by Kennedy Fox
Maverick: I’ll walk with you. Stay right there.
Just as I’m about to tell him it’s not necessary, I hear him telling the ladies good night and that it was a pleasure meeting and talking with them. Given the fact he didn’t even have to be “on the clock” tonight, he sure made a lot of people happy.
“Ready?” he asks as soon as he’s next to me, taking my hand and pulling me up from the chair. “You’re a lightweight, aren’t you?” He chuckles, tightening his grip on me.
“No. I’m fine. It’s just these stupid barstools are hard to get out of.”
I finally manage to land on my feet and look up to see Maverick smiling at me. “What?”
“I think I like tipsy Olivia. She’s right up there with all-natural Olivia. I think I like her the most.”
We walk toward the elevators. “What are you talking about?”
“Your different personalities. There’s uptight Olivia—aka Miss Priss—then there’s the Olivia under all those work clothes and makeup—all-natural Olivia—and now there’s happy-go-lucky, tipsy Olivia.”
I turn to face him as we wait for the elevator. “And what are your personalities, Maverick? You put this act on like you’re this carefree, give-no-shits surfer boy, but that can’t be all there is to you, is there?”
The doors swing open, and Maverick puts his hand on the small of my back to give me a small push to walk through. I watch as he hits the button for my floor.
“Also, you know what’s really been chapping my ass?” I turn toward him again, and he’s chuckling. “Why the hell don’t you fly? Don’t you know it’s actually safer than driving? It can be a tad scary during turbulence, but the fly time is like a millisecond compared to the driving time.” I can’t help the word vomit spewing out of my mouth, but as soon as I look up and see Maverick’s face, I regret it.
His face has dropped, his eyes low, and his shoulders slumped over.
“I think I should get you to bed if you’re going to be on time for brunch in the morning.” The doors open moments later, and he guides me out again and walks me to my room. I fiddle with the key, but the damn thing won’t scan.
“Let me try.” Maverick pulls a key out from his wallet and effortlessly opens the door.
“Wait. How’d you do that? Why do you have a key to my room?”
“Just a precautionary.” He winks at me, but it’s with a frown over his face.
“I’ll be fine,” I tell him, though I’m mostly trying to convince myself. “Brunch is at eleven. Don’t be late.”
“I know the drill.” He smirks. “Good night, Olivia.”
I look up and see him watching me. “Night.” And for a split second, I almost ask him to stay.
Chapter Ten
MAVERICK
If I’m being truthful, I wasn’t looking forward to this trip. I didn’t know what to expect, considering I’ve never toured with an author before, but so far, it’s been pretty cool. This morning, we had a brunch with Rachel’s readers, and while many of them focused on asking her questions, others were too busy handing me their phone numbers. At this point, I’m pretty sure I have so many, I could use them like confetti. And yes, I know the rules. I don’t plan on getting with any of them, but it’s fun to watch Olivia squirm, just like she’s doing right now.
One of Rachel’s readers keeps leaning over and placing her hand on my thigh. She’s beautiful but not my type. Then again, if I weren’t on this tour, I’d probably go back to her room with her and show her a good time. Especially since she’s throwing out all the signals. I know exactly what she wants, and by the look on Olivia’s face, she knows too.
After the brunch is over, I’m standing around waiting for Rachel. A reader comes to me, talking too close, and Olivia smiles at the woman, thanks her for coming, then pulls me away.
“Your middle name should be Cockblock,” I say as she pulls me onto the elevator and presses my floor along with hers since we’re on different levels.
Her mouth is tight in a firm line. “We’re leaving in thirty minutes. We need to make it to Amarillo before dark. I have a lot of work to do.”
The elevator stops on her floor, and she steps out. Before the doors close, she turns around and looks at me. “Do not be late.”
And that warning is the reason I purposely take my time packing my things. I wish Olivia would stop with the act because I can see straight through it, though she’d never admit it. She’s too concerned with her image to let her hair down and relax every once in a while. I can’t imagine not ever being off the clock. Life isn’t that serious or shouldn’t be taken that way.
