Page 109 of Maverick

I turn my head slightly, catching a glimpse of Maverick's face in the dim light. His eyes are dark, intense, fixed on where his hands meet my skin. He swallows hard, throat bobbing.

"Cady," he murmurs, his voice rough with barely contained desire.

We're on the precipice of something big.

And I am so here for it.

I roll onto my side, facing him, arm covering my breasts. He crouches lower until our faces are inches apart, our breathmingling. The air between us is thick with tension, every nerve in my body screaming for his touch.

Maverick's hand comes to rest on my hip, his thumb tracing small circles on the exposed skin of my side. There's nothing simple about the touch. It sends sparks of electricity through my body, and a small gasp escapes me.

We're teetering on the edge of something profound, both of us acutely aware of how easy it would be to give in to the desire that's been building between us for weeks. Maverick's eyes flick down to my lips, then back up to meet my gaze, silently asking for permission.

"Don't stop," I whisper.

36

MAVERICK

"Don't stop," Cadence whispers, her words hanging in the air between us.

My heart pounds in my chest, threatening to burst through my ribcage. Cadence's eyes, luminous in the moonlight, hold mine with an intensity that steals my breath.

I swallow hard, my thumb still tracing circles on her hip. Every point of contact between us feels like it's on fire.

She's fire.

"Cady," I murmur, my voice raspy. "Are you sure?" Please fuck, let her be sure, because I think I'm going to die if I don't get inside her.

Her smile widens as she stretches her arms above her head, arching her back and pressing those absolutely ripe breasts into my chest. "Honey, do I look unsure to you?"

It's a little hard to focus on her face, what with the most beautiful breasts I've ever half-seen just inches away, but I finally lock eyes with her, and see exactly what I hoped I would. Absolute certainty.

I lean in, closing the distance between us, and capture her lips with mine. The kiss is soft at first, tentative as if we'reboth afraid this might shatter if we move too quickly. But then Cadence sighs against my mouth, her hand coming up to cup my cheek, and I'm acutely aware that her breasts are pressing against the bare skin of my chest.

The floodgates open.

I pour everything I've been feeling into the kiss - all the longing, the admiration, the growing affection that's been building since the moment I first saw her. She meets me touch for touch, lick for lick, breath for breath.

My hand slides up from her hip to the small of her back, drawing her closer. The feel of her skin under my palm is intoxicating, soft and warm and perfect. I trace the curve of her spine, marveling at the way she arches into my touch.

My head spins and I feel like a kid walking through the gates at an amusement park, too excited to pick a direction.

We break apart, both gasping for air. I rest my forehead against hers, overwhelmed by the intensity of my emotions. "God, Cady," I breathe. "You're incredible."

She laughs softly, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. "You're not so bad yourself, Boss"

"Promise me you'll call me that again…later." As much as I don't want her thinking of me as her boss in the daytime, at night, I'm really fucking good with it.

I pull back slightly, drinking in the sight of her. Her hair is tousled, her lips swollen from our kisses, her cheeks flushed with desire. She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

"What?" she asks, a hint of self-consciousness creeping into her voice.

I shake my head, smiling. "Just admiring the view," I tell her honestly. "You're fucking stunning."

I lean in, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, then the tip of her nose, then finally her lips. This kiss is different from before - slower, deeper, filled with all the words I can't quite bring myselfto say yet. Not because I don't feel them, but because I won't risk scaring her away.

As we kiss, I slide onto the bed, throwing a leg over her hips. My legs brush along hers and I freeze, hovering over her, chest to chest. I break away, trailing kisses along her jaw and down her neck. She sighs, her fingers threading through my hair.