by Kristy Marie
“Yes. I need them as allies. But Bennett isn’t the friendliest person and even less so when you deal with Aspen. I used to think his tight hold on her was excessive. But now”—he squeezes me, nudging his hard length into my backside—“now I understand.”
Does that mean he loves me? Or does that mean he understands why Bennett loves Aspen?
“I won’t let anyone come between us,” he murmurs, moving the hair off my neck and placing a soft kiss against my heated skin. “It’s not about staking a claim, but about protecting a future.”
I’m beginning to like where this is going.
“Bennett might not be able to be with Aspen yet, but he sure as fuck can make sure he protects a possible future with her for when the day finally comes.”
It sounds complicated and a little heartbreaking. She seems really nice and well, Bennett seems a lot grumpy. Maybe that’s because he’s frustrated by not getting what he wants. I’m not sure what the story between Aspen and Bennett is, but I hope it works out for both of them.
And I hope all these subtle words and sentences mean that Maverick is not a rebound but loves me just as much as I love him.
Rumor has it she was only a pawn in his game.
“I did it. I applied!”
My voice is loud enough that Maverick winces, but I don’t care. After waking up in Maverick’s bed, Lawrence snuggled in between us, I realized it was time to take my life back. I finally had a man—or a really amazing friend—we haven’t labeled it yet—who gives me extreme orgasms and never minds sleeping with a stuffed sea lion in his bed.
It was Maverick who inspired me to chase my dreams. Lying there in his arms while he talked passionately to a guy about his retirement, not only turned me on, but convinced me I wanted that passion again.
So I decided to take my life back. Never again will I miss out on doing me. If someone can’t stand behind my dreams, then they don’t deserve to be in my life.
“Thank you for pushing me to fill out the application this morning.”
Maverick squeezes me in his brawny arms and I take a moment to soak him all in. Has he always smelled this good? Wait, that’s me. He smells like me, which is even better.
“I didn’t push you,” he says smugly. “I simply agreed that you needed to apply during your passionate girl-power-women’s-rights speech you gave me after we watched GI Jane last night.” Oh yeah, that movie inspired me too. I had forgotten about that. It happens when Maverick scrambles your brain with morning sex.
“It was a good movie.” I grin, snuggling in deeper. “Either way, this has been the best day ever, and I think we need to celebrate by getting lunch together after class, since it’s your first day and all.”
Can you believe it? He actually came to class. Ever since he had that talk with his pops, he’s seemed lighter. He is still working since he and Pops haven’t settled on an applicant yet. Honestly, I think Maverick is trying to drag it out, so he won’t have to hire anyone. I get it. He’s territorial. But from the arguments transpiring between him and Pops, they will be hiring help. Apparently, Maverick has grown the company so big that even if he wasn’t trying to finish school, they would still need help with all the accounts he has.
Pops threatens him regularly about his heart and even makes him send a snapshot of his watch readings, which haven’t been too bad recently. Probably because we’re having crazy amounts of sex. Luke was right, it really is the best way to reduce stress.
Either way, things have been different. Maverick and I have been spending a lot more time together and now we are doing couple-y things like eating lunch after class in honor of his first day.
“I’d rather eat at home,” he says in a gravelly voice, dragging his finger along the inside of my jeans.
“Mmm . . . That sounds like a great idea,” I agree. “But I’m afraid I won’t make it back in time for my afternoon class.”
“Skip it.”
The mere suggestion sends a smile to my face. Gah, I’d love to be a bad girl and crawl in bed with this undercover nerd and veg out, but who are we kidding? We might bang each other’s brains out, but once we recovered, Maverick would be back at his laptop and I would hurry off to class.
Reaching up, I trail my hand along his jaw. “Tomorrow, when I don’t have an afternoon class.” I can feel the muscles clench underneath. “Besides, you have an afternoon class too.”
He frowns like he just remembered he’s been reduced to a mere college student and not a finance mogul. Is that even a thing?
