Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Maverick
Dogs and dinner
My phone rang around noon. Henley’s name flashed on the screen. It brought a smile to my face since I was just thinking of her too. “Hey, Henley.”
“Sorry to bother you, but I wanted to check in on Hulk and ensure he’s been a good boy.”
I leaned on my bedroom doorway. “You’re no bother, Henley. We’re good. Hulk’s fine. He and Millie have been on my bed watching the television all morning.”
“On your bed. Watching TV?” She questioned.
Her tone echoed right into my gut. Picturing her being one of those women who didn’t like dogs on the bed dropped my hopes a notch.
The sheets below would be all for Henley if she’d quit being so skittish.
But the blanket on top was all Millie’s.
“Yeah, hope that’s alright? They’ve been watching DogTV.
Millie loves it. Those pain meds pretty much put Hulk into a dog coma.
He’s getting lots of rest.” Henley’s laugh came through my phone, catching the attention of Hulk who sat up and looked my way.
“I didn’t know there was such a thing.” Henley giggled, and damn if that didn’t do things to my dick.
Hulk decided to bark at that exact moment.
“Is that my good boy?” Henley asked, speaking in a tone meant for a child, and damn if that didn’t do things to me too, creating images that surprised me.
I wasn’t getting any younger. And Henley?
I’d never believed in instant attraction until now.
“I miss you. I’ll be home in a little bit, I promise. ”
“You miss me too?” After I said it, I wanted to know her answer. But part of me didn’t want to scare her off so I made it into a joke, especially hearing her gasp and stutter. “He’s fine, Henley. Take your time.”
“Okay. Thanks again, Maverick.”
“No problem.” I was about to say goodbye when a thought came to mind. “Hey, do you eat meat?”
“Excuse me?” Henley questioned.
Visions of her mouth on me were dominating my simple question. “Do you like steak? I was going to grill some later if you’re interested. Wasn’t sure if you were one of those girls that only ate tofu and salads.”
“I’d love to eat your meat. I mean, yeah steak is good.” She laughed again, and the sound made me smile. I was beginning to enjoy the flustered side of Henley.
“Steak and potatoes it is, then,” I said as I looked at the dogs lying together. They’d already sealed their relationship. If only things were that easy. I’d have to work on that later. “See you tonight, Henley.”
“See you tonight, Maverick.”
I hung up the phone and looked down at my watch. I had five hours to figure out how to get her naked tonight.
* * *
It was after four when I finished my call with the contractor I’d hired to remodel the fireplace. He’d emailed me a photo of the French-styled mantlepiece hand carved in white marble. It was a thing of beauty. I couldn’t wait to show it to Henley and get her opinion.
I had to catch myself again. I barely knew this girl, yet here I was opening myself up to her as if I’d known her for most of my life.
It started with my uncontrollable desire the first day I got a glance at her perfect tits through her almost see-through pink shirt.
Then that kiss yesterday on her porch… Fuck, the fantasies hit me hard.
I couldn’t get her out of my head last night, so I masturbated three times just thinking about her spread out on my bed.
The lust was so off the charts. My friends might question my sanity, but I knew she was the one for me the moment I saw her.
Looking at the design emailed to me, I can’t help but see our dogs lying in front of this fireplace one day, watching TV together.
I want to know that Henley likes it as much as I do.
“And if she doesn’t, will you search for something different?
” the voice inside my head asked, making me unsure of the answer. Yes. No.
My doorbell rang at five fifteen. I knew it was Henley, so I called, “Come in.”
The sound of dog nails scrambled across the floor as both dogs ran towards the front door barking.
By the time I made it to the living room, Henley had set the bottle of wine she was holding on the floor and lifted Hulk into her arms. “Were you a good boy today?” Hulk answers with another bark, and she gives him a gentle squeeze before placing him on the ground and giving Millie her needed attention before retrieving the bottle of wine.
She wore a navy blue dress that fell just above her knee. She’d swept her long golden brown hair to the side, resting it over one shoulder. I didn’t think she could be more stunning than she was in this moment. When she smiled at me, it reached all the way into her deep blue eyes.
“I brought the good stuff. I hope you’re a fan of Pinot because that’s all I had at home.”
“Sure,” I replied. I wasn’t a huge fan of wine, but for her I’d do anything.
“Okay,” she said, sitting beside me on the sofa and placing the bottle on the coffee table.
Henley eyed the picture on my laptop. “Wow, that’s a gorgeous fireplace. Are you putting something like that in here?”
“Not something like that,” I replied. “I ordered that one a month ago. I was just solidifying the installation date before you got here.”
I watched her luscious body bend closer to my screen. “Wow! That’s gorgeous. Now I’m jealous. I want one just like it. That’s going to look fabulous in here.”
Hiding my smile was impossible. Her approval was a relief, making me wonder what other parts of my design plans she’d love.
“Fabulous is what I was going for.” I reached for the bottle of wine before I made a fool of myself and motioned toward the new glass door.
“Come on. I’ll pour you a glass and you can keep me company out back while I cook our dinner. ”