“Oh.” I nodded slowly, heat flooding my face as understanding sank in.That made sense.It wasn’t fair to tease him like this and then just… stop. Not when his dick pulsed under me in a way that mirrored my own neediness. “What if I want to?”
He stilled underneath me, his fingers tightening slightly on my skin. His eyes searched mine as if trying to find the doubt I didn’t have.
“I’m not expecting anything, Harley,” he said. “That wasn’t why I said that.”
“I know.”And I did know that.Maverick was the last person to push his expectations and demands my way. No pressure, no games. But want burned through me, undeniable and untamable. “But what if I want to?”
“Do you?”
“Yes.” There wasn’t an ounce of doubt about my answer as I said it, the certainty a surprise even to me. I’d spent years numbly avoiding sex and anything related to it, and I hated how people responded to being rejected. But with Maverick, it was different. I knew I didn’t have to do anything, but I wanted to.Oh, how I wanted to.Every fiber of my body thrummed with an ache for him that I couldn’t explain.
“Are you sure?” he asked once more. Instead of answering, I leaned over and kissed him. My hands found his face as my tongue sought out his in a messy kiss that left me hungry for more. I dragged my teeth over his lower lip and ate up the raw moan he let out. “Fuck, princess.”
One arm snaked quickly around my waist, and I let out a yelp as he flipped us. The world spun, and the mattress dipped with the shift. Instant comfort washed over me at the sudden feel of his weight pinning me down. A whirlwind of excitement ignited low in my core as his cock rolled roughly against mine.He nipped at my jawline once before pushing off the bed with a grunt.
“Finish getting undressed,” Maverick ordered as he unbuttoned his jeans.
My pulse surged as I froze, and a flurry of conflicting emotions took root in my chest.Excitement. Worry. Anticipation. Fear.My mind did the one thing I hated: spiraled with a brand new slew of what-ifs that I couldn’t grasp onto.
What if I wasn’t any good at this?
What if it hurt?
What if I did something wrong?
What if he didn’t enjoy it?
What if he didn’t like me afterward?
The mini panic must’ve shown on my face because the minute he was naked, Maverick dropped back on the bed, his body covering mine. I welcomed the weight of his body all over again, but that didn’t stop my heart from surging into my throat. The press of his dick against my hip both excited me and scared me.
“Look at me, princess,” he whispered and waited until I did. He kissed me once, the slide of his mouth slow and sweet. “Good boy.”
I made a sound, something ridiculous and awkwardly uncomfortable. His lips brushed against my cheeks in gentle kisses.
“It’s okay to change your mind,” he said.
“I don’t… I don’t want to stop,” I replied quietly. “I just…”
Why was I struggling so hard to verbalize what I felt?Was this normal? Did everyone overthink everything so much?
“I get it,” he assured me. He continued planting kisses on every inch of my face, each one lingering a little longer than the last one. The simple affection overrode the anxiety building in me, and I melted under him. His mouth found mine, making memoan as his tongue slid past my lips. “Get out of your head for a minute, Harley. Don’t let your anxiety choose for you.”
He said it like it was so easy—like I could just turn it off at will.
“How?” I asked a little pathetically.
“Focus on me,” Maverick said, his tone soft. He kissed me once. Twice. Three times. “Get lost in me, princess.”
CHAPTER 31
harley
Itraced the lines of Maverick’s body with rapt attention, my fingertips gliding over the ridges of his abs. I memorized every curve and dip, the spattering of dark hair below his belly button, the way he shuddered when my fingers slid over his rib cage. I paid attention to every muscle that twitched under my fingers and how his skin prickled under the light touch of my nails. His mouth drifted down my neck, his breath hot against my skin and sending shivers down my spine. He was all hands,touching everywhere and anywhere—palms splayed across my chest, thumbs circling my nipples into tight peaks, nails skating down my sides, and fingers digging into my hips. He alternated between feather-light and rough touches.
Everything about him was all-consuming. His presence was overwhelming, clouding my senses in a way that made the world and my anxiety fade away—the pounding of my pulse in my ears drowned out by his low grunts and groans. I lost myself in him, and my mind was hazy with overload. The warmth of his mouth set my skin on fire as he made his way down my body, covering every inch of my torso in soft kisses and light bites. His palm stroked my throbbing length through my briefs. The friction of the fabric over my crown, combined with his firm touch, had my dick leaking. A wet spot bloomed sticky under his hand as my precum soaked through.
“Hips up,” he said, and I did. He made fast work of helping me out of my underwear. He kissed the curve of my hip as he fisted my length. His grip pumped slowly, teasing, and his thumb swiped over my slit and through the precum building there. “Have I told you… that you have such a pretty cock?”