“Fine.” He groans, stepping back and putting distance between us. “Run before I change my mind.”
It’s cute how he says it so seriously, like he’s really tempted to grab me and run away. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. First days are hard on everyone.”
He rolls his eyes. “Funny. I’ll meet you here after class. Don’t be late.” He says the last part firmly and I have to stifle a grin.
I get it. He isn’t used to being on campus or even out in the public. My closet water-drinking-nerd is used to sitting up in his kingdom and ordering people around via email. When he does get out, it’s always at night and always with his crew. Him going to class all alone is really out of his element.
Standing on my tiptoes, I place a chaste kiss to his lips. “I promise. I’ll be waiting.”
For the first time in months, I don’t mind the titters and whispers going on while I sit at a picnic table waiting for Maverick. Had it not been for the rumors about Maverick, and my history with fire, I wouldn’t have ended up at Maverick’s door. I wouldn’t have struck a deal and become his roommate and he damn sure wouldn’t have found me so irresistible that he let me stay with him.
So bring on the freaking rumors, I welcome them.
I text Maverick. I’m freaking starving.
Me: I’m going to eat your food. You better hurry.
He’s only five minutes late but still. I may be able to handle all the rumors, but it doesn’t mean I want to sit out here all alone. Luckily, he responds quickly.
Water drinking nerd: I had to grant a favor. #genielife Be there soon.
I grin at the screen, giving everyone something to lie about when another text comes through.
Water drinking nerd: And don’t eat my food!
I pocket my phone and consider eating Mav’s chips. He doesn’t know I bought him anything but a sandwich, and really, his heart doesn’t need fattening chips anyway. Maybe I will eat them.
Opening the bag, I grab my sandwich and unwrap it. I’m about to take the biggest bite ever when I hear, “Ainsley.”
Slowly, as if Ted Bundy himself is behind me, I turn and meet the eyes of the man who shattered my heart and stomped all over it while he moved his shit into my apartment.
“Tucker,” I grit, giving him a hello eye roll. “What do you want?”
With some nerve, he eases down into the bench across from me. “Can we talk?”
I take a bite of my sandwich, channeling my inner Maverick, and shrug like I don’t give a fuck if he even breathes.
“Okay,” he says after a moment, watching as I chew. “Look.” He pauses, clearly nervous, and swipes a hand through his hair. It’s gotten longer since the last time I saw him. “I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry about how things went down between us.”
Ha! So he’s not sorry that he cheated, but he’s sorry about how “things went down”? What the fuck does that even mean?
“Aww, you’re so sweet, Tucker. How did things not work out between us?”
Tucker picks up on my sarcasm.
“Look, Ainsley. I never meant to hurt you, but you knew things between us had been rocky for a while.”
I rear back. “How were they rocky? I came here with you—for you!”
“Exactly!” His voice rises and his fists clench. “You were so clingy. Coming to Havemeyer was supposed to be the time of my life. Instead, I was just as tied down as I was in high school. You were supposed to go to Florida!”
I can feel
my face heat and my eyes swell with unshed tears. “Get the fuck out of my face, Thomas.”
Tucker cocks his head to the side like he isn’t sure if I called him Thomas. I did. I took a page out of Mav’s book and called him something random. I don’t want him thinking he just ripped my heart out again. I’m stronger now, though. Now I’m able to tell him to get the hell out of my face and move his sorry, disgusting soul from my table.
I’m done with him.
Screw him and the “time of his fucking life.” They can eat shit for all I care.
“All I’m saying, Ainsley, is we should have spent some time apart. Couples do long-distance relationships all the time.”
What he really means to say is he wanted to fuck all the sorority sisters in peace and when he was good and spent, he would come home to me on the holidays and we would pose for his parents’ Christmas card.
I am so done with being treated as a pawn in his game.
“Goodbye, Tucker. Catch an STD and live the good life.” I wave my hand like I’m sweeping his disgusting ass away from me while I take another bite of my sandwich. I’m definitely eating Mav’s chips after this. I deserve them. Maverick will agree after he hears this shit.
