Page 26 of King of Pride

“You’re the one who brought it up.”

Rose’s cheeks burned.

“I just meant—”

“I know exactly what you meant.”

His voice dropped, the faintest hint of amusement entering it.

“And judging by that face, I think you remember a lot more than you’re willing to admit.”

Rose glared at him, mortified.

“It was from both sides. It wasn’t just one-sided. It’s not like I forced you into bed. You were equally participating.”

Maverick raised both eyebrows.

“Both sides? Really?”

His gaze remained fixed on her.

“Do you remember the night at all, or do I need to remind you again and re-create it right now?”

He looked down at her entire body as he said it, and Rose felt another shiver move through her.

Her memories surfaced all at once.

She remembered kissing him. She remembered moving against him, taking control, and running her hands over him. She remembered straddling him, refusing to let him move as she held his wrists against the bed and told him not to move as she rode his shaft. She had taken complete control of the moment, barely giving him a chance to react, as though she were a starving woman who had never experienced a man's touch before.

And, in a way, it had been true.

She had never experienced anything like that before.

And the man in front of her was the very man she had been having dark dreams about for several years.

That was why it hadn't been easy for her to keep her emotions under control when everything had suddenly become so intense. The line between her dreams and reality had blurred completely, made even hazier by the alcohol that had clouded her judgment.

Now, as she looked at him, Rose could barely breathe.

Heat rushed through her all over again, and her thoughts immediately drifted toward the image of his bare torso, his defined abs, and the body she had seen the night before.

Every nerve in her body seemed to come alive at the memory.

She had never felt such a powerful desire for anyone else in her life. Even when Maverick was fully dressed, he could make her feel things she had never experienced before.

Every memory of the previous night was still painfully vivid. The pleasure he had given her had been so intense that she knew she would never be able to forget it, no matter how hard she tried.

Her knees nearly weakened as the memories rushed through her again. Her legs trembled slightly, betraying the effect he still had on her.

Rose didn't say a word. She simply stared at him.

‘He's so hot.’ The thought came unbidden. ‘If my first time had to be with someone, there could never have been a better man than Maverick Bishop.’

Her gaze traveled from his face to his mouth. A hungry look crept into her eyes as she stared at his lips, her own parting slightly. Her throat felt dry, and for one reckless moment, she found herself leaning toward him, almost ready to kiss him again.

Maverick noticed.

His eyes dropped to her lips, lingering there for a long, heated second before slowly lifting back to her eyes. Something dark and hungry flickered across his face.