Maverick (The Family Simon 3)

“Black?” she asked, loving the slow smile that spread across his sensual mouth.

“Good memory.”

“I try.”

She poured his cup and handed it to him and then placed the platter of food onto the bed, before grabbing her own cup of coffee.

“My mother would have a cow if she saw food on the bed,” Charlie said without thinking as she carefully sat beside Rick.

“Your mother.” He looked puzzled. “Does she…is she here in town?”

Shit, Charlie thought, taking a sip of coffee. Why in hell would she mention her mother? What good could come of that? She waited a few seconds, trying to think of the right words to say. How much should she share with a man she didn’t know as well as she would like, but a man who she was having sex with? Sure they were more than casual, but just what that ‘more’ was, she didn’t know.

So this is what it felt like to be right smack dab in the middle of complicated. She decided to be as honest as she could without baring her soul. She wasn’t ready for that. At least not yet.

“No, Elizabeth doesn’t live here or anywhere close to this state. My mother left us when Connor was barely a year old.”

“Wow, that’s rough. I’m real sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m not.”

Liar.

Rick took a sip of coffee and she stared at his long fingers. Good Lord the pleasure those fingers had given her. She blushed, thinking about the places they’d been.

“Do you keep in touch?” he asked.

“No. The last time I talked to her was when I left for college. I found an old letter in Dad’s stuff with a phone number and tried it on the off chance it worked. It did and we had the most awkward conversation of my life.”

“That’s real shitty.”

“I don’t even know where she is, to be honest with you. Last I heard she moved to Florida and married some land developer down there.” She bit her lip and tried to push back the ball of emotion gathering in her chest. “That was just after…”

Whew. She blew out a hot breath and glanced up at Rick. His eyes were suddenly way too serious. Way too intense. It made her nervous and panic fluttered inside her stomach.

“You don’t want to hear the sad story of Charlie Samuels.”

Rick leaned forward and she held her breath as his mouth slid over hers. It was nothing more than a gentle caress, but it brought tears to her eyes, and she blinked them away as fast as she could.

“I want to know your story, Charlie. I want to know about you and Connor. But I don’t want to pressure you or make you feel as if you need to share stuff that’s private and none of my business. Believe me, I know what it’s like to feel like you’re under a microscope. So if this is uncomfortable, then just tell me and I won’t ask.”

She studied him for a few seconds, her mind turning and turning. What were they doing? Did it matter? Did she need a label to confide in a guy who seemed genuinely interested?

“What do you want to know?” she asked softly, cradling her coffee cup, eyes on the dark liquid.

He studied her for a few seconds, that mouth that she loved curving into a grin. “What’s your favorite color?”

“Blue.”

“Mexican or Chinese.”

“Mexican.”

“Chips or chocolate.”

She laughed at that. “Easy. Chocolate all the way.”

“Huh.” He took a sip of coffee. “I know you like the Bruins, so we’ve got sports covered. What’s your favorite song?”