Maverick (Carter Brothers Book 5)

by Lisa Helen Gray

  His face flushes. “You’ll have to wait and find out.”

  I smile as I fall back into my seat. I wish everyone could see this side to Maverick, not just the moody, unapproachable man he usually is. He comes across as intimidating, but I’ve seen the real him now to ever feel like that around him again. Plus, he only ever makes me feel special, sexy, and loved.

  *** *** ***

  “You brought me to an aquarium?” I gush excitedly.

  He flushes, looking unsure as he nods down at me. “A friend of mine is the manager and he gave me a key. He’s here but he’ll be working in his office. He said we have the place to ourselves until eleven.”

  “This is unbelievable. You brought me to an aquarium for our first date and three different restaurants. This is incredible. Are you sure you’ve never been on a date? Because you sure know how to pursue a woman.” I grin, jumping out of the car.

  “So I did well?” He smirks, amused at my excitement.

  “You did fantastically,” I add, smiling huge. I love going to the aquarium. I’ve not been in a while because of money being so tight and because Faith doesn’t like the underwater tunnel. She prefers the zoo.

  Tonight has been surreal. Not only did our dinner taste delicious, but we also talked until we were blue in the face. Some bits were a little sad to hear but when he spoke about his brothers, their girlfriends and other people close to him, his eyes lit up. I could see the love he has for each and every one of them, and I hope one day he’ll look like that when he talks about me. Because there’s no doubt about it―I’m falling in love with Maverick Carter.

  “I’m so fucking glad I didn’t listen to Max.” He chuckles as we enter the aquarium. All the overhead lights are off but the ones in the tanks are on, illuminating the room in a warm glow.

  “Why, what did Max say?”

  “He told me to take you to the park, grab a bottle of cider and play kiss or oral,” he says.

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “I wish. He was so dead set on the idea that he’s asked Lake if she wants to do it,” he says, cringing.

  “I bet that went down well. I’m so glad you didn’t plan that.”

  “She put him in his place like she always does.” He chuckles before turning to me. “So, does this mean I get to kiss you on our first date,” he flirts, bringing me in for another kiss.

  “Oh, handsome, you would have gotten a lot more if Faith weren’t at home.” I grin and he kisses me once more.

  “C’mon.” He grabs my hand, taking me down a path.

  I’m in awe as we walk around. The place is beautiful but seeing it in the dark, with only the fish and tank lights on, is something else altogether.

  We’re walking into a darker part of the building, through a small tunnel before coming out to the most amazing view I’ve ever seen.

  We’re in what I can only describe as a fish bowl, except we’re the ones inside and the fish are swimming all around us. But they’re not ordinary fish. No, they glow in the dark. It’s the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen and I can’t help but turn in a circle, taking everything in. Glow-in-the-dark fish in star-fire red, cosmic blue, electric green, sunburst orange, galactic purple, and moonrise pink. They’re all swimming around, illuminating the place in a soft, warm glow. Ripples of water reflect on the floor and when I look to the centre, I gasp, spinning to Maverick.

  “You did this?” I ask. On the floor is a mass of blankets and pillows. A bottle of wine rests in a tin bucket of ice, and a few candles surround the edges of the small dome shape we’re in.

  Maverick shifts, looking uncomfortable before clearing his throat. “Um, yeah.”

  “This is beautiful,” I tell him, still in awe. Needing to take a photo, I take my phone out and start snapping away, including some of the beautiful fish swimming around in their tank. When I’m finished, I turn to Maverick shyly. “Can we take one together?”

  “Yeah,” he croaks out. I can tell he’s not a picture person, but he’s doing this for me which makes me like him all the more. He’s incredibly sweet, something you wouldn’t guess looking at his tattooed and rough exterior.

  He steps next to me, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me against him. I relax into him, loving the feel of his hard body. With shaky hands, I hold my phone up and look up to Maverick to see if he’s ready. He’s looking down at me, his eyes full of heat and warmth and I smile, ducking my head shyly. At the same time, my finger slips on my phone, snapping the picture.

