Page 16 of Hearts on the Line (The Maverick Key #1)

Scott

Cool sand presses against my bare feet as I stand in my yard, staring at the starlit sky.

The moon hangs low, casting silver light over the water, turning the waves into a shimmering icing coating the sea.

My house is tucked behind the dunes and sits dark except for the small lamp in the living room.

I rake a hand through my hair. The air around me is quiet, but my mind buzzes like static, stuck on her.

Maddie. How I’ve thought of her these past two weeks.

Swimming bravely beneath the water, sultry and alluring at the bonfire, and today on the boat—her hands holding mine with quiet strength and compassion. She clings to me.

What are you doing, Rickter?

I make my way to the house. The porch steps creak as I push open the door.

It’s a simple, functional home. Old rugs soften the hardwood floors, and bookshelves crammed with novels, diving manuals, and other pieces of my life—line the walls.

A pair of fishing poles lean in one corner.

Framed photos hang above them—my family, my time in the Navy, Adeline.

I grab a beer from the fridge and sink onto the couch. The leather groans under me, and I stare at the blank TV screen.

Maddie.

Her beauty turns me on, sure—but it’s more than that. She enthralls me. I’d forgotten what my own heartbeat felt like until I met her.

She’s stronger than she realizes, carrying a weight she shouldn’t have to. She’s open and honest. And she looks at me like she sees through me. It’s unsettling. And thrilling.

I lean back and close my eyes. The can is loose in my hand.

Admit it, Scott. You want more.

I want her . I want to know what makes her laugh and what keeps her up at night. I want to see the dreams she doesn’t share with anyone else. I want to understand how she sees the world—how she sees me .

She’s searching for answers in Carter’s Drop like she’s lost. And when her eyes meet mine, it’s like she’s searching for me, too.

I take another sip, then set the can down on the table and rub my hands over my face.

This island doesn’t need more complications. Neither does my life. Fortune hunters have turned Maverick Key into a circus, with Carter’s Drop at the center of it all.

Garrett Harlow pushes the team too hard, and Wes Harrington skulks around with his secrets. The way they watch Maddie sets my teeth on edge. I won’t let them hurt her.

Pacing my living room, my gaze lands on a photo of Adeline. Her carefree grin frozen in time. Guilt is always there, a shadow I carry every day. It’s why I keep my guard up and don’t let anyone too close. I can’t bear to fail like that again.

And yet, Maddie makes me want to try.

I stop at the window, staring out at the waves. My reflection stares back at me in the glass, weary and conflicted. How do I balance my desire for her with what’s at stake? When I think about how she gives herself so willingly, even when she’s scared, I know I’m already in too deep.

I sink under the navy-blue comforter on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The room is silent.

When sleep comes, it’s the restless kind.

I dream of being back on the boat with Maddie, the sunlight sparkling on the water. Her smile is bright and alive. Without thinking, I reach for her, our lips meeting this time in a kiss, real and consuming. I pull her closer.

Our kiss starts tentatively, then quickly deepens.

I’m out of my mind with desire. My lips trail down her neck, moving lower, reaching the secret spot beneath the open buttons of her linen shirt.

I let my fingers trace her collarbone and clasp the golden chain around her neck.

I want to devour the saltiness, vanilla, and jasmine on her skin. I want to bury myself in her.

“Scott, I need you. Please.”

Her sweet sighs set me on fire. Now she’s in the blue swimsuit, the one she wore the day we met.

I pull at the straps, revealing more of her.

Her hard nipples invite me to taste them, and I eagerly take them in my mouth.

Moving my fingers down, down, down—underneath the blue fabric, I stroke her softness in slow circles. She gasps.

“Let me touch you.”

She’s moving against me now, taking control, releasing me from my pants.

And then…

We’re underwater, floating in a world of color and light. Her hair is haloed around her face as we hold each other.

Then, the dream shifts.

The water darkens, and menacing shadows emerge.

Carter’s Drop looms in the distance, its mouth wide and hungry.

Reaching for her, the current grows stronger, and pulls her away.

Pulling her into the blue hole. I swim harder, my lungs burning, but I can’t reach her.

She stretches toward me, her fingertips brushing mine before her mouth opens in a silent scream.

Then she’s gone.

I wake with a jolt, my chest heaving, sweat clinging to my skin.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I drop my head into my hands, trying to steady my breathing. I’m getting too close. Letting her fall, only to risk failing her like I failed Adeline.

It’s unbearable.

I want her.

But can’t let myself have her.