by L A Cotton
“Have I told you lately how much I love you?” His words were a gravelly whisper in my ear.
“Hmm, maybe you should remind me.” I brushed my nose over his, our lips meeting in a tender kiss.
“Hey, that’s my cousin,” Kyle yelled and we both looked up, laughter filling the space between us.
Soon the dance floor became a sea of bodies. Summer and JB, Macey and Devon, Kiera and Trey, even my dad and Stella got up to dance. It was perfect. Laurie’s and Kyle’s parents watched on, their smiles so wide and full of joy.
“You make a beautiful bridesmaid, Lo,” Maverick kissed me again. “But you’ll make an even lovelier bride.”
“Maverick...”
“What?” His eyes darkened. “I’m not about to do anything stupid, not here. I just want you to know, I want that.” He tipped his head to the happy couple. “I want it so fucking much, Lo.”
“Me too.” Running my hands up his collar, I leaned in, touching my head to his. “But we have time.”
For whatever reason, Maverick hadn’t found the right time or place to ask yet, and I was okay with that. I had everything I needed right here.
A good life.
Good family.
Ride or die friends.
And most of all, the man of my dreams.
Maverick
“We’re lucky sons of bitches, you know.” Trey mumbled as we stood at the bar, watching our girls dance around Laurie.
“I’ll toast to that.” JB lifted his beer up, clinking against Trey’s.
“You know, if someone had told me back in high school that I’d be standing here with Maverick Prince, JB Holloway, and Trey Berrick, I would have told them to stop drinking the Kool-Aid.” Devon chuckled.
“Who’s drinking the Kool-Aid?” Kyle swaggered over wearing the same shit-eating grin on his face that he’d worn all day.
“Lions is feeling nostalgic,” I said.
Kyle roped his arm around Devon’s neck. “It’ll be your turn next. I heard Macey and Summer talking earlier. She wants a winter wedding.”
His face paled. “I’m not ready for that.”
“Have you told her that?” My eyes went to my sister. She was laughing beside Lo, the two of them lost in the moment.
There had been a time when I thought Macey would never accept Lo, but now they were as close as two sisters could be.
“You’re right,” I said to Trey. “We are lucky sons of bitches.”
These guys were my family. My best friends. So to have our girls so close only made things better.
That’s not to say life didn’t have its ups and downs given how tightly knitted the ten of us were. I’d wanted to string Devon up by his balls more than once after he and Macey fought, something they did a lot. And watching JB with my younger sister wasn’t always easy, but they were both good guys.
Besides, they knew if they ever really hurt either of them, I wouldn’t hesitate to make them pay.
“I think we should have a wager,” Kyle said out of nowhere.
My brows furrowed wondering where the hell he was going with this.
“A hundred bucks says Rick pops the question next. Then JB, then Devon.”
“What about me, asshole?” Trey grunted.
“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you twenty times, you and my sister are never gonna happen, Berrick.”
“I hate to break it to you, bro,” I smirked, “But you’re going to have to accept that Kiera isn’t a sixteen-year-old kid anymore.”
“She’s almost twenty,” Trey grumbled. “If I want to put a ring on her finger, I’ll put a fucking ring on her finger.”
“Trey?”
The five of us glanced over to find Kiera standing there, confusion clouding her wide eyes. “What’s going on?” She came closer, the pink highlights in her hair shimmering under the dimmed spotlights.
“Nothing,” Trey choked out. “Nothing’s going on, babe. Kyle was just—”
“We’re just ironing out a few things,” he grinned at his sister.
“What things?”
“Busted,” JB murmured under his breath, and I elbowed him in the ribs.
“Kiera?” Laurie started heading our way.
“Hi, Wifey.” Kyle tried to intercept her, but she brushed him off.
“Kiera, what’s wrong?”
“You tell me... they were talking about me.”
“We weren’t... that’s not...” Trey looked to me and JB for help but we both pressed our lips together.
