Читать книгу Special Deliveries Collection - Kate Hardy - Страница 70

Maggie held Brady’s hand as they made their way upstairs to her bedroom. No disruptions tonight. No mindless passion.

Tonight Maggie would give Brady her heart the only way she knew how.

He turned her until they were face-to-face. “I’ve always wanted you, Maggie.”

Want. Lust. Desire was easy. Just standing next to him had her pulse racing, her nerve endings waiting for his touch, her breathing choppy. His thumb traced a path of fire over her bottom lip.

She met his eyes and began unbuttoning his shirt. No rushing. No hurry. Every moment would be savored and remembered. His blue eyes glittered in the dim light of her room. His hands smoothed over her shoulders. He paused at her zipper and lowered it until his hands reached the base of her spine.

Helping him shrug out of his shirt, she never broke eye contact. It kept her centered, reminded her that this was for her heart. To be with Brady and see if she could stand loving him, when he didn’t love her in return.

He drew her closer and lowered his lips to her forehead. Light kisses trailed over her face, closing her eyes and making her body pulse with need. When his lips finally took hers, she drew in his breath as her own.

The urgency of last night was forgotten as he sipped slowly on her lower lip. As he rediscovered her mouth, his fingers slipped through her dress’s open back and touched the trembling flesh beneath.

She didn’t want to hurry, but her body was beyond ready to move to the next step. Her fingers threaded through his hair as she deepened the kiss. He followed her lead and slipped the dress from her shoulders. She kicked off her heels without relinquishing his mouth.

This time wasn’t about hiding behind passion. Or even about succumbing to a chemistry neither of them could deny. This time she wanted the way her lover touched her, the way he kissed her as if it were the last time they would be together or the first, to touch her soul.

The rest of their clothes followed the dress and shoes. Each piece brought a new sensation until nothing but air separated their bodies. Her breasts pressed against his lightly haired chest. Her stomach shivered inside as it pressed against his heat.

And yet his hands remained low on her hips. He wanted her to lead this dance. She broke off the kiss and gasped in air, causing her body to fit tighter to his.

He groaned as he kissed the side of her neck. “You are so beautiful,” he muttered against her skin. His fingers flexed into her hips, pulling her tight against him.

Fire and heat coursed through her veins, pooling between her legs. She pulled away from him slightly and caressed the stubble growing on his cheek. The words I love you hovered on her lips, longing to be released. To share with him the joy and fear, but she couldn’t.

“I’ve waited a long time for this.” She pulled the covers back on the bed and held her arms out to him. “Do you remember what you said to me that night?”

Closing the distance between them, he wrapped his arms around her. Her ear rested against his beating heart. She wondered if hers pounded like his.

“I said that I wished I hadn’t wasted my time.” He kissed the top of her head. “That I’d really seen you when we were in school.”

He tipped her chin up and lowered his lips until his barely touched hers. “That we had more time.”

“We have time now.” Maggie met his gaze, hoping he could see how much she wanted him to love her. Knowing it left her vulnerable but not caring.

“We have the rest of our lives.” His words sent a shock wave through her being as his lips claimed hers. They moved together on the bed, connected lips to lips until they lay beside each other.

She forgot to breathe as his hand wandered over her breast, encircling her nipple until it hardened. When his hand left her, his mouth claimed her other breast. His fingers drew circles down her belly until he cupped her in the palm of his hand.

The need to touch him, to give him the pleasure he was giving her, filled her. Her fingers traced over his tightened abs and caressed his hip bone. His moan made her smile, but then he changed positions, taking her other breast into his mouth. Her breath hitched. His fingers moved over her until she could think of nothing but the next touch, the next sensation. The heat built until she feared she’d burst into flames if something didn’t change soon. If he didn’t let her find the release that had been building for the past week.

Her fingers closed over him and he stilled. His harsh breath bathed her breast in warmth. She explored him with the lightest touch. His tongue flicked out at her nipple. His hand resumed the slow tortuous pace until her hips rose to meet him.

It was right there, so close she could almost touch it. He moved up her body and took her mouth with his. She clung to him as her body burst with sensation and pleasure.

Her breath caught as he caressed her breast. The fire started to rise within her again. He shifted on the bed until they were chest to chest, stomach to stomach, thigh to thigh.

He made short work of a condom. When he lifted his head, his eyes were liquid pools in the darkness. She could feel her heart quietly singing as his thumb stroked her cheek.

He entered her slowly, making their bodies one. Never once taking his gaze from hers. She needed to see his eyes, to see if there was even a little hope that he could love her. A little hope that she could cling to as her heart broke.

