Page 55 of Reckless Hearts

The longer they suppress it, deny that they don’t hate each other as much as they claim, every confrontation between them stokes the flames, compressing the emotions that tie them together until the pressure becomes too much to bear.

How the hell did they end up this way? So blind to what’s happening right in front of them and what’s building under their own skin.

Heavy attention settles over me as Maverick takes me in. “What are you thinking about now?”

“What happened back then? What happened to make you stop being friends and turn into whatever this is?”

Maverick drops his head to my shoulder and groans, resigning to the fact that I won’t let this go. “We got into a fight before the last event of our rookie season.”

I twist my shoulders to look at him, eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “That’s not unusual.”

“Yeah, well, this time was. He was shoving my chest before our ride, telling me all about how he’s better than me. How I never thought he was good enough. That I’m just jealous because he was ahead of me in rank and was going to win Rookie of the Year. He was real fucking snarky about it too. I told him to have a good ride, and he told me not to choke. Bastard. When I heard he landed hard, I asked around. The guys said it was nothing major. Same shit as always. He had a shitty-ass ride, I won the Rookie of the Year trophy, and we’ve been like this ever since.”

I hum, processing the information. “Okay… so what happened next?”

“Nothing happened. I saw him two days later, and he iced me the fuck out. All I got from him was the middle finger and his back. He messed up his ride. It happens but I never thought he’d be that pissed at me for winning.”

I watch him, the way his jaw ticks, and he closes off his expression, making it clear I won’t get anything more out of him.

It’s official, boys are idiots. These two still have a lot to work through. Luckily, I’m here to help make that happen.

“Can you just drop it? It’s all in the past now. No use bringing it up. This is what it is… even if we’re sorta getting along now.”

That’s the first time one of them has admitted things might be changing, and warmth shimmers in my chest. They may think it’s all in the past, but I’m ready to dig all of that up.

I go to ask another question, but he whines. Literally whines to avoid it.

My mouth splits into a grin I can’t hold back because I’m about to cause so much trouble. The good kind though. Well, hopefully.

“Fuck. How fucked am I?” he groans, not even trying to talk me out of it.

Shrugging, my shoulder blades brush against his solid chest, and my ass shifts against the front of his jeans, heat washing over me, making me shiver.

He grunts, a pained sound, his fingers gripping my hip bones, holding me in place.

His attention pinpoints where my tongue wets my lips. “Oh, I’d say you’ll be really fucked.”

I’m pulled backward, his hard cock slotted against my ass, and he groans into my neck. A whimper escapes my lips, and I’m about to rock into him when Colt shouts, running across the dirt arena toward us.

“We done here?” Colt says, breathless. “I’ve got somewhere I’d like to take you. Somewhere I think you’ll like.”

Maverick stiffens behind me, a displeased rumble in the back of his throat.

Colt rolls his eyes at him. “Don’t worry, asshole. You can come too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah… we need his truck.”

That has me laughing, and I can just make out the subtle sound of Maverick’s chuckle.

They can try to hide it all they want. But I’m onto them.

What’s a little meddling for old time’s sake?

This is going to be fun.

Chapter 18

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