Chapter 15
SADIE
Maverick has been full radio silence since the message Sunday night, asking me to attend this dinner. I replied that I would come, and then that was it. Nothing more except a time and location.
I agonized all day over what to wear, almost breaking down and messaging Willow for advice.
But in the end, I remembered his reaction to my purple dress on the weekend and decided to be brave once again.
Tonight I’m wearing a deep royal blue blouse and pants that are tighter than I usually would wear, and while the outfit is nowhere near as revealing as the cocktail dress from the weekend, it’s still a bold choice for me.
As I do my makeup and hair, I stare at myself in the mirror.
I’ve never given much thought to my appearance.
Part of fading into the background was simply choosing comfortable and functional clothes, not caring too much for style.
There were other things that seemed more important, like doing well in school, making everyone around me happy, and maintaining control over my life to ensure things moved in the right direction.
Only, I never stopped to think about where that direction was headed.
And now, with so much of my life in shambles, where is that control?
What even are my priorities anymore? And why do I need to stay in the background?
My siblings and I are all grown adults, living our own lives.
Who’s to say I can’t step out of the shadows and live my life for myself.
Of course, who would have ever imagined that living my own life would include fake dating a professional baseball player.
The longer I look in the mirror, the more I come to face the truth I’ve been reluctant to admit.
Ever since I caught Dirk in bed with another woman, I’ve felt adrift.
It’s not that he was the love of my life and I’m devastated and lost without him.
It’s more that our relationship was a tether I didn’t realize was holding me down.
Until that tether was gone. And maybe I’m a little afraid of what I might find if I look too closely at myself and try to open up to what I want out of life.
What if the fulfilling career, respectable husband, and happy family in a perfect-looking life isn’t what I want like I thought it was?
That’s the life I believed I was working toward with Dirk, and now I don’t know if that’s actually what I ever wanted, or if that’s just what I believed I should want.
How much of my life, decisions, and actions were because I did what I thought I should do, instead of what I wanted to do?
My stomach flip-flops at this overwhelming question that doesn’t have a clear answer.
Right now, with less than an hour before I have to be at the restaurant to meet Maverick, is hardly the time for an existential life crisis.
With one final check of my lip stain, I decide I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.
The sounds my car is making when I pull into the restaurant parking lot are a little concerning, but again, not something I can deal with right now.
I get out of my car and see Maverick waiting by the door.
Aware that anyone could be watching, and only a little bit because I want to, I walk over to him, lift up on my toes, and press a kiss to his cheek.
“Hi,” I murmur as his hand lands on my lower back.
“Hi, Specs,” he says, a small, surprised-but-in-a-good-way, I think, smile on his face.
He guides me inside, keeping his hand firmly in place.
We’re shown to a table for four, but no one else is there yet.
Maverick pulls out my seat, and as I sit down, his hands land on my shoulder and he leans down. “You look beautiful.”
He takes the seat next to me and I face him. “You haven’t told me much about tonight. Who are we shmoozing?”
The short laugh that escapes him makes me inwardly cheer. But my question was a serious one. I need to know more about what we’re doing tonight because I feel woefully unprepared.
“Just two guys from one of my sponsors, Maximum Velocity Activewear. We meet up whenever they’re in town. They like to wine and dine their athletes.”
I nod slowly. “You said Colin normally comes with you?”
Maverick’s jaw clenches. “Yeah. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not normally good at the shmoozing, as you call it,” he says wryly. “Colin’s good at charming them while I sit here and just nod along.”
A waiter comes by to take our drink orders, and I start to order a glass of wine, then stop.
“Actually, take his order first,” I say pleasantly, my eyes skimming the cocktail menu.
Maverick orders a sparkling water and then turns to me, his arm reaching across the back of my chair, his thumb landing on the bare skin just above the collar of my blouse.
My breath catches as my brain goes fuzzy.
“White wine. Pinot grigio please,” I stutter out, closing the menu and giving it to the waiter. How does one small touch undo me?
Maverick leans in again, and I stifle a moan at the fresh scent that after two days of sharing a living space, I will forever associate with him and nothing else reaches me. “If you want a cocktail instead of your usual wine, you should get one. Live a little, Specs.”
Before I can think of a response, or question how he knows my usual drink of choice is wine, or that I was truly considering something else before he scrambled my ability to think with that thumb on my back, a tall man with a significantly large belly walks up.
“Mav fucking King, my man!” He grabs Maverick’s hand, pumping it up and down.
My eyes widen because it’s his injured side, but Maverick’s face is impassive, showing no sign of discomfort.
“Hey, Chip. This is my girl Sadie. Hope you don’t mind she’s joining us.”
“Of course not.” The man, Chip, turns to me with a smile that’s just a little too wide to be genuine. “Lovely to meet you, Sadie. You’re the one keeping this guy in check, aren’t you? My wife is loving the pictures of you two.”