As he moved within her, the flames built until thought became impossible. His lips found hers in the storm and they clung to each other, reaching for something just out of their reach. In this moment, they made sense. They fit each other perfectly. Matched each other unlike anything else she’d ever felt. As they climbed closer, he held her tighter, and her heart wished it was because he was afraid to let her go.

Sparks burst behind Maggie’s eyes as a new rush of sensation flowed through her and she felt him join her as they were engulfed.

Brady woke slowly, a little disorientated in Maggie’s bedroom. Maggie’s warmth covered his side, and her hair tickled his nose. They must have fallen asleep at the foot of the bed. Covers were thrown over them and spilled onto the floor.

He hugged Maggie to him. For once, his heart felt settled. This felt right, having Maggie with him. Last night had been amazing. There hadn’t been the normal awkwardness of sleeping with someone for the first time. Granted it wasn’t their first time, but it had been eight years.

In a week, he could have Maggie and Amber in his apartment in New York. He’d written an email to his assistant yesterday to start a folder on Josh’s ideas for Tawnee Valley, including the files he’d started the other day. He’d also requested that the refrigerator in his apartment be stocked. He’d sent her a couple of pictures for the guest bedroom to be transformed into a little girl’s room for Amber. Fresh flowers were to be in every room when they arrived.

Two weeks ago when he’d been preparing for the Detrex presentation with Jules for corporate, he would have laughed if someone told him he’d have a family in a week. It surprised him that he hadn’t even thought about the project in the past few days. So consumed with Maggie and Amber that it hadn’t been as important as it always had been. They could be a family. Brady hadn’t had any part of a family since he was eighteen. He’d been driven to fill that emptiness with his career. Now he had Amber and Maggie.

He wanted to shout from the rooftops, proclaim to the world his happiness. Instead, he stared at the woman in his arms. Who knew Sam would be right years ago? Maggie was a keeper. Brady had been stupid to let her out of his life before. He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

Maggie stretched and looked at him with sleepy eyes. “Morning.”

Yup, this was how he wanted to wake up every day. “Morning.”

She glanced around, noticing their feet near the pillows. She shrugged and put her head on his chest.

“Want to go over to The Rooster to get breakfast before going to pick up Amber?” He tucked his hands beneath his head.

She propped her chin on her hands to look at him. “You’re lucky today wasn’t a school day.”

“I’m one of the luckiest men alive. Come on, we can’t spend all day in bed.”

If she had protested even a little, he would have stayed in bed with her all day. Instead, she sighed before getting up. The sunlight lit her skin in a golden haze. He sucked in a low whistle before she put on her robe and slipped out of the room.

A half hour later they sat in the only café in Tawnee Valley, where they served cholesterol with an extra helping of cholesterol and a side of burned caffeine. A few older farmers sat at the counter nursing their coffees. Brady was getting better at recognizing people. Bob Spanner had sold Dad a few head of cattle. Russ Andrews helped Sam with the crops in the west field. Guy Wilson’s property abutted the Ward farm on the north side. Brady had run into probably half the town in his week here. Nothing changed in Tawnee Valley. It was comforting and exasperating.

He needed to put a spare set of clothes at Maggie’s. Maybe he should bring his whole bag and spend the rest of this little vacation from reality with her.

He gave Maggie a smile that made her blush. Nothing could touch him this morning. Not even the email from Jules saying the project was going poorly in New York. He hadn’t even felt compelled to answer right away. It could wait until this afternoon.

“Morning, Maggie and Brady.” Their waitress was Rachel Thompson, who used to babysit Brady and Luke. “What can I get for you?”

“Two specials.” Maggie handed the menu back. “Over easy with bacon.”

“All righty. I’ll have those up for you in two shakes.” Rachel winked at Brady before sauntering off toward the kitchen.

“About New York…” Maggie didn’t meet his eyes.

“Like I said, up to you if we sleep in the same room or not. You don’t like the apartment? We can get a different one. There’s a few schools we’ll need to contact to see if we can get Amber in on such short notice. I can have my assistant put together everything we need.”

“Hey, Maggie.” Brady recognized Josh’s voice behind him. “We don’t see you here often.”

Brady stood and held out his hand to Josh. “Josh. Been meaning to call you.”

Josh took Brady’s hand, but stopped shaking it. His gaze darted to Maggie, then back to Brady. His light mood darkened. “You’re the deadbeat?”

“Josh. This isn’t the time.” Maggie’s tone was level and meant to cool things down.

“Deadbeat?” Brady repeated. He released Josh’s hand. For some reason the connections weren’t coming together for him. He and Josh had had a great conversation the other day. He’d even seemed pleased to see him for a minute. What was different now?

Maggie’s eyes were huge, but she had that under-control look she had when taking care of a problem. Was there something going on between her and Josh?

“I always figured it was Luke.” Josh glared over Brady’s shoulder, obviously speaking to Maggie and not Brady.

