Page 61 of Accidental Fiancé

I smiled, trying to figure out something to say, but her words hung in the air, and all I could hear was her saying bone. That was the only thing on my mind. Sex. With Maggie. Our unspoken tension felt like air pressing in at all sides and I couldn’t think.

I grabbed my trunks. “I’ll change in the bathroom.”

“Do you mind if I do?” Maggie asked. “I need to fix myself up a little before I face your family again.”

“Sure. Of course.” The truth was, I wanted a door between us. Just a little space so I could think clearly. She darted into the bathroom and closed the door. The thin border between us allowed me to breathe again.

I changed and laid on the bed, watching the ceiling fan spin above me. I’d had the best blowjob of my life in the supply closet not fifteen minutes ago. Almost confessed I was falling for Maggie ten minutes ago. Mere moments after that, I nearly decked Marcus as I passed him in the hallway for having the audacity to invite a plague into our home.

I checked the clock. How the fuck had it only been an hour since we’d arrived?

Clearly, the contract meant nothing to either of us, Maggie’s payment aside. She’d get that money no matter what happened and after getting humiliated by Chloe, I planned on tacking on a hefty bonus. Not that it would make up for things, but it might be a balm to Maggie’s nerves. Or it might alleviate my guilt. Either way, she was taking home a lot of money. I’d make sure of it.

But then the question became, which home was she taking that money to?

The thought of her no longer being in my house after this, of her going back to her apartment, of her leaving us behind, cracked something within me, shaking me to my core. I hated the thought. But I didn’t know how to change things between us. Furtive fucking in the supply closet was not the way to woo someone.

I didn’t know how to woo Maggie or if I even should. When she rejected me in high school with that disinterested confused look in her eyes after I kissed her, it was enough to put me off of dating for a long time. It hurt too much to be rejected by my fantasy. Now, with Piper in the mix, I couldn’t risk damaging my relationship with Maggie. My daughter would be crushed if Maggie never came around after this week.

Too much risk. But the reward…

The bathroom door unlatched, calling my attention. When Maggie walked out, time stopped, and my brain stuttered. She wore one of those retro swimsuits that tied around the neck, her breasts threatening to spill at the top. Bright red. A heartstopper. Little sandals and matching red shorts. She was a vision. A fifties fantasy in real life. A?—

“You’re staring.”

“Uh, sorry. Ready to go?”

“Do I look?—"

“Yes,” I rasped.

“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”

“Whatever it is, yes. I’m not sure you should be allowed to wear that.”

“What, why?”

I scrubbed my hand over my face, trying not to tell her what was on my mind. “If my cousins hit on you, you tell me.”

She laughed. “What are you talking about? They know I’m here with you. They wouldn’t dare.”

I wanted to take her in my arms and kiss her until my face went numb. How could she be this innocent after what we did in the closet? After everything we had done?

I faced her, wishing our circumstances were anything but what they were because I wasn’t sure what that was anymore. “You look amazing. This outfit… you might be covered up, but you’re also devastatingly indecent.”

Her face flushed pink. “It’s just an outfit.”

“It’stheoutfit. Every woman down there will be jealous of you.” I thought for a moment. “Except for Phoebe. She might hit on you.”

“Another cousin?”

“My third youngest. Early twenties, septum piercing, purple hair last I saw her. You can’t miss her.”

She nodded. “Ready?”

“Let’s go.”

As much as I was irritated by Marcus’ choice in girlfriends, I was happy to see my family. We had a love-hate relationship, but this one week out of the year, while tense, was usually a good time. Or at least I tried to convince myself that it was good for Piper. My daughter loved coming here.

---