She had to control her breathing. It wasn’t that he liked her. She was just a part of his family now—the best friend of his sister-in-law, to be more precise. Without her giving him permission to be her escort, he was doing it anyway.
She would’ve thought the cool air from outside would be enough to calm her nerves and ease the buzz she was feeling, but the touch of his fingers in her hand as she moved down the street hoping to find a cab—which were nonexistent at the moment—was making her feel even more drunk.
She was afraid if she didn’t get away from this man really soon, she would most certainly do something she would surely regret. When she finally spotted the bright yellow cab, she rushed to the curb, Mav not letting go of her fingers as he stayed practically glued to her.
“How did you get down here?” she asked.
“My buddy picked me up,” he told her as the cab pulled over.
“Shouldn’t you go back in?” she said as he opened the door.
“Nope. They will figure it out.”
Of course they would figure it out. They would assume he’d found a girl to hook up with. It wasn’t unusual, or so she’d heard. The thought made her unusually sad. But it was just one more reason she couldn’t give in to how she felt about this man.
She wasn’t strong enough to have an affair with someone like Maverick Armstrong. Not anymore, she wasn’t.
Her fingers were trembling as she turned to tell him good-bye. But he followed her into the cab and gave the driver the address. He started the meter and they moved out into traffic.
Lindsey was silent as she turned and caught Maverick staring at her. The heat in his gaze had her throat tightening as she tried to suck in air. When his hand moved to her neck, the fire in his eyes only intensified. And then he was rubbing her cheek, and she was trying to remember all the reasons why this was such a bad, bad idea.
Her nipples hardened and her core grew wet and hot as she continued looking at Mav. She needed to pull away from him, scoot to the far edge of the seat, and forget this entire evening, but she couldn’t quite manage to do so.
“I should have done this months ago. I’ve given you too much time as it is.” That was her only warning before he pulled her tightly against his chest and then his head descended.
His kiss was exactly like she remembered from their one magical night together. It was full of confidence and ability, and any and all protests dried up as he turned the burning inside of her into a blazing inferno.
Somewhere in the back of Lindsey’s mind, she knew this needed to stop, but she couldn’t quite find the strength to pull away from him. His tongue learned her mouth, and she was just as greedy to reacquaint herself with him as she reached around his neck and clung to him.
Maverick’s hand slid across her hip, and then skimmed up her dress until he was squeezing her breast, making her nipples painfully erect as his palm brushed over the material. She wanted to be naked beneath him, feel his hands on bare skin. Everything else in her mind went blank except for this moment in the back of a cab with the only person who seemed to be able to reach her.
A crackling over the cab radio reminded Lindsey of exactly where she was. Mortified, she broke the connection of their kiss and pushed away from him just as they pulled up to the gate at Cooper’s driveway.
“I . . . uh . . . I . . .” She was at a total loss for words.
“Lindsey . . .” He began and then stopped. Regret seemed to shine in his eyes, but she wasn’t sure. He leaned over her and punched the code in for the gate to open. The cab driver said nothing as he made his way down the driveway.
Mav had him pull around to her cabin. Lindsey’s cheeks were burning. How much had the driver seen of what they’d been doing in his backseat? She didn’t even want to think about that.
Mav paid the driver and he turned around and left. Lindsey rushed to her front door, but her fingers were trembling too badly for her to be able to open it up. Mav took the keys from her and then the door was swinging open.
“I have to go,” she said as she tried pulling away from him.
“Invite me to come in with you,” he practically demanded as he tried to get close to her again.
“That’s so not going to happen,” she said, her head spinning as she fought with her desire for this man.
He frowned at her as he once again tried to get close. Damn, for one minute she wished she were someone else—someone who could do what she wanted and not live in fear of the consequences. She wished she could be reckless for just this one night. But she knew she couldn’t.
“Good night, Maverick. Thanks for getting me home.”
She didn’t give him a chance to respond, just slipped inside her door and quickly shut and locked it. Lindsey could swear she heard a thump against the wood—maybe his head hitting it, or maybe his fist—but then all was silent.
She stood there a while before almost sleepwalking to her bedroom to lie down, too tired to even change. She didn’t sleep well, though, not when her thoughts were filled with a sexy beast of a man who could have been there right then keeping her warm, who could make her forget her traumas of the previous year—who could make her feel whole again, if that were even possible.
It wasn’t worth it. She had to convince herself it was all in her head. If she let go of the tight fist of control she had on herself, she was afraid she would break. She was afraid she would never be the same again.
Maverick would make her feel better for the night—but then he would be gone. She was afraid that if she let him open her up, and then he didn’t truly like what he saw, she would see a monster in her reflection.