I turn to look at Principal Ford now. He’s glaring at Ms. Petty, clearly pissed. She crossed the line and her true colors are starting to show. This isn’t about her concern for me at all.
“Maybe things are starting to add up for you now. Ms. Petty clearly has a problem with me and is trying to make my life difficult.”
“Maggie. I’m sorry I had—”
“My dad is missing. Now I have to come down here and listen to you people try to make threats about taking another person from me.” I grab my bag from the chair. “I suggest we never talk about this again,” I say over my shoulder and stride out of the office.
I try to shake off the dirt Ms. Petty tried to throw at me. I know why my dad didn’t tell me about his brother and the adoption. I’m his daughter, and he never wants that questioned. I know that’s the reason, because I know my dad. If there’s a story to it that he thought I should know, he would have told me. But I know Major. He loves me, and I don’t need to know anything else.
I push all that aside. I know who my family is, and no piece of paper will change that. I’m going to focus on the future, and I’m going to do it in the arms of the man I love.
Chapter 22
Eli
I sit outside in my truck and wait, my cock hard and thick, throbbing with need. Today’s the day, but we have to keep up appearances. There are already too many eyes on us. One step out of line and it could be bad.
She’s the most important thing in my life, and I will do everything to protect her. Even if it means ignoring the steel length resting along the inside of my thigh.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I try not to think about it. I try not to picture her soft curves under me and the places my tongue is going to go. How her sweetness will taste and what sounds she’ll make when we’re alone.
“Fuck,” I grunt, and lean back on the headrest.
One touch from her and I knew that my life had been changed. One moment a year ago and my world was forever hers. From that moment on, everything I did, every motion in my life, every beat of my heart, was for her. When her lips met mine, it sealed her fate. She didn’t know it that day, but it happened.
The minutes tick by, and though it feels like an eternity, she appears. Her blue eyes find mine, and like every time before, I’m home.
She’s walking toward me, and every step brings her closer to my grasp. To the moment when I’ll never let her go.
This is one of the first times I’ve allowed all my urges for Maggie to burst forward. For so long I’ve pushed them down to the bottom of my feet and stomped on them. Sure, I’ve taken care of myself when the want has become too much. But seeing her and letting my desires flow freely has turned me into a bull being taunted with a red rag.
I don’t get out of the truck when she comes close. Instead I wait as she hops in the truck and leans over to place a kiss on my lips. But instead of leaning back, she smiles and rubs her nose against mine.
I want her so bad, but I close my eyes and lean in to give her a soft peck to hold me over.
“So where are we headed?” she asks, nearly bouncing in her seat as I wait for her to buckle up.
“It’s a surprise,” I answer, reaching over and rubbing her leg while I drive.
It’s quiet on the way, but it’s a comfortable silence. She places her hand on top of mine, and I feel the warmth from her palm radiating through my skin. God, I can’t wait to feel all of her, but I remind myself that we’ve got all the time in the world.
When we make the turn for the lake, she looks over at me and gives me a suspicious look. But instead of going the way we have before, I keep on driving another mile around the lake and to a driveway. The way is a little long, and hidden around trees, but when we reach the end, it opens up and there sits a little log cabin with the lake at the back of it. The views are spectacular, and the back-porch swing is the perfect spot to watch the sun set.
“Where are we?” Maggie whispers to herself as I jump out of the truck and go around to her side and open the door. “Cupcake, did you rent this for the weekend?”
Her eyes are bright with excitement as she jumps out of the truck and into my arms. I hold her close and kiss her neck as I carry her to the front door and grab the key out of my pocket. I open it up and carry her inside, turning her so she can see the whole place.
“Nah, sunshine. I did something a little bigger than that.”
The space is so big, yet warm and comfortable. A giant living room with a fireplace overlooks the lake, and an open kitchen and dining room sparkle in the light streaming in from the windows. The back wall of the house is made of glass, and there’s nothing to see but lake and mountains for miles around.
“Eli. What did you do?” She turns in my arms, and her blue eyes meet mine.
“I bought it for us. Happy birthday, baby.”
“Oh my God! You bought this?”
“I’ve had my eye on it for a while. And when we were apart, I decided I had to have it. Even if we never lived here, I knew it was our home. This felt like the place where I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, even if I didn’t think it was a possibility. I had to have it.”
“I can’t believe you did this. It’s too much.”
“It’s not enough, sunshine. It will never be enough.” I kiss her lips softly and slip my tongue inside to taste her. It turns heated and heavy, and I hold her tighter to me.
“Eli, I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, Maggie,” I say as I carry her through the house. “I stocked the kitchen thinking we could spend the weekend here. I know now might not be the best time to move in, with everything going on.”