Page 65 of Coffee Shop Girl
“Then that will be my problem. It will suck if you leave, but not as much as never knowing, right?”
Not as much as never having this. Besides, people had been loving and leaving me my whole life. This was a world I knew very well.
Maverick’s troubled expression only deepened. “Maybe,” he finally said. “No expectations? I leave whenever I leave, and you won’t hate me for it?”
I nodded once, dizzy with the movement. One day, I would hatemyselffor this. But right now, I couldn’t see that day. I saw only this one.
“You’re worth it,” I whispered.
All the space between us vanished as he kissed me senseless again. I left behind the loneliness of my life to fade into the unexpected heat of his kiss.
No matter how much it would hurt later, it was already worth it.
Right now.
22
Maverick
After a kiss that would sear itself in my memory for the rest of my life, Bethany wrapped her arms around me and snuggled into my chest. She remained there, tucked shamelessly against me, as the night faded into morning. Cars drove past. A few people peered inside the closed store. She held me so tight, I thought she’d crawl inside me if I let her.
Wrapping my arms around her felt natural. I held her longer than was appropriate, because none of this was truly appropriate. Why would she set herself up for heartbreak? Let a visceral exchange of emotion happen when there was an expiration date onus?
She was either very brave, or very stupid.
While I worried about her, relief also flooded me. Iwantedher to crawl into me. Wanted it in a way that made me feel things I hadn’t felt for any woman ever. Protectiveness. Uncertainty. Unequivocal attraction. Things that stirred my chest and gut. I didn’t like it. I’d officially stuck myself in this spot by agreeing to her audacious request.
Rock, meet hard place.
Mallory was right. Love ain’t easy.
When Bethany pulled away, hazy from fatigue, I pushed a strand of hair out of her face. Even though this was wrong, my arms stayed locked around her. Willing and reckless or not, her heartbreak would be my fault.
“Jim isn’t going to come back for a while,” I said. “You bought some time yesterday, so we’ll figure this out together, all right?”
Her fear faded. She seemed to regain her strength and solidity. The moment she pulled away, I felt regret, but let her go. She fit, and no one had ever fit.
She tilted her head back and smiled softly, utter adoration in her gaze.
How could she be so openly vulnerable? What kind of courage did it take tofeelwithout restraint like this? I stared at her in a mixture of terror and awe. Even my own father’s death hadn’t inspired this level of honesty and emotion in me.
Years in the corporate sector had introduced me to world leaders. Billionaires. Millionaires. Fools and geniuses. Only Bethany made me marvel.
Those lips moved barely an inch from mine. Her smoky gaze, clouded with bottled adrenaline, captured me. Her kiss revealed a part of her that everybody caught glimpses of, but I wanted totally. Passion. A compulsive nature. An undeniable loyalty to whatever felt right in that moment. I wanted to draw the truth out of her and make it mine, like the swapping of souls.
She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to mine.
“Thank you, Maverick.”
I held her closer, totally unable to speak.
* * *
Bethany attackedthe rest of that day with undeniable energy.
Even Lizbeth watched her, one eyebrow quirked, from over the top of her book. Bethany had found her stride again. Even tired, this woman was unstoppable.
While she stuffed pages of something into a binder and muttered a list of things left to do under her breath, I made notes in a spreadsheet and tried to keep my mind focused. My assistant was waiting for me to review three modules he’d put together. For the life of me, I kept rereading the same line.
