Wait for Me / Trust in Me (24 page)

“I guess your husband will be here to pick you up,” he said gruffly.

Her husband. She was getting damn tired of that lie hanging between them, but it was probably best to have that excuse to hang on to. “Yes, I'm sure he's waiting for me down in baggage claim.”

Jason stared down into her face and swallowed the jealousy raging through him. He wanted the right to take her home. He wanted to tell her they didn't have to stop working together and be able to take her out on a non-work-related date. He wanted…all of the things he couldn't have.

“I just want you to know,” he began, “that I couldn't have done this project without you.”

She nodded her head, wishing he'd let go of her arm so she could walk away while her dignity was still intact. “I really need to go, Jason,” she whispered.

“You never crossed any line with me, Maggie. That was all me. But I can't let you go before I say this.”

“What?” she said, the words barely leaving her lips before his mouth claimed hers. Maggie quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and held Jason close to her. It was madness to be doing this in the middle of a crowded airport terminal, and yet she couldn't help herself. The kiss ended all too soon and Jason stepped away.

“That's why we can't work together anymore,” Jason said, his breath ragged. “I want you too much to work with you every day and not have the right to do that.”

Maggie made to speak but he stopped her. “Go, your husband must be waiting and it looks like a storm is moving in. I'll feel better knowing that you got home safely.”

Everything in her was clamoring to tell Jason the truth, but she had to come to grips with what he had just admitted to. All this time, he had been just as attracted to her as she'd been to him! She reached up and stroked his cheek, unable to help herself, before turning and fairly running from him, disappearing into the crowd.

* * *

Jason meant to stay put and wait before heading down to baggage claim, but clearly he was a glutton for punishment. Keeping a safe distance, he only wanted to catch a glimpse of what the man who was married to Maggie looked like. He watched as she collected her bags and then headed out the door and into the rain. Was he waiting for her in the car at the curb to keep her from getting wet?

Carefully, Jason picked his way through the crowd until he could look out the long expanse of windows and see Maggie walking outside. She flagged down a cab and climbed in while the driver loaded her luggage. Where was her husband? Why was she taking a cab? Why had she lied to him?

Taking out his phone, he dialed his father's number and then went to claim his own bags. When his father answered, he immediately launched into inquisition mode.

“I know all about what happened to Maggie when you met her three years ago,” Jason said by way of greeting. “Why didn't you tell me?”

William didn't miss a beat. “It wasn't my place to tell you. When I hired Maggie to come and work for us, she asked that I not talk about it and really, there was never a reason to. How was the trip? I'm glad she felt comfortable enough to share that with you.”

“She really didn't have a choice,” Jason said with a bit of annoyance.

“Why? What happened?” Jason relayed the events of the night before to his father. “Dammit, I had hoped that she'd never have to see that bastard again. Is she okay?”

“She was pretty shaken up by the whole thing and by the time we got back to the hotel, she told me everything.”

“I never meant to lie to you, Jace. It was all part of her requests when she came to work for us. Maggie never wanted to be put in that kind of a situation again. Saying she was married just seemed to make her feel a little more…secure. I thought it was a crazy idea but if it made her—”

“Wait, wait,
wait
!” Jason interrupted. “Maggie's not married?”

Uh-oh
. “I thought you said Maggie told you everything?” William said, sounding a bit sheepish at letting the cat out of the bag.

“She told me everything about her ex-boss, not about lying about being married!” he yelled. “Geez, Dad! How could you not tell me?”

“You were demanding someone who was married to go with you on this trip! Maggie fit the bill!”

“But she wasn't really married!” Jason countered, not caring that he was starting to get looks from people around him in the airport.

“The lie served a purpose. Maggie was perfect for the position, but you didn't want a single woman. She didn't want to work for someone who was going to hit on her and that she couldn't feel safe with. It was what was best for everyone!”

“Dammit, Dad…do you have any idea…” Jason stopped as it all finally fell into place. Maggie wasn't married. They hadn't done anything wrong.

There
was
no
husband.

“Jason? Are you there? Is everything all right?” his father asked frantically.

“I have to go. I'll talk to you over the weekend,” was all he said before hanging up. Jason raced from the terminal and out to long term parking. He was soaked to the skin by the time he arrived there. Throwing his luggage into the trunk, he quickly unlocked the doors and climbed in. Now he just had to figure out where to go.

