Chapter 29

Maverick

The air was cool as I rode through the streets in search of Grace's soon-to-be ex, desperate to find the fucker and make him pay. All I wanted was to rip his fucking head off for everything he'd put Grace through, and for all that Sophie had to see and hear her mother endure. But I promised Grace, so I would try the easy way first, which meant getting him to sign papers saying he would stay the fuck away from Grace and Sophie forever. He wouldn't, of course, which meant I would get to do things the fun way. I mean, the hard way.

Two nights I'd been out late roaming the city streets between here and Vegas in search of that asshole. I knew he was out there somewhere, and I hoped that in tonight's case the third time would be the charm. This needed to end, because until it did, I couldn't make Grace mine for good, and with every day that passed, it was what I wanted more and more.

I checked out the unincorporated areas, the seedier side of Vegas that was packed with motel rooms by the hour, dealers, pimps, and the rest of the city's underbelly, and he was a goddamn ghost. No one had seen him and not even a few extra bucks opened up mouths or jogged memories.

I finally gave up around three and headed back home, where I crept inside quietly to avoid waking up the girls.

"You have to stop this." Grace's voice was quiet but strong. She stood a few feet from the door with her arms crossed and her beautiful face twisted into a scowl.

I kicked off my boots and faced her. "Stop what?"

She scoffed and shook her head, a hint of a crooked, joyless smile twisted her lips. "You know exactly what, Maverick. It's not healthy and it's not good for you. Or for me."

"Aw, honey, you worried about me?"

Instead of another smile, Grace's nostrils flared, and her jaw clenched. "This isn't funny, Dylan. Just stop, please."

"Again, stop what, Grace?" I ignored her use of my government name because I knew what she was doing.

"Look," she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I appreciate what you're doing or trying to do, really, I do. But don't. Please."

My brows tugged into a dark frown. "Why? Are you planning on going back to him? Do you think that's going make anything better?" The idea of her going back to that asshole, of sacrificing herself to stop him from doing any more damage made my chest ache and a red-hot anger build inside me.

"No, I'll run forever before I do that. I'm worried about you, riding all night and then spending all day at the clubhouse. It's not healthy, Maverick. You need sleep. Your body and your brain need to recharge."

Shit, she really was worried about me. "I'm going to sleep now."

"For what, three or four hours? We both know that's not enough."

"I've done more on less sleep."

She let out a frustrated sigh and closed the gap between us, taking my face in her hands. She held me close and small puffs of minty breath fanned across my face. It was the scent, the feel of home, because that's what Grace was to me. "You promised to keep Sophie safe."

My hands went to her hips and pulled her closer. "I promised to keep you safe too, remember?"

She nodded and pulled me down, so my forehead was pressed against hers. "I'm serious, Maverick. If something happens to you because you were trying to defend my honor, I couldn't live with myself. You need to sleep so you can make sure you and Sophie are safe. Exhausted and angry leads to poor decision making, and I need you at your best."

This woman was so fucking selfless it was hard to resist her, even more when she was worried about everyone but her damn self. She looked up at me with those pleading green eyes and I couldn't help myself. "You're too good to be true," I told her, and then claimed her mouth in a kiss that was so fiery and intense that my cock instantly came alive. I pulled her close because I needed her to feel what she did to me since I couldn't tell her.

Not yet.

Not until the problem of Trent was dealt with permanently.

Too soon, Grace pulled back and took my hands, leading me to my bedroom. My cock strained against my zipper with excitement that quickly died when she passed up the bed and guided me into the bathroom. Silently, she stripped me down, pushed me into the hot shower. "Don't linger," she ordered, and left the bathroom.

I smiled at her bossy tone. The woman I met at the club would never have ordered anyone to do anything, never mind a man. She was finding her spark, and it was sexy as hell to see her in protective mode. I ignored my aching cock because Grace was right about one thing, I was so fucking exhausted I was damn near dead on my feet. I stepped under the hot spray and scrubbed the day down the drain. Trent got to live another day and that shit burned me up inside, but tomorrow was a new day, and after a night of sleep, I would be revived and ready to try again.

I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my waist without drying, before I made my way back to my bedroom, where I was shocked to find Grace still there perched on the edge of my bed.

She smiled, and it was a sweet smile, the kind she'd gift to the man she loved if he was worthy. "I just wanted to make sure you didn't fall asleep in there." She pushed off the bed, and for the first time I noticed the purple smudges under her eyes.

