Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
I just don’t care.
~*~*~*~
“What the fuck happened?” Maverick asks when we’ve come to a stop at a quiet parking lot by the beach. “We couldn’t get in.”
Mal and Koda have pulled up beside us, and gotten off their bikes. I keep leaning against Maverick’s, still trying to catch my breath. That was the craziest, most insane thing I’ve ever done, but damn it felt good. It felt so good to just ... feel. Even if it was fear, and guilt, and adrenaline all mixed in one. It still felt amazing.
“My manager found out about you all, and decided she was going to stop you coming near me. She even took my phone. So, I took a runner tonight, which wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever done, because now your faces will be all over the news by morning.”
Mal snorts. “Won’t be the first time, sweetheart, and certainly won’t be the last. We’re always gettin’ bad attention, this ain’t goin’ to do us any harm. It’s you that’ll cop it.”
I shrug. “I’m not honestly worried about it. I’m good at what I do. I always follow the rules, but even I have my limits. I’m not going to spend the rest of my life locked in a hotel room and then shoved onto a stage. I’m tired of not having a say in how I’m allowed to feel, who I’m allowed to talk to and what I’m allowed to do.”
Koda nods, face tight. “Fuck that. I’d rather die than be tangled in those kinds of boundaries.”
Sometimes, so would I.
“You goin’ back tonight?” Maverick asks me, and I meet his eyes.
Something rushes through me, hard and deep, hitting me right in my core. Memories of the last time we were together flood my mind and I bite my bottom lip. His eyes drop to it, and I swear, you could cut the sexual tension with a damned knife.
“No,” I murmur. “No, I’m not. I don’t have a show now for another few days, I’m not going to spend that entire time on my bus.”
“Playin’ with fire, babe,” Maverick says, his voice so husky I shiver at the sound. “I fuckin’ like it.”
I swallow, and smile.
“Rented a cabin out of town,” Mal says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a set of keys. “Go there, have a night off. We’ve got business that will take up the night. You’re welcome to use it.”
He tosses the keys, and Maverick catches them, nodding with appreciation. I flush and Koda grins, and winks at me. It’s obvious exactly what they’re saying, even though none of them are saying it. Go and have alone time, we’ll leave you be and let you do whatever it is you want to do when you’re there.
“Appreciate it,” Maverick mutters. “Address?”
“Text it to you. We gotta be on our way. Got some leads. Talk to Scarlett, fill us in in the morning. Otherwise, enjoy your night. Don’t mess my fuckin’ sheets up.”
I blush so hard my cheeks burn, and Mal grins at me. “Be nice to him, darlin’, if you ride him, ride him slow.”
My mouth drops open, and the two men laugh, low and deep, and climb onto their bikes, disappearing into the night with an angry rumble in the darkness. I turn to Maverick, suddenly nervous, suddenly alone for the first time with no strings attached, no drama, no singing, no protection, just us. Maverick and me. For a whole night. To do whatever we want to do, with nothing holding us back.
My heart swells with anticipation.
“Let’s get rollin’ before you get cold.”
I nod, rubbing my arms. It is a little chilly, but that could be the sudden onset of nerves rushing through my body. I swallow and turn, facing the bike and waiting for Maverick to climb on. When he does I slip on behind him, shuffling close and leaning in, breathing in his smell and shivering at the thoughts that start invading my mind. Maverick is every woman’s fantasy, but he also holds a scary, uncertain edge that makes you wonder just what it is he might have up his sleeve.
I guess I’m about to find out.
~*~*~*~
The ride to the cabin takes just over half an hour once we get out of the city. I don’t mind. For a few minutes, I just close my eyes and take it all in, letting the weight of the world slip off my shoulders and bring me peace. I forget about my music and the trouble I’ll be in when morning comes and just focus on the here and now. Maverick, me, and the road. Nothing in my way. Nothing to hold me back.
Just us.
We arrive at the cabin, and the small outside light has been turned on. It isn’t too far into the deep woods behind it; in fact, it’s kind of sitting just off the road, so Maverick’s bike easily moves down the smooth dirt. It looks quaint, comfortable, and it makes me wonder why a biker would pick it. I guess for the privacy. They don’t seem like the overly social types. Maverick brings his bike to a stop, and I climb off, exhaling and tipping my head back, closing my eyes and breathing in the fresh air.