Magnolia and Moonlight

by Iris Abbott

  “Why is it that the sexy ones are always short on brains,” Holly muttered.

  Maggie bristled, offended on Marcus’s behalf. She opened her mouth to fire back a response, but Rose beat her to it.

  “Hey!” Rose snapped. “That’s not true, nor is it fair. Jeremy is a fine man and sexy as hell,” she insisted. “Marcus is cut from the same cloth as Jeremy.”

  “Yeah, I agree,” Lily replied. “Marcus obviously cares about Maggie. Otherwise, he wouldn’t give a shit whether she got hurt or not. He might have overreacted, but who here hasn’t impulsively said something they later regretted?” The usually confrontation-shy Lily stared down everyone in the group, including Maggie, daring them to contradict her.

  Lily jerked her head and crossed her arms over her breasts. “Uh-hu, that’s what I thought!”

  Maggie ran her palms over her face. “I might have been a tad bit irrational,” she admitted. “Domestic violence is a trigger for me,” Maggie confessed after she dropped her hands back to her lap. Rose was the only one in the band who knew about the incident with her ex-boyfriend.

  She glanced at Rose. Their eyes met briefly. Rose shared an encouraging smile and gave a slight nod of her head.

  Maggie breathed deep, puffed out her cheeks, and slowly released the air. “Y’all are the closest friends I’ve got.” She lowered her head. “This is harder than I thought.”

  Rose, who sat next to her, ran a comforting hand up and down Maggie’s back. Lily, who was on her other side, grabbed Maggie’s hand and laced their fingers together. Holly leaned across Rose and squeezed Maggie’s shoulder.

  She rubbed her free hand over her heart. Maggie closed her eyes and leaned against the cushioned headrest. She told them about Caleb, his vicious attack, and her injuries. “I know Marcus well enough now to know he’s nothing like my piece of shit ex-boyfriend. Still, with my insecurities, I jumped to the conclusion that Marcus doesn’t want me to be able to defend myself because he wants to be stronger than me.”

  “Wasn’t he the one that encouraged you to take the self-defense class, even found a spot for Lily and me?” Holly asked. “If he didn’t want you to be able to defend yourself, then why give you a method to do so? Makes no sense.”

  Maggie twisted her lips. “That’s the thing about insecurities, they don’t always make sense.”

  “He’s almost always going to be stronger than you,” Rose pointed out. “A fact of life.”

  Lily frowned. “Is that why you wouldn’t have anything to do with him at first?” She furrowed her brows. “It was obvious, to me anyway, that he was interested in you since Atlanta.”

  “Pretty much,” Maggie agreed. “We talked, I thought I’d gotten over it, but I guess deep-seated fears aren’t so easy to shake, after all.”

  Lily squeezed one more time then let go of Maggie’s hand. “Explains a lot,” Lily uttered.

  “Totally,” Holly agreed.

  “Never doubted why you were upset with Marcus,” Rose spoke up. “But he had reasons for his behavior too. Jeremy told me that Marcus has been miserable for the last couple of days. I know you replied to a couple of his texts, but for the love of God, call the man back. He does care about you, Maggie.”

  The nail technicians joined them to start their pedicures and manicures. The ladies fell silent, leaving Maggie with her thoughts. She was miserable without Marcus too. It was time she did something about it.

  Two hours later, Maggie, Holly, and Lily returned to the duplex. A bright splotch of red on the porch snagged Maggie’s attention. The corners of her mouth turned upward. She knew what the bright spot of color meant.

  She jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped moving and sprinted toward the door. Maggie sat on the porch next to the gift and studied the gnome. The creature wore a sorrowful expression on his face. In his hands, the gnome clutched an offering of wildflowers. A real bouquet of beautiful blooms lay next to him as well.

  Lily and Holly stopped beside her, checking out the gifts.

  “He’s a keeper,” Lily insisted.

  “I know,” Maggie agreed.

  “Good, ‘cause, girl, you have been a real downer the last couple of days with all that moping,” Holly emphatically stated. “Go get your man!”

  Maggie sprang to her feet. “I’m gonna do just that!”

