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“Of course with you!” Maverick smiled. “You showed up out of the blue and rocked our world. And now you’re having ourchild. But you’re here in New York, all alone, and that part drives us crazy.”

I shook my head in confusion. “Why?”

“Because we want to takecareof you,” he breathed. “And not just you, but the child inside you. You’re facing this whole thing alone, going to doctors visits and sonograms without anyone there to support you.”

His eyes glimmered with compassion, with love. I’d been bullshitted by the best of them, and I could dish out a good amount of it myself. But right here, right now, I could tell Maverick meant every single word.

“Gage, Devyn and I… we want to feed you, take care of you, rub your feet at night,” he went on. “We want tobethere for those things with you. We want to hear the sound of the baby’s heart beating.”

He studied me for a reaction, but I was too shocked to even move. Too surprised to give him one.

“I know it sounds stupid,” he began. “Even silly—”

“It’s not silly,” I cut him off. “It’s not stupid.”

I reached out and placed my palm against the sharp, masculine curve of his stubbled jaw.

“It’s sweet.”

I wanted to kiss him so very badly. Kiss him long, kiss him hard. But I wantedmore,too.

So much more.

“I’ll come.”

The words tumbled from my mouth, totally unexpectedly. I didn’t regret them.

“For a few days at least,” I said. “But yes. I’ll come. Let’s go.”

Maverick’s face was so lit up it was actually adorable. But I’m not sure he was a hundred-percent convinced.

“Do you mean it?” he asked hopefully. “Because there are flights out of here tonight. We can—”

Now Ididkiss him, my hungry, churning mouth devouring his. There was no awkwardness, no hesitation.

Mmmmmmm….

I sighed in submission as his tongue sought mine, rolling hotly through my mouth with the impact of a thunderclap. In that one instant we were lovers again. Like no time had passed at all.

“We can eat first of course,” he smiled, when we finally broke apart. “Before we—”

“Or you could follow me in there and bend me over,” I pointed to a nearby door. “Pull my panties to the side and fuck me from behind.”

I didn’t even wait for an answer. I slid from the bench seat, walked halfway down the hall at the back of the restaurant, then slipped through the door I’d mentioned.

My pulse quickened as it swung closed to the sound of footsteps behind me.

Thirty-Six

JULIANA

The unisex bathroom was clean and pretty — a well-kept, single-use version of the other two flanking it. I’d knew this already, because I’d been in here before. But never like this.

The light was off. The door lock clicked.

“C’mere.”

It was the only word he said. The only thing Maverick uttered before grabbing me by the hips, spinning me around, and shoving me forward with his strong right hand.