“Look, I just came over here to apologize and ask you for a favor.”
Ha! I stare at him all wide-eyed. “Why would I ever do you a favor?”
“Because you once cared about me,” he bites back.
I sneer. “Once being the operative word.”
“Come on, Ainsley. Don’t be like me. You’re better than that.”
See how freaking manipulative he is? He wants me to feel bad for being mean to him. Honestly, it’s working. Being mean is not in my nature.
“What favor do you want?”
I have to admit, I’m curious. Tucker’s family is wealthier than mine. What could he possibly want that he can’t get himself?
He scrubs a hand through his hair and looks around. “You know Sebastian, the internet guy?”
I arch a brow. “Maverick’s friend?”
He nods. “Are you friends with him?”
“No . . .” I drawl, still confused as ever. “Why? What do you want with him?”
Tucker blows out a breath and looks at the sky before slowly lowering his head to meet my eyes. “I need him to stop posting clips of Taylor on his MyView videos. It’s making her look bad.”
My heart fucking sinks. “You came to me for a favor to help Taylor?” I take a big breath and laugh. “I can’t believe you. After all these years.”
I’m not hungry anymore. I roll the sandwich up and put it in the bag with Maverick’s. “Enjoy your life, Tucker.”
I stand to leave when his next sentence stops me cold. “Maverick and I had a deal!”
“What did you say?” The wind blows a lock of hair in my face. “When did you make a deal with Maverick?”
His eyes stare down at the ground and then it hits me. “That day I dumped food in his lap . . . You weren’t comping his meal because of me; you were negotiating for your little girlfriend.” This is unbelievable. “Tell me, Tucker. Did you ever care about me or was I just someone to pass the time with?”
Why I even asked, I’ll never know. The point is, it doesn’t matter—lesson freaking learned.
“I did care about you, Ainsley. But you were never supposed to turn down that scholarship and come with me.”
Stupid, betraying tears trail down my face. Bastards.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Thomas?” a familiar voice growls. If I wasn’t so hurt at the moment, I would have high-fived Maverick for using the same name I did.
I feel his big body dwarf mine as he slides in behind me and secures an arm around my waist. Immediately, I relax into his hold.
Now let Tucker talk some shit about Maverick’s friend.
Tucker stands, giving me one last fleeting look before focusing on Maverick. “I needed to talk to you,” he lies.
“Ha! You said you needed to ask me for a favor!”
Tucker narrows his eyes and Maverick’s body goes tense behind me. “Is that so, Thomas? Are you asking my girl for favors?”
I can’t help but enjoy the tingling in my nipples as he calls me his girl.
“You know better than that,” Maverick scolds, his grip on me tightening.
Tucker inhales and puts his hands up in a peaceful gesture. “I need you to talk to your friend Sebastian. He’s destroying Taylor’s reputation on social media.” He nods in the direction of someone behind Maverick.
“I heard she was getting more followers than ever,” Maverick says, a light laugh mixing with his words.
“He posted clips of her and her friend arguing.” Tucker’s face is red, and I want to laugh. He’s very passionate about his girlfriend’s social media page. “That was a private moment!”
Maverick’s eyes narrow. “The way I heard it, your girlfriend had been fat shaming her friend and teammate. Sebastian simply covered the story.”
“That wasn’t our deal!”
Maverick’s chest vibrates with a chuckle. “Correct me if I’m wrong, Tommy, but I believe your favor was, and I quote, ‘to help your girlfriend become internet famous’.”
Maverick’s arms go up like he shrugged behind me. “I believe I did that. Our deal never included how I got her internet famous.”
Know your opponent he once told me. Tucker definitely did not know his opponent when he struck a deal with Maverick.
I grin. Both of them deserve it. “I guess next time you should know who you’re dealing with,” I add with a smug look.
Tucker shakes his head and scoffs. “Like you? Do you know who you’re dealing with, Ainsley? Who you’re sleeping with?”
