Chapter 40 Maia
CHAPTER FORTY
MAIA
Our next stop was Aunt Shannon’s studio.
My aunt and her husband Cole were two of the most artistic people I knew, and that was saying something since a lot of folks in our extended family had very creative jobs.
Uncle Cole was co-owner of one of the most renowned tattoo studios in Scotland, INKarnate, and people came from all over to have their tattoos designed by him.
Aunt Shannon was a painter, and after she had the youngest of their three children, she’d transitioned to wallpaper design and was doing amazingly well.
She rented a studio and store near Dean Village, and we found her there. Baird wanted to give us privacy, so he stayed in the store with Aunt Shannon’s sales assistant, Meg, and I followed Shannon into the privacy of her studio.
As soon as we were alone, I blurted out a loud, broken apology.
Aunt Shannon bridged the distance between us, folding her arms around me. The height difference meant I had to bend down to hug her, but I did so, almost afraid to let go.
“We’re okay, we’re okay.” Aunt Shannon rubbed my back. “It’s okay, sweetie.”
When she released me, I bit my lip to stop tears. I was so tired of crying, but more than that, I didn’t want her comforting me when I was the one who should be comforting her.
“There aren’t enough apologies in the world. I can’t believe that I put you in this position.”
Aunt Shannon tucked a long wavy lock of red hair behind her ear. “You didn’t put me in this position. Some arsehole at a tabloid newspaper did.”
“You know what I mean.”
“No.” She shook her head vehemently. “Maia, you know things are strained between me and my parents and your aunt Amanda.” She referred to her and Dad’s older sister.
I wasn’t super close with her, just like I wasn’t super close to my paternal grandparents, but they’d always been kind to me.
I knew they hadn’t been kind to Shannon, though.
“Even before everything that happened, I felt like the odd one out. Logan was always the favorite. With all of us. My parents and Amanda told me I made bad choices, including with men …” She lowered her gaze.
“So, when the abuse from my ex got to the point it did, when he attacked me and I ran to your dad without thinking about the consequences, they were so angry at me.”
I knew this. And to be honest, it had tainted my view of them.
“They blamed me for Logan going to prison. They blamed it on my choices. There was never any support or empathy or kindness toward me for a situation that I realize now was not my fault. And it broke me in ways that can never be fixed.” She reached out to take my hand.
“Therefore, I will never blame you for a situation that is not your fault. You will never have anything but my love and support.”
“Aunt Shannon,” I whispered, beyond grateful for her.
“The kids are too young to know what’s being said in the papers.
My only social media is my business accounts, and I have someone running those, monitoring them, so I’m not even aware of any discussions that might be had about me.
I have no shame or guilt about my past now and neither does your dad, which is what matters to me.
So, I don’t want you to be burdened by that, okay?
I’m more worried about you than I am about your dad and me, and I know he feels the same way. ”
I exhaled shakily, holding back fresh tears.
Then I told her everything. The real story.
About Becky, Will, the campaign, Baird. All of it.
“I’m feeling a million things. Guilt. I can’t help that.
Guilt for lying, even though everything turned out true in the end.
Guilt for dragging you into this. Hurt that someone I didn’t even know tried to sabotage my life.
Resentment at Maryanne for not caring enough, for never having cared enough. ”
“Sweetheart.”
“But gratitude,” I hurried to say. “To you and Dad and all my family and friends because you’ve all just been amazing throughout this. And … I’m so deeply, deeply in love with that man out there.” I gestured back to her shop. “It terrifies me to think that one day I might not have him anymore.”
Shannon wrapped me in another big hug, swaying me from side to side.
She pulled back, reaching up to cup my face, a beautiful smile wreathing hers.
“I know that kind of love, Maia, and I am so excited for you. Just know that it is terrifying at first. It takes a while for that to settle. But you’ll get there, and when you do, there’s only the love. ”
“Thank you for being my aunt.”
“That, sweetheart, is a privilege. No thanks required.”
Baird held my hand tightly in his as we drove the five minutes to his place. He seemed to know I was in processing mode and so he talked quietly to me, but his next words had me on alert. “Mum, Ains, and the grandparents called. They’re asking for you.”
“What was their reaction to the articles?”
“What do you think? They’re angry at your mum and feel bad for your family. No judgment. Granddad said your dad sounds like his kind of bloke.”
