Page 30

maggie

F lirting with Carlos is exhausting. Sure, he’s hot, but more in a ‘one-time hookup on vacay’ type of way.

Not in a ‘marry me and fuck me for the rest of my life’ way.

But, as I watch the brooding man sitting at the back of this boat, the one who, for some crazy reason, I do want to marry and fuck me, I realize that laughing at Carlos and his not funny jokes is really getting under Vladi’s skin.

He has not taken his damn eyes off me this entire boat trip.

A slow, smug smile spreads across my face.

Good. He deserves to sit back there and sulk after what he said.

I am Maggie fucking James goddammit, and no one owns this body but me.

How dare he accuse me of not thinking more of him than a one-night stand.

The few drinks I’ve had are doing nothing to calm my shaky hands.

My inner bad-ass bitch fuels all my anger into laughing at Carlos’ most recent joke—‘What do you call a seagull that flies over the bay? A bagel’ -trying so hard not to roll my eyes.

I barely manage to stay focused on the task at hand, laughing like it’s the funniest joke in the world while sneaking glances of the goalie I want to punch in the face, then fuck hard enough I see stars.

This is a totally normal, and not at all weird feeling, right?

“Heeeey Mags,” Olivia says in a sing-song voice as she grabs my arm, “why don’t you come sit over here with us for a while?

” It’s more of a demand than a request as she drags me over to where Hayes, Zack, and Kara are sitting around a table on the giant-ass yacht we’re on.

Seriously, how much money does Hayes make?

“I think you’ve had enough to drink and enough time fake flirting with Captain Carlos. ”

“I was not fake flirting.” I flop down as Liv releases my arm, nearly shoving me into the seat. “He was…witty. Charming in fact.”

“Maggie,” Zack says, “I know I haven’t known you that long, but that was the fakest laughing and flirting I’ve ever seen in my life.

And Larsy and I have seen our fair share of puck bunnies trying to flirt with players-” He stops as Kara whacks him on the arm, his hand immediately massaging the abused limb.

“Geezus Kara, careful with the merchandise! I’m talking about before you.

You know that does not interest me at all,” he defends, leaning down to give Kara a kiss.

“What I was trying to say is that we know when a woman is laughing at an unfunny joke. And Carlos is not funny.”

“He’s right, Maggie,” Hayes unhelpfully adds. “That was Puck Bunny 101 right there.”

Olivia smacks his arm, a grumpy look darkening her features. “Hayes! Do not call my best friend a puck bunny!”

“I wasn’t calling her a puck bunny! I was just saying…oh, forget it. Maggie, you are not a puck bunny. But Zack is right. That was some fake-ass flirting. Is this because Vladi went all caveman over Carlos putting on your lifejacket?”

My lips thin as I cross my arms over my chest. “Absolutely not. The two incidents are completely unrelated. ”

Olivia gives me some major side eye, her brows high enough I’m worried they’re going to disappear in her hair. “Riiight. Sure Mags. Because you wouldn’t be trying to make him jealous at all, would you?”

“Nope. Not me. I just felt bad Carlos was up there all alone.” I bite the inside of my cheek

“He’s literally getting paid to be there on his own and steer the ship,” Zack unhelpfully points out.

I sigh, slumping across the table in my normal dramatic fashion. “Okay, fine. Yes. I was trying to make him jealous.”

“Maggie, a word of advice?” Hayes chimes in. “Vladi is plenty jealous. Unless you want to be testifying in his murder trial, I would cool it on the fake flirting.”

“Who made you the king of the boat, Hayes? No one, that’s who. Besides…he deserves it after what he said to me,” I grumble into the table.

“Oh God,” Olivia looks at me, horrified. “What did he say?”

I sit back, crossing my arms and doing my best to ignore the eyes I can feel burning into the back of my head. “Go ask him. He sure as shit seems to know everything, so might as well get your information directly from the source.”

“I take it the rooming thing is going well, then?” Kara takes a knowing sip of her drink.

I let out a loud sigh, frustration finally setting in that my friends officially seem to have me pegged. “It’s not the rooming part. It’s the every other waking moment of the day part.”

“Wait, so the rooming part is going well? Are you guys hooking up in there?” Kara looks at me again, her eyes as wide as the open water behind her.

“ Hell no. There is no hooking up of any kind going on.”

“Then why did he almost murder Carlos before we got on the boat?” Hayes asks .

“When the hell did this become an interrogation? And why is no one asking Vladi why he almost punched the guy?!”

“I almost punched him because he was touching you inappropriately,” a deep, low rumble comes from behind me. Every head at the table whips around to see what I know is Vladi standing behind me. What in the actual fuck. “Magdalina, can we talk?”

