Maya laughed. “Yeah. Not a bad idea.”
Nina grabbed her other hand and Maya gasped at the touch. Nina’s eyes darkened and her smile widened as she pulled Maya inside, where she hugged her, and Maya sank into it. God, she was such a goner.
Nina pressed her face against Maya’s neck and mumbled, “I know it’s only been a few days, but I’ve missed you.” The graze of her lips made Maya tingle.
“I missed you, too.”
Nina tightened the hug then pulled back slightly. Her smile was so big it made her eyes crinkle at the corners. “That’s good to know.” She walked them toward the living room. “We’re alone. Rachel took my car to throw my mom off the scent. I don’t want anyone interrupting us.”
“Huh? What now about your mom?” She sat down on the couch and Nina eased onto the cushion beside her.
“Since I broke things off with Drew, she’s been on my tail, but after we talk, I’ll deal with her.”
“Are you saying your mom is stalking you?”
She laughed. “When you put it that way, it sounds bad. But, yes, she’s showing up in various places. Not here, fortunately.”
“Wow. So, Rachel’s just driving around?”
“Basically. She’ll probably end up somewhere to eat, eventually.”
Maya chuckled. “Sounds like her. Sorry your mom’s acting up.” She hoped she didn’t sound as flustered as she felt.
“Don’t worry about it.” Her gaze went from amused to serious. “You seem nervous. It’s just me, Maya, and you know me better than anybody.”
She looked down at her lap and then back up again. “I know. But I have questions. Some of them might piss you off.”
“I don’t care. Ask me.”
“So, you’re attracted to women. Are you sure this time? That doesn’t scare you?”
“I’m attracted to men, too. Does that scare you?”
“No.”
“Good.” She settled a little closer to her and every nerve Maya had seemed to spark. “To be honest,” Nina said, “it’s always frightened me, but being who I was and getting married to Drew wasn’t as good a fit as I thought.” She shook her head. “He wasn’t right for me. None of it was. That…petrified me. Everything has been so complicated. But this—what I feel for you—is easy.”
Maya’s heart went into overdrive. “Um…” She did her best to calm herself. “I need to say this. If something happens between us, I don’t want you to wake up the next morning and feel something different, like you did the last time. Because I can’t do that again.” Just thinking about what Nina had said that day made her cringe.
“I really hate that I said those things, because the thing is, I knew who I was then. I just denied it. Now I’m done hiding.”
Maya really wanted this to be real. She needed it to be. She sat for a few moments, collecting her thoughts. It was time to take a chance.
“Was that a good answer?” Nina asked.
“Very good answer.”
“Why does it suddenly feel like I’m on a game show? I really like my opponent, though.”
“She likes you, too.” Maya turned slightly, angling her body closer. Their knees brushed and everything around them stilled. She met Nina’s gaze and fell right into her eyes.
“I really like this, too.”
“What?” Maya knew. She just wanted to hear Nina say it.
“The energy between us. I haven’t felt it since—”
“That night?” Maya said softly.
“Yes.” Nina’s breathing hitched and she continued to meet Maya’s gaze.
She had to shake herself out of this haze and pull Nina out as well. “We can’t go back to being friends if this doesn’t work.” Though, at this point, they couldn’t go back regardless.
“I know I have the power to hurt—”
“No, you have the power to devastate me,” she said, and it was blunt, but that’s how it was for her.
“I know, and it’s the last thing I want to do.”
Maya believed her. She believed every voicemail, and every text, but seeing Nina when she opened her door tonight drove it all home.
“So, it’s all or nothing.” Nina didn’t phrase it as a question.
“Yeah, it is.”
“I’m in.”
Those two words rocked Maya hard and it felt so fucking good. She wallowed in it for a few moments, let it wash over her. “Even better answer.”
“There wasn’t a question.”
“Semantics, and since I’m going back home next week, we’ll take it slow. Talk during the week and see each other on the weekends.” Maya’s grin widened as she considered one of the fortunate side effects of their growing relationship. “Your mom is gonna lose her fucking mind when she finds out.”