After I go to my room and get my stuff together, I wait until I’m supposed to be downstairs, then head toward the elevator, making sure not to rush. By the time I’m on the ground floor, Olivia is already in the car waiting. She pops the trunk, and I throw my suitcase inside, then climb into the passenger seat.
“You did that on purpose,” she says, punching on the gas and pulling out of the parking lot. She gets up on the highway and drives through the city like she’s a native or a maniac.
“You’ll eventually learn I only need to be told to be somewhere one time,” I tell her.
Once we’re out of Dallas, she slightly relaxes. Something’s streaming between us, and it’s awkward. I don’t really know what to say, and it shocks me that I’m tongue-tied for words. She sings along to an annoying pop song on the radio, and I laugh.
“Is this Justin Bieber?” I look down at the title on the screen to confirm.
“I love the Biebs,” she tells me with a smile, going back to her lyrics.
I shake my head. “Don’t you ever admit that in public.”
“I like other music too. Especially the eighties and nineties. But my guilty pleasure is pop music and Taylor Swift.”
“I’m trying really hard not to judge you right now.” I grin.
We make small talk, and when we stop for gas, we switch places, and I drive the rest of the way. We’re making good time, and I’m thankful no disaster has happened today. We got off to a bad start, but I think Olivia is beginning to soften up to me, or maybe my mind is playing tricks on me. I glance over at her while she works, and we exchange small innocent smiles before she goes back to scribbling in her notebook.
The GPS directs me to take the next exit, so I pull off the highway and travel down a few miles until we’re pulling up to our hotel. We pull up to the valet, and I grab our suitcases. I stand back while Olivia checks in, which is taking much longer than it usually does. I walk up to the counter and stand next to her.
“Can you check again and make sure?” Olivia asks the woman in a panicked tone. She types on the computer then looks up.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Carpenter. We only have one room available for you.”
I glance over at Olivia who’s about to blow smoke out of her ears, she’s so noticeably pissed.
“The hotel was overbooked. We tried to call you earlier this week to let you know there was an issue with your reservation, and one of them was being canceled so other arrangements could be made.”
Olivia huffs. “I didn’t get a call. My service has been in and out while I’ve been traveling.”
“One room should be fine,” I tell the woman with a smile. She instantly smiles back at me.
Olivia rolls her eyes. “I guess it will have to be.”
The woman apologizes again, then explains where the elevators are and what time breakfast will be served. I take the key cards, wink at the receptionist, and then the two of us walk away. Olivia is raging, and I actually find it cute.
“I’m so livid,” she seethes as we step on the elevator. “The review I’m leaving for this hotel…”
“It’s only for one night,” I remind her. “What could happen?”
She glances over at me. I give her a smirk, and she groans.
“Don’t be nervous. I don’t bite. Too hard.” I chuckle as the elevator doors slide open.
Olivia leads the
way to the room, and I study her from behind.
“I can only imagine the cheesy pickup lines you use on women,” she says. “This is why I read so many romance books.”
She swipes the card across the sensor, and the door clicks open.
“Reading those kind of romances can set unrealistic expectations in a relationship,” I tell her, locking the door behind us.
With one swift movement, she throws her suitcase and laptop bag on the edge of the mattress. “Great, one bed,” she says to herself, groaning. “Or maybe it just sets the bar higher? When I do decide to get in a serious relationship, it’s not going to be with just any man who can whisper sweet nothings in my ear. He’ll have to be someone special, someone worth my time. Otherwise, I’m happy with how things are right now.” She digs into her bag and pulls out some clothes. “Do you need to go to the restroom? I’m going to take a shower.”
“Olivia, that man exists out there. And when you find him, you’ll know. And no, I’m good. I’m probably gonna go work out. My muscles are stiff from sitting so long,” I tell her before she walks into the bathroom.