“Did you … did you tell them about the club?”
“Aye. They’re proud of me.” He gave me a pointed look. “They didn’t raise a man who would choose anything over family. And you’re my family, My.”
“You’re my family too. How are you, really? You’ve spent the whole morning by my side, dealing with my stuff, and you went through something huge too.”
“Maia, I meant it. I am totally at peace with my decision. I wouldn’t lie about that just to appease you.”
“I’m here if you do find yourself needing to talk about it.”
“I know, gorgeous. I promise. I’m good.”
“Have you told Callan and John?”
“They were with me when I did it. Callan wanted the gaffer to know that as captain, he felt it was a catastrophic decision for the team.” He grinned. “That was the word he used.”
“He’s right. You’re an amazing goalkeeper.”
“Aye, well, Fred Burbank thinks he knows best, and I don’t want to waste my energy on an arsehole like that.”
“I’m proud of you.”
“Proud of you too.”
“God, we’re sickeningly cute.”
Baird chuckled and nodded in agreement.
After we parked outside his place, he rounded the vehicle to take my hand again. “You must be exhausted.”
I was definitely emotionally drained. Yet I needed something more than I needed rest.
Baird turned to me after closing the apartment door and I wound my arms around his neck, pressing the length of my body to his. “Make love to me,” I whispered.
He squeezed my hips. “Are you sure that’s what you need right now?”
“Yes. I just want to feel you. Only you.”
It had quickly become apparent over the months that Baird genuinely found it difficult to say no to me. That wasn’t something I’d ever take advantage of, so I didn’t push. I waited.
His answer was to kiss me with a tender sweetness that was always a prelude to lovemaking. Baird had tells for whatever sexy kind of mood he was in. If he wanted athletic, energetic sex, his kisses were hungry and needy. If he wanted to take his time, his kisses were softer in their passion.
We climbed upstairs to his not-private bedroom and undressed one another.
He kissed me all over, paying extra attention to my clit to bring me to orgasm.
Afterward, he moved up my body, and I wrapped him up in me, arms around his shoulders, legs around his waist, holding him close.
Tears of relief pricked my eyes as he pushed inside me with slow, deep undulations.
Those salty tears fell at his murmured love words and my soft cries of pleasure filled his ears as he kissed the tears from my cheeks.
Looking into his eyes, seeing his love for me, feeling the beauty of his body on mine, finally allowing it to sink in that Baird McMillan loved me and would support me and protect me and always choose me …
it was the most beautiful moment. For the first time ever, we climaxed together, as if cementing physically the agreement that we were one now.
We spooned afterward, talking quietly about all that had happened, and all that was still to come. At some point I felt him harden against me and sighed in pleasure as he kissed my upper back as his thumb rolled between my legs over my swollen clit.
“I-I’m thinking about getting a tattoo there,” I murmured and then hissed in reaction to his touch.
Baird lifted his head. “Where?”
“On my upper back.”
“Here?” He removed his hand from between my thighs to touch the exact spot I was thinking of.
“Aye.” I glanced over my shoulder to find that he liked that idea. A lot. “Don’t get excited. I’m thinking I’ll get it once we’re finished having kids.”
He raised a questioning eyebrow.
I smiled coyly. “I was thinking your name and then our kids’ names. Three, just so you know. And the names will make the shape of a heart.”
“Three kids?” Baird’s grin was big and beaming and my heart melted.
“What do you think?”
He smoothed a hand over my hip as he guided himself to my entrance. His voice was rough as he replied, “I’m thinking why stop at three?”
My answering laughter cut off on a gasp as Baird pushed inside me. His lovemaking this time was harder, a little rougher, as he filled my ears with vows of love that drove me toward the peak.
As I shattered around him and felt him release inside me, his heavy weight pushing against my back as he gave me everything, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that my future included a heart tattoo and a love beyond measure.
A love that grew from friendship into something deep, abiding, and filled with respect and kindness. That it just so happened to come with this kind of passion made me feel like the luckiest woman in the world.
All my life I’d been looking for a place where I could be fully me, and I could curse myself for not realizing sooner that my place was Baird McMillan’s heart.
I knew now, though.
And I was never, ever going to forget it or take it for granted or let a day go by when he didn’t know my heart was that place for him too.