“You’re thinking about her right now?” She gave her a look.
“I didn’t mean to, but still, she is.”
“She will, but I don’t think I care. More importantly, what do we do in the meantime?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re not leaving until next week.”
“Oh.” The word just kind of fell out of Maya’s mouth. “What do you wanna do?”
Nina’s grin was lazy, wide, and all kinds of sexy. All Maya could do was stare. This was the Nina that should have been. This was the Nina who had been hiding all along and, goddamn, she wanted her.
Maya leaned closer and the air around them seemed to catch fire. When she was barely an inch away, Maya hesitated, savoring this moment.
Nina cupped Maya’s cheek and then moved her hand to the back of Maya’s neck. Their lips touched softly at first and Nina moaned, an invitation. Maya took it. She nipped and teased Nina’s lips and when she slid her tongue inside Nina’s mouth, her needy whimper was another kind of invitation. She put everything into the kiss. Her disappearing doubts, old pain, and a world of anticipation. She was vaguely aware that Nina had straddled her, and arousal exploded inside her like a grenade.
Maya gripped Nina’s back, anchoring her, but she had other plans. She pressed down with her hips and Maya moved, too, meeting her in a hard grind. Nina moaned and Maya moved her hands to Nina’s ass. She squeezed, not giving a damn about the slight sting from her burn. Nina tore away from the kiss, her breathing ragged and hot.
“There she is,” she said, breathy. “My confident Maya.”
“Mmm.” She stared in wonder at Nina’s flushed face, shining eyes, and swollen lips. “Hey.”
The smile she received with just that one word was damn-near blinding. “Hey.”
“Before I forget, Winston invited you to dinner tonight.”
Nina chuckled. “Now you’re thinking about your brother?”
“Barely. You wanna go or do you wanna keep doing this some more?” She squeezed Nina’s ass cheeks again.
Her breath caught. “Can’t we do both?” Nina traced Maya’s bottom lip with her thumb.
Maya nipped at Nina’s finger. “If that’s what you want.”
“It is. It is what I want. How about you?”
“Oh, hell, yes,” she murmured before covering her mouth with her own. For the first time, Nina was sure about something, and Maya wasn’t going to be the asshole who questioned her. And then she stopped thinking about it and lost herself to the moment.
Chapter 16
“I’ll have to get off the phone in a minute,” Nina said.
“Why?” Maya fluffed her pillow with one hand and sat up in bed. She straightened her T-shirt, which had gotten bunched up.
“I’m in the hallway at school about to walk into the lounge.”
“I know there’s words coming out of your mouth, but I just don’t understand them.”
Nina chuckled. “It’s no fun. Most everyone stops and stares at me. I don’t want them in on my private conversations.”
“I’m the perfect cover. You should use me. It’ll throw them completely off to see you smiling like crazy this early on a Tuesday.” Maya covered her mouth a
s she yawned. “Mmm, sorry.”
“That’s a big assumption you’re making.” Nina’s tone was light, playful.
“See, that right there is all the evidence I need. Plus, you know it’s okay to admit that talking to me puts a smile on your face, right?”
“I know that. But you’re not here with me and it drags at me. I love the kids, but this place is like something out of A Series of Unfortunate Events.”
Maya snorted. “So, is Drew the Count?”
“I don’t think he’s a bad person at all. He’s just Drew.”
“So, Drew has been exceptionally Drew-y?”
She laughed out loud but then it was abruptly muffled.
“Hello?” She didn’t try to keep the amusement out of her tone.
“You’re getting me in trouble,” Nina said, but she didn’t sound concerned at all.
“Did someone shush you? I’ll be happy to beat the ass of any shusher.”
“No, but I’ll be sure to let you know.”
She put Nina on speaker. “Good. If it’s getting that uncomfortable there—”
“I know. I’ve thought about putting feelers out. It would be for next school year.”
“At least school will be out soon.”
“There is that. It really is on my mind but this situation with my mother kinda takes priority.”
