Page 107 of Maverick

I wrap my legs around him, pulling him closer as our kisses grow more heated. My fingers tangle in his hair, and he groans softly against my lips. The sound sends a jolt of electricity through me, and I arch into him, wanting - needing - to be closer. There is nothing better than having your partner moan for you. And Maverick's deep, sexy moan is the best.

Maverick's mouth leaves mine, trailing hot kisses along my jaw and down my neck. I tilt my head back, giving him better access as he nips and sucks at the sensitive skin there. A soft moan escapes me, and I feel him smile against my throat. "Hush now Cadence," he says against my skin. "We don't want to wake up Nan."

Nan? Nan who?

His hands roam my body, leaving trails of fire in their wake. I tug at his shirt, desperate to feel his skin against mine. Maverick obliges, quickly unbuttoning it and shrugging it off. What an accommodating man.

I run my hands over his chest, marveling at the feel of his taut muscles beneath my fingertips. Our lips meet again in one of thoseI want to be inside youkisses, tongues tangling as we explore each other. I hook my ankles behind his back, drawing him even closer, pressing him right where I want him. The friction between us is delicious, and I instinctively roll my hips, eliciting a deep groan from Maverick.

Right as he's about to make me very happy by slipping his hand under the hem of my shirt, we hear a door open down the hall. We spring apart, both of us breathing heavily. Maverick looks pained, his eyes still dark with desire.Me too.I want nothing more than to yank him back to me and watch him pull my front closure bra off with his teeth, but we stay apart, the moment shattered by the interruption.

My heart is racing, my cheeks are hot, and there's an ache deep at my core that is begging to be stroked. Maverick takes a deep breath, clearly trying to regain his composure. The tension stretches between us, thick and achy.

"I should..." Maverick starts, his voice husky. He clears his throat. "I should probably head to bed."

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. As he turns to leave, it takes every ounce of willpower I have not to call him back, tobeg him to stay. At this point, I don't even care that Nan's right down the hall. She loves to embarrass me about talk of her and Grandpa's sexual escapades, so why shouldn't I get mine?

Actually, scratch that.Knowing Nan, she'd want to give us tips.

So creepy.

God, everything is so big with him. There's no pastel, soft feelings, only bold, primary ones. It's not just physical attraction - though that's certainly part of it. It's the way he makes me laugh, how he supports me by taking over, then apologizing after. Maybe that should be a turn off, but it really isn't. I have to make too many decisions in my life, and shoulder a lot of responsibility. Having someone ready and willing to shoulder some of that burden is…amazing.

I slide off the counter on shaky legs, pressing a hand to my still-racing heart. Tonight was a close call, and part of me wonders what would have happened if Nan hadn't interrupted.

No. I don't wonder. I know. There's no way I would have stopped what was about to happen. All I want to do is follow him to his room, and continue what we started. It's only Nan's footsteps and a light cough that stop me.

With a sigh, I head to my own room, knowing sleep won't come easily tonight. My lips still tingle from Maverick's kisses, every inch of my skin is sensitized.

It's going to be a long night.

"Fuck, fuck fuck,"I mutter, pushing off the bed a few hours later. I am so fucked. Everything hurts. "Great idea Cady. You had to go and be a showoff, and now look at you." I shuffle to the bathroom, hunting for the ibuprofen I could have sworn I put there, and of course I can't find it.

I try to lie back down, attempting to stretch my legs, but a sharp pain shoots down my thigh. Groaning, I try to massage it out. Sparring was a mistake. A fun one, yeah, but still a mistake. Who did I think I was, back spin kicking and generally acting like I train every day. Stupid. Now I'm paying for it.

Massaging relieves the cramp, but all my muscles still ache, so I give up and slowly get out of bed, creeping toward the kitchen. It's been a couple of years since I did any workout like the one I did today. It felt good. It felt great, actually, in the moment. But sweet Baby Jesus, I'm paying for it now.

The kitchen is dark, and I squint as I turn on the little light over the stove. Where is that fucking Ibuprophen. It was a Costco sized bottle. It shouldn't be that hard to find. A pained sound escapes me as I go on my tiptoes to check the highest shelf, my calves burning with the effort.

"Cadence," Maverick's deep voice comes from behind me, startling me.

“Jesus. Fuck.” I turn to find him standing there in only his boxer briefs, his sculpted chest and abs on full display.So freaking yummy.His brow is furrowed with concern.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm good," I lie, giving him a smile that feels a lot more like a grimace, then attempt to drag my sorry ass back to my room. I only make it a step or two before my calf seizes up in an agonizing cramp. I lean down, grabbing it with a moan. "I lied. I'm so not good. I'm terrible. I'm old and decrepit. Just knock me over the head with Nan's rolling pin and put me out of my misery."

Maverick rushes to my side, dropping to his knees in front of me. "Fuck Cady. Please," he begs, his hands hovering near my leg. "Let me help." I look down at him, my breath catching in my throat. The sight of Maverick on his knees, his muscular frame coiled with concern, sends a jolt of electricity through me.

Just looking at him makes me feel better. His boxer briefs cling to his thighs, abs flexing as he leans into me. The air between us feels charged, and for a moment, I forget about the pain in my calf. My heart races, and I have to remind myself to breathe. It's hard to focus on anything but the fact that the most handsome man on the planet is mostly naked and kneeling in front of me.

And all I can think about is how badly I want him to hook his fingers in the waistband of my sleep shorts and yank them down.

Then I want him to do dirty, dirty things to me.

"Cadence. Please,"

Please what? Take my shorts off and lick me top to bottom? Another spasm goes through my calf and my sexy thoughts take a backseat to the pain.