Page 34 of Maverick
But I trustedhim. On some level, I always had.
“It felt that good?”
Cheeks still bright, Maverick nodded and pushed his food around his plate. “It felt really good.” Then he added, “Please don’t make fun of me for it.”
Cue my heart cracking in two. But before I could open my mouth to argue, Quinton beat me to it. “Look at him, sweetheart.”
Those deep green eyes turned my way. My heart raced. My hands itched to reach out and feel the heat of his body beneath my palms, but I refrained, swallowing against a suddenly dry mouth.
“He’s curious,” Quinton finished, flattening a large hand over Maverick’s stomach. “He wants to know what you felt.”
“I wouldn’t suggest trying that with him,” Maverick said. “He’s grumpy as fuck when he has to pee.”
“Hey!” Nowmyface was on fire.
“Oh, I know. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of sitting next to him on road trips.” Quinton leaned into Maverick nice and close, lowering his voice. “So I also happen to know that if you did try it with him, he’ll give you one hell of a show.” Mav’s lips curled into a wicked smile. I couldn’t breathe. Was my face as red as it felt? I shrank back in my seat. “Especially if he’s had?—”
“Alright! I interjected. “Alright, alright.” I didn’t think I could take anymore. I’d combust on the spot.
Maverick relaxed into his Daddy, letting the man throw an arm around his shoulders. “I couldn’t help but notice you said he’d givemea show,” Mav said, turning into Quinton’s neck. “Won’t you be involved?”
“I could be, if that’s what you both wanted.” Quinton glanced at me. “But that also means you two need to get along. Are you ready to talk about it?”
I already knew my answer and in order to keep from blurting it out, I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth. Maverick regarded me, pretty eyes turning sad and I vowed in that moment that it would be thelasttime he ever looked that way because of something I’d done.
Finally, he nodded, and I muffled my sigh of relief. “Yeah, let’s talk about it.”
16
QUINTON
Long before Maverickadmitted to having a past with Reese, I could cut the tension between the two of them with a knife. Seeing Reese sneak into Maverick’s room at the beach only solidified it.
After all, they do say that love and hate are two sides to the same coin.
To keep things on neutral ground, I reluctantly peeled myself away from Maverick to sit across the table, trying not to notice the longing in his eyes. If these two were going to be anywhere near fair to each other, I needed to put some distance between us. I couldn’t be “Daddy” right now. I needed to be “Captain.”
Seeing as they weren’t going to do it, took the opportunity to start the conversation. “Before things get too serious, I have to ask both of you: Are you okay with what happened back there?”
Maverick nodded feverishly, while Reese scoffed, “More than okay.”
“Were there any boundaries crossed? Anything that needs to be discussed?” Both men shook their heads. “Good. Now, what happened on the field?”
Maverick answered instantly. “I don’t like it when he tells me what to do.”
“I was trying to?—”
“Reese, listen to him,” I scolded. Red-faced, he shrank into his seat. “He’s told you that you’ve done something wrong. Automatically jumping to the defensive makes you come across combative, like you’re ready for a fight.”
Reese closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he turned his attention to Maverick. “I’m sorry, but it’s hard to help you when you won’t even look at me half the time.”
“Maybe I don’t want your help.”
“That’s not the way to tell him that, is it, Maverick?” Those pretty green eyes bounced everywhere in the room but at me. I reached across the table, hooking a finger under his chin and redirecting his attention. “I didn’t want to pull the ‘Daddy’ voice on you right now, but it seems to be the only way you’ll listen. Is that how you talk to people?”
Maverick swallowed hard, twin spots of color accenting the smattering of freckles across his cheeks. He shook his head, and for Reese’s sake, I let that be an acceptable answer. “I thought I could figure it out myself.”
“I’m not the one who needs to hear that.” I guided him to face Reese and lowered myself back to my seat to let them talk it out.
