Page 80 of Connected By Stars
“She’s doing good. Having the time of her life with Hurley. What time is it there?” I’ve never been good at knowing time changes.
“We are nine hours ahead of you, so it’s only six in the morning here. We have a snorkel trip at eight and wanted to have breakfast and talk to you before we left. Can you tell Maverick we called and that I’ll try and call him this week to fill him in?” Noah asks me.
“I’m actually right here,” I hear Maverick say as he takes the phone from me.
“Hey, Mav. I didn’t expect you to be over there. It’s what? Nine?” Noah checks his watch.
“Yeah, I brought wine and sushi to the girls and ended up helping Sophia with some scrapbooks for her class.”
“Wine and sushi? That was nice of you.” Emma says, grinning at him. Sophia scoots closer to me, making me move closer to Maverick so we can all be in the camera.
“I didn’t take you as a scrapbooker,” Noah says, laughing.
“It’s definitely a first,” he laughs. “You guys up for a game night next Sunday? We want to hear all about your trip and thought it would be fun to get together.”
“That sounds like fun. Count us in.” Emma says excitedly. “You guys look like you’re having fun over there. It seems like everyone is getting along better.” She glances between Maverick and me. Why is she bringing this up now? I nervously grip Mav’s thigh.
“Ow,” he says under his breath, prying my hand from his thigh and holding it instead.
“Sorry,” I whisper.
“We, uh, yeah, everyone is getting along fine over here. Sophia has been on her best behavior,” he says, trying to divert the attention away from us.
“Hey!” Sophia swats him on the back of the head.
Mav lets go of my hand to rub his head. “Shewason her best behavior.”
“I’m glad you guys called. We miss you even though it’s only been a week. It’s different knowing you’re so far away.” I say, playing referee in the middle of these two.
“We miss you too, sis,” Noah tells me. “We’ll be back in Florida before you know it. We better get some breakfast before we have to leave. Tell Mom and Dad we love them, and give Nala a big hug from us.”
“Will do.” We say our goodbyes, and I exhale a big breath I had been holding. “Do you think he knows?”
“Noah doesn’t have a clue, but Emma definitely knows something is up.” Sophia starts to pick up the artwork and pictures, putting them in a box.
“I think she figured out what I was feeling before I even knew,” Maverick says, chuckling. His phone dings at the same time Sophia and mine do.
I read the group text from our parents wanting us to go on the boat with them next Saturday.
Groaning, I lay back on the floor. “How the hell can I spend the whole day with you in front of our parents without a big neon sign above my head that saysI’ve had sex with this guy sitting next to me?You know I break under pressure. My mom and Mimi will see right through me.”
Laughing, Sophia pats my leg. “Yeah, I don’t know how you can keep it a secret from them. I feel the sexual energy just by being in the same room as you two. Nothing gets past our moms, and especially Mimi. Better bring tequila for thisboat day.” She puts the lid on the box and sets it on the coffee table.
“That’s your advice? Bring tequila?” I cover my hands with my face.
“Tequila is always the answer, babe.” She gets up and yawns. “Thank you guys for the help. I’m going to head to bed. I was up early, and I have a book I’m dying to finish tonight.” She picks up the empty wine glasses and sets them in the sink before saying goodnight to us.
Mav pulls my hands away from my face. “It’s going to be okay,” he softly laughs. “The worst that can happen is they find out too, and I have to face your dad on Saturday and explain that I’m not going to ruin his daughter.”
“He’s not going to think you’ll ruin me. He loves you. I guess I was just hoping that we could tell Noah first so he could be there when we told our parents.”
“Well, don’t look at me in front of our parents like you want to undress and fuck me, and I won’t have to carry you off somewhere, and we should be fine.”
“Maybe it’s you who will look at me that way and mess everything up.”
“That’s the most likely scenario because I always want to undress and fuck you.” He leans down and runs his tongue along my collarbone. His simple touch ignites me as I feel his breath on my body. “Come home with me? I like having you in my bed,” he whispers, sucking and licking my neck.
“I like being in your bed.” He groans against my neck as his skilled tongue finds mine. He kisses me with an urgency that has me writhing beneath him and panting hard.
