Page 23 of The Locksmith’s Promise (The Promise Duet #1)

Round Two

M aggie

I opened my fleece jacket and rewrapped my scarf before zipping it back up to my neck as I slid in front of Baxter on the narrow trail.

The sun was bright, but the air was cold, typical weather moving into October this far north. But not entirely welcome.

The fall festival, a bright spot in the cold, waited just around the corner. And though we were small, Moose Lake knew how to throw a party. With my mom on the planning committee, I was privy to all the details.

Corwin was going to get his first taste of small-town fun, and I couldn’t wait.

Bax and I had asked Corwin and Mickey to come with us on our hike, but they opted to hang out at Miller and Maxine’s.

The warmth Miller and his wife extended to my son, along with the novel proximity of my parents, gave me a new lease on life.

For the first time since becoming a mother, I was free to do things for myself, things I didn’t feel comfortable doing while leaving Corwin with virtual strangers when we lived in the city.

My mom had even cajoled me into joining the Moose Lake ladies’ club.

They kept themselves busy with yoga in the park, walking clubs, cross fit training, hiking, and trail biking along with quilting, crafts, and our festivals.

Some of the older ladies I’d known since I was a child. They were the most ill-behaved of the whole group, reveling in their ‘empty nest, I’m now a grandma and no longer subject to the rules of parenting or society at large’ roles.

I’d been to yoga twice but enjoyed the hiking far more. The fact Jenny showed up at yoga the second time may have been a contributing factor in that determination.

I didn’t hold the past against her or hold ill will toward her, not consciously, but I hadn’t dealt with it either. Every time I ran into her, bad memories cropped up and froze the breath in my lungs.

I hadn’t even been back to Buns and Biscuits since we ran into her on the street. I felt terrible about it.

It wasn’t her fault my brain misfired every time she showed up, and I knew I had to get over myself, but Baxter wasn’t the only one who betrayed me that day.

Which left Baxter and me on the trails on our own which was just as well because I had questions.

When the path opened up again, Baxter’s long legs brought him up beside me, and he laced his calloused fingers through mine.

I gave him a gentle squeeze and tried to keep the accusation out of my voice. “I tried to call you last night.”

He winced and squeezed me back. Glancing at me from beneath the brim of his baseball cap, he explained, “Sorry, baby. I ran into Vince Moroni yesterday. He said some shit and I didn’t handle it all that well.”

“Oh, no, your father’s drinking buddy? What did you do?”

“Turned off my phone, worked late, slept at Miller’s.”

I nodded, my gaze dropping to the leaf-covered ground before meeting his eyes. “You could have called or come to me.”

“I know,” he answered. “But I needed to be with someone who’d been there with me back then. Someone I didn’t have to explain things to.”

Like Jenny?

The thought came unbidden, and I shook it off. “I understand.”

He offered me a half smile. “And I didn’t want Corwin waking up and thinking something was wrong.”

“Something was wrong,” I countered.

His determined eyes met mine. “It doesn’t have to touch him. It shouldn’t ever touch him.”

“But—”

He shook his head, his beautiful mouth flattening into a thin line. “No, Maggie. I’m sorry, I am, but I’ve thought about it and I’m not going back there. I refuse to dwell in the past.”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

His eyebrows scrunched together. “I know you want to know for sure if I cheated, I understand, I’d probably want to know if I were you.”

I blinked and snapped my jaw shut.

Was that true? Did I need the truth to find closure on what happened in the past? What would I do if I found out he had sex with her that night after promising me forever?

And how much of me being with him now rested on the hope he might not have?

I swallowed. Hard.

Because I didn’t have the answer to any of those questions.

And I wasn’t sure I wanted them, not if I couldn’t control the outcome.

Living in blissful ignorance didn’t sit right with me, but it was a whole helluva lot better than losing this chance with Baxter.

For the first time, I understood his desire to leave the mess of the past and all its broken promises behind.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “There are memories, bad ones, and I don’t want to recall the details.”

“Your back?” I prodded.

He looked away, eyes narrowed on the path ahead of us.

“Okay,” I decided. I’d let him down once before when I stopped believing in us too soon. I wouldn’t allow my insecurities to let him down again. “No more looking back.”

He inhaled deeply and blew out a breath. His shoulders slumped and the lines in his face softened. “Thank you.”

The forest opened into the clearing and our rock came into view.

Only it wasn’t empty like we’d expected.

A young couple sat on top, laughing and kissing intermittently.

“We’ve been ousted,” I murmured.

“Time to move on to bigger and better things,” he countered.

I twisted to look up at him. “Like what?”

Eyes lit with warmth, he smiled and reached out, stroking the key on my ribs over my thick fleece.

“I’ve got a promise to keep.”

“You know,” I began, ready to jump in with both feet now that I’d decided. “Corwin won’t be home anytime soon. If we hurry…”

He grinned and caught my hand in his. “My place?”

