She blew her hair off her forehead. There was no need to fret over her appearance for London’ssake.
The nurse had no sooner stepped out of the room than London bounded in. He leaned right over the side of the bed and pulled her in for a hug. “Hey,honey.”
It was a good thing Maia was sitting down, because her knees went weak at the deep undertones surging through her veins when London called herhoney. Even though she knew they’d had their shot at love—and missed horribly—her heart still beat to his rhythm. But that was normal, right? Once you loved someone, they became a part of you no matter how many years or how many miles stood betweenyou.
He sat right on the side of her bed so they were hip to hip, as if he couldn’t stand not to touch her. Maia’s traitorous body let out a contented sigh—like it had been holding out for this moment for tenyears.
“Thank you for everything you did for me today.” She folded the crumpled sheet over her lap, accordion-style.
London hooked his finger under her chin and brought her gaze up to meet his. The intensity burning in his black molasses eyes stole her breath away. Somewhere in the room, a beep tripled infrequency.
“Maia.” He spoke her name with reverence. “I was scared for you—in a way I’ve never been scared before.” His huge hand covered her shoulder, his warm fingers draping down herback.
“London?”
“I was so stupid to ever let yougo.”
You shoved me away,Maia’s heart cried. She told her heart to hush so she couldthink.
London moved his hands so he could brush his thumbs down her cheeks. “I think of all the years I wasted, and I want to dismantlemyself.”
Maia pulled back slightly at his graphic terms. “That’s notnecessary.”
“I hope not.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “I’ve been praying nonstop since I laid you on that bed. Please tell me it’s not too late for us; I want to tryagain.”
Maia stared into his eyes, felt the sincerity of his words in his soft caresses. Her chest expanded, taking in all the promises he silently offered like a dehydrated sponge. Barely stopping herself from falling into him, she leaned back into the pillow. “I need to think,” shemuttered.
Hadn’t she just been thinking about the cracks in their previous relationship? Hindsight was 20/20, and she could point out all the warning signs she’d blown right past as a teenager. Only now they were older and the signs had changed. “But you live in Texas and I live inCalifornia.”
He lifted a shoulder. “There are these big things with wings calledairplanes.”
“Shut up.” She smacked his shoulder. “Your career isdemanding.”
“So’syours.”
“You’re making mypoint.”
“No. I’m saying we are leaps and bounds ahead of other couples because we understand the challenges of two demanding careers. We’re not going into thisblindly.”
“What exactly are we gettinginto?”
London smiled wide. “I can think of all sorts of things I’d like to get into withyou.”
She smacked his shoulder again—though not as hard this time because her handstrembled.
“Come on—halftime is over. Let’s start the second half already.” He brushed his thumb over herlips.
She laughed. “You’re so cute,London.”
“Why do I feel a bigbutcomingon?”
“But …” She braced herself to say the words that would tear off a corner of her heart. “Life isn’t a game and we don’t get a second half. We played our season and came out zero-zero.”
His eyes roamed over her face. “You don’t believethat.”
She pressed two fingers to her lips to keep the words longing to burst forth from driving a wedge betweenthem.
His eyes dipped to her mouth. “Kiss me,” hedemanded.
