Delilah
Present Day
God, it feels good to be warm again. I tentatively wiggle my fingers and toes, pleased to find they’re no longer numb.
I arch my back in a catlike stretch, noting something hard and warm wedged between my legs.
Whatever it is, it’s positioned perfectly at the top of my thighs, adding just the right amount of pressure to my clit.
I roll my hips and let out a satisfied hum, following my body’s instincts.
I repeat the motion, grinding myself against whatever it is, unable to contain the moan that slips out.
I’m still groggy, feeling somewhere between a dreamlike and intoxicated state.
The warmth building between my legs feels too good for me to do anything but continue seeking my own pleasure.
Absentmindedly, I piece together Maverick’s presence next to me before I realize I’ve been grinding myself against his thigh.
Under normal circumstances, I’d probably be mortified, but in this cozy, ethereal state, I can’t bring myself to care.
Another roll of my hips has us both moaning.
“Fuck, baby.” Maverick’s grip tightens, his thumb brushing just beneath my breast.
I gasp as he rolls himself on top of me, positioning himself between my bare legs. His hardened cock presses against my clit through the thin layer of his briefs as he grinds against me, making us both shiver.
That familiar, tingling warmth starts to build deep in my core as Maverick and I move together. My mind is clouded, its only concern finding release. I open my eyes to find Maverick already staring down at me, looking at me like I’m the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen.
As if he read my mind, he presses his forehead against mine and whispers with reverence. “God, you’re so beautiful.”
“Please,” I whisper. I don’t know exactly what I’m asking for, but I do know that this is the first time I’ve been naked in bed with a man and felt utterly and completely safe. Cherished. Loved.
Maverick rolls his hips again with a groan. His thumb moves up to my breast and brushes over my peaked nipple, causing me to moan and bite my lip. “Tell me what you need, darlin’.”
I reach down to palm his rock-hard cock through his briefs, making him curse under his breath. “I need you.”
He grabs my wrist and pins it over my head with a shake of his head. “What have I told you about being selfish?” He leans down and nips at my jaw.
“This is me being selfish,” I breathe, moaning again as his cock hits just the right spot on my hypersensitive clit.
He rolls us over so I’m straddling his hips.
The blankets fall away, revealing my bare torso to him, and for once, my body doesn’t feel like something I should be ashamed of. I feel powerful. Sexy.
Maverick drinks in the sight of me, awe written all over his face. “Use me.”
That wakes me up a bit. My eyes widen. “What?”
He sits up and wraps his arms around my torso, pulling our bodies flush. His stubbled chin scrapes against my chest as he places a gentle kiss to the space between my breasts. “Use me, Delilah. Take what you need.”
Sex has never been about me. We’re not technically having sex, but Maverick’s encouragement to put myself first, to seek my own pleasure above delivering his is almost unfathomable.
But my body is desperate, squirming and writhing against him of its own accord.
I’m so aroused it’s almost painful—certainly the most aroused I’ve ever been in my life.
I give my hips an experimental roll, and my head falls back at the overwhelming sensation.
And hearing Maverick call me by my name only heightens every feeling.
“Say it again.”
He must understand my demand because he doesn’t hesitate. “Delilah.”
“God,” I whisper, rolling my hips again. My clit is throbbing. My legs are shaking. I’m one movement away from coming just from rubbing myself against him like an animal in heat. I should probably be embarrassed, but I can’t find the energy or the brain power to care.
Maverick’s hands move to my hips, not rushing or even guiding, simply resting there, squeezing with just the right amount of pressure to drive me crazy.
“That’s it, darlin’.”
My arms wrap around his shoulders to gain more leverage as I rub myself against the hard length of him one final time.
My nails scrape against the skin of his muscular back as I cry out, riding wave after wave of my orgasm until I’m left spent and panting.
I rest my forehead against his shoulder, trying to reorient myself to reality.
I’ve never come so hard in my life, especially with another person present.
“Holy shit,” I breathe as tiny aftershocks pulse through my entire body.
I can hear the smile in his voice. “Good?”
