Chapter 25 Maia
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
MAIA
Between today’s revelations about Becky, the anticipation of seeing Baird tomorrow, and not knowing how things between us would pan out, I was a jittery mess when I rang Joss and Braden Carmichael’s doorbell that evening.
My pseudo-aunt and -uncle were hosting a college graduation party for their son Luke.
Luke was the middle Carmichael child. Beth was the eldest and Elle the youngest at sixteen.
Luke had graduated from Glasgow in prelaw and was attending Edinburgh’s law school after the summer.
He’d decided to come back home because his Portuguese boyfriend Afonso was attending the same law school at Edinburgh and Luke didn’t want to be without him.
They’d been together since freshman year at Glasgow and were madly in love.
Luke was big into his designer clothing, and I often used my Pennington’s discount for him. If the party was for anyone else, I’d possibly make my excuses, but I loved Luke, and he deserved to be celebrated for his hard work.
Joss opened the door and pulled me into a hug. “Your dad and Grace are running late. Apparently, Lockie wanted to sleep at a friend’s house tonight so they’re dropping him off first.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sometimes I’d like to shake some sense into that kid. He doesn’t know how lucky he is to have a family this big who want to spend time with him.”
She gave me an understanding smile but said, “He’s a teen boy. His family are pretty much furniture at this point. He’ll come around.”
Nodding in agreement, I followed Joss through the huge townhouse to the large kitchen/family room where everyone was already congregated, drinking, snacking, and listening to music as they chatted.
There was Luke and Afonso, Elle, Uncle Braden, and then Braden’s sister Aunt Ellie and her husband, Uncle Adam.
There was Aunt Shannon with her husband Uncle Cole, and Uncle Cole’s sister Aunt Jo and her husband Uncle Cam.
Uncle Cam’s best friend Uncle Nate and his wife Aunt Olivia, Aunt Ellie’s half sister Aunt Hannah, and Aunt Hannah’s husband Uncle Marco.
Then all of us kids.
I was the oldest of the second generation.
Beth was second eldest. There were also the younger kids who I could hear out in the garden—my cousins, Aunt Shannon and Uncle Cole’s kids, Freya and Catriona, and Jo and Cam’s youngest, Louis, who was a late baby.
There were seven years between him and my cousin Belle, who I didn’t see in the room.
I spotted Beth, though. She stood by the island laughing. With Callan and Baird.
As if he sensed me, Baird glanced over at the doorway and his dark eyes warmed.
I felt a wee bit breathless. I hadn’t known he’d be here. Yet seeing him … it felt like forever since I’d seen him.
“I’m going to let you process everything because as much as I want you, I want you to want me back and not just physically.”
His words from that night replayed in my mind for the millionth time.
“Maia, you made it!” Luke pushed gently through his relatives to cross the room.
I beamed, always happy to see my handsome pseudo-cousin. “Happy graduation!” I held out the package I’d wrapped.
His gorgeous blue eyes lit up. “You didn’t have to get me anything.” He leaned in to kiss my cheek as he took the gift.
Afonso appeared at his side and eyed my outfit. “Maia, looking chic as always.”
I glanced down at my leopard-print slip skirt, cropped black T, and brown leather brogues. This was my casual summer evening look. “Chic? Really?”
“You could wear a paper bag and make it chic,” Afonso opined in his lilting Portuguese accent. “It’s so unfair. I should hate you for it, but you’re so lovely I cannot.”
“Well, the gift is for both of you, if that makes you less inclined to hate me,” I teased.
The couple’s eyes lit up and Afonso gestured for Luke to open it.
During this entire interaction, I was doing my very best not to look over at Baird.
And failing.
January, Lily’s younger sister, had appeared beside Baird like a gorgeous wee fairy. The memory of Lily telling me January was crushing on Baird hit me seconds before she pressed her palms to his chest and cocked her head flirtatiously.
My fingernails bit into my palms, but I focused my attention back to Luke and Afonso.
Luke plucked not one but two bottles of the very expensive cologne I knew they both loved but couldn’t afford. Pennington’s stocked it, so I’d gotten a discount. “You didn’t …”
I shrugged, thoroughly enjoying the glee on their faces. “I did.”
Just like that, I found myself embraced by two very handsome men who peppered my cheeks with kisses. Laughing, my gaze inadvertently met Baird’s. His eyes were warm and tender on me.
Hope bloomed in my chest.
Then January cupped Baird’s bearded cheek in her palm, somewhat aggressively pulling his attention back to her.
