The last time I had let myself into Maverick's room unannounced was not one of my proudest moments. The embarrassment of witnessing him balls deep in another woman was a mental imagine I could have gone the rest of my life without. So instead of barging in, I stood in the darkened hallway, straining my ears for any little noise from the other side of his door.

If you found your way over to my room later on tonight, you wouldn't have to worry about leaving unsatisfied.

I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth, heart fluttering in my chest at his statement. My sock-clad toes rolled into the hardwood floors. There was so much I wanted to know––so much I wanted to explore. And I had the perfect candidate just across the hall.

In my physical relationship with Miles I had come to believe that I wasn't supposed to be satisfied all the time. Whether I took too long to finish or he needed a quick fix before he could go on for the rest of his day. I had realized that my sexual gratification didn't have equal value to a man's.

But the way Maverick was speaking to me earlier made me reconsider. What if everything I'd experienced before—the coldness, the selfishness, the emptiness—wasn't how it was supposed to be? What if there was more? Something better? When we'd talked about my ex and his failures, the way Maverick had looked at me—like he was daring me to find out what I'd been missing. Like he knew exactly how to show me.

Standing in a pair of Snoopy pajamas, my decision solidified in my mind. I didn't want to wonder anymore. I didn't want to keep questioning what it could be like, or if it would ever feel like more than a chore. I wanted to know. And I wanted Maverick to show me.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I raised my hand and knocked. My heart pounded in my chest. The house was silent. Each time my knuckles met the wood surface it was if I was beating the door down with a gavel. I turned my head to peer down the empty hallway, hoping that I didn't wake any of our other housemates. The last thing I needed was to explain to anyone why I was standing outside of Maverick's bedroom door in the early hours of the morning.

When it didn't open I raised my hand again, but the click of a door handle caused me to freeze.

The door creaked open, a thin beam of moonlight spilling into the hallway. Maverick's tall frame was on the other side, hair a mess across his forehead. I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling the weight of the decision I'd made. Even if I decided not to go through with anything, the idea that I'd have to explain to him why I was visiting at an ungodly hour was enough to make me sweat. But there was no turning back now.

"Everything okay?" Maverick asked, brushing the sleep from his eye.

"Could I come in?"

For a moment, he didn't move, just studied me, like he was making sure I wasn't sleepwalking my way over. Then, with a quiet hum, he stepped back, opening the door a few notches wider.

I gulped, stepping past him and into his room. A large bay window crossed the entirety of one of his bedroom walls. The culprit for how bright it was despite the time of night. Nothing compared to the dark void that was my room. I took a step closer towards his ruffled comforter, a sign that he had been in bed before I made my way over. Despite the pile of sheets and few knick-knacks on his night stand, his room was relatively organized.

I took another step, catching my reflection in the full-length mirror that was perched in the corner. The messy way I had pulled my curls up in a bun on the top of my head made me wince. Perhaps I should have spruced up a bit before making my way over here.

Maverick's almost black eyes tracked me from within the shadows of his room. "I doubt you decided that you wanted a room tour at three a.m.. What do you need, Celeste?"

"I was wondering if you do well by your promises."

"What promise?"

Those two words alone were enough to make me want to turn around and escort myself out. But I was in too deep. I rubbed at my wrist. "The one where you said that if I were to make my way over to your room tonight I wouldn't leave unsatisfied."

Maverick didn't say anything. Silence coated the room in a thick blanket that almost suffocated me. It remained like that for prolonged seconds that equated to hours in my anxious mind. He was about to turn me down and I was going to have to live with the embarrassment for the rest of my existence.

"How drunk are you?"

The question caught me off guard. "I––I'm not drunk."

"What brought this on?" He took a tantalizing step closer to me.

Now it was my turn to remain silent. Did I want to divulge him in the inner workings of my mind and how fucked up it was after dating someone like Miles? Did I want to share that I had yet to be satisfied by a man and was hopeful that he could show me what I had been missing out on?

"I'm just curious."

He raised a thick eyebrow. "Curious?"

"If what everyone says is true."

Maverick had his hands stuffed into the pockets of his sweats. I fought my gaze to remain on his face. "So you want me to fuck you based off of rumors?"

