Page 94 of King of Pride

Maverick didn't answer immediately.

Rose looked up at him nervously, waiting.

He rarely went quiet around her. When he did, she never knew what was going through his mind.

Then his hand lifted.

His fingers curled gently around her chin, turning her face toward him as he stepped closer. Rose's breath caught as the distance between them disappeared, leaving them standing so close that she could feel the warmth of his body.

His gaze held hers.

“What exactly do you want, Mrs. Bishop?”

Rose swallowed.

Being this close to him always made it difficult to think clearly. She could feel the tension gathering in her body beneath his unwavering stare.

“I was thinking…” She hesitated before finally forcing the words out. “Maybe we shouldn't tell anyone about our relationship for now.”

Maverick's expression changed instantly.

The softness disappeared from his eyes.

For a moment, he simply stared at her, his jaw tightening as though she'd just asked him for something completely unreasonable.

Rose's confidence faltered.

“You… don't want to?”

He didn't answer.

His hand remained beneath her chin, but the displeasure in his expression was unmistakable.

Rose's heart sank.

“If that's the case…” She lowered her eyes, trying to hide her disappointment. “Then I'll ask another director at my father's company to take over the project.”

She looked back at him.

“That would be the only way I could continue working on it without everyone thinking I got the project because of you.”

Rose stepped away from him, creating a little distance between them before turning toward the door.

She had barely taken a step when Maverick caught her arm.

He pulled her back, and she stumbled against his chest, instinctively placing a hand against him to steady herself. His other hand settled around her arm, keeping her there as his gaze fixed on her.

“Why do we have to hide our relationship from everyone?” he asked. “What difference does it make whether people know or not?”

Rose stared at him, almost offended that he couldn't understand something that seemed so obvious to her.

“Of course it makes a difference.” Her voice rose with frustration. “Everyone is going to think I got this project because I'm your wife, not because I worked hard for it. Do you know how embarrassing that would be?”

She pulled her arm slightly, but he didn't let go.

“Do you know how many years it took me to get here? How long I worked before my father finally trusted me enough to put me in charge of an entire project?”

Maverick's eyes narrowed.