LAKE
She was fucking clueless. She was fucking hot, and she had no idea.
If I didn’t value her, I would have fucked her, but I had great respect for her, and I didn’t want her to regret sleeping with me when she woke up the following day.
And the fucking agreement started to piss me off- really pissed off. It was getting our way, and she had never been a rulebreaker.
I slept with a raging hard-on after I sent a text to my assistant, and I was exhausted.
I woke up too early and went to my mini gym to run on a treadmill and lift some weight. After that, I put on my gloves and threw punches and kicks on the bag. I was sweating, my heart pumping so hard, and I began to catch my breath.
It felt good, but I was still pissed off at myself and the entire situation I put myself into.
I needed to blow off some steam because the image of Maverick naked kept taunting me, and the softness of her skin, the feel of her breast on my palm, and those moans she did when we kissed. She was just goddamn beautiful and perfect.
A piece of my AirPods dropped, and that was when I realized I wasn’t alone anymore. I turned around to see her with her arms crossed over her chest, watching me with amusement.
“Why are you up so early?”
“Six is not early for me. You look hot- I mean, you’re sweaty and probably stinks.” She pursed her lips.
“Really?” I smiled as I came close to her. “I’m hot?”
“What are you doing?” Her bright eyes widened as she stepped back and hit the wall. “Lake, stop it.”
“You should stop teasing me. Last night, you told me you’d stay away from me when we’re in the same room.” I pressed my gloves on both sides of her head and leaned in.
“Is that what you want?” She swallowed hard, nervously.
“Fuck no.” I breathed through my nose, my gaze still locking with hers.
“You should have fixed your gloves before punching. You might hurt your hands.”
I ignored her even though she was right. “Can I kiss you?”
“You’re sweaty,” she said as she tried to hide her face from me.
“So it’s a no?”
She met my gaze. “And then what? You’re going to have tantrums, leave me hanging, and snap at me? No thanks.”
I breathed through my nose, kissed her on her forehead, and stepped back. I ignored the pain in my chest as I pulled off the gloves. “Why are you here anyway?”
“Why? It’s not included in your tour. Is this place some kind of your lair, off limits to your guest?”
“No, Maverick. I don’t recall touring you in the penthouse, but you can use this. As I told you, everything in this penthouse is yours to use.”
“I prepared breakfast.”
“I could eat.”
“See you there.” She was already leaving when I ran to her.
“Wait.”
“Yeah.”
“Good morning.” I leaned down and kissed her on the lips. I watched her cheeks flush as she walked away.
When she said she prepared breakfast, I thought she made coffee and put some cereals and fruits in the bowl, not cooking a full breakfast. Yeah, we had things we needed, but I didn’t have time for that.
“God, you’re a good wife.” I picked a slice of bacon and ate it with delight.
“What time are we meeting your mother?” She put some waffles, eggs, and bacon on my plate and poured a good amount of syrup on it, and I just watched with awe. This woman was going to be the death of me, and she was going to break my heart.
“Later in the afternoon.” I grabbed the cup of coffee she offered to me. I sipped it while watching her enjoy her breakfast. “First, you’ll have your spa.”
“Spa?”
“Yeah. I let my assistant book for you.”
“I don’t need it.”
“It’s just facial, foot spa, and mani-pedi.”
“I could use some mani-pedi.” She looked at her fingernails. They were nude and clean. I didn’t like it when women had long fake fingernails, but I didn’t mind for Maverick.
“Well, then we’re going.”
She smiled. “You don’t have to come with me. I can go on my own.”
“Suck it up. I’m going with you.”
“You’re not worried about your masculinity?”
“I’m sure you know by now if I should be worried about my masculinity. I’ve proven it last night.”
With cheeks flushed, she rolled her eyes as she sipped her coffee. “Right. Your behavior last night says otherwise, and running away with a hard-on validates your maleness.”
I laughed out loud. “That was a whole lot of rage.”
“Whatever you say.” A soft smile spread across her lips. “Finish your breakfast and shower.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I got up and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks for the breakfast.”
***
“Um. I changed my mind. I don’t want a spa anymore.” I felt the firm grip of her hand around mine.
We were already inside the salon, our booking confirmed, when she suddenly changed her mind, which confused me.
“Why? What’s wrong?” I looked at her, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.
“The women over there are the ones at the Bazz.”
I followed her gaze. Those women chatting while getting their nails done with Champagne on the table. “Those two?”
“Yeah. So can we get out of here now?”
“Of course, baby. Hold on a minute. Stay here. Don’t move.”
“Where are you going?” She looked worried.
“Trust me on this.”
I went to the girls, and they instantly recognized me.
“Lake?” The blonde smiled widely.
“Oh, my God. What are you doing here? Nat would be so jealous right now.” She shooed the woman doing her nails.
“Really? Well, tell her this. If any of you, and that includes her, will pull that stunt again on my wife, I will sue all your asses and make sure you all in up in Mexico? Did you fucking understand me?”
Their faces paled, staring at me in shock, their mouths slacked. The room went silent.
I looked at everyone. “Bullying a woman is always not okay, and these girls are bullies because they think they are better than a woman working hard to pay the bills.”
I walked away from them and went to my wife, who looked shocked at what I had just done. I held her hand. “Tell your manager that I’m not coming ever again as long as you welcome this kind of people.”
We left the premises. Maverick hadn’t spoken a word until we climbed into the car.
“Are you okay?”
“I don’t know if I should thank you or laugh at you.”
I couldn’t help but smile at her. “How about you kiss me?”
Owen and Homer shared a look in the front seats before he drove towards the main street.
“There’s always a price for doing good, isn’t there?”
I chuckled. “No price and the video is gone.”
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me.”
“Where to, boss?” asked Owen.
“I know just a place. It may not be as fancy as that salon, but they have the best service at an affordable price.” Maverick then gave the address.
After half an hour, we arrived at the salon. It was modest, but the workers were approachable without heavy makeup and fancy drinks.
“How about you, sir?” asked the African-American woman.
“Just my lady.” I sat next to Maverick and grabbed the magazine the woman offered. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to be here. I’ll be fine. Maybe you have somewhere else to go with the guys.”
“I’d rather stay with you.”
“Good man. Don’t ever let him go,” said the woman who started doing Maverick’s nails.
I chuckled. “I hope she feels the same, ma’am.”
“Mave?” someone called her name-a curly-haired woman in her late thirties.
“Oh, my God. Emery? Hi. I can’t believe you’re here.” So they knew each other.
“And you’re here, too.”
“Yeah. How’s FFAK? I haven’t been there in weeks.”
“Yes, girl. We missed you. We really need someone like you. Jose’s wife just gave birth, so he’d be gone for a few weeks.”
“I’ll check my work schedule. Maybe I can come by on Friday or Saturday afternoon after I visit Nana.”
“That’s great. They’d be glad to hear it.”
“What’s FFAK?” I asked Maverick. “That’s sounds obscene.”
“Food For All Kitchen,” she replied. “A food bank for the homeless. Sometimes, I went there to help prepare and cook. Then we deliver them to the street and shelter.”
I suddenly felt ashamed. I had donated millions of dollars, but what Maverick did was admirable, and she just showed me what kind of woman she was despite the kind of life she had been. It was her upbringing, how she was raised to be the most compassionate, nurturing, emphatic, and warm person I’d ever met, and how she helped from the good of her heart.