When I nodded my head he narrowed the distance between us, nose inches from mine. The warmth of his breath fanned over my face as he tilted his head. Something glimmered in his eyes.

"No can do."

"What?"

He was standing straighter now, eyes casted downward to take in my bewildered expression. Was I really getting turned down by a fuck boy? This was a whole new low.

"I'm not going to have sex with you just because you have a bit of FOMO."

"Don't you sleep with every other girl who comes to you with FOMO?"

"That's different," he said as he turned his head to look at anything else but me.

I crossed my arms across my chest. "How is it different?"

"Because I don't live with any of them."

When I wandered over to Maverick's room, the last thing I was expecting was for him to be the voice of reason.

"I don't want to deal with the bullshit when you inevitably fall in love with me. Not to mention the fact that Easton would probably try to kill me. So if you're telling me you came here tonight to take me for a ride and see how I do––it's not worth it."

Retract that, he wasn't a voice of reason. He was being his usual cocky self.

I rolled my eyes so far back that it hurt. "What makes you think that a few minutes of fun is going to make me fall in love with you?"

A conceited smirk appeared on his face. "It wouldn't be the first time."

I pursed my lips, sliding my tongue across my top row of teeth. "If I'm being completely honest, I didn't come here because I have a misguided form of FOMO. I came here because I was hoping you could show me what sex is meant to be like." Maverick didn't respond and I took that as an opportunity to continue. "It's no secret that Miles was a selfish asshole. He was the same way in bed."

I rolled my lips into my mouth. The words sticking to the back of my throat. It was so much more embarrassing to say them outloud. "I want to know what it's supposed to feel like. You seem to have a lot of women pining to get with you. I figured you'd be the best person to show me if I was doing something wrong or if sex is really as shit as I think it is. But if you don't think it's a good idea, then I respect that."

I couldn't meet Maverick's eyes as I moved to step around him. All I wanted to do at that moment was curl up into the fetal position with Oliver. But before I could pass him, his hand shot out, wrapping around my arm. Something in his eyes darkened. Smouldered into a pile of ash. The air between us changed and the palm of his hand seared into my skin. I pulled in a greedy breath of air.

I peered down at his hands before I dared myself to look up. His eyes were already on mine.

"You sure this is what you want?"

I nodded, feeling my heart race faster. "Yes. I don't want to wonder anymore."

Maverick's eyes softened for a moment, and then his hand slid down to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing over my bottom lip. "Alright," he murmured, his voice low and full of promise. "I'll show you."

Before I could say anything else, he leaned in and kissed me.

The second his lips touched mine something shifted inside me. This wasn't like any kiss Miles had ever planted on me. Maverick's kiss wasn't rushed or aggressive—it was slow, deliberate, like he had all the time in the world and wanted to savor every second of it. His mouth moved against mine, coaxing a response from me. I gave in, my hands finding their way to his shoulders, gripping him as the heat between us grew.

Maverick pulled back just enough to look at me, his eyes dark with desire. "If you want me to stop, you say the word."

I couldn't get my vocal cords to work. So instead, I nodded, trying to catch my breath.

His lips curled into a small smile before he kissed me again, this time deeper, more insistent. His hands slid down to my waist, pulling me closer until our bodies were flush against each other. I could feel the hard lines of his muscles through his shirt, and it made me dizzy, the way he held me like I was the most precious thing to him.

I could see why some women might have fallen.

His hands roamed over my body, tracing the curve of my hips, the dip of my waist, before he slipped his fingers beneath the hem of my shirt. His touch was slow, careful, as if he was testing my boundaries. He was waiting for me to pull away, but all I could think was how much I wanted more.

When he realized I wasn't going to back down, Maverick led me to the bed, his lips never leaving me as he guided me down into his memory foam mattress. He broke away, giving me a moment to collect myself as he removed my shirt. Dropping it to the floor, Maverick's hungry gaze roamed my body. It caused a shiver to wrack through me. The way he looked like he was going to devour me caused a jolted of excitement in my lower belly.

I had no idea that was exactly what he had planned on doing.

_ _ _ _ _

author's note:

The full 18+ chapter is out on Ream. 

Happy reading!