by L A Cotton
“I can hear your thoughts from here.” He released my hand and went to a cabinet, retrieving a glass.
“No, you can’t,” I shot back.
Maverick slid the drink across the counter and then stalked around the island to me. “Yes, I can.” His eyes narrowed. “You’re thinking what the hell am I doing?”
He was close. His breath fanning my cheek as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to my shoulder. “You’re not my dirty little secret, Lo. I want you here, with me.”
“Maverick.” My hands slid to his chest as I pulled away to look up at him. “It’s okay. This thing with your dad. College. It’s okay. You’ll let me in when you’re ready.”
Understanding danced in his eyes, but I saw the flecks of surprise. Confusion. Had he done this, brought me here, to reassure me?
Or himself?
“Prince, bring supplies,” someone yelled, breaking our connection. Maverick mumbled under his breath before capturing my lips in a quick peck.
“You okay with this?”
Was I?
I nodded.
When we returned to the game room, no one batted an eyelid as Maverick moved to one of the empty chairs and pulled me down on his lap. They noticed. I felt their intrigue. Their discreet glances in our direction. But no one said a word. Maverick was the Prince and them his Court. Luke was the only one who dared meet my gaze. He smiled broadly and gave me a nod of approval. And I don’t know why, but it meant something.
It meant a lot.
~
If I’d been confused by the whole situation, Laurie’s face blew my expression out of the water. Her eyes had widened to saucers when Kyle led her into the room and introduced her to everyone. Of course, she already knew everyone, but this was different. We were in their world now. It was a sight to behold—Laurie Davison speechless. Kyle laughed, tucking her into his side, as the rest of the boys continued with their game. Maverick chatted and took his turn, leaning around me to control his character, and day soon turned into late afternoon. Luke ordered in pizza and someone disappeared, returning with beer and more snacks. It was nothing like the parties I’d attended before with Laurie and Kyle.
The doorbell chimed and one of the guys, Aaron, leapt up.
“About fucking time, I’m starving.” As if on cue Kyle's stomach grumbled and me and Laurie stifled a laugh.
“I’ll get plates.” Luke rose from his chair and looked to us. “You guys eating?”
We shared a look and Laurie grinned. “Hmm, hells yeah. But I need to pee first.”
“Babe, too much information,” Kyle scolded but she wasn’t fazed as she followed Luke out of the room.
“Scoot over, I’ll go and help Luke.” Maverick lifted me to the side, so he could slide out from under me and I nestled back in the soft chair.
“So, Lo, you and Rick, huh?” Trey’s eyes were guarded. Not hostile but not particularly welcome either, but there was something in his voice and I couldn’t get a read on him.
“Trey, come on, man.” Kyle went straight to my defense, but I shook my head slightly at him.
“That’s between me and Maverick.” I lifted my chin a little and looked him dead in the eyes. He was concerned for his friend. I got it. I did. I’d swept onto the scene and Maverick, for all they knew, had hated me. Had wanted nothing to do with me. And now… well, I could see how it might be confusing.
“Yeah, but how did it even happen? I mean, one minute he’s gunning for your blood and then the next he’s all up in your—”
“Everything okay here?”
Our heads whipped around to the door. Maverick stood there, jaw clenched and his hard gaze set firmly on his teammate.
Maverick
Luke stacked plastic forks on top of the pile of paper plates balanced in my hands. His parents were happy for us to come by and hang out, as long as we didn’t touch Mrs. Taffia’s chinaware.
“I take it from the look on her face when she stepped into the room, she had no idea Kyle was bringing her here?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t think she’d come if I asked.”
“Why?” He rubbed his jaw and I could see his mind working overtime.
I shrugged again. Luke knew how I felt about Lo—he’d known the second she flipped me off her first morning at school. Even though I’d refused to fess up to him in the beginning, it all ended the second she walked into the warehouse with me. Looking back, that was the day I claimed her as mine. Instead of forcing her out of my car and chewing her out, I saw the pain in her eyes—the fierce determination to run—and made a split decision.
One that changed everything.
