MY FIRST NIGHT BACKin Beaufort was the breakthrough we needed. We were once again on the same page, the two of us versus the world. I knew Maverick was right and that people would think we were crazy, but the last time I checked I lived my life for myself. I wanted my life to include Maverick and everything he brought with him. I wanted his hurts and his joys, his art and his lizard, the muscle car, and the man who felt things deeply but expressed them rarely. I. Wanted. Him.
It had taken a few days for Mav to recover from his exhaustion and I used that time to spoil and pamper him when he allowed it. He wasn’t the kind of guy to allow a lot of fuss, so I blatantly used sex to get my way. He didn’t want me to give him a massage until he realized I planned to rubeverythingand that I planned to let my mouth and ass join in on massaging him.
I loved getting to know Maverick the man – his likes, dislikes, and even his quirks. I didn’t know about his love for Stephen King books as a teenager, because I was too horny to focus on much back then. Maverick still made me horny as hell, but at thirty-eight I was able to pace myself a tad bit better. I never knew how passionately he hated mushrooms either or that he pretty much ate one food at a time on his plate, rather than a bite of this and a bite of that. I already knew about his ticklish spots, but it seemed to me that they had gotten more sensitive over time. I couldn’t resist digging my fingers into the back of his thighs one morning as we stretched after our run.
Maverick squirmed and wrestled away from me, but his laughter rang out along the beach as I ran and he gave chase. Once inside the house, he showed me who was boss with the most aggressive loving he’d ever given me. I loved being pinned down by his weight and taken so masterfully. His dominant fucking acted as fuel to my fire and not a deterrent; I just got sneakier about my attacks and the points of attack. If he wanted me to stop then he should’ve withheld his touch from me. I saw the look in his eyes when he was inside me and they told me everything I needed to know.
I was loved.
I was accepted.
I was desired.
Those three things were what I had been searching for my entire adult life and had assumed it would never happen for me. It was time to prove just how much his love, acceptance, and desire meant to me. As much as I resented any time that took me away from Maverick, it was of utmost importance to meet with the staff members at the three VA clinics closest to me. It turned out their interest on the phone wasn’t all talk; they all eagerly wanted to meet with me too.
“We could really use your help, Dr. McKinney,” Dr. Jennifer Gillam told me as we walked around the facility. She had recently been appointed the chief of staff and spoke with such glowing praise about the doctors and nurses who worked so hard to treat the veterans in their care. “So many people think that physical wounds hurt the worst, but emotional wounds take a bigger toll on a person.”
“I really like the vibe here,” I told her. “It’s much like my private practice in D.C.” It had a very professional atmosphere but maintained a personal touch. I saw the receptionists greet patients by name and wear friendly smiles on their faces.
“You could have an office here or one offsite like you do in D.C.,” she offered with a hopeful smile.
“I’d love to join your staff, Dr. Gillam.”
“Yes!” She did a little fist pump and quickly returned to her professional demeanor. “Please call me Jennifer.”
“Please call me Noah.” She smiled widely, tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, and blushed a little as she looked away. I didn’t want to be cocky, but I got the vibe that perhaps Jennifer might be interested in getting to know me on a personal level. I didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding like I’d had with Justin. “I’m not sure when I’ll be able to move here for good. I’m transitioning my patients to another doctor and looking to bring in another doctor into the practice. Then I can move here to be with my boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” Her question was followed by a deep sigh and then an infectious laugh. “Well, I should’ve known. I swear, God favors his rainbow babies the most. Looks,” she began ticking items off on her fingers, “brains, personality, creativity, compassion…” She let her words trail off. “It’s just not fair, Noah.”
“Sorry.” I wasn’t sure what else to say.
She took pity on me by changing the subject back to work. “So you don’t have a timeframe for moving down here full time, but is there a chance that we could get you to work part time until you’ve transitioned here permanently? Like maybe a week or two out of the month?”
Her offer was exactly what I needed to hear. Sure, it would be a lot of traveling, but it would be worth it. “Let me talk to the other doctor in my practice and we’ll come up with a plan. I’ll be in touch and let you know how soon I can start.”
I practically levitated back to Elijah’s Landing from my excitement over how the meeting went with Jennifer. My euphoria evaporated in an instant when I saw Derrick leaning onmyboyfriend’s truck that was parked inmydriveway and talking tomyboyfriend while wearing a sexy grin all over his young, handsome face.
Madge, the traitor, sat there wagging her tail and looking up adoringly at Derrick. Didn’t she realize he was a threat to our happiness? I might’ve shut – okay slammed – my door hard when I pulled into my driveway and no one turned to acknowledge my arrival. Not my man, not my dog, not even the trespasser.
I was experiencing something I hadn’t felt before, a burning jealousy hot enough to melt my insides. I saw Derrick as a threat and I wanted him gone. I had never been a violent type so I did the next best thing to running him over with my car. I walked up behind Maverick, slid both my arms around his waist, and pressed my lips to his ear.
“I’m back.” I moved a hand up and covered the heart that belonged to me. I felt his heartbeat kick up a notch at my touch and I nearly purred when Maverick leaned back into me. “I have exciting news to share.” I pressed a kiss just beneath his ear and watched him shiver. Ahhh, it was mean of me to make him tremble in front of his employee, but I was playing for keeps. Fuck being nice and playing fair. In fact, I wasn’t playing at all. “I need to go inside and call Justin to let him know the news.” I unwrapped my arms from around him and stepped back, missing his heat immediately.
“You’re going to tell Justin first?”
I was smiling on the inside. That hadn’t been part of my deliberate plan to lure Maverick away from Derrick and in the house with me, but it was effective nonetheless. “Well, you’re busy and I need to start putting plans in motion.” I pressed a quick kiss on his cheek and snapped my fingers for Madge to follow me.
“Next time, bite that dude’s dick off,” I told Madge once we entered the house. “He’s not our friend. He wants to steal your other daddy away.” She looked up at me as if she was giving my words serious consideration.
“Don’t listen to him, Madge.” I spun around at the sound of Maverick’s voice behind me. For a very tall man, he could move as silently as a ninja when he wanted to. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Wow, you sure got in here fast,” I said as he advanced on me with determination. “Poor Derrick…” My words were cut off by the firm press of his lips. I forgot all about Derrick when Maverick slid his tongue between my lips and kissed me until I nearly melted and my body hummed with excitement for more than talking. Maverick’s kiss ended as abruptly as it began.
“As if me following you like a horny, possessive beast wasn’t part of your plan.” Maverick narrowed his eyes and dared me to contradict him.
So, of course I dared. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mav.” I turned around and kept walking until two strong arms wrapped around me and jerked me tight against Maverick’s chest.
“You don’t know what you did?” Maverick pressed his erection against my ass and slid his arms around my waist. He slid one hand slowly up my chest to cover my heart like I had done to him, but he made sure to tease my nipple as his hand slid into place. Maverick pressed his lips to the same spot on my neck that I had just teased on him. “You didn’t deliberately touch my trigger zones knowing that my mind would switch from business to burying my dick inside you in an instant?”