I nod, finally lifting my head from his shoulder to look at him. “You have no idea.”
He grabs my hand and places a kiss on my open palm, making my stomach erupt with butterflies. I reach for his cock, which is still unyieldingly rigid beneath me, but he shakes his head. “Not this time.”
I frown. “I want to.”
“You’re not ready for that.”
I rear back. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
His tone hardens. “It means, Delilah, that you’ve barely begun to explore your own pleasure, and I’m not gonna jeopardize that journey by making you think you owe me anything.”
I cross my arms over my chest, now intensely aware of my nudity. “How very noble of you.”
He leans back on his elbows with a sigh, clearly frustrated. “I just mean I don’t want this to become about me. You deserve to experience pleasure without the expectation of reciprocating.”
A dry laugh barks out of me as I clumsily get off his lap. I grab the first shirt I can find from the floor and pull it over my head. The elated, euphoric feeling I just had has completely evaporated, leaving me full of shame. “Am I not damaged enough for you or something?”
He looks utterly bewildered. “What are you talking about?”
I force myself to hold his gaze. “Sam said that’s your type. Damaged goods.”
“Jesus Christ.” He runs a hand through his hair and looks up at the ceiling. “My past relationships have nothing to do with this. And Sam is the last person you should be taking relationship advice from.”
I pull on a pair of sweats, needing to understand why she said what she did. “What happened between you two?”
Maverick sighs. “We were doomed from the beginning. It was too fast for her after everything she endured. Our dynamic quickly became toxic—breaking up and getting back together every few weeks. I should’ve just ended things but I was afraid to hurt her.
It got to the point where Bec essentially staged an intervention; she showed me that I was killing myself just to appease Sam. ”
The smallest scrap of compassion worms its way into my heart for her, though I’m still embarrassed by his rejection. “What is it then?”
He shakes his head. “I already told you. You’re not ready.”
I scoff. “This is your problem, Maverick. You assume you know what’s best for everyone else without ever stopping to ask what they actually want.”
He stands and closes the distance between us, towering over me as his erection bulges from his briefs. “Is that right?”
I swallow, crossing my arms and holding my ground. “Yes.”
He tucks a curl behind my ear, never taking his eyes off mine.
“Believe me, baby. There is no shortage of things I want to do to you. Every day that I don’t get to feel you clenched around my cock is another day in hell.
But I will gladly suffer the discomfort of not knowing how good you feel if it means protecting your mind and your body from more pain.
I refuse to be the cause of more trauma, so until I decide that you’re ready for everything I plan to give you, we won’t be taking that step. ”
As much as his rejection stings, the high from my orgasm is wearing off enough to give me the clarity to know he’s probably right.
“Fine,” I say, and he exhales, looking up briefly. If he’s that relieved, maybe he just doesn’t want me like that and is trying to let me down easy. I quickly change the subject, hoping it will help curb my embarrassment. “I think we should try and arrange for a hostage exchange.”
His brow furrows, apparently confused by the shift in topic. “We already talked about this. There are too many moving pieces to work out with the tight timeline.”
We did discuss this—extensively. The council voted against it, but I have to try one more time. “Think about it. Gabriel knows you. He knows you wouldn’t just give me back without furthering your mission.”
I can see him considering it, so I pout my lip and bat my eyelashes. He laughs softly.
“What would you suggest?”
I bite my lip to hide my growing smile. “We could go to a neighboring island and have Benji help us with another call to Gabriel to arrange the details. That way if they track the signal, it will lead them to a dead end.”
Maverick scratches at his stubble. “That could work.”
A spark of hope ignites in my chest. “Do you think it would be possible to ask about my mother?”
The look the Rebel leader gives me is nothing short of pitying. “Requesting your mother would compromise your credibility. They may grow suspicious of your loyalty before you’ve even returned.”
My heart sinks. “Oh.”
He reaches up and cradles my face in his palms. “If there was a way to get your mother back without jeopardizing your safety, I would do it.”
I nod. “I know you would.”
He leans down and places a gentle kiss to my forehead. “Let’s go talk to Benji.”