The house is an off-white two-story home. It almost seems to fit in with this affluent neighborhood if it wasn’t for the high level of security he has. The fence that surrounds the property is similar to the one in Tahiti. I’m suddenly reminded of why he has to have such a high level of security. I almost let myself forget about the other business Maverick is involved in. Even though he’s building his clean energy company, he still isn’t out of the arms dealing game. He works all day running both businesses, but I haven’t let myself think about the specifics of what he’s doing.
The house is located a little bit off the road so it would be difficult for someone to see it. As we exit the car and approach the front desk, Maverick’s rough hand grabs mine and intertwines our fingers. He takes a key out of his pocket to unlock the door and waves me inside.
“You don’t have staff here?” I ask.
“No, just security. There’s a local couple that stays here while I’m away, but I come here when I need some quiet time.”
I can’t imagine Maverick needing any quiet time. He’s always on the go. I take a step inside the house. It’s decorated beautifully with oversized furniture and carpeted floors. It’s so cozy and different from what I imagined his vacation home would look like. A wooden staircase is next to the foyer. I assume that leads to the bedrooms.
“Have a look around, I'm going to grab our bags,” he says from behind me, but I don't turn around; I’m too much in awe of the cozy home. I walk to the kitchen that has green cabinets and wood countertops. Everything has a rustic look to it, and it’s entirely out of place in this beautiful part of the country. There are glass double doors that led out to a small porch. Beyond the porch, I can see the ocean. A sense of warmth surrounds me. I’m going to love it here.
“Come on. I’ll show you to our rooms,” Maverick says. He has two suitcases in his hands and is standing at the foot of the staircase. I follow behind him to the second floor. Four bedrooms are on this floor, all with the same black panel door. He sets the suitcases down in the hallway and opens the second door.
“This will be your room.”
My heart sinks a little as I realize we’ll still be sleeping in separate rooms. He’s just giving me the space that I’ve needed, but now I crave being close to him. What happened with Miles will always be a part of my history, but I want to move forward. I step inside the room anyway. It’s a typical guest room complete with; a bed, dresser, flatscreen TV, and a bathroom. There’s another door next to the dresser.
“Where does that go?” I ask as Maverick sets my suitcase on the floor.
“To my room. I bought the house as-is, so I’m not sure why it was installed. It could have been a nursery, but I decided to keep it.”
I open the door to see that his bedroom is almost a replica of mine.
“This house is very…” I don't know how to describe it. Unlike him? Normal?
He comes behind me and wraps his hands around my waist. Home. This feels like home. His five o’clock shadow brushes against my neck, causing goosebumps to pop up all over my skin.
“Humble. I come here when I need to be reminded of where I came from. Sometimes I need to remind myself that I haven’t always been a billionaire. It's easier to make hard decisions from a place like this when I’m not surrounded by all the things I accomplished.”
Something about his words makes my heart grow for him. He might be worth enough money to buy anything he wants, but he still reminds himself of where he comes from. He isn’t going to ever let money get to his head or lose sight of who he is. Something about his confession puts me at ease.
He places a kiss on my neck. “I’ll leave you alone so you can unpack.”