Whipping out his phone again, he quickly called the office and got Ann on the phone. “Hey, Jace! How was the trip?”

He had to be careful to keep his tone neutral or Ann would know that something was wrong. “It was long and exhausting. We landed about a half an hour ago and unfortunately, I have one of Maggie's bags. Do you have her address so I can drop it off at her place? She already took a cab home.”

“Oh, no problem…” Within a minute, Jason had the address and was programming it into his GPS and was on his way.

He drove like a man possessed. He'd been torturing himself for weeks for nothing. She had lied to him about being married. There had been nothing to feel guilty about because there was no husband. Each time he said those words in his head, Jason's heart beat a little bit faster. Maggie was free. There was nothing stopping them from exploring what had clearly begun on their trip.

Within twenty minutes, he was pulling into the parking lot of the apartment complex where Maggie lived. There were no spots near her unit and he had to park at the far end of the lot. The rain was coming down in torrents and he'd be lucky to get through this without catching pneumonia. Maggie's apartment was on the second floor and Jason took the stairs two at a time and soon found himself pounding on her door.

Maggie opened the door and was shocked to see Jason standing there, staring at her and completely out of breath. “
Jason
? What are you…?”

“There's no husband,” he said sharply and watched as she paled.

“What?”

“There. Is. No. Husband. Do I have that right?”

Maggie looked up at him, eyes wide, and nodded. “No, there is no husband.”

“Good,” was all he said as he pushed his way into her home, turned her into his arms, and kissed her.

What followed was madness. Jason pinned Maggie to the wall while he feasted on her mouth. The only thing that kept urging him on was the fact that she seemed to be right there feasting along with him.

When he moved from her lips to kiss her jaw and then down the column of her throat, Maggie spoke. “I'm sorry I lied to you,” she said, and then let out a moan of pure pleasure as he gently bit her. “I didn't think it would ever be an issue.”

Jason lifted his head and stared intently down into Maggie's eyes. Without ever breaking contact, he reached down and took her left hand in his, pulled the fake wedding ring from her finger, and threw it across the room. “Do you have any idea how I've been berating myself for the thoughts I've been having about you?” he asked before lowering his head to go back to the task of nipping and kissing her neck.

Maggie merely shook her head. “I didn't know, Jason,” she rasped as his hands began to move from her waist upward. She'd dreamed about this moment, fantasized about Jason's hands on her, and yet it was nothing compared to the reality of it. “If it helps, I've been having thoughts about you, too,” she admitted.

“Oh, yeah?” Jason asked, lifting his head once again before bending slightly to scoop her up and into his arms. “How about you point me in the direction of your bedroom and we can compare notes?” His tone was serious, but his eyes were bright with mischief.

Maggie couldn't help but smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Straight down that hallway, last door on the left.”

In a flash, Jason had her in her bedroom and was laying her down on the bed. He stood and simply looked down at her, taking in the sight of her sprawled out on the champagne colored comforter. She was so beautiful. He couldn't believe he finally had permission to touch her and not feel guilty about it or have to stop himself before going too far.

He was going to go as far as he could; and his hands actually began to twitch with the need to touch her again. “I've thought about this for so long, Maggie. I need to know that we're on the same page here.”

“I want you, Jason,” she said honestly. “It almost killed me to leave the airport earlier.”

It was all the encouragement he needed. He peeled his wet shirt off and let it drop to the floor before kicking his shoes off and removing his trousers and socks. Maggie leaned up onto her elbows to watch him. When Jason stood before her in nothing but dark briefs, she gave an appreciative smile.

Silently, she stood and slowly unbuttoned her own plain white blouse, adding it to the pile Jason had begun. Reaching behind her, she unzipped her skirt and let it fall to the ground, leaving her in nothing but simple white lace. “Is this the page that you're on?” she asked, “Or am I missing something?”

Her words were meant to tease, but Jason was too on edge to play along. Jason lifted his hands and cupped Maggie's face. “I'm going to apologize right now for not taking the time to go slow. I need you, Maggie.”

She gave him a sexy smile and stepped back, and lay down on the bed in invitation. “I don't care about slow, Jason,” she said. “I just care about feeling you here beside me.” She crooked a finger at him.

He didn't need to be asked twice.

