Page 63 of You Saw the Best In Me

“Do you have a deck of cards?” I ask, an idea forming.

“Maybe. Why?” he shifts to dig in his nightstand.

“Play a drinking game with me?” I smirk, and he pulls out a deck.

“Let the games begin, baby girl,” he teases, and I can’t get enough of how competitive we are.

He shuffles the cards, and I find two glasses in the kitchen, grabbing snacks, too.

I’m still wearing a t-shirt and panties, my hair tossed in a bun, and Maverick smiles at me like I’m dressed for a gala.

He looks me up and down, slightly biting his lip, and I’ve never felt more beautiful.

We polished off the bottle two hours later, tapped into the tequila, and were both drunk. I can’t stop laughing at Maverick, who can barely walk to the bathroom. He’s stumbling around, trying to steady himself, but I lose it when he falls flat on his face.

I’m embarrassingly close to peeing my pants, and I have to jump over him to get to the bathroom.

“Karina, you can’t leave me here,” he whines, still face down on the carpet.

I help him off the floor, and we crash onto his bed, laughing hysterically.

“Come on, Angel. Let’s cuddle,” I say, trying to move his body toward the middle of the bed.

Finally, he adjusts, wrapping his arms around me as I fit my ass right in the curve of his midsection.

I listen as his breathing evens out, signaling he fell asleep. Getting Maverick drunk is entertaining because usually, he’s so put together and in control, but all of that slips away when he hits his limit, and it’s a treat to watch.

He carries the weight of his family on his back, and it’s admirable, but he hasn’t made time for happiness beyond them since he was a teenager.

If I can break him out of that cycle, I feel like I’ll see the side he rarely lets loose more often.

Something new I learn tonight is that he talks in his sleep, and I hear him mumble something, but I can’t quite make out what he says. He snores slightly, and I feel butterflies in my belly thinking about the day we spent together.

Everything that’s happened between us has been at lightning speed and so intense that it’s borderline insanity, but at the same time it feels so ethereal.

MAVERICK

When I open my eyes, the weight of my hangover smacks me right in the face. I expect to feel Karina in bed with me, but her body isn’t against mine, and when I open my eyes, searching the room for her, I come up empty.

Panic takes over, and I rush around to find where she went.

My search ends quickly as I spot her on the couch, looking out the window, holding a coffee mug.

She’s still wearing my shirt, her hair is in that messy bun that I love, and she looks absolutely breathtaking.

Her natural beauty will never cease to amaze me.

She hasn’t noticed that I’m watching her, and I try not to startle her when I sit beside her, wrapping her in my arms.

“Good morning, Angel,” she leans her head back on my chest.

I smile at the thought of us doing this every morning and falling asleep together every night. I’ve never pictured a future with a woman, but it’s all possible with Karina, and then some.

“Ready for your shooting lessons?” I ask her, holding her tightly.

“Yeah, I’m a little nervous,” she admits.

“It’s okay. Once the nerves wear off, you’ll feel powerful. I promise,” I reassure her, kissing the top of her head.