“Truce?” she asked with a sly smile.
“You should go,” he said.
“Can I explain myself first?”
He looked over at her.
“I never banned you from the house Maverick. You were there when the doctor tested Noah, and I came straight to you when the test results returned. He has a cold. He’s a baby. How would he have even contracted COVID out here? When none of us have it? The only person that can comfort Noah when he is sick is my mama. They have this thing. Just like you have a bond with him, she has her own.”
“That’s not why I'm upset,” he said.
Delilah double blinked. She recalled the other part of the argument. “Oh? That?”
“Yeah, that. You treat me like an outsider, then your parents will do the same,” he said.
“I said you can’t move into the house. That’s not treating you like an outsider.”
He glared at her when she didn’t have a witty comeback. She shifted nervously, waiting for a reaction or response. The wait was hard when he could barely look her way without anger. Maverick sat forward with keen interest. “How does this end?”
“This isn’t going to end,” Delilah gave a nervous chuckle. “You’re his father for life.”
“We’re quarantined. When it’s over, I go back to New York, and you stay here in your life? What happens? Huh? I get a few visitations to see him a couple of times of the year and fuck his mother as a bonus?”
“You’re trying to pick another fight with me,” she sighed.
“You’re fucking right I am!” he shouted. “This isn’t enough!”
“Don’t go there,” she warned. “We both know what this really is,” said Delilah.
“I don’t give a fuck!” Maverick kicked the coffee table, and it early flipped over. Delilah stepped back at the demonstration of his rage. “I don’t give a fuck because you don’t give a fuck. It’s not about coming in and out of the house for lunch and dinner and asking for permission to stay longer. It’s about you playing this game with me.”
“What game? Jeesh! You’re acting weird now!” Delilah said.
“You sneaking out here to see me is weird. You pretending around your family like there is nothing between us and then coming here every single night to my bed telling me that we are serious is weird. You can’t have it both ways. I’m not putting up with this bullshit anymore, Delilah! Your time is up!”
She dropped her hands to her hips. Who was he to set a time limit? Did he really think he was in charge? No one ruled her, not anymore. Not even him. He glared from his seated position on the sofa like a gladiator ready to charge into battle. This fight was unavoidable, and they both knew it at that moment. She had no intention of being pushed into doing anything she didn’t want to do. He had no intention of remaining her shadow.
“I can have it both ways. I can have it any way I want,” she said. “This time, it’s about me. I get to have the final say in everything in my life, including you!”
“Me?” Maverick stood.
“Yeah! And I say it’s too soon for us to be anything more than lovers. Don’t act like you don’t want me in your bed. That you don’t like the sex. Friends with benefits have worked just fine for you too!”
“Is that what I am? Your sex-buddy?” He took a step toward her. She crossed her arms over her breasts and stood her ground. “I’m your fuck partner?” He clarified, and she didn’t budge. “Your cabana boy? Your toy soldier?”
“More like my toy police officer,” she tried to joke. He didn’t find the comment funny. She rolled her eyes. “You’re Noah’s father, and you’re my lover. So yes, that can be a form of a serious commitment; I don’t plan to sleep with anyone else.”
“But can I sleep with anyone else?” he asked.
“Huh?” She frowned. “When? Where?”
“When the fuck ever I want to. Can I sleep with anyone I please? I’m just a walking dick with a tarnished badge. I can go and come and fuck around... give it to you when I’m in town.”
“Well... ah... no,” she frowned. “Stop twisting my words—”
“You like keeping secrets, don’t you? Useless secrets. You like controlling all of this because you think you’re in charge,” he continued.
“I am—”
“You will never be in charge of me! Never!” He shouted down at her.
She laughed.
“You’re confused, Maverick. I already am,” she said.
He paused. For the first time since the argument began, she’d seen the line between them, and for some unknown reason, she crossed it. What scared her the most is that she enjoyed pushing him, testing him; it felt like a form of freedom she never had. And she couldn’t stop.
“Your father knows about us,” he said, and her smile dimmed.
“He does not,” she turned away.
Maverick grabbed her upper right arm super tight. “Queen knows about us.”
“So what!” She yanked away but was unable to break free. “Let my arm go.”
He yanked so hard she was forced to turn and face him. He leaned in. His face was very close to hers when he spoke. “I’ll go back to the house and knock on that door and tell your mother all the details about us. Just like I told your father. Every detail.”
She slapped him. He released her.
“Too late to be shocked. I told him weeks ago,” Maverick said as if her assault was nothing more than a love tap.
“You’re lying,” she said in complete denial. He shook his head to say he wasn’t. Another sly grin tipped the corner of his mouth with satisfaction.
“You say a word to my parents Maverick, and I will shut you down,” she warned.
“Fuck you, lady,” Maverick tossed back.
She rubbed the burn left after his tight grip on her arm.
“Okay, we’ve said enough. The fights over. Let’s just cool off,” she tried to reason with him.
“Get out!” he said.
“It’s my house, Maverick! If I want to stay with you tonight, I will! And guess what? If I want to fuck you tonight, I will! I decide!” She said with a smirk. “You know why Maverick? Huh? Do you? Here’s the truth. I’m doing you a favor. You’re nothing but a thrown away useless cop. What did you have until I let you into Noah’s life? A garage with junk cars that nobody visits? A trailer no one wants to stay in? You should be thanking me! Thanking me for even tolerating any of this! Show me some got damn appreciation!”
“You’re crazy, lady,” he laughed. “Fuck out of here!”
Delilah grabbed his dick before he could turn away. She grinned in triumph that he was mad with an erection. “Am I? What’s this? Stop pretending you don’t want to be with me. You’re just mad because it’s on my terms! It’s sex, Maverick. It’s just sex, and you like it too! Now, ask yourself, do you really want me to go?”
The next moment happened so fast he was fucking her before she knew it. Later, she would try to decide if the taunting, frustration, or pain she unleashed in him made him react. All she knew to be true was that the provocation was on her. Why she hurt him or provoked him, she didn’t understand. But she wanted the sex. It was her drug. Even angry sex was okay to her. And that made her question everything about the woman she’d become and the bitterness inside. She wanted to punish them all for her bitterness. Maverick had become an easy target.