Page 52 of August 20

Skye sulked, dragging her feet, but moved in the right direction. Brooke touched Maverick's arm, gaining his attention, and mouthed, "Thank you."

He dipped his chin. She warmed. Skye was going to learn she couldn’t use one of them against the other if they provided a united front.

Until now, they'd each had their own goals.

She'd done everything to protect Skye, and maybe what she should've been doing was listening with her heart to find out what her niece needed.

Maverick knew, and he hadn't thrown it into her face. He'd waited. He'd stood at the side. He'd shown Skye he wasn't going anywhere.

"I'll put her to bed." He cleared his throat.

She'd never allowed him to be with her alone. Maybe that needed to change.

She rubbed her bare arms, undecided. It hurt her heart not to be needed.

"Okay,' she whispered.

The closer she got to Maverick, the more she distanced herself from Skye. She felt lost with no one to help her navigate the changes.

Maybe she leaned on the wrong person.

"Maverick?" She exhaled the turmoil invading her body. "Where do I belong in her life?"

He cupped the back of her neck and brought her to his chest. She pressed her cheek against the leather of his vest. It'd been a long time since she could lean on someone.

And even though he remained silent, not taking away her worries, she held on to him until Skye called for Maverick.

And then, he walked away from her to be with his daughter.

Chapter Twenty Seven

Brooke checked the front door while Maverick listened to Skye read a bedtime book. The door remained locked despite what had happened at the pool.

Though they were acting on their attraction to each other and Maverick offered her comfort, he still held her prisoner in the house.

She walked through the kitchen to the garage and pushed the button for the door opener. It still wouldn't work.

There was nowhere for her to go, even if it felt like her relationship with Maverick had shifted.

She went into the bedroom and brushed her teeth. There was nothing more to do but go to bed.

In the back of her mind, she was aware of having to sleep with Maverick after having more intimate moments. Still, with the way her emotions were all over the place, she wasn't exactly thinking about having sex.

Sex was a short-term Band-Aid on a broken heart.

She couldn't lose Skye to Maverick, yet she felt herself giving him more and more privileges regarding her niece.

Setting her brush in the cup by the sink, she inhaled deeply, gaining strength, and went to the bedroom. Skye and Maverick were spread out on the bed with Flower snuggled between them, looking at one of the books he'd bought her.

Not wanting to disturb them, she leaned over, kissed Skye's forehead, and whispered, "Love you, honey. Sweet dreams."

"Love you, too, Aunt Brooke." Skye went back to reading without losing her place.

She tiptoed out of the room with a heavy heart. Maverick had everything under control. Even the kitten. She wasn't needed.

Her niece was growing up. She'd noticed that over the summer. Skye had adapted to their new living arrangement under Maverick's control better than her.

She entered the main bedroom, leaving the door open, and crawled into bed. She thought of putting on her sweats as the blanket hit her bare legs, but she laid her head on the pillow instead. Too defeated to care.

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