strong.
“Play nice with us, sweets, and it will be much easier on
you.” Another man grated out.
Maverick stepped up behind her. “Everything okay
here?”
Shelia’s relief was palpable. “I’m fine.”
“Go away, man,” another man snapped. “This piece of
ass is ours.”
A sober look settled across Maverick’s face as he met
each and every one of the faces before him. “I would really
recommend you watch how you talk about a lady. Especially
this one.”
“What’s so special about her to you, Injun?” the man
sneered.
“She’s my daughter.” Maverick stepped up beside Shelia
and leveled his deadpan glare at each man. “I don’t like people
to be disrespectful, especially to my family.” The tone made the
atmosphere feel like the arctic instead of the middle of the
desert in summer.
“Sorry,” they stuttered at once. “Didn’t mean no harm
by it.”
“Perhaps, you all should move along,” Maverick made
the not so subtle suggestion.
As one the men stood and walked out the door. They
didn’t like the look of death that had crossed the tall man’s
face. And he hadn’t even been reacting to the name they’d
called him.
“Thank you,” Shelia murmured as the men walked out
the door. “I was getting scared.”
“I don’t think my son would let anything happen to
you,” Maverick said as he stepped back so she could precede
him out of the corner.
“Like father, like son.” A flash of white teeth appeared
across her face before she reached up and placed a kiss on his
cheek, much to the surprise of Maverick and Tempest, who’d
been watching the whole thing. “Don’t give up on her,
Maverick. She is still in love with you.” Shelia walked off
before he could say another word.
His coal eyes glanced across the room and landed on the
woman who was staring at him. Her tongue snuck out and wet
her lips before she seemed to realize just where she was. He
could feel her eyes move up and down his body before she tore
her gaze away from him.
Could it be true? Could the mother of his child still be in love
with him? Maverick strode closer to the bar and at the last
second opted to go behind the bar. Mili just smiled as the tall
Native American walked past her and on toward Tempest.
Stopping behind her, he reached for her shoulder only to
hesitate at the last second. “I need to talk to you,” he spoke in a
voice loud enough to reach her over the noise in the bar.
Wiping out the glass she had in her hand, Tempest
closed her eyes and fought for sanity. She’d been berating
herself for the harsh words she’d said to him this morning at
her house. No matter what had transpired, she had no right to
say those things; she didn’t know what the circumstances were
that had kept him out of their lives.
“Tempest?” his charismatic tone flowed over her body.
“I heard you. Just give me a second.” She replaced the
glass, hung the rag on a hook, and shared a glance with Mili as
she turned around. “I’ll be back,” she muttered as she moved
past the Latina waitress.
“Take your time, sweetheart,” Mili chortled after them
as they walked into her office and shut the door behind them.
Tempest walked around her desk and sat down in the
tall-backed black leather chair. She slipped off her sandals and
allowed her feet to rest on the cool floor as she slid forward and
placed her elbows on the desktop.
Maverick looked across the vibrant -colored room at the
woman who sat assessing him in her chair. With a flick of his
wrist, he locked the door behind him then walked to a chair at
the desk.
Every movement of this man was a work of art. He just
flowed effortlessly. Tempest was not blind to all he portrayed.
He sat with a lion-like grace in the chair and stretched his long
strong legs causally out in front of him.
“I have to apologize for my harsh words from earlier
today,” Tempest began only to fall silent at the wave of
“Play nice with us, sweets, and it will be much easier on
you.” Another man grated out.
Maverick stepped up behind her. “Everything okay
here?”
Shelia’s relief was palpable. “I’m fine.”
“Go away, man,” another man snapped. “This piece of
ass is ours.”
A sober look settled across Maverick’s face as he met
each and every one of the faces before him. “I would really
recommend you watch how you talk about a lady. Especially
this one.”
“What’s so special about her to you, Injun?” the man
sneered.
“She’s my daughter.” Maverick stepped up beside Shelia
and leveled his deadpan glare at each man. “I don’t like people
to be disrespectful, especially to my family.” The tone made the
atmosphere feel like the arctic instead of the middle of the
desert in summer.
“Sorry,” they stuttered at once. “Didn’t mean no harm
by it.”
“Perhaps, you all should move along,” Maverick made
the not so subtle suggestion.
As one the men stood and walked out the door. They
didn’t like the look of death that had crossed the tall man’s
face. And he hadn’t even been reacting to the name they’d
called him.
“Thank you,” Shelia murmured as the men walked out
the door. “I was getting scared.”
“I don’t think my son would let anything happen to
you,” Maverick said as he stepped back so she could precede
him out of the corner.
“Like father, like son.” A flash of white teeth appeared
across her face before she reached up and placed a kiss on his
cheek, much to the surprise of Maverick and Tempest, who’d
been watching the whole thing. “Don’t give up on her,
Maverick. She is still in love with you.” Shelia walked off
before he could say another word.
His coal eyes glanced across the room and landed on the
woman who was staring at him. Her tongue snuck out and wet
her lips before she seemed to realize just where she was. He
could feel her eyes move up and down his body before she tore
her gaze away from him.
Could it be true? Could the mother of his child still be in love
with him? Maverick strode closer to the bar and at the last
second opted to go behind the bar. Mili just smiled as the tall
Native American walked past her and on toward Tempest.
Stopping behind her, he reached for her shoulder only to
hesitate at the last second. “I need to talk to you,” he spoke in a
voice loud enough to reach her over the noise in the bar.
Wiping out the glass she had in her hand, Tempest
closed her eyes and fought for sanity. She’d been berating
herself for the harsh words she’d said to him this morning at
her house. No matter what had transpired, she had no right to
say those things; she didn’t know what the circumstances were
that had kept him out of their lives.
“Tempest?” his charismatic tone flowed over her body.
“I heard you. Just give me a second.” She replaced the
glass, hung the rag on a hook, and shared a glance with Mili as
she turned around. “I’ll be back,” she muttered as she moved
past the Latina waitress.
“Take your time, sweetheart,” Mili chortled after them
as they walked into her office and shut the door behind them.
Tempest walked around her desk and sat down in the
tall-backed black leather chair. She slipped off her sandals and
allowed her feet to rest on the cool floor as she slid forward and
placed her elbows on the desktop.
Maverick looked across the vibrant -colored room at the
woman who sat assessing him in her chair. With a flick of his
wrist, he locked the door behind him then walked to a chair at
the desk.
Every movement of this man was a work of art. He just
flowed effortlessly. Tempest was not blind to all he portrayed.
He sat with a lion-like grace in the chair and stretched his long
strong legs causally out in front of him.
“I have to apologize for my harsh words from earlier
today,” Tempest began only to fall silent at the wave of
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