Her brow hitched ever so slightly. “Sometimes I do. These were a Christmas present from Desiree. Aren’t they cute?”
“The alternative would have been better.” With a sly smile, he sipped his java. “Can you play racquetball with me today?”
“I don’t think your leg is ready for that kind of a workout yet. But even if it were, I’m working.”
Though he frowned, he loved how he couldn’t get one past her. He could hide his pain from the world, but he couldn’t conceal his true self from her any more than she could from him.
She poured their orange juice and buttered the toast. “I have to put tracking devices on Internado’s vehicles today.” She slid onto the kitchen bench and opened her laptop.
“But, it’s Saturday.” He set down two plates of grub. “Scoot over.”
She looked up at him. “Why don’t you sit across from me?”
Time to get cozy. “I want to watch you work.”
She slid over. He loved having her by his side, their shoulders brushing against each other, her beautiful peach scent wafting in his direction.
After logging in to a people-search database used by private eyes and law enforcement, Carly entered ‘George Internado’ in the search field.
“Your breakfast is getting cold.” He offered her some scrambled egg. She opened her mouth and he slid the fork inside. While she chewed, he eyed her mussed hair, sleepy eyes, and puffy cheeks.
Seeing her in jammies took him back to his childhood. Sometimes, when they’d have family sleepovers, Carly would be included. Following a huge pasta dinner, they’d play a board game, then pile on the family room sofa for movie night. Midway through, his mom would slice apples or watermelon while his dad made popcorn. When the movie was over, the kids would crawl into their sleeping bags and his parents would snooze on the sofa. He loved when his parents included her. Having her there was the best part.
Maverick had been to Carly’s house enough times to know that if her mom wasn’t criticizing her, she was bickering with her dad. Even as kids, Carly was closer to Desiree than to her own sister.
Carly drank down the orange juice. “I can see the gears turning. What are you thinking about?”
“Do you remember the time you stayed over and we watched Snow White?”
“That’s probably my favorite memory. Hudson laughed so hard every time he saw Dopey.” Her heartwarming smile tugged at him. “Those movie nights were the absolute best. I loved when your parents included me.”
“I loved having you there.”
They peered into each other’s eyes, the magnetic pull impossible to ignore. “What’s happening here?” he murmured.
“We’re reliving a special childhood memory.”
“I think we’re doing a hell of a lot more than that.”
Carly’s computer pinged and she dragged her gaze away. “We’ve got a hit.”
“Woman, you’re killing me.” He held up his hand, displayed his wedding band. “What happened to the perks of marriage?”
“There would be a ton of them…if we were actually married.” A flash of sorrow flickered across her face before she clicked on a tab. “Look what I found.”
The database displayed Internado’s home address and the vehicles registered to him and his wife, Kathy. While they ate, she shared her plan. His phone buzzed on the table, a text illuminating the screen. They glanced over. No name, just a phone number.
“Hey, Maverick, I haven’t seen you in months. Stop by. I’ll make it worth your while.” There were several kiss emojis.
Carly nudged him. “I should get dressed.” He didn’t budge. “Can you let me out?”
“Not until I reply.” His large thumbs flew across the screen. “No can do,” he texted back. “I got hitched.”
“Ashton.”
He kissed her full on. “Why don’t you chew on that for a while, Mrs. Black?” He pushed out of the cozy booth, dropped his plate into the sink, and walked downstairs to his stateroom.
This is gonna be fun…except for the blue balls. That, not so much.