Breaking The Rules

Chapter 27 - Teaser

The motion on the TV flickered as the movie played on. The quick cuts caused anxiety to bubble up into my stomach as the last scenes of the movie began. Horror was not a genre I particularly liked. The tension, the jump scares, the gore––all of it was hard for me to digest. Not to mention the nightmares I would end up having.

Most of the night, before Maverick showed up, was spent peeking through parted fingers and covering half of my face with the fuzzy blanket I had dragged down from my room. In the back of my mind, I hoped I had seen enough because there was no way I was putting myself through this again.

I was curled up on the couch, my knees tucked under me and a blanket draped across my legs. Oliver was sprawled out lazily at the other end, oblivious to the tension building inside me. The knife-welding murder on screen was partly to blame. But for the most part, it was the overgrown, tattooed defenseman that was causing my heart to race.

Maverick's smooth bicep rippled under my palm as he fixed the blanket across his lap. With our bodies so close, I could feel the subtle shifts in his posture, the way his body angled just slightly toward mine. His presence was magnetic, and no matter how much I tried to concentrate on the screen, my thoughts kept drifting back to him. To the way his hand brushed against mine earlier. To the memory of his lips on my skin the other night.

The other women on campus knew what they were talking about.

Every inch of Maverick was magic. His hands, his lips, his tongue. In one night he was able to bring me to heights that Miles couldn't dream of reaching. The man was talented and his experience in the bedroom spoke for itself. The confidence Maverick carried around in his shoulders was justified. But there was also this attentive side I wasn't expecting. The way he was rough and gentle at the same time had my head spinning.

He was like a chocolate covered pretzel. The perfect combination of sweet and savory.

I nibbled on the inside of my cheek. The memories from the other night blocked out the sounds of shrieking coming from the otherside of the room. I wanted that feeling again. And I knew Maverick could give me that.

Before I could second-guess myself, my hand inched down his arm, slipping under the hem of his T-shirt. His skin was warm beneath my fingertips, the hard lines of his stomach flexing at my touch. My fingers trailed upward, exploring the ridges of his abs as my heart pounded in my chest.

Maverick turned his head toward me, his brows raised in a mix of amusement and curiosity. "If this is turning you on," he said, his voice low and teasing, "we might have to have a conversation."

An amused puff of air left my nose as I shook my head. Something similar to insecurity took hold of me and I continued to stare down at where my fingers disappeared beneath the soft cotton material, avoiding his eyes.

"It's not the movie," I admitted, pulling my hand back but not entirely removing it. "Having you sitting here...it had me thinking."

"Thinking, huh?" His tone was guttural, his attention fully on me now.

Heat rose to the back of my neck as I tried to formulate what I wanted to say. "The other night...I enjoyed myself."

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted it. Maverick's cocky smirk played at the corners of his mouth. Thankfully, he stayed silent, waiting for me to continue.

"There are other things," I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear me over the movie. "Other things that I'd like to experiment with. And I feel comfortable enough with you to...you know, be the one to show me."

The smirk that I hated so much faded and all of the sudden I was wishing for it to come back. Maverick's infuriating grin was replaced by a more serious expression as he leaned back, studying me.