Going back to the bedroom, he then slid beneath the covers and wrapped his arm around Maggie. Even as she tensed up, he refused to let her go. She would sleep by his side, wrapped around him.
Pressing his face against hers, he breathed her in. He’d make it up to her.
She loved him and he loved her. He’d just gone the wrong way about telling her.
Chapter Seven
“It’s not my business to pry,” Lee said.
Maggie chuckled, looking up from where they were cleaning potatoes. They’d discovered four houses on this street alone with fresh vegetables. From what she could see, they had been growing from previous years. The grounds would need to be turned and changed, but it was sheer luck and good nutritious soil that had meant they were able to harvest as much as they did from the land.
“But you’re going to pry, anyway.”
“He loves you and you love him,” Lee said. “We’ve been here three weeks and still, you don’t talk to him. The crew are talking.”
“They can talk. I don’t mind.” She put the washed potatoes onto the table, going back to the tub. There was a time she’d be by Clayton’s side. He wouldn’t let her out of his sight, but since the first morning, she’d been focusing on helping with the food. What they needed to do was find some way to keep it fresh as long as possible. In the first house, she’d discovered all the books, most of them dusty. She’d been seeing how best to keep potatoes, onions, and other fresh vegetables for over the winter. They needed to store them away from the sunlight. No warmth, but it also needed to be protected from the frost.
Clayton and the men were finding suitable accommodation for their vegetable friends.
“Maggie. Don’t push me away.”
“I’m not pushing you away. I don’t know what to say. Not really. I asked him if he loved me and instead, he ordered me to take the test. It’s not a convenient time to tell me he loves me. I just … I don’t believe him. I want to. I’ve loved him for as long as I’ve known him. It started out as a silly school girl crush.”
“School girl?”
Maggie winced. She’d never told Lee that Clayton was once her teacher. She quickly filled in the blanks before her friend went a little crazy.
“Did he take advantage of you in high school?”
“No. Absolutely not. He would never … ever do anything like that. It only happened now.” She forced a smile.
Lee breathed a sigh of relief. “I wouldn’t want to hurt him but I would if he was … you know.”
“He’s not.” She frowned. “I don’t know what we are right now. We’re going to be parents and he’s persistent.” Tears filled her eyes. Her hormones were all over the place. She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be crying.”
“You don’t need to apologize for crying.”
“Any other time, this would have been a dream come true. Now I just … he’s telling me he loves me because of the baby, no other reason.” She sniffled. “And that, I don’t think I can stand that.”
Lee got up from where she was cleaning potatoes and came toward her, wrapping her arms around her. “No. I’ve known Clayton a while now. He’s an asshole. All men are, but his heart is in the right place most of the time. He loves you. I know he loves you. He just doesn’t know how to show it properly. You’ve got to give him time. He’ll come around.”
Maggie pulled away and wiped at her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m a mess. I know I’m a mess. I don’t even know why I’m crying.”
“Because you’re a hormonal woman and you need to stop apologizing for every little thing.” Lee cupped her cheek. “You should worry when you’re crying for no good reason.”
“It kind of feels like now.” She chuckled. “I’m going to go get cleaned up.”
Getting to her feet, she released the apron and made her way back to the house she’d been sharing with Clayton.
She entered and came to a stop when she heard a noise coming from upstairs. She walked toward the bedroom and there, with the door open, standing in the shower, was Clayton. His fingers wrapped around his stiff cock.
Maggie stood still, not wanting to distract him, marveling at how sexy he looked. His free hand pressed against the tiles wall as he pumped his shaft. His actions fierce with a hard beat.
An answering pulse awakened between her thighs as she watched him, hands clenched at her sides as he continued to fuck his fist.
When he came, she watched his whole body tense as his head thrust backward. Cum shot out of the tip onto the shower stall. He growled her name. No one else, only her name.