“Traitors,” he mouthed. “You want to dance?” He tried to slip an arm around Kiera, but she sidestepped his advance.
“No, I want to know what you were saying. Something about a ring?” Her brow went up.
“It was a joke.”
“Oh, so proposing to me is a joke now?”
“What?” Trey blanched. “No, no, it isn’t even like that.”
“Guys, come on.” Laurie gave the four of us a stern look before turning her attention on Kyle. “Let me guess, you were stirring things with Trey again?”
“Me? I would never—”
“Stirring things? What things?” Kiera looked ready to burst. “Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?”
“Kyle seems to have a problem with Trey proposing.”
“You want to propose?” Kiera’s eyes were as wide as saucers now.
“No... I mean, yes. Maybe. One day.”
I smothered the laughter rumbling in my chest. I’d always imagined myself the strict, overprotective big brother, and I did okay... but Kyle was something else where Kiera was concerned. I think it was the fact she hadn’t grown up in our family. Life had been hard for her and their mom, Maria. Summer had grown up in our shadow, but Keira, she’d had to fend for herself. I figured he was making up for lost time or something.
“Relax,” I said to Trey. “He’s just busting your balls. Take your girl and go dance.”
Kiera’s scowl melted away as Trey took her hand and led her toward the dance floor.
“You need to cut him some slack.” I gave Kyle a pointed look.
“What, I barely said—”
“He’s right, babe.” Laurie kissed his cheek. “You’re too hard on him. He makes Kiera happy, that’s all that matters.”
“Yeah... I know.” He watched them. “It’s just hard letting go.”
“Wait until you have kids,” JB said.
“What of it, Holloway?”
“One word, man. Daughters.”
We all shared a look and I swear, our futures flashed in front of our eyes. But I didn’t feel the fear reflected in their gazes… I felt something else entirely.
Lo
“Maverick,” his name spilled from my lips in a rush of pleasure as his fingers dipped inside me.
“Fuck, Lo, you’re so wet.” He leaned down, capturing my lips in a slow and possessive kiss, his tongue curling around mine. “You taste so fucking good.”
“I want you,” I moaned, sliding my arms around his neck, and playing with the strands of hair there.
“Patience, baby. I want to watch you come all over my fingers first.” He rubbed deeper, touching that place inside me that made my legs quiver.
“God, it’s...” The words got stuck as my breath caught when his thumb began to circle my clit.
“I love watching you like this.” Maverick kissed the corner of my mouth, his hooded gaze fixed on my face as he worked me with his fingers. His other hand toyed with my breasts, trailing over my skin, pushing me to new heights.
“More...” I moaned softly.
Maverick smirked, kissing me once more before moving down the side of my body, bringing his mouth level with my breast. He leaned over, flicking his tongue over my nipple, sending a burst of shivers rippling through me.
“Rick...” My fingers slid into his hair, anchoring him to me as he licked and laved at my skin.
It was too much: his fingers inside me, his thumb lazily circling my clit, and his mouth w
orshipping my breasts. An intense wave of pleasure rolled through me as I began to come.
“That’s it,” he breathed against my skin. “Give it to me.” Maverick lifted his head, his eyes twinkling with love, and he sucked his fingers into his mouth. “Hmm, nothing tastes as good as you.”
“Smooth talker.” I chuckled.
“You've seen nothing yet.” He covered my body with his, brushing the hair from my face. “I love you, Lo. Always.”
“Show me, Maverick.”
Hooking an arm underneath my thigh, Maverick rocked into me in one smooth stroke. Our collective moans filled the space between us, but then he was there, kissing me, thrusting into me with complete abandon.
Maverick loved like he played ball, with strength and stamina, confidence and skill.
After more than three-and-a-half years of learning my body, he knew exactly how to satisfy me.
