Page 41 of August 20

"Stay on your side of the bed."

He rolled toward her and threw his arm and leg over her body, pinning her to the bed. She stilled, holding her breath.

Afraid to open her mouth again in case he tried to crawl on top of her, she held her silence. He'd never dared touch her in bed before, even though the way he looked at her was always threatening her that he would do something.

Yes, he was guilty of looking at her the wrong way.

Since he refused to vocalize his thoughts or speak to her ninety-nine percent of the time, she held him accountable for how he looked at her.

And those looks were getting on her last nerve.

She peered toward the window. The sun wasn't up yet. She had no idea what time it was, but it had to be close to daybreak.

The urge to pee hit her.

She exhaled slowly, trying to psych herself into going back to sleep. The warmth from Maverick's thigh permeated through her sweatpants to her hip. She swallowed hard. If she moved away from him, he'd know it bothered her.

His arm shifted from across her stomach to underneath her breasts, shoving them higher on her chest. She strained to look down without lifting her head off the pillow. It'd been four years since anyone had touched her body.

She'd devoted all her time to raising Skye for the last four years. She had no time to think about dating when it was hard enough securing daycare services while she worked. All her free time was spent with Skye.

Her body overheated.

It was ridiculous to find herself excited with Maverick touching her. Disturbingly, it was probably the closest she ever felt toward her sister. They had nothing in common. They hadn't grown up at the same time, under the same roof. But ironically, they both were attracted to the same man.

She shoved Maverick's thick arm off her and rolled out of bed. Tugging her T-shirt and hitching up her sweatpants, she stared at Maverick in the bed.

"We can't keep going on like this." She repeatedly pointed at her chest and back at him to drive the point in. "You need to stop touching me."

He rolled up to a sitting position on the bed and shook his head.

She fisted her tangled hair. He infuriated her. Skye would get up soon, and Brooke was tired of biting her lip whenever he moved around the house.

He grunted, grabbing the back of his neck, and moved his head left and right. She crossed her arms and stayed on the far side of the room.

Maverick walked across the room in his boxers. She looked away but found herself glancing at him as he walked to the bathroom. He had a nice, tight ass.

Empathy filled her at the sight of his scarred back. Without asking him, she was sure he'd received those in the explosion that killed her sister.

He disappeared through the doorway. Click.

She sucked in her breath. She was doing it again. Looking at him. Admiring him.

Adrenaline sparked her to life. She crawled over the bed and lunged for the door to the bedroom to run out the front of the house for help when it hit her that Skye was asleep.

If she tried waking her up, it would take them too long to get outside and get away. She had no idea where he'd hidden her keys. Plus, she couldn't scare Skye, letting her see they weren't living here under their own choice.

She closed her eyes and let her forehead fall against the closed door. And despite how much of an asshole Maverick was to her, he was a devoted father who had more patience than most people.

The bathroom door opened behind her. She straightened and kept her back to him. As she knew from experience, he'd grab his jeans and dress in front of her as if he had no shy bone in his body.

The rip of his zipper sent shivers up her spine. She'd caught glimpses of his cock. How could she not when they were sleeping in the same bed and coexisting in the same room?

She'd witnessed the tuck and zip enough times the sound alone set her off.

"Can I please sleep in the living room on the couch?" she whispered in the quietness of the house.

"No."