Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
NEVAEH
Everything around me right now feels surreal. I mean everything. All of it. It’s like my life tilted and turned. Twisted and straightened. Upside down, yet right side up. If that even makes sense at all.
It doesn’t, and I know it, but that’s just how nutty everything seems at the moment.
I lost everything on my eighteenth birthday, and here I am now, all that was lost to me returning.
But more than that, my mom was right, I found the other half of my soul.
Still, I didn’t want her to announce that in front of him.
He doesn’t know the special gifts of my family.
My mom’s side of the family, I should say.
Well, both sides have a gift. My dad says it’s a family gift.
One that is blessed in each child born given by, as he claimed, the Gods themselves.
I never understood this, and honestly, I still don’t. I missed out on so much in the time apart from my family I didn’t get the chance to really learn more about it. My mom and dad always said after I was eighteen, they’d explain everything further than what they had.
Now, I have them back, and I’m sure I’ll eventually have to ask them about it, but for now, I’m happy with what I have. Maverick’s in my life, and I’m finally accepting that he actually wants me. Me.
God knows last night he spent so much time showing me how much he wants me.
After that first time, he definitely took the time to show me in many different ways.
Me on top. Him over me. My favorite, though, has to be with me in his lap, my legs wrapped around his body, and he moves me over him.
I don’t know what it’s called, but it was beautiful. So, so, so beautiful.
“What’s going on that we have to go to the office?
” I finally ask, breaking the silence, not that it was uncomfortable.
Shoot, he even had been driving with one hand on my thigh.
We might have only just started, but it doesn’t take much to realize that he’s a full contact at all times type.
I know this for several reasons. Last night at dinner, he kept an arm around me.
Before that, when we were at the beach, he kept me close.
Sure, we were doing things, but that doesn’t mean he likes touching.
Then while sleeping, he was all about holding me.
Never did he pull away. Even at breakfast, it was the same thing. And I love every bit of it.
“Someone broke in and stole a computer,” he answers, his thumb stroking my thigh.
“Oh, I thought you had someone who handles the business.” He said something about that. Didn’t he?
“I do, however, something like this, Sean knows to contact me. I might not want to deal with the business, but it’s still mine, and I’m not about to let anyone fuck with it.
I’ve got to go and handle it in person. Let those who want to fuck with me know that I will take care of the issue myself and not the CEO. Me.”
“I get that.” I nod, understanding him. “But why would someone want to steal a computer.”
“Could be several things. Maps to drill sites. Company stocks. Equipment orders. Numbers for the oil we produce. I could go on and on with what they could be after. There are a lot of people in the industry that will play dirty to get what they want. Right now, my company is at the top of its game. Sean doesn’t let anything happen without it being reported to me first. Everything with the company, no matter how much I detest the bullshit, is run by me, Viking, or the lawyer we keep on retainer. ”
Whoa. Talk about a lot.
“So essentially, a missing computer is really, really bad,” I note.
“Yeah, Sweets, it can definitely be bad. It could also be nothing. Or it could be even worse. Either way, when we get there, I’ll find out,” he remarks, squeezing my thigh. “Afterward, we’ll probably stay the night at my place.”
“Your place?” I blink, confused by this.
“Yeah, my house that I have here. I don’t know how long it’ll take, and we’ll need to get some rest at some point, so we might as well stay. When we’re done, we’ll finally get back home.”
“Okay.” My mind is reeling with this information.
There’s so much about him I don’t know .
. . that I want to know. Glancing in the back seat of his truck, I stare at Gizmo curled up in a ball.
He’s cute, and I absolutely love him. I also think Pirate is going to end up trying to steal him.
Smiling, I turn back, lean my head against the headrest, and close my eyes.
I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, considering, and I’m tired.
“Wake up, Sweets, we’re here.” Maverick’s voice breaks through the fog filling my head as I wake. His fingers slide through my hair. “Come on, we’ve got to go in.”
Groaning, my eyes flutter open and meet his intense stare. “Hey.”
“Yeah, baby, come on. Pirate already has Gizmo, and I want to get this done with soon as possible.” Maverick grunts, sounding somewhat peeved.
“Are you okay?” I ask, shaking off the fogginess in my head.
Maverick leans in and presses his lips to mine. “Yeah, I’m good, Sweets. I just hate this shit. I don’t like dealing with bullshit, and this is exactly what all this is.”
“Oh,” I murmur, shifting in the seat to hop out. Maverick moves his hands to my waist, grips it, and lifts me out and onto my feet, making me squeal in surprise.
“Come on,” he says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and tucking me in his side.
