Page 64 of Escape To Paradise
I obliged. It was indeed naturally sweet and fresh. “Hmmm. It’s good.”
Maverick stared at me with what seemed like fondness. Then he noticed that I had noticed he was gazing at me.
“Well, time for me to take a quick shower,” Maverick said, looking away.
“You’re leaving me here? I prefer you stay,” I said. “Move closer. Let’s share this meal.”
He seemed hesitant to move closer, but he did. He was so close that I could hear his breathing. And he was breathing hard like he was nervous, shifting in his seat. I teased him by offering him another bite.
Maverick’s left leg started bouncing. I didn’t know I had that effect on him. It was distracting, to say the least, but I put my hand on it to stop it from moving. He looked at my hand on his leg. I studied his face as he looked at my hand and then at me.
“It’s too distracting. You have to learn how to relax, especially around me. I don’t bite.”
“I know.” His voice was hoarse.
“You’re such a peculiar man, Maverick.”
“Peculiar?” He seemed surprised. “Out of all the words you can use to describe me. You tell me, I’m peculiar?”
“Yes. Quirky. Unique. Hard-working. Talented. Gentlemanly. Good-looking,” I blurted out.
“You think I’m talented and good-looking?”
“Yes, of course. You are good-looking. You can literally get any woman you want with your charm and character. Not to mention your wit too.”
He looked down. Was he disappointed by what I said? I couldn’t tell. He was such a mysterious guy.
Maverick helped finish my breakfast for me; I kept feeding him the food. After breakfast, we put the plate and the glass away, then we each went our separate ways to take a shower. I had put on a white bikini top and bottom but covered the bikini bottom with short shorts. Then I put on a sheer kimono mesh. I wore Velcro sandals as it was good for both hiking and taking a swim; it was very versatile.
We met up in the living room. Maverick wore a colorful, button-down Hawaiian shirt and shorts. He was well toned but not super muscular like Julian.
We went to the parking area, where several vehicles were parked. We approached a red Land Rover. Maverick opened the doors, and I got in. It looked new and smelled good.
“Do you ever get to use this?” I asked.
“Rarely. I haven’t really used this thing in a while.”
“Do you ever get a day off?”
“Define a day off.”
Maverick said our first destination would be Concord Falls. It was going to involve hiking, swimming, and possibly jumping into the water. I wasn’t an outdoor person, but as a teenager, my mother did sign me up to swimming lessons and diving lessons. But I hadn’t done diving in a while.
The drive was thirty minutes. Maverick was respectful and didn’t push to turn on the music. I just wanted to put the windows down and listen to nature as I felt the breeze. There was something calming about the plush forest, the wildflowers, and the sound of the birds as we drove to our destination. When we got there, a dozen cars were already in the parking lot. From there, it was a twenty-minute walk to the falls.
Maverick had prepared for this trip. He had an ice chest in the trunk. He grabbed a water bottle, four protein bars, and an orange and placed them in his backpack. I had a small crossbody bag, which was enough to fit the bottle, the fruit and the protein bars. I also had a small towel with me.
There were cemented steps and a rail. After fifty steps, I was already short of breath and needed to stop. I always thought that Maverick was this unhealthy guy who stayed all night and didn’t exercise. Apparently, he exercised.
Once we got to the top, we saw the pool of water and the waterfalls, which was more than a fifty-foot drop. There were several people swimming at the shallow end of the pool but what I really wanted to do was to jump from the top. I placed my bag on a dry spot near the pool and took off my shorts.
Maverick placed his backpack next to my bag. He took off his shirt, revealing well-defined pecs and abs, which I didn’t expect at all. Maverick noticed me ogling him, so I averted my gaze. I grabbed his hand as I led him further up.
“You sure you want to jump?” He sounded nervous.
“I’m not afraid of heights, are you?”
“Not really. But that’s going to be a very high drop.”