Because there was no going back now, not for me.
“Does she know?” he added when I didn’t answer.
“Not everything, no.”
“Shit. You’re playing a dangerous game, man. What do you think he’ll do when he finds out?”
My eyes hardened, my spine ramrod straight, and the anger deep inside of me flared. Luke saw it. I didn’t let many people in, but Luke wasn’t just anyone. He was my best friend. Family. But there were some things even he didn’t know. Things that were just too difficult to say.
“I’ll deal with it when it happens.” Because it would. My father would find out about Lo eventually. I just needed time to figure shit out. To figure out how I felt about all of this. I didn’t let people in. I didn’t trust easily. But Lo was different.
“You’re really into her, aren’t you?”
“I…” How did I even begin to put into words the way her presence calmed me? Soothed the roaring beast living inside me. Even with that smart mouth of hers she reached a place few could.
“Just be careful. Don’t give him a reason to go after her.” My mouth dried at Luke’s warning. “Take those and I’ll get the rest of it,” he added.
I smirked, relieved his Dr. Phil routine was over. “Yes, Mom,” I smiled around the word and he flipped me off.
Out in the hallway I could hear the others chatting. Kyle, Lo… Trey.
“So, Lo, you and Rick, huh?”
I froze, my senses on high alert. I should have known that cocky bastard wouldn’t be able to follow orders. Don’t push her, I’d warned them all before she arrived with Kyle. They didn’t understand it—what I’d done for her at the dance. Since Caitlin, I hadn’t so much as looked at another girl. It was rule number one. No distractions. And I’d stayed true to form, spending weeks ignoring Lo around school or barking orders at her as if she was nothing more than an unwanted burden. An annoying thorn in my side.
“Trey, come on, man.” Kyle warned but Lo cut in, her voice steady. “That’s between me and Maverick.”
I edged closer to the room as pride swelled in my chest. But it was quickly tamped down by something that resembled thunder in a storm, building at the fact the fucker had even asked the question. I knew he was only feeling her out, protecting me. But I didn’t need it, not from Lo.
Never from Lo.
Her motivations were pure, and if anything, she was the one who needed protecting from me. From the piranhas circling me.
“Yeah, but how did it even happen? I mean, one minute he’s gunning for your blood and then the next he’s all up in your—”
“Everything okay?” I stepped into the room, ignoring Trey and fixing my eyes on Lo, silently letting her know I heard their exchange. The corners of her mouth curved up and she gave me a small nod letting me know she was okay.
“Fine. Trey was just telling me the Wreckers have a real shot at the Championship.
“He was, was he?” My eyes swept over him, cold and calculated, and he gulped, shifting on the bean bag uncomfortably.
“Yeah, I—” he spluttered dragging a hand down his pale face. “You need to get your girl up to speed, Prince.”
I held his unsteady gaze. One… two… three. Satisfied he’d gotten the message, I went to the table and dumped the plates. Lo lifted off the chair to let me slide beneath her. My arms wound around her waist
and I entwined my fingers in hers. Trey didn’t look at us, but Kyle flashed me a knowing smirk and I tipped my chin at him. He had my back. Our back. And I appreciated him far more than he realized.
“Pizza is served.” Aaron’s face was barely visible over the stack of boxes in his hands and the smell of tomato and peperoni filled the room. My stomach grumbled in response and Lo twisted around to me. “Someone’s hungry.” She laughed, and my arms tightened around her as I leaned into her, brushing my lips over hers.
“Yeah, but it’s not the pizza I want to eat,” I whispered, and her body hummed at my words. When I eased away, her pupils were dilated, and her lips were parted with surprise. I smirked. “Come on.”
We joined the others, helping ourselves to the food. When I’d asked Kyle to bring her here, he’d been wary. These people were my friends, my inner circle. But they were good guys, mostly, if you overlooked Trey’s earlier fuck up.
“Thank God, the food’s here.” Laurie poked her head around the door. “I’m starving.”
“You’d better hurry before your guy eats it all,” Trey joked, and everyone laughed. Except Kyle, who was too busy piling his plate high.