“Understandable. I know you said it was something you wanted to do on your own, but if you change your mind, I don’t mind being there to take some of the heat,” Maya said.
“That’s sweet, but no. It has to be me.”
“Where’s Drew?” she asked out of curiosity and some weird sense of possessiveness.
“Staring at me with reproach. At least he’ll have something to report back to my mother.”
“That’s creepy as fuck.”
“It’s something,” Nina said sarcastically.
“Wave at him for me.” That possessiveness Maya felt a second ago took a firmer hold.
“Uh, I don’t think so.”
“I can’t believe I just said that.”
“Let’s not overanalyze and agree that we both have not-so-positive thoughts about Drew right now.”
“Yeah, let’s go with that.”
“Okay, I checked my mailbox. I’m headed to my classroom now. Just to let you know, we might have to do this every morning even after you leave. It was nice to forget about everyone around me for a minute.”
“I have no problem with that at all.”
“I didn’t think you would, and it’s nice to be able to talk to you. Such a bonus.” Nina’s airy tone was back. “It’s almost like I have carte blanche where you’re concerned,” she teased.
“You do.”
“Very nice to know.” Nina’s tone registered seductiveness and Maya relished the zing of awareness that resulted. She liked this. She really liked this. It was as if time had been rewound and they were back in college, but so much better. There was now an edge to their interactions and they were both honing it to a fine point. She shifted under the covers and clenched her thighs together. “I bet.”
“It’s the same for me.”
“Oh, I know.” Maya smirked.
“So sure of yourself. God, I love it when you’re like that. I’d watch you in college and want to be you. Now I just want to be with you.”
“I know that, too, and I’d love for you to go into detail.” Hell, it did stomach-fluttering things knowing she had this effect on Nina.
“This is me keeping things G-rated by telling you to stop.”
“Is that right?” Maya asked teasingly.
“For now, yes, but say what you want tonight.”
She grinned. “And what, pray tell, is happening tonight?”
“Dinner? Drinks? Something?”
“Are you asking me out on a date?”
“It’s about time, don’t you think?”
“Maybe, but we did have that thing Sunday night at my house.” Maya’s smile felt like it had reached her eyeballs.
Nina snorted. “I’m not even going to dignify that with a comment.” She paused. “The lasagna was really good, though, and T has definitely warmed up to me.”
“That was a comment.” Maya deadpanned. “If you say so. Now, what’s your answer?”
“Dinner, drinks, and something. Yes to all three.”
“Whatever I want, right?” Nina asked coyly.
“I’m definitely down with that.”
“Let’s figure out the details during my free period. I have to go. One of my students will be here any second now.”
Maya didn’t want to hang up. “What are you doing for lunch?”
“Rachel’s treating me. She’s going to 12 Bones.”
“Oh, God,” Maya groaned.
“I know right? You’re more than welcome to join us. I’m sure she’ll bring enough food to feed my classroom. I might have to start working out again after she leaves.”
“Does it seem like I have something against your curves?” Maya said, dragging the conversation on and heating it up as well.
Nina released a shaky breath. “Not the least bit.”
“Consider that a moratorium on the issue, then.”
“Good morning, Ms. Sterling,” said another voice.
“Morning,” Nina said, and then she was muffled for a second before she said something else. “I don’t want to, but I have to go. Lunch?”
“No, I have work in a little bit. I’m setting up an escape room exercise for my client. I probably won’t be free until after one o’clock.”
“Okay. Hope it goes well. I’ll call you. Bye.”
“B—” Maya didn’t even get the word out before Nina hung up, but that was okay. She’d said plenty. She tossed her phone on the bed beside her and groaned. There was no way in hell she’d be able to go back to sleep, so she pushed the covers away. Probably for the best, since her bladder chose that time to wake up, too.
After finishing in the bathroom, she slipped on a pair of shorts. She could either loaf around in her room and think about Nina or she could drink coffee and think of her. The latter won.
The fuzzy cloud Maya was floating on eased her toward the kitchen, and she wasn’t surprised to see the light on. Chloe sat on a stool around the island and Winston was rummaging in the refrigerator.