She gives me a look, almost as if she’s contemplating my words before walking to the bathroom. Something streams between us, but I try to ignore it, though it’s hard. Once the door is locked and the water is running, I quickly change into some shorts and a dry-fit shirt, grab my headphones from my bag, and head to the gym.
Once I’m there, I do a few warm-up reps with the bar before I start adding heavy weights. I’m trying to focus, but I’m finding it a bit hard, and the only person to blame is Olivia. Though she’s a prude and uptight and gets on my nerves more often than not, I can’t help but be intrigued by her. It’s refreshing how she doesn’t fall at my feet. For the first time in a long while, I have someone determined to challenge me at every corner, and I kinda like it. Shaking the thoughts of her out of my head, I push myself to the limit. Once I’ve completed my reps, I make my way back to the room. As soon as I walk in, I can smell the sweetness of her shampoo and body wash.
I continue forward and am almost taken aback when I see her sitting with her legs crossed and laptop on the bed. Her wet hair is down, black-framed glasses on her face, and she’s wearing a T-shirt and pajama bottoms. My mouth falls open, and I hurry to try to close it.
“Hi. My name is Maverick Kingston, and you are?” I hold my hand out to reintroduce myself to this stranger in my room. I’m not sure what I expected to find when I came back, but it wasn’t Olivia looking so...normal. It’s hot.
She swats at my hand and laughs. “Shut up, Maverick!” She dramatically rolls her eyes at me, then goes back to her computer.
I’m trying not to stare, but damn, it’s so hard when she looks so naturally beautiful. Instead of standing there gawking, I force myself to go to the bathroom and run the water. Considering I’m sweaty as hell and need a distraction, I take a shower. Once I’m out of my clothes, I turn the water as hot as I can stand it and step in. The warmth feels good against my sore muscles, and I try to enjoy it, considering I’ve been sitting for most of the day. After my skin is pruned, I force myself to get out, and that’s when I realize I didn’t grab any clothes.
Shit. I’m used to staying in a room by myself, but I use this as the perfect opportunity to make Olivia squirm. I quietly chuckle just thinking about it as I finish drying off and wrap the towel around my waist, then walk into the bedroom.
I try to pretend as if I don’t notice Olivia looking over her laptop at me. It gives me a rush, knowing her eyes are on my body. I make eye contact with her and lift an eyebrow as I reach for my suitcase, and that’s when my towel falls from my waist into a pool on the floor. Instead of trying to hide, I just go with it. Olivia’s eyes go wide as she checks out the full package, then her mouth falls open, which only causes me to smirk. I’m not a shy guy or embarrassed because I have a lot to be proud of.
“Maverick! Put on some clothes! Oh my God!” She picks up a pillow and throws it at me before covering her eyes.
I shrug, and dig out some pajama pants and slip them on. “Sorry, that was an accident.”
She moves her hand from her face and glares at me. “I really doubt that. You were way too confident standing there. I mean, if you wanted to show off your dick, you could’ve asked first.”
Laughter tumbles out of me. “Yeah right. You seem way too modest for that.”
“I didn’t say I’d say yes. Let me be very clear, I would’ve said hell no.”
I nod at her. “Right. You’re telling me you weren’t even curious?”
When I sit on the other side of the bed, Olivia instantly stands. “Nope. No. No way. Totally inappropriate.”
I snort. Always the professional. “Have you even seen a dick in real life before? You looked as if it was going to bite you.” I know I’m crossing a line, but I can’t help it. She’s adorable when she gets all flustered.
“Probably does bite. Has to fight off all the women scrambling to jump on it.”
I look at her, stunned.
“Shit, sorry. That was rude. You probably have a fine, satisfying dick. I just wasn’t interested in seeing it.”
Her words have my chest shaking with laughter. Not only is she as uptight as she looks on most days, but she’s also socially awkward as hell. Though I actually find it refreshing.
