Chapter 32.
Chapter 32.
Eight hours, Four hundred and eighty minutes of traveling on air and you could say I'm exhausted
down to my very bones.
It wasn't hard locating the Villa as it's quite popular despite the rural territory it's built in. Set in Saint-
Aignan, Gîtes de Botplançon is a great house in a lovely rural location with an awesome garden. The
house comes with tiled floors and feature a fully equipped kitchen with a microwave, a dining area, a
flat screen TV and a private bathroom.
Everything's simply perfect with a lovely and warm serenity. The free WiFi and large terrace is also a
bonus.
I'm staring out the window in my robe, watching two children play in the garden when my phone beeps.
It's a message from Jim telling me about Jacqueline's home address after warning me not to spill the
beans about his proposal. He wants it to be a surprise.
Typical.
I hear the shower stop inside the bathroom as I turn around to see Maverick stepping out in his towel
hanging low on his waists.
"I hear there's a restaurant just across the street. I'm starving."
"I'd be surprised if you weren't. You barely had any food to eat on the airplane," I say.
"Isn't that because you ate them all?"
I throw his shirt at his face. "I had Bananas and coffee for a whole month thanks to someone, don't
blame me if I shove anything looking like actual food down my throat if I have the chance."
"Yeah about that, you're giving me fifty sit-ups tonight. You had too much calories to eat and I think
you're getting a little big over there," He points to my belly and I gasp.
"You know how sensitive I get when it comes to my body."
"You get sensitive about everything," He shrugs on the shirt and slips into his pants.
"I would not allow you treat me that way. Take that back," I walk over to him slowly in an attempt to look
intimidating.
"It's funny you look cute trying to do whatever it is you're doing," I slap his arms when he chokes back a
laugh and tackle him to the bed, pinning both of his hands over his head.
"Now what would you say about that?" A smug looks makes it way to my face.
"That I let you hold me down?"
"No. This," My hand snakes it's way down his belly and stops right below his belly button as he takes in
shaky and ragged breaths. I proceed to go farther, tugging at the buttons of his pants.
"Ok stop, I take it back. Now as long as I'd like to continue..." Maverick looks down at my hands on the
lower part of his stomach. "Whatever you were going to do, we need to leave."
"I think not," I protest.
"No seriously, I'm starving."
"Shit. Sorry," I climb off him and toss my robe in a corner in the room, revealing the shirt I have
underneath and a jean that hugs my body so well and brings out a shape I never knew existed.
"On second thought, we should probably continue what we were doing," Maverick's eyes sweeps over
my body.
"Oh shut up," I do an eye roll and grin, walking out the room door and feeling his heated gaze behind
me. "Don't look at my ass."
His rich laughter echoes through the walls of the house as I step into the chilly night with a smile on my
face.
~~~~~~~
I have Flamiche for dinner, which is French for 'cake' and when spelled backwards is 'ittastedsogood'.
We leave the restaurant when the owner keeps telling us weird dad jokes and make up an excuse
saying we wanted to go feed our fish. The old man just didn't know when to stop.
"What did your fortune cookie say?" I ask as we both walk out of the restaurant to visit the water bank
down the road. The restaurant's owner gave each of us a fortune cookie after our dinner and Maverick
wouldn't tell me what his said.
"It's a secret," He says with a cheeky smile.
"But I told you mine, that's way past unfair."
You are one step away from the life you deserve— Was what mine read. I wonder what it meant.
Maverick shrugs. "Life is unfair."
We reach the lake where the water bank is and the sight before me takes my breath away. The stars
that shines in the night sky reflects on the water making it have this shiny and sparkly appearance.
There's a bridge above the water designed fully with Christmas lights that adds to the beauty of the
atmosphere.
"Now this is perfection," I say in awe and look around us, noticing we're the only ones here.
Everywhere's quiet. Too quiet.
"Reminds me of someone I know."
I turn around to look at him. "And who is this someone you speak of?"
"You might know her. She's 5feet tall and wears glasses that looks too big for her face," He runs a hand
through my hair. "She's sneaky. Sneaked her way straight into my heart."
"Really? Then why wouldn't you tell me what happened with Elise." His hands drop to his side. Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
"You wouldn't let that go would you?"
"Nope. Not a chance."
Maverick sighs. "It's a long story."
"Cut it short."
"She left."
"Why?"
"The hell if I know," He half yells. "She found someone better? I wasn't good enough? I never found
out. She visited the night before she left and when I woke in the morning, she was gone, like she was
never even there."
I reach out for him and give his arms a light squeeze. Now I get why he was worked up the other day I
left the house without telling him.
"Seven months passed and I never heard a thing. Why she left, where she left to. The phobia, it's
there. If you leave someone at least tell them why, because what's more painful than being abandoned
is knowing you aren't worth an explanation."
"So what if she left? That was her loss. And if she thinks photoshopping herself back into your life
would fix the shit she did in the past, then she's wrong because I'm never letting you go."
"How long would you be able to keep that promise?" His eyes looks sad and somber, lacking the
brightness in them that was once there and fills it with worry.
He's scared. I can see it. He's scared I'll leave just like Elise, but what he doesn't know is that he's
already too tangled up in my soul for me to leave.
I don't reply his question. Instead, I go on my toes and meets my lips with his. Actions speaks faster
than words. Maverick looks too worried for him to believe anything I say right now.
I mold my mouth into his and deepen the kiss, cradling his face in my hands as I invade his mouth. It's
slow but passionate and everything around us seems to hold it's breath as I kiss away his worry.
I kiss away his doubt.