“Morning,” Maya said.
Winston gave her a dismissive wave and continued to rummage, but Chloe smiled. Her hair was in a ponytail. She was makeup free and her shorts and T-shirt were rumpled.
“Morning.” She took a long sip of coffee and then shot Winston a rather adoring look.
Seeing Chloe’s level of comfort, combined with everything Winston had said about her in Chicago, brought Maya to a logical conclusion. She was extremely happy for them both and had no intention of waiting on the news. “Promise me something.”
Chloe set her mug down. “What?”
“If you have to change any room to storage, pick the basement. T’s a resourceful guy. He’ll figure out a way around it as long as his TV is visible.”
“Huh?” Chloe blinked.
“You know, when you—” Maya’s gaze turned to her brother. His eyes were so wide he looked like a cartoon character. He mouthed “no” and waved his hands. Maya changed her tune. “For when you’re feeling motivated. You know, since you’re gonna be around…a lot?”
Winston glared.
“What is she talking about?” Chloe asked. “And why do you look constipated?”
Maya snickered. “Just…you know, since you’re around a lot and all, just…uh…feel free to make yourself at home.”
Winston’s expression did not bode well for her.
“Whatever. Just—never mind.”
“Jesus Christ. Are you high?” Winston groaned and shook his head.
“Shit. Sorry.” Maybe she should have stayed in her room after all.
Chloe picked up her coffee again and sipped while she looked at Winston.
He raised
his hands, frustrated. “I had a thing planned.”
“For?” Chloe drew the word out.
Winston walked around the island until he was standing in front of her. Feeling like she was intruding, Maya inched backward.
“No, it’s okay, Maya. Stay. You kinda opened the bag early. Don’t you wanna know what happens?”
“You can tell me later.”
“Will somebody please tell me what’s going on?” Chloe’s tone didn’t leave room for argument.
“Well, I was hoping to ask you to move in with me.” Winston took her hand. “But you don’t have to decide now. Just know that it’s on the table.”
Maya gaped. It almost looked like he was proposing.
With her free hand, Chloe held on to the edge of the island and sat back down. “God, I thought you were proposing,” she whispered. “We’re not ready yet.”
Winston grinned. Despite her words, he didn’t look the least bit perturbed. He either knew her extremely well or was the most arrogant ass on earth. “You said yet, but we are ready for the other thing?”
T yawned loud enough to be rude and mumbled, “Morning,” as he shuffled into the kitchen.
Nobody said anything to him and he stopped. “Why is everybody looking at me like that?”
“Chloe’s moving in,” Maya said. “Maybe.” She’d already put her foot in it, so might as well go for the full body plunge.
T grinned. “Just maybe?”
“No maybe. She is,” Chloe answered. Winston pulled her into a hug, which then turned into a kiss.
Maya smacked T on the arm and jerked her head toward the hallway. They left the kitchen quietly.
“I missed the good part again, didn’t I?” he asked.
Maya shushed him and then grabbed his hand. It had been a long time since she’d felt this warm inside. The seams of her family were tightening again, and they’d lured others in, too, and it was amazing.
**
As Nina made the turn onto her mother’s street, she slowed and clamped down on the voice that whispered for her to reconsider. She’d listened to that voice way too much, during college and after, out of fear of complication and confrontation. As a result, she had lost not only herself but years with Maya. She’d let herself down, and it was very hard to like herself afterward. If she couldn’t fight for herself, why would anybody else? She pulled into the driveway and without a moment’s more hesitation, she shut the car off and got out. As she walked toward the front door of her childhood home, she took a deep, cleansing breath and reminded herself that it had been a good day. In fact, there had been a string of good days, and Nina wanted more than anything to extend that string. Handling the situation with Sarah was just another way of affirming the incredible things that had happened and to keep moving forward. She glanced at the house next door and waved as the curtain closed a second too late. She’d seen Mrs. Meyer watching her, just like the nosey neighbor she was.
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