CHAPTER 102
harley
Long after Maverick left, my body refused to unwind.
It thrummed like a livewire under my skin.
My dick stirred restlessly, thick and half-hard against my thigh, aching with a need to finish what we’d started in the kitchen.
If I closed my eyes, the feel of him haunted me.
His hands, his tongue, his hips thrusting against mine. I felt like I was going insane.
Distracting myself with parenting responsibilities didn’t help.
Cleaning didn’t help.
Even a cold shower didn’t help.
A few hours after Aria fell asleep, I knocked quietly on Holly’s door, ready to ask what was probably the most irresponsible question I’d had in a while.
But on the other hand, it was okay if I had needs and desires.
At least, I kept telling myself that. Being a parent didn’t automatically take that away; it just created extra steps.
Her light spilled through the crack at the bottom of the door, and some kind of metal music played quietly. She was probably up late studying. Something like guilt ebbed its way to the surface. This was stupidly selfish.
Unfortunately, logic and my dick were at war with one another, and my dick was winning.
The door flew open. Holly stood there in a sweatshirt and leggings with a set of gaming headphones around her neck.
“Harley!” Holly exclaimed, smiling widely. “Sorry, I was just gaming. What can I do for you?”
“I’m going to preface this with… you can absolutely say no,” I began softly before I could talk myself out of it. “If you want to say no, it’s okay to say no. I know it’s late notice.”
“Harley.” She laughed. “Just ask your question. I’m sure it’s fine.”
“I would like to go out for the night,” I told her.
I picked my words carefully because I’d like my partner to fuck me senseless wasn’t appropriate.
Though from the look on her face, I was fooling no one.
Absolutely no one. It probably didn’t help that I could feel my cheeks turning pink as I spoke.
I continued as if she didn’t have a clue.
“I was wondering if you’d be okay keeping an ear out for Aria while I’m gone? ”
“Just be home before she wakes up in the morning,” she said. “I don’t know how to explain that to her, considering she had no heads up about it beforehand.”
“No, I wouldn’t be gone—I should stay, shouldn’t I?” What the hell was I thinking? I couldn’t just drive across town to… what? Get laid? This was irresponsible of me.
“Go!” She playfully ushered me out of her doorway. “You deserve to have some fun, too, Harley. Go! Have a fun night. I’ll keep an eye on her. We both know she won’t wake up before seven. She never does. And if she does, I’ll tell her you went for a walk and put her back to sleep.”
“Are you sure?”
“Go, Harley,” she repeated. “I’ll leave my door open in case she needs to find me. You know I’ll take good care of my favorite hellion. And I’ll text you if something comes up, which nothing will come up—here anyway.”
The innuendo wasn’t lost on me. My neck burned hot as I nodded slowly, lips pressed together tightly. At least she didn’t say more.
“Have a good night, Holly,” I said and left.
The light over his front door was off, which wasn’t a good sign. What if he’d gone to bed? What if I woke him up? Would he be mad? I didn’t want to screw this up before we even had a chance to start truly.
Or what if he wasn’t home? His truck was there, but what if he’d gone for a walk? He loved the beach. Maybe he went for a late-night walk.
I was overthinking this.
This was Maverick.
He wouldn’t be upset if I showed up at the house. I held onto that thought as I walked up the stone steps to his door, focusing on deep breaths to combat the rise of anxiety.
I avoided the doorbell on the off chance he was asleep and opted for knocking. The vicious barking was instant. Shit. I hadn’t accounted for Duke.
“Hey! Off the damn door!” Maverick yelled. “Hey! Sit!”
The scuffle on the other side of the door made me cringe, tipping the scales in favor of this being a bad idea.
The light flipped on, and two locks clicked—something painfully reminiscent of everything he’d been through.
The door swung open to Maverick, looking like he’d been dragged out of sleep.
I could see the way his mind still tried to catch up with the moment.
His dark hair fell across his forehead, messy and slightly damp.
A light gray shirt stretched over his frame, the fabric stretching across his shoulder while hanging loose around his wrists and waist. Black sleep pants hung low on his hips, puddling around his bare feet.
“Harley,” he said, his voice thick, as he opened the storm door for me. “Everything good?”
“Yeah,” I whispered. Crossing over the threshold, I closed the distance between us. Taking his face in my hands, I kissed him.