“Seriously, man, I don’t know where you put it. You must have hollow fucking legs.”
“It’s called exercise, Trey,” Kyle said. “Maybe you should try it some time.”
Trey grabbed a dough ball and launched it at his head. Kyle ducked, and it hit the wall.
“Chill, fuckers,” Luke snapped. “Mom will know if so much as anything is damaged, out of place, or missing.”
That shut them up.
When we were all seated again, Luke flicked through the channels. Some Christmas chick flick filled the screen and Laurie shrieked, “I love this one.”
We all looked at her. Even Lo laughed.
“And this,” Trey grumbled, “is why we don’t invite chicks over more often.”
“But it’s Jude Law. He’s so delicious, right, Lo? And British,” she added with a dreamy sigh. “His voice, hmm.”
“Okay, okay, boyfriend, sitting right here. Turn it off before she starts dry humping the screen.”
“He’s okay, I guess. I’ve never really thought about it,” Lo said before taking a bite of pizza. When she swallowed, she added, “But Charlie Hunnam, now there’s a guy I could totally get on board with.”
Laurie’s eyes lit up and she grinned like the cat who got the cream. “Oh yeah, his body is like—”
Kyle shoved his slice of pizza in her mouth, declaring, “And that is how you shut her up.”
My stepbrother liked to think he was in control of that situation but we all knew Laurie would make him suffer later, behind closed doors. It’d taken months for her to finally let him back in and there was no way he would screw it up again. He loved her too much. And despite never knowing what was going to come out of her mouth, Laurie was kind of cool.
“That was so good, I’m stuffed,” Lo said, standing. “Want anything?” She turned to me and I raked my gaze over her body, lingering on the curve of her chest, letting her know exactly what I wanted. Color bloomed in her cheeks and she stuck out her tongue at me before leaving the room.
When she’d gone, Aaron looked right at me and said, “You are so whipped, man.”
“Jacks,” I warned but he grinned broadly, unfazed by my tone.
“Hey, it looks good on you,” he went on. “About time you got some. Maybe it’ll remove that giant stick from your—” My plate skimmed his head and his eyes grew to saucers. “Shit man, I’m only messing.”
Luke threw me one of his looks and I picked it up before I went in search of Lo. She was in the kitchen, cleaning up the empty glasses. “You don’t have to do that,” I said.
She shrugged, throwing me a quick look over her shoulder. “I know but I don’t mind.” Her movements slowed as I stalked toward her, and her body turned as if she felt it. The pull. The tether between us.
I placed my hands either side of her, caging her against the counter. “Charlie Hunnam, really?”
Lo dipped her head but kept her eyes on me, desire swirling in them. “What? He’s hot.”
I didn’t reply but I didn’t break eye contact either.
“Jealous?” she whispered, leaning closer, looking up at me through hooded lids.
My resolve cracked. I curved a hand around her neck and kissed her. Slow and deep, it took everything I had not to unleash all the tension that had been building over the last few hours, with her sitting in my lap, wiggling against me. Teasing me. Our tongues tangled together and my whole body went off like a rocket.
“I want you,” I breathed rocking into her. Showing her just how much.
“Shit, fuck,” someone choked out from the doorway. “Are you trying to scar me for life?”
I broke away, dropping my head to Lo’s, dragging air into my lungs. “Nice timing, Stone,” I said with a hint of agitation.
The fucker had the balls to laugh as he came over to us. “I need to bleach my eyes.”
“Kyle,” Lo sighed. “Your timing sucks.”
That’s my girl. I smirked at him and his face screwed up. “Me and Laurie are going to bail. Do you want a ride?”
“No,” I said as Lo answered, “Yes.”
I looked to her and cocked my eyebrow. “You want to leave?”
“No, but I need to get back somehow, and we can’t exactly turn up together.”
Kyle glanced between us, but I only saw Lo. I didn’t want her to leave, not yet. But she was right. Fuck. She was right. I flicked my head at my stepbrother for him to give us a minute and he stalked off.
