Page 65 of Rival Hearts

“You’re my brother. I’ve been mad at you for years. But you’re still my brother. Having you home has been… good. I think it’ll be even better once we put all this shit behind us.” Trent eyed me. “Why has Maggie put up with you? ’Cause she’s got more goodness in her than you and me combined.” He let out a huff of annoyance. “Or else she’s got it just as bad for you. And if that’s the case, God help you both.”

The thought that Maggie might feel anything close to the vise wrapped around my heart was oddly comforting. “I’ve really been missing out.” I looked down at my feet. “You grew up smarter than me about people.”

Trent grinned. “I was people smart, and you were book smart.” His smile faded a little. “And the mandatory counseling in prison helped me sort out some of my other issues. It was helpful.”

“Prison?”

“Nah, you fuckwit. Counseling. Want me to spell it out for you?”

The reply was on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it.

“You gotta say it. I set you up.”

A hint of a grin threatened. “Canyou spell it?”

His phone beeped, and Trent tugged it out of his pocket. “I could spell it, but I won’t bore you. I gotta go.”

“You can’t drive.”

“Thank you, Captain Obvious. Lila and Emily are coming to pick me up.” His fingers flew across his phone in response to whoever had messaged him. He glanced up. “Lila says Maggie’s still up. They went to see her after we all had a late dinner while I came here. You know, if you care.” His lips twisted trying to hold back his smile.

“At two a.m. on a weeknight? Has she been drinking again?” I frowned at my phone. I wasn’t sure what I expected to find. Was Maggie waiting for me?

There was a knock on the door, and Trent waved me off when I moved to answer it. The dogs circled him. “It’s Lila. I got it. Listen. Don’t fuck things up with Maggie, okay?”

“I won’t,” I said, following Trent. I was going to try really hard not to.

When Trent opened the door, he grinned at Lila, and Emily waved from the driver’s seat of the car. As soon as she reversed out of the driveway, I let the dogs out in the backyard and grabbed my coat. I hoped I wouldn’t be returning to my own place tonight.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Maggie

Ipaced from the living room to the kitchen and back again. Ginger wound herself between my feet every time I stood still long enough for her to try to claim my attention. Lila and Emily had left almost an hour ago. Grady’s house was across town, but it wouldn’t have taken long for him to come over after Trent left—ifhe was coming.

I checked the clock. Tomorrow was another workday. Staying awake until two-thirty on the chance he might appear was ridiculous. With a sigh, I flipped the lock on the front door and turned out the porch light. As I turned away, a knock sounded.

Grady?

Heart pounding, I checked the peephole and then tried to center myself. My blood seemed to have rushed out of my vital organs, and I felt like I was going to faint. One way or another, things would change when I opened the door.

Either he wouldn’t be able to forgive me for the lies, or we’d move past what happened to something else. Thesomething elsecatapulted my pulse. I wanted him, even if the wanting made me uneasy. He was a gamble, a wild card.

I smoothed my T-shirt and skirt and took a deep breath. When I swung back the door, our gazes connected. My stomach fluttered.

“I am so fucking sorry,” he said, his tone anguished. “I was so completely and utterly wrong.”

The sincerity in his gaze mixed with his words was enough for the last film of my protective shell to disintegrate. All rational thought vanished, and I launched myself at him, throwing my arms around his neck. He stumbled back, chuckling as our lips connected. I wound my legs around his waist, and he carried me into the house, our lips in constant contact. One of his hands cupped my ass while his other hand buried into my loose hair, keeping it off my face as our kiss deepened. With impressive balance, he kicked the door closed.

My stomach kept dropping and recovering as though I was riding big roller-coaster hills. Maybe I was finally safe to want these things, to feel these things.

He set me on the kitchen counter and wrapped his arms around my back. Our tongues slid over each other, dueling and retreating. I’d spar like this forever. Kissing, kissing, more kissing. Nothing would ever be enough. Years, lifetimes, that’s what I needed to come close to getting my fill.

His hand slid up my inner thigh, and a shiver raced through, goose bumps rising. I snuck my hands under his shirt, gliding up his back, taking his T-shirt with me. He helped me get it over his head, his lips only leaving mine long enough for the shirt to fly through the air and land with a soft thud by the fridge. I loved the firmness of his muscles flexing under my hands as they kissed. How had I resisted this long? From now on, I’d touch him at every opportunity, for any reason.

He tugged me closer to the edge of the counter, my skirt riding up. He slid it farther up my thighs, and I shivered, awareness humming. He groaned into my mouth when his fingers skimmedmy most sensitive place. By now he’d know how much I wanted this, how eager I’d been for this to happen. I squirmed, keen for his hand to explore, to feel his calloused fingers rubbing against the building ache.

Lifting me off the counter, his hands spanned my ass as he walked us toward the hallway, my legs around his waist, clinging on.

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