  “Whoops, let me try one more time.”

  I hold it up again, this time resting my head against his chest and smiling. I snap the photo and turn to take a look, making sure I didn’t cut us out.

  My mouth falls open when I see the look Maverick is giving me. His face is full of wonder and I can’t help but think he feels more for me than he lets on. It makes me giddy with excitement.

  “C’mon, let’s open the bottle of wine. I hear it’s your favourite.” He smiles as I look over to the bottle of white chardonnay, a smile spreading across my face.

  “It is. How did you know?” I tease, already knowing the answer. I often pinch a bottle from the fridge in his bar―after he gives me his permission, of course.

  “Come on.” He chuckles, shaking his head as he directs me over to the blankets.

  I sit, sighing against the comfort the blankets and pillows give me. Tonight has been brilliant. Maverick has been brilliant. Never in a million years did I think he was capable of organising such a romantic date.

  Taking a sip of wine, I moan. It’s the second glass I’ve had, not wanting to get drunk for my first-ever date. I can only imagine how that would turn out.

  “I still can’t believe you did all of this.” I lie back on the cushions, watching the glowing fish swimming around. It’s so peaceful, so beautiful, and the last place I thought I’d be brought on a date.

  “It’s my first date. I didn’t want to ruin it,” Maverick mumbles, leaning over me.

  Smiling, I look up into his deep, brown eyes. God, he’s beautiful. Strong jaw line, almost perfectly straight nose―I think it’s been broken a few times in the past―and he has the most kissable lips I’ve ever seen. The top one is plumper than the bottom, and it’s sexy as hell.

  “You didn’t ruin anything.” I smile, cupping his jaw.

  He flashes his pearly whites at me and leans towards me, kissing me softly. My arms wrap around his neck, pulling him further down, his body falling easily between my thighs.

  I moan when I feel his thickness between my legs, pressing against my core. God, he’s so big, so hard. I want more.

  Forgetting where I am, I move my hands down his body, rubbing the palm of my hand against his thick bulge.

  He pulls away, breathless. “Fuck, Teagan.”

  I feel the rumble of his voice straight down to my toes. He glances over my head, his eyes sparking with desire. I’m about to go all cuckoo on him and demand how fish could turn him on, but then he reaches over my head for something. I hear the bucket of ice move and my heart picks up speed.

  Is he going to…?

  My eyes scrunch in confusion when he pulls back with a red ribbon. It’s the same red ribbon that was tied around the bucket.

  “Do you trust me?” he asks.

  I nod because I do trust him, I’m just a little… confused.

  He rests up on his knees, the ribbon discarded to the side. His touch on my bare legs has goosebumps rising on my skin. His fingers grip the bottom of my dress and, with a hungry desire shining in his eyes, he lifts it up my body and over my head.

  I gasp, looking around in horror.

  “It’s okay. There’re no cameras. Shush,” he whispers, leaning down to kiss me. I get lost in the kiss, running my fingers through his hair. My knickers are already damp from just the thought of getting caught. Anyone could walk in here. Okay, not anyone, but the thrill of the unknown is turning me on.

  He swallows my moan before kissing his way
down my neck, over my shoulder and between my breasts.

  He lifts me back up, his eyes darker as he unclips my bra, slowly pulling the straps down my arms. My skin breaks out in chills, my eyes never once leaving his. He shifts, coming back with the red ribbon once again. My eyes widen in realisation. He lifts my arms, leaning down and hovering over my lips.

  “Trust me,” he whispers.

  I nod, holding my wrists together to make it easier for him, the thick ribbon like silk against the sensitive skin. I shift, a torturous ache pulsing between my legs.

  The knot he ties takes him a few seconds before he’s back to kissing me. His hands are now between us, undoing his shirt expertly. I pant, wiggling my hips, wanting him to touch me, devour me.

  My lips part when his magnificent chest comes into view. The fish and candles give off a warm glow, but it’s this man in front of me who has me burning up, my skin on fire as sweat beads between my breasts from nerves.

