Page 16 of Burly Biker of Misty Mountain

For years, my curves had been a target. I wished I could forget the disparaging nicknames that had eroded my confidence so badly throughout high school and college—Katie the Whale, Miss Porky Pig, Butterball McMann.

I wished I could allow myself to fully soak up Maverick’shey gorgeousinstead.

Those wounds wouldn’t vanish overnight though. Even with someone as sexy as Maverick telling me everything I wanted to hear. He treated me like a goddess, touched me like a man starved and he couldn’t get enough. I just couldn’t make myself actuallybelieveit yet.

From somewhere beneath the mountain of packing supplies on my kitchen table, I heard my phone ring. Digging around, I found my phone and glanced at the screen—Maverick. I blew out a breath to brace myself and answered it.

“Hi.”

“Hey, sweetheart. How do you feel about playing hooky?”

“What do you mean?” I replied.

“Since it’s Monday, I assume you’re working a nine-to-five gig that keeps you chained to a desk. God knows I’d go stir crazy in that lifestyle. So, I thought I’d take you away from it for the afternoon.”

“Actually, I run my own small business from my apartment. I do have a desk, but I’m not chained to it.”

Maverick hummed with a deliciously sinful rumble that never failed to make an empty ache bloom between my thighs.

“Wait. Don’t tell me. Let me guess. You’re a cam girl.”

I snorted a laugh of disbelief.

“Absolutely not.”

“Then you’re selling feet pics. I’m sure of it.”

“Maverick! No, not even close.”

I sank into a nearby chair, smiling like an idiot. I shouldn’t be hanging on his every word like this. Getting attached would mean heartbreak. Maverick had clearly stated right from the start that he wasn’t sticking around. Our arrangement wasn’t long term. So it wouldn’t lead to anything serious. Just because Iarousedhim, didn’t mean helovedme.

“Then I guess I’ll find out what line of work you’re in when I swing by to pick you up and take you away for the day,” Maverick said.

I surveyed the kitchen with dismay. Tea party kits were stacked on chairs, piled up on the counter. Boxes towered near the door, ready to be shipped out. I couldn’t really afford to take the day off.

On the other hand, Maverick said he wouldn’t be in town for long. Maybe I should seize the opportunity before it slipped through my fingers…

“My place is a mess actually,” I hedged.

“You’re talking to a biker, babe. I’ve slept in some pretty sketchy motels in my time. My favorite dive bar on Route 66 would make your skin crawl. Your mess won’t bother me.”

I still spent the next fifteen minutes frantically cleaning my apartment in a rush before the rumble of a motorcycle engine emanated from the street, signaling Maverick’s arrival. I hurried out to meet him.

“Where are we off to?” I asked.

“Not so fast, dove. I want to see this top secret business you’re operating from your apartment.”

I poked a finger in his chest, pushing him back.

“You can’t expect a girl to spill all her secrets right away.”

Maverick’s eyebrows shot up with a laugh of surprise.

“Oh, little kitten is learning how to play coy. I could pry it out of you if I really wanted to.”

He crowded closer, towering over me with his broad shoulders and smoldering dark eyes. My heart leaped into my throat.

I was proud of my shop and how much it had grown over the years, but the prospect of telling Maverick about it made me feel silly for some reason. Maybe because he was older than me, more experienced in everything life had to offer. Talking about tea parties only highlighted how much younger I was compared to him.

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