Just One Spark: A Black Alcove Novel Read online

I roll my eyes. “Are you ready?”

  “More than you know,” he says, looking me in the eyes. His gaze flashes to my lips right as I put my thumb in the air. My stomach twists into a knot. I don’t think Maverick is talking solely about this water ride.

  The boat starts slow.

  “Hold tight,” I tell him.

  “What’s the signal to go faster?” he asks.

  “Just give them a thumbs up and then a thumbs down to go slower.”

  “Oh, we’re definitely not going slower.” His thumb flashes up and he just keeps pumping it in the air.

  “Put your hand down!” I try to swat him but have to get my hand back on the grip.

  “I will when we get to a good speed.”

  “Maverick, we aren’t going to last long if you keep your hand up.”

  “Trust me, okay?” His hand goes down and his eyes beg me to comply.

  I don’t trust anyone easily except the group we came with. I’ve known them all so long it’s hard not to trust them. I’m still getting to know Maverick, but like an idiot, I nod.

  The boat takes off and the tube jerks behind it. Conner whips the boat back and forth, creating waves. We get good air with almost each one, water spraying the two of us, and neither of us can stop laughing. I’m bouncing off the tube like a rag doll while Maverick seems to hold his position well.

  I open my mouth to ask if he needs the boat to go faster when we hit a good wave. This time, Maverick’s body comes off the tube, but he’s still holding on. I know this because that’s immediately where my eyes go when my hands begin to slip. Then Maverick’s hand disappears from one of the grips. My hand follows right after. I brace myself for the crash when an arm locks behind my back and pulls me back against the tube. I open my eyes to see that Maverick has now latched onto one of my handles as his body holds mine between him and the tube—a grin on his lips the entire time.

  “Want me to tell him to slow down?” he shouts.

  I just shake my head.

  “All right, well—”

  Water silences everything around me, and my lungs inflate as I swirl under the surface. I’m not under for very long before I’m able to swim to the top. I gasp for a breath, franticly searching to find Maverick. His head bobs up to the left.

  “Beth,” he shouts, looking the opposite way.

  “I’m right here,” I say, swimming up behind him.

  He splashes in a turn and pulls me to him.

  There’s no time for me to react before his lips crash against mine. His hands hold tight to my sides and it’s as though the small current of water forces my legs around his core. I lock my arms around his neck and slide my tongue through his lips. His growls, kissing me harder as his fingers sneak their way under my vest.

  “I hate to break this up,” Luke says, the boat drifting up next to us. “But those clouds are about to cut our day short.”

  We look in the direction he points and dark skies are heading our way. We swim to the back of the boat to use the ladder. I go first but pause to look back.

  “Do you want to come to my place when we get back?” I ask.

  “Yes,” he says and then nudges my butt for me to move.

  Once we’re back in the boat, my eyes never stray from Maverick. Running a towel over his hair or across his body to dry off is such a natural thing to do, but right now it makes my insides scream to take over and tear his clothes off. I almost tell him not to bother pulling his t-shirt over his head, but I don’t. He’ll figure it out soon enough.

  * * *

  So it’s safe to say that whatever is going on between Maverick and myself, I can’t quit now no matter what I think or tell myself. He doesn’t show any signs of stopping either.

  “I had fun today,” he says, leaning against the counter in my kitchen. “I can’t remember the last time I just took a day to not focus on work.”

  “Don’t you have a hobby or something you do when you aren’t working?” I ask.

  “I’ve been so wrapped up in work for the last two years that I sort of put everything I enjoyed doing to the side.”

  “Where did you work the last two years?”

  When he doesn’t answer right away, I gaze up from making tea. Why is he looking at me like I just kicked his puppy?

  “I’ve been working at my father’s branch.”

  What?

  “You already work at MM?” I ask.

  He nods slowly, once, and looks away.

  “That doesn’t make sense. Why would they put you in this program then?” I ask. Before I was competing against a family member shoe-in—now I’m competing against someone who already works there? I should just give up now.

  “Let’s not talk about work anymore today, okay?”

  The pure worry in his eyes confuses me. What doesn’t he want to tell me?

  “Well, that’s going to be a little hard now.”

  “Try to forget it.”

  “Yes, because that will be so easy to do.”

  “Why do you have to argue with everything? Why can’t you just say okay and be done with it?” he snaps.

  “Because when someone wants to avoid a subject, nine out of ten times it’s because there is more to the story and they don’t want to share that information.”

  He doesn’t say anything.

  “Exactly,” I slam the box of tea bags on the counter. Hopefully, the fact that I’m not facing him anymore will get my next point across. “Maybe you should go.”

  The room falls silent as he debates whether or not he’s going to do as I suggested. He takes a step and I think it’s for the door, but it’s not. Maverick silences my thoughts with a hug. A simple hug.

  “Our lives make no sense right now, but Beth, whatever we have going on together, I can’t let it go.” His places a gentle kiss on my shoulder and then my neck.

  Now. Now would be a really good time to take his no argument and just say, “Okay” advice.