“Is your dad home tonight?”
“I don’t know.”
“Tell him you’re staying at Laurie’s and sneak into the pool house. No one has to know.”
“Maverick…”
It was on the tip of my tongue to persuade her. To push until she gave in. But I knew what I was asking of her was unfair. To lie to her dad, to deceive him. Especially after what he’d done with Stella behind her back.
“Can I see you tomorrow? I want to hang out, just the two of us.” And I knew the perfect place to take her.
“Will it be safe?”
“Safe? I’m not going to hurt you, Lo.” Anger rippled under my skin but then her hands were there, pressed against my chest. The simple touch soothing my rage.
“I didn’t mean that.” She leaned up and brushed her lips over mine. “I would love to spend the day with you. I’d better go before Kyle comes back in here and really does have to bleach his eyes. Text me later.”
Nodding over the lump in my throat, I stood paralyzed as she moved around me. But at the last second, I snagged her hand. “Thank you,” I said, “For today.”
“You don’t need to thank me, Maverick. I’ll talk to you later.”
I lingered in the kitchen, listening as Lo, Kyle, and Laurie, thanked Luke for his hospitality. The front door slammed shut and I was about to go back into the game room when Kyle’s head appeared around the doorjamb.
I wasn’t surprised.
“I, hmm, forgot something.” He waggled his eyebrows pretending to look for whatever he’d forgotten. “Everything good here?”
I knew what he was asking me, and I folded my arms over my chest and gave him a tight nod.
“Good. You have Lo to think about now. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Get out of here before Laurie comes looking.”
He barked a laugh and saluted me before disappearing into the hallway. When the door slammed again, I leaned back against the counter and let out a heavy sigh. I didn’t even have to say anything, and he knew—that fucker knew where my head was at.
“Prince, you’re up,” Luke yelled, and I ran a hand down my face, the familiar restlessness building in my chest. Lo hadn’t even been gone two minutes and I already felt it. The simmering energy. The darkness creeping in.
And there was only one thing that would stop it.
~
I stepped up to the two men in the ring. Bobby, the referee, tipped his head at me and I returned it, banging my fists together. The other guy, a guy I’d seen around here before, did the same.
“No body shots. No biting. No…” Bobby’s voice was lost in the chants and yells from the crowd. Blood-thirsty and wild. The bitter smell of sweat hung in the air, suffocating and overpowering. But I breathed it all in, letting it center me. Letting it fuel the beast.
Bobby lifted his megaphone and started prattling off his usual intro speech. I found Luke across the ring and understanding passed between us. He knew I needed this, that without it I couldn’t think, I couldn’t breathe. Restless energy zipped through me as I bounced on my feet, eyeing my opponent, assessing his weaknesses. The bell sounded and the beast inside me exploded.
Lo
“Lo, I’m just leaving.”
“Okay, Dad,” I replied, trying to tame my hair into a ponytail. His head appeared around the door and I stifled a laugh. “Hmm, nice hat.”
“Don’t. Bethany picked it out for me yesterday.”
“Oh. Well, she has great fashion sense.” I forced a smile but knew it probably resembled a grimace.
“You’ll be okay?” If he noticed my pained expression, he ignored it.
“Yeah, I’m hanging out with Laurie and the others. Don’t worry. Go, have fun.”
Guilt tightened around my heart but then I remembered he was leaving me to go to Stella’s, so I felt a little better. It was sad, really, that this was what our lives had become—lies wrapped up in fake smiles and forced words.
“I’ll see you later, bye, sweetheart.” He left, and I finished up getting ready. Maverick had texted me earlier to say he’d pick me up at nine-thirty, and that I needed to wear comfortable shoes, as if I ever wore anything else.
Although my tummy hummed with nervous energy, I was excited to be spending the day with him. Just the two of us. Our time alone had been limited since the dance, and we’d spent most of that kissing or touching. Losing ourselves in one another. I wanted to get to know him, to learn his hopes and fears, his dreams and aspirations. I wanted to know everything there was to know about Maverick Prince.