You gotta love mothers.
“So, is that a yes?”
“Of course, it is, son.” A loud beeping sound comes through the line. “Oh, the second batch of cupcakes are done! Gotta go. Love you.”
“Love you, too,” I say, but she’s already ended the call.
“It sounds like they’re having fun,” Frankie says, her lips tugging down into a small frown.
“That’s good, right?” I hedge, not sure why she’s upset.
“It’s great. Really, it is. It just breaks my heart that my parents will never know how amazing he is.”
Man, fuck her parents. “Their loss, Bluebird. It’s their loss.”
“I know.” She tips her head to the side and shrugs. “Really, I do. It’s just… before you and your family, I was all Maverick had. I thought I was all he needed, and seeing how happy he is… what if we never met? What if he never got to experience this kind of love?”
I haul her back into my lap, and she snuggles in, tucking her head beneath my chin. She fits so perfectly against me, it’s like we were meant to be.
“Mav was never lacking for anything, especially not love. The way you are with him, you really are a mama bear, Frankie. Fierce and protective. You put him first in everything you do. So, while I’m glad as hell we met—trust me, I’m the real winner there—don’t doubt for a single second that he’d have been just fine if we hadn’t. Because you’d have made sure of it.”
She sniffles and clutches at the material of my shirt. “You mean that?”
“I do.” I smooth her hair away from her face. “And he has your brother, right?”
“Yeah, he loves his uncle Phin. Doesn’t get to see him much, but they really are two peas in a pod. Mav pretty much has Phoenix on a pedestal. The man can do no wrong.”
I press my lips to the top of her head. “Well, if Maverick likes him that much, I can’t wait to meet him.”
“So, we’re really doing this, huh?” A hint of vulnerability creeps into her voice.
“I guess I haven’t made myself clear.” I shift her so that she’s once again straddling me, her brilliant blue eyes locked onto mine. “Hell, yeah, we’re doing this. You’re mine, Frankie. And you be damn sure, I’ll spend every day showing you just how much I mean those words. I said I loved you and I meant it. So, yeah, we’re fucking doing this.”
“Okay.” Her lips twitch, as she tries to hold back her laughter, but it’s no use. And it’s definitely not the response I was looking for either.
“What’s so funny?” Because seriously—what the fuck?
“It’s just… I totally love you, too, and am totally here for this, for you, but…”
“But what?” I lean in for a quick kiss, mashing my lips against hers. “Spit it out.”
Her nose crinkles and her eyes dance with mischief. “What if the sex is bad?”
“The fuck did you just say?” A growl rips loose from my chest. “How is that even a question?”
She shrugs, a coy smile playing at her lips. “I’m just saying…”
“Our chemistry is explosive, Bluebird, and I can guaran-goddamn-tee that when we fuck, it will be so damn good. I’m talking seeing stars and talking in tongues good.”
Frankie lifts one shoulder in a delicate shrug. “Promises, promises.”
“Five days and that ass is mine, Frankie.” I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her body snug against mine, snapping my teeth playfully against her throat. “Five days and I’ll show you just how fucking good we are together.”
“Why wait?” she asks, rolling her hips against mine.
For a half a second, I’m tempted to take what she’s offering, to throw her down on this bed and fuck her brains out. But I won’t. “Because from now until then, I want you to think about it. To imagine it.”
I press my lips to her collarbone, nipping at it, before licking a path up her neck with the tip of my tongue.
“When you’re alone in the shower, with your pussy aching and begging for my touch, I want you to rub your clit just like you did in the VIP room; I want you to touch yourself and pretend it’s me. I want you on edge, desperate and begging for my cock.”
“Orion,” she whimpers as she tries to rock against me. “Please.”
I still her hips and give her one last kiss before sliding out from under her. “C’mon, Bluebird, we better get Maverick. It is a school night, after all.”
Frankie gives my tented jeans a pointed look. “You sure you don’t want me to take the edge off?”
Smirking, I reach down and readjust myself. “As tempting as that sounds, good things come to those who wait.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
FRANKIE
This week has somehow flown by while also being the longest week of my life.
I’ve also spent the last five days horngry—yeah, horny and angry. Well, not angry, but frustrated. Ever since last Sunday, Orion has managed to keep me on edge.