“He’s with me,” a deep voice says from behind the security guard. When he turns, I see none other than David Taylor, holding out an extra ticket.
The security guy scans it and glares at me as I walk through the metal detector. I follow Maggie’s dad, neither of us saying anything until we reach the steps to the arena. He stops suddenly and I nearly collide with his back.
He spins on his heel and points a finger at me while he squeezes my shoulder hard with his other hand. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but the biggest one was hurting Maggie,” he says, looking at me with remorse. “You better not do the same.”
“No, sir,” I say, swallowing hard.
David nods at me once and leads me down the stairs again to the front row. There’s an empty seat next to him and I feel like a horrible best friend, once again. I should have been here from the beginning.
“Did you see the interview?” David asks and I can’t help but smile.
“Yeah, I did.”
“Good.” He pats my shoulder awkwardly.
I turn my focus on the court where Maggie is getting ready to serve, resuming the match. She bounces the ball once and looks over in the stands. We lock eyes and I see her falter for just a second. Her stunned expression turns to a gorgeous smile as she bounces the ball again and hits a beautiful slice serve that Elena doesn’t see coming.
It’s like the rain has fueled her determination to win because Maggie doesn’t miss a single shot, sliding across the court and ending the set without giving up a single point, effectively winning the match.
Elena screams and throws her racquet to her bench asMaggie raises both her hands in victory, her chest heaving with the exertion and emotion she’s no doubt overcome with.
The whole arena erupts into cheers as Maggie wins the French Open. She shakes hands with Elena and the umpire, hits a few balls in the stands for the fans and runs over to our section, clasping hands with her dad who looks so proud, he’s beaming.
My smile is wide as I bend down to hug her but she surprises me by grabbing my face in both her hands and kissing me. I laugh against her mouth and she kisses me again, harder. My arms hold tight around her shoulders and I let myself enjoy this moment. “I love you so much,” she says when she finally pulls back.
“I love you more, Mags,” I say, feeling like my heart might burst out of my chest.
“I’m so sorry for not telling you sooner and for keeping us a secret for so long. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“I know, and I’m sorry too, for letting so much time pass by without telling you what I wanted. But we’ll figure it all out, together. We’ve got all the time in the world.”
“Good, because I’m never letting you go again.” She laughs, pressing her lips to mine once again.
I shake my head in a daze and say, “Go get your trophy.”
CHAPTER 34
Maggie
May - Italy
We spent exactlyone more night in France after Rowan won his Grand Slam, getting dinner with my dad before he returned to the States. Then we found the closest tattoo parlor and got our matching tattoos of alligators holding a tennis racquet in their mouths. We snapped a picture of our wrists next to each other and sent them to Jacob and Elena, packed up our bags, and booked our favorite villa in Italy.
Now, in the quiet morning, I wake up to Rowan’s soft breaths against the nape of my neck. My eyes slowly blink open, taking in the textured but elegant walls and the large window in the bedroom. Morning light filters in and I stretch awake with a happy smile on my face.
I wiggle in Rowan’s arms and he instinctively pulls me closer. His hardening cock presses against my ass and I can’t help but move again. Rowan groans, his hand fisting my nightgown at my hip.
“You’re goingto wear me out,” he mumbles against the skin of my neck.
I chuckle, turning in his arms and palming his erection through his boxers. “I’m just making sure you get your cardio for the day,” I say, kissing his stubbled jaw and trailing kisses down his chest. I use a hand to push him on his back, kicking off the sheet in the process.
My fingers delve under his waistband and he eagerly lifts his hips so I can take off his underwear. His thick cock is stiff and hot under my touch, twitching as I gently blow on it.
“Fuck,” Rowan mumbles his hands flying to my hair, kneading the scalp.
“Patience, honey,” I say, grinning, as I take him in my mouth. He inhales sharply and I run my fingernails down his abs.
Rowan gently guides my head up and down and I relax around him, taking him as deep as I can. When his movements become more frantic and I know he’s getting close, I pull away and take off my nightgown. Rowan takes his underwear off all the way and I kiss my way up his body until I’m lined up with his cock. I rub myself over him, enjoying the friction as Rowan kisses me deeply.
