Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Me: So two friends can no longer hang out together WITH your girlfriend there? We did before, and she didn’t seem to have an issue with it.
Ben: Lily, I don’t want to argue about this. I told you at the wedding how Abby feels about you. Please don’t make me choose between the two of you. I love Abby, and I’ll always choose her.
My heart felt like it dropped to the floor.
Drawing in a deep breath, I started to type out my reply, then stopped. Instead, I set my phone on the coffee table and walked over to the TV and turned it on. At the moment, I couldn’t tell if I was upset about Ben being in love with Abby, or the fact that I was losing his friendship.
The last thing Maverick had been watching was Hulu. When it opened, I couldn’t help but smile. An episode of Only Murders in the Building was waiting to be finished. Deciding to go back to the beginning, I made a mental note where Maverick had left off and started on season one, episode one.
The sound of water running caused me to pop up from where I’d been lying down on the sofa. Then I heard a loud crash, and without thinking, I ran to the bathroom.
Throwing open the door, I let out a small yelp at the sight in front of me.
Maverick.
A naked Maverick, leaning against the wall.
“What are you doing?” I asked, rushing over to help him.
“It’s okay. I’m fine. I got dizzy and bumped into the small table next to the tub.”
Glancing down, I saw a bottle of what looked like soaking salts on the floor. Did Maverick like to take baths? It would make sense, especially if his muscles ached after a long day of work.
I shook my head. Was I really justifying why Maverick would soak in a tub with bath salts? Jesus, Lily.
“Let me help you get into the shower,” I said as I wrapped an arm around his waist to guide him. “You’re still weak. This is the first time you’ve been out of bed in days.”
He groaned, and I stopped moving. “Am I hurting you?”
“In more ways than one. Please, just let me go. I can get into the shower without your help.”
“Bullshit, Maverick. Forget your damn male pride for one second and let me help you into the stupid-ass shower, will you?”
He turned to look at me—then smiled. “You have a dirty mouth, Lil.”
My heart did a weird little trip over itself, and I wasn’t sure if it was from the nickname or the way he’d said the word dirty. How could he make one single word sound so sexual?
“Do you need me to help you bathe?”
“No!” he quickly said. “I’ve only got so much strength left in me, and the last thing I need is your hands on me.”
“Men,” I scoffed.
“That’s right. Men,” he replied as he got himself under the shower and motioned for me to shut the glass door. “And when a beautiful woman has her hands on your naked body, your mind gets taken over by only one part of your anatomy.”
I took a step back, and my gaze instantly went to his midsection. I covered my mouth with my hand, my eyes going wide.
He was big. Lord, he was big and beautiful.
“Lily,” he groaned. “Please don’t look at me like that. I’m already as weak as a newborn baby.”
Chewing on my lower lip, I glanced around the bathroom. Reaching for a towel, I put it on the hook right outside the shower. When I turned to see him running a bar of soap over his body, I had to reach for the wall to hold myself up.
Look away, Lily. Leave him alone and go watch TV.
“You think I’m beautiful?” I heard myself asking.
Maverick paused his motion but didn’t look at me. “I think I’m good, Lil. You can leave now. Just keep the door cracked, and if I get dizzy again or need help, I’ll call you.”
All I could do was nod. I turned to leave, and Maverick suddenly called out.
I stopped and looked back at him. The glass windows in the shower were starting to fog, but I could still see him. And just as I turned to leave, I heard him say almost under his breath, “Yes. I think you’re beautiful, Lily. Both inside and out.”
I didn’t know what to say to that without tearing up. All the years I’ve wanted to hear those same words from Ben, my best friend, and instead, I get an impersonal text from him reminding me that he’d always choose Abby. So I told Maverick the only thing I could say, “Th-thank you.”
I turned again and left, forcing myself not to look back. I mean, come on, I was only human, and my libido was telling me to get in that damn shower with Maverick.