by Kristy Marie
It takes a full minute—really, who’s counting—for the ringing in my ears to stop. It probably takes another minute for my legs to stop convulsing and relax from around his head.
“I think we should really return that book when the feeling returns to my hands,” I mutter out.
Maverick raises his head and wipes his mouth against the back of his hand. “I agree. It wasn’t very informative.”
Rumor has it they eloped.
“Did she like the place?”
I pace alongside the edge of the complex. I needed some air and privacy when Mike called about Ainsley’s new house.
“She’d prefer something updated in this century,” I clip. Truth is, it’s a cute house just on the outskirts of the city. Ainsley would love it—if I told her about it.
“Come on, Maverick. You need to convince her that this place is perfect. It’s a ten-minute drive to campus and comes fully furnished. My dad can even get the security deposit waived. The elderly couple just needs someone to rent it until they return in six months.”
Mike said the owners are moving in with their daughter in Wisconsin. She’s having twins and since they’ve retired, they offered to help out with the babies for a while. It’s the perfect solution for their family and for Ainsley. It’ll give her a place to herself, away from the drama of Havemeyer’s rumors. But . . .
“I’ll talk to her, Mike,” I lie. “But she’s already demanded an open concept with modern decor.”
Ainsley would never say that, but Mike doesn’t need to know that.
He lets out a deep sigh. “She does realize she’s a college student, doesn’t she? There aren’t many options in her price range given her history as a renter.”
“She’s not desperate.” She was before, not now. “Her cash is as good as anyone else’s.”
Why am I snapping at Mike for doing what I’ve been begging him to do all along?
“Fuck!” I growl. “Just find something else!”
Mike makes an exasperated noise. I don’t blame him. I’m being a complete pain in the ass today.
“Whatever you want, Maverick. I’ll ask my father to keep looking.”
I grunt out something close to a “thanks” and hang up. I’m in a terrible fucking mood.
You would think my mood would be as euphoric as the first drag of a cigarette.
Maybe it was last night after I tasted Ainsley and felt a rush of feelings that were not supposed to be there. But that’s when it all went to shit too.
I didn’t just please her, I worshipped her body like it was the last item on my bucket list. I honored her. I begged to please her.
And I voided my contract.
Everything is so messed up.
I’m messed up.
I vowed to always be an honest businessman and I blew it. I allowed business to mix with pleasure.
Last night was . . . eye-opening.
I care for her.
God, I think I might be in fucking love with her.
And eventually she will find out the truth and I’ll lose her. Maybe I should just let her go. I could call Mike back, accept the house, and help her move. That’s what she expects from me—a favor.
But that’s not what I’m doing, am I? I’m sending Mike on a wild hunt for a place that will never be good enough. I know this. Yet, I still fight it. Ending our relationship now would save us both pain at the end of the day.
She’ll never trust me once she finds out the truth. She’ll think I did all this because—my phone rings in my hand.
I swipe the screen. “Pops? You all right?”
“Get—your—ass—down here! Right now!”
My heart sinks. He knows.
“I can explain,” I hurry out.
Pops takes a breath that I’m sure is forced so that he doesn’t swear at me. “Yes, you will. Tonight, Maverick. Don’t make me come get you.”
He hangs up and I’m left staring at the blank screen, my stomach churning.
How did he find out?
Fuck! Not now! Not yet.
All I needed was a few more months until I graduated.
My steps are labored when I drag myself back to the apartment, finding Ainsley bent over a textbook, one of my playing cards in her hand. I tip my chin at it. “What are you using the card for?”
A conniving grin spreads along her face, plumping her lips. The same lips I kissed last night before leaving her spent on the sofa. I wanted to give her space in case it was too soon and she was going to freak out. I didn’t want her feeling used or like she had to return the favor.
Walking away was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.
And this morning, when she woke, I expected tears or a pool full of ice cream; but nope, she was up, ready for class and had Cheerios sitting out on the counter, hinting it was my breakfast. “Heart healthy and all that,” she had said before kissing my lips and pinching my ass before she rushed out the door.
It was like what happened between us yesterday was natural—expected even—like the pieces just fell into place and we could finally be ourselves with each other. Granted, today’s ass grabbing and kiss was a great bonus.
“Funny story,” she starts, flipping the card between her fingers like I usually do. “I ran out of index cards and I realized I had all these IOUs lying around.”
I smother a grin, already knowing where she’s going with this.
“It would be such a waste not to use all the space on them, don’t you think?” She shrugs one shoulder. “And since I have more than I’ll ever pay back in a lifetime, I figured they should be put to use somehow.”
She’s right. I haven’t stopped sliding them under her door, sticking a couple in her bag, leaving one in the shower when she uses my shampoo. Any trivial thing she does, she gets an IOU. No, she’ll never pay them all back and honestly, I don’t expect her to. It’s just a game between us at this point. Once I surpassed the limit where I knew she would never escape me, I started writing them just for the fuck of it.
“Want to come with me to meet my pops?”
The random question stops her cold. Believe me, it stopped me too.
“Your pops?” Her hair falls in her face. “Like your pops pops?”