“Nothing will ever feel as good as this.” He gripped my jaw, nipping at my bottom lip as he picked up the pace. His other hand tangled with mine, pressing it into the mattress above my head. I loved this, the feeling of his weight, the feeling of him moving inside me, kissing me, making me lose control.
Knowing without a shadow of a doubt that he would always be there to catch me.
“I love you, Maverick.” I pulled him closer, hitching my legs against his hips and arching up to meet every thrust.
“Love you more, London.”
Sweat coated my skin, and desire drenched every moan as we fell headfirst into each other.
And I didn’t ever want to come back up.
Maverick
I lay awake, watching Lo sleep. Her hair was fanned out around her, one of her arms slung over my stomach. It was her favorite position. Some part of her touching some part of me. It was hard to believe that after three years, I still felt the same intense rush of love sensation I'd had back when we were just two kids trying to find our way in the world.
Bottom line, Lo had saved me. She’d pulled me from the darkness and shown me the light, and I planned on spending the rest of my life showing her how grateful I was.
Which is precisely why I was done dragging my ass. This summer was it. I was going to propose and finally put a ring on her finger. It was the summer before my senior year and Lo’s junior year, and I didn’t want to waste another second waiting for the right moment.
We planned to spend some time in Wicked Bay after the wedding, which was pretty fucking perfect considering our story started here. A plan was already forming in my head of how I was going to do it.
“I can feel you watching me,” Lo murmured, pressing a kiss to my chest. Heat coursed through me, but I’d already kept her up most of the night, and I knew she was exhausted from all the wedding preparations.
“Go back to sleep, it’s early.” I brushed her jaw with my fingertips.
“You can’t sleep?” She peered up at me through half-lidded eyes.
“I like watching you.”
“Creeper.”
“You love it.” I smirked.
“Yeah, I do.” She rolled away from me and I slung my arm over her waist, fitting the soft curves of her body against my hard lines.
“Sleep,” I ordered, kissing the tip of her shoulder.
“You’ll stay?”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
I would follow this girl to the ends of the Earth, and it was about time I showed her.
Chapter Three
Maverick
“Did they get away okay?” I asked Mom as she and Gentry entered the kitchen.
“They sure did.” A dreamy expression washed over her. “I can’t believe it’s over... they’re married. And so young.”
“It was the right decision, sweetheart.” Gentry came up behind her and squeezed her shoulders. “Mike can go peacefully now, knowing he got to see his daughter walk down the aisle.”
“Oh, Gentry,” Mom turned into his arms, “it’s so sad.”
“Laurie will be okay,” I said over the lump in my throat. “She has Kyle and her mom and you guys. She has all the family she needs to get through this.”
“You’re right, she does.” Gentry gave me an appreciative nod. “Laurie is a part of this family now and we look after our own.” We shared a look of mutual understanding.
It hadn’t always been like this between me and Gentry, but we'd been in a good place lately.
“Where’s Lo?” Mom asked, finally composing herself.
“She promised to take Beth out for ice cream.”
“And you weren’t invited?” She raised a brow.
“You know how she can get.” Beth was still finding it hard adjusting to life with Lo’s dad and her mom living together. Lo tried to smooth the cracks, but Beth was almost ten, going on sixteen with her mood swings.
“It’s been an adjustment, for all of them.” Mom agreed.
“Darling, it’s been almost two years.”
“They’ll figure it out,” I said, grabbing an apple from the bowl and taking a bite.
“And you, son?” Gentry gave me a pointed look. “Have you figured things out?”
“What’s going on?” Mom wagged her finger between the two of us.
“Maverick is going to pop the question. Went to see Robert and everything.” Gentry looked so fucking smug as if he’d unearthed some great secret. What he didn’t realize was, I’d already asked Lo’s dad for his blessing the first time I'd planned to propose. Since our family had zero chill, I'd sworn him to secrecy. I guessed this time he'd decided to give me a nudge of encouragement by betraying me to Gentry.
“Oh, sweetheart, this is wonderful news. You know, we all thought it would be you and Lo first.”
