Into the Fading Twilight (Starlight Grove, #2) (129)

Maverick’s body shifted, leaning closer to me. My breath caught, lungs seizing at the what-if. My mind went wild, wondering if maybe, just maybe, this was the moment I’d imagined ever since I no longer believed boys had cooties.

He was so beautiful, staring at me in the moonlight, his dark-brown hair a little wild…just like him. Those haunted eyes were so captivating, even with the ghosts that lived there—maybe partly because of them.

His gaze dipped to my lips, tracing their curve and swell. My heart hammered against my ribs, and blood roared in my ears. I wanted to know what it was like to have Mav’s mouth pressed against mine. To know what he tasted like. To feel the heat that always seemed to engulf him.

I leaned forward ever so slightly, but Mav didn’t miss it. He never missed anything about me. He closed the distance, moving slowly, giving me every chance to stop him. I knew I should—for so many reasons.

But I didn’t.

Instead, I played with fire.

Maverick’s mouth eased over mine, all heat and gentle pressure. And my body felt like a live wire, sparking to life with an energy I’d never felt before. His fingers slipped into my hair as his tongue slid into my mouth.

He tasted like oranges. Oranges and a hint of something earthy I couldn’t name. But my body recognized it as everything I’d ever wanted.

I moved into him, instinct taking over. It didn’t matter that I’d only kissed one boy before this: Gabe Jensen in a stupid seven minutes in heaven dare. My body knew what it wanted. More Maverick.

Only Maverick.

I let out a tiny mewling noise, a vibration that swept from my mouth to his. Maverick reacted instantly, lifting me onto his lap so I could straddle him. His tongue drove deeper, and my hips rocked against him.

Mav let out a moan, only spurring me on. I wanted more. I wanted… everything.

A ringing sound broke through the buzzing in my ears. Not a phone call, I realized— an alarm. I tore my mouth from Mav’s and grabbed my phone, a curse slipping free.

Maverick’s lips twisted in that lopsided grin I loved so much. 'Aster Carrington, as I live and breathe. Did you just drop an F-bomb?'

I glared at him as I silenced my alarm. 'I curse sometimes.'

He arched a brow.

'Occasionally. When the situation calls for it.'

That grin only grew. 'And now calls for it?'

I let out a huff of breath. 'I have to go home.'

It was Mav’s turn to scowl. 'We’re going to college in a couple of months, and your dad still insists on a curfew?'

My lips thinned. 'You know how he is.'

Maverick shook his head. 'He’s an asshole.'

My mind filled in other descriptors.

Controlling. Manipulative. Brutal.

'I don’t want to push him,' I said quietly. It was a delicate dance as it was, getting him to let me go to UC Davis instead of Vassar like he wanted. If he’d known Mav would be there, too, he might not have been so understanding.

Mav’s hands moved to my hips, squeezing gently. 'You can’t let him control you.'

'It’s complicated.' And that was the world’s greatest understatement. Christian Carrington was always playing chess, while the rest of us were playing checkers.

'Camilla can’t cover for you?' Mav pressed.

I shot him a look that encompassed how ridiculous it was to think my twin sister would help me with anything. As identical as we were in appearance, we were the complete opposite in every other way. 'She’ll dance a jig if I’m late and make sure my dad knows by exactly how many minutes.'

'How your sister is such a bitch is beyond me,' he muttered.

Maverick might not understand it, but I did. My dad grew it in her, nurtured it with his own cruelty. And because I could see that, I could never bring myself to hate her. If anything, I felt sorry for her.

A ding sounded, and I worried it might be Dad even now, checking on my whereabouts. But my phone screen was empty.

Mav swiped up his cell, unlocking it. 'It’s Sean. Wants to know where I am.'

'See?' I said softly. 'You have places to be, too.' Another night, another party. The thought of it twisted my stomach, especially when there was so much unsaid between us.

Maverick dropped his phone, his hands coming up to frame my face. 'The only place I want to be is with you.'

My heart gave a riotous tumble and twirl. 'Okay.'

He stretched up, brushing his lips against mine. 'Okay. We’ll talk tomorrow.'

My pulse thrummed, making blood whoosh in my ears. Would that be a good talk? Or a this-was-a-mistake talk? It had to be the former. That organ in the center of my chest did another dip and roll. 'Tomorrow,' I promised.

Maverick pressed his forehead to mine. 'Let’s get you home.'

I climbed off Mav’s lap, even if it was the last thing I wanted to do. 'I’m gonna take the shortcut,' I said as I slid off the tailgate of his truck.

He moved to follow me. 'Rebel, it’s pitch-black. Let me drive you.'

I made a face. 'It’s right next door.'

Twisted Oak Ranch, home to the Archers, butted up against my grandfather’s ranch, Moonridge Meadow. The place that had always been my refuge—except for the ten acres he’d given my father and the ostentatious house Christian Carrington had built, which didn’t fit with the rest of the place. The house that had never felt like a home.