Page 33 of Maverick

I set her helmet on the dresser, turning to her. “We’ll figure out who they are. Tomorrow, we can try to reach Chigger, see if they’re safe.”

She nodded, rubbing her arms. “I, uh, think I’ll shower. I feel gross from the road.”

“Sure,” I said softly. “Bathroom’s all yours.”

She grabbed a change of clothes from my saddlebag, stuff we’d hastily shoved in there earlier, and disappeared into the tiny bathroom. I heard the water squeak on. My mind buzzed with the day’s events. Bullets, Kingpin’s demands, this potentialfather in Texas, and now we were holed up in yet another shitty motel.

After a few minutes of pacing, my nerves got the better of me. An urgency from the escape was still spiking, and the image of Lexi’s terrified face kept flashing in my head. I couldn’t just stand here. I found myself drawn to the bathroom door.

The rush of the water was loud behind the thin wood.Calm down, Maverick.But a wave of protectiveness surged, maybe even something more. I couldn’t wait any longer. I pushed the door open, half hoping she’d already be done.

Steam billowed out, the shower curtain drawn. I could just make out her silhouette. Her voice startled me. “Who’s there?”

I swallowed. “It’s me,” I said softly, stepping closer. “Princess, I…”

She squeaked, probably noticing a figure looming behind the curtain. “Maverick?!”

I reached out without thinking, tugging the flimsy plastic aside a few inches. She was turned away, water streaming down her shoulders, beads tracing over soft curves. She yelped and spun, covering herself with an arm.

My cock hammered at the sight of her wet skin. “Shit,” I muttered, instantly regretting my intrusion. “I’m sorry… I just…”

High on adrenaline, confusion, and the overwhelming urge to make sure she was okay, I hadn’t thought this through. Now I was face-to-face with her naked form, half concealed by the curtain.

Her eyes were wild, cheeks flushing. “You couldn’t wait until I was out?!”

I kept my gaze on her face, trying not to stare at what little I could see. “I just… I’m sorry,” I repeated, breath catching.

My pulse pounded, half from embarrassment, half from the undeniable attraction that slammed into me. But I managed to yank the curtain closed, stepping back. “I’ll, uh, let you finish.”

She didn’t say anything, probably too shocked. I retreated, heart thudding like a jackhammer, every sense on high alert. The door clicked shut behind me. For a second, I stood there, hands fisted at my side.

Smooth move, asshole. I’d never felt more like a dumb teenage boy in my life. The thrill, the guilt, the embarrassment all warred in my chest. I cursed under my breath and backed away from the bathroom, sinking onto the edge of the bed.

Outside, the hum of traffic was quiet, and inside, all I could hear was the rush of water and my own hammering heartbeat. I realized that despite all the chaos, the danger, the grief… she was the only thing I was thinking about right now. And that scared me more than any bullet ever could.

Chapter 19

Lexi

My entire body trembled with shock as I watched the bathroom door slam shut behind Maverick. I stood under the stream of hot water, mind spinning like a rollercoaster stuck on fast-forward. Had he really just marched in and yanked the shower curtain back?

For a brief moment, I’d been convinced we were under some new attack. The adrenaline spike made me drop the bar of soap and shriek. Then my brain registered that the intruder was none other than Maverick. I’d caught the outline of his broad shoulders through the curtain. My heart practically burst through my chest.

Why did he do that? A dozen irrational reasons leapt to mind. He may have thought I was in danger. Possibly he desired to see me. All of me. It's likely he was powerless. Unable to control himself.

The water pounded against my skin, but I couldn’t feel it. All my senses hummed with the aftershock of Maverick’s sudden intrusion. I squeezed my eyes shut, remembering the urgent way he’d called my name, and the raw expression on his face. A tiny part of me hadwantedto fling open that curtain, let him really see me, let him crash into me. But there was a stronger voice inmy head screaming,No, your mother just died, and you barely know this man. This biker.

But it did no good. My hand trailed down my body until my fingers found my sensitive nub. I rubbed her until she was satisfied, all the while imagining what the biker could do to me. Then I swallowed hard, trying to ground myself. I was calming down, but I couldn't stop picturing Maverick, his scruffy face, his tattoos covering hard muscles, and that deep voice of his.

Besides, it was the worst possible time to be fantasizing. My friend Nova and her new biker beau were missing in action for all I knew. People wanted me dead. My mom was gone, murdered, leaving behind a swirl of secrets and chaos. And yet…here I was, masturbating to the outlaw who just almost saw me naked.My face burned.

I forced myself to rinse off and twist the shower knob off. Steam billowed around me. I reached for a towel, mind spinning.

What the hell is wrong with me?

He barged in for a reason. The cynical side of me insisted it was just leftover excitement from earlier. The romantic side fed by too many MC romance novels whispered that he wanted me more than he could stand. That side also whispered,He’s your knight in battered leather armor, princess.

But that was nonsense, right?

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