  “Make-up sex is the best. We won’t expect to see you anytime soon, have fun,” Lily told her.

  The retreating Maggie was already halfway to her car. She looked over her shoulder and giggled. “Later,” she called out to her roommates.

  ****

  The doorbell rang. Marcus tightly clenched his hand around the glass of bourbon he held and thought about ignoring the summons. He might have too if it had not pealed twice more in quick succession. Somebody wanted his attention.

  A weary sigh slipped past his lips. He set aside the drink, stood, and shuffled his feet across the floor. A sparkle caught Marcus’s attention as he neared the front door. He slowed his stride, pausing for a brief second. His gaze skipped across the door to the glass panels on the side.

  Maggie stood outside. Her form was backlit by the sun. She was outlined in a golden glow that made her look more like an angel than a mermaid.

  He stalked forward. His shoes clomped against the hardwood under his feet. The soft jazz that came from the surround sound speakers drowned out the echo of his footsteps. As if impatient, Maggie rang the doorbell again. Marcus pulled open the door and leaned against the door jam.

  Maggie gave him a shy smile. “Hey,” she whispered soft enough that he could barely hear.

  “Hey,” he answered back. He held his breath and waited to see if she would say more.

  “Umm, I got the gnome and flowers, thank you. I wanted to give you a gift as well.”

  She held out a hand. Something sparkly shimmered in the sun and caught his eye. He saw it was a figurine. He leaned close enough to inspect the statue. A beautiful, blue-eyed fairy with long curly hair held a bright red heart in the palm of her hand.

  His heart skipped a beat. “I’m sorry I upset you. I didn’t mean to make it sound like I blamed you or it that it was your fault you got injured.” He stood up straight and wiped a hand over his face.

  “It’s just that the thought of you being hurt drove me crazy. You did the same thing I would have done, and I can’t blame you for that,” he added.

  Maggie hastily sat the fairy on the table by the door and threw her arms around his neck. “I’m sorry too. You’re nothing like my ex. The gnomes alone put you in a whole different class than that loser. Also, you’ve proven more than once that you’d never lay your hands on me or another woman in anger. My insecurities made me lose sight of that, but not any longer.”

  Marcus wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tight. Evidently, Maggie missed him as much as he missed her. He squeezed his eyes shut and savored the feel of her in his arms. Marcus held her for several seconds before he disturbed the comfortable silence that settled around them.

  “We’re not going to agree on everything. Life doesn’t work that way. We’re gonna have words occasionally. I might even lose my temper a time or two, but what I won’t do is abuse a woman, you, or anyone else. You can’t blame a man for having feelings.”

  She sighed and nestled her head against his chest. “My heart knows that, but my head, well, it’s finally catching up. I hope it’s not too late.”

  “I can wait for you as long as it takes,” he promised. “You’re worth it.” Marcus nuzzled the side of her neck. She tightened her hold on him, pressing him closer.

  An electric jolt of need shot through his body. His heart hammered away inside his chest. He cupped her chin and tilted it upward, lowered his head, and claimed her lips.

  His feet shuffled forward, taking her with him. Eventually, the wall stopped their progress. Maggie returned his kiss and did not protest being trapped between him and the hard surface.

  He lifted her skirt and yanked off her panties.
Marcus grabbed a condom from his pocket and fumbled with the fastening of his pants, pushing the barrier down his legs. He quickly kicked them aside, glad he was barefooted.

  Marcus broke the kiss. He brought the protection to his mouth, ripped open the packet, and wasted no time sheathing his rapidly hardening shaft. He slid his hands beneath her skirt, cupped her tight ass, and pressed their lower bodies together.

  Her ragged breaths and the hoarse whisper of his name urged him to continue. He pushed her legs further apart and wedged himself between her thighs. He touched the damp curls around her cleft. She was wet and ready for him. His erection pulsed, driving him to action.

  Fighting the urge to be selfish and take what he wanted, Marcus sank to his knees. He flicked his tongue against the swollen bundle of nerves several times. She gasped. Her hips jerked toward him.

  Her hands tangled in his hair. She yanked. The biting sting heightened his desire, spurred him onward.

