A gust of wind blew her hair across her face. He leaned over and tucked it behind her ear. Then, he grasped her chin and gave her a gentle squeeze. “You look beautiful, Carlyle.”
Calling her by her real name always elicited a smile. He loved how her eyes crinkled at the corners.
“Your homecoming deserved more than sweats.” She smiled. “I’m a Desiree original.”
Her sweet expression reminded him of happier times. Playing together on the jungle gym. Racing each other around the playground or down the street in their neighborhood. The mud fights and all the times his mom would invite her to stay for dinner or for family sleepovers.
Carly never liked being at home. She considered his home hers. His family was hers, too.
Tonight, however, he was grateful they weren’t related because he wanted to do some dirty, filthy things with her. Easy, brother.
He needed to keep her in the friend zone. Wanted to ensure that they always stayed connected to each other. Losing her would kill him. But things had shifted between them. And because Maverick had one direction—forward—he couldn’t turn back time and he couldn’t erase the jarring, erotic image of her.
He wished he could exorcise it so he could focus on the woman—or women—he’d be hooking up with when the party was over. If there was anything that grounded him, it was a hard run, an adrenaline-pumping, balls-to-the-wall mission, and a good romp with an eager partner.
His gaze floated over Carly’s face. She raised her eyebrows, took a swig of beer. Those full, glossy lips surrounded the rim of the bottle and a groan Maverick couldn’t stop escaped his lips.
I want her. And only her.
The waiter delivered their beers, along with a giant plate of nachos smothered in ground beef and melted cheese. “My apologies, Maverick, sir. Your brother pointed out that you’re in my section. I’ll be right back with your plates.” The server darted off.
“At least I’m not the only one having a rough night,” Maverick said.
“Ash, I’m sorry you saw me last night. We need to get past it. It was no big deal.”
“How was that no big deal?”
“It just wasn’t.” She shrugged, then nibbled on a tortilla chip. “I don’t ask you about your sex life. Don’t want to know. And I sure as hell am not going to chat about mine.”
“Why not?” he boomed. Most everyone outside glanced in his direction, so he lowered his voice. “It’s way more interesting than mine.”
She pursed her lips. Carly speak for “conversation over”.
The waiter jetted over with place settings. Maverick tossed back a mouthful of beer, then shoved a chip loaded with meat and cheese into his mouth. She said nothing while he chewed, but those piercing eyes were doing a number on him. That woman could see into his soul.
“I had no idea you were into kink,” he said, breaking the silence. “It was sexy as hell. Seeing you like that turned me on and pissed me off.” The truth spilled out without censor. Not one to hold back, he hadn’t planned on putting it all out there quite so soon.
The air grew thick with tension, the need burning a trail to his hardening cock. He wanted something he shouldn’t want, with someone he could never have. Because Carly was not a one-and-done kinda gal. If they crossed that line, there would be no going back. But the biggest reason was Maverick’s refusal to give his heart away.
His broken heart had finally mended, but it wasn’t whole and never would be. He would stick with what he knew and what he did best. Casual screwing with women who couldn’t snare his love.
Only one woman held his heart and she was six feet under.
“Why are you angry?” She folded her hands in her lap. “You have sex and I’ve never said a word about it.”
Rather than answer her question, he tossed back more booze. It was one thing to assume her intimacy with faceless men, but a completely different thing to witness it. Truth was, he needed to be that man.
“I want things to go back to the way they were,” Carly continued. “I’ve missed you, Ash. I miss you more now and you’re sitting right in front of me.”
Acid churned in his stomach. He didn’t want to hurt her. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I saw you getting off with two men. So what, right?”
Reaching across the table, she squeezed his hand. “Exactly.”
Her soft touch sent streams of energy surging through him. His phone rang. Close friend and SEAL teammate, Enrique Rijado. Had Enrique driven up from Virginia Beach?
“Hey, bro!” He glanced around. “Are you here?”
“Maverick, it’s Julia, Enrique’s sister.” Her somber tone snagged his attention. “Can you talk?”
