12. Maverick

Maverick

One year ago, there’s no way I’d have thought I’d be spending my New Year’s Eve in Downtown Kansas City in a hole-in-the-wall bar. But here I am, and I can honestly say there isn’t anywhere else I’d rather be.

Watching Cooper as he interacts with the guests, so kind and bubbly, is like a drug. He’s wearing golden beads around his neck and a black paper top hat that’s painted with the words, New Year, and covered in glitter.

He looks cute as hell, with his tight jeans and black t-shirt with the bar’s logo on it. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him since Christmas night, when he stayed the night in my bed with my arms around him.

Hell, it’s been close to an obsession, and if I’m honest, I’ve jerked off more times to the thought of kissing him that night—actually touching him instead of chickening out—than I’m proud of.

But hey, I’m no saint.

Everyone who knows me knows that.

It’s like Cooper has embedded himself in my soul, and I don’t want him to leave. He waves at me when I walk through the door, and I make my way to him. He instantly pulls two of the many strings of beads from around his neck and places them around mine. “There. That’s much better.”

I chuckle. “Thanks.”

His smile is as bright as always. “No problem. I’m so glad you made it.”

“Me too.” I look around the bar and see David and George are here, sitting at one of the tables with wings and cocktails. And then I notice a familiar woman at the bar—dressed in a black dress and heels that should be illegal because how the hell did she not break her neck walking on those things?

There’s ice on the ground, for Christ’s sake.

“Maverick.”

“Jenny,” I say as my agent makes her way over to me, kissing me on the cheek and squeezing me in a barely there hug. The woman is made of steel. Rarely ever smiles and is the best sports agent out there.

I was lucky to land her, and I know it.

“Am I in trouble?”

She quirks a brow at me, and I can feel Cooper’s eyes on us, though he doesn’t say anything as Jenny crosses her arms over her ample chest. “No. You’re actually one of my least pain-in-the-ass clients.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I say, and I almost get a smile out of her.

“Look, I’ll make it quick because I’m supposed to be at Axel and Sebastian’s right now. But we need to talk.” She looks over at Cooper, who seems to be a little frozen—Jenny has that effect on people. “You need something, cutie pie?”

See? Even Jenny is entranced by Cooper.

“Oh no. I’m sorry. I just . . . I’ll be over there.” He points over at the bar but doesn’t actually move for a moment. That does pull an actual smile from Jenny before he heads back to the area behind the bar with a quick wave.

Jenny’s eyes move back to me. “Something going on with you and that sweetheart?”

“Sweetheart and cutie pie? You sure there’s not something going on between you two?”

She rolls her eyes, and then I get a very brief ghost of a smile from her. “Yeah right. I think he had to go over to the bar to wipe his cute little chin after drooling over you.”

I grin, unable to help myself, but then I shrug and try to play it cool. “Cooper is a flirt.”

She shrugs too, like she can’t be bothered to argue with me, and honestly, she probably couldn’t be. She wouldn’t care if there was anything going on between Cooper and me anyway—except maybe wanting to get ahead of it with the media.

“So, what’s up?”

“Have you seen the news?”

“About Pheobe and her new leading man?” I ask because yeah, it’s been everywhere. There’s no not seeing it, but I’m not sure why she felt the need to come down here to talk about it.

“So you do know?” I nod. “And you’re okay?”

I try not to laugh. Of course, I’m okay. Why the hell wouldn’t I be? “We’ve been apart for a while now. Honestly, I’m hoping this will get the hype off me, but that’s about it.”

She’s studying me carefully, that right brow of her raised. “Okay. Well, I just needed to make sure you weren’t feeling any of those pesky feelings that make men do stupid things.”

I laugh. “Why would I do anything stupid? I’m almost totally free.” And I mean that. Look, I loved Pheobe. I really did, but somewhere along the way, that love faded, and all I felt was bitterness about being trapped in the media circus that was her life.

