AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Stepping into the shower, I tip my head back, letting the hot water beat down on me. It eases my tense muscles, but the reminder of Maverick lives between my legs. There’s an ache there, a soreness I haven’t experienced in a long time.
Guilt swamps me for a moment, memories of words uttered in disgust floating through my mind before I shut them down. Grabbing my loofah, I scrub my body raw, washing away the remnants of the night before flicking the water off and wrapping my body in a warm fluffy towel.
My phone rings again as I step back into my room, the ringtone shrill as it penetrates my ears. Dad’s name flickers across the screen, so I answer, switching it to speaker and dropping it to my bed so I can get dressed.
“Hey, Little One,” he says with laughter in his voice, and my heart aches with missing him. “Are you ignoring your old man today?”
“Don’t be dramatic, I texted you.” I laugh, dropping my towel and shoving my legs into the black leggings.
“Yeah, well, I don’t have the time to wait for my daughter to call me back today, since you’re getting very lax in that department.”
“Am not,” I gripe, tugging my gray sweater on before perching on the edge of my bed. I grab my phone, turn the speaker off, and press it to my ear.
“Uh-huh. Anyway, guess where I am right now?”
My heart flutters at his teasing tone, anticipation flooding me. “If this is some stupid dad joke and you’re not where I think you are, I’m going to disown you.”
“Would I ever do that?”
“Yes,” I deadpan. “All the time.”
His laughter fills my ear, melodic and full of joy. Before he says something else, my bedroom door opens and Maisie steps inside. She nods when I gesture to the phone, leaning against my drawers with her arms crossed over her chest.
Her eyes glitter with amusement, her lips pursed as she runs her gaze over me, and I know that she will have a lot to say when I give her the chance.
“Well, not today,” Dad says, and a squeal escapes me as I jump up, grabbing my keys and Maisie’s hand. “I’m outside your dorm, so if you come find your old man, I’ll take you out for breakfast and we can catch up, okay?”
“Fuck yes—”
“Language, Little One,” he chides, but there’s no heat behind his words, and I roll my eyes, slamming my dorm shut and tugging Maisie down the hall. “I’ll see you in a minute.”
The line goes dead, and I remove the phone from my ear, rushing down the stairs. Thankfully my friend makes no comment, just follows along without complaint as we make our way outside.
A familiar Range Rover sits at the curb, the engine idling, but it’s the man leaning against it that my attention draws in on. His arms hang limp at his sides, the short-sleeved Metallica shirt showcasing the tattoos covering both his arms and the ink that crawls over his neck.
Maisie blows out an appreciative whistle, and I roll my eyes, letting go of her hand and running the final steps. Dad catches me, hauling me against his chest as his arms fold around my back and my legs wrap around him.
His light-brown hair tickles my cheek as he presses a kiss to my head, holding me to him. Squeezing him tight, I breathe him in. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” He slowly lowers me down, and my lips tremble as he smiles at me. He shakes his head, throwing his arm over my shoulder and tucking me into his side. “None of that. We’ve had too many tears over the years. Today I just want to see that beautiful smile of yours again.”
Blinking away the dampness, I guide him over to where Maisie waits, her mouth gaping as she takes in my dad. She’s seen him through video call, but I can admit that in person, he’s something else.
At six foot six, he towers over most people. With his body covered in black-and-gray ink, his hair short and his face angular, he can be imposing at first glance. But he’s the biggest softie you could ever meet.
“Dad, this is Maisie.” She waves, speechless for possibly the first time in her entire life, but Dad releases me and pulls her in for a hug too. She chokes on a breath, and I don’t bother stopping the chuckle that bubbles out of me. “You’ll get used to him.”
Dad leans down, whispering something in her ear, and as he pulls away, her eyes grow misty. She nods, chewing her bottom lip as she glances at me before moving away and composing herself.
“What did you just say to her?” I narrow my eyes at Dad, pursing my lips, but he only mimics a zip at his mouth, shaking his head.
“Food,” he says, grabbing Maisie and me and pulling us toward his car. “And you can tell me all about this place and everything you’ve been getting up to.”
Maisie looks at me then, bemusement etched into her face, and my cheeks blister. Yeah, I don’t think I will be telling himeverythingtoday.
“Is it always like this with your dad?” Maisie asks when Dad leaves us to pay the bill. We’re in a small diner, empty plates piled in front of us, remnants of the feast Dad insisted we order.
Flicking my gaze over the patrons, I chuckle at the few who stare at Dad with gaping mouths and stars in their eyes.