“What the fuck?” I muttered before I could stop myself.
“Oh, aye, that.” Luke cocked his head in their direction. “She’s been flirting with your fiancé since he walked in the door. You might want to have a wee word.”
Before I could approach to do just that, January pressed her entire body against Baird and whatever she murmured to him had him throwing a panicked look in my direction.
That little … “Excuse me, gentlemen.” I marched across the room and Beth turned to greet me before I could snap January like a twig. She threw her arms around me and said between gritted teeth, “Please don’t kill her.”
My response was a toothless, annoyed smile and a bitten-out hello to Callan. My eyes locked with Baird’s. A long, tension-filled silence stretched like there was a string attached to each of us, and it was pulling tauter and tauter …
Everything—the chatter, the music—all faded around me as I stared into his warm brown eyes.
“Oh, I didn’t think you were coming, Maia.” January grinned at me like her hands weren’t still on my fiancé’s chest.
I gave her a pointed look.
Wicked humor lightened her expression as she dropped her hands to her sides. “I was just telling Baird that I suspect your engagement is fake.”
Oh, holy hell. Tone even, I asked, “What makes you say that?”
“The evidence is substantial. You were barely broken up with Will. This campaign with Pennington’s.
Baird’s escapades in the newspaper. The fact that the club has a new owner and maybe he didn’t like Baird’s escapades being in the newspaper.
I’m thinking you needed a fiancé, Baird needed to clean up his act, and voilà! ”
She really was too smart for her own good. If I wasn’t the object of her sleuthing, I’d be so proud.
The only obvious thing to do was to squeeze past Beth, gently maneuver January to the side, and stand so close to my so-called fake fiancé my breasts brushed his chest. I heard his breath stutter as I whispered, “Hi,” and then slid my palms over his hard pecs and up behind his neck.
The scent of his familiar aftershave and the feel of our bodies touching sent tingles shooting down my nape and around my breasts.
Pushing up onto my tiptoes, I feathered my lips over his mouth, once twice—
His arms banded tight around my waist so he could capture me in a deep, entirely inappropriate kiss that made my head spin and arousal tighten deep in my womb.
The wolf-whistling was the only reason Baird released me.
For a moment, we just panted against each other’s mouths. My skin was on fire and a throbbing need made itself known between my thighs.
Oh boy.
Remembering we weren’t alone, I lowered my heels and looked over my shoulder at January.
Her dark eyes brimmed with amusement. “So … does that mean you’re not up for stepping aside so I can have a crack at him?”
“Baird isn’t an object you can have a crack at, Jan. I know men have objectified women for centuries, but reverse objectification is just bad feminism.”
“I respectfully disagree.”
“Respectfully? Okay, respectfully … if you flirt with my fiancé again, it’ll be me hiding dead fish all over your flat.”
Jan saluted me. “Message received. I like this new aggressive you. And even though I’m not convinced this shit didn’t start out fake, I almost combusted at that kiss, so I’m glad my meddling made you see sense.
I’m happy for you, cuz. Will sounded like a bore.
Baird is definitely an upgrade.” She bounced off to cross the room to push between Lily and her boyfriend Sebastian.
Whatever she said made Sebastian howl with laughter.
She’d deliberately flirted with Baird to push us together? “I think she might be the cutest, most devious person I’ve ever met,” I muttered.
Baird squeezed my waist. “I wasn’t flirting with her.”
I gave him a reassuring smile. “I know.”
He was so relieved, I felt his body relax. “You do?”
“I do.” I stepped out of his personal space but couldn’t help my wandering eyes. Like me, he wore a plain black T-shirt, paired with jeans and black trainers. His only adornment, other than his tattoos, was the carbon smart watch he wore all the time. “You look good.”
“You always look good.”
There was that strange pulling sensation between us again, like everyone else faded away.
Callan burst our bubble. “If you two are going to stand their eye-fucking each other, take it elsewhere. It’s making me extremely uncomfortable.”
Baird chuckled.
I shared an exasperated look with Beth. She jerked her chin upward. “The living room on the second floor is empty. It’ll give you some privacy to talk.”
Grateful, I thanked her and then held out my hand to Baird.
He took it without hesitation, his grip on me unyielding, almost like he was afraid I’d let go.
Instead, I led him out of the party, unable to avoid my aunt Shannon’s curious gaze.
Although I’d chatted with her on the phone about my engagement to Baird, she and I hadn’t had a chance to talk face-to-face.
I knew by her expression that would change very soon.