No Magic Moment (Secrets of Stone Book 4) (37 page)

And down, down, down…to kiss her with the force of my love.

Her mewl harmonized with my groan, just before her hands twined around my neck…and she opened all the way for me.

I plunged harder, pouring myself into her, silently begging her to feel the sorrow of my contrition…the depth of how she completed me. When I urged her body against mine, fitting the centers of our bodies tighter, the pulse of her desire came alive…and ignited mine. A tremor claimed every inch of her…then me too. I never wanted to rip myself away from her—ever. Even the spare inch I allowed, necessary for us to catch our breaths, now seemed like the goddamn Grand Canyon.

“Sugar.” I claimed her upper lip with the rasp. “Princess.” The lower. “Margaux.
Margaux.
I’ve been such an ass.”

Her laugh washed over my mouth. She bit both my lips before whispering, “I know.”

“And I’m not sure how to do this.”

“I know.”

“And I’m so fucking scared.”

She brushed the barest kiss across my lips. Pulled my head down so she could continue up my nose and over both my eyebrows. “I know that, too.”

I rolled my head, unashamed about pleading for more of her kisses. At the same time, I yanked the tie out of her hair to let the thick amber waves fall over my hands. Some of it was damp now, as the rain fell heavier. The pungent clarity of it on the streets below swirled with the lavender of her shampoo, walloping me with homesickness though our living room was only a few feet away.

Ours
?

On a surge of determination, I pulled so our foreheads aligned. “I swear I won’t live in the fear any longer. I
swear
, Margaux, with every thought I have and breath I take, I’ll live every day for us.”

She lifted her face and kissed me again. It was long and deep and rain-drenched, ending when she pulled back to stare at me. Adoration and joy flooded her face, in a look I hadn’t seen on her face in—

Ever.

“I swear the same. All of it, Michael, with all of my heart and every ounce of my love.”

My senses burst like the sky over our heads. As a fat raindrop plopped to her cheek, I swiped it away with my thumb…only the water wasn’t completely chilled. Warmth came away on my finger, too. I leaned in, fervently nipping at her skin, treasuring every drop of her sweet, joyous tears.

“I love you, Margaux Corina.”

“I love
you
, Michael Adam.”

As we locked that up with a passionate dance of tongues and exchange of moans, Mother Nature decided to unzip the sky. Within seconds, we were drenched as if we’d taken a dip in the patio fountain.

We laughed together, turning up our faces into the rain…accepting heaven’s sanction on this new voyage of our love. Oh, the little boat with all the baggage was still there but now it floated on the waves, instead of floundering.

Margaux finally stepped back toward the door. “Come on, Captain America. You’re drenched.”

“And you’re not?”

She flashed a coy smile. “You like it when I’m drenched.”

I returned her tug with one of my own. As long as I was moving past the fear…

“There’s actually one
more
thing I want to discuss.” Another yank brought her to stand completely in front of me. I caught her other hand and held on tight—as I dropped to one knee on the drenched patio deck. “For the record, I requested a sunset, a coconut breeze, and a couple dozen doves for this.”

Margaux tossed her head back on a full laugh. When she gazed back down at me, the sunburst of her smile sucked out my breath. “This is perfect,” she whispered. “And
you
are my magic.”

Margaux

“C
ards Against what?”
I’d never heard of this game but Claire smiled like a Cheshire cat as she pulled a couple of long boxes from her gigantic purse, clunking them onto the coffee table in front of Talia’s big leather couch. There were a bunch of us here from SGC, invited over by the cute little brunette for a girls’ night we’d all needed for a while.

“Cards Against Humanity,” Claire replied.

I scowled. “Sounds like an emo rock band.”

Taylor from the sales team giggled as she sat down on a floor pillow. Taylor had been my go-to girl for mindless partying during some of the rockier days with Michael. We’d woken up on my couch together a few times after nights I could barely remember. Thank God she was a woman who knew how to tell reporters no.

“It’s a total blast,” she chimed in.

“Hmmm.” I watched Claire shuffle a thick deck of cards. “What do I win?”

Taylor mock-glared. “How do you know you’re going to win?”

“
Pssshhh
. Losing isn’t in my DNA. Deal me some cards, tell me how to play, then prepare to lose.”

“Ooooo, what’s all this?” Claire made little claps as Talia lowered a round tray filled with tequila shots. The tray also supported salt shakers and a colorfully-painted clay dish holding lime wedges.