  We’ve had sex five times in total. Each and every time he’s dominated me, owned me. I’ve never had to worry that I’m doing something wrong because every time we’re together, he’s always taken control of my body, bending it to his will.

  This time it feels different. He’s not just controlling my body; he’s possessing it. With each second I look up into his dark brown, soulful eyes, the more I hunger for him, the more I want him to own every part of me.

  Without a doubt, I’d do anything for this man.

  His warm, bare chest hits mine and I arch my back, craving more. Before I have a chance to voice my desire, his lips are back on mine, his jean-clad thighs pressing against my bare ones, the texture rough, yet exotic. He presses his erection against my core and I moan, my hands fighting to be free so I can touch him. The need to touch him is far greater than anything I want right now.

  “Please,” I beg him.

  “Jesus,” he breathes, his lips hovering over mine. His eyes stay locked on mine, silent yet powerful, like he’s trying to tell me something with one look. I try my hardest to look away, the intensity becoming too much.

  Before I can make out the meaning of the look, it’s gone, his head dips and his breathing is shallow and uneven. He licks his way down my neck and I tip my head back, giving him better access. With my arms tied above my head, my breasts pushed out for his pleasure. He lavishes them, paying each enough attention to drive me wilder.

  “More, please, Maverick.”

  “Patience,” he warns, his voice deep and thick with lust.

  My body jerks when his rips my knickers off in one pull. “You need to stop doing that. I won’t have any left,” I gasp, teasingly.

  “I’ll buy you more,” he growls.

  He moves again, taking his body heat with him. A small whimper escapes me as he smirks.

  He kicks his shoes off before removing his jeans and I notice he’s gone commando. I shouldn’t be surprised by that, yet I am. It’s also incredibly hot.

  His body looms over mine as he holds his weight off me. He looks down, his eyes sharp like razor blades, hungry with desire and need. The look burns through me, making me feel alive. My heart beats faster, taking my breath away.

  And in one powerful surge…

  One commanding stroke…

  He’s inside me.

  He drives into me with such force, such fervour, my back bows and my mouth opens in a silent scream.

  “Mine,” he whispers before pushing himself inside me once more.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  MAVERICK

  A small smile forms on my lips as I shift through the papers on my desk. I decided to bring them home last night so I could be free tonight for Teagan, who will hopefully find out who’s selling drugs in my club. We might not know who’s doing this, but we do have a plan set in motion. We’ve been building it from the start.

  One thing we have found out in the time Teagan has worked for me is that the money isn’t being exchanged inside the club. It’s why we can never pick up the deal on the CCTV footage. It was Teagan who actually questioned us over it, coming up with an outside handler of sorts, and she was right. But picking up whoever is taking the money would be like picking a needle out of a haystack. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.

  By tonight though, it won’t matter because there won’t be anyone in my club handing the drugs out for them anymore.

  I throw my pen down on the stack of invoices, rubbing my hands over my face. I can’t stop thinking about Teagan. She’s in my head. Even now, thinking about work, she’s there. It’s like my mind finds reasons to conjure up her image, wanting me to suffer. In pain or pleasure, I don’t know; I just know I can’t give her up. Not for anyone, not even for my dark, unwanted past that’s like a cloudy storm hanging over us. There’s nothing I can do about it and I’ll live with those burdens, those secrets and the lies for the rest of my life.

  But I know what I can’t live with and that’s losing her. I can’t even go a day without seeing or hearing her in my mind. She brings light into my life.

  I love my brothers. I’d die for them. But they’re a constant reminder of my past, of what I know, of what I keep hidden. But when I’m with Teagan, I’m just me, Maverick Carter. I can finally let my demons rest and just feel. No other woman has ever evoked these feelings inside me. They’ve only ever served one purpose for me in the past, and that was on a physical level. I know not all women are the same, but growing up around the cruel, vindictive women I did, it was bound to make me wary.