  His hand slides through my hair, gripping what it can as he spins me around. I don’t give either of us the chance to continue this conversation. We kiss like it’s our last and strip out of every piece of clothing by the time we’ve made it to my room.

  Maverick breaks the kiss and steps back.

  “Turn around,” he says.

  The command in his voice makes the spot between my legs cheer with desire. I comply and bend over the bed before he can give me his next order.

  “Look back at me,” he says, his voice deep with want.

  With a glance over my shoulder I catch his heated gaze as he smooths both hands over my cheeks. He palms them and grips them with a groan.

  “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought of you bent over my desk like this,” he says.

  “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve imagined it,” I say.

  I see the tick in his jaw as he leans over me, his straining erection pressed against me. He’s pushing inside me, slowly. Sex with Maverick feels so good. I don’t know why I ever fought something so great. He folds his body over mine, thrusting hard as one squeezes my breast and the other sneaking its way between my legs and rubbing against me. It doesn’t take long before I’m crying his name and he’s following right behind me.

  Later, when we’re lying in bed, I can’t help but think that working with him and not touching him will be impossible. But somehow, it has to be. No matter how much I crave him, I can’t continue to give in. My life depends on it, and whenever I’m around Maverick or even think of him, my focus is distracted. I can’t afford to be disconnected from my work at all. My entire life is in Wind Valley. Maverick’s been here for part of a summer. One man can’t be worth giving up my apartment, losing my job, or missing my friends.

  Can he?

  Chapter Twelve

  Beth

  Hundreds of people surround me as I head across town to the event center parking lot in almost ninety-degree weather. Kids are screaming, cheering, and laughing. Adults are chasing their children and visiti
ng all the local vendors that came out today. TACM is set up on the outdoor main stage, providing music for everyone, and that’s where I’m headed.

  At first glance, everything seems to be running smoothly, just as Maverick and I had planned it. Austin, too, I guess—I mean, he did make that one phone call … I think. And he did drop flyers off to the more popular places around town like I asked him to. Gyms, banks, local stores downtown, and even at the college. I was just as surprised as Maverick when we met at the coffee shop across from the BA yesterday morning to go over final arrangements—also because we were running later after a long night at my place—and saw the ad for the radio station. I feel proud of the work we have done, and although I’d prefer to not work with him at all, I’m relieved that Austin actually did something.

  A good part of me wants to let Austin’s father know the lack of commitment his son has had toward this program, but I don’t know Bart Mitchell very well and I’m not sure if he would think I’m tattling to get ahead or looking out for the company’s best interest, which is what it would be. Also, because if people learned I was sleeping with the other boss’s son, I’m not sure that would shout even one good compliment in my direction.

  I grab a handheld fan from one of the tables set up through the lot and smile at our ad on the plastic as I wave it in front of my face. I probably should have worn more work-appropriate attire today, seeing as we work for the station hosting the event, but it’s too damn hot. I went with dress shorts, a sleeveless blouse—as always—that won’t stay tucked in, and open-toe wedge sandals instead. My hair is pulled up into a top bun, and even with it out of my way and my lack of clothing, it’s still hot as balls out here.

  “Beth,” Maverick calls out my name as he jogs up behind me. Dear lord, this day just got even toastier. Not just from looking at him but because of the way he makes me feel. We’ve been doing whatever it is that we are doing for the past week and I have nothing to complain about. Yes, I’m worried about all the backlash that may come at the end of the program, but I’m trying my best not to let it ruin what I have now. Which is everything I won’t have living in Montana if they don’t choose me. As I’ve said a dozen times before, I’m up against family. You don’t compete with family, yet I am, and not to mention, what the fuck about Maverick already working there? I hope to god that man knows this conversation will come up again. And soon. And no using sex to avoid talking about it anymore either.

  Maverick scoops an arm around my waist and then kisses the side of my head. I slink out of his embrace.

  “Someone could see you,” I whisper as I keep walking. He keeps pace with me but isn’t fazed by my reaction.

  “This place looks pretty damn perfect if I do say so myself,” he says.

  “Yes, I do believe we pulled it off. Have you had a chance to contact the station? See if any ratings have gone up within the first hour?”

  “No, I figured I’d call in the morning. I’d rather wait to see what a whole afternoon and evening does for them rather than an hour. The numbers will be better for our report.”

  He makes a good point. His reasoning also brings me back to the whole “he already works for the company” thing. I don’t know how I missed it before, but now it seems that all of his ideas hint at how much experience he actually has. Of course we shouldn’t be checking numbers every hour. We are assisting to make sure the event runs smoothly, after all.

  “I was thinking that tonight, when this is all said and done, I might stop by. Of course—”

  “Who in the hell is that?” I ask, cutting him off. I want him to come over, but what I sure as hell do not want are the four fucking half-naked woman surrounding the radio station who are on stage dancing. Not in a family appropriate way either.

  I take off at a quicker pace, and I can feel Maverick still keeping up with me.

  “There has to be some kind of mix up,” he says.