I run my finger across my lips nervously. “That would be the one.”
“Uh, sure.” She doesn’t look sure.
“You don’t have to, I just thought—”
She cuts me off. “No, I want to. I just thought . . .”
That I’m a bastard and have drilled into her head that we’re only a contract and she would never know the real me.
I can see the hesitation in her, but people change, right? And since my life will probably go to shit the minute Pops gets me in his sights, I figure what the hell?
“It doesn’t matter.” She waves me off with a smile that lights up her whole face. “I’d like to meet him. Just let me change first.”
“Whatever you do, stay in front of me.”
Ainsley gasps. “Oh my God, Maverick! Do you really have a boner right now?”
I shake my head, exasperated, and position her by my side, locking our hands together. “Please. I got rid of my boner when you fell asleep with your mouth open and let the drool run down to your shoulder.” I grin. “Sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. I had to pull over I was so horny.”
“Haha. You’re hilarious,” she says, side-eyeing her shoulder just in case I wasn’t joking. I’m not, by the way. She did fall asleep and she did get me hard, but she didn’t drool and I didn’t pull over. Although, I probably should have. Then, maybe, I would be a lot calmer standing in front of my childhood home.
“I’m teasing. I’m using you as a shield in case Pops wants to smack me. He won’t with you in front of me.”
Those big blue eyes go wide.
“I’m joking,” I tell her. “He won’t smack me. He’ll wait until you’re distracted to whisper yell in my ear.”
Pops isn’t a violent man, but his d
isapproval is worse than a hit. I dread hearing his lecture about honesty and responsibility. All I wanted to do was help.
Ainsley turns in my arms. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect—”
“Thank God you’re here!” my brother yells, flinging open the front door, a grin the size of my car on his face.
“What did you do?” I accuse, not sparing him with a simple hello.
He waves me off. “Nothing nearly as bad as what you did.” He holds out his fist for a bump. “Couldn’t have come at a better time, bro.”
I roll my eyes as his lock on Ainsley. “Well, hello. You must be the reason I haven’t been getting any cuddle calls lately from my big bro.”
Ainsley turns again and mouths cuddle calls.
“Ainsley, this asshole is Cooper, my little brother.”
Her face brightens. “Hi, Cooper, it’s nice to—”
Cooper wrenches Ainsley from my arms and wraps his arms around her. “We’re a hugging family,” he explains over her head, making this face of ecstasy to me.
“We’re also a violent family,” I drawl, pulling Ainsley back to my side. I know Cooper hugged her just to be an aggravating shit.
I shove him out of the way and he laughs, clapping me on the shoulder while following me in.
“Is he in a good mood?” I ask, referring to Pops.
Cooper scoffs. “You mean since he found out he was going to tear you a new asshole?”
I don’t respond.
“Sure is. Perked him right up.”
I should have just fled the country.
“I’m happy to know your mood has perked up too. How’s the team? Any scout activity?” Baseball season is almost up.
“Uh.” His tone sobers. “Not yet.”
I nod, taking a deep breath. This isn’t what I needed today. “I might know someone who can help. Give me a couple of days?” If I wasn’t desperate to help my brother achieve his and my mother’s dream, I would never even consider asking her. The person I know is not a person you want to get involved with. Making negotiations with her doesn’t come without consequences.
Coop nods, a half-smile tugging on his face. “Sure. Thanks, Mav.” He tips his chin to the front room. “Come on and let Pops yell at you so we can eat. I’ll entertain Ainsley while you’re gone.”
I tighten my grip on Ainsley’s hand and Coop notices. “Or maybe not. I’m impressed, big brother. I never thought you’d grow a soul.”
Ainsley chuckles. I’m sure she finds his comment hilarious. Isn’t that what she says I do, take souls in return for favors?
“Fuck y—”
“Maverick! Get in here!”
I groan at Pops’s voice.
Coop wiggles his brows and makes the sign of the cross. “I promise to take good care of your car when you’re gone. Ainsley, too, if she needs me.”
Clearly, Cooper needs another sibling to annoy.
I flip him off and inhale. “Come on,” I say to Ainsley. “Let me introduce you to my pops.”
In the front room, Pops is sitting at his desk, his head bent over a large stack of papers.
“Hey, Pops.”
His head rises slowly and meets my eyes.
“Seventy-two percent,” he says, holding up a single sheet of paper.
I let out the breath I’ve been holding. “Yes, sir,” I confirm.
Pops’s gray hair doesn’t move when he shakes his head and motions to the chairs in front of him. “Have a seat, boy, and don’t be rude, introduce your friend.”
I tug Ainsley behind me and we both sit. “Pops, this is Ainsley, my . . .” I look at Ainsley, watching the curious expression on her face. Dammit. Fine. “My friend and roommate.”
There, that’s all the truth I can force out for now.
Ainsley’s mouth ticks up into a big ass grin. I finally admitted we are friends—friends who like the taste of each other.
“It’s nice to meet you, Ainsley,” Pops says, bringing the focus back to my dire situation. “I’d like to say Maverick has told me all about you, but I’ve recently found out he likes keeping things from me.”