* * *

It could have been days or it could have been hours, Jason wasn't sure. He was flat on his back with Maggie wrapped around him as he tried to catch his breath. In his wildest fantasies he'd never imagined how explosive they would be together. Once he had joined her on the bed, it was as if they had been two starving people who were finally allowed to eat.

He smiled at his own analogy because he had certainly feasted on every inch of Maggie's amazing body. She kept it pretty well hidden underneath her conservative clothing, but now that he knew what was underneath, he would never be able to look at her the same way again when they were in the office.

The room had darkened quite a bit, so Jason knew they'd been in there for hours. A quick glance around the room revealed a clock; it was nearing eight. He turned his head to the side and smiled at the sight of Maggie's head on his chest and her blonde hair in wild disarray.

“Hey,” he said softly and waited for her to raise her head. When she did, he asked, “Are you hungry?”

That wicked grin he was really beginning to love appeared. “I could eat,” she said simply and then gave a little shriek when he reached out and rolled her under him, pinning her to the mattress.

“Food, woman,” he playfully snarled as he kissed her soundly. “You have worn me out. I need something to eat.”

Maggie pushed him off and rose from the bed to grab a robe from her closet. “Well, obviously I don't have anything here since I've been gone for three weeks, but we can order some takeout,” she suggested.

Minutes later they were rummaging through her collection of takeout menus until they agreed on someplace. “Their pizza isn't the best, but they do deliver,” she said of the one place Jason finally suggested. “I don't really feel like going out in this weather again.”

Jason took that as a sign she wouldn't want him going out in it either; hopefully that would include for the remainder of the night. He wasn't ready to leave yet and he had a feeling it would be quite a while before he'd actually
want
to leave. Mentally shaking his head, Jason knew he'd have to wait and see what Maggie wanted. After all, they had been together non-stop for three weeks; she might want some time away from him.

True, they hadn't been sleeping together for three weeks, so maybe she wouldn't mind him being around while they explored this new aspect of their relationship.

Relationship?
Normally that word had Jason breaking out in a cold sweat, but right now, it made him feel good. He already knew they were compatible at work and he genuinely enjoyed just spending time talking with Maggie. The last couple of hours had proved they were compatible in bed, too. What more could he ask for?

“I'm going to call this in,” Maggie said as she stood and reached for her phone.

Jason reclined on the pillows, sheets draped over his hips, as he watched her. The last five weeks had been transforming. The woman he had met initially was uptight and prickly, and now he understood why. The thought of someone doing something so horrible to Maggie made his fists clench. If he had known who that lousy SOB was while they were at dinner last night, Jason had no doubt someone would have had to come and bail him out of jail, because he would have taken great delight in beating the man into the ground.

“They said about thirty minutes but I'm thinking closer to forty-five in this weather,” she was saying as she sat back down beside him. “I hate that I don't have anything to offer you to drink other than water.” Maggie blushed slightly.

Sensing her discomfort, Jason reached out and pulled her down beside him so her head was back on his shoulder. “I can wait for the food to get here,” he said softly, kissing the top of her head and sighing with contentment. When she didn't say anything, he gently shrugged his shoulder to get her attention. “What's going on, Maggie? Do you want me to go?”

She sat back up. “I don't want you to go, but I'm just a little…well, compared to the places that we've stayed my place is a little…dumpy.”

Jason reached out and placed a finger under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “There is nothing wrong with your home. I don't give a damn where we are, Maggie. I just want to be with you.”

That made her relax and smile. “I want to be with you, too, Jason. But I have to admit, you've spoiled me.”

“Me? How?”

“I was thinking how it was going to be great to come home and sleep in my own bed, but after some of the luxurious hotels we stayed in, I realize this bed is old and not that comfortable.”

He laughed and pulled her back down beside him. “I didn't even notice because I was perfectly comfortable having you wrapped around me.”

“Still, you have to admit that a comfortable bed would be a nice bonus.”

He made a noncommittal sound. “We may have to go back to some of those hotels and do a comparison.” A slow smile crept across his face at the thought of going back to New York, being able to share a room with Maggie, and doing all the things they had missed out on because it wouldn't have been appropriate. Carriage rides through Central Park or taking in a Broadway show after dining out at some exclusive restaurant all seemed perfect to him.

“I'll tell you, I wouldn't mind going back for one of the pretzels we had in New York and maybe going to the Statue of Liberty,” Maggie said as if reading his mind. Jason let out a small laugh.

