Chapter 18
Lucas
I know something's wrong the moment Maya walks through the bar's back door. Her shoulders are rigid, her face pale, and she's got that brittle look she gets when she's trying not to fall apart in public. The same look she had when Evan first started his harassment campaign.
"Maya?" I set down the glasses I was stacking and move toward her. "What happened?"
She doesn't answer immediately, just stands there in the doorway like she's not sure she should have come. When she finally looks at me, her eyes are bright with unshed tears, and something cold settles in my stomach.
"Jess was at the bakery earlier," she says quietly. "She had some very interesting things to tell me about your relationship history."
Shit. I should have seen this coming. Should have known Jess wouldn't just fade quietly into the background after losing the trivia night confrontation.
"Maya, whatever she said—"
"Is it true?" The question comes out sharp, defensive. "About you not doing serious relationships? About me being just another in a long line of women who thought they could change you?"
The pain in her voice makes me feel like shit. "No. God, no, Maya, it's not true."
"But you did date other women. After Jess, there were others."
I run a hand through my hair, trying to figure out how to explain years of casual dating to the woman I've been in love with for over a decade. "Yes, I dated. A few women, nothing serious. But Maya, none of them were you."
"That's what Jess said you'd say." She crosses her arms, and I can see her building walls, protecting herself from more hurt. "She said you're really good at making women feel special until the novelty wears off."
"Jess is a bitter woman who's trying to sabotage what we have because she can't stand seeing me happy with someone else." I step closer, needing her to see the truth in my eyes. "Listen to me. What we have isn't a fling. It's not casual. It's the most serious thing that's ever happened to me."
She wants to believe me, I can see it in her face. But Jess's poison is already working, feeding into every insecurity Maya's ever had about not being good enough.
"How do I know that?" she whispers. "How do I know I'm not just fooling myself again?"
Before I can answer, the front door chimes and Harper rushes in, followed closely by June. Both of them look furious.
"That absolute bitch," Harper says without preamble, heading straight for Maya. "Honey, please tell me you didn't believe a word she said."
"You heard?" Maya looks to Harper, mortified.
"Half the town has heard by now," June confirms, her usual sunny demeanor replaced by protective steel. "Mrs. Patterson was texting people before Jess even finished talking."
Harper wraps Maya in a fierce hug. "Maya Bennett, you are the smartest woman I know. Don't let that manipulative cow make you doubt what you have with Lucas."
"But what if she's right?" Maya pulls back, looking between her friends. "What if I'm just setting myself up for heartbreak?"
"Then you're an idiot," June says bluntly, which makes both Maya and Harper blink in surprise.
Sweet, diplomatic June delivering brutal honesty.
"Maya, I've watched Lucas for weeks now.
The way he looks at you, the way he talks about you when you're not around, the way he reorganized his entire life to keep you safe.
That man is head-over-heels, completely, utterly in love with you. "
"She's right," Harper adds. "Lucas, tell her about the others. The ones Jess mentioned."
I look at Maya, seeing the doubt and fear in her eyes, and decide that brutal, complete honesty is the only way through this.
"There were three women after Jess. Sarah, who lasted two months because we had nothing in common beyond physical attraction.
Rebecca, who I stopped seeing because she kept trying to redecorate my loft and plan our future without asking what I wanted.
And Amanda, who was perfectly nice but...
" I pause, meeting Maya's eyes. "But she wasn't you. "
"Lucas—"
"No, let me finish. Maya, I've been in love with you since we were kids.
Every other relationship I've had has been me trying to find what I knew I could have with you.
And none of them came close." I step closer, close enough to touch her face if she'll let me.
"Jess knows that. She always knew that. It's why she left—because she realized she'd never be first in my heart. "
Maya's breath catches, and I see the moment her walls start to crumble.
"You're not a fling," I continue, my voice rough with emotion. "You're not a distraction or a novelty. You're the woman I've been waiting for my entire adult life. You're my everything, Maya."
The tears she's been holding back finally spill over, and Harper and June exchange a satisfied look.
"See?" June says softly. "Not exactly the words of a man who's planning to get bored and move on."
***
The next morning, I'm surprised to find Maya in my kitchen when I get up.
Wearing a t-shirt and a sinful pair of jeans that hugs her ass, hair piled in her signature messy bun as she works at the stove.
The smell of bacon and coffee fills the air, and for a moment I just stand there, taking in the sight of her making herself at home in my space.
"Morning," she says without turning around, but I can hear the smile in her voice. "I hope you don't mind me raiding your kitchen. I figured I owed you breakfast after my mini meltdown yesterday."
"You don't owe me anything." I move up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pressing a kiss to her shoulder. "But I'm not complaining about the view."
She leans back against me, and I feel some of the tension I've been carrying since yesterday's conversation finally ease. "I'm sorry about yesterday. About doubting us, doubting you."
"You don't need to apologize for having feelings. Jess knew exactly which buttons to push." I turn her in my arms, needing to see her face. "Are we okay?"
"We're more than okay." She reaches up to touch my cheek. "Harper and June spent three hours last night listing all the ways you've proven you're serious about me. Apparently, I've been too busy panicking to notice."
"Such as?"
"Such as the fact that you've never brought any of your previous girlfriends to community events. Or that Mrs. Henderson told Harper you asked her advice about what kind of flowers I might like for the festival." Her smile grows wider.
