I slam my fork down. “NO!”
She narrows her eyes, pointing the bacon at me. “You paused too long.”
“I paused because I was CHOKING,” I snap, but she’s already smirking.
Maverick leans back in his chair, arms crossed, looking smug as hell. “Wouldn’t complain if you were. It’d be so fucking hot watching you waddle around with my kid.”
I gape at him. “HUH?”
Carter slams his coffee mug down hard enough to rattle the table. “For fuck’s sake.”
Catalina beams at him, completely unbothered. “Relax, daddy, I’m just saying. They’ve got the newly reconciled glow, and they’re for real married now. Don’t act like you weren’t crawling all over me after our first big fight.”
Oh my God, did she call him daddy? That’s fucked in so many ways.
Carter levels her with a glare, then kisses her anyway, shutting her up in the most Carter way possible.
Maverick gags dramatically, shoving his plate away. “I swear to God, if you two keep slobbering in my kitchen, I’m moving.”
I bury my face in my hands, half laughing, half mortified. “Why do I hang out with any of you?”
“Because we’re family,” Catalina says sweetly, licking syrup off her finger. “And because I’ll be the coolest aunt your kids ever have.”
“You’re staring again,”he says, his grin spreading.
I don’t look away this time. “Maybe I like what I see.”
His head whips toward me like he’s not sure he heard right. His grin falters into something softer, almost stunned. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I whisper, squeezing his hand. “You’re… good, Maverick. Better than I ever thought I’d get.”
For once, he’s silent. Just driving, jaw clenched, histhroat bobbing as if he’s swallowing hard. Then he brings my hand to his lips and kisses it gently.
“Dollface…” His voice is low, rougher than before. “You can’t just say shit like that while I’m driving. You’re gonna make me crash.”
I smile, leaning closer until my shoulder brushes his. “Guess you’ll just have to keep both hands on the wheel, quarterback.”
He laughs, shaking his head, but there’s something in his eyes when he glances at me, soft, worshipful, like I hung the damn stars.
And for once, I let him look. I don’t shy away, don’t cover it with sarcasm. I just let him see me the way he’s always wanted to.
Maverick’s hand never leaves mine. His thumb maintains a steady rhythm over my skin, grounding me, as if he’s memorizing me through touch alone. Every now and then, he lifts my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles, the heel of my palm, and even the inside of my wrist until I feel warm all over.
“Tell me something,” he says after a stretch of silence, voice warm but curious.
“Like what?”
He shrugs, a grin tugging at his mouth. “Something small. Something you don’t tell anybody else.”
I hesitate, chewing on my lip, but the truth slips free before I can stop it. “I hate falling asleep without you.”
His head tips slightly, surprise flickering across his face. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I whisper, eyes on the passing fields. My voice feels too raw, but I force it out anyway. “Because since laying next to you… I don’t have nightmares anymore.”
I finally glance at him. His knuckles are white on thewheel, but his eyes are soft, glinting in the sunlight. Like my words just knocked the wind out of him.
He exhales slowly, dragging our joined hands to his mouth. He kisses the back of mine, once, twice. “Dollface…” His voice breaks a little. “You don’t know what that does to me. Knowing I can give you that.”
