EroticReverie

Tessa Rae Tessaro

The moment I wake up, before I even open my eyes, a big smile crosses my face, because I can feel the weight of Maverick beside me, I can feel his large body and it's heat, the weight of his arm tucked over me, curling around me like a massive hook, keeping me tucked tight to him, I can feel his breath against the top of my head and hear the soft breathing, almost snores from his mouth. 

It's well past sunrise, and probably sometime well past noon. I'm thankful that my father didn't come in here to wake him up. I was sure they had a lot to talk about as far as what happened last night, the things Maverick and the other guys had to do. Even on top of all that, the ranch still had to be tended to and my father and MAverick both never made excuses for working. No matter what, they were up , every single day before the sun, to keep things running. 

I somehow slip out of Maverick's large arm without waking up , he shuffles a bit, his big body sprawling out with a grumble. I smirk at the scowl on his face, even his sleep. I want to crawl back onto the bed and kiss that face a million times. That handsome fucking face. I sigh and walk quietly to the side of my room, and pull out a tank top and pair of sleep shorts throwing them on, then grab a knee length robe, and slide on a pair of house slippers and make my way out of my room quietly, letting Maverick sleep. He needed it, even without all the drama of last night, the man worked too hard, him and my father both. 

I walk into the kitchen and find my mother and my brother Trey standing in the kitchen whispering. Both of them stopping and looking at me. I cock a brow. 

"Morning?" I say. 

"More like afternoon." My mother smiles softly. 

"How did you sleep?" she asks and walks over and I let her stroke my hair and let her fuss over the cut on my neck, which isn't that bad, but the fact the bastard touched me at all, left his mark on me with his knife and his fucking teeth on my breast, pissed me off. 

"Good." I say and then tilt my head when she fusses over the cut on my neck for too long and I lift my hand to hers and give her a soft smile. 

"I'm fine mom" I say and she sighs, her eyes watering. 

"Don't start that, cause then I'll cry." I say. 

"Then I'll cry too." My brother Trey says, trying to lighten the mood and I look over to him with a smile. My mother swipes her cheeks, silent tears running down them. 

"I'd lose myself if anything ever happened to any of you." She croaks.

"Mom, stop." I say and touch her arm, rubbing it gently. "I'm okay, we're all okay."

My head turns when I hear loud stomps coming down the hall, fast and furious, and then my name.

"TESSA!" Maverick bellows and then his running pace skids to a halt. I blink my eyes several times as the big man stands there, in only his boxers, looking at me with a scowl, then then softens with relief, and then flicks to my mother, my brother, and his cheeks flush slightly. 

"Um,sorry, I thought...I woke up and you weren't there..I ..." He says and I smile.

"Put some clothes on you animal." I say and his brows pinch, his mouth tightening and I smirk at him with a little wink. He woke up, and thought the worst when I wasn't there. But I wasnt going to let him dread on it a second longer.

"Yeah, please put some god damn clothes on." Trey says. 

Maverick grumbles at my brother and then turns and stalks back to my room and I turn back to my mother. 

"Where's Daddy?" I ask and my mother looks to my brother and back to me. 

"What? Where is he?" I ask, feeling panic rise in my chest. 

"Porch." Trey says. "Has been since last night." 

"The man won't move from that damn rocker." My mother says. "Won't listen to me, the stubborn mule" she huffs and shakes her head. 

"He's....he's been out there all night? All morning?" I ask, my heart breaking a little. 

"Go talk some sense into him." Trey says. "Maybe he'll listen to you...man needs to sleep." 

I nod. 

"Tell Maverick to wait in here when he comes out?" I ask them and they nod. 

I take the cup of coffee my mother hands me and then make my way outside. My heart shredding itself at the sight of my father sitting there, rifle over his lap, looking out at the road, at his land, his life. 

"Daddy?" I ask and he turns his head.

"Hey there princess" he says and I smile softly and walk over to him, place a hand on his shoulder, and bend over slightly, and kiss the top of his head. His cowboy hat on the arm of the rocking chair. 

"Go inside Daddy, lay down." I say, trying the straight forward approach.

"I'm fine here." he says and I sigh, knowing it wouldnt be that easy. 

"Maverick is up. He'll take over. Go to sleep daddy." I say as I sit down on the wooden bench beside him. 

"I got it." he says stubbornly.

"I need you to get some rest Daddy, please. " I say and turn and reach over and gently place my hand on his that rests on the arm of the rocking chair. 

He looks over at me and his brows lower, and his huffs. 

"Don't give me those puppy dog eyes Tessa Rae." he growls and I stick out my lower lip and make my eyes even more pathetic, and bat them and make my lower lip wobble.

"That ain't fair." He growls at me. 

"But it's working, right?" I ask , slightly smirking before going back to my puppy dog face.

"Please? Mom is worried, Trey is worried, I'm worried. You can't sit out here , Maverick and the guys handled it daddy, they're not coming." I say. 

"Devlin could've been working with someone else to take me down." He says, jaw going tight. "Nobody's fucking touching my daughter again." 

