Chapter 38

At dawn, with the sky just beginning to lighten, Heidi drifted between sleep and waking, her body feeling as if it were stretched over an open flame. A man's arm lay heavy around her waist. His breath brushed against the hollow of her neck, and his hand, familiar and unrestrained, slid beneath her nightshirt along paths it knew well. She shifted slightly and was pulled more tightly into his embrace. "Maverick," Heidi hoarsely said, reaching back to push at the head buried against her neck. "What are you doing?" Maverick pressed his face into her hair, then caught her earlobe between his teeth, grinding down with deliberate intent. "Morning exercise." Heidi clenched her teeth. They had parted on bad terms the night before over the ring, yet now, he could seek intimacy as if nothing had happened. By his logic, there was no conflict that couldn't be resolved through physical closeness. And if there was, then it simply needed more time. "I'm tired," Heidi said. "You don't have to