Page 78 of Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places
“Yeah. Slow.” Existential panic hit her like a guillotine. “I’m not asking to have sex right now or ever, that’s also on the table if that’s what you need, but I don’t want there to be any miscommunication. It’s important to me that we talk about it first. Soon, if possible.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No. There’s nothing ‘wrong’ about what I have to say. Honestly, I’m expecting it to be the start of an engaging and enlightening conversation like all the other things we talk about. We have a reputation to uphold, after all.”
He laughed, chest rumbling against her back. “I’d expect nothing less. You’re really something, you know that?”
“I do not know that but thank you.”
Maverick kissed her again and that heady, overpowering feeling flared back to life between them until they snuck back into the house and into their respective rooms.
Unable to sleep, Lucky lay awake staring at the ceiling. How in the hell was she going to make this last?
25
Hennessee House’s welcome home for Lucky was…lackluster.
Xander got a river of flowers. She got three in her bathtub. Hardly comparable, and very nearly insulting. She ended up spending her first night back in her suite bonding with Gengar while Hennessee had what could only be described as a temper tantrum. And Lucky simply didn’t respond to those.
Maverick, however, didn’t let her down, and promptly called at sunrise.
“Good morning. I’m fine.” Predictability had never been so attractive.
“You fell asleep on me last night,” he said. “I stayed on for a while but—”
“Were you listening to me sleep?”
“I was listening for signs of distress, and I happened to hear you sleep. You were mostly quiet.”
“Mostly?”
“That’s why I didn’t hang up right away. I wasn’t sure.”
“Did I talk?”
“No, you mumbled a little bit. And I think you snored.”
“You’re unsure about that?”
“You didn’t sound like a chainsaw or anything. They were…quiet, like you were congested and trying to avoid breathing out of your mouth.”
She laughed. “Nobody likes a mouth breather.”
“I’d argue that’s subjective,” he said. “I have to go. Rebel is already up.”
“Okay. See you later?”
“Absolutely.”
Gengar yowled, openly judging her from the window.
“Hmm.” She propped herself up on one arm. “I can’t tell if you’re mad because I haven’t fed you yet or because you disapprove of my choices. Why do I have the sudden urge to shoutBut Daddy, you don’t even know him!at you?”
Her answer came in the form of one dramatically slow blink. Gengar jumped down, swished to the door, and waited.
“Fine. I’ll get up. Just so bossy,” she said. “What should we do today? Ooh, we could use the drone?”
The cat could not have cared less.
