Chapter 15
Maverick
I wasn’t in the mood to search for another hotel room, so I was relieved when Bishop gave me the okay to stay at the club tonight. He was already expecting me, but wasn’t aware that Henley had come along. After asking a hundred damn questions, he finally agreed to let us both stay. I didn’t blame him for being concerned. Bishop’s the president of the club, and he’d worked hard to protect his brothers and their families. Having Henley with me made him apprehensive, but I assured him we’d be gone as soon as I signed the adoption papers.
When I opened the door for Henley, I was surprised to see Courtney and Bobby sitting at the bar. I put my arm around Henley’s waist, nudging her forward. I hadn’t really had time to prepare her for Court, but I had a feeling she could hold her own.
“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Serious himself,” Courtney called out as we walked over to them. “It’s good to see you, stranger. Lily told us you were coming in tonight, but she didn’t say you were bringing your girlfriend.”
“It’s good to see you, Courtney. Been awhile. Have you been keeping yourself out of trouble?” I said, laughing.
“Always!” she replied, trying to sound defensive. She motioned her head over in my direction and said, “He’s a great guy. You know, once you get past all that broody moody stuff.” She extended her hand out to Henley and said, “I’m Courtney, and this is my fiancé, Bobby.”
Henley looked over to me, waiting for me to correct Courtney’s girlfriend comment from earlier, and when I didn’t, she said, “I’m Henley. It’s nice to meet you both, and I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who calls him out on his grim disposition.”
“Tell me about it. It takes an act of Congress just to get the man to smile,” Courtney laughed.
“Well, some things never change. Crack Nut, get your woman to behave,” I teased. “Mind if I grab a beer?”
“Brother, it looks like you could use more than one. Grab us both a couple,” he said, smiling.
I reached into the cooler, grabbing us each a beer, and then sat down next to Bobby. “Bishop still around?”
“He had to go check on Tessa. She’s had some trouble with the pregnancy, and they put her on bed rest for a couple of weeks. But before he left, he said for y’all to take one of the empty rooms. There’s one down the hall. Second door on your right.”
“Appreciate it,” I told him, before Courtney started rambling on. She talked nonstop about school, the wedding, and me. She hadn’t changed a bit since the last time I was here. When I had to lay low, the Devil Chasers opened their doors to me, on the condition that I helped them out with Courtney. They’d had some trouble with a rival MC club that was trying to come into their territory, and they’d needed me to keep an eye on her. It gave me a chance to get to know them all, and I got to spend some extra time with John Warren. When everything went to hell back at home with Tony and his thugs, I had to return. Fortunately, things with the DC’s were resolved shortly after I left.
Bobby and I listened to the girls carry on as we all drank several beers, and I was surprised that Henley never mentioned we weren’t a couple. Instead, she played along with the idea, letting them both think she was mine. Even telling Courtney all about the pranks she’d pulled over the past few weeks somehow made our relationship seem… real. They continued to talk and drink as Bobby told me about some of the new bikes they had been renovating, and how Gavin had been a great addition to their crew.
We’d been there talking for almost an hour, and we were all feeling the effects of the alcohol. It was good to see Courtney and Bobby again, and I was glad they were both doing so well. As Henley continued to talk, she nestled herself into the crook of my arm like it was something she had always done. Without thinking, I rested my hand on her hip and pulled her closer to me. It felt right having her there next to me, calming me, making me feel human for the first time in so long. She turned her head back to look at me, and when her eyes met mine, I couldn’t stop myself from leaning down and pressing my lips against hers. The feel of her mouth against mine made the blood rush to my cock, instantly fueling my need to have her—all of her. She slowly turned her body facing me, pressing her hips against my growing bulge. I traced her bottom lip with my tongue, and when she opened up to me, I completely forgot we weren’t alone.
We were still locked in our embrace when Bobby announced, “I think that’s our cue to head home, Court.” He laughed as he stood up to leave, taking Courtney by the hand and leading her toward the door.
“I’ll see you two love-birds tomorrow,” Courtney shouted just before the door closed behind them.
Henley placed her hands on my chest, pulling herself away just long enough to say, “Where’s our room?”
I didn’t hesitate, didn’t think about the consequences. I just took her hand and led her down the hall. As soon as I shut the door behind us, I said, “Are you sure about this?” I prayed she hadn’t changed her mind. I wanted her… craved her. Without me even realizing it, this woman had turned my world upside down and made me want… more.
