He would have to remind himself of that a lot tonight.
They continued their meal, eating asparagus ravioli, and orzo with roasted carrots and dill, along with another bottle of excellent wine. Maverick could feel the buzz from the liquor, but it was nothing compared to the buzz he felt from simply being in Lindsey's presence as she nibbled and sipped.
"This is so good. You need to have a taste," she told him as she scooped a portion of artichoke cheese dip onto a piece of crusty bread and held it out to him.
Taking a bite from the bread, his tongue swirled across her fingers. He was at the end of what he could handle.
"Delicious," he told her, their eyes locking, hers dilating as his groin flexed.
She leaned toward him, and he pushed the food aside as he took a taste of her lips, her own flavor mixed with those of the food and drink they'd been devouring. Leaning back, the desire was clear in her dark eyes.
"Are you going to be okay, sugar?" he asked as he looked deeply into her gaze.
She was as startled by the question as he was by asking it. They both felt the slight hint of sadness in the air. He had been trying to hide it from her, just like she was doing an unsuccessful job at keeping her emotions from him.
"What do you mean?" she asked, stalling for time.
"I just need to know that you'll be okay," he said. This was by far the most important thing to him, he realized.
She analyzed the question, which he was grateful for. He wanted to make sure she was taking it seriously.
"Yes, I think I will be," she told him and then she smiled.
"Good. I want all your dreams to come true. I want to make sure you don't live in the past and you don't let fears haunt you," he told her.
"You've helped me more than any other person in my life, Mav. There aren't words I could properly say that could ever express how grateful I am to you. And honestly, I'm going to be okay."
"Then why the sadness?" he asked as he gripped her fingers. There would never be a time when the feel of her would get old. Why he was pushing her, he didn't know. They both were feeling a slight edge of urgency and sadness.
Did he want her to say it? Did he want her to tell him that their parting wasn't what she wanted? What would he do if she did say that? Would he stay? He didn't know.
She knew that their time was coming to a close, and she was just as reluctant to see that happen. So why wasn't one of them trying to stop it, he wondered. It didn't make sense. But nothing about their relationship made sense if he were being honest with himself.
"I'm not sad. I've enjoyed our time together," she replied, before looking down, breaking the intense connection between them.
"Life has a way of getting in the way, doesn't it?" he said, attempting a chuckle.
"Why don't we just not think about any of that tonight?" she suggested. She looked back up and gazed at him with a boldness in her eyes he hadn't seen before.
He thought over her words, and didn't see a flaw in them. She was ready for him to let her go, but not tonight. No, tonight was about pleasure, love, and romance.
Tomorrow they could both think about the decisions they'd made in life.
"Dessert?" he asked.
"I'm more than ready for that," she told him, fire burning in her gaze.
They were both on the same slate as to what dessert was going to be.
He didn't say another word, just threw down a wad of money for their meal and then stood up. He needed to get her back to her place. He wasn't letting her out of bed the rest of the night.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
In some ways, Lindsey's heart was shattering, but in other ways it was healing. She knew this was her last night with Maverick.
This wouldn't be the final time she saw him, but it would be the last time they were together in a romantic way. Instead of dwelling on that fact, she would embrace it as she embraced him and end their time together on a memorable note.
She'd fought being with the man-hadn't thought she needed him, but now she realized he'd been her savior. He'd helped her conquer her fears. And she'd discovered that she hadn't had to lose a piece of herself if she were with a man.
She would be able to love herself and somebody else. Her forever person just wouldn't be Maverick Armstrong.
But for tonight, he was hers-and she was his.
The moment they stepped back into her cottage, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her with both tenderness and passion. Her body rose in temperature as he slowly walked them to her bedroom, not bothering to shut the door. It was only the two of them in the place-in what felt like the entire universe.
Holding her the entire way, the kiss grew more intense as they gravitated toward the bed, neither of them willing to let go of the other. Their lips and tongues mated in possession and need.
Their fingers clutched at the other's clothes as they fought to get rid of anything keeping them from being one. In almost a blur, their clothing was ripped away. Maverick lifted her with his muscled arms before gently laying her on the bed, not breaking their connection for even a moment as he climbed on top of her.
She sighed and panted into his mouth as his beautiful fingers skirted across her skin, touching every single place on her body before delving down to her core. He slipped inside, finding her hot and wet-ready for him.
He groaned against her lips before his mouth trailed down between her breasts, one hand pinching her nipple and making her whimper in total abandon. She squirmed beneath his expert touch.
"You taste so good," he murmured as he licked his way down to her center. Spreading her legs wide, he ran his tongue along her pulsing pleasure. She arched off the bed as he tasted her, teased her, and intensified the flames that were already out of control.
As she reached higher and higher toward her climax, he seemed to know the moment she was about to set sail, because he would move his luscious mouth and temper the flames before going back and doing it all over again.
He seemed to want this to never end, which was just exactly how she felt. Though the build-up was nearly destroying her. She reached into his thick dark strands of hair and tugged on him, all to no avail. He was on a mission and nothing was going to detour him from it.
Whimpering and begging did her no good. He continued devouring her body in endless delight, his groans of pleasure making hers that much better. She needed to touch him, though, and he was denying her that. She was growing more insistent in her tugs on his hair.
Finally, he climbed back up her body, his cheeks flushed, his skin hot and damp to the touch, his beautiful green eyes dark with desire.
Right now, in this frozen moment of time, they belonged to one another. There wasn't a single other soul in the world. It was a connection that couldn't be faked. She desperately wanted to tell him of her love, but somehow managed to keep the words locked in her throat.
Reaching beneath her, he clasped tightly to her butt as he pulled her up against his straining erection, making the heat in her core go even hotter.
"I can't get enough of you," he whispered as he leaned down, their mouths mating again as their bodies molded as one. He slowly slipped inside her, letting her take him inch by precious inch until the connection was solid and complete.
"Then take all you want," she told him, giving everything she had of herself. No matter where life took them, she would always be his. No one would have this piece of her, no matter how much time passed, no matter who she met in the future.
This was beyond lovemaking. This was a merging of souls. She hoped she had changed him too, that he wouldn't be the same ever again. Yes, they would live healthy, productive lives, but she wanted him to leave with a piece of her, just as she wanted to take a piece of him.
Her eyes closed as he began moving in and out of her body, picking up the pace as their breathing filled the air around them. Their desire grew and grew.
"So beautiful," he groaned as he held tightly to her butt and pounded against her flesh. "So tight-hot-wet."
He continued whispering words against her ear as they moved in perfect rhythm against each other, their bodies damp with sweat, hot with desire.
And then she couldn't hold out any longer. In an overwhelming blindness, she exploded, her tight core closing around him as she shook in his arms.
His hot breath rushed out against her ear as he hugged her close and spilled his seed deep within her womb. They both shook as they came down from the high of such intense lovemaking.
Neither moved for what might have been hours as their hearts beat against each other in perfect rhythm. Lindsey knew that when she fell asleep, he would slip away into the night.
And she also knew that he'd made sure she would be okay.
Nothing would make her regret her time with Maverick. Not even saying good-bye.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Tossing his flight bag on his bed, Maverick glared at the light on his answering machine, blinking over and over again, telling him he had a message-or a dozen messages.