Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Genevieve
What are you doing, Genevieve?! What. Are. You. Doing??
The question ran through my mind on repeat, but I didn’t pay it any attention.
Obviously not when I sat here in his truck on the way to his cabin to see his sourdough starter. I chuckled to myself. Going to see the starter, my ass.
It might be unspoken, this whatever it is between us, but it was there, brimming beneath the surface, ready to strike at any moment.
Several minutes later, he pulled into a long dirt driveway and steered his truck on the winding, dark road. It felt like hours but was only mere minutes until finally his cabin came into view.
“Wow. So secluded back here. Like your own little world.”
“It has its good and its bad sides. But overall, I like it. I’ll give you my WIFI password when we get inside. Otherwise, it won’t be of any use. Too far away from a cell phone tower, so they say.”
“You’d think by now they’d be tons of cell towers.”
“At least we’re preserving something. Our mountains.”
“Good point.”
Maverick led me inside his cabin and showed me around, giving me the grand tour. “It’s better to know your way around.” He winked, and I nearly melted into a puddle of goo at his feet.
I didn’t miss any of his little flirty remarks, each one sending a spark up my spine and splintering off in two different directions. My brain and my heart. Both at battle.
This isn’t reality. It couldn’t be.
But sure enough, I pinched myself and it hurt, reminding me I was very much awake and in the present moment.
Should I go with the flow like Maverick said?
Or do I just play it cool?
The last stop was the kitchen, where he picked up his starter and held it out to me. “Here she is! My baby.”
I took the mason jar in my hands and looked inside. “Good bubble formation. She looks nice.”
“Thanks.” He smiled proudly as he took it back from me and set it on his counter. “My next loaf will be for you.”
“No, that’s okay. You work hard keeping her alive. You should be able to enjoy it.”
“I do enjoy it. I also enjoy giving to others and seeing the happiness on their face.”
“Okay, I get it. You love to give.” I rolled my eyes all in good fun. “Maybe I’ll steal a small piece to start my own little starter baby.” I liked the idea of having my own starter. “I can bake more at home and use Marlowe as my taste tester.”
“Can I be an official taste tester, too?”
“Hmm. Maybe.” I tapped my chin with one finger.
“Maybe? Why not yes?”
“You need to pass another test first.”
“Yeah? What kind of test?”
“It’s a secret.”
“The test is a secret? Sounds shady. I’m out.”
I laughed. “Wow, you give up so easily.”
“Yep.”
“What if it’s fresh cookies or another delicious treat?”
“Never heard of a test that gives out free cookies. But there is something I want to test out.”
“There is?”
“Yeah. Our chemistry in the bedroom.”
The worlds fell out of his mouth so easily and before I could respond or even react, his mouth was on mine, his hands in my hair, his tongue dueling with my own. Maverick was possessive, and when he wanted something, he wasn’t taking no for an answer.
Secretly, it thrilled me inside, to be so wanted and dominated by a man as sexy as him.
Should I let him carry me away? Should I slow him down? Or should I put a stop to all of this? Maybe it’s gone far enough.
But no matter how many times I repeated the word stop to myself, I didn’t stop. I fell deeper and deeper in Maverick’s kiss and down, down, down I fell, a rabbit hole of love I never truly believed existed.
Until right in that very moment.
Maverick’s large hands and strong arms easily lifted my curvy body and set me down on the kitchen island. This man could throw me around the bedroom and I was here for it.
He dragged his mouth away from mine, down my jawline, and over to my earlobe and neck. I shivered beneath his touch, the softness of his beard rubbing against my cheek.
When he moved down, I quickly slid off my chef jacket and tossed it to the side, leaving only a white tank, a sports bra underneath. I didn’t prepare for any sort of loving today and I wondered when the last time I shaved was. Oh well, too late now.
Maverick gripped both tits with his two hands and squeezed, his thumbs rubbing over my nipples and causing them to spring backwards. He leaned up and kissed me long and hard before moving back down to my breasts. He stuck his head between them and groaned, rubbing their softness against his cheek.
“Spend the night with me,” Maverick said as he continued to play with my breasts. “I promise, it will be a night you won’t ever forget.”
“I know I won’t. But…”
“No buts. Just let it happen.” He winked and my insides went haywire.
“How about we slow it down a little?”
“What’s to slow down? I like you, you like me. Enough said.”
“I know, but we’re both so busy with work and...”
“That’s all excuses, Genevieve. I’d put any of it aside to spend time with you.”
Stop. This man needs to stop.
Soon I’d be a puddle of holy swoon, a useless pile of hopeless love.
“If you don’t want any of this, please tell me right now. No hard feelings, no awkwardness. We can cut our losses and forget any of this ever happened. Or we can take a chance and see where this leads us.”
“Of course I want this. I’ve never wanted anything so much in life. I’m just…scared.”
“I get that. But we can be scared together.” Maverick fixed his steely gray eyes on me, his face kind and helpful.
I searched his eyes and found all the answers I needed.
He was mine. Forever and always.