“These are shots, brain surgeon. Have you really been off the bar scene that long?” My sister was so easy to tease, I couldn’t pass up the chance.

“Rhetorical question,
princessa
,” she shot back, handing me a small glass while keeping one for herself.

“What are we toasting to?” I tossed salt on the back of my fist.

“How about Talia’s new promotion?” Claire suggested.

“How about Talia’s new
bosses
?”

We all cooed in approval at Taylor’s upgrading of the toast by a certain pair of hot, sexy water polo players—who happened to be Killian’s fellow SGC board members
and
special consultants to Talia’s newest marketing assignment: the worldwide marketing rollout for Stone Global’s cosmetics lines. Fletcher Ford and Drake Newland were a hot-blooded sandwich
a lot
of women dreamed of filling.

“Mmmm. Better.” I purred the agreement while licking the salt off my hand.

“Aaahhh!” Talia laughed it—sort of—while reentering the room with a bowl of fresh pita bread and hummus. “
Both
of you stop, before you even get started.”

“Oh, don’t turn shy on us already, girl.” I tilted my head and threw a stare conveying how serious I was about the advice. “And especially not with
them.
The sweet and demure thing is like shark chum to Fletch and Drake.”

“Huh?” Talia blinked, genuinely confused. Dammit if the innocence didn’t make her Eastern European beauty that much more appealing.

“Oh, lord.” I shook my head before sucking into a lime then tossing back a shot. “Help her. No, really. Divine help. She needs it now.” Truly, the girl was dusted.

“Margaux.” Claire Bear leaned in to the rescue.

“What?”

“
Stop
.”

“Seriously?” I swung a glare at her, blinking to correct the double image back into one.
Whoa
. What the hell? Tequila and I were normally better
amigos
than this. “You know I’m right,” I went on, anyway. “Those two can smell fear. They feed on it. It’s like a special perfume they’re attracted to.
Really
attracted.”

Conviction fortified my tone. I’d seen Fletch and Drake in action before I started dating Michael—and at one time, had considered that game for myself—not that I would air that laundry to this crowd. If that pair was really eyeing Talia that way, I was worried. Those two sex machines would eat a girl like Talia for breakfast then move on to a new conquest by lunch.

“Why do you know so much about those guys, anyway?” Taylor chimed in.

“Oh, God.” Claire dropped her head to her hands. “Please don’t tell me you slept with them.”

“
Slept
with—” Talia, again with the cluelessness. “
Them
?”

“Yes,
them
.” I cocked my head sharply. “Are you the last human being on the planet?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Apparently, defensive followed clueless—deserved, I supposed, after my tough love segue, which was a tiny nibble compared to how Fletch and Drake would sink their teeth into her. Literal translation intended.

“Damn,” I muttered. “I just thought everyone knew about those sexy bastards.”

Talia looked five shades of butt hurt. “Apparently not.”

“They
are
best friends.”

“So?” Taylor jumped in, diffusing the air of confrontation surrounding my exchange with Talia.

Okay… how to be as obvious as possible without being crass? “They share…everything,” I finally stated.

“So?” Talia countered. “Most friends do.”

Hell.
Had she really been raised in a barn somewhere? “No.” I dipped my head in emphasis. “Ev-er-y-thing.”

“Ohhhhh!” Taylor sing-songed.

“Oh.” Talia went white.

“I think the light’s finally coming on,” Claire inserted.

Taylor giggled but interrupted herself by whipping a stare at Talia. “Oh shit, girl! Aren’t you going to Vegas with them for the cosmetics launch?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Now don’t sound like you’re headed for the stockade.” Claire, being her highly perceptive self, patted Talia’s leg in comfort. “I’m sure they’ll keep it professional, hon…if that’s what you want.”

“
Is
that what you want?” I, on the other hand, didn’t have to worry about the perceptive thing.

Talia moaned. “God. That’s the problem! I don’t know what I want!” She exploded to her feet and started pacing. “I know exactly what I want regarding my career, but when those two are near me…” She stopped, exhaling hard. “
Shit
. They’re so…overwhelming…and they’re not even trying!” We all giggled but she downed another shot without hesitation. “I’ll be toast if they turn it on, I can tell. But really…I don’t think they have any interest in me like that though, so it shouldn’t be an issue.” As she plunked onto the other floor pillow, she waved her hand as if batting away a pesky fly.