Together we walk into the building, and I’m surprised by the elegance of the whole place. Black marble floors shine, and the walls a charred gray. There’s also a receptionist who eyes us, well, eyes Maverick like he’s a piece of meat that she’s ready to sink her teeth in.
“Hey, Maverick,” she says far too sweetly for my liking.
“My brothers already headed up?” he asks in greeting, completely ignoring her flirting.
“Yes, do you need me to do anything? Can I get you something to drink?”
“I think he’s good,” I snap, unable to help myself, drawing the woman’s eyes my way.
She gives me a glare and eyes me up and down.
Fortunately for her, Maverick keeps us moving forward, and I don’t lay into her more.
Maverick is my man, and I’m not about to let some meat-eater flirt with him in front of me.
It’s bad enough I already know when we get back to the clubhouse, I’ll have to deal with the tor-peda-hoes coming onto him.
It’s what they do. It’s a game to them, see how many cocks they can get with.
I remember when we first started going to the clubhouse, a few of them tried warning us away from the men.
I don’t need them to do that. At the time, I wasn’t ready.
That didn’t mean I didn’t stand up for myself and others if needed.
I mean, I know Fawn can handle herself. Apricot, none of them mess with her for some reason, though I’ve seen them give her the stink eye.
Peyton she can hold her own as well, but only if it comes down to it.
And Shyann, well, she’s super sweet and shy.
There’s no way she’d harm a fly, so the rest of us, and even the members of the club, look out for her.
Maverick pulls me into an elevator and then into his arms. I tilt my head back to find him grinning at me.
“What?” I demand.
“You.” He chuckles, shaking his head. “What am I gonna do with you? You know you didn’t have to speak to her.”
“Ugh, yeah, I did.” I blink at him, aghast. “She looked ready to jump you right then and there.”
“She wouldn’t have gotten close.” Maverick dips his head forward and brushes his lips against mine. “In fact, she wouldn’t have done a damn thing because there’s only one woman I want jumping me. And you know what?”
“What?” My lips brush his as I ask.
“After we handle business before heading to my place, I’m gonna take you to my office and fuck you over the desk in there.
” My thighs squeeze together and a chill races up my spine at the image he plants in my head.
Maverick claims my mouth, kissing me deeply.
It’s remarkable. I wrap my arms around him, holding on tightly.
If not, my legs would probably give out from under me.
He breaks his mouth away when the elevator doors open, but he doesn’t move away, so his lips brush against mine with his next words.
“Love that mouth of yours, Sweets. Eventually, I intend to find out what else you can do with it.”
Kissing one more time, he releases me, but only to wrap his arm around my shoulder once more. He guides me off the elevator and onto the floor, where he’s met by yet another woman. This one, though, was more polite but no less eager.
“Maverick. It’s good you’re here,” she says brightly. “Sean’s waiting for you in the conference room along with your friends.”
“Brothers,” I mumble under my breath.
“Appreciate it, Kathy.” Maverick grunts, his body shaking marginally but enough that I can assume he heard me. “Kathy, this is my woman, Nevaeh. Sweets, this is Kathy, Sean’s fiancée. She’s also his assistant and handles my shit here as well.”
“Nice to meet you,” she says beamingly, her eyes catching mine. “Sorry, I forget that they call each other brothers. I’m not used to the terms like Sean is.”
“No need to apologize,” I remark, seeing she genuinely meant it.
Nodding, Kathy shows the way to the conference room, talking a mile a minute, updating Maverick on what’s been happening. At the doors, she opens them and allows us to go ahead of her. She stands just in the doorway and glances around the room. “If anyone needs anything, please let me know.”
“Thank you, sweetheart,” Sean says. Or, well, I can only assume that’s who he is since I already know the others in the room, including Viking and Grimm.
The door closes, and Viking speaks up.
“See you two finally worked things out,” he says, and in his arms is Gizmo.
I roll my eyes and move toward him. “Can I have my cat back? First Pirate all but confiscates him, and now you’re holding him.”
“Darlin’, I’m only holding him 'cause Pirate sat his ass down to get to work.” Viking chuckles, handing me my cat. “I figured he picked up a stray.”
“No, Gizmo was a birthday present from Milo and Jasper.”
“Who the fuck is that?” Grimm asks.
“Her honorary brothers,” Maverick answers.
“The fuck? I thought that was us.” Viking snorts.
“Well. . .” I shrug, drawing my bottom lip in.
“And how come we’ve not met these two?” Grimm grunts, smirking, and I know they’re messing with me.
I shake my head and look at Maverick. “You deal with them because I’m not.”
Maverick chuckles and grins. “Baby, they’re just fuckin’ with you to fuck with you.” Leaning in, he presses a kiss to my lips, and straightens. I all but watch him switch his attention, and he focuses on the matter at hand.