Turbulent Desires(44)

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lindsey asked.

They finally began moving down the hallway, Stormy gathering Lindsey's purse and coat before exiting the building.

"It means that I'm going to love telling Maverick about the good doctor," Stormy said as she held her car door open.

If Lindsey weren't already feeling good from the pain medicine, she  would have had a snappy comment for her friend. But as she sat down and  buckled up, she felt her eyes growing heavy.

She'd give Stormy an earful later. After she'd had a nap.





CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Maverick should have known better. Nothing came without a price these  days. And his uncle was far too much of a meddler to not try to do  something about what he deemed a situation that needed to be fixed.

Even knowing this, Maverick couldn't help but stare at Lindsey as she  stood by the fire on Joseph Anderson's private beach and talked  animatedly to Stormy. Of course she was at the get-together. Why else  would Sherman have insisted on him coming? The old man was meddling.         

     



 

Some people needed to just leave well enough alone.

Maverick couldn't keep his eyes off Lindsey as she turned and laughed at  something Cooper said to her, her chest rising and falling in the  fitted summer dress she wore that was showing enough leg to grab the  attention of every available male on the beach.

He closed his eyes as he remembered running his hands up those silky smooth calves, across her soft thighs to her hot center.

Snapping his eyes back open, he shifted on his feet. Thoughts like that  weren't going to get him anywhere but into a hell of a lot of trouble.  But dammit, if just at that moment, a small gust of wind didn't come  straight from the heavens and ruffle the bottom of her hem, making the  garment flutter a bit higher.

His mouth was watering as he waited to get a peek at her delectable assets-and she had perfect ones.

When the wind died and he groaned the slightest bit is when he heard the  chuckle. He turned to find Nick approaching with way too knowing a look  in his eyes.

"Enjoying the view, brother?" Nick said as he took a swig of his beer.

Maverick's attention was wrenched away from Lindsey as he focused on his brother.

"Yes, it's a nice night," he said, ignoring the knowing tone in Nick's voice.

"Lindsey sure does look good tonight," he said with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Yes, she's in a great mood too," Cooper said as he joined in the  conversation. Maverick hadn't even noticed he'd walked away from Lindsey  and Stormy. He needed to be on better alert.

"Yeah, I need to get over there and see how she's doing," Nick said, poking the bear wanting to roar inside Mav.

"Go on and talk to her," Cooper told Nick. "She's been telling us about her baseball game."

"He doesn't need to go and talk to her," Mav snapped before he could stop himself.

"Why not?" Nick asked with too much innocence.

"There's no reason. You just don't need to," Mav growled.

"You aren't interested in seeing her anymore, so I don't see what it matters," Nick told him.

"Dammit, Nick!" Maverick thundered before managing to lower his voice  when several people turned their way. "She's off limits." This last bit  came out between his gritted teeth.

"Well, are you going to do something about it, or not?" Cooper said pointedly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Maverick said.

"It's more than obvious you're in love with this woman. If you don't do  something about it soon, then you'll regret it because women like  Lindsey don't stay available for long," Cooper told him.

"Yeah, and the good Dr. Stine is totally after her," Nick said.

"How the hell do you know that?" Mav asked.

"Stormy told me, and I told Nick," Cooper said.

"What are you talking about?" Maverick was getting a massive migraine.

"Stormy had to pick Lindsey up yesterday from the hospital because she got hurt-"

"What?" Maverick cut him off as his eyes immediately sought out Lindsey  to make sure she was okay. She didn't appear to be injured, but as his  eyes scanned her from head to toe, he noticed the bandage on her arm for  the first time. Maybe if he hadn't been staring at her legs and  breasts, he might have noticed sooner. "What happened?"

"It wasn't much. She got cut by an intern, but the apparently fantastic  Dr. Stine is the one who patched her all up. He then told Stormy he was  going to have Lindsey sooner or later," Cooper said, too much glee in  his voice as he shared the information.

"Like hell he will," Maverick said.

At that moment, Lindsey looked up and their gazes connected across the  sand. His must have been intense because her eyes widened and her cheeks  colored before she ripped her gaze away and looked down.

"Are you going to do something about it?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, I think it's about time I did," Mav said.

He took a step toward Lindsey. They were going to have a talk. Because  he sure as hell wasn't going to allow another guy to come in and sweep  her off her feet. The thought of such a thing happening made his stomach  churn.

All of his pep talks went out the window when he took off for her and  touched her arm. She didn't say a word as he led her off somewhere a lot  more private. Only when they were away from other people did she turn  on him.

"What do you think you're doing? That was embarrassing, Mav," she snapped.

"I want to know what you're doing," he snapped back. "What in the hell is going on with Dr. Stine?"         

     



 

Her eyes rounded as he asked the question, taking a menacing step in her direction.

"Wh . . . what are you talking about?" she stumbled, but he saw the pink in her cheeks.

"Feeling guilty?" he asked.

That was the wrong thing to say. Her eyes narrowed as she lifted her  hand, planting it in the center of his chest to stop him from pressing  in closer.

"No. I have nothing to feel guilty about. Even if I were seeing another  man it wouldn't be any of your business. We aren't a couple, have never  been a couple, and won't be one in the future," she said, her chest  rising and falling in her agitation.

"None of my business?" he thundered. "Everything you just said doesn't  make sense." He had to take a breath. "If we weren't in a relationship  then what the hell were we doing?"

The feel of her small hand on his chest was making his head a bit fuzzy,  even if the touch wasn't in any small way supposed to resemble a  caress. He'd missed her touch so damn much.

"You were on a mission. That mission ended. Now please leave me alone," she told him, before turning and walking away.

Before she made it two steps, he grabbed her uninjured arm and pulled  her back to him, this time making her stumble into his chest. He didn't  say another word, just bent down and devoured her mouth, putting his  mark on her and making sure she knew he was around.

When he pulled back, she was panting. He leaned forward to kiss her  again. She was faster though, and raised her hand, smacking him on the  cheek before he knew what was happening.

He released her in his shock, and she stumbled backward.

"Don't touch me anymore, Maverick. You've lost that right," she said and  then she turned around and ran, but not before he heard the slight  hiccup of a cry escape her throat.

She was hurting and that was all on him. He felt her pain to the very pits of his soul.

That's when Maverick decided he needed to do something about it. He'd  let her go and it had only brought both of them pain. It was time to fix  that.





CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Sherman was sitting back in a nice lounge chair with Joseph beside him  as he watched Maverick grab hold of Lindsey and take her off somewhere  private. Neither man could hide their grins.

"Looks like those two are sure fired up tonight," Joseph said as he puffed on his cigar.

"Yep. They sure have been foolish these past few weeks, but with his  brothers prodding him, it won't be long until Maverick is down on one  knee proposing to that girl," Sherman said.

"Why do they always have to make it so difficult? If they'd just listen  to us in the first place we wouldn't have to do all this meddling,"  Joseph said with a chuckle.

"You know you would be bored silly if they made it too easy on us,"  Sherman said. "Though I have to admit, I've been a little worried. Those  two haven't spoken for a while."

"Well, it just gave me an excuse to throw a party," Joseph told his friend.

"You don't need an excuse, my friend," Sherman said. "You love to have all your friends and family gathered close by."

As he spoke, a group of Joseph's grandchildren went rushing past, their giggles filling the air as they chased two puppies.

"Life is far too lonely all by yourself. I don't understand these young  people thinking they can make it on their own. Why would anyone want to  do that when it's so much better to have the love of your life by your  side every single day?" Joseph grumbled.