  “We can’t have dancers here. This isn’t part of their marketing plan and these women have nothing to do with the image the station is trying to create. If the owner gets a glimpse of these women, he will think we haven’t been listening to the values he wants this station to represent. Music for the family.”

  “We’ll get them off the stage. It’s going to be fine,” he says.

  “I really hope your uncle hasn’t arrived yet.”

  Maverick skips two steps at a time as we climb up to the stage. I obviously take each step, which only fuels my anger even more that Maverick has reached the shaggy-haired male who is manning the set up. Does Maverick always have to do things better than me?

  The young man’s pants hang low and I’m pretty sure he’s wearing two different shoes, clearly not giving a shit about his appearance. His shirt represents TACM’s logo, so at least there is that.

  “I’m just doing what they asked me,” he says, holding his hands up. “I normally run the sounds behind the stage, but not today.”

  “What I want to know is who told you it was okay to have dancers?” I ask.

  “Like I told him,” he points to Maverick, “the email they forwarded to me said to pick them up. I’m just trying to do my job.”

  “What email?” Maverick asks at the same time I say, “Show me this email.”

  The fact that Maverick is calm, not freaking out the way I am, annoys me. If his job were on the line, he’d be freaking out. If this were his first client, he’d be freaking out. But alas, I am reminded that our experiences here are completely opposite. He’s probably been in this type of situation before and knows exactly how to handle it.

  “Here.” The guy hands me his phone. I skim over the parts where his boss replies to the message from MM. Then I see the sender’s name and I surprise the shit out of myself when I don’t immediately start to scream.

  “Why in the hell did you send this message?” I thrust the phone in Maverick’s face, demanding an answer.

  “I didn’t send anything about this,” he says.

  “Um, your name is right here. I think you did.”

  “You’re joking, right?” He takes the phone form my hand and looks over the screen. “You should know better than anyone at our office that I did not send this email.”

  “Why should I believe you? We’re not even close to being at the same level for this job. You have your secrets and I don’t ask you to reveal them. But the fact you don’t share them with me is all the more reason to doubt you right now.”

  “Beth, come on, you know who sent this. He’s the one person who wants both of us to fail more than anything.”

  Austin.

  The moment he puts the idea in my head, I know he’s right. But I still say the first thing that comes to mind.

  “Or it has something to do with why you are here and not working for your dad anymore and you keep using Austin as an excuse.”

  All right, so that last part was just me spouting bullshit because I’m mad. Austin handles making himself look bad all on his own.

  “Well, well, well, what do we have here?”

  Speak the devil’s name and he shall appear.

  “I’m not sure which one of you made the choice for this, but my father is headed this way right now and I don’t expect that he will be too pleased. This is a family event, after all.” The satisfied tone in Austin’s voice makes me want to vomit.

  “Get them off the stage right now,” I tell him. He laughs in my face.

  “Austin, just do it,” Maverick says. He sighs, clearly over this game his cousin is trying to play.

  “What’s going on here?” Mr. Mitchell asks as he steps up to join us.

  “I was just saying the same thing, Father. I’m escorting the women off stage this instant since neither of these two have taken the initiative yet.” Austin moves to gather up the girls and then he shows them down the stairs. His father has his back to them now so he isn’t able to catch the sight of Austin placing his hand on one woman’s ass as his head falls back with a laugh. He’s such a pig.

 
“I’d expected better from the two of you,” he says.

  “Sir, it was a complete mix-up,” Maverick begins.

  “I don’t want to hear it. All I care about is this running smoothly and our client seeing an improvement in popularity. Let’s hope your little mishap doesn’t cost us this contract.” He eyes Maverick. “You can’t afford to have that happen twice within six months.”

  What? Now I really want to know why Maverick is here.

  “Yes, sir,” is how Maverick answers. Mr. Mitchell walks away.

  “We will catch up later, okay?” he asks, not waiting for my answer before he hurries off after his uncle.

  I’m missing a major piece to Maverick’s story and if I’m not careful, his ending could ruin everything I have planned.

  Maverick

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

  How many times will I find myself in this position before I get my shit together? Austin knows my weaknesses and he’s going to exploit every one of them in any way he can until I don’t have this job. Or any job for that fact.

  After the remark my uncle just made, tonight I’ll definitely have to tell Beth the full story. It’s either that or walk away, and that sure as shit isn’t happening. I’d rather her be mad at me, but we have a chance to work it out than to completely step back without ever knowing how things could have been.

  I pick up my pace until I’m able to catch up with my uncle.

  “Bart,” I call out. He pauses and looks back.

  “Maverick, I really did expect much more out of you,” he says.

  “I know, sir. There was a mix-up on how those women came to be here. I think Austin hired them.”

  He nods. “Yes, I’d agree that makes sense,” he sighs. “I really did hope this opportunity would help him straighten up.”

  He lets out another deep breath. I don’t think I need to go into detail on what else his son hasn’t been doing.

  “We could always spin this to—”

  “That won’t be necessary, Maverick. I don’t believe enough people saw them to make a spectacle about it. I just wish there wasn’t something in the first place.”