Page 19 of Holiday Flame
“Maverick,” Jade whispers now, all traces of her earlier good mood gone.
“Yeah,” I say, jaw clenched. “Isn’t that something?”
He practically growls. “I should?—”
“Mav,” Emerson says again, this time louder and brighter. “It must be pregnancy brain, but I completely forgot to get the meat for our dinner out of the freezer last night.”
He blinks in confusion. “Okay.”
She gives him a stern look. “Maybe you and Remington could go get it from the garage.”
He takes a deep breath through his nose. “Yeah. Okay. Let’s go to the garage.”
He pushes out of his chair and doesn’t wait for me to agree.
Wiping my mouth with the napkin in my lap, I set it on the table and rise. Jade grabs my arm to give me pause.
She’s staring up at me with wide eyes. “You don’t have to go with him.”
I look after Maverick and sigh. “Yeah, I think I do.”
“Okay.” She releases a breath. “Just… if he offers to show you his ax collection, say no.”
I give a short laugh and press a kiss to her forehead. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll be on guard.”
Jade doesn’t look completely convinced. She also probably doesn’t understand. We’ve caught Maverick off guard. He’s not a guy who takes too well to being surprised.
Once he has time to get used to the idea that we’re seeing each other, I’m sure he’ll come around.
At least, that’s what I’m going to keep telling myself until he tries showing me that ax collection.
I’m barely in the garage before Maverick turns on his heel to confront me. “What the fuck are you doing seducing my sister?”
“That isn’t what’s going on here.”
“Oh, it’s not? Then, obviously, I didn’t find you in her bed.”
Technically he found me outside her bedroom window, but it hardly seems like the time to mince words.
“I like your sister.” I take a deep breath. “While I’m coming clean, I should admit, the reason I proposed the bet?—”
“The bet you’ve lost.”
“I mean, technically I don’t know if I’ve lost.”
His eyes narrow. “What?”
“I mean, technically I haven’t had sex with anyone. Well, not with my penis.” When his eyes narrow even more, I take a step back. “That’s not the point. The point is, I proposed the bet for a reason.”
“You proposed it for a reason?” he says the words slowly, as if that will somehow help him understand what’s going on better.
But, clearly, I still have more explaining to do. Because I need him to understand.
“That’s right.” I nod. “I thought it might be a way to show you that I wasn’t the sex crazed maniac you all think I am. I thought if I spent the next month being serious with work and being a good friend to you and Jade, then?—”
“Then I’d think you were good enough for my little sister?”
“I know.” I shake my head. “I know it was a stupid plan. I should have come clean from the start.”