“Absolutely,” she said as she lifted herself up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me closer as she pressed her lips against mine. The kiss instantly became heated, intensifying my need for her. I took several steps forward until Henley’s back was pressed against the wall. My hands slid down to her ass, lifting her off the floor as I ground my throbbing cock against her. Her legs instinctively made their way around my waist, and the heat of her body set me on fire. An overwhelming need to extinguish the burn had me struggling to contain my craving for her. I’d never wanted anyone as much I as wanted her in that moment. My lips left her mouth and slowly traveled down her long, slender neck. Henley moaned with pleasure as her fingers raked through my hair and down the back of my neck. Her hips rocked against me, making my cock grow harder, prying against the zipper of my jeans.
“I’ve imagined having you like this, Henley. Your hot little body pressed against the wall while I fucked you,” I whispered as her fingertips clawed at the back of my shirt, lifting it over my head. “You’ve thought about it, too. Haven’t you? Feeling my cock inside you, fucking you until your body collapses around me?”
“Yes! Yes!” she cried out. “Please, Maverick.” My mind flashed red at the sound of my road name coming from her lips. At any other time, it wouldn’t have mattered. She’d called me Maverick a thousand times, but in that moment, something was different. I needed to hear her call me by my name.
“Logan,” I corrected her. “Whenever we’re alone, when I have my mouth on you,” I whispered as I nipped at her neck. I reached down between her legs and pressed firmly against the fabric of her white shorts and whispered, “my fingers inside of you, or,” a deep moan vibrated through her chest as I ground my cock against her, “when I’m fucking you senseless with my cock, I want to hear you crying out my name.”
“Logan,” she whimpered as the warmth of her breath swept across my neck. I’d never felt like this before. I’d never wanted something so much. She was more than I ever imagined, and it was impossible to resist her. I eased her shirt over her head, exposing her perfect, round tits. I couldn’t wait to get them in my mouth, feeling her squirm beneath me while I explored every inch of her body.
With her legs still wrapped around my waist, I carried her over to the edge of the bed. She lowered her feet to the floor and slowly reached behind her back, removing her pink, lace bra. She didn’t shy away from me when I watched her breasts fall free from the lace fabric, taunting me, begging for my mouth. She was absolutely stunning, but I wanted to see more of her—all of her.
“I want to see all of you, Henley.” She eagerly released the buttons of her shorts and let them drop to the floor. With her eyes locked on mine, she stepped out of them, leaving her sandals behind. She stood before me, wearing only a pink pair of lacy panties. Fuck me… she was gorgeous.
“All of it, Henley.”
Her fingers trailed along her hips as she lowered her panties, inch by inch, down her long legs, her eyes never leaving mine as she teased me. She gently kicked them to the side and faced me, waiting to see my reaction. I was pleased she wasn’t intimidated by my intense stare, letting my eyes slowly roam over every inch of her. Instead, she seemed to relish the fact that her body was affecting me to such a degree. Her head cocked to the side, and her eyes drifted to the tent in my jeans. With her hands now on her hips, a wicked smile crept across her face.
“Your turn, Logan. I want to see all of you,” she said playfully, using my own words against me.
It was difficult to restrain myself with her standing there, looking so fucking tempting, but I took my time, watching her reaction as I slowly undressed. I needed to know she wanted this, and watching her squirm in front of me left me with no doubt. Her eyes widened with anticipation as I gradually lowered my zipper, taking my time to ease my jeans down my hips. Her teeth toyed with her bottom lip as I tossed my clothes to the side. A light whimper echoed through the room when she noticed my hard cock beneath my boxers.
“All of it,” she demanded softly.
Without hesitation, I tugged them off and tossed them across the room. She stood there, motionless, while she looked at me… her eyes filled with lust as she watched my hand reach for my cock. I took my dick in my hand and squeezed, relieving some of the throbbing pressure. I felt it pulse against my hand as I slowly stroked it, groaning out a curse. Henley bit her lip harder as she watched me, her eyes focused totally on the motion of my hand. I just knew she was wet for me, wanting to feel my cock inside her.
I stepped closer, and put my free hand on her ass, pulling her body against mine and whispered, “Do you like what you see, Henley? Are you wet for me?” I didn’t wait for her to answer as my hand slid between her legs. My fingers brushed against her entrance, and I found my answer. “Yeah, you’re wet for me. You want my cock deep inside you, making you come, but you’re going to have to wait for my cock, baby.” I pressed my lips against hers as I lowered her down to the bed. The warmth of her naked body enveloped me, and I wondered how much more I could take before I was inside her.
My need for her was building, burning deep inside my gut. Fuck. I wanted to take my time with her, but seeing her body respond to my touch was driving me crazy. I continued to lick and suck along the lines of her neck and shoulder, slowly trailing down to her breasts while her whimpers and groans urged me on. I took one in the palm of my hand, gently squeezing as my tongue swirled around her nipple. Her hips bucked against me as I teased her with my mouth.
