“I had Coop bring her over. My housekeeper has been keeping an eye on them, and set a few things up for us,” he said, suddenly nervous when she looked up at him with a tender gaze.

“Thanks, Mav. That was really thoughtful.”

Suddenly he was feeling as if he couldn’t breathe again. He tugged at the collar of his shirt as he took off his jacket.

“Let me show you where you can shower and change. Coop texted me and said that Stormy went ahead and grabbed some of your clothes and sent them over with him. You don’t have to wear my baggy sweats after all,” he told her.

Her cheeks pinked, and it didn’t take long for him to find out why. “Stormy has to be thinking . . .” She trailed off.

“She’s thinking you had a hell of a day at work and that we’re going to make up for it by having a romantic evening,” he said as he kneeled down and cupped her face.

“Okay,” she said, but he could see she was still embarrassed.

“Come on. Princess can go with you.”

She allowed him to help her back up, and then both of them climbed the stairs with the two dogs close at their heels. After he left her in his bedroom, he waited for her outside. He watched the stars and thought about his conversation earlier in the day with Coop.

Maverick was beginning to think his brother just might be right about how he was feeling about Lindsey. But did it even matter if he was falling for the girl? It didn’t change anything. He wasn’t ready to settle down yet.

That thought depressed him. On this night he didn’t want to feel anything other than happiness, so he pushed it away. He had a few things to prepare for their perfect night together, so he focused on those instead of focusing on tomorrow.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Lindsey took her time in the shower, scrubbing her body clean. She still felt dirty, though. That man’s blood hadn’t touched her skin, thankfully, and though Mav had cleaned everything off her, it had been a hell of a day and she was having a difficult time feeling sterile enough.

When Lindsey walked out of the bathroom with the towel wrapped snugly around her, Princess was sitting in wait, her ears perking up.

“Did you miss me today, little girl?” she asked before lifting the dog and sitting down on the huge comfortable bed in the middle of the room. Princess stretched up on her hind legs and licked Lindsey’s chin. “I’ll take that as a yes,” she said with a laugh. “I missed you, too.”

Taking a little more time, Lindsey gave Princess plenty of love, which they both obviously needed. She then went over to the bag Stormy had sent.

When she opened it up, Lindsey wasn’t a happy camper. There was hardly anything in it at all—a few pairs of skimpy panties, brand new lingerie, and a note that said to stay inside and enjoy herself.

With a growl, Lindsey thought about calling Stormy up and reaming her best friend, but that wouldn’t do her any good. She decided to raid Mav’s closet instead. At least Lindsey knew Stormy didn’t disapprove of her relationship with Maverick. She might be just as disappointed as Lindsey was going to be when their time was up.

When she opened Maverick’s closet door, her heart might have stalled mid-beat. It was a woman’s dream come true with a huge center island and so many drawers that Lindsey didn’t know where to start. Only a small portion of the hanger space was even being used. She went over and ran her hand down Maverick’s formal military garments and thought she really wouldn’t mind seeing the man all decked out in them.

It took a while, but finally she found a pair of sweats with a drawstring that she had to tighten all the way and a T-shirt that said US Air Force on it. It hung all the way down to her thighs.

Taking a big whiff, she inhaled Maverick’s scent, thinking she didn’t mind wearing his clothing. She felt relaxed in this room, with his things. Plus, her day had been so draining. She thought about curling up in his bed, but she needed to go back downstairs. He was waiting and had made plans for the two of them. She was curious about what he considered to be a soothing evening.

He’d already done such amazing things for her, she couldn’t imagine what he had planned. She hoped it didn’t involve going anywhere. As much fun as she’d had playing baseball and being whipped around a racecar track, she was emotionally exhausted at the moment and didn’t want to see anyone other than Maverick.

The lights were dim when she came down the stairs, but she could see fine. Princess went off to look for Benji and Lindsey made her way to the kitchen. A full wine glass was sitting next to a candle and a note on the counter.

Picking up the glass, she took a sip of the delicious red liquid before reading the note.

Blow out the candle, grab your wine, and come out the back door. Follow the trail.

Nothing else was written. Lindsey’s curiosity was fully piqued. She took the glass and sipped on it while she exited the open patio doors. There she found an illuminated path that appeared to lead to the beach, which wasn’t far away. There was a glow at the end of the path. Lindsey set out to investigate.

It wasn’t a far stroll through the trees. When the forested area cleared, she found a perfect little oasis. There was a small sandy beach surrounded by a rock wall on one side, and bushes on the other with nothing but water in front.

The area was protected from the wind. In the center of it all was a tent, of sorts.

Maverick was standing to the side of the tent with a rose in one hand, a glass of wine in the other, and a beaming smile on his face.