  His tongue slid between her nether lips, parting the flesh. He speared the organ inside the tight, hot, sheath. She writhed against the wall, pumping her hips. He tightened his hold on her butt, forcing her to still and take the pleasuring torment of his conquering tongue.

  Her thighs clenched around his head, trapping him in place. Marcus explored Maggie, drowning in her taste. He shifted his mouth. His tongue found the hard nub of sensitive nerves. He licked and sucked until the bold swipe of his tongue sent her spiraling into the deep abyss of pleasure.

  Tortured moans slipped past her lips. Her body trembled. She begged him for more. Her last word became a moan of pleasure as he stood, lifted her off her feet, and pushed his rigid shaft inside her. He seated himself to the hilt in one eager thrust.

  Maggie screamed his name. She locked her legs around his waist, securing them together. Her fingers curled into his shirt. Her nails raked across his back despite the T-shirt he still wore.

  The force of his thrusts pinned her to the wall. He pulled almost all the way out and plunged deep. He stroked his throbbing erection in and out. She rotated her hips in jerky circles. She arched her back, meeting his driving rhythm beat for beat.

  Her sex trembled around his rigid shaft. It tightened around his sex, milking him. He pumped faster, riding her with the insatiable hunger of a man who’d missed many meals.

  Their eyes locked. Neither dared to look away from the other. He rammed home. The head of his shaft lodged inside her as deep as he could go.

  He fought his release and lost. His muscles tightened, body strained, as he struggled to hold on a bit longer. The burning need rose to a crescendo. His hips moved hard and fast, jackhammering his way toward a desperate climax.

  Her straggling hold tightened. Her body shook from the force of her own release. He stayed inside, letting her body milk every ounce of desire from his spent shaft.

  The only sound for several long seconds was the ragged panting of their breaths.

  “Oh! My! God! Lily was right! Make-up sex is the best.” Maggie laid her head on his shoulder and laughed. “We didn’t even make it to the bedroom,” her giggle deepened.

  “Forget the bedroom,” he said. “Hell, we didn’t even get naked.”

  She slipped out of his hold. “I can take care of that.” She yanked down the skirt, stepped out of it, and ripped her top over her head. “Hope you’re up for round two.”

  His sex twitched, came back to life. “As fast as I can get rid of this used condom and pin you to my bed,” he quipped.

  Maggie shot off through the house toward his bedroom. She looked over her shoulder at him. “Coming?” she gave him a devilish grin and winked.

  “Soon enough,” he mouthed off as he chased her through the house. He knew a hundred ways at least to pleasurably torment a woman, and he wanted to try every one with Maggie. He wanted her screaming his name all night long.

  ELEVEN

  Maggie glanced at the time and bit back a frustrated sigh. She was supposed to be at Marcus’s place fifteen minutes ago. She lost track of time, and the last lesson of the day ran over by ten minutes. An accident and heavier than usual traffic did not help. Maggie just hoped he did not think she was late because she was having second thoughts about them.

  She parked in his driveway and glanced at the newest gnome in her collection. At the rate Marcus gifted them to her, she would have more gnomes than fairies soon enough. This gnome was stretched out, relaxing on a hammock. The figurines were somewhat prophetic in nature. She was excited to see what Marcus had planned for their date.

  Checking her reflection in the rearview mirror, Maggie applied a new layer of watermelon lip gloss. She smacked her lips together, got out of the car, and grabbed her overnight bag out of the backseat. Her insides vibrated with excitement in anticipation of the first sleep-over with Marcus.

  Staying the night, all night at his place was a big step for Maggie. While she had other boyfriends and sex since Caleb, she never stayed the night at her lover’s house. She could not give the trust required to do so. But tonight, she was giving that trust to Marcus.

  Maggie skipped up to his door, feeling light as a feather. The extra weight of her overnight bag barely registered. She was buoyant with the joy of finally leaving the past behind and moving forward with a man like Marcus.

  She rang the bell and waited. Maggie was bouncing on her toes by the time Marcus pulled open the door. She floated inside, dropped the bag, and went straight into his open arms. Their lips brushed together for a chaste greeting. She broke the kiss but kept one arm around him. “Miss me? ‘Cause I missed you.”

