Page 11 of Finding Forever

Girl, what are you thinking?I chided myself.

I couldn’t entertain thoughts of fooling around with the ex-husband of the woman who my ex-husband was currently seeing. Besides, who said I was even his type?

By the time I was able to quiet those thoughts, the game was over. I only knew that the kids won. Everything leading up to that had been a blur. A lust-filled, hazy blur.

∞∞∞

Still entranced, I watched Maverick get out of the water before he helped the kids do the same.

“Who wants pizza?” Maverick asked, as I secured a towel around my waist and then bent down to do the same with Mycah’s towel.

When I stood to my full height, my eyes crashed into Maverick’s. It felt like his gaze hadn’t left me since I entered the pool and I had to admit, I didn’t mind. Though it was hotter under his stare. His awareness made me feel divinely feminine and attractive.

Back in the house, we made plans to get showered and changed and then meet up at our cabin to head to the local pizzeria together. We said our “see you laters” and I headed to the front door. Imagine my surprise when I pulled it open to find Chris standing there with his hand up, about to knock.

“Chris. What are you doing here?”

He was the whole reason I was on this vacation, yet I was still shocked to see him standing on the other side of Maverick’s door.

I felt an unmistakable heat crowding me from behind. Maverick’s presence made itself known, even without him saying a single word. I couldn’t see him because he was standing directly behind me but from the look on Chris’ face, I felt like I’d won front row seats to a pissing contest.

Maverick’s voice was dark, gravelly even when he asked, “Victoria isn’t here, so I have the same question as Gina. What are you doing here?”

Chris cut his eyes at the man talking over my shoulder. Finally, he answered smugly, “I read the note you left on the counter at our cabin saying you’d be here. I’m here to takemy familyto lunch.”

I wanted to roll my eyes at his choice of words. Chris hadn’t treated me likefamilyin ages. I didn’t know why he wanted to put on this charade for Maverick’s sake. He was already sleeping with the man’s ex-wife. What more did he have to prove?

“Really, daddy?! Yeah!” Mycah pumped his arms in triumph.

“Yup, little man. I hope you’re hungry.”

The joy in Mycah’s voice was noticeable when he heard his father’s response, but all I felt was confusion. Sprinkled in with a little frustration because he’d just ruined perfectly good dinner plans.

“I thought you’d be gone most of the day.”

Chris didn’t respond. He simply picked up his son and said, “Nothing is more important than spending time with my little man.”

With that, he started walking away. Mortified, I turn around and right into Maverick’s arms. I stumbled a little at our proximity and he had to steady me before I face planted right then and there.

“Sorry,” I mumbled before blinking up at him. His eyes were piercing and telling a whole story, even though he hadn’t said a word yet.

“You have no reason to apologize, Gina.”

I was starting to fall in love with the way my name sounded on his lips. It was swoon worthy. Or maybe I was hard-up?

“Raincheck?” I said a quick prayer that the quiver I felt in my voice wasn’t something he could hear. One could only hope.

Maverick’s eyes flashed with an unreadable sentiment, and he looked as if he wanted to say something, but held back in the name of decency.

“I’ll have to hold you to that.”

“Please do.” Was it that an inflection in my voice? Was I flirting with him?

Get a grip, girl!

The last thing I need in the middle of this embarrassing moment is to further humiliate myself. Chris has done a fine job of that as it was. Maverick sent me one of his heart-stopping smiles and then closed the door behind me.

As I walked back to my beach cottage, I regretted Chris’ intrusion immensely. At the same time, I was relieved that Mycah would at least get to spend time with his father. Sporadic attention was better than none at all, I guessed.

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