“Shut up,” he said, pink sneaking into his cheeks. “You put effort in too.”
His gaze held mine as he tentatively put a hand on my forearm and stepped out of the house. He watched me, a wary expression on his face, as if he expected me to shake away his touch.
Fuck that. This was a date, and I planned to ace any test Maverick gave me. I leaned in and brushed a kiss against his smooth jaw. “Come on. Let’s get this dream date started.”
He breathed out a little laugh. “I’m going to be really let down if you take me to play mini-golf after all this anticipation.”
I took hold of his hand, noting it was a little damp—so Maverick was nervous too; good to know—and led him to my pickup.
“I know big macho trucks aren’t really your thing, but I can only work with what I’ve got.”
His gaze slid over me like a caress. “You’ve got more than your fair share to work with, I’d say.”
“Is that a compliment?” I teased. “Careful or I might fall over in shock.”
“Ha. Just assumed your ego would need a little stroking.”
He licked his bottom lip, and coupled with the innuendo, a heat unfurled in the core of me. Oh, he was playing with fire. Maybe we both were.
I reached past him to open the door, then watched his perky ass as he climbed in. I’d caught myself admiring it once or twice before—usually unsettled that my eyes had drifted to it in the first place.
Tonight was different, though. I was giving myself permission to stop resisting. This date was my chance to figure out what all these conflicting feelings were really about.
I closed the door behind him and jogged around the truck. I climbed into the driver’s seat and found Maverick attempting to peek into the picnic basket in the backseat of the extended cab.
“Eyes forward, you naughty boy. That’s a surprise.”
“A picnic, huh? Not bad. Although it’s going to be dark soon.”
“All part of my plan.”
I winked and started up the truck. While I reversed out of the lot and started down the street, Maverick fiddled with the hem of his shorts. “So, this date…Is it?—”
I waited for him to finish, but there were no more words. I glanced over. “Is it what?”
He swallowed. “Just tell me this isn’t some sort of prank.”
My heart lurched. Is that what he thought? That I’d go to all this trouble just to pull a fast one on him?
“We’ve both done our share of pranking,” he said. “But I really don’t want to look like a fool.”
I reached for his hand, lacing our fingers. “Mav, I’dnevergo that far. I know I kinda started our prank wars and all, but they were harmless fun, right?”
His hand tightened on mine. “It wasn’t always fun.”
Shit. Had I ruined this before it even started?
Not that I knew exactly what was I was trying to start. I was still a little out of my depth.
Maverick squeezed my fingers. “But I guess it was fun to see you lose your shit over those Man Whore signs all over your yard.”
I laughed. “You outdid yourself with that one. I was fuming for weeks.”
He grinned evilly. “You deserved it.”
I chuckled. “I don’t doubt it.”
We left city limits, and I took a left on a dirt road. Maverick leaned forward to peer out the windshield. “Where are you taking me, and will I still be alive come morning?”
