Maggie bites her lip, worry written on her face. “So, when this is all over, what will you do then? Will you leave for another assignment? Leave me behind?”
I pull her into my lap, cupping her face and laying a sweet kiss to the tip of her nose. Leaving no doubt as to the truthfulness of my words as I lay my heart open for her, I look in her eyes, my voice quaking with intensity. “Angel, I honestly don’t know what happens after this. All I know is that I love you. I want to be with you, know every thought that runs through that brilliant mind of yours, watch you drink coffee ice cream for breakfast every day, and hold you while you sleep every night. I want to grow old with you, have a family with you, and claim not just your body,” I rumble as my eyes rove across her skin, peppered with my love, “but also claim your heart. Forever.”
Maggie is smiling, the hope shining in her eyes as she takes my hands and holds them in hers, almost like we’re praying together. “I want that too, Shane. God, I want that too, to be your haven when you’re protecting everyone else, to fill your heart when you’ve given more than you should, to create a life with you that you want to come back to reality for after a long time pretending to be someone else. I love you so much. I never thought something like this would happen to someone like me.”
Our words feel like vows, promises for a future we may not get. There’s no preacher, no ring, nobody to even witness them, but none of that matters. I kiss her fiercely, putting every bit of my heart and soul into the breath I give to her and demanding every bit of hers in return. Nothing less than pure honesty between us will ever be enough again.
My body responds, my cock surging inside my jeans as we part lips, panting, and I want to slip inside her sweet pussy once again, be one with her.
But I need to be inside her mind even more, know everything there is to know about my sweet Maggie, so I still her squirming hips, holding her tightly against my thickening cock. “Tell me, Angel. What did you think would happen to someone like you? What did little Maggie Postland think her life would be like?”
She smiles softly, suddenly shy. “Don’t laugh, okay?”
My face is calm, more curious than anything, and after she’s sure I’m listening, she continues. “I wanted to be Barbara Walters. She’s like this spitfire you don’t expect. Early in her career, she was seen as this blonde woman who couldn’t possibly do a man’s job and interview these powerful leaders. But she did, and she used her charm to get insights no one else could, without selling herself short. Nobody imagined she’d accomplish so much, but she never doubted her ability to get the scoop, verbally wiggling and manipulating her way into the interview of the decade, all the while making it seem like it was just a friendly chat. And it gave little me, blonde, sweet, kinda nerdy little Maggie hope that I could do that someday and make a difference.”
I take a moment, studying her face before nodding. “I can see it, Interviews by Maggie Postland. You sitting in a chair, sipping coffee, and smiling that sweet smile. Maybe not Barbara style, but more like Oprah, maybe, or like one of the late-night hosts?”
“But more serious,” Maggie says, and I nod.
“Right. The people you interview would never see it coming until you hit them like a fucking heat-seeking missile and started asking the tough questions. Hell, they probably wouldn’t even know they’d spilled government secrets until it was too late, mesmerized by your sweet girl goodness.”
Maggie lays two fingers over my lips and then lifts them high, blowing a puff of air across her fingertips. “From your lips to the universe’s ears.”
I smile, knowing that she’s being silly but at the same time, very serious. “What about now? What about your job?”
Maggie scrunches her nose up like a bunny before making a disgusted sound. “Ugh. I’m pretty sure that I’m fired by now. My boss is strict and demanding, and considering I haven’t submitted a story in over a week and haven’t even called into the office in days, she’ll have already started paperwork to fire me. And I’m guessing Dominick won’t let me wait tables here anymore, so currently, I’m unemployed.”
“And how does that feel?” I ask because she doesn’t seem all that upset, which surprises me because I’ve seen how hard this girl works. If someone could figure out a way to generate electricity from her, she could power half the city.