“Why does everyone keep saying that?”
“You weren’t here to see him when he came back from taking John Warren to Lily and Goliath. It was hard to see him like that,” she explained with tears filling her eyes.
“If going back there is going to be difficult for him, then having me there is only going to make it…” I started.
“No matter what is going on with him, having you there will only make it better. Now, stop worrying yourself to death about it and let’s get a move on. If I know Maverick, he’s already in the car ready to go.”
“Alright. Let’s do this,” I told her as I grabbed the handle of my suitcase, tugging it out the door.
She was right. Maverick was already waiting for me at the end of the hall. He didn’t say a word as I followed him out to the car. In fact, he didn’t say anything for the first four hours of the drive. He just drove with his hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. The tension just rolled off of him, making it hard to know what I should do or say. I decided that this was one of those times that I just needed to sit there with my mouth shut. There was no need to poke the bear with a stick, so I just tried to keep my attention focused on the scenery outside my window. There were a couple of times that I noticed him looking over in my direction, but he never said a word. I wished he would say something. Anything. I had so many questions, but I couldn’t work up the courage to ask him.
When I couldn’t stand it any longer, I finally said, “I’ve got to go to the bathroom, and maybe get something to eat?”
“It’s a long drive. We don’t have time for a bunch of stops, Henley,” he grumbled.
“I’m talking about five minutes, Maverick. I’ll make it quick. I promise,” I pleaded.
Pulling off the interstate, he murmured something under his breath. As soon as he put the car in park, I got out and raced towards the front door of the convenience store.
“Five minutes!” I heard Maverick shout as the door shut behind me.
I was tempted to take my time, but I was afraid he wouldn’t stop again if I didn’t hurry. I finished in the restroom, bought a couple of drinks and a handful of snacks, and I quickly grabbed my bag of goodies, heading back to the car. Maverick was waiting outside for me when I walked out.
“I got us some snacks.” I smiled, hoping to get some kind of reaction out of him.
“You planning on feeding an army with all that?”
“I wasn’t sure how long it would be before we stopped again.” He took a drink and a bag of chips from my hand as he started the car and pulled out onto the road.
Trying to make the best of the quiet time in the car, I used my phone to check my emails, send out a few text messages and finish reading my book. Every now and then, I would look over to check on Maverick, hoping that he might say something, tell me what was worrying him. But without fail, his attention was focused on the road, letting me know that he had no intention of talking to me. When the daunting silence got to be too much, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
I had no idea how long I’d been asleep when I felt myself being carefully lifted out of the car. Without opening my eyes, I knew Maverick was cradling me in his arms. The warmth of his body was too inviting, and I was too damn exhausted to protest. So, I rested my head on his shoulder and let him carry me to the room.
I couldn’t even remember him putting me in the bed, but I woke up the next morning with my head plastered on his bare chest. I slowly lifted myself up, trying my best not to wake him up and carefully eased myself onto the floor. I stopped at the edge of the bed, unable to keep my eyes from roaming over his chest, marveling at the beautiful artwork that marked his skin. It was the first time I’d seen the large tattoo across his broad chest, and my fingers twitched at my side, longing to reach out and touch him. My body yearned for him, overwhelming me with a desire like I’d never known before. I haven’t had much experience with men… just one real boyfriend since high school. After I caught him cheating on me with my best friend, I’d sworn off guys altogether and tried to focus on my studies. Until now, I hadn’t missed it. That spark, that desire to be with a man. I’d had my distractions with school and my family, and I was happy just being by myself. Now… it was different. Now, I wanted him.