Page 28 of Best Part of Me

“Do you want me to stop?”

“No,” I whimper, surprised at my boldness. “But you better.”

“Whatever you say, Sunshine.”

He regretfully slides his hand away, returning it to the shifter once again. A shudder racks my body, and I exhale a shaky breath.So close.

“Someone has to keep us on schedule,” I finally say.

He grips the steering wheel. “This is going to be so much harder than I thought.”

He has no idea.

We’ve been on the road for less than four hours, and I already want to tear his clothes off and put my hands and mouth all over him. How will we survive the rest of this road trip? My imagination runs wild. Images of a naked Maverick hovering above me, all hard muscle and sultry eyes. Now that I’ve seen him without his clothes on, my fantasies of him have taken a whole new vivid picture in my mind. The line between fantasy and reality is blurred.

We stop for lunch at a fried chicken fast-food joint. It’s too much of a risk to stop for long. It’s obvious the sexual tension between us is off the charts, and if we decide to act on it, we’ll be late to the campground.

When we get back into the Jeep, Maverick lets me connect my road-trip playlist again, and he eats while I mostly let my food get cold because I’m talking way too much. Instead of looking bored like Chris usually did when I talked, Maverick participates in the conversation. He’s always done this. Since we were kids. And I think that’s why I fell for him. While the rest of Jones’s idiot friends teased me and got annoyed when I was around, Maverick stayed and listened to me.

I continue talking about the store and the new computer software I implemented, stuffing a fry into my mouth every few minutes. “So, naturally, my dad is being difficult and pretending like he doesn’t know how to use the internet. Despite the fact, he’s done pretty well finding his way onto Facebook and can stream those home renovation shows on Netflix.”

“Sounds like Jack.” Maverick exhales a light chuckle and shakes his head.

“Right. But still. He’s so frustrating. And how much you wanna bet, if it were Jones who’d come up with the new software, he’d be on board.” I shove another fry into my mouth.

Maverick picks up his Coke and takes a sip while he glances over at me. My cheeks heat under his gaze. Worry tightens in my chest. Even though he said he loves to listen to me talk, maybe it’s still too much.

“You’re probably not wrong. But that doesn’t mean it’s okay. Maybe get Jones to come into the store and explain how it works to your dad?”

“You know Jones hates coming into the store. And I can’t really blame him. Every time he comes in, Dad just guilt trips him. Asks him”—I lower my voice to mimic my dad’s—“when are you gonna give up that piss-ant dream of running a dive bar and come back and help out your old man?”

“Think your dad will ever give up on Jones taking over the store?”

I shake my head and blow air out after puffing my cheeks. “Probably not.”

“And what about you?”

“What about me?”

“If your dad offered you to take over the store instead of Jones, would you take it?”

It’s a loaded question. One I’ve asked myself plenty of times over the last three years since I graduated from college and have been stuck working at the store. Jones was always supposed to take over. I only got a business degree to help beef up my resume when I began applying for clothing buyer jobs. All those fashion merchandising credits and such feel like a waste now.

“Honestly, I don’t know. Part of me feels like if I didn’t, the last three years I put in at the store would have been wasted. But the other part feels like if I did, I’d be throwing away my dreams. Each way feels like a no-win.”

“I get it. But for the record, your dad is fucking lucky to have you.” Maverick pats my leg.

It’s friendly, comforting, but it still razzes me.

The tenderness in his voice sets my skin on fire, and I am so unbelievably in love with this man. The fall afterward, when we part ways in ten days and go back to our normal lives, will be utterly horrendous. And yet, I am willingly putting my heart through the wood chipper anyway.

I swallow and give him a small nod. He smiles and picks up his Coke again.

“I guess not all of us can have awesome jobs where we get to travel and not answer to anyone.” I try to change the subject.

“Shit. I have a boss. A couple actually. And a lot of fucking people counting on me.”

There’s a gruffness to his voice that shakes me. “Oh yeah... I know.”

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