Page 8 of The Stunt
I’m broken from my fantasy by his quiet knock on the door. “I have some boxers and sweatpants for you,” he says. I open the door just enough to put my hand through, not wanting to see his face yet. I’ve definitely never had to deal with this type of situation before. If he was my boyfriend, I could probably navigate this. I could go out there wearing his clothes and be all cute on our little blanket mountain. But he’snotmy boyfriend. This is all fake. So, what’s the protocol? Do I go out, thank him for the orgasm, and go to sleep? Or do I act normal, like that didn’t just happen?
I change into his clothes, which are about five sizes too big. Thank God for drawstrings, because these pants would be on the floor if they weren’t cinched within an inch of their life. I take one last look at myself in the mirror, fixing my disheveled hair, and rolling up my pants and underwear. I can put them in my purse and take care of them at home.
Making my way back out to the living room, I see Maverick has also changed. He’s now wearing a pair of basketball shorts and a crisp, white t-shirt.This shit should be illegal.He makeshis way to the spot he made up for us, laying down before patting on the soft, fluffy layers next to him. I wordlessly move toward him, settling in on the pillows as he wraps his arms tightly around me, pulling my body into his. Even with thunder crashing in the distance, I drift off to sleep peacefully before I can even go through all the thoughts in my head about what just happened.
FIVE
MAVERICK
I pourthe pancake batter onto the griddle and watch as little bubbles form on the surface. Normally, I would throw some random shit into the blender with my protein powder, but a smoothie is out of the question this morning. Bella is still asleep and I don’t want to wake her with the loud noises my blender makes. So, Peppermint Mocha Power Cakes, it is. My teammate Blaze insists that the pumpkin ones are superior, but everyone knows the Christmas flavors are the best.
I was finally able to sleep last night after Bella laid down next to me on the floor. I wasn’t sure how she’d react when I pulled her into me, but I’m glad she didn’t tell me to go fuck myself. I was worried that, with everything that went down on the couch, she’d need time to process. I certainly didn’t expect things to go that far, but it was like all the rational thoughts left my body as soon as my hands gripped her thighs. All I could focus on was making her feel good and showing her how a manshouldtreat her. Fuck, it was the hottest moment of my life when her orgasm hit. As soon as she told me she was coming, there was nothing I could do to stop myself from busting in my pants like a goddamn teenager.
Even after everything, Bella actually seemed more relaxed with my arms around her. I didn’t let go of her until I woke up, even though I’d have been happy to hold her until she told me to stop. But my raging morning wood made itself painfully known, so I had no choice but to pull away from her. As hot as last night was, I’m not dumb enough to assume Bella would want to do anything like that again. I’ll chalk it up to her trying to get comfortable with me, so we look like a real couple in front of the media. And maybe the adrenaline from being so scared by the storm.
I turn off the griddle, moving all the Power Cakes to a platter just as I hear quiet footsteps enter the kitchen. Bella looks just as stunning as she did when she arrived last night, only now, she’s wearing her cropped t-shirt with my sweatpants.
Goddamn.
“Morning,” she yawns. She’s fucking adorable, all sleepy and warm looking. I want to scoop her up, bring her to my bed, and hide under the covers until someone comes banging on the door.
“Hey,” I say. “Sleep well?”
She nods her head, a shy smile blooming on her face. “I’m really sorry about last night. That was so stupid.”
I go still. She regrets what we did. Fuck. Kissing her the first time was already pushing my luck. Next thing I knew, we were back on the couch a couple hours later and she was coming on my clothed cock. This is supposed to be fake. I pushed too hard and now she’s having second thoughts.
She sits on one of the barstools and sighs, resting her chin in her palm. “You’d think I’d be over it after all these years. But I still wake up screaming every once in a while. I hope you were able to get to sleep okay on the floor.”
Oh. She wasn’t talking about what happened on the couch. Relief floods my system, making my tense muscles relax. I don’tknow what I’d do if she had regrets from the last twelve hours. I know I don’t.
“I slept great,” I tell her. “And it isn’t stupid. You went through something traumatic. It’s normal to still feel nervous about it. But I promise, when you’re with me, you’re safe.”
She rewards me with a soft smile, and it takes momentous amounts of self-control not to walk over and press my lips to hers. She’s so fucking pretty. But I don’t want to push my luck, so I turn, plating our breakfast and setting a plate in front of her. “These smell amazing,” she says, cutting off a small piece of pancake and popping it into her mouth. The moan that leaves her has my dick entering the chat.Nope. No more, my guy. You almost got us in trouble once already.“Okay, what are these and where can I buy them in bulk?” she asks, covering her mouth as she speaks.
I laugh, “They’re called Power Cakes. They’re basically just pancakes, but they have a lot of protein and they’re better for you.” I cut a large bite from mine, shoving it into my mouth. I chew and swallow before speaking again. “You can only get this flavor around the holidays, so I binge on them while I can.”
She cuts another piece. “I’m going to need these every time I spend the night,” she says. The surprised look on my face has her pausing. “I mean, if you want me here again,” she adds.
God, I want her here all the time.
“I think that can be arranged,” I wink, which earns me another smile before we finish our breakfast and go our separate ways.
SIX
BELLA
BELLA: What’s your favorite color?
MAVERICK: What? Why?
BELLA: You’re my boyfriend, duh. I should know your favorite color.
MAVERICK: Hmm. I don’t remember you asking me to be your boyfriend. No flowers, no teddy bear…just an assumption? I thought we had something special, Songbird.
BELLA: *rolls eyes* OMG. Maverick Moran, will you please be my fake boyfriend?
MAVERICK: Dunno. I need some time to think about it.
