Page 6 of The Stunt
I consider it for a moment. I’m safe here. The building has excellent security, otherwise Carlo would’ve never left me. As awkward as it may be sleeping and waking up under the same roof as Maverick, I can’t say there’s anywhere else I’d feel safer if I’m not able to be at home. I certainly won’t rest in a random hotel room by myself. We’ll just have to deal with all the post-make out morning weirdness when we get there.
“Okay.”
FOUR
MAVERICK
I’ve been lyingin bed for hours and haven’t slept a single second. I’m too wound up with Bella in the guest room down the hall. My dick is just about punching through my sweats with how hard it gets every time I think about her soft lips on mine, but I refuse to take care of myself. It’s fucking weird. I’m a grown man, not a teenage virgin. I shouldn’t even be considering jerking off to the thought of making out with Bella. Plus, if she heard me, I’d have to grow a beard, change my name, and leave the fucking country.Not happening.
I’ve spent the last hour with my AirPods in, listening to her music in the dark. I’ve heard the stuff that gets played on the radio plenty of times, but there are so many more songs. And they’re all fucking phenomenal. The faster music is fun, but when she really gets to belt those lyrics out in the ballads?Fuuuuck me.She reminds me of the songbirds back home on our farm. I used to sit outside after a long day of baling hay, listening to them sing. I never knew how they did it, but their effortless melodies calmed me. Just like Bella’s do.
I take out my AirPods, replacing them in their case before kicking my foot out from under the duvet, hoping the cool airwill help me sleep. The rain is still pelting against the window as I lay here in silence. Just as I try to close my eyes, a loud crack of thunder followed by a blood-curdling scream have me jackknifing up and rushing out the door. I run as fast as I can to the guest room and rip open the door, finding Bella curled up in a fetal position, shaking like a leaf. I make a beeline for her, sitting on the bed and putting my hand on her shoulder. “Bella, are you okay?”
She continues trembling as she looks up at me with tired eyes. “Maverick?” She’s disoriented, which makes sense. She was just ripped from a peaceful sleep by a loud noise, to find herself in a strange room.
“You’re okay. I’m right here,” I say softly, trying to calm her. “There was some thunder and I heard you scream, so I ran in here to make sure you weren’t hurt.”
She sits up, eyes wide with embarrassment. “Oh my God, Mav. I’m so sorry I woke you up.”
All she did was shorten my name, but hearing her call me Mav makes my heart squeeze inside my chest. I shake it off, focusing on her. “No, you didn’t wake me,” I reassure her. “I couldn’t sleep.”
She’s stopped shaking and she slowly lays back down with her head on the pillow. I can’t seem to pull myself away from her, so I stay right where I am, rubbing soothing circles with my thumb on the inside of her elbow. Eventually, she speaks.
“When I was nine, we had a really bad storm. High winds, rain, thunder, lightning…the whole thing. One minute I was asleep, the next, I heard a loud crash and the tree from outside my bedroom window was just feet from me. If it weren’t for the beams in the ceiling, it would’ve killed me. Ever since then, I have trouble sleeping through storms.”
Holy shit. I can’t even imagine how scary that was for her as a child. I’m thankful that her life was spared, because although Iknow this is supposed to be fake between us, there’s something about her that has me completely captivated. She’s special. And I’m glad that Twyla’s crazy idea brought us together.
“What can I do to help?” I ask. I don’t know why, but I feel an overwhelming urge to protect Bella. I want to make her feel safe when she’s with me. I want her to know I’d never let anything or anyone get to her. I don’t think she has many people like that in her life.
She lets out a breathy laugh. “After it happened, anytime it would rain, my whole family would grab their blankets and pillows and we’d all sleep together in the living room. It’s silly because I wasn’t in any less danger just because I was in another room, but not being in a bed right near a window helped me feel better.”
I stand from the bed, reaching out my hand for her to take. “Come on,” I say with a grin.
She sits up, putting her soft palm in mine, allowing me to pull her up. “Where are we going?”
“To the living room,” I tell her. “I’ve got a million pillows and blankets. We can make a little fort on the floor and if it’s okay with you, I’ll sleep next to you. I’ll protect you all night.
She stares at me, and although there isn’t much light in the room, I can see her eyes filling with tears.Fuck. I didn’t want to make her cry. “Hey,” I say softly. “It’s okay. Don’t cry.” I pull her into my arms as she melts into me, her small arms wrapping tightly around my waist.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “I don’t know what’s happening to me. It’s so stupid because we just met and this is all for the cameras, but I feel safer with you than I ever have with anyone else. Not my family, not my bodyguards…is that weird?”
I pull back just enough to look down at her. “It’s not weird at all. You shouldn’t have to go through these things alone, Bella. I’m glad you feel that way with me.” I pull her close again,kissing the top of her head before turning to grab the pillows and blankets from the bed. We walk, hand-in-hand, to the living room where I lay everything out neatly on the floor before walking down the hall to my room. I take all the pillows and blankets from my bed, returning to find Bella sitting with her back against the bottom of the couch. She’s so fucking pretty, I can hardly look away.
“Up for a second,” I tell her. She stands, plopping on the couch while I continue to throw more blankets and pillows onto our makeshift bed. When I’m satisfied with the level of comfort it should give her, I quickly move toward the kitchen, returning to Bella with a bottle of water. “Can you drink a little for me?” I ask. What she just went through in the guest room was pretty intense and I want to make sure she feels taken care of.
Thankfully, she takes the bottle, sipping gingerly as she relaxes into the plush cushions of my wrap-around sectional. “I think I’m wide awake now,” she giggles. Her eyes look tired, but I’m sure she’s running on some of the leftover adrenaline from earlier.
“Okay,” I say, sitting down next to her. “Wanna make out?” I give her a boyish grin, hoping that I can at least lighten the mood. I don’t actually expect her to agree, but when she bites her lip and gives me a tight nod, I’m on her in an instant. I feel like it’s been ages since I’ve felt her lips on mine, even though it’s barely been a couple hours. I swallow every one of her moans as she lets me push my tongue inside, brushing it against hers. I could kiss her forever. And if she lets me, I just might.
BELLA
Holy fuck, I hope he never stops kissing me. Honestly, makingout with Maverick Moran is a spiritual experience. I feel like I need to hold onto something so I don’t float away as his tongue expertly teases me.
He pulls back so that he can speak, but his lips are still ghosting over mine. “Is it okay if I touch you?” he asks, a tinge of hopefulness veiling his request. “I’ll stay above your clothes. I just feel like I have to put my hands on you.”
I can’t think of anything I want more than for this man to put his hands all over me, but I don’t want to sound too eager, so I answer him with a slow nod. He immediately takes my mouth again, his hands skating down my arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. My whole body feels like it could combust at any moment as he grips onto my waist and pulls me to straddle him. I’ve never been in this position with a guy before, clothed or not. Darren and I were all business when we had sex, never leaving the missionary position. So, I can’t say I’m not nervous to be hovering over Maverick like this right now.
“Is this okay?” he asks, settling his hands on my thighs.