Ugh. That stings.
“I planned to tell you.” I sigh, raking a hand through my hair.
“When?” He probes, all seriously. “After you graduated and took over my company?”
I can feel my explanations dying a slow death. “You’ve been recovering.” It’s not a good excuse, but it is the truth. “I was just trying to help. Laraunt quit out of nowhere and you were losing money.”
The old man’s mouth quirks. “Apparently. Tell me, boy, how did you find out about Laraunt’s departure anyhow?”
I bite my lip—damn, I wish I had a cigarette to chew on. “I might have gotten ahold of the password to your files, including your email.” I cringe. Please don’t ask me why. I was a different person back then.
“Why didn’t you just ask me for them?”
Fuck. I breathe out a heavy sigh. “I lost some money a couple of years back . . .” I don’t need to add that it was playing poker. He knows. You don’t become good unless you experience every aspect of the game, including losing everything. “I borrowed a little money.” I hold my hands out pleading. “And I paid it back with interest.”
A smirk is still on Pops’s face. What the hell? “How much interest?”
I rear back, confused. “Five percent.”
Pops huffs. “I would have made you pay eight.”
I shift in my seat. “Eight was too much given the fair market value at the time,” I retort, a little snippy. I didn’t shortchange him, except, maybe, borrowing the money without his permission.
“Anyway,” I add, redirecting. “I had been depositing the money”—I don’t add that I slowly put the money back over time, while forging the records. I feel like that’s not relevant at the moment. The point is, the money was repaid in full from a new client (aka me)—“and I saw the email Laraunt sent to you, resigning.” I shrug a shoulder. “At the time, you were in the rehab hospital and I didn’t want to worry you.”
He nods. “So you just decided to keep running my company on your own as Laraunt?”
“It sounds a little shady when you say it like that,” I agree. “But I only had our family’s best interest at heart. I swear.”
Pops grins and hands me the piece of paper he was looking at. “Did you know that in the past year, since Laraunt quit, my company has grown seventy-two percent?”
I look at the graph and nod. “Yes, sir. I know.”
“Did you also know it’s the most growth this company has seen in one year since before you boys moved in with me?”
I can feel Ainsley’s eyes on me.
“No, sir. I didn’t know that. I just wanted to do a good job.” He couldn’t afford to lose any money. He and my brother needed it. Not to mention the faith his clients had in him.
He motions for the graph back. “You did more than just a good job, son. You did magnificently well. Although I could wring your neck for keeping this from me, I’m very proud of you.”
I swallow thickly. I didn’t expect his praise.
“Just one thing, though,” he adds. “How have you managed to run this company and go to class?”
I toss the entire deck of cards into the passenger seat. “Find a marker and start writing on them.”
Ainsley cocks her head to the side. “All of them?”
I buckle my seat belt and start the car. “All of them. That’s the third time you’ve ratted me out. I don’t take being tattled on lightly.”
She rolls her eyes and swipes the cards off onto the floorboard and buckles in. “Please. Your pops was going to find out eventually about the ER visit. You’re still on his insurance,” she argues.
“I was handling it. I didn’t file it on his health insurance.” I don’t have all these favors for the fuck of it.
She shrugs, grinning at me as if she enjoyed the lashing I received about the ER visit and the heart issues. She and Cooper disappeared into t
he kitchen, supposedly making everyone food—though I didn’t get any—while Pops made me sign in to my healthcare portal and show him my medical records. He then proceeded to growl out a lot of, “I should kick your ass,” comments before finally telling me that this will not happen again.
My heart sank when he informed me that he will be hiring someone to replace me within the company.
“Whatever, he was just concerned about you. I don’t know why you’re in such a shitty mood anyway.” She messes with the radio, knowing it will get on my nerves. “Didn’t you walk out of there a CEO?” Her brows arch, daring me to deny it.
“When I graduate,” I correct her.
“Which is in, like, two months.”
She’s bouncy and all excited over the news. Don’t get me wrong, I am too, but until I graduate, Pops is hiring someone to help me out so I can stop ditching classes and actually finish on my own. I was half excited at the accolades and the support to take over the company upon graduation and half disappointed that he was requiring me to finish. It seems pointless to have a framed piece of stock paper when I’ve already proven I can handle the company without a degree.
I get it, though, it’s important to my pops for his kids to graduate. So, I swallowed the argument and thanked him for not kicking my ass like he probably wanted to.
“Either way, it’s soon,” she adds. “Now you’ll have time to focus on school and playing poker if you want. You don’t have to go around capturing all those souls.”
I reach over and try grabbing for the tanned skin exposed from her shorts. “There you go again with all that soul stealing. I’ve told you, I don’t need to steal them.” I grin. “They beg”—I pitch my voice like she did when she first stood at my door—“for me to take them.”
“Haha. You think you’re so funny.”
I cut her a disproving look. I know I’m funny.
“Whatever,” she waves me off. “I’ll agree you’re a little bit funny. You’ve had a bad day—no reason to kick you while you’re down.”
This girl.
“So do you want to stop at Crush It on our way home and work out some of that tension?”