  My feelings for Joan, Harlow, Denny, Kayla and Lake are different. They’re different. I love Joan like she’s my own nan and the girls are like sisters―which I guess they are. They’re family, something my mother never knew the meaning of when she―

  “What the fuck is going on, Maverick? I’ve just been told another kid died. Is it true?” Mason says as he walks into my room, livid and frustrated. I don’t blame him, not really, but I do wish he’d let me deal with it.

  “Yeah.”

  “And you didn’t think to fucking tell me?” he snaps, sitting on the edge of my bed.

  “You were on your honeymoon, Mase. Was I meant to disrupt your holiday for no reason? What were you going to do? Come back? To do what?” I snap back, frustrated myself. I’ve been dealing with everything since I was eleven years old. I was the reason they got fed, bathed and went to school. I’ve been trying to fix everything, mend what was broken and make sure none of the bad ever touched them.

  I failed once and I left, making sure I didn’t return until I could make sure they never had to suffer another day in their lives. I’ve been keeping that promise ever since.

  “I don’t fucking know. But I’m back now. You should have said something.”

  “You just got back,” I say, throwing my hands up in the air. “I’m trying to protect you. I have no idea who the fuck is selling drugs in V.I.P. People are dying and it’s all blowing back on me. You deal with MC5, not V.I.P. You don’t need to be burdened with all this crap. You have a daughter, a wife.”

  “I also have a brother, a friend, a business partner. You’re my family. Don’t separate me, Denny and Hope from you and our other brothers. You’re all my family. I’d do anything for any one of you. You’ve been carrying all of our burdens for far too long. You need to let us help. You need to let someone in. I mean, what about this Teagan chick? Are you serious about her?”

  I look to my brother, knowing that, out of all of us, he knows my pain. He went through something so much similar to me, never having a choice.

  “I know. Old habits and all that,” I tell him, forcing a smile. “And Teagan… is Teagan.” I don’t want to divulge too much about her. She’s mine. No one else needs to know anything else.

  “That’s not what I meant, but I can see you don’t want to talk about her. But you will tell me about tonight. What’s going on?”

  I sigh, my elbows on my knees as I lean forward, looking at my brother. “It’s Teagan’s last shift, whether she finds out who�
��s doing this or not. She doesn’t belong there.”

  “You make it sound like a seedy strip club you’d find down some backstreet alley.” Mason chuckles, shaking his head with disbelief.

  “It’s not that. She’s just…. Fuck! When did this become a heart-to-heart? When you said your vows, did you turn into a pussy?”

  He laughs. Full-on laughs. “Mav, you’ll be right where I am one day. And you’re the one getting all sentimental and crap. Want me to get Max to check if you have any balls left?”

  “Why Max?”

  “He’s the only fucker crazy enough to get near you.”

  I laugh, this time because he’s right. I’d never hurt any of my brothers. I’d rather die. Not that we haven’t had our scraps, we did, but we’ve never hurt each other out of hate.

  “True.”

  “So tonight….”

  My eyes close for a moment, gathering all of my thoughts before addressing him. “She’ll go in wired. They’ll give her a phone, a bunch of fucking code words and a script.”

  “A script? How the fuck is she gonna find someone going by a script?”

  “It’s not a script like a play. She’ll have certain things to add into conversation. I just have a sinking feeling about it. Not that I think something bad is going to happen to her―I’ll be there, the police will be there―but what happens after?”

  “What do you mean?” Mason asks, more serious this time.

  “Well, whoever is getting a member of staff to hand out the drugs, what are they going to do? Send someone else in? Is it personal, or was my club just an easy target because they knew someone who worked there? It’s been driving me nuts. All my staff have worked for me for over two years now. Not once in that time have we had drugs brought into the club or a drug problem until nine months ago. I have so many questions and little to no answers. It’s driving me fucking nuts. I don’t want any of it to blow back on Teagan. She has a daughter. She’s nothing like our….” I pause, shaking my head. I hadn’t realised where my words were going until I said them, and now I feel like I’ve caught myself in a trap.

  “Mother,” Mason finishes.