Page 58 of Maverick

I finally gave up around three and headed back home, where I crept inside quietly to avoid waking up the girls.

“You have to stop this.” Grace’s voice was quiet but strong. She stood a few feet from the door with her arms crossed and her beautiful face twisted into a scowl.

I kicked off my boots and faced her. “Stop what?”

She scoffed and shook her head, a hint of a crooked, joyless smile twisted her lips. “You know exactly what, Maverick. It’s not healthy and it’s not good for you. Or for me.”

“Aw, honey, you worried about me?”

Instead of another smile, Grace’s nostrils flared, and her jaw clenched. “This isn’t funny, Dylan. Just stop, please.”

“Again, stop what, Grace?” I ignored her use of my government name because I knew what she was doing.

“Look,” she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I appreciate what you’re doing or trying to do, really, I do. But don’t. Please.”

My brows tugged into a dark frown. “Why? Are you planning on going back to him? Do you think that’s going make anything better?” The idea of her going back to that asshole, of sacrificing herself to stop him from doing any more damage made my chest ache and a red-hot anger build inside me.

“No, I’ll run forever before I do that. I’m worried about you, riding all night and then spending all day at the clubhouse. It’s not healthy, Maverick. You need sleep. Your body and your brain need to recharge.”

Shit, she really was worried about me. “I’m going to sleep now.”

“For what, three or four hours? We both know that’s not enough.”

“I’ve done more on less sleep.”

She let out a frustrated sigh and closed the gap between us, taking my face in her hands. She held me close and small puffs of minty breath fanned across my face. It was the scent, the feel of home, because that’s what Grace was to me. “You promised to keep Sophie safe.”

My hands went to her hips and pulled her closer. “I promised to keep you safe too, remember?”

She nodded and pulled me down, so my forehead was pressed against hers. “I’m serious, Maverick. If something happens to you because you were trying to defend my honor, I couldn’t live with myself. You need to sleep so you can make sure you and Sophie are safe. Exhausted and angry leads to poor decision making, and I need you at your best.”

This woman was so fucking selfless it was hard to resist her, even more when she was worried about everyone but her damn self. She looked up at me with those pleading green eyes and I couldn’t help myself. “You’re too good to be true,” I told her, and then claimed her mouth in a kiss that was so fiery and intense that my cock instantly came alive. I pulled her close because I needed her to feel what she did to me since I couldn’t tell her.

Not yet.

Not until the problem of Trent was dealt with permanently.

Too soon, Grace pulled back and took my hands, leading me to my bedroom. My cock strained against my zipper with excitement that quickly died when she passed up the bed and guided me into the bathroom. Silently, she stripped me down, pushed me into the hot shower. “Don’t linger,” she ordered, and left the bathroom.

I smiled at her bossy tone. The woman I met at the club would never have ordered anyone to do anything, never mind a man. She was finding her spark, and it was sexy as hell to see her in protective mode. I ignored my aching cock because Grace was right about one thing, I was so fucking exhausted I was damn near dead on my feet. I stepped under the hot spray and scrubbed the day down the drain. Trent got to live another day and that shit burned me up inside, but tomorrow was a new day, and after a night of sleep, I would be revived and ready to try again.

I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my waist without drying, before I made my way back to my bedroom, where I was shocked to find Grace still there perched on the edge of my bed.

She smiled, and it was a sweet smile, the kind she’d gift to the man she loved if he was worthy. “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t fall asleep in there.” She pushed off the bed, and for the first time I noticed the purple smudges under her eyes.

“You haven’t been sleeping.”

“Neither have you,” she accused.

“You’ve been staying up at night while I’m gone.” It wasn’t a question, the pink on her cheeks was answer enough.

“Okay, fine,” she rolled her eyes, “I need sleep too.”

I wrapped her in my arms and squeezed tight before turning her towards the bed. “Sleep. We can share the bed. No strings.” Unless you want them laid unspoken between us.

“The bed sounds nice,” she whispered, and crawled up to the middle. “Which side is yours?”

I cocked a brow. “You don’t remember?”

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