A knot forms in my stomach as an unsettling sensation spreads across my skin. “I know my opponent,” I tell him, relishing the strength of Maverick’s tight squeeze around me.
A smug smile tugs along Tucker’s cheating face. “Does she, Maverick? Does she know the only reason you let her stay with you is because you were forced to?”
Gah, Tucker is a moron. “Of course he was forced, stupid. I asked him for a favor and like a good businessman, he honored it.”
Tucker doubles over, his eyes alight with laughter. “She has no idea, does she?”
Suddenly, Maverick’s arm around me doesn’t feel like he’s offering me support, more like he’s keeping me from running. I tug his arm and turn. “What is he talking about?”
I’ll never forget the pain I see cemented in Maverick’s eyes. He swallows, his Adam’s apple working. “I was going to tell you—”
Tucker’s vicious laugh cuts him off. “Sure you were. Allow me, it’s the least I can do.”
Shivers trail down my spine. Part of me wants to run from this whole ordeal, but the other part of me wants to know the truth. I deserve the damn truth! I’ve been tossed around like garbage by Tucker. The least Maverick could do is show me his true colors before we get in too deep.
I’m lying to myself. I’m already in too deep. Whatever Tucker plans to tell me is going to hurt worse than me finding him ass up, plowing into Taylor.
I shove away from Maverick where he can’t touch me. I don’t want to be near either one of them right now.
Tucker grins at the movement, seemingly pleased with destroying me. “You weren’t the first person who asked him to take you in.”
“What?” I whip around and look for the denial in Maverick’s eyes. There isn’t any. His head hangs like he lost a million-dollar poker game.
“I’m sorry,” he says, reaching out for my hand.
I take a step back. “Who asked you to take me in, Maverick?”
My voice is hard, but my mind is racing a thousand miles per hour. Who knew I was kicked out of my apartment? Well, not that question. Everyone heard about me getting kicked out. But who would have asked Maverick for a favor to take me in? Who would do that?
“Tell me!” I shout when he just stands there, worrying his lip.
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“I can’t do that.” His words are resigned.
I huff. “Because you’re an honest businessman? Is that it? Tell me, Maverick, do honest businessmen get paid twice for the same favor?”
“It wasn’t like that,” he hurries out. “I owed him a favor. He received nothing in return.”
You have got to be shitting me. “I guess that makes it okay then?” I throw my hands up before deciding it’s not good enough. I rush him and shove the man who made me whole only to cut me in half. “I loved you!” Tears fall down my face. “I trusted you!” A sob bursts from my lips. “And this whole time you’ve been lying to me.”
“I wasn’t lying.” He tries to grab for me, but I sidestep him.
“Lying by omission is the same thing.”
I’m so done.
I toss his fucking sandwich at his feet and then dig a couple of IOUs out of my pocket that I had planned to sneak back into his pocket as a joke and toss them at his feet. “Consider my debts paid in full.”
I take a few steps backward and ignore the twitching in Maverick’s cheek. “Don’t come for me,” I tell him. “You have no idea what I’m capable of right now.” Hashtag, I am a freaking psycho at the moment. I will burn all their shit in their cars.
“I hate you.”
I look at Tucker, who looks on like the smug bastard he is. “I hate you more and hope you get diarrhea. Maybe you’ll shit out some of the ugly inside.”
And with that, I flip them off with both hands, big, fat tears streaming down my face.
“Ainsley, wait!” Maverick takes a few steps and stops.
“I will set your laptop on fire, Maverick. I’m not even playing.”
The guy I thought I loved rocks back onto his heels. He’s no fool. “I’m so sorry,” he whispers. I nod. “I’m sorry too. I thought I had finally gotten it right this time.” I shrug like I missed my Uber and can order another one. “Guess not.”
I don’t want to see the pain in his face any longer. I’m sure he is sorry and maybe later when I don’t feel like I want to cut him, I can actually hear him out. But not now. Not when he won’t even tell me who asked for the favor. His loyalty should lie with me, not his business.