“Soon, Henley,” I groaned, kissing my way down her flat stomach. My hands slid under her ass, pulling her closer to my mouth. I thought she was going to jump out of her skin when I pressed the flat of my tongue against her clit. Her fingers dove into my hair, guiding me as her knees opened wider. I teased her with my mouth, bringing her close to the edge, but pulling away before she could orgasm. The taste of her against my tongue was driving me wild. I had to hear her come. I couldn’t wait to feel her pussy tighten around my cock. Slipping two fingers deep inside, I began to fuck her with my hand. Her hips rocked against me, grinding hard against my fingers, while she tried to get the friction she needed to find her orgasm. I wanted to be inside of her when she broke, so I pulled back, making her wait for it. She groaned in frustration when I found her g-spot, teasing her even as I curled my fingers against it.
She was writhing beneath me, tortured by her overwhelming need to find release. I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to be inside her. I lifted myself up between her legs and reached for a condom. A small smile of relief washed over her face when she watched me roll the latex down my cock.
“Hurry,” she grumbled as she wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me closer to her entrance. I looked down at her, captivated by her lust-filled eyes.
I brushed my cock against her clit and demanded, “Tell me… tell me you want this.”
“Umm…hmm,” she murmured.
“I need to hear the words, Henley. Tell me.”
Her eyes locked on mine, and I knew her answer before she even said it. “I want you, Logan. I want all of you,” she whispered, her voice low and raspy. She wound her arms around my neck, and I felt her quiver beneath me as I thrust deep inside her. Her hands pushed against my chest, letting me know she needed time to adjust. After a few seconds, her hips slowly began to roll against mine, urging me inside her. Not wanting to hurt her, I slowly began to move, but kept a slow, steady rhythm.
“More,” she pleaded.
Her body grew rigid as I began to thrust deeper, harder. Her snug pussy throbbed against my cock, weakening all of my restraint. I intended to go slow… needed to go slow, but I couldn’t fucking stop. Her pussy was so tight, so ready. I couldn’t restrain myself any longer. She was more than I had ever expected, making me lose all my sense of control. Her nails dug into my lower back as her hips bucked against mine, meeting my every thrust with more force… more intensity. I could feel the pressure building in my cock as her walls constricted against me.
Her head reared back as she shouted, “Oh God, Logan!”
“Fuck,” I groaned as her pussy tightened, clenching down against me. She panted wildly, moaning and clawing at my back when I increased my pace. I knew she was close to the edge, unable to stop the inevitable torment of her building orgasm. The muscles in her body grew taut, and her body stilled as her release took over. I continued to drive into her, the sounds of my body pounding against hers echoing throughout the room. My hands reached under her, lifting her ass off of the bed, and I continued to thrust harder and deeper until I finally came inside her.
Her body fell limp under me. I remained still, seated deep inside her, not ready for this to end. I rested my head on her chest and listened to her rapid heartbeat begin to steady. Her breathing began to slow to the point that I thought she had actually fallen asleep. I looked up at her and was surprised to see a sexy smile on her face. I settled myself beside her, and she slowly began to wiggle her way into the crook of my arm and laid her head down on my chest.
With her fingers tracing the lines of my tattoo, she said, “It was nice to see you have a good time tonight.”
“Yeah, it’s been awhile,” I told her.
When she looked up at me, I saw something in her eyes I wasn’t prepared to see. God. I hoped I wasn’t right. I was the last man a woman like her needed to fall for. My life was a fucking mess. I should’ve protected her from my darkness, not pull her into it. Fuck. I was a selfish bastard. I knew I should say something, warn her somehow, but feeling her body pressed against mine felt too fucking good. I couldn’t let her go, not yet. We lay tangled in each other’s arms until we finally fell asleep.
I woke up early, the dread of the day ahead of me already creeping in, making my chest so tight that it was difficult to breathe. When I looked down and found Henley still draped across my chest, I felt an instant sense of calm wash over me. I could’ve spent the entire day wrapped in her arms, but I knew Lily was waiting for me. I gave her a light kiss on her forehead and tried to pull myself from her arms without waking her. It took some effort, but I finally managed to wedge myself free and headed for the bathroom.
After a hot shower, I got dressed and sat on the edge of the bed. Henley hadn’t budged since I had gotten up. Leaning down close to her ear, I whispered, “Hey, Slick. Wake up.”
She groaned as she threw her arm over her eyes, trying to block out the light. “What time is it?” she fussed.
“It’s early, go back to sleep,” I told her as I stood up and kissed her on the forehead.
“Are you leaving?” she asked as she lifted her arm, peaking up at me.
“Yeah, but I won’t be gone long.”
