouldn’t with his still-healing back anyway. But Sami took Navy from him, and he assumed the position. “Will you marry me?”
Karly had both hands pressed to her heart as she looked down at him. “You’re going to hurt yourself,” she said, tears pooling in those beautiful eyes. He wouldn’t mind if all of their children had eyes like hers.
“Then say yes quickly,” he said, getting laughs from the rest of her family.
Sami set down Navy, who came over to Maverick and tried to climb into his lap. Her sister said, “Aw,” and Maverick looked at Navy.
“Tell Mommy to hurry up.”
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