joking.”
“I see,” she said. “Well, try not to do it again.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Sorry.”
The rest of the ride went without issue. Harmony didn’t say anything to the men for the rest of the ride.
She’d thought the civilized men would be a good break from Maverick’s wildness. Instead, they just made her aware of his good points. Sure, he was aggressive and impulsive. But he didn’t say gross things and act like a slime ball while pretending to be civilized.
He was just openly an animal. She preferred it that way.
“You okay back there, Harmony?” Mav asked, calling back to her.
“Yup,” she said, heating with awareness at just hearing his voice saying her name. She wanted him to say it again, in bed.
Dammit, what was wrong with her? She’d seen how that went last time, and all it took was seeing him on a horse to decide she had to have him again? She needed to calm the fuck down.
When they got back, Maverick helped the others dismount, sending them back to the lodge before coming to help her down.
When he put his hands on her waist, she felt blood rush into her cheeks—and other places.
“I wanted to say I’m sorry for this morning,” he said in a deep voice as he lifted her down. “I’m not going to be so overbearing.”
She looked up at him, perplexed at how he was going to accomplish that.
“I still want you, but I can wait,” he said, taking the reins of her horse to lead it back in the barn.
“I guess I’ll see you later, then?” she asked, folding her arms and looking over at him. She hated herself for not being able to hold a grudge.
He studied her silently. It looked like he wanted to say yes, but then he shook his head.
“No, I have stuff I have to do tonight. You hang out with Bonnie and Ruby. We’ll see each other tomorrow.”
She couldn’t help feeling a bit of disappointment. “Okay.”
“See ya,” he said. Then he tipped his hat to her and led the horse into the barn.
Dammit, why did him suddenly pulling back just make him that much more attractive?
----
M averick made good on his promise to stay away from Harmony for the rest of the day and evening.
Even if it felt like he was bursting out of his skin.
He’d given Shane a heads-up about their guests being jerks and told him to keep an eye out. Shane had promised he and Ruby would stay with Harmony the entire night.
So Maverick had let the bear that was bursting to get out of him tear out of his skin and take him up into the mountains, where they felt most at home.
As he rested on his stomach in the cool night air, he wondered if he really wanted a mate who only wanted him when he acted like another man.
Maybe that was the man he’d have been if he hadn’t been born to a female who was more bear than human, if he hadn’t been dumped in the woods. If he hadn’t been lost there for years before anyone found him.
But he wasn’t going to get lost in coulda, woulda, shouldas.
Now that the moon was out, he was aching for his mate. It was nighttime; he should be taking her. She should be home in his cabin. Instead, she was down in the main lodge, laughing and playing games with his brothers and their mates and probably those two assholes from New York.
Maverick had about had it with acting civilized. He’d have given it up right after the ride if she hadn’t seemed more eager to see him due to him being standoffish.
But what if she always wanted him standoffish? When was he going to pounce her again, then?
She’d looked so beautiful on the ride. Dark skin alight in the sunshine, curls bouncing with each step, a wide smile.
And the most stunning thing of all, something that had made the bear in him literally sit up and sway in an almost hypnotic trance, was her voice.
She had real talent. Not that Maverick knew much about such things, but she could really go somewhere. Be something. She sounded amazing. Her voice was rich, husky, soulful, and when it rose up into higher notes,
“I see,” she said. “Well, try not to do it again.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Sorry.”
The rest of the ride went without issue. Harmony didn’t say anything to the men for the rest of the ride.
She’d thought the civilized men would be a good break from Maverick’s wildness. Instead, they just made her aware of his good points. Sure, he was aggressive and impulsive. But he didn’t say gross things and act like a slime ball while pretending to be civilized.
He was just openly an animal. She preferred it that way.
“You okay back there, Harmony?” Mav asked, calling back to her.
“Yup,” she said, heating with awareness at just hearing his voice saying her name. She wanted him to say it again, in bed.
Dammit, what was wrong with her? She’d seen how that went last time, and all it took was seeing him on a horse to decide she had to have him again? She needed to calm the fuck down.
When they got back, Maverick helped the others dismount, sending them back to the lodge before coming to help her down.
When he put his hands on her waist, she felt blood rush into her cheeks—and other places.
“I wanted to say I’m sorry for this morning,” he said in a deep voice as he lifted her down. “I’m not going to be so overbearing.”
She looked up at him, perplexed at how he was going to accomplish that.
“I still want you, but I can wait,” he said, taking the reins of her horse to lead it back in the barn.
“I guess I’ll see you later, then?” she asked, folding her arms and looking over at him. She hated herself for not being able to hold a grudge.
He studied her silently. It looked like he wanted to say yes, but then he shook his head.
“No, I have stuff I have to do tonight. You hang out with Bonnie and Ruby. We’ll see each other tomorrow.”
She couldn’t help feeling a bit of disappointment. “Okay.”
“See ya,” he said. Then he tipped his hat to her and led the horse into the barn.
Dammit, why did him suddenly pulling back just make him that much more attractive?
----
M averick made good on his promise to stay away from Harmony for the rest of the day and evening.
Even if it felt like he was bursting out of his skin.
He’d given Shane a heads-up about their guests being jerks and told him to keep an eye out. Shane had promised he and Ruby would stay with Harmony the entire night.
So Maverick had let the bear that was bursting to get out of him tear out of his skin and take him up into the mountains, where they felt most at home.
As he rested on his stomach in the cool night air, he wondered if he really wanted a mate who only wanted him when he acted like another man.
Maybe that was the man he’d have been if he hadn’t been born to a female who was more bear than human, if he hadn’t been dumped in the woods. If he hadn’t been lost there for years before anyone found him.
But he wasn’t going to get lost in coulda, woulda, shouldas.
Now that the moon was out, he was aching for his mate. It was nighttime; he should be taking her. She should be home in his cabin. Instead, she was down in the main lodge, laughing and playing games with his brothers and their mates and probably those two assholes from New York.
Maverick had about had it with acting civilized. He’d have given it up right after the ride if she hadn’t seemed more eager to see him due to him being standoffish.
But what if she always wanted him standoffish? When was he going to pounce her again, then?
She’d looked so beautiful on the ride. Dark skin alight in the sunshine, curls bouncing with each step, a wide smile.
And the most stunning thing of all, something that had made the bear in him literally sit up and sway in an almost hypnotic trance, was her voice.
She had real talent. Not that Maverick knew much about such things, but she could really go somewhere. Be something. She sounded amazing. Her voice was rich, husky, soulful, and when it rose up into higher notes,
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