There.
The truth was out.
Maia gasped. “What?”
“You heard me.” I stepped in close now, my palms resting on her door above her head, caging her in. Our noses almost touched and there was that wee hitch in her breathing again. That wee hitch gave me hope. “I’m sorry, My. I’m sorry for hurting you. You are the last person I would ever want to hurt. And I want to be with you. Not just for the campaign. But for real.”
Her breathing was harsh, short, and sharp, her cheeks flushed. “Even … even knowing what you know about me?”
Jesus, I could kill her mother for the damage she’d wrought. “What I know is that there is no one like you and any man would be lucky to belong to you,” I whispered.
Her eyes turned glassy again. “I have serious trust issues, Bear.”
“I know. I’m not scared of your trust issues.”
“We would be diving into the deep end. We’re supposed to getmarriedin two months.”
“I know. It was my idea.” I grinned, sensing her defenses crumbling.
“I … I don’t like when you flirt with other people, and you need to be able to be?—”
Damn it. “Not flirting with other people because it means something to you isn’t a hardship. I’m quite happy to direct all my sexual energy at you.”
“You can be a one-woman guy?”
“I’ve been a one-woman guy since the moment we met.”
Something flickered over her expression. “No, you haven’t.”
“Emotionally, I have. For months, I thought I’d have towatch you marry another man, and you have no idea how much that killed, My. If you think for one second that now that I have a shot at making you mine I would jeopardize that by fucking around, then you don’t know me at all.”
“Bear—”
“I will convince you.” I stepped back, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. “I’m going to let you process everything because as much as I want you, I want you to want me back and not just physically.”
She continued to gape at me as I retreated toward the staircase. “Bear …”
“Take all the time you need,” I forced out. “I’ll be here when you’ve decided what you want.” Then with all the willpower I had, I turned and began to descend the stairs, trying not to wince at my bad ankle.
“Text me when you get home so I know you’re okay,” she called out, her voice shaking.
“I will, beautiful.”
“And we’re going to talk about the football pitch no longer being a safe place. You can’t just tell me that and expect me to forget about it or leave you alone in it.”
I grinned, knowing whatever happened, I was forgiven. “I know. I promise we’ll talk,” I called back. “See you soon.”
Hopefully sooner rather than later.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
MAIA
At the beep of my phone, I stuffed my hand in my dress pocket, in such a hurry to see if it was Baird responding to my text that it flew from my fingers when I plucked it out.
It bounced off the back of the head of the man in front of me.
I gasped. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!” My cheeks flamed hotly as he turned to glare at me.
