“Dove is taking us on a walk down memory lane.” She drops her head back to look up at him. “To a time when Maverick was obsessed with John Travolta.”
“John Travolta?” Owen’s face crinkles in confusion.
“I wasn’t obsessed with him,” I groan.
“Who’s John Travolta?” Maddie is on her knees. “I want to know!”
“I’m sorry.” Dove’s voice is quiet. “Are you really embarrassed?”
“Yeah, but I mean, I did it.” I rub the back of my neck, ready to face the music.
“Well, we all had our signature songs because of the pageants.” Dove explains. “And we all had choreography… Maverick decided he’d do ‘Greased Lightning,’ and he’d stand in front of the mirror and twirl his fingers in the front of his hair like this.”
She does an exaggerated version with her hand, flourishing all of her fingers before twisting them down in the middle of her forehead.
“Nice.” Gavin grins, nodding.
“I’d like to see that.” Owen laughs.
“You were so cute,” Haddy coos. “Do it for us now, Mav. Just one more time. Stand up and give us the ole Danny.”
Maddie’s nose wrinkles, and she looks from them to me to Dove. “I thought it was John?”
“Owen, how could you neglect your child’s education in this way?” I call to him. “Maddie needs to seeGrease.”
“Yeah, Daddy!” Maddie climbs onto her knees beside Gina on the couch, holding his hand. “I need to seeGrease!”
Gina puts a hand over her mouth, doing her best to hide her laugh.
“She’s not old enough to watch it.” His tone is quietly scolding, and he gives me one of hiscut it outlooks. “It’s gotadult content.”
“I need to see it, Daddy, and I want to see Uncle Maverick do the ole Danny!”
“You don’t even know what that means, Shortcake.” Owen tweaks her chin. “It’s bedtime. We need to let these guys rest.”
“Sorry.” Dove makes a sad panda face. “I didn’t mean to cause a problem.”
“You didn’t.” Gina hops up, giving her a hug. “If it makes you feel better, Owen, I saw it at her age, and all the dirty parts sailed right over my head.”
“Even with all thatstuffin the backseat of the car?” Haddy is on her feet, taking the baby from her cousin.
“I think Mom skipped over that part.” Gina walks with her to the door.
They hug and kiss goodnight. Haddy says she’ll be over in the morning, and surprisingly fast, it’s just the two of us.
Haddy said it took a week to get used to us all living together. I wonder how long it’ll take for me to get used to Dove in my house. I wonder if my imagination will ever stop drifting to her naked and wet when I hear the shower upstairs. If my ears will ever not tingle at the sound of her voice. If I’ll ever not perk up when she enters the room.
Dove turns to me, putting her hands behind her back. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t realize how tempting that position makes her. Her shirt stretches across her chest in a way that has me turning away.
Her personality hasn’t changed, but damn, her gorgeous body sure has. She’s still petite and tiny, but her breasts are round and full. Her skin is soft and dewy. She’s like a fucking peach. She literally makes my mouth water.
Her light-blonde hair is in a low ponytail at the side of her neck, and the ends hang in a curl that draws my eyes to the soft swells rising and falling with her breath.
Stop fucking staring at her breasts, Maverick.
“You might need a haircut to do your signature move now.” Her voice breaks the spell.
Light laughter is in her tone, and I register what she said. Reaching up, I catch my forefinger in the top of my hair, right in the center of my forehead and try to give it a twist.
