Chapter 16
Maverick
With the weather improving, we were laying the foundation for the patio. I was working late nights and hadn't had time to schedule another date.
It was a large project, and I didn't want to make any mistakes. But I also hadn't done much to make her feel special. I texted her, and we talked occasionally before we went to bed. But I was too tired to talk for long.
Tonight, my brothers were getting together at the bar, so I said I'd stop by for one beer. I really wanted to go home and fall into bed.
This time, Cooper and Morgan were present, so they were seated at a long table instead of at the bar.
When I sat down, Morgan said, "Haven't seen much of you lately."
"This job is keeping me busy."
Hudson winked. "I bet."
I shot him a look because I wasn't talking about Belle. In fact, I felt like I'd been neglecting her. But I couldn't figure out how to fit in a girlfriend with my work schedule. "I'm working six days a week to get it done as quickly as possible."
"That's a rough schedule," Ford said. "Are you sure that's sustainable?"
I nodded. "It's what I set in the beginning. It'll be fine."
"You can't have much time for anything else," Cooper observed.
I shrugged. "I'm too tired to do anything else anyway."
"You didn't take our advice about making a move on Belle?" Hudson asked.
My shoulders tightened. "We went out once."
"You didn’t want to see her again?" Hudson asked, watching me closely.
I cradled the beer the waitress handed me. "I do.”
"Have you made plans?" Ford asked.
"It's tough with this project. I'm busy." We were up late that one night, and I couldn't do that too many nights in a row. I wouldn't be mentally sharp for the work I needed to do.
"Maybe you're working too much," Cooper said.
This was a frequent topic he liked to bring up with me.
"We have other projects lined up after this one. I can't just take time off."
Cooper shook his head. "How many times do I have to tell you that if you need a week or two off, we can push a project back?"
"Everyone wants their project done as soon as possible." I didn't want to disappoint people. I was building a reputation as someone who was steady and reliable.
Cooper gave me a look. "You're going to burn out, and then what? You're no good to anyone."
I rolled my eyes. "What does that even mean? How would I burn out? This is all I've ever wanted to do, and I like the money that comes with it."
Ford tipped his bottle back. "There's something called a work-life balance. You need one."
"You know how important this job is. It's right in the center of town, and everyone's going to see it. If it's amazing, it will be great for word-of-mouth referrals."
"Won't that just make you busier?" Cooper asked.
"Isn't that the point? I thought we were building the business. We want everyone to know Sterling Brothers Contracting."
"Not at the expense of your health," Cooper said.
I waved my hand. "I'm fine."
"If you like Belle, you shouldn't leave her hanging. Schedule another date, or send her flowers. Something," Hudson said.
"I don't need relationship advice," I grumbled.
He raised a brow. "You seemed like you needed it the last time we spoke."
"And I went out with her. I did what you suggested."
Hudson leaned forward. "You stood her up in high school. Then you asked her out again, promising her that you wouldn't do anything like that again, and now you're ghosting her."
I leaned back at that. I wasn't ghosting her, was I? "We text and talk most days."
"It's not enough. You need to make her feel special. Why are you avoiding her? Because she's not work? That's just an excuse," Ford said.
"We had a great first date. I made her dinner—" I couldn't tell them anything else. "We connected. I've never felt anything like that."
"So tell her how you feel and that it freaked you out," Ford said.
I stared at the label on my bottle. "I don't know."
"You don't want her thinking that you don't want her. Or that this is what you do. You get close, and then you run," Ford continued.
That's exactly what it looked like.
"If you like her, let her know. Why hold back?" Hudson asked.
I swirled the beer in the bottle, wondering why I was avoiding seeing her. "I guess you're right."
"If you want a woman, you make the time, and if you don't, she gets that message too," Cooper said cryptically.
"Since when do you give advice on women?" I asked him.
Cooper usually stayed out of these conversations. I always thought it was because he didn't want to offer advice when he wasn't my brother.
"I'm not a complete idiot with women," Cooper said.
"That remains to be seen," I shot back.
We ribbed each other for a while, and everyone forgot about my dating issues. But I couldn't forget what they'd said. I didn't want Belle to think I was avoiding her.
I wanted to spend time with her. But it seemed impossible with my work schedule.
What if I squeezed her in anyway? What if life was better with her in it, no matter how that looked?
What if it didn't always have to be the perfect date?
I could just stop by and kiss her, tell her how I feel, and maybe watch a movie.
Except I knew there wouldn't be any movie watching. I'd wanted her more since we were together. I couldn't resist her, and maybe that was the problem. I was scared.
But the guys had said I should treat her like she's wanted and stop waiting for the perfect time to see her. When I finished my beer, I threw cash on the table to cover it. "I'm beat.”
"Don't be a stranger," Morgan said.
I waved a dismissive hand in his direction and walked out. I didn't want or need any more advice. I knew exactly what I wanted.
I headed straight for the bookshop and veered toward the door to her stairwell. Then I remembered that she wasn't expecting me, and I couldn't just knock on her door. She wouldn't hear me.
Maverick: I'd like to see you.
Belle: When were you thinking?
It was a relief that she didn't blow me off because I deserved that.
Maverick: I'm outside your door.
There weren't any more texts, but a few seconds later, the door creaked open. "Maverick?"
I threw a thumb over my shoulder. "I was out with my brothers."
