“You’re engaged?” Maverick jerked back in his seat as if I slapped him.
“What? No! Jesus, let me finish my damn story and stop jumping to conclusions.” He quirked his brow in response and the irony wasn’t lost on me. I was still feeling the sting of embarrassment of making an ass of myself over Lola. “He pitched ajobproposal, not amarriageproposal. He asked if I considered bringing another doctor into my practice. I had been working impossible hours and the idea of being able to share the patient load and have some personal time sounded like a good idea. Justin is a great psychiatrist and has been a benefit to my practice.”
“But…” He saw the look on my face when I checked the caller ID on my phone. I was certain I didn’t hide my displeasure.
“I think he wants to have more than just a working relationship with me and I don’t feel the same way.” I let out a frustrated breath. “We weren’t compatible anywhere other than professionally and getting involved with him again would be a disaster.”
“How long did you date him?” Maverick’s eyes held mine and I saw a mix of curiosity and apprehension in his gaze; as if he wanted to know more about me, but wasn’t sure he’d like the answers. I decided to be completely honest with him and get everything out in the open. This was Maverick, the person I used to trust with every thought and feeling that I had.
“We dated for four years, two of them we lived together.” The frown on his face told me just how much he disliked hearing about me having a serious relationship with another man. That was okay, because picturing him fucking one faceless man after another made me physically ill.
“That’s a long time, especially when you weren’t compatible.” His words were soft and without judgment.
“I forced things when I shouldn’t have, because I wanted the happily-ever-after. I had dreams of a husband, children, and a happy home. I wasn’t getting any younger and I thought Justin was my best chance at having my dream. It all sounds so shallow and selfish to hear it spoken out loud now. I did really care about him,” I said, almost defensively.
“I’m sure you did, Noah.” Maverick reached over and touched my cheek so softly. I wanted to lean into his touch, but held myself back. “It sounds like he must still really care about you if he’s pursuing you so hard. It seems like he doesn’t feel as strongly as you do that you’re incompatible.”
He was wanting me to tell him more without him having to ask. I was about to give in when I remembered how he shut me down the night before when I asked what had happened to make him disappear so suddenly when we were sixteen. I decided share time was over.
“I need to quit putting off the discussion I need to have with him and face it head on. What the hell kind of psychiatrist am I?”
“A human one.” Maverick’s ornery smile was infectious and I felt a smile spread across my face in response. “I really want to kiss you again, Noah.” I should’ve asked him about his monthly trips to Charlotte, but I didn’t. My instinct said that he wouldn’t be kissing me if he was in a relationship.
“Kiss me then.” I licked my lips to moisten them.
Maverick rose swiftly from his chair and reached for me. I stood up just as quickly and found myself wrapped in his strong arms with his marvelous mouth pressed against mine. I instantly opened my lips for his seeking tongue. Maverick sucked my tongue into his mouth and my knees threatened to give out. Fuck me, it had been so long since I’d felt anything close to the lust he sent spiking through my blood.
I pressed him against the kitchen counter and returned the favor, wishing it was his dick. A growl rumbled in his chest, telling me he was just as affected as me. I dug my fingers into his back and scraped them down until I reached the waistband of his jeans. I needed his clothes to disappear; I had to taste and touch his naked flesh. I slid my hand beneath his shirt and touched the bare skin of his back, but wasn’t content to stop there. He broke our kiss and laid his forehead against mine.
“Noah.” One word, my name, whispered so huskily nearly brought tears to my eyes. I wanted so much from him, but was afraid to move. Maverick wasn’t a guy I could just hook up with and walk away from. My life was in D.C. and his was in North Carolina. It wasn’t the opposite end of the world, but a seven-hour drive one way would get really old, really fast. It was awfully presumptuous of me to think he wanted anything more than sex with me.
I let my hands roam around to the front of his torso and leaned in to kiss his neck. I pushed away all of my self-doubt and let my instincts guide me. I flattened my hands against his hot flesh and then slid them upwards over the rippled muscles of his abdomen until I reached his pecs. The soft hair covering his chest tickled my palms and I wanted him naked more than ever.
The Maverick I knew had a smooth chest, but this was Maverick the man standing before me. I couldn’t wait to find all the other changes between the boy I once knew and the man that he’d become. I sunk my teeth into the tendon of his neck and pressed my erection against his. That seemed to break what little control Maverick had and I found myself spun around and pressed against the counter while Maverick became the aggressor.
“Oh fuck,” I gasped as his beard scraped against my neck as Maverick kissed a path from my collarbone to my ear. Our first time as teenage boys ended pretty quickly because of our eagerness and inexperience. My body threatened to embarrass me like that again.
