Page 12 of You Saw the Best In Me

I pull down the bottle of tequila and two glasses before noticing I’m in an oversized shirt and a lacy blue thong. Perfect.

“I’ll be right back. Pour me a double,” I say, rushing to my room to put on a pair of shorts.

Embarrassment - 3 Me - 0

If we’re keeping score, and right now, I’m seriously losing.

“Alright, broody, tell me what’s got you at my door this late,” I say, throwing my drink back.

“No lime this time?” he asks, and I shake my head.

“Rough night. I’ve been drinking so long that it tastes like water. Don’t answer my question with a question,” I counter, and he takes his shot, chasing it with a slice of lime.

We stand at my kitchen island, leaning on the counter, looking into each other’s eyes, and the dim lighting makes his dirty blonde hair look like the perfect handle if his head was between my legs.

God, I’m so tipsy my mind immediately runs to filthy places.

I attempt to keep my emotions and thoughts from showing on my face by giving Maverick my full attention.

“I can’t sleep. Too much on my mind,” he says, and his eyes linger on my chest while he talks.

He’s at least a foot taller than me, and it’s self-evident when a man sees a pair of tits he can’t keep his eyes off.

“I know the feeling. Wanna sit?” I ask, grabbing the bottle and waving my hand toward the couch.

To my surprise, he follows and sits beside me.

“So, Karina, what’s keeping you up late at night?” he looks at me, those green eyes piercing a hole into my skin.

I’m unsure how to answer that because how can I trauma dump on a man who barely likes me as it is?

“Thoughts of the past,” I offer, hoping that answer will satisfy him.

“An ex-lover? You must be missing him hard to stay up this late, drinking alone,” he teases, and my body tenses.

“Quite the opposite,” I chug straight out of the bottle, forgoing the niceties of a shot glass and passing him the bottle.

There’s a silence between us as Maverick takes a sip out of the bottle, placing it on my brand-new coffee table, and I hand him a coaster.

“My turn. What’s got you at my door, in my apartment, so late?” I ask, muting the TV and turning my attention to him.

He shifts in his seat, taking another big sip from the bottle before turning straight at me.

“You,” he says, a deadpan look on his face that shows me he’s serious.

“What about me?” I say, leaning back and biting my lower lip.

I’m taking a risk, being this inviting, but with my clothes and the tension between us, it’s a wonder he hasn’t ripped them off yet.

“Everything. The tiny outfits you wear, the way you irritate me so fucking much that I want to rip my hair out. You might be too much for me, Karina,” he whispers, the confusion painted on his face.

“Is there something you’d like to do about that?” I ask, smirking as I turn up the heat.

He leans forward, our lips inches apart, and his eyes searching mine for any subtle form of consent.

I bite my lip again, challenging him to make the first move, and he read my mind because suddenly, he’s on top of me and kissing my neck.

“You were put here to tease me, kitten,” he whispers against my collarbone.