Maggie stopped running in the center of Burgundy Street. Thunder sounded off in the distance. He would have thought it was his heart racing, but lightning struck three seconds later.
“The storm is coming,” he said, reaching her.
The water had flattened her red hair against her face. Her long lashes fanned against her face as she bit her lip. “I must look a mess.”
“Never,” Caden said in a whisper. He wrapped his arms around her curvy waist. “We’re not going to make it.”
They got as far as the corner of Touro and Burgundy at the Ruby Slipper Café before a bolt of lightning struck a car down the street, setting off the alarm. Rain began to gush down the streets. Caden took Maggie by the hand and led her under an old building with an awning for shelter. He tried the door, but the knob wouldn’t budge. Rain ran like a river and splashed over the curb. Gardenia bushes on either side of the steps absorbed the water falling from the roof. There wasn’t much space, but Caden pressed her against the door and shielded her body from the rain with his.
“Why, Caden Archibald,” Maggie drawled out in an exaggerated Southern accent. “Are you trying to get fresh with me?”
Caden smiled down on her. “By getting fresh, do you mean like this?” His hands snaked down the wet material against her leg.
“Well, I meant by kissing me,” said Maggie, minus the accent. She sighed dreamily and looked up at the sky. “But I suppose you’re right. We’d only be proving that men and women cannot work together.”
Technically they weren’t working together right now. And with that conclusion, Caden dipped his head lower and brought his mouth to hers, stopping her from whatever else she wanted to say. She tasted like sweet grapes and heaven. Caden melted into her body. Soft silky skin met his palms when he slid his hand underneath the skirt. Her round bottom fit perfectly in his hands. Their kiss deepened. Maggie’s hands caressed his wet cheeks. Her thumbs traced the outline of his jaw, sending a shiver down his spine. Everything about them felt right. Caden found a truth in their kiss. They belonged together, and knowing that didn’t scare him like he thought.
The ring on her left finger scraped against his ear. Maggie broke the kiss. “I’m sorry,” she said, stepping backward. What was supposed to be a jewel for props, a diamond to go along their charade, brought them back to their reality.
Caden covered her hand with his to turn the ring around. “If you wore it right, we wouldn’t have this problem,” he chuckled. Lightning struck, and thunder rolled right after it. Maggie curled her fingers together after Caden readjusted the ring. “Still want to make a run for it?” he asked her.
A little soberer now, Maggie shook her head. “Let’s give it a few minutes.”
“No argument here,” said Caden. “I like this company.”
“Caden,” Maggie said with warning in her voice.
“What?” Caden feigned being shocked. “We’re under a small awning, drawn together by the rain. We’ve shared a bottle of wine and you, my dear, are absolutely stunning soaking wet. I can’t apologize for the mood set between us.”
“Caden,” she repeated.
“A God-made mood set between us,” he reminded her.
“I don’t want things to get complicated between us,” Maggie explained, stepping back from him. She held her hand out in the rain to scoop up water and let it go. “I have a lot going on in my life.”
Caden studied her face. He didn’t want her to have to talk about her family’s financial woes any more. All he wanted to do was hold her. He needed to be connected to her physically.
“I’m not going anywhere, Maggie,” said Caden. “We’re not going anywhere right now. So if just standing next to you is what you need, so be it.”
“What if I want you to kiss me again.” Maggie met his eyes. A knot moved down her slender throat. “I mean just for tonight. Would you be able to handle that?”
“I can’t make any promises to be able to stop after tonight.” He lowered his head once again.
Chapter 11
The “just for tonight” mantra did not last. Maggie and Caden’s affair fueled all summer long. They were joined at the hip for every activity for the rest of the season.
After a successful showing at Auntie Bren’s wedding, Maggie agreed to go with Caden to his fraternity brother’s nuptials in Savannah. Some of Caden’s family members attended the wedding at the Corry House outside under the summer sky. It wasn’t hard being Caden’s guest. Considering the fact this was the first wedding he’d attended for his friends, they were given a bit of the royal treatment. Maggie understood why the men had been happy to see him. So not wanting to take over the scenery, Maggie blended in with the rest of the guests and fortunately was able to catch up with her roommate from the SSGBP, Rochelle, and promised to keep in touch.
After the wedding, the rest of the summer flew by. The last two weeks of June, Maggie and Caden traveled together visiting neighboring pageants. They dined on fair food, held hands and were easily entertained by the adorable first-timer pageant girls. Caden worked on his business as well, flying them out to California for a Warriors client, a hockey player from Tampa and a former soccer player living in Brazil. Caden wanted Maggie by his side, and she didn’t complain one bit. The thank-you notes Maggie left the parents who invited them for meals apparently won points for Caden. Other clients wanted to sign with A&O Sports Agency. Kofi joked about putting Maggie on the payroll. Despite the weekly check-ins from Richard about not putting all her eggs in one basket, Maggie had her eyes on the prize. She loved working on the pageant project.
When Auntie Bren had originally suggested Maggie take this opportunity seriously, she hadn’t realized how much fun she’d have. By mid-July when Caden had a string of business meetings upstate, she stayed behind and drove his beloved Aston Martin around south Georgia. Maggie enjoyed visiting the various nearby beauty pageants. The pageant she’d entered years ago had been a different world from what Maggie had learned of beauty competitions over the last few weeks. She’d met designers from all over the world, but now Maggie enjoyed talking to seamstresses who painstakingly pinned tulle to skirts, gluing every rhinestone and pearl themselves in order to make thousands of cupcake dresses. Inspired, Maggie even did a mobile vlog featuring a designer for those who wanted to attempt to make their own dresses.
Every so often, usually brought on with Richard’s call, she thought about her trust fund deadline, but this was more important. More important than her job back at The Cupcakery, too, even though she knew Vonna was holding it open for her if things didn’t work out. The troupes of toddlers in their beauty pageants looked forward to performing for the crowds. They didn’t even care about a crown; they just wanted to be seen and be on television. On one of her trips back to Southwood, Maggie snagged a commitment from MET’s producer, Amelia Reyes. MET garnered full coverage of the all-day event.
Visiting the SSGBP headquarters in Columbia Square, in Savannah, was a treat for after lunch downtown. The historic redbrick classic revival building had been renovated with a back entrance for Kit and her wheelchair, but the twin staircase leading to the front door remained the same. She got the chance to meet everyone behind the curtain.
As the days melted into later July, the weather grew hotter, as did Maggie’s relationship with Caden. While he went away for business, she stayed in his bed keeping the sheets warm. He never stayed away long, and when they reunited the summer sun wasn’t the only thing igniting the heat. Maggie couldn’t get enough of Caden.