Chapter 16 #2
“Whatever. You can have the standoffish bitch,” Feeble Charles growled, turning to stalk the rest of the way toward the door. I followed his departure, scoffing as he shot the bird over his shoulder before disappearing into the night.
“Apparently, you can have me,” I murmured, gathering my hair from where Maverick had pulled it to the side and twisting it into a knot on the top of my head. The bar was too warm, and my overheated skin tingled with the buzz of adrenaline.
Sure. I’d go with that. My current temperature had absolutely nothing to do with his hand still on my waist, his thumb continuing with the soothing circles on my hip. I allowed myself to step further back, pressing my back against his chest, and sighing.
It felt good.
Great.
Flipping fantastic.
A part of me balked that I was so desperate for the barest of human touch that I was soaking up Maverick’s affection like a sponge in a desert oasis.
Another part of me blamed the one margarita I had flowing through my veins.
Either way, I couldn’t bring myself to be the one to break contact. Not when it felt so good.
“I hope that asshole didn’t think he was actually charming,” Maverick said, scoffing and tightening his hold on my waist.
This was a disaster. What had started as an innocent way to spend time with new people and burn off steam, had turned me into a perimenopausal jumble of feelings…and arousal.
Arousal—that was the sensation. The tightening of my abdomen. The light sheen of sweat on the back of my neck…
Maverick’s touch aroused me.
So did his possessive words.
“Charming? No. Hoping to get laid? Probably.” I leaned my head back on his chest and rested my hands on his knees, soaking up as much contact as I could.
“Glad to see your standards haven’t been affected by your drinking.”
“Haven’t we already had this conversation?” I said, turning to face him and propping one hand on my hip. The movement dragged his fingers from my waist, but my body remained between his large, spread legs.
“When you were sitting at the table with the girls, it looked like you were discussing who would get the honor of taking you home.” He tilted his head and furrowed his brows, scowling enough for me to see the deep indentation between them.
“Just what exactly are you accusing me of? If you are somehow implying that I led that ass-bagel on, you are in for a rude awakening. I can’t imagine this is your idea of being charming.”
He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Charming? Trust me, Summer, if I was turning on the charm, you’d be powerless to resist.”
“Powerless?” Something about his words had me leaning closer, watching the deep blue of his eyes darken in the club’s low light. I had the ridiculous notion of running my finger down the crease between his brows to smooth away his rough edges.
That thought was dumber than my burgeoning attraction to the neanderthal, so my mouth decided the first course of action should be to snap back. Luckily, my brain kicked on a second later and chimed in that it was a shit idea.
“Powerless? Are you sure about that?” I meant to sound confident and flirty, but my skills were rustier than a sunken battleship, and I cringed, hoping he wouldn’t see straight through me.
“So, you doubt me? Typical.” He shook his head and huffed.
I was close enough to feel the warm puff of air against my face. Sweet wood smoke and mint caressed my cheeks, and I breathed in the heady scent, tilting my head further into his space, closing my eyes until his words sunk in.
“Hang on a second. Don’t just assume—”
“No. Enough of this.”
His large palms returned to my waist, and he pushed me back so he could stand. I expected him to walk away muttering insults. Instead, he grabbed my hand and tugged me past the bar and along the entrance until we reached a dimly lit hallway by the front doors.
Before we entered the corridor, I looked over my shoulder to see Addison and Mina giving me a thumbs up.
I waved back, unable to suppress the delight I felt as he pulled me deeper into the dark space.
Even if he only desired to continue our budding argument in private, I couldn’t deny the thrill I felt when we were this close.
And I knew our interactions had finally reached a boiling point.
This was it. If he could rein in his temper and have an honest conversation with me, I’d be open to exploring whatever this strange attraction was. But if he started spouting off more nonsense about me assuming things, I’d shut him down and walk away.
Addison was right about one thing. For all my useless chatter with the girls earlier about maybe being interested in him, this would give me the answer.
I kept my mouth shut, determined not to break the silence as we stared at one another.
The air turned hazy as he released my hand, and I leaned against the wall, putting my hands behind my back.
He huffed, shaking his head and resting his hands on his hips while I tried to draw enough oxygen into my lungs.
Without warning, Maverick closed the distance and grabbed my ass, hauling me toward him.
Our bodies pressed together, and he pushed his hips into mine.
I felt his hardness against my stomach and glanced down, putting eyes on the bulge I already knew was there.
My lips parted as I dragged my focus up his body, taking in the vision of him hungrily hovering millimeters from my mouth.
My stomach fluttered, and I closed my eyes as a zing of excitement traveled through my core.
The frustration and confusion slowly melted to shock as he leaned closer and ran his nose along the column of my neck.
He didn’t do this to scare off some guy, and his dick wasn’t hard because someone else had caught his attention.
This was him—raw, vulnerable, and running his lips over my neck like there was nowhere else he’d rather be.
“Fucking love the way you smell, woman.”
My breath faltered, and my eyes opened, watching as a group of women opened the front doors and walked into the bar. The bright lights from outside made me squint as the air scorched my oversensitive skin. All the while, he towered over me, letting his gaze drift to my lips.
Those deep orbs widened as I smiled, and my heart swelled as he returned the gesture, leaning closer and brushing his mouth against mine.
Slowly, like we were alone, and not in the middle of a deserted hallway of a crowded bar, he began exploring, tracing his tongue along my Cupid’s bow, then drawing my lower lip into his mouth.
My brain short-circuited, allowing him unrestrained access to my body as my pulse raced and I craved more.
When one hand drifted to the back of my neck and he broke away to breathe, I chased his mouth, not ready for the moment to end.
Our kisses turned voracious and hungry as our tongues fought for control.
Maverick moaned into my mouth, and refusing to waste the moment, I grabbed hold of his waist, letting my hands skate across his sides and to his back, where I shoved them into the pockets of his jeans, squeezing and pulling him closer.
His taste was addictive, his kisses waking my long dormant libido as our touches grew hungrier, almost desperate.
Having him own my mouth and dominate my body was heavenly. So was the way he broke away and growled, tilting his head to the still open door. I nodded and he dropped one of his hands to interlink with mine as I followed him out of the bar and into the parking lot.
His head was on a swivel while I tried to steady my breathing, furiously focusing on trying to keep up with his pace.
This moment we shared had changed something.
Whether it was for the better was yet to be determined.
But knowing that I’d made this grumpy, burly man groan as I lightly nibbled his lips was a heady feeling.
One that desperately made me want to find out what other sounds I could draw out of him.