Page 77 of Slay Ride

Maverick blinks, then chokes on his spit. “Come again?”

“I mean, if you insist.” I reach for my fly.

Before I can reveal myself, Cat rushes over in a flurry of waving hands. She smacks my fingers away from my zipper and glares down at me. “Can you fucking grow up for five seconds? Please? This is serious!”

“Everything okay in there?” a female voice calls from outside the door.

I open my mouth to say we’re fine, but Cat slams her palm over my lips.

“Yep, everything is great!” she shouts.

The carpet outside the door rustles as the woman shifts her weight. “Are you sure? I heard a male voice. That asshole isn’t in there bothering you, is he?”

“Oh! It’s just Maverick!” Cat shouts, her hand still clamped over my mouth. “He was just . . . coming to pick me up to take me bow hunting, but now I can’t go because my cat’s missing.”

“Could I come in?” the woman asks. Kindra wouldn’t ask to come in, and Rosie can’t. The few other females aren’t this familiar with Cat, so it has to be Eve.

“Um, just a minute!” Cat rips her hand from my mouth and looks around the room. “Bennett, you have to hide again,” she whispers.

Rolling my eyes, I get off the bed and head into the bathroom.

“What if she has to pee?” Maverick whispers.

I keep walking. Not my fucking problem. If it were up to me, we’d just tell everyone and be done with it.

The door clicks shut behind me, followed by the sound of Cat opening the door to her room to let Eve inside. I hate that I can’t see what’s going on out there. Specifically, what Maverick’s hands are doing. If he touches her, he’ll have a few less fingers come tomorrow.

Cat goes into her spiel about how she can’t practice with Maverick because her cat is missing, and Maverick backs her up, which surprises me. I never pegged him as the type to go along with shenanigans. Well, not right off the bat, anyway. With enough coercion, I suppose anyone could be convinced to do anything.

“Your cat is missing?” Eve asks. After a pause, she continues. “Did anyone else bring a cat? Because I swore I heard some yowling coming from the room next to yours.”

“You don’t say . . .” Cat says, and I don’t need to see her face to know she’s pissed. I’ll have to make this up to her. “Well, with the mystery of the missing cat solved, I guess I can go after all, Maverick. Why don’t you go down and get the sleigh set up for us?”

“Oh, uh . . . I already pulled out the snowmobile,” Maverick says.

Cat sighs. “But don’t you think the sleigh would be a touch more romantic?”

I grip my jeans in tightening fists to stop myself from flinging the door open.She’s pissed about the cat, I tell myself.She’s just doing this to tick me off.

“Romantic, huh?” Eve says. “I take it you two have found your spark?”

“Something like that,” Maverick says.

“Well, I won’t keep you guys from yourdate. I just wanted to lay eyes on my girl and make sure she’s safe. As long as you’re around, I don’t think we have to worry about Benson.”

“Bennett,” Maverick and Cat say in unison.

“Right. What’s that guy’s deal, anyway?” Eve says with a laugh. “I get that hot guys are notorious for being complete shitbags, but he takes the cake. At least you picked a winner with Maverick.”

“Oh, well, we’re just friends, so?—”

“Honey, don’t give me that,” Eve says. “The man already knows you have hearts in your eyes, so there’s no need to play coy.”

If I squeeze my fists any tighter, I’ll break my fucking fingers.

“Well, I’ll get going,” Eve finally says. “Remember to use protection.”

Oh, they’re gonna need protection, all right. Protection from my fucking rage if they think they’re actually going through with this “date.”

---