go.
Maggie’s hands went to his waist and he could see her nerves jangling from the contact. This woman made him crazy. Threading his fingers through her hair, Will kissed the corner of her mouth. “That’s mean. Your kisses are like a drug.”
Whispering in response, he could feel her tremble. “My family. What if they see?”
“Eh. I’m royalty.” A grin pulled at his mouth; Will completely enjoyed watching her try to hold it together. “They’ll get over it.”
“You’re fresh.”
“Maybe, but you make me crazy, Maggie. All I do is think about you.”
He teased her lips, covering her mouth with his, and drawing her in just enough that she knew he was serious. God, he could lose himself in this woman. It was nuts how much he wanted her.
Maggie dropped her head on his chest, holding onto his shirt as she buried her face against him. Without a thought, his arms came around her, holding her close.
“This is insane,” she moaned. “I shouldn’t be feeling like this.”
“Like what?”
“So out of control. You’re here and I don’t care about anything else. I haven’t been able to get you out of my head.”
“Good,” he murmured into her hair. “I don’t want you to get me out of your head. I want a chance.”
“Will…”
“Think about it. There’s something going on with us, Maggie. I think we have to see what happens.”
“I don’t know if I can. I just… I never thought anyone would…”
“Would ever want to be with you?” he finished the sentence for her. “You can’t be serious.”
Burying her face again, she nodded.
“Oh, Maggie. God, you’re amazing, don’t you know that?”
“I’m so broken. Physically and mentally. I don’t know if I can.”
Without hesitation, he cupped her face and lifted it toward his. “Just think about it. I know I’m the last thing you expected, and that you have a thousand questions running through your head, but think about it. I get you.”
She nodded tentatively. “Okay.”
“Come on. Take a breath and let’s go see the family. I think we’ve tempted fate enough.”
Once he stepped back, he could see the fear, the uncertainty, the questions in her eyes. He felt them too. There were at least a dozen reasons he shouldn’t pursue this with her, but none of them were compelling enough for him to step back.
After a few deep breaths, she shook off their conversation and smiled weakly. A bit of guilt crept in because Will worried that he’d pushed too hard. But when she reached out and squeezed his hand, he felt better.
“If nothing else, Will, you give me quite an adrenaline rush, and I haven’t had one of those in a very long time.”
“Glad I could help. If we make a run at this, Maggie, I promise there will be a lot more.”
“I guess we’ll see.”
* * *
Dinner was loud. There were more people at the table than in years past, and Maggie was both overwhelmed and touched that so many of her relatives wanted to see her. Aunts and uncles had changed plans and come from out-of-state to hug her, to make sure she was okay, and to offer support in any way they could. Her family was made up of the nicest people in the world.
Mostly. There were those who just wanted to see her at a low point. Her cousin Nora was one of those.
The daughter of her mother’s oldest brother, who had died when she was a teen, Nora was a year older than Maggie and worked in public relations for a major fashion designer. She was quite pretty, in that patrician, fake blonde, I-need-to-eat-a-sandwich kind of way. Maggie had nothing against women who were slender, if they were healthy , but Nora wasn’t; she looked like she was starving.
She and Maggie used to be close, but they’d taken very different paths. And for some reason, her cousin couldn’t handle it.
It shouldn’t have mattered, but Nora turned cold the minute Maggie finished Officer Candidate School and received her commission. When she earned her wings, their
Maggie’s hands went to his waist and he could see her nerves jangling from the contact. This woman made him crazy. Threading his fingers through her hair, Will kissed the corner of her mouth. “That’s mean. Your kisses are like a drug.”
Whispering in response, he could feel her tremble. “My family. What if they see?”
“Eh. I’m royalty.” A grin pulled at his mouth; Will completely enjoyed watching her try to hold it together. “They’ll get over it.”
“You’re fresh.”
“Maybe, but you make me crazy, Maggie. All I do is think about you.”
He teased her lips, covering her mouth with his, and drawing her in just enough that she knew he was serious. God, he could lose himself in this woman. It was nuts how much he wanted her.
Maggie dropped her head on his chest, holding onto his shirt as she buried her face against him. Without a thought, his arms came around her, holding her close.
“This is insane,” she moaned. “I shouldn’t be feeling like this.”
“Like what?”
“So out of control. You’re here and I don’t care about anything else. I haven’t been able to get you out of my head.”
“Good,” he murmured into her hair. “I don’t want you to get me out of your head. I want a chance.”
“Will…”
“Think about it. There’s something going on with us, Maggie. I think we have to see what happens.”
“I don’t know if I can. I just… I never thought anyone would…”
“Would ever want to be with you?” he finished the sentence for her. “You can’t be serious.”
Burying her face again, she nodded.
“Oh, Maggie. God, you’re amazing, don’t you know that?”
“I’m so broken. Physically and mentally. I don’t know if I can.”
Without hesitation, he cupped her face and lifted it toward his. “Just think about it. I know I’m the last thing you expected, and that you have a thousand questions running through your head, but think about it. I get you.”
She nodded tentatively. “Okay.”
“Come on. Take a breath and let’s go see the family. I think we’ve tempted fate enough.”
Once he stepped back, he could see the fear, the uncertainty, the questions in her eyes. He felt them too. There were at least a dozen reasons he shouldn’t pursue this with her, but none of them were compelling enough for him to step back.
After a few deep breaths, she shook off their conversation and smiled weakly. A bit of guilt crept in because Will worried that he’d pushed too hard. But when she reached out and squeezed his hand, he felt better.
“If nothing else, Will, you give me quite an adrenaline rush, and I haven’t had one of those in a very long time.”
“Glad I could help. If we make a run at this, Maggie, I promise there will be a lot more.”
“I guess we’ll see.”
* * *
Dinner was loud. There were more people at the table than in years past, and Maggie was both overwhelmed and touched that so many of her relatives wanted to see her. Aunts and uncles had changed plans and come from out-of-state to hug her, to make sure she was okay, and to offer support in any way they could. Her family was made up of the nicest people in the world.
Mostly. There were those who just wanted to see her at a low point. Her cousin Nora was one of those.
The daughter of her mother’s oldest brother, who had died when she was a teen, Nora was a year older than Maggie and worked in public relations for a major fashion designer. She was quite pretty, in that patrician, fake blonde, I-need-to-eat-a-sandwich kind of way. Maggie had nothing against women who were slender, if they were healthy , but Nora wasn’t; she looked like she was starving.
She and Maggie used to be close, but they’d taken very different paths. And for some reason, her cousin couldn’t handle it.
It shouldn’t have mattered, but Nora turned cold the minute Maggie finished Officer Candidate School and received her commission. When she earned her wings, their
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