It wasn’t fair to me or to her, and it was time to get out of it. She pats me on the shoulder, my puffy coat softening the feeling. Then she gives me a stern nod. “Okay. Good to know. I’m off to Sebastian and Axel’s then. You coming with?”

I look over at the bar and see that Cooper must have been looking this way, but he immediately snaps his gaze to something else. The smile that takes over my face nearly hurts my cheeks because it’s so big, and my agent definitely picks up on it because she pats me again and grabs her coat before heading for the door. “I’ll take that as a no.”

She waves at Cooper before taking off, and I make my way over to the bar, sitting down across from Coop.

“You didn’t want to go with her?”

“Nah,” I say easily because there was no question. I’m where I want to be, and it’s only twenty minutes until midnight.

“Oh.” He licks his lips nervously, and goddamn it, I can’t look away. Everything in me wants to kiss him. “And you’re really okay about Pheobe?” That pulls my attention away from his mouth for a moment.

I cock my head to the side and give him an amused smile. “Eavesdropping?”

He looks slightly sheepish and starts wiping down the already clean bar in front of him. “I mean, she talks really loud.”

Can’t argue with that, and I’m not bothered at all that Cooper heard the conversation. “Yes, I’m fine with Pheobe dating someone new. We aren’t together.”

“Right,” he says as he nods his head, but he doesn’t look convinced. “It’s just that you two were together for so long. You were the It couple.”

“I hated being part of an It couple,” I say honestly because it was the worst part of being with Pheobe.

“Oh,” he says quietly, but it still doesn’t seem to register with him. I’m sure that on the outside of celebrity, it looks pretty glamorous, and I know plenty who love that life—Pheobe was one of them. But it wasn’t for me—despite being a famous racer. That level of celebrity was just too damn much. “Okay.”

I don’t want to talk about Pheobe, so I try to switch the topic. “So it’s almost midnight. You ready for the new year?”

He nods exuberantly now. “Oh yeah. I love New Year’s Eve.”

I grin. “Any plans for a midnight kiss?” Why the hell did I just ask him that? I shouldn’t have. But it was like I couldn’t contain it.

His cheeks go rosy, and he gnaws on his bottom lip, not looking away from me for even one second to survey the crowded bar. “No,” he answers simply. Far too simply for Cooper.

I wait, our eyes locked, just waiting for him to say more. For him to let his mind wander and his mouth do the talking. But he’s still quiet, his pretty eyes locked on mine. He’s not wearing his glasses tonight, I notice. He must have contacts in.

“Well, maybe we can change that,” I say stupidly because no—I can’t. I don’t want him to kiss anyone else, and I absolutely cannot be the one to kiss him.

I can’t.

I won’t do it.

But as everyone watches the television in the bar, and we’re all crowded together with champagne glasses, counting down with the television, it’s like my brain clicks off when we all shout, “One!” and then, “Happy New Year!” Because I wrap my arm around his trim waist, without even thinking, and pull his tight little body against mine.

He gasps just as my mouth lowers to press against his. I mean to keep it a light, happy New-Year’s kiss, but as soon as his soft lips meet mine, I’m a goner.

There’s no denying that instant spark I feel. And before I know it, I’m holding his body even closer to me as I sweep my tongue into his warm mouth, his lips instantly parting for me.

His tongue answers mine and slides over it, kissing me back without any hesitation. His free hand moves to my hair and holds on tight as his rigid cock presses against my leg. There’s no way he doesn’t feel my erection—my cock is hard as steel in my jeans—trying to get more friction. My hips move involuntarily, grinding against him as we kiss.

All too soon, people around us are moving away to go back to their booths and the bar, breaking the moment. I pull back slightly to look at Cooper. His eyes are wide, his lips puffy and wet from our kiss.

He’s the most beautiful vision I’ve ever seen.

Neither of us move, except for him bringing his hand up, his fingers lightly touching his bottom lip, dragging over it, and his eyes still on me.

Well, this was an epic start to the New Year.