We made it back in record time, stumbling up the stairs laughing like naughty teenagers. The gossipmongers would have a field day if any of them spied us, but I no longer cared.

Let them talk. Baxter was mine and I was his.

Baxter, my Baxter, tugged me into his apartment and unceremoniously slammed the door before backing me up against it.

Smiling down at me, he grasped my wrists and pulled them up over my head.

“Uh oh,” I breathed.

His smile broadened as he turned his ball cap around and leaned in to kiss me.

He tasted different today, like freedom and bliss instead of loss and regret.

I wanted that for him.

I wanted it for both of us.

I tipped my chin up and opened to him.

When he pressed his hips against me, rocking his erection against my belly, desire exploded in my womb.

“What do you say we move this into the bedroom?” I breathed. “Is that skinny mattress of yours any good?”

Tossing his cap aside, he dropped his coat and peeled off mine before dipping down and shoving his wide shoulder into my belly.

I laughed in disbelief when he hoisted me up and carted me through the tiny kitchen and family room to his bedroom.

Sliding me down his long body, his hands dragging up the backs of my thighs and over my round ass to my back, he set my feet on the floor.

“See for yourself!” Grinning widely, he tackled me to the bed.

“Oh!” I exclaimed, my back hitting the firm surface. “It’s great!”

Reaching for the hem of my sweater, he whipped it off over my head before ditching his own.

Groaning, he dropped a hot, open-mouthed kiss to my breast encased in soft pink lace.

“Are we in a hurry?” I teased as his hands flew to the button of my jeans.

His dancing eyes flitted up to mine. “Hoping for two rounds,” he admitted with a laugh.

My eyebrows rose. “Ambitious. I like it.”

My hips lifted off the bed as he grabbed hold of the ankles of my jeans and pulled them off with my socks.

He wagged his eyebrows and kissed the top of my foot. “Pink today.”

I giggled and teased as he hopped back and forth getting rid of his own, and then he stretched that long, hard body over mine and laughter was the farthest thing from my mind.

Holding himself over me on his hands, he settled his lean hips into the apex of my thighs and ground his hard cock into my heat.

All those glorious chest muscles spread out above me were far too sweet a playground to ignore. I ran my hands over his pecs and tweaked his nipples, glowing with satisfaction as his eyes went dark.

“You like that, hm?”

“I like everything with you, Maggie,” he answered roughly, rolling his hips.

I tilted my pelvis, sliding my wet heat along his length.

“Maggie,” he groaned roughly as he pulled back and rolled on a condom. “This first time is going to be fast.”

Cupping his big hand around the nape of my neck, he pressed his forehead against mine and spread my thighs wide with his knees.

Sliding his erection over my core, he found my entrance and pressed forward until his pelvis rested against mine.

“Maggie,” he whispered, his eyes fluttering shut as he held himself inside me. “My Maggie.”

A great sigh rose up from inside me and released as I ran my greedy hands over the contours of his strong arms.

I tilted my hips, took him deeper, and reveled in the feathering of the muscle in his jaw, the deep frown marring his forehead as he struggled to hang on.

This is where I belonged, right here, in this man’s arms.

Ten years ago? That wasn’t our time.

This was.

I tipped my chin up, silently asking for his kiss.

His grip on my neck tightened. Tilting his head, he took my mouth, slowly at first and then desperately as he lost the fight to remain still.

Rolling his hips, he dragged his pleasure back and forth over my sensitive walls, pressing deep, retreating, hitting every sweet spot hidden deep inside me as I clutched his shoulders.

My body began to quake.

His voice guttural, he picked up his pace and exclaimed, “Thank fuck.”

Chanting my name, voice shaking, he swelled inside me, pushing me over the edge into a bliss so deep and far and wide I lost my soul to it.

Following fast on my heels with a deep groan of satisfaction, he tucked his face into my neck and pressed his open mouth to my throat.

“Maggie.”

My name.

His lips.

His hand on my neck softening as he curled his body around me protectively.

“I love you, baby.”

Wrapping my arms tight around his strong back, I melted into the mattress beneath his heavy weight.

He forgave me so easily.

And my infraction was so much worse than his own.

I closed my eyes and vowed to do better. “I love you, Bax.”

With a final kiss, he pushed himself up. “Stay put. I’ll be right back.”

I could not have moved if I tried.

I blinked languidly.

Marveling at this new beginning.

After a moment, he came bounding back into the room and crawled up the bed.

I let out a curse as his cold, wet hands wrapped around my hips.

Rolling me over, he slapped me on the ass and pulled my hips up.

“Oh, my goodness,” I exclaimed with a bark of laughter. “What are you doing?”

He chuckled darkly and dropped a kiss on my pudgy butt. “Round Two.”