Hopper: Why are you defiling my son?
I’m so glad he can laugh about that.
Another text comes in on my phone, also from Hopper. It’s a selfie of him covering Angela Lansbury’s eyes.
Before I can laugh or…I don’t know what…my phone buzzes again.
Another DM from a French-sounding company.
Mav looks over my shoulder. “Oof. Don’t work with them. They’re assholes.”
A new DM comes in, and his eyes light up. “Oh, you should totally go with her. New designer, totally got fucked over by one of the big houses, started her own brand, and now she’s really doing it.”
“I…”
“Seriously. Her menswear is—” He kisses his fingers.
“I…” I shake my head, reality setting in very, very quickly. “Maverick, I’m a detective. I have active cases, and…”
My words trail off as both of our phones begin to blow up.
Maverick grimaces. “Shit. I didn’t even think about that.”
“Can you take it down?”
“Right away.”
His thumbs fly across his phone screen, and seconds later, the post disappears.
Messages keep flying in.
“If you want, I can have Rami and Truett post a barbershop selfie to distract people.”
“Will that work?” I ask, chewing on a hangnail.
“People have the attention span of a goldfish, Booney,” he says, supremely confident. “Of course it’ll work.”
If anyone would know, he would.
Another text comes in from Joni. I hesitate, then open my messages.
Joni: Holy. Shit. How did I not know you were datingtheMaverick?
Joni: How long have you two been seeing each other?
Joni: Also…hawt. Why are you on the force when you could be pulling in money hand over fist?
Maverick looks over my shoulder. “She’s got a point.”
I pull my phone away. “I cannot believe you just did that.”
“Doesn’t look like you got in trouble.”
I open my mouth to protest, but he’s right.
And suddenly, it occurs to me that I’m the one who’s been living in a bubble. Maverick was this annoying kid, then this annoyingly handsome young man, then the guy I couldn’t stop thinking about, and now he’s the naked man in my bed.
He’s more than that, actually. Much, much more.