Brady didn’t like his tone. The other diners had stopped talking to see what was happening. What was Josh accusing Luke of?

“Not here, Josh,” Maggie said through her teeth.

“Why the hell not, Maggie?” Redness seeped into Josh’s face. “Oh, I even thought it was Sam for a while. But Brady?”

“It’s none of your business, Josh.” Maggie stood and moved to Brady’s side.

“I’m missing something here,” Brady said. Maggie’s angry eyes locked with Josh’s. He was keenly aware of the other diners and unlike in New York when they had been curious strangers, these people knew him, knew his parents, knew his brothers. “What do my brothers have to do with Maggie?”

Ignoring Brady, Maggie and Josh continued to have their silent battle, but it didn’t seem to be getting them anywhere. The only thing he and his brothers had in common was looks. Like a spark igniting tinder, Brady’s brain made the connection. This had to be about Amber.

“Why don’t we calm down, have a seat and discuss this like rational people?” Brady gestured toward their booth. This wasn’t an issue for the other diners.

“Seriously, Maggie?” Josh finally gave Maggie a disappointed look before turning his anger on Brady. “Do you know what kind of hell you put her through?”

“Josh, no.” Maggie stepped forward, but Josh held out his hand.

“Do you?” Josh asked again.

“I have some idea.” Brady straightened, ready for whatever came next. He’d already made amends with Maggie over the past. “I didn’t know about Amber.”

“Didn’t know?” Josh turned to the people at the counter. “He didn’t know, and that makes it okay.”

“Josh Michaels, you cool it right now.” Rachel came from inside the kitchen to stand next to Maggie.

“How can you all just sit there and watch? Eight years this woman went through hell. We were all here. We all saw. Grace Brown had been a loving, thoughtful woman. She’d loved that little girl with all her heart.” He spun to Brady and shoved Brady’s shoulders, but Brady absorbed the impact.

“All it would have taken was one phone call. One visit. And you would have known, but you were too busy in London to think about the girl you impregnated. And how devastated she was when her mother died.”

“Maggie says it’s none of your business.” Had Brady been so self-centered? So focused on forgetting that he hadn’t had the decency to at least check on the people he’d left behind?

“I would have married her, if she would have had me,” Josh spat out. “Because that’s the right thing to do.”

Maggie gasped.

What could Brady say? He hadn’t been aware? All he could do was stand here and take it. Josh wasn’t going to be done until he’d had his say. The tips of Brady’s ears burned as every eye in the diner turned on him. What did they expect of him? What they always expected from him?

To be the better man. To be their champion. But in this case, he wasn’t.

“I wouldn’t have sent her ‘hush’ money.” Josh looked down his nose at Brady.

The diner went silent as if everyone held their breath to see what Brady would say.

“Brady?” Maggie touched his arm. “Let’s go.”

“That’s right, Maggie.” Josh stepped away with his arms wide, inviting Brady to hit him. “Protect the man who did you wrong.”

“Please, Brady,” Maggie said.

Brady had never been the type to fight. He’d always solved his battles through negotiation. Luke had been the passionate one who had been in more fights than Sam and Brady combined. But in this case, Brady had no standing. He deserved whatever this man flung at him.

Brady took his gaze from Josh and searched Maggie’s eyes. What had he done? What had he forced her to live through alone?

“Let’s just go.” Maggie tugged on his arm. “I’m sorry, Rachel.”

“Men.” Rachel seemed to think that was the most reasonable explanation.

Brady let Maggie lead him out. The stares of the people who had once deemed him the golden boy of Tawnee Valley burned through him. He wasn’t even worth their regard now. He’d used Maggie for one night of passion a long time ago and had never once thought about the possible consequences. He’d barely thought of her at all throughout the years.

When they were seated in the car, he said, “I’m sorry, Maggie.”

It would never make things right. It wouldn’t change the past eight years. But he had to try. He had to fix this.

“It’s not all your fault.” Maggie didn’t meet his gaze.

“I never even checked to make sure you were okay. For all I knew you could have been killed driving home from our house at four in the morning.” Those looks. Brady would never get them out of his head. Disappointment, disapproval.

“I could have tried harder to reach you. I knew you and Sam didn’t get along.” Maggie’s voice was soft. When he turned to her, she was gazing out the window away from the diner.

She could have married Josh. Amber would have had a dad and maybe even some brothers and sisters. But she hadn’t. She’d chosen to stand on her own.

“I admire you.” The words came out softly, almost unintentionally.

Finally, her hazel eyes met his. Her smile was wistful as she took his hand. “Let’s go get Amber, okay?”

It didn’t matter what the town thought of him and Maggie. It mattered that she was with him now.