Heat creeps up my neck. "Mrs. Henderson has a big mouth."
"She also said you've been happier these past few weeks than she's seen you in years."
Maya flips the bacon with ease, and I'm struck by how natural this feels—domestic morning routine, easy conversation, the two of us moving around each other in the small kitchen like we've been doing this for years.
"I have been happier." I steal a piece of bacon from the pan, earning a swat from her spatula. "You know why."
"Because your sex life has dramatically improved?" she asks with fake innocence.
"Because I finally have everything I've ever wanted." I catch her hand, bringing it to my lips to press a kiss to her knuckles. "You. Here. Making breakfast in my kitchen while looking sexy as hell in those jeans. Maya, this is the dream."
She blushes, but she doesn't pull away. "Even the part where I burn your bacon?"
I look down at the pan, where the edges of the bacon are indeed getting a little crispy. "Especially that part. Shows you're human."
"Good thing, because I'm about to burn your eggs too." She turns back to the stove, but not before I catch her grin. "So, what's the plan for today? More security installations? Town meetings about my stalker ex-client?"
"Actually, I was thinking we could do something normal. Maybe drive out to Miller's Farm, pick some apples for the festival? Give the gossip mill something wholesome to talk about instead of speculating about our sex life."
"You think they're speculating about our sex life?"
"Maya, this is Willowbridge. They're probably placing bets on when I'm going to propose."
She goes very still at that, and I realize I've brought up a topic that's way too big for where we are right now. But instead of the panic I expect, she surprises me with a mischievous grin.
"Well, they'll have to wait a while for that particular entertainment," she says, turning to face me again. "I'm still getting used to having a boyfriend who actually wants to be seen with me in public."
"More than wants to." My hands tighten on her hips. "I'm proud to be with you. Proud that you chose me."
"Good." She steps even closer, her hands sliding up my chest. "Because I plan on giving them plenty more to talk about."
The heat in her eyes makes my pulse spike. "Such as?"
"Such as the fact that my boyfriend is incredibly sexy when he's being all protective and devoted." Her fingers trace the neckline of my t-shirt. "And that I have some very creative ideas about how to thank him properly."
"Maya..." My voice comes out rough.
"What?" She leans up to press a soft kiss to my neck, just below my ear. "We have the whole morning to ourselves. No interruptions, no drama, no ex-girlfriends spreading lies." Her lips move against my skin as she speaks. "Just you and me and this very cozy kitchen."
The bacon is definitely burning now, but I couldn't care less.
Maya's mouth on my neck is making it impossible to think about anything except the way her body feels pressed against mine and how badly I want to lift her onto this counter and show her exactly how grateful I am that she's here, in my kitchen.
"The food—" I start, but she cuts me off by turning off the burner and pushing the pan aside.
"Food can wait," she murmurs against my throat, her hands sliding under my t-shirt to explore the planes of my chest. "I have other priorities right now."
Christ. This woman is going to be the death of me.
I lift her onto the counter, stepping between her knees and capturing her mouth with mine. When she makes that little sound in the back of her throat, every rational thought in my head evaporates.
"You're trouble," I tell her, my hands sliding up her thighs, feeling her shiver under my touch.
"The best kind," she agrees, her fingers tangling in my hair as she pulls me closer.
Her legs wrap around my waist, pulling me against her, and I can feel the heat of her through her jeans. She arches into me when I kiss the sensitive spot where her neck meets her shoulder, her breath coming faster. I can feel myself hardening with every kiss. Desire flooding my system.
My hands find the hem of her t-shirt, and she raises her arms to let me pull it over her head. The morning light streaming through the windows turns her skin golden, and I take a moment just to look at her—hair wild, lips swollen from my kisses, eyes dark and needy.
"You're beautiful," I murmur, Pressing kisses along her collarbone, smelling the lingering scent of vanilla on her skin.
My hands roam her body, sliding to the button of her jeans. She lifts her hips to help me peel the denim down her legs. I oblige, taking her panties down with them. Her breathing quickens as I explore the newly exposed skin, my fingers tracing patterns along her upper thighs.
Her head falls back as I tease her through the thin lace of her bra, before removing it. I take her nipple in my mouth, giving it the attention it deserves. "God, I love your hands and mouth on me," she breathes.
"Good," I growl against her throat, working at the drawstring of my pajama pants while she tugs impatiently at the fabric. "Because I plan on touching you everywhere."
She pulls me closer, her legs wrapping around my waist again. I start to pull back, thinking about protection, but her hand catches mine.
"I'm on the pill," she whispers against my ear, her voice breathless. "And I trust you."
The words send a surge of emotion through me—trust, intimacy, the knowledge that we're crossing another line together.
The counter is the perfect height, the morning sun warming our bare skin, and when she whispers my name like a plea, I give her everything she's asking for.
We move together with desperate urgency, skin against skin, and when she cries out my name, the sound echoes beautifully off the kitchen walls.
Afterward, we stay connected, breathing hard, her forehead resting against my chest.
"I may have ruined breakfast," she says, and I can hear the smile in her voice.
"Worth it," I reply, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.
She laughs, the sound bright and free, and I realize this is what happiness feels like. Maya in my arms, in my home, choosing me every morning.