Page 21 of Tainted Tempos

The same way we have for our entire honeymoon.

I eat my words because Mckenna surprises me at dinner.

Once we’re seated and have ordered our drinks, Mckenna leans forward and lightly touches my wrist. “I’m sorry, Mav.”

I look up, surprised. Then, skeptical. “For what?”

Please don’t say for marrying me. I can’t take it if she admits how big of a regret I am.

“For how distant I’ve been,” she admits, her voice clear. “The email today…” Mckenna sighs. “I don’t want an out, Mav. I want to try to make this work. I want us to be together, to be married,for real. I just don’t know how to do that and well, there are things I need to tell you. Things I want to tell you.”

I sit straighter in my seat and lean closer to her. To anyone in this restaurant, we look like newlyweds whispering sweet nothings. The reality is so much bigger than that.

“Tell me, beauty. I want to know everything. Anything you want to tell me,” I murmur, meeting her eyes.

They bleed with heartache that bowls me over. I don’t understand it; I don’t understand her.

“I will. I promise, Mav. But it’s not a conversation we can have here, in public. Right now, I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry and that I want to try.” She offers a small smile. “Please, tell me there’s a chance for us.”

My heart stutters before thrashing wildly. It’s like she’s serving me everything I want on a silver fucking platter. All I have to do is reach out and take it. But I hesitate, because after the last few days, I’m too damn scared to trust her intentions, however pure they may be.

Instead, I tuck a strand of her hair that slipped out of her ponytail behind her ear. My thumb brushes along her earlobe and she shivers, turning into my touch. “I hope so, beauty. Because I don’t want to give up on us.”

“Please, Mav. Don’t,” she pleads.

I nod once, letting my hand drop.

The server appears with our drinks.

I lift my mojito toward Mckenna and she smiles. This time, it reaches her eyes, and a flicker of relief sparks in my chest.

Maybe we’re going to be okay after all.

“To new beginnings,” I toast.

“To new beginnings,” Mckenna repeats, clinking her margarita against my glass.

We each take a sip of our beverages, our eyes holding, our lips curling into smiles.

From the corner of my eye, I note the paparazzo snapping photos but I don’t turn.

Instead, I keep my gaze trained on my beauty. She gives me those navy eyes and that beautiful smile and it feels like I can breathe deeply for the first time this week.

Mckenna and I enjoy a delicious dinner. Our conversation is light yet comfortable. When we walk back to our hotel suite, I take her hand, and she doesn’t flinch or pull away. Instead, she laces our fingers together and turns into me.

“I don’t want to lead you on, Mav,” she murmurs. “I just want to take this, things with us, slowly.” She bites her bottom lip, and I can tell she’s worried.

“We can take this as slowly as you want, Mckenna,” I promise.

Her eyes glitter and she releases her bottom lip. “Will you kiss me?”

Finally. “I’d love nothing more.”

With my free hand, I cup her cheek and watch as her eyes close. I brush my thumb along her cheekbone, memorizing the softness of her skin, cataloguing details of this moment. God, I’ve missed her. I’ve missed this.

Slowly, I arc my mouth over hers and press my lips to her rosebud mouth. I kiss her softly before pulling away. “Thank you for tonight, Mckenna.”

She smiles at me, relief I don’t understand snaking through her irises. “Thank you for everything, Mav.”

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