Maverick claimed my mouth at the same time he slid his hands beneath my shirt, relearning my body just as mine did his. My body trembled with the need to be under Maverick, my legs wrapped around him, as he filled me over and over. I had just dropped my hand to the top button of his jeans when there was a loud knock on the front door. Madge barked loudly just in case I hadn’t heard it.
It surprised us both and Maverick pulled back from me suddenly. “Are you expecting anyone?” I shook my head, hooked a finger in his belt loop, and pulled him back. I decided to ignore the person on my porch, hoping they’d go away. I slid my other hand around his neck and pulled him down for another scorching kiss, unwilling to be denied. The banging on the door persisted and Maverick pulled away with a disappointed sigh. Madge continued to bark her disapproval. “They’re not going away.”
“Dammit.” I pulled my t-shirt down to hide my obvious arousal and went to the front door. I don’t know who I expected to find, but an angry looking woman with two teenaged boys wasn’t it. “Can I help you?”
“My name is Macy Johnson and these two idiots are my sons, Dante and Hunter.”
“Um, hi.” I wasn’t exactly sure what kind of neighborhood welcome this was, but I wanted to get it over with so I could return to Maverick. I looked over my shoulder and found him standing in the doorway with Madge by his side. He was petting her head to calm her down.
“I’m sorry for dropping by uninvited at a late hour, but I wouldn’t have been able to sleep if I didn’t do this tonight.” She looked angrily at her sons, who hadn’t looked up at me once during the brief conversation. “I heard about your beautiful house being vandalized at work this morning. People were talking about how rare it was for something like that to happen here and mentioned two teenage boys were seen running from the house.” Ah, I had an idea where the story was going. “I had a real sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and did some snooping when I got home. I found a couple of empty spray paint cans and a crowbar hidden behind a bunch of boxes in the garage.” She let out a frustrated sigh.
“These aren’t bad boys, sir. They’ve been through a really hard time this past year with their daddy dying suddenly and have been acting out. I’m about out of patience with them and after this stunt… well, I couldn’t let them get away with what they did.” She looked like life had really beaten her down and my heart went out to her and her sons, even though they were vandals. “You have every right to report this to the police and I wouldn’t blame you, but I was hoping you might be able to put them to work fixing the damage they caused. I think it would be a more fitting punishment than picking up trash on the side of the road like most juvenile delinquents end up doing.”
“Come inside so we can talk.” They all three looked at me in surprise. “You boys hungry? There’s a ton of food in the kitchen and there’s no way I can eat it all.” They looked at me for the first time and I saw hope in their eyes. “Go on in the kitchen and Maverick can get you plates out of the cabinet.” My eyes locked on Maverick’s and he gave me an approving smile.
“Thank you for your kindness,” Macy said.
“Have a seat, Macy, and let me run something by you.” She smiled for the first time that night and I knew what I was about to suggest was the right thing. “I’ll put the boys to work around here. The guy in the kitchen with them is my contractor and I’m sure he can find jobs for them to do.” I paused for a moment wondering if what I was about to say would be well received. “My name is Noah McKinney. I’m a psychiatrist, and with your permission, I’d like to help Dante and Hunter work through their grief. I’m not talking about sessions, but maybe use the time of doing odd jobs to try and get them to open up about what they’re going through.”
Macy closed her eyes for a few seconds. When she reopened them, they were wet with tears. She reached over and grabbed both of my hands. “You’re a godsend, Noah. I love those boys so damn much, but I just can’t get through to them. I’d do anything to see them happy again.”
“It’s settled then.”
I brought Maverick in the room and he told Macy that he’d gladly find things for the boys to do and was happy to help out. He offered her a plate of food, but she declined. Once the boys were finished eating, she promised to have them at my house at 8:30 the next morning and they left.
I turned to look at Maverick, unsure what to say. I wanted to ask him to stay, to pick up where we left off, but I feared the moment had passed. I opened my mouth to risk it anyway, but I had hesitated too long.
“I’ll pick up Betty Jean’s dishes and picnic basket tomorrow.”
I nodded in response. I was sure my disappointment was evident on my face. He leaned forward and gave me a soft kiss on my forehead before he left. “Well fuck,” I said out loud. Madge barked loudly and I turned to look at her. “Sorry for my foul language, girl, but can you blame me? I was this close,” I held up my hand, showing an inch of space between my thumb and first finger, “to having that gorgeous man back in my bed again.”
My body still ached from his touch and I knew it was going to be another long night. My only consolation was knowing how badly Maverick wanted me too.