I stare down at the table, not knowing if I should cry or punch him in his damn sexy face.

“Please?”

I turn back to look at him, at the vulnerable look on his face, and nod. Melissa, you are a bitch. One damn word and you absolutely fucking melt .

We walk toward the back of the boat, the sun starting to make its way toward the water.

This man has me so damn fucked up in the head, I don’t know what to think.

Now he wants to talk? I pull my cheek between my teeth as we sit down facing where everyone else is seated.

All of them collectively dart their eyes to look away, as if we don’t already know they have been watching every step we’ve taken on this fancy ass boat.

My heart sinks, a thought creeping in before I can stop it.

Is this where he says I’m too much? Here in front of all of our friends and a very unfunny boat captain?

“What did you want to talk to me about?”

He removes his sunglasses, tipping them back in his hair. The dark strands I so desperately want to run my fingers through, especially with him between my legs. Goddammit, focus, Maggie! He clears his throat, and I see him cracking his knuckles.

“I wanted to tell you that I’m…I’m…” he pauses, reaching over to take my sunglasses off as well.

His hand grazes across my skin, and the sudden awareness that he needs to look me in the eye sends a shiver down my spine.

“I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier. I shouldn’t have gotten worked up like that.

It was wrong of me to yell at…at… him. ”

“Who, exactly, are you referring to, Vladi? You do yell a lot.” Hell yes, I’m gonna make him say Carlos’ name.

“I’m sorry for yelling at… Carlos ,” he says through gritted teeth, and I giggle, just a little, seeing him wince at having to say his name.

“Thank you. Go on.”

“I’m sorry for what I said. I did not mean to imply you were the reason we only had one night.

I saw him touch you, and I…I lost control.

You are very much your own person. You are strong and independent.

And you are right; your body is yours. But I was…

” he fiddles with my sunglasses, looking past me out into the water.

“Magdalina, I told you things last night I have never told another woman. It brought out emotions I’ve never experienced before, and I don’t do…

emotions . They are very raw for me. Jagged.

I trusted you, and when you said I didn’t own you, that we fucked and that was it, I felt.

.. something . I know I will never own you.

God, no one could ever own Maggie fucking James.

” He turns back to look at me, his gaze feeling like it’s seeing through my eyes right into my soul.

“But seeing that man that close to you, with his arms nearly wrapped around you. I didn’t like it. ”

Goddammit. What do I say to that? My pulse is a fucking formula one car, racing around in my veins as everything he’s saying to me settles into my being.

I nudge one of the empty beer cans with my toe.

“Thank you for the apology. For today, and for apologizing for what happened before. And…I’m sorry I…

I’m sorry I was flirting with Captain Carlos.

That feeling you said you didn’t like? I knew you were jealous, but I was pissed at what you said, so I tried to make you more jealous. ”

He rubs the back of his neck. “It worked, and…I deserved that.”

A knot forms in my stomach. Thinking back to what he told me last night, about how Adelina died at the hands of a random person, guilt washes over me. His reaction to the lifejacket, to Carlos, was probably some deep-rooted shit. Well, now I feel awful.

“No, Vladi,” I say, swallowing my pride. “You didn’t deserve it. I know you were just looking out for me.”

He nods, never moving his gaze from mine. The walls I put up before we set sail are slowly coming down and...goddammit I feel like shit realizing I still owe him an expression of gratitude.

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you yet, but thank you for taking care of me last night. And for the breakfast this morning. You didn’t have to do that.”

“It was no trouble. I wanted to make sure you were okay. I enjoy taking care of you. And the breakfast, well…you needed to eat something to settle your stomach.”

I swallow hard, fidgeting with the fabric of my bikini.

Him saying he enjoys taking care of me has Melissa doing a Tonya Harding triple axel in my chest. My thighs squeeze together, his damn nurturing side makes me want to jump into his arms. But my brain is still processing everything, And before I can decide what I want, the boat is docking back at the resort.

“Come, lisichka ,” he stands, handing me back my sunglasses, extending his hand to me, a gentlemanly offer to help me up and a gesture of goodwill all in one.

Maybe there is some hope we can figure this out at some point .

“Let’s go back to our room and change. The bachelor and bachelorette parties are tonight, yes?

We have a bride and a groom to help have one last night of …

” He blinks, sucking his teeth as he squints at the buildings in the distance.

“What the hell do you do at a bachelor party for someone who is already married?” he asks with a laugh as we walk to join the rest of the group and step off the boat.

“Hell if I know, but I got penis straws for Olivia and she’s going to hate them. I can’t wait to see the mortified look on her face when I bust those out!”

He smiles as he places his hand on the small of my back, leading me in front of him as we walk back to our room. And for just a moment, as fleeting as it may be, everything feels right.