“I hope it goes okay,” she whispered.
“It will, now go back to sleep,” I told her as I headed out the door.
Just like I thought, Bobby was working on his computer in his office. I stuck my head inside the doorway and said, “Hey, man. I’ve got to run over to Lily’s for a bit. Mind keeping an eye on Henley for an hour or so? She’s still in bed.”
“Sure. Not a problem. You want me to bring her over there when she gets up?” he offered.
“That’d be great. Just give me a call before you leave. I’m not sure how long it will take.”
“You got it. Courtney is in the kitchen with Taylor, making cookies for the kids. I’m sure they can keep her entertained while you’re gone,” he laughed.
I sent a text to Lily that I was on my way, and when I pulled into the driveway, she was waiting for me on the front porch. She had John Warren propped up on her hip next to her full, obviously very pregnant belly. Looking at her, holding her family close to her heart, gave me a sense of peace. John Warren had his family. Seeing him for the first time in months, I was surprised by how much he had changed. He watched me apprehensively as I made my way up to the porch.
“Hey, Lily.” He looked up at her, waiting to see what her reaction would be. I was a stranger to him, and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of me yet.
When she leaned in and gave me a hug, he piped up and said, “Bye-bye.”
“He isn’t going anywhere yet, silly. This is Maverick. I’ve told you all about him,” Lily explained.
“Momma,” he said as he grasped Lily’s arm tightly.
“Hey, there, little man. You’ve grown a foot since the last time I saw you.” John Warren studied me, almost like he was trying to decide if he knew me, or if he even wanted to know me.
“Our appointment is in fifteen minutes. We better get rolling if we want to be on time,” Lily started. “You wanna just ride with us?”
“Sure,” I told her as I grabbed the diaper bag off of the rocking chair. Once she had John Warren buckled into his car seat, she said, “The place is just down on the square, and they said it wouldn’t take long. The nurse said they’d just run a cotton swab inside your cheek and then John Warren’s. When the results come back, we can sign off on the papers.”
Her voice cracked when she spoke. I knew she was worried I might change my mind, decide that I didn’t want them to adopt my son, but there was no chance of that. It was impossible to miss the way he looked at her, like a son looks at his mother, and I would never take that away from him.
“Sounds good.”
“I really appreciate you coming all the way here. I know…” she started.
“It’s fine, Lily. I know you’re eager to get this thing done,” I clipped.
“Maverick, he’s happy. He really is. We’ll give him…”
“Lily, stop…. I know he is happy. Anybody can see that, and I know you’ll give him the life he deserves. That’s why I brought him to you in the first place, and I’m not about to change my mind now.” My chest tightened at the thought. There was no turning back after this. I had to wonder what the hell was wrong with me. I should’ve had some doubts, some second thoughts, but I didn’t. When I looked at John Warren, I still found myself questioning how all of this happened.
On the way to the hospital, Lily talked non-stop about everything that had happened since I’d been gone. Once we got there, the test didn’t take long, and they said that we should have the results later today or in the morning. Usually, these kinds of tests take days, even weeks, to come back, but Sheppard’s wife, Ana, worked at the local hospital. She called in a few favors and was able to get a rush put on it.
As soon as we were done, I texted Bobby to let him know we were heading back to the house. By the time we got back to Lily’s, Bobby’s SUV was already in the driveway. When we walked in, I was relieved to catch the smell of coffee coming from the kitchen. Goliath was pouring himself a cup when I walked in.
“Mind if I grab one of those?” I asked without even saying hello.
“There’s a fresh pot brewing… help yourself,” Goliath told me as he motioned his hand over toward the coffee pot.
I was pouring myself a cup when Henley walked over to Lily and said, “You must be Lily. I’m Henley, a friend of Maverick’s.”
Shaking her hand, Lily replied, “It’s great to finally meet you, Henley. I’m glad Maverick had you to tag along, so he didn’t have to make that long drive alone.”
“I don’t think he really even knew I was there. He’s a man of few words,” Henley laughed. She gently ran her hand over John Warren’s head and said, “He is just too cute for his own good.”
“He’s going to be a lady killer, that’s for sure,” Courtney chimed in.
When I looked over to Henley, she caught my eye for just a moment, then looked away. She twirled a loose strand of her hair around her finger as she listened to the conversation floating around the room. This wasn’t the Henley I knew. She wasn’t her normal confident self. The doubts of last night were rolling around in her head. I knew I should go over to her, try to ease the awkwardness that was building between us, but I couldn’t make myself take that first step. She was right to have her doubts. She should fucking regret it. She was innocent and pure, and the last thing she needed was to get involved with a man like me—a man tarnished by his past.