Breaking The Rules

Chapter 21 - Teaser

The last time I had let myself into Maverick's room unannounced was not one of my proudest moments. The embarrassment of witnessing him balls deep in another woman was a mental imagine I could have gone the rest of my life without. So instead of barging in, I stood in the darkened hallway, straining my ears for any little noise from the other side of his door.

If you found your way over to my room later on tonight, you wouldn't have to worry about leaving unsatisfied.

I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth, heart fluttering in my chest at his statement. My sock-clad toes rolled into the hardwood floors. There was so much I wanted to know––so much I wanted to explore. And I had the perfect candidate just across the hall.

In my physical relationship with Miles I had come to believe that I wasn't supposed to be satisfied all the time. Whether I took too long to finish or he needed a quick fix before he could go on for the rest of his day. I had realized that my sexual gratification didn't have equal value to a man's.

But the way Maverick was speaking to me earlier made me reconsider. What if everything I'd experienced before—the coldness, the selfishness, the emptiness—wasn't how it was supposed to be? What if there was more? Something better? When we'd talked about my ex and his failures, the way Maverick had looked at me—like he was daring me to find out what I'd been missing. Like he knew exactly how to show me.

Standing in a pair of Snoopy pajamas, my decision solidified in my mind. I didn't want to wonder anymore. I didn't want to keep questioning what it could be like, or if it would ever feel like more than a chore. I wanted to know. And I wanted Maverick to show me.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I raised my hand and knocked. My heart pounded in my chest. The house was silent. Each time my knuckles met the wood surface it was if I was beating the door down with a gavel. I turned my head to peer down the empty hallway, hoping that I didn't wake any of our other housemates. The last thing I needed was to explain to anyone why I was standing outside of Maverick's bedroom door in the early hours of the morning.

When it didn't open I raised my hand again, but the click of a door handle caused me to freeze.

The door creaked open, a thin beam of moonlight spilling into the hallway. Maverick's tall frame was on the other side, hair a mess across his forehead. I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling the weight of the decision I'd made. Even if I decided not to go through with anything, the idea that I'd have to explain to him why I was visiting at an ungodly hour was enough to make me sweat. But there was no turning back now.

"Everything okay?" Maverick asked, brushing the sleep from his eye.

"Could I come in?"

For a moment, he didn't move, just studied me, like he was making sure I wasn't sleepwalking my way over. Then, with a quiet hum, he stepped back, opening the door a few notches wider.

I gulped, stepping past him and into his room. A large bay window crossed the entirety of one of his bedroom walls. The culprit for how bright it was despite the time of night. Nothing compared to the dark void that was my room. I took a step closer towards his ruffled comforter, a sign that he had been in bed before I made my way over. Despite the pile of sheets and few knick-knacks on his night stand, his room was relatively organized.

I took another step, catching my reflection in the full-length mirror that was perched in the corner. The messy way I had pulled my curls up in a bun on the top of my head made me wince. Perhaps I should have spruced up a bit before making my way over here.

Maverick's almost black eyes tracked me from within the shadows of his room. "I doubt you decided that you wanted a room tour at three a.m.. What do you need, Celeste?"