  Marcus was away on a private security job in Atlanta for a week. This was his first night back in Charleston. “You know I did. Called every morning and every night, didn’t I?”

  Warmth flushed through her. “Yeah, you did.” She looked forward to his calls. On the two nights he ran late because of work, she was not able to sleep until they talked.

  They shared a dinner of grilled steak, baked potato, and asparagus with wine on the side. After the table was cleared and dishes were done, he laced their fingers together and led her to the screened porch. She spied the hammock sat up in the corner almost immediately.

  “I knew there was a hammock somewhere in my future.”

  “Gnome’s giving away my secrets, huh?”

  “Just as you intended.” She grinned at him.

  He kicked off his shoes and stretched out on the sling made from rope that was stretched between two poles on a metal stand. He waved his arm in the air. “Come on, babe.” He patted the empty spot next to him.

  Maggie gave the hammock a dubious look. “Last time I got in one of those things, it flipped, and I hit the ground. Hard.” She rubbed her backside. Her tail bone hit a tree root and was sore for three days afterward. The tile floor of his porch might not be as hard as a tree root, but it was none too soft either.

  He wiggled his fingers. “It might not look all that comfortable, but it is. Trust me.” He held out his hand to her and wiggled his fingers.

  Trust. Maggie breathed deep and slowly released the air in an unladylike hiss. She slowly moved to the edge of the hammock and took his hand. He pulled her down next to him, and Maggie relaxed, willingly cuddling into his side.

  Marcus rocked his body. They swayed back and forth. The moon and stars provided a glow of romantic light. Frogs, crickets, and katydids serenaded them.

  “Mmm, this is nice.” She scooted backward, getting as close to him as possible. His arm wrapped around her middle, holding her tight. His fingers slid under her shirt, caressing her bare skin. A delightful shiver slid down her spine.

  Comfortable with Marcus and her surroundings, Maggie broached a topic she’d pondered for the last couple of weeks. “I think we’re on our way to a meaningful relationship that could last,” she stated. Maggie held her breath, waiting for his reaction.

  The strong fingers that caressed her belly didn’t hesitate. When no quick denials were forthcoming, Maggie slowly exhaled.

&
nbsp; “I was thinking along the same lines,” he agreed. “Hence the gnomes and a lazy evening swinging in a hammock. I don’t do this kind of thing for just anyone.”

  She felt his shoulders lift and drop back down. “Where’s this going? Don’t have a crystal ball, so I can’t pretend that I know the future. What I do know is that you’re special to me, and like you said, I think we’ve got a shot at a long-term relationship that’ll make both of us happy.”

  “We know why I’ve been gun-shy when it comes to close relationships, thanks to that dirtbag Caleb.” The arm around her tightened, but he did not speak. “What about you?”

  His warm breath tickled the back of her neck. Marcus was silent long enough that she worried he would not respond. Maybe he did not have an answer. Not everyone wanted to settle down with one person.

  “Never mind, I don’t want to pry,” she finally said after the long awkward silence.

  “It’s not that I don’t want to answer you,” Marcus finally said. “I was looking for the right words is all. You know about my leukemia and how sickly I was as a child.”

  “Yeah.” She placed her hand over his and used her fingers to draw small circles on his skin. “But you went into remission, and you’re healthy, right?”

  “So the doctors say,” he agreed. “I never allowed myself to get too close to a woman, because I don’t want to turn out like my father and abandon my family when they need me the most.”

  Maggie lifted her head and looked over her shoulder. Their gazes met and held. “You’re not that kind of man,” she insisted. “I haven’t known you all that long, but of that, I’m sure. The kind of man who leaves gnomes for the joy of others would never abandon a family,” she emphatically stated.

  “Maybe not intentionally, but my job is dangerous. Look at what happened to Ben. He could have easily been killed.”

  “But he wasn’t, and neither were you,” she felt compelled to say. “Also, it’s not the same thing as what your father did at all,” she insisted. “He was a coward who couldn’t handle his reality and chose to leave his wife and sick child. You protect people for a living, and did I mention the gnomes?”