“What the hell does that mean?” I demanded with a frown. He only laughed in response. I repeated, “What the hell does that mean?”
“You have a look about you,” he retorted, gesturing to all of me with his cigarette. “You scream prim and proper. The Royal Prince of Wilde Bay isn’t running around with kinky secrets.”
I let out a disgusted sound.The Royal Prince of Wilde Bay.I hated that nickname. It wasn’t my fault that my family had more money than most of Wilde Bay. That didn’t matter with more than half of my classmates, who used the nickname like a taunt.
Wilde Bay was mostly a heavy tourist town. Most of its residents were lower and middle class. Hell, even the town was divided as such. It centered on the lake and the big hot spots likeThe BoathouseandDriftwood Paradise, but the division in the class was clear, with its trailer park, small starter-house streets, and nicer subdivisions.
And then there were the vacation areas, where the houses were worth millions, like the one I lived in. We’d made Wilde Bay our home. My father spent a lot of time going back and forthbetween here and the city, but my mother and I were here year-round. My father had been raised here, and his father before him, and so on.
But we were a rarity. Most of the vacation homes were vacant except during the summer months and on holidays. For the rest of the year, they sat empty. I was aware that most people in Wilde Bay resented the wealthy homeowners because of their impact on real estate values. My mother had opinions about their opinions.
As the only person who lived up that way, my classmates had made it clear what they thought of me. Not to mention, my mother’s refusal to let me socialize with people she deemed beneath us made it all the harder for me to fit in. I’d all but given up trying.
“Smoke?” Maverick held out the cigarette, one brow arched. I took a long moment to stare at him, taking in the sharp contours in his face and how they contrasted the soft curve in his nose. Uneven stubble traced his jawline and scattered over his cheeks and upper lip, like he was trying—and failing—to grow a beard. Would it fill in one day and match the fullness of his brows, or would he forever be stuck with that uneven awkwardness?
Thick lashes framed startlingly pretty blue-gray eyes, the kind that mirrored the moody skies over the lake behind our house. They spoke volumes, a lot more than he said. I was drawn to them, trying to read whatever he wasn’t saying.
Conventionally, he was attractive, even if he was an asshole. I could understand why someone would want to suck his dick. I wasn’t sure I could be one of those someones, but it made sense why someone else would.
Granted, I’d never thought about sucking anyone’s dick. I frowned.Why was I now?
“Are you going to keep undressing me with your eyes, princess, or take the damn cigarette?” Maverick asked.
“I’m not…” I faltered. I couldn’t just announce that I was having thoughts about what I’d seen him doing. Instead, I grabbed the cigarette from him. Was it dumb? Absolutely. But I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was out of my element around Maverick.
I took a deep inhale of it, letting smoke fill my lungs.Bad idea.The cough it elicited was visceral. I doubled over as I coughed until my throat was raw and my eyes watered with tears. Next to me, Maverick just laughed all over again and took back the cigarette.
“Why?” I rasped.Why would anyone smoke those damn things?
“It’s not a go big or go home kind of thing,” Maverick told me. He grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me against his side. “Small drag next time, princess. Don’t want you dying now, do we?”
“Nope!” I squeaked out, only making him laugh all the harder. I didn’t like this game. I cleared my throat with hopes I’d sound less pathetic. “I’m good. No more.”
“Yeah, I figured that,” he replied. “C’mon.”
As he started across the baseball field, I ducked and twisted out of his hold.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“I thought that part was obvious.”
“It’s not.”
“We’re ditching school,” Maverick said, and my jaw went slack.Ditching school?That was a horrible idea. He stopped, scrutinizing me all over again. That expression on his face made me uncomfortable, as if he could see right through me. I didn’t like that. “Do you always do what you’re told?”
“Usually.”Always. I had to. It was the only way to survive.
“Yeah, I thought as much.” He nodded slowly. “Well, your loss.”
He resumed his trek across the field, leaving me standing there, just staring after him.What the fuck?
“Hey!” I called out as I hurried after him. “Where are you going?”
“Lunch,” he answered as if it was just that simple, except lunch wasn’t for another hour. “Don’t get inside your head now, princess. I can eat whenever I damn well please.”
“Technically, yes, but—”
“Do you plan to live your entire life doing what everyone tells you to?” Maverick cut me off, pausing once more to stare at me. “Or do you plan to grow a pair and live however the fuck you want?”
