Page 55 of Forbidden Whispers

“Until now,” he replied, giving her backside a couple of playful pats.

She shrieked again. “Noah Riley, you put me down right now!”

“As you wish.” And with that, he pulled her off his shoulder, cradling her against his chest for one blissful second before tossing her high into the air—more shrieking—and letting her land in the water with a solid splash.

She came up sputtering, her curls now limp and plastered all over her face. She peeled the strands away and her toffee-colored eyes narrowed dangerously. “That was really not a wise thing to do.”

“Why not?” Noah was still laughing.

“Because I’m really good at this.”

Before he realized what she was doing, she executed a swift somersault, her legs sweeping his from under him, and he teetered off balance, water swirling over his head.

He popped back up to the surface, coughing.

“Guess you shouldn’t have had your mouth open,” she smirked.

“All right, Milena. It’s game on!”

She laughed, deftly sidestepping his playful advance, and dove beneath him. He felt her fingers at his waist and then her legs wrapped around his, tipping him off balance and leaving him submerged once again.

They continued playing in the waves like a couple of kids until Maggie finally called it quits. “I’d like to get at least a little lounging on the beach before this day is over,” she told him.

They trudged out of the water, throwing splashes at each other as they went. Jaime’s and Noah’s families, along with most of the partygoers, had already left. But back on the sandy shoreline, Noah and Maggie’s towels and blankets still lay side by side where they’d left them. They first checked on Boon, who now lay sleeping comfortably in the shade of the giant oak. Then the two of them stretched out and let the golden rays of the late afternoon sunshine warm them up.

Maggie lay on her back, her sunglasses hiding her eyes. Noah started out lying on his stomach, but eventually rolled onto his side and propped his head up onto one hand. He took a moment to admire the lush curves of her sun-kissed body, accentuated by her vibrant bikini.

Maggie was such a fun, beautiful, intelligent woman. He marveled again at the fact that even after all these years of providing people with happy endings to their love stories, she still hadn’t managed to find her own.

He considered her prone form thoughtfully. Then, sitting up, he said, “All right, Milena, what’s your story?”

Maggie tipped her sunglasses down and looked up at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“When we were in high school, you dated Joe, the most popular guy in school,” he said. “But everyone knew he was a total loser and didn’t deserve you at all. You’re smart and beautiful, Mags. At any moment, you probably could have snapped your fingers and dated anyone else, because half the guys in our class were in love with you.” Me most of all. But he could never say that last part out loud.

“Get outta here!” she said, replacing her sunglasses.

“I’m serious, Maggie!” Noah said, unwilling to be put off. He was determined to understand her better. “You now know all about my embarrassing dating history of FDFs. I know I’m your client and you have a right to know all that to help me. But we’re also friends, right? So fair’s fair. How have you remained single all this time? And what did Jaime mean at breakfast this morning when she said she wished those losers hadn’t messed you up so much? What was she talking about?”

Maggie sighed and sat up as well. “You’re not going to let this go, are you.” It wasn’t a question. And Noah continued looking at her expectantly.

The warm glow of the sun enveloped them and waves lapped along the shore, their foam gently shaped by the warm evening breeze.

Maggie took a deep breath and removed her sunglasses. Her eyes swept the horizon as if searching for the perfect words, then her golden gaze turned to his. “Like I mentioned before, in college, one of my majors was psychology. I find the subject fascinating, particularly with regard to interpersonal relationships. I’ve read loads of books on the topic, and over the years, I’ve come to psychoanalyze myself. I made the big mistake of sharing my theory about myself with Jaime a while back.”

“Why was it a mistake?”

“Because Jaime is like a dog with a bone,” Maggie said with exasperation, “and she just won’t let it go now!”

“What’s your theory?”

Maggie’s eyes dropped to the sand and she drew her knees tight to her chest, as if building a protective barrier. “I already told you about how after growing up in a loving family environment, I was sent to live with my aunt and uncle after my parents died.”

Noah nodded his acknowledgment. “You said that your aunt and uncle didn’t have a great marriage and fought all the time. And that’s what sparked your desire to bring romance and happy endings to other people in your life.”

“Yes,” Maggie agreed. “But there’s more to my story than I originally told you.”

Noah could see genuine sadness reflected in Maggie’s eyes, and he could hear it in her voice.

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