Page 32 of Reckless (Adventures in Love 3)
“Jade, look at me.”
“Just a second.” My eyes fill with tears. God, I do not want to cry right now, but this just keeps getting worse.
“Jade.” Margret rests her hand on my back.
“I’m okay,” I assure her as I hear some shuffling. Then I’m turned, arms wrap around me, and I’m held against a warm, hard chest.
“You’re not paying for this fucking meal,” Maverick growls, and I feel like an idiot when I can’t stop the tears that begin to fall from my eyes. “And please stop crying unless you want me to go track down that guy and kill him.”
“I’m not crying,” I lie, bringing my hand up between us and using the sleeve of my sweater to wipe away my tears.
“Let me look at you.” He wraps his fingers around my lower jaw, then pulls up, giving me no choice but to meet his gaze. “No more tears.” He uses his thumb to swipe under my eyes, and I let out a long breath, then put some space between us, because even if I really like the way it feels being so close to him, I know that I shouldn’t.
“We should all go to the bar and have a drink,” Margret says, and I turn toward her.
“Thank you for the offer, but I think I’m just going to go home. I would love to get together another time, though.”
“We’ll plan it, and maybe Everly and Cybil can join us. We’ll have a girls’ night; the guys can all hang out and watch the kids.”
“I would love that,” I tell her, then look at the waitress when she comes back to the table carrying a plastic bag.
“Your check was taken care of,” she tells me, and I blink at her. “The guy who you were here with called in and paid for it.”
“Good to know he’s not a complete scumbag,” Margret mutters, scooting out of the booth.
“Did he leave you a tip?” I ask her as I stand and put on my coat.
“He did,” she assures me, then smiles, handing me the food, which I take with a quiet thank-you before I walk through the restaurant, feeling Maverick’s hand warm against my lower back and the heat from everyone watching us.
When we get outside, I look between Margret and Maverick, then hold out the bag of food. “I won’t eat this. Do either of you want it? I don’t want to throw it out.”
“I’ll take it.” Margret takes it from me with a soft look. “Mason will be happy to have something to eat when he gets off work.”
I pull my jacket tighter around me, then lift my bag up on my shoulder. “It was nice meeting you.”
“You too.” She leans in to give me a hug. “And if you need anything, get my number from Cybil.”
“I will.” I pull back, then look at Maverick, noticing his jaw is clenched. “See you around?” I ask, and he lifts his chin. “Cool.” I lift my hand and wiggle my fingers. “Have a good night, guys.” I turn and walk down the sidewalk, ignoring the sound of footsteps behind me.
“Jade,” Maverick calls when I’ve almost reached my car, and I start to dig in my bag for my key.
“Yeah.”
“Jade.”
“What?” I turn, and next thing I know, he’s in my space, his hand is wrapped around the back of my head, and he’s leaning into me, covering my mouth with his. The kiss feels almost punishing at first; then his tongue slides across my bottom lip. Instinctively my lips part, and his tongue slides across mine. I lift my hand to his side to hold on, and his fingers in my hair tighten. I’ve never been kissed like he’s kissing me, like he can’t get enough. I whimper, overwhelmed, and he growls in return, then rips his mouth away but keeps his face close to mine.
“Fuck, I knew that would happen,” he whispers, squeezing his eyes closed.
“What?” I whisper back with my heart pounding and my lips and scalp tingling.
“I knew that if I gave in to the urge I had to kiss you, that I would want to kiss you again,” he says, sounding pissed, and I stare at him, not sure how to respond. “I don’t feel right leaving Margret alone, so I’m going to walk her over to the bar, and once I know she’s good with Mason, I’ll head to your place.”
“Maverick.” I shake my head, not sure that that’s smart, and he gets closer, which seems impossible since we are pressed chest to chest.
“I’ll be thirty minutes behind you.” His eyes drop to my mouth, and his thumb skims across my bottom lip before he lets me go and steps back. “Get in your car.”
I do without a word. I hurry up and get into my car, then start the engine and back out of my spot, feeling his eyes on me the entire time.
