Before we both knew it, she would be my sister-in-law, and while the thought ate away at me—and, frankly, was the reason why I couldn’t sleep—I knew in the end it was the right thing for everyone.
Wasn’t it??
Understanding that she was going to marry Dane, knowing with all of my heart she would never truly be happy, felt like a punch to the gut. I couldn’t shake this gnawing sense of helplessness. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion, knowing exactly how bad it’s going to be but being powerless to stop it. I hated that she was going through with this, that she was making this grave mistake. And even though I tried to convince myself it wasn’t my place anymore to interfere, deep down, I felt like I should’ve done more. Something—anything—to change the outcome.
All night, I wrestled with the brutal waves of self-loathing that just wouldn’t quit. I kept asking myself if I should’ve fought harder or if I’d somehowfailed her. It was like a constant loop of regret and frustration, playing over and over in my mind. I knew she was unhappy and with someone who didn’t deserve her, all the while just trying to do what she felt was the right thing to do. Every time I thought about it, the sting of knowing she was settling and that she could end up hurt felt like a raw, unhealed wound.?
As I drifted in and out of a fitful sleep, a soft knock on my door woke me. I checked the clock—3:15 a.m.?
I rolled over, figuring it was someone lost in the hotel, trying to get into the wrong room after too many celebratory drinks. But the knocking grew louder, more urgent, and my stomach dropped.?
Something was wrong, and I could sense it with every fiber of my being.?
I threw on a pair of jeans and stumbled over my half-packed bags and open guitar cases.Another unfinished thing in my life, I thought before cracking open the door slightly to see who was on the other side.?
“What are you doing here?” I pushed the door open wider, struggling not to pull her into my arms. Something wasn’t right, and it was written all over Magnolia’s beautiful, freckled face.?
She looked at her feet and then back up at me, sad eyes meeting mine. I watched her eyes trail over my chest, taking in every detail as if she was trying to memorize my body. Or maybe she was trying to remember. I knew I could recall every one of her curves, every freckle in places the sun never hit.?
?Her gaze was intense and full of longing, and I sensed she was struggling to keep her cool. She shifted back and forth on her toes nervously.
After letting out a long sigh, she took a small step back, putting some space between us. “I don’t… I’m not really sure why I’m here. It’s been a really, really long night. Long few months, actually. I don’t know, I just think… I don’t know what I’m doing here.” She fumbled with her words, her sentences coming out in a jumbled mess.
“Maggie, are you alright? Is it Dane? What did he do now?” I couldn’t stop myself. I had to reach out and touch her. I closed the space between us and rested my hand on her arm, gently tracing circles with my thumb. I felt a wave of goosebumps spread across her skin, and she shivered slightly. Her stormy gray eyes met mine, and a glimmer of something brighter surfaced, overshadowing the fear and panic I knew she was trying to bury down.
“See, the thing is,” she started, moving her eyes from the spot where my hand rested on her skin to the waistband of my jeans. She bit her bottom lip. “See, you know how…”
Before I could even think to invite her in and pour her a drink so she could unload whatever was on her mind, her lips crashed into mine with a force that caught me off guard. Her fingers were already tangled in my hair, pulling me closer as if afraid I might slip away.
I didn’t have time to think; a deep, carnal instinct took over. With a swift kick, I slammed the door shut and spun her around, my hands never losing their grip on her. Pressing her against the wall, I lifted her dress, my finger gliding over the soft curve of her stomach, toying with the sensitive skin. She arched into my touch, a low, throaty groan escaping her lips, sending a shiver down my spine.
In one fluid motion, she jumped up, wrapping her legs tightly around my waist, her hips grinding against me with a need that was impossible to ignore. Even through the thin fabric of her dress, I could feel her heat, her body pulsating with desire, urging me to explore every inch of her.
With a firm grip on her backside, I carried her—our mouths still locked together, our breaths coming in quick, desperate gasps—down the hall to the bedroom. In a swift, effortless move, I tossed her onto the bed, the weight of the moment heavy between us as I hovered over her, both of us knowing there was no turning back.
Her gray eyes met mine, wide and filled with something raw, almost desperate. Her wavy, golden-red hair, usually so neat, was tousled now, a few strands clinging to her flushed cheeks. There was a wildness in her look that sent a surge of need through me—an electric charge I couldn’t control.?
She licked her plump, pink lips, the tip of her tongue trailing slowly over them. The sight of it made my pulse race, my focus zeroing in on her and those lips I was dying to feel against every inch of me. I watched her throat move as she swallowed, her chest rising and falling with each shallow breath
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be here,” she murmured, sitting up to unbutton my jeans. She locked eyes with me as she pulled them down, and I tripped over myself trying to scramble out of them. She ran her fingers softly, gently, over my growing hard-on, and then looked up to meet my eyes. “But I want you,” she whispered with a sultry edge. “I need you, Lee.”?
That was all I needed to hear. A loud, rumbling moan escaped me, and I leaned into her, kissing down her neck and chest.?
I lifted the black and gold glittering dress up over her head, caressing her front. “Why are you dressed like a flapper?” I rasped, voice draped with desire.
She giggled as she ran her hands over my thighs, her voice an urgent quiver but still dripping with sarcasm. “New Years Eve, remember? The huge party you skipped out on, leaving me without a Grammy Award winning artist on my stage.”?
She scooted back on the bed, laying herself gently on my pillow. I tossed the bedazzled number on to the floor and ran my hands over her silky legs. “Let’s not talk about that now,” my voice was low, breathy.?
A deep, aching need surged through me. The way she looked at me, like I was the only thing that could satisfy whatever hunger burned inside her, made me feel like I was going to lose it right then and there, without the satisfaction of even tasting her.?
I opened her up to me, pushing my knee between her thighs. Hovering over her for a moment, I watched her face closely.?
For the first time in months, she radiated happiness. She looked like she knew what she wanted, and she wanted it right then and there. And it looked like that thing that she wanted was me.?
***
When we were finally spent, Maggie rested her head on my chest, our breaths syncing up in a soft, shared rhythm. The tension and urgency from before had melted away, leaving us in a deep, calming stillness. In that quiet moment, words didn’t matter; our hearts did all the talking, the warmth of our bodies saying everything that needed to be said.