“Thanks for the reminder, Mom.” I grimaced, finishing the apple, and throwing the core in the trash can.
“Have you planned something magical? I bet he’s planned something magical.” She beamed at Gentry.
“Yes, well,” he smiled at her, “let’s not get too carried away. I’m sure Maverick would appreciate our discretion.”
“Of course, but, sweetheart, this is huge.”
She came over and swept me up in a Mom-hug. “I’m so proud of you, Maverick, of both of you. I had my doubts at first, we all did, but you proved us wrong.”
“Thanks, Mom.” The words came out rough. Displays of affection weren’t something I did often with my family, but hearing the pride in her voice made me stand a little taller. “Just promise me you won’t breathe a word of it to Lo. I want it to be a total surprise.”
“Our lips are sealed.” Gentry mimicked zipping his lips, and Mom nodded.
“You have our word, baby. We’ll take it to the grave.”
“Take what to the grave?” Lo entered the kitchen and silence descended over the three of us.
Fuck.
It was like the universe was always working against me.
“Nothing.” I stalked toward Lo, sliding my hand into her hair and kissing her softly.
“Hello to you too,” she chuckled against my lips.
“Missed you,” I whispered.
“I was barely gone two hours.”
“Two too many.”
“They’re so darn cute,” Mom’s voice was a like a bucket of iced water, and I inhaled a ragged breath, breaking the kiss and tucking Lo into my side.
“What are your plans for the rest of the day?”
“I think we’re meeting Summer and JB down at Hitters,” I replied. It was the sports bar downtown where Lo had worked back in her senior year of high school. Things hadn’t ended so well at the time, but over the years it had become our usual hangout whenever we were back in town.
Macey and Devon had left straight after the wedding as Devon was touring the east coast over the summer and my sister was tagging along until classes restarted in the fall.
“It was so nice having you all back in one place, even if it was only for a few days.”
“Are you... crying?” My eyes narrowed a
t my mom.
“What? No!” She sniffled. “It must be allergies.”
“You know it won’t be too long before you have a new set of kids to fuss over.”
It was her turn to frown. “I don’t—”
“Grandbabies, Mom.”
“Grandbabies?” Her eyes widened. “Oh my... I’m not sure I’m ready to be a grandma.” She glanced at Gentry and he balked.
“Don’t look at me, darling. I am most definitely not ready for diapers and night feeds.”
“Relax, I’m joking.” For the most part, anyway. Truth was, I couldn’t wait to see Lo’s stomach round with my child. But we had to graduate first and see where the draft landed us.
“Maverick,” Mom chided. “You almost damn near gave me a heart attack.”
“Don’t worry, Rebecca, we are in no rush to start a family.” Lo pinched my side and I yelped.
“Maybe not, but we can practice lots. That sounds like a—”
Lo grabbed my hand and started pulling me toward the back door, my laughter filling the air.
When we were outside, she gave me a hard shove. “What has gotten into you?”
“What? I can’t be happy now?”
“I thought your mom and Uncle Gentry were going to march us down to the planned parenthood clinic.”
“What do you think they thought we were getting up to out here all those times you stayed over?” My brow quirked suggestively.
“I know, but there’s knowing and knowing.”
Snagging Lo around the waist, I pulled her close. “You want that though, right? A bunch of little brats running around?”
Her frown melted away replaced with a look of longing. “You know I do.”
“Good.” I bent down and scooped her up, throwing her over my shoulder. “We’d better make a start on the practice phase then.”
“Maverick, put me down.” Lo hammered her fists against my back.
“Sorry, I can’t hear you.” I chuckled, carrying her into the pool house. We had so many memories of this place: the good, bad, and everything in between.
I bypassed the living room, going straight to our bedroom. “I can still remember the first time I had you in here.” Lowering Lo to the floor, I cupped the back of her neck. “I was so fucking angry, and everything hurt. Until you touched me.”