“Do you mind?” I stood up and faced him. “I could have been naked.”
“Wouldn’t have made a difference to me.” He tossed a small bag on the coffee table. It made a noticeable thud when it hit the wood. “I’m leaving in a few hours. Wanted you to have this.”
“What?” It was hard to look at him and not think about my back against the wall, my clit throbbing against his big dick. When my leg was anchored around his waist and our lips were locked together, I forgot who we were. In that moment, we were just a man and a woman. My panties had been soaked when I’d returned to my bedroom, and while I was humiliated by the way he rejected me, I’d still touched myself before I went to sleep.
Maverick was still hostile, like his vengeance hadn’t been enough for him. “Cash. Fake IDs and passports.”
I glanced at the cloth bag before I turned back to him. “And why do I need those?”
“In case I don’t come back.” He pulled a pistol out of his back pocket and handed it to me. “Know how to use this?”
I’d never held a gun in my life. “No.”
He showed me the safety before he set it down. “It’s loaded. Be careful.”
I didn’t want to live in a reality where I needed it. “You could just not leave and take the gun back.”
“I have to do this.” He was in jeans and a t-shirt like it was an ordinary day. It didn’t seem as though he would disappear into the night and kill his biggest enemy. His hard body stretched his clothes as they had the other night. It was hard to look at him and not picture him shirtless. “Even if I knew I was going to die, I would do it anyway.”
“I hope not…”
“She would do it for me.” He came closer to me, speaking to me like someone could be eavesdropping. “If I don’t make it back, take a car and disappear. These IDs should last you for a while. There’s enough cash for you to start over. But lay low—because people will be looking for you.”
“Please come back…” I didn’t realize how much I needed him until I was forced to think about my life without him. So far, I’d never felt insecure or afraid. He gave me everything I needed, took care of me the way my father took care of me. He’d become the foundation I’d built my new life on. I hated being here, but now I realized I really had no other choice. “Not just because I need you…but because I want you to come back.”
He watched me with unmoving eyes. His stare was so focused, it almost seemed like he didn’t hear what I said. “I’ll come back. A wolf won’t leave his sheep unprotected for long.” He moved back slightly.
“I thought the wolf ate the sheep…?” I crossed my arms over my chest, fear in my heart.
“I guess I’m not hungry yet.” He turned away and headed to the door.
I stared at his strong back, the muscles stretching his shirt in different places. It was almost seven in the evening, and the light was disappearing from the horizon. My stomach was full from dinner, and while I lived in a comfortable fortress where no one could bother me, I suddenly felt alone. I only had one man in my life—and he was leaving. “Maverick?”
Unlike last night, he actually stopped. He slowly turned around and looked at me, giving me the opportunity to say what was on my mind. But the offer was fleeting. He didn’t have the patience to wait long, especially when he was annoyed with me.
I came close to him, my fingers possessing the memory of his hard jaw. My lips still felt his. I could even imagine his hard dick against me. I did last night when my fingers were between my legs. But my attraction faded into the background when I was faced with the harsh reality of his absence. He was about to leave me—and he may not come back. I moved into his torso and wrapped my arms around his waist. My cheek found a home against his hard chest, and I closed my eyes, never wanting to let go. It was the first hug I’d ever given him, and the affection felt right. My feelings for him were so contradictory, like we were two survivors stranded on an island. We didn’t like each other, but we had to put aside our differences if we wanted to live.
He didn’t hug me back. His arms stayed by his sides as he allowed me to touch him.
“Please be careful…” I respected and hated this man at the same time. There were some days when I hated him more than liked him, but then the very next day, it would be the exact opposite. Every day was an adventure. But right now, I knew I wanted him to come back in one piece.