“Hello, nice to meet you,” I manage to force out, already uncomfortable.
It’s immediately obvious why Maverick lets Colin take the lead in these situations. Knowing the little I do about him, his introverted nature and preference for low-key interactions, someone like Chip must be a lot.
But proving once again that Maverick can rise to the occasion, he holds his own.
The conversation flows, and when I can, I contribute.
But truthfully, when Chip starts droning on about the latest line of compression wear his company is launching that apparently, Maverick is the face for, I lose track.
While they’re deep in conversation about photo shoots and design concepts, I glance around the restaurant.
There’s been a few times I’ve noticed people darting looks our way, but our table is near the back, in a corner, giving us some semblance of privacy.
A hand landing on my thigh startles me. My head whips around to see Maverick eyeing me. “Specs?” he murmurs quietly, and I realize they must have asked me a question.
“I’m so sorry, what was that?” I give Chip and his partner a smile.
“Chip was generously offering you a set from the latest women’s line if you want it.”
My eyebrows lift. “Me? Oh, that’s not necessary, really. Thank you, but —”
“Nonsense.” Chip waves his hand at me. “You’re Mav’s girl, you’re in all his photos, so really, it benefits us.
Hell, we should probably sign you your own endorsement deal.
” He chortles, and I force out a laugh along with him even though I really don’t know what’s so funny.
“Anyway. Email my assistant your size and colour preferences and we’ll set you up. ”
Maverick’s hand is still resting on my thigh, and he squeezes gently. “Thanks, Chip. That’s good of you.”
“Y-yes. Thanks.” I’m still trying to reconcile the fact that Maverick’s hand is on my leg, burning through the fabric, and now that damn thumb is slowly moving up and down.
It could almost be an unconscious movement if not for the way he’s still looking at me, like he knows what his touch is doing to me.
It’s heating me up from the inside out. It’s making me want to clench my thighs together, but then also shift them to move his hand higher. It’s making me think of things, dirty things, that I have no business thinking of with Maverick King.
My tongue darts out to lick my lips, and his gaze drops to them, following the motion. His hold on me tightens ever so slightly.
Our food arrives and Maverick is forced to let go.
I can’t decide if I’m relieved or disappointed.
Either way, I’m also confused. The rest of dinner goes by in somewhat of a blur, for me, at least. And then, finally, after what feels like hours of torture waiting for Maverick’s next touch, we’re standing up from the table, moving to the door, and saying goodnight to Maverick’s sponsor.
“I’m glad you could join us tonight, Sadie. You’re good for this guy. Keep it up.” I give Chip a faint smile, not wanting him to see how desperate I am to get out of here.
“Thank you for letting me join, Chip. I hope you have a nice evening.”
Maverick shakes their hands, then walks me out to the parking lot and over to my car.
“Thanks. For coming tonight, I mean.” His voice is low and rumbly, and the sound of it only adds fuel to the fire of my arousal after tonight.
I’m honestly embarrassed at how turned on I managed to get from nothing but a few touches of his hands.
He probably meant nothing by it, simply playing the role of doting boyfriend.
But there’s no avoiding the truth that as soon as I get home, I’m pulling out my box of toys and giving myself some relief.
“No problem. Have a good night.” I give him what’s probably too big of a smile and climb into my car, hoping he’ll walk over to his vehicle.
No such luck. Taking a few steps back, hands in his pockets, he waits to make sure I get on my way home before leaving.
It’s sweet and doesn’t help the whole turned on by everything he does situation I’m fighting.
I put the key in the ignition and turn it, but nothing happens.
“Shit.” I turn the key again. Still nothing.
Not even a click. I want to drop my head to the steering wheel in frustration, but I know Maverick’s watching me.
Mustering up what I hope is a calm expression, I open my door and climb out.
“Well, not sure what’s going on here, but my car won’t start.
It’s fine,” I say as he starts to walk over to me.
“I’ve got roadside assistance. I’ll call them and just wait at the coffee shop across the street. ”
“I’ll wait with you.”
“No, no, that’s not necessary.” Oh Lord, no.
I’m barely holding it together right now.
I need Maverick King far away from me, or I don’t know what I’ll do.
My body is still tingling just from his touch all through dinner.
His hand on my leg, the whisper of his breath on my neck, all of it has me feeling like a live wire is running through my body.
“Sadie. I’m waiting with you, or I’m driving you home. You choose.”
I choose to ignore him and dial roadside assistance. But when the recorded voice tells me my estimated wait time is more than two hours, I know I’m in trouble. I take a deep breath, hold it, and exhale slowly.
“Fine. I’ll take a ride home.”
The last thing I want is Maverick seeing where I currently live. That thought alone manages to douse every shred of arousal that was coursing through me minutes ago.