Page 73 of Sparks Still Fly

Can I do this? Will Maeve and I be okay?

I shut down the thoughts so I can answer her. “Julia’s all right. That was Jessica, the social worker.” She nods, urging me on. “She just wanted to ask if I’d like to visit with Julia tomorrow before the court hearing in a couple of days.” Her face softens, and she nods again.

“Can I come with you?” Somehow, I love her even more for having this reaction when she could have chosen to feel slighted to have this come up when we’ve just started to figure us out.

I do the only thing I can think of. I kiss her completely senseless. I let my kiss say everything I don’t think I can right now. How grateful I am for her. How happy I am that she’s here. How I hope she never leaves.

When we’re both good and breathless, I pull back and run my fingers through her hair, completely cognizant of the fact that I’ve wanted this for a decade. I’ve wanted her, the feel of her next to me, her hair in between my fingers, for ten years.

She smiles up at me, resting her chin on my chest. “So, I can go with you, right?” Maeve giggles, and a peace settles over my heart.

“The answer to that is always yes, Maevey.”

How am I ever going to let her go, if that’s still what she wants?

I help her finish with the dishes, and we make a plan to go back to the guesthouse in the morning to get whatever she needs, although she is adamant that she won’t go inside if the bats are anywhere where she can see them. I send a quick text to the owner of the house I rented last time I stayed in San Diego, so Maeve and I don’t have to fly back and forth before bringing Julia home.

We watch reruns of The Office, one or both of us occasionally saying a line along with the actors. Sitting on the couch, watching TV is even more mundane than prepping dinner with her earlier, and I absolutely love it. I soak up every second.

Before I feel too tired, I get up to shut off all the lights and double check the security system. Maeve is rustling around in the bedroom she had been staying in. I knock twice on the open door to let her know I’m there.

She stands quickly from where she was bent over her suitcase.

“Owen Agamemnon James! You packed me absolutely no knickers!” I wince at her use of my middle name as she stands to face me, hands on her hips. “I thought I just hadn’t looked hard enough before, but no. There aren’t any here, are there?”

I pull my lips between my teeth to keep myself from smiling or laughing and shake my head. She huffs out a breath and crosses her arms, which I love because it does wonderful things to her tits.

“One,” I start, “I didn’t want to go through your private things.” I walk toward her slowly as she rolls her eyes like it’s a bullshit reason. “And two, I knew you wouldn't need any. I sure don’t mind the lack of extra layers between you and me, fengári mou.” I stand in front of her and watch as her arms relax at her sides. She rolls her eyes again, but this time, she smiles.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, I pull her to me. Her arms come up around my neck and her smile widens. “Well, I will need some tomorrow. I do not want to meet the wonderful Julia with no knickers on!”

I chuckle. “Deal.” I watch as she licks her bottom lip, fingers playing with the hair at the nape of my neck. “Are you ready for bed?” At my question, her grip tightens on my neck, and she looks over at the bed next to us.

“Oh. Yeah. I can sleep in here if you’d rather have your bed to yourself.” She tries to back up, but I don’t let her, holding her close to me.

“Not a fucking chance, Maevey. You wanna sleep here? Then I’m sleeping here, too. But as far as I’m concerned, that bed in the other room is ours now.” I punctuate the statement with a kiss to her lips, and she sighs, relaxing her body and her hold on me.

“You sure know how to make a girl swoon.” She smirks and drops a chaste kiss on my lips.

“So where will it be?” I rub my thumb in circles along her waist and she smiles a little wider.

“Ours.”

Fuck. Yes.

I pick her up and throw her over my shoulder, hitting the light switch on my way out of this room and walk us into our bedroom to sleep on our bed.

41/

a direct flight to my pussy.

maeve

I used to hug one of my pillows at night and fall asleep pretending it was Owen’s chest I was laying on. On the nights when I felt sad, or I hadn’t talked to him in a while, and even in those early days when I still allowed myself to think that he would call after everything that happened between us, it was such a source of comfort. But nothing, and I mean not a single thing, could have prepared me for the absolute bliss that is falling asleep and waking up wrapped around Owen James. I’m more on him than next to him when I pry one eye open to see that the sun is rising, but given that he pulls me back to him when I try to slip away, it seems he doesn’t mind.

“I feel like I’ve waited my whole life for this right here.” His gravelly, sleepy voice goes straight to my chest, then travels down, right to my core. He wraps both arms around me and kisses the top of my head, exhaling a happy sigh. “I used to hug a pillow and pretend it was you waking up next to me, and now you're here.”

“What?” I sit up, needing to see his face and analyze whether he’s serious or if I was doing the thinking out loud thing again, but his cheeks are red, and he looks embarrassed.

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