I traded a fast glance with Claire, bugging my gaze in a wordless command.
Say something.
Damn, damn, damn. The poor girl had no idea what she was up against.

Claire swiveled and grabbed Talia’s knee. “Ohhhhh, sweet, sweet one. How long have you been single?”

Talia frowned. “Little over a year. Why?”

“And you’re still letting that asshole do a number on you?”

Silence handcuffed the room for a moment. Everyone had suspected Gavin, Talia’s ex, of being physically abusive with her, but she’d never offered any details. Her ashen face filled in those blanks.

“Wh-why? What do you mean?”

Claire
psshh
ed. “Any living, breathing person who gets within fifty feet of the three of you can see what’s going on. You’re the only one late to the party, girl.”

Talia’s brown eyes widened. “Really?”

“Really.” We all answered her in a chorus—before bursting into giggles.

Fuck, yes. I instantly felt ten pounds lighter. It was so great to be with these women. So much had happened in the last few months, I forgot how good a simple girl’s night could be—freedom to just have fun without heavy emotions or dangerous situations over the horizon. I was grateful to be happy and content in the company of my girls.

All that—and tequila.

We toasted Talia’s new job and found two more excuses for shots—Claire’s new Prada bag and the newly single status of our favorite Armani underwear model, I think—before taking a break from the Patrón for a while,
thank God
.

Wow. I was really off my game. My stomach had protested the first shot before it hit my bloodstream. With the second, I intentionally spilled a bunch down my chin in order not to drink it all. On the third and hopefully last, I simply left a good portion in the shot glass.
Hell
. Either I was coming down with a stomach bug or my shooter days were well behind me. Michael and I only drank here and there, keeping it to an occasional beer or a wine with dinner, completely proven by my poor showing around the old cactus cooler tonight. Consolation? Claire actually looked a shade greener than me.

Talia was really the “hostess with the mostest,” coming back out with hot dishes for us to snack on. Food usually settled my stomach in no time, so I made myself a little plate. Claire joined me, a perfect partner for hovering over the hummus.

She moaned around a bite. “Shit, this is good.”

“Talia makes it herself,” I replied. “It’s the creamiest hummus I’ve ever eaten.”

“I’ll have to get the recipe from her.” Claire piled another spoonful onto her plate and grabbed some pita bread.

“Good plan. I’ll bet Caroline would love th—” Against my restraint, a little belch broke free. “Oh, God. Sorry. That tequila is not sitting well with me tonight.”

“Tell me about it,” Claire commiserated. “I’m hoping this will soak it up. I must be fighting something. I haven’t been myself for a couple of days.”

“Gee, thanks.” I narrowed my eyes.

She frowned. “For what?”

“You’re the culprit who gave it to me at the office. I felt like yuck today, too.”

She patted my hand. “Oh, Mare! I hope not. I’d feel awful.”

I rolled my eyes. “It happens, okay? Just don’t share the PMS and we’ll be fine.”

“I’m working on ending the PMS…at least for nine months.”

I smiled and hugged her. “Really?”

She pulled back, keeping our hands entwined. “Let’s not jinx it by talking about it. Besides, I want to know how it’s going with Caroline.”

“It’s pretty amazing. But I’m trying to go slow, you know? Hey…that rhymes.” We chuckled again. I twisted to bump her shoulder. “Seriously, it’s weird. But great. And weird. I have so many questions but I don’t want to scare her off or make her feel bad. But
God,
all these things I want answers to, you know? Does that make sense?”

“Perfect sense.” Her smile was radiant, sharing in my happiness, until it was washed away by a sudden look of alarm. As the color drained from her face, she murmured, “Sweetie, can you excuse me? I’m going to hit the ladies room, but I really want to talk about this more.” She held a hand against her stomach like she truly might be sick.

“Bear…you okay?”

“Think so,” she answered. “Hold that thought, okay?”

“Sure. I’ll be right here.”

I watched my sister totter off in her ridiculously high heels, slinging a gigantic purse. Some things would never change, no matter what. Claire and her bags and heels would be the top of that list. I loved her more than words and didn’t want to even think of life without her. It was amazing. A couple of years ago, I’d never thought of myself as capable of real love. These days, my inner circle of it grew more every day.