"You haven't been sleeping."

"Neither have you," she accused.

"You've been staying up at night while I'm gone." It wasn't a question, the pink on her cheeks was answer enough.

"Okay, fine," she rolled her eyes, "I need sleep too."

I wrapped her in my arms and squeezed tight before turning her towards the bed. "Sleep. We can share the bed. No strings." Unless you want them laid unspoken between us.

"The bed sounds nice," she whispered, and crawled up to the middle. "Which side is yours?"

I cocked a brow. "You don't remember?"

She shrugged. "I remember we fell asleep tangled up together, so it was kind of hard to tell."

My cock reminded me that he was still there, ready and waiting to play. "Grace…" I turned away to grab a pair of boxers for the night.

I slipped into bed and curled my body around hers, waiting for her to pull away. Instead, she snuggled in deeper, nestling her ass right up against my still hard cock. "This is nice," she sighed. And wiggled.

And then wiggled some more.

"Grace." My hands went to her hips to still them, but the damn things had a mind of their own and pulled her closer. Fuck it. I leaned forward and kissed that silky strip of skin between her shoulder and neck.

She moaned.

All my good intentions flew out the window at that sound and my hands went to her tits, massaging and kneading them, pinching her already hard nipples. "Fuck, Grace."

"Yes, Maverick. Yes." She tilted her head back against my shoulder and arched into my touch. "I need you. Now."

"That's all I needed to hear," I whispered in her ear.

She shoved her pajamas down her legs, leaving her bare and eager. "Maverick, please."

I made my boxers disappear, gripping her hip with one hand and fisting my cock with the other. I pushed between her thighs, and she lifted one leg to take me into her body. "Fuck," I moaned when I found her wet and hot as I sank into her. "You feel so good, Gracie."

"So do you. I want you, Maverick. Just you."

She cried out when I sank deep, gripping her tits, in my hands and pumping my hips in fast, hungry, desperate strokes. I needed her in a way I'd never let myself need a woman before, and I gave in to it.

"Harder," she moaned, and arched her back.

I rolled her onto her stomach, keeping my cock buried deep while I raised her ass high in the air and grabbed a handful of hair. "You good?"

"Better than good," she purred as her pussy clenched around me, wet and hot and so fucking good my spine tingled.

I pounded into her like a starved man, desperate to hear her cry my name. "Grace."

She growled her pleasure and pushed back, fucking my cock and making it hers. "So. So. Good."

I gripped her hair tighter and her pussy gripped me hungrily. She liked it. A lot judging by the way her pussy dripped down my cock and thighs.

She was close.

"Come on, Grace. Come all over my cock. Ride this dick until you come."

"Dirty," she panted, but my girl did what I said. She arched her back and rode my cock like she was a professional rodeo girl, taking me deeper with every stroke. "You're getting harder," she said, her voice full of surprise.

"You have that effect on him." I gripped her hair and her hips tighter, pumping harder and faster. "Come, Grace."

A few more strokes and she gave me exactly what I wanted. Her pussy clenched hard and her body shook as she exploded around me. A low moan escaped, and she snatched my orgasm straight from my spine, milking my cock dry. "Oh god, Maverick!" Her orgasm was endless, pulsating and convulsing. Her hips slowed but they didn't stop until her legs gave out. "Amazing."

I kissed down her spine, loving the way she shivered under me. "You are amazing." I kissed her again and rolled onto my back, reluctantly slipping from her body. "I hope that wasn't just for me."

She laughed and the sound was sweet and lyrical. Her green eyes opened on me. "No. That was for me too. For both of us. After the first time with you," she sighed and closed her eyes, "I never slept so well in my life."

"So you fucked me so we could get some sleep?"

"No, I did it so we could both come. The sleep is the sex cherry on top."

"Sex cherry?"

She laughed. "You know on top of the sex sundae." She laughed again and buried her face in my chest. "Hush and go to sleep."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good." She pressed a kiss to my chest, snuggled in close, and minutes later her breathing was soft and even.

Meanwhile, my mind raced because that wasn't just hot, it unleashed something unexpected. I knew I felt something for Grace, but this was different. The hot sex, the way she asked for what she wanted, the way she smiled up at me when she admitted she'd slept perfectly after the first time I fucked her.

I needed to find Trent.

Immediately.