She raised a brow, and that's when I realized that texts and phone calls weren't enough. I'd hurt her.
"I'm sorry I've been distant. I've been busy with work, and I kept thinking we had to schedule a date, and the idea of creating a string of perfect dates freaked me out."
She frowned. "Why does it have to be perfect?"
I rocked back on my heels. "Our first date was great, and I'm not sure I'll be able to repeat it."
She pushed the door open wider so I could step inside. The door slammed shut behind us. We faced each other in the small space.
"It doesn't have to be perfect,” Belle said. "I just like spending time with you."
"Are you sure? I keep thinking I'm bound to fuck this up."
She slowly shook her head. "I like you. I want to spend time with you. Even if it's just watching TV."
I smiled. "I had some other ideas about how we could spend our time."
Her lips quirked. "Oh, yeah?"
"If you don't mind me stopping by after work when I smell like dirt and who knows what else."
She wrapped her arms around my neck. "I have a feeling we're just going to get dirty again."
I lifted her, holding her in my arms as she wrapped her legs around my waist. "I like the way you think."
This time she was wearing silky shorts and a tiny top with spaghetti straps. I slid my fingers underneath the material as I carried her up the stairs and into her apartment. I kicked the door closed and pressed her against it.
"I've missed you." I said as I kissed her along her jaw.
Her fingers tangled in my hair. "I missed you too."
"I couldn't wait to get you alone again. There just never seemed to be enough time. And I was exhausted at the end of the night."
"I want you however I can get you," she said softly.
And my heart squeezed. "I want you all the time."
She sighed, and I slipped a hand under the material of her shorts, and under her panties. She was already wet, opening for me. I slid two fingers inside, and her head fell back on a moan.
"You're so beautiful."
Her cheeks were flush.
I pumped my fingers inside her, and when her strap fell off her shoulder, her breasts fell out. Then I sucked her nipple.
"Mav—I need you."
I let her slide to the floor where we made quick work of removing our clothes. When we were naked, I lifted her again and thrust one time, then stilled.
Her arms were around me, her gaze hooded. "You feel so good."
"It's like coming home," I said, and she sighed.
I was starting to think that she was my home. But it was too soon for thoughts like that. I liked the way she felt, the way her walls clamped around me, how her fingers tore at my hair, and the bite of her nails on my skin. I wanted to make her fall apart and cry out my name.
We had great sex. But I shouldn't be feeling all these things when I was inside her. It was a little scary, and maybe that's why I'd distanced myself.
I loved being with her, whether we were cooking dinner together or fucking against a wall. I needed to lower the pressure and go with the flow. See where things took us.
I set a steady pace, needing her to feel everything that I was. This wasn't just a hookup or a one-time thing. It was different. It was all consuming. I couldn't think about anything without coming back to her.
How she felt when I was inside of her, the vulnerability on her face after we had sex without a condom. How beautiful she was when she let go and fell apart in my arms.
I gripped her more tightly and sucked her nipple as she cried out, her body clamping around mine. I quickly followed her over, spilling inside her. When I recovered slightly, I lifted her off me and lowered her gently to the floor. "Sorry we didn't make it to your bed."
"I don't think you're sorry at all."
My lips quirked. "We have plenty of time to continue this in bed."
She shook her head as she reached for her discarded clothing. "You're insatiable."
"Leave it. I want to take a shower with you." I offered my hand to her, and she took it.
In her bathroom, I turned on the water, waiting for it to heat. I waited for her to step inside first, and then I followed her.
Once her hair was wet, I shampooed it and helped her rinse it out. Then I grabbed bodywash and covered her body with suds. She was absolutely gorgeous, and I couldn't believe she was mine.
It was too soon to be thinking about long-term or forever, but the idea that she felt like home took root and buried deep.
When she was finished, she stepped out and grabbed a towel so I could wash up. The shower was small in her apartment. There wasn't much room to maneuver, so thoughts of shower sex were out.
As much as I wanted to take her to my house, her place was more convenient for stopping by after work.
If I stayed here, I could spend more time with her and cut my commute down to nothing. It was an attractive idea.
She was already gone from the bathroom by the time I stepped out of the shower. I quickly patted my skin dry and ran a few fingers through my hair. Then I went in search of her. She was naked in bed. She hadn't bothered to cover up. She was an enticing sight.
I winked. "That's something I want to see more often."
She smiled. "I wasn't sure what your plans were."
"I'm actually hungry," I said, settling between her legs, lifting her so that her pussy was at the perfect level for me to eat her.
She sighed when I sucked on her clit. I wasn't interested in a slow build. I wanted to send her off again quickly. I sucked and licked, adding a finger, then two, before she went over. Her body arched slowly off the bed, her thighs trembling.
I moved up her body, wiping my mouth and easily slipping inside of her. I moved more slowly this time, wanting to take my time and savor every whimper. I braced my hands on either side of her head, kissing her as I moved.
When she went over, I swallowed her cries and followed her over, wondering what I'd gotten myself into. This was why I'd freaked out since our last date. It was more intense than anything I'd ever felt before. And I wasn’t positive I wasn't going to mess this up. I might fall for her.
I rested next to her, too tired to grab a washcloth. So we lay there, a sticky mess, while the overhead fan slowly twirled. As I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help but think that this felt nice. It was something I could get used to, which was scarier than anything I'd ever experienced.