“I was just sitting here thinking how I'd like to take you back to New York to see a show or maybe to eat at some fancy restaurant and you're talking about pretzels. It's funny!”

She playfully punched him in the arm. “I don't care about the fancy stuff, Jason. That doesn't impress me. I had fun running around the city and taking in the experience; meeting people, tasting the food…it was all just so amazing! I'll never be able to thank you enough for giving me that day. It was perfect and I'll never forget it.”

Her words were so sincere, and the look in her eyes told Jason more than anything how much it all had meant to her. In that moment, he vowed to himself to take her back there and give them the time to do what they wanted at their leisure; no time limits or constraints, just the chance to enjoy themselves and relax.

“You're very welcome. Someday we'll go back and play at being the ultimate tourists,” he said and kissed her again. He was just settling in, enjoying the feel of Maggie relaxing against him, when they heard the doorbell ringing.

“Don't take this the wrong way,” Maggie said as she jumped from the bed, nearly giddy, “but I'm so excited that dinner is here!” She bolted from the room and Jason could hear her laughing as she went to open the door.

He climbed from the bed and winced as he reached for his still damp pants. It was not at all appealing to put them back, on so he wrapped a sheet around his middle, scooped the clothes up off of the floor, and walked out to the kitchen, where he found Maggie setting their food down. “Would you mind if I tossed these in the dryer? They're still pretty wet.”

Maggie took the clothes from him, making sure the pockets were empty, and tossed them in the dryer, turning to admire the sight of Jason wrapped in a sheet. Slowly she walked toward him and placed her hand over where his was holding the sheet together. “Nice outfit,” she said saucily, and got up on tippy-toes to place tiny kisses along his chin. “You look good in my sheets.”

Jason let out a low growl as her hands began to wander over his chest, his shoulders, and his arms. “You think so?”

Maggie nodded. “I do. But…” She reached back down and pulled his hand away from its makeshift fastening. “I think I like you much better out of them.” In a flash, the sheet dropped to the tile floor.

“What about dinner?” he asked and groaned as she began to kiss her way down his body.

“That's what microwaves are for,” she said.

* * *

The rain had stopped by the next morning and Jason's clothes were long-since dried. He could very easily go out to his car and grab his luggage so he had clean clothes, or he could go home and unpack and let Maggie get herself settled back in.

He didn't want to leave. The thought of going home to his big, empty house left him cold. He'd bought the big townhouse on the golf course because it suited his needs. But now? It just seemed like a place that was way too big for a man alone. Maggie stretched beside him and then snuggled closer. She was a snuggler, and Jason found that he enjoyed it.

Unfortunately, the thought of cold pizza for breakfast was not doing it for him, and he knew it would be best for him to get up and go and get them breakfast and for them to talk about how they were going to spend their day. It was funny because he thought after spending so much time together that he'd be ready for some time alone, but he wasn't. If anything, now that he knew that there wasn't any reason for them not to be together, Jason didn't want them to be apart.

“I can hear you thinking from here,” Maggie said sleepily, yawning. “What time is it?”

“Almost nine,” he said. “I was thinking about breakfast. Then I was thinking about clean clothes and my luggage. And then…”

“Then you were thinking about going home,” she said quietly and sat up beside him. “It's okay for you to leave, Jason. I don't expect you to move in or anything just because we slept together.”

“Do you want me to leave?” he asked, sitting up beside her.

She huffed with frustration. “Please don't answer my question with a question, Jason. It's annoying. All I'm saying is I know that you have a life to get back to. Obviously you didn't go home after we landed yesterday, and just like I've got things to do around here to get settled back in before we have to go back to work on Monday, I'm sure you have things to do at your place. It's okay.”

He leaned in and kissed her squarely on the mouth. Short and sweet. “I know I have stuff to do but I just wasn't ready to…leave yet.”

That made Maggie smile. “I'm not kicking you out, Jason.”

“That's good,” he said and his smile matched hers. “But I am hungry and leftover pizza is not what I want for breakfast. How about I go and get us some bagels and coffee or something?”

Maggie shook her head. “I know you'd never know it after all the breakfasts we've shared in the last month, but normally I am not a breakfast person. I think I gained a good five pounds just from the breakfast foods. I'm kind of anxious to shower and get laundry going and then hit the grocery store. Monday will be here before you know it.”

He nodded in understanding. “Can I take you to dinner tonight?”