Chapter 12 Keep This Relationship a Secret #3
“But after that, I'm not hiding it for another second. I don't care what you want after those three months. Three months from today. That's it.”
Her face lit up.
“Of course. Yes!”
Before he could say anything else, she threw her arms around him.
Maverick stiffened for half a second before the tension in his body melted away. He let out a quiet breath and lowered his head, burying his face against her shoulder as he held her close.
The scent of her hair surrounded him, and whatever irritation had been lingering in his expression disappeared completely.
After a moment, he eased his hold and pulled back just enough to look at her.
Rose looked up at him.
The way he was looking at her made her heart stumble.
There was something so openly affectionate in his eyes that it sent a strange warmth through her entire body. She found herself staring back at him, unable to look away.
“Why are you so good to me?” she asked softly.
Maverick was silent for a moment.
Then his answer came without hesitation.
“Because you're mine.”
A shiver ran through her.
There was something about the certainty in his voice, and the way he looked at her when he said it, that made her chest tighten. His gaze held an intensity she couldn't quite understand, yet she found herself drawn to it anyway.
She finally looked away, trying to settle the strange emotions stirring inside her.
They returned home late that night. The work at the office had taken longer than expected, and Maverick had stayed with her until everything was settled. Once he had handed the project over to her and made sure she had everything she needed, he left soon afterward.
It was already past ten when Rose finally settled into bed with a book in her hands. She had changed into her pajamas, and her phone rested untouched on the nightstand beside her.
The sound of the shower running drifted from the bathroom, and despite her best efforts to focus on the book, her attention kept wandering toward the frosted glass door. Through the translucent surface, she could make out Maverick’s silhouette moving inside.
She quickly lowered her eyes to the page, pretending to read, only for her gaze to drift back toward the bathroom a few moments later.
She had barely managed to read another paragraph when her phone suddenly rang.
Rose startled so badly that the book slipped from her hands and landed on the bed.
With an annoyed frown, she reached for the phone on the nightstand and glanced at the screen. An unfamiliar number stared back at her.
She answered the call and immediately switched it to speakerphone, keeping the phone in her hand as her eyes instinctively returned to the bathroom door.
“Hello?”
“Come over to my apartment. We need to talk.”
Rose’s expression tightened the moment she recognized Ivan’s voice.
“I don't want to,” she said flatly. “Stop calling me. I've already told you. You and I have nothing to do with each other anymore.”
She let out a frustrated breath, her fingers tightening around the phone.
“I’m married now, Ivan. I have a husband. Whatever is left between us is over. So stop calling me and asking me to come to your apartment. Someone might see me, and it’s going to ruin my reputation.”
Ivan’s voice immediately hardened.
“Have you lost your damn mind, Rose? Don’t make me angry. You keep crossing the line because you’re trying to make me jealous. I know about all your little schemes, so don’t try to fool me.”
“I’m not trying to fool you,” Rose shot back, her voice growing firmer.
“You really expect me to believe that?” Ivan scoffed. “What about Zoe? You know exactly what she did to my cars. First, you tried to make me jealous, and when that didn’t work, you started coming up with other ways to get my attention. How long are you going to keep playing these childish games?”
Rose's jaw tightened.
“Ivan—”
“I’ve told you before, you always overthink everything,” he continued, his irritation rising. “There is nothing between Jessica and me, yet you keep acting like there is. You’re making yourself miserable over nothing.”
Rose stared at the phone in her hand, her expression slowly hardening.
“Come over right now,” Ivan ordered. “We will talk. You can spend the night at my apartment tonight.”
Rose didn’t notice when the bathroom door opened.
Maverick stepped out, a towel wrapped low around his hips, droplets of water still clinging to his bare chest and shoulders. His long hair was damp, a few strands falling around his face as he walked toward the bed.
He had only taken a few steps when he heard Rose’s voice.
“I’m not going to your apartment. Are you out of your mind? What did I just tell you? I have no interest in you anymore. We’ve gone our separate ways. How long are you going to keep pestering me?”
Maverick’s expression changed immediately.
He didn’t need to hear much more to understand who was on the other end of the call.
Jealousy flashed across his eyes, followed by a sharp tightening of his jaw.
Rose continued, completely unaware of him.
“You—”
The phone was suddenly taken from her hand.