I blink. "Mav..Maverick, told you?" 

He shakes his head. "Didn't have to. I saw your dress Tessa. Saw you." His jaw ticks.

"I'm okay Daddy, nothing bad happened." I say and his nostrils flare.

"Don't you lie to me, don't you dare lie to me Tessa." he growls. 

"I...I didn't mean...okay, yes..but nothing like what you probably think...he didn't....he just touched me in ways he shouldnt have....he didn't..go all the way." I say cringing, and realizing I really wasnt making my father feel any better, when his head turns away and he glares out at the land. 

"He shouldnt have touched you at all Tessa, and that's on me." He says and I shake my head. 

"No it's not, it's not your fault" I say. 

"Yes. It is." He says and I sigh. 

"You and fucking Maverick are two god damn peas in a pod. Taking the blame for shitty bastards actions. Knock it off right now." I huff. 

"Excuse me?" he turns his head and I look at him. 

"you really think you two taking the blame makes ME feel any better?" I scowl at him. I'd be dirty, and guilt him into resting if I had to. 

"You've protected me my entire life Daddy, this whole family, you're not superman Daddy, bad things happen all the time, and just because something bad happened to me, doesn't mean it's your fault. I love you Daddy, and I love that you're a fierce protector of this family, and I know you feel responsible for what happened, but you didn't force that fuckers hand on me? Did you? Did you tell him to cut me? Touch me?" 

"What?! Tessa!" He yells at me.

"Well DID YOU?" I raise my voice at him. 

"Girl, you better-"

"Answer me!" I yell at him. 

"No god damnit!" 

"OKAY THEN!" I yell back at him and glare at him. 

"Then knock it off." I hiss at him. "and I say that with all the love in my heart. Knock it the fuck off." 

His nostrils flare.

"Since when do you talk to me like that?" He scowls.

"You're fucking stubborn." I scowl right back.

"You sound like your damn mother." He huffs. 

"Good. She's one of the only people other than me that has any damn sense right now." I say and my father shakes his head at me. 

"You're lucky you're my little girl, only you and your damn mother get away with talking to me like that." He grumbles.

"YEah, yeah, now go take a nap old man, looking at you is making ME tired." I say and he huffs and shifts in his seat and settles right back in and I sigh. 

"Soon as Maverick get's his big head out here." he grumbles and I smile.

"Shut up, his head is perfect." I say and my father grumbles.

"I'm gonna kick his damn ass." His grumbles and snort a laugh.

"For what?" I ask. 

"For sleepin in your damn bed all night and morning." He huffs.

"you TOLD him to" I laugh at my father as he stews and snarls. 

"Yeah well, ..." he huffs. 

I smile to myself as my father tries to formulate a response.

"He's good for me." I say and my father looks at me. 

"Nobodys good enough for my little girl." He huffs and I smile at him. 

"Tough shit." I say and he barks a laugh and shakes his head.

"I swear...I shouldve listened to your mother when she told me to make you watch your mouth as a kid." 

"It's your fault I'm like this." I say and he smiles to himself.

"Yeah, it is. But you're perfect. I did good. Your mother did good. We did good with you."

"and Trey?" I ask and he looks at me and narrows his eyes.

"Yeah, it's okay, I wont tell him I'm your favorite." I say smugly with a little smile and lift my coffee and take a sip. 

I know my parents love the shit out of both of us. I'm my Daddy's girl though. And Trey's our mothers little boy. We're both close with our parents obviously, and that's the good part about having amazing parents, you might be a bit closer to one than the other, but god help me, I could never choose between the two of them, and I know they feel the same way about us. 

"Where is that burly fucker?" My dad huffs. 

I snort and then remember what I said to my mom. 

"Oh, shit. I told mom to tell him to wait inside while I talked to you." I say as I stand and walk to the door.

"And he listens to you?" My dad asks. 

"He fuckin better." I say with a wink my to my dad.

"Thatta girl." He nods and I laugh and open the door and right there on the other side, is a scowling bear of a man.

"Hmmmm" I say with a smile, and look him up and down. "Too late to ask for the boxers back?" I ask and he growls at me. 

"Funny girl." He huffs and walks around me and outside and I laugh to myself and follow him back out.

"You sit your ass in this fuckin chair. And don't fucking move. Got it?" My dad growls, and hands the rifle to Maverick.

"yes sir" He nods and I roll my eyes and my father catches it. 

"Dont roll your eyes at your father." Maverick says and I look at him, catching my dads proud smile that twitches his lips just barely. There's a mutual respect between the two of them , and my father is clearly glad to see dating his daughter hasn't changed that. 

"Sit your ass down, and don't tell my little girl what to do." My father says, making Maverick blink and look back and forth between me and my father, as my father winks and nods at me. 

"jesus" Maverick mumbles and moves to the rocker and sits down. 

"Get some rest Daddy" I say and kiss his cheek and then close the door for him after he walks in. 

I walk back over to Maverick. He looks up at me. 

"Move that fuckin rifle Big Mac, it's in my seat."