“No worries. I’ve never had any complaints before.” I grab my phone off the nightstand and start scrolling through my apps. When she doesn’t sit back down, I glance over at her. Messy blond hair, glasses, wearing a baggy T-shirt with a coffee cup on it. She’s stunning without her business costume on. It’s the first time I’ve really seen her let her hair down, and there’s an internal shift I can’t deny. I swallow hard and look at her. “What?”
“We have to have some rules tonight,” she tells me, but I can see the blush on her cheeks. Is it possible that I’ve broken through, made her nervous as hell? If so, mission accomplished.
“I’d expect nothing less, honestly.”
She scoffs. “First, you need to put a shirt on too. The pants aren’t enough.”
I stand. “I work really hard for these abs.” Yep, now she’s staring.
She moves around the bed. “And we need a pillow wall between us when we go to sleep.”
Now I’m laughing. “Why?”
“Because. I’m actually afraid of the anaconda in your pants.”
Her words cause me to double over. “Anaconda? Well, I think you’re safe. He doesn’t just let himself out in the middle of the night and search for single women.”
“You sure about that?” She lifts an eyebrow.
“Wow. You’ve got jokes. That’s a first,” I throw back at her. “Trust me when I say I have no intentions of crossing the invisible line you’ve already drawn on the bed. I’ll stick to my side, and you stick to yours. Unless you change your mind.” I shoot her a wink.
In one swift movement, she picks up another pillow and chucks it at me as hard as she can. She’s smiling and laughing, and she’s finally releasing all the weight she carries around on her shoulders. This is the Olivia I want to get to know. Not the woman who wears tight skirts and button-up collared shirts. That version of her doesn’t know how to have a good time or break out of a schedule. But the woman standing in front of me is someone totally different.
I smile at her. “I’m actually going to go to bed, I think. I’m exhausted.”
“What about the rules?” she asks, sitting back on the bed.
Pulling the blankets down, I slip between the sheets. “If you learn one thing before this trip is over, Olivia, it’s that I don’t play by the rules.”
I roll over on my side, where my back is toward her, and click off the lamp on the table. “Good night, Miss Priss,” I tell her before I close my eyes.
“Good night, Mr. Playboy,” she retorts, but I can tell she’s smiling.
Chapter Eleven
OLIVIA
As soon as my alarm goes off, I peel my eyes o
pen. For a moment, I have no idea where I am, then I remember I’m in a hotel room with Maverick. Carefully, I slide out of bed and stand only to realize he’s not here. I let out a deep breath and walk to the bathroom for my morning routine.
I’m surprised I got any sleep at all, considering each time I closed my eyes, all I could see was Maverick standing so confident, showing off his goods. Damn, that man is poison. With everything I have, I try to shake the image from my mind, but it’s inconveniently plastered there.
After I wash my face and brush my teeth, I pack up my things because we’ll need to leave soon. I stuff my toiletries in the suitcase and pull out my clothes for the day. After I’ve changed, Maverick walks through the door, sweating. I try not to make eye contact or stare as he pulls his shirt over his head.
“Mornin’,” he says with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.
I narrow my eyes at him, trying to keep my gaze above his chest. “What?”
“Did you sleep okay?” He’s still smiling as he walks to his suitcase and pulls out a change of clothes.
“I did, why?” He’s making me really suspicious by how weird he’s acting, and considering I haven’t had a drop of coffee yet, I’m not in the mood for his games.
“Has anyone ever told you how much you talk in your sleep?”
My heart begins to race, and my mouth goes dry. “What did I say?”
There’s that panty-melting smirk again, and that’s all he leaves me with before he goes into the bathroom and shuts the door. The water comes on, and I stand there holding my chest, trying to remember any of the dreams I had last night, but I’m drawing a blank. What the hell did I say? He’s probably just fucking with me...right?
Instead of dwelling on it, I call a valet to have the car moved around. I knock on the bathroom door to let him know my plans before I leave.
“I’m going down to the car. You have ten minutes before I leave without you,” I tell him, and all he does is laugh.