“Yeah, fond memories,” he whispered close to her ear.
“Stop it. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I wasn’t trying to hide from you.”
“Sure, you weren’t,” he said, tweaking her nose before he headed down the hallway with his teammates.
“Yeah, friends my ass,” Callie said, sidling up next to Maggie.
“Zip it, you. Thanks for outing me just now.”
“Ahh, they would’ve found out eventually. Especially with the way he can’t stop looking at you.”
She would not look up at him. She. Would. Not.
“I have to check on a few patients,” she said, heading down the hallway.
“Sure, you do. I’ll save you a cookie,” Callie called out.
***
She wanted to say that she spent the next hour focused on her job, but after checking on two of her patients, she found herself standing just inside the door of Henry’s room, watching him painstakingly open his gift as he told Alex that Baz was his new favorite player. Alex claimed to be heartbroken and then threatened to sing holiday songs.
The guys joined in on a few songs, including Olaf’s favorite. She couldn’t stop her smile as Alex’s tone-deaf voice rang out and Henry covered his ears.
“This is why Baz is my new favorite,” Henry said, and Alex leaned over to give Henry a hug.
“It’s okay. I’ll forgive you for now, but you’ll be back. It’s only because you have the same smile with all those missing teeth.”
Alex looked up and caught her gaze. The corner of his mouth quirked up in a smile, and it did nothing to tamp down her buzzing nerves. Good thing he wasn’t Santa, or she might’ve climbed into his lap.
He has a girlfriend. A. Nice. Girlfriend.
She ducked out of the room.
“Maggie, wait.” His voice was too close, and she spun around.
“Can we talk?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea right now, Alex. What about the kids?”
“The guys have it covered. I need to talk to you.”
She hesitated to tell him no. There was something in his voice: nerves, excitement. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it probably would lead her to say things she shouldn’t. Do things she shouldn’t.
“Alex,” she started, but he’d already nudged her into an empty hospital room.
“Alex. What are you doing?” she asked as he crowded into her, pulling the door shut behind him.
“What I’ve wanted to do since I saw you in my suite. Hell, since forever,” he said, snaking his arm around her waist and settling her into his body.
“Alex, we can’t. You have a girlfriend,” she said, her hands on his chest to shove him away. Alex was not the cheating type.
“She was never my girlfriend. We went on a few dates and we’re just friends. She knows all about you, and she said I never looked at her the way I look at you. Anyone can see that.”
“Alex,” she started, getting caught up in his eyes. Dammit. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“Stop ignoring this, Maggie. Can I kiss you now?”
He leaned in, and heaven help her, she shifted closer, her eyes locked on his lips. Lips she remembered nibbling on in the back of his SUV before graduation.
He pulled her closer, if that was even possible. His rumbled groan washed over her and every excuse vanished as he dropped his head down and whispered please against her lips.
Her hands gripped his shirt, her fingers curling into the warm fabric, and when she pressed her lips to his, it was like coming home.
Chapter 4
He sealed his lips to hers and every doubt, every minute that had passed with them apart, vanished. She was back in his arms. He swallowed her soft gasp, slanting his head to the side, to fit her perfectly to him. Her sigh against his lips, the way her body molded to his, memories didn’t hold a candle to the actual feel of her in his arms. Where she belonged. Where he belonged.
He didn’t immediately push for more, just relished in the fact that she was kissing him back. Her tongue darted out, tracing the seam of his lips, and he gave in, parting to her questing tongue. He groaned against her mouth. She tasted like warmth and cinnamon, with a touch of icing from the cookies they’d brought. He wanted to eat her up, but he let her set the pace.
His hand skated up her spine, and she shuddered under his touch, her tongue dueling with his as he finally gave into his need for her.
She released his shirt, trailing her fingers down his chest, and his stomach clenched under her touch. He couldn’t stop from pressing his desire against her. He’d been hard from the moment he’d pulled her into the empty room.
“Alex,” she gasped against his lips, and he barely resisted the urge to lift her onto the closest bed. He wanted her legs wrapped around him, her heat pressed against his cock.
“I’ve missed you so fucking much,” he growled against her mouth before he kissed her again, his tongue darting in to meet hers.
He deepened the kiss, spinning them so he could press her against the wall. Her fingers sank into his hair, tugging on his scalp, and desire burned down to his toes.
Fuck it.
His hands settled under her ass, and when he hoisted her up, her legs immediately went around his waist, tightening as she held on to him, her breasts crushing to his chest.
He broke the kiss, peppering bites along her jaw, sucking her earlobe into his mouth as she moaned. He pressed a kiss behind her ear, and she shuddered in his arms.
“Some things never change,” he whispered against her skin.
She scraped her nails along his scalp, and then it was his turn to shake.
“Yep. Some things never change,” she said, her laugh husky, her eyes glittering with familiar humor and desire.
“Go out with me tonight.” He paused, shaking his head with a laugh. “Shit. I have a game tonight. See what you do to me?”
“You do the same to me,” she said, unwrapping her legs from around his waist and shifting to stand in front of him.
Her smile warmed his entire body. He’d missed that smile. He squeezed her hand, not willing to let her go just yet. “Come to the game tonight. We can grab something to eat after.”
“I would love to go to another game, but I’m working early tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow night?”
“We are leaving for our road trip tomorrow night. I’ll be back in a week. You could always meet us in Vancouver. We’re there for two days.” He wanted to sneak her into his hotel room, to pick up where they’d left off, and he wished he didn’t see hesitation in her eyes.
“I can’t do that, I have to work. I just started my residency. I’m on call most of the week and I don’t have a lot of days off. Especially not days together. Maybe this isn’t a good time,” she said, nibbling her lower lip, and he resisted the urge to capture her lips again.
“We’ll find a good time, I promise.”
“I mean, maybe this isn’t a good time for us to fall back into a relationship. I mean, that’s what you want, right? But my schedule is crazy and your schedule is crazy and I just—I just don’t know. And who knows where I’m going to be after my residency ends, and you could get traded.”
Shit. She was spiraling.
He tugged her close. “Mags, we can’t focus on what could happen. Anything could happen, but I don’t want to let you go this time. I know you had your reasons, and a part of me agrees they were valid, but I’m here and so are you, and the feelings are still there.” He paused. “They’re still there, right?”
Her small nod and bright eyes did him in. He leaned down, brushing his lips against hers, pouring every feeling he had for her into that kiss.
He swallowed his victory when she moaned against his mouth, sinking into his chest. He tightened his arms around her, holding her close, and she opened her mouth under his. He wanted to kiss her forever.
“Hey, Westie, stop making out with the pretty doctor. We have another floor to visit.” Jake’s voice came from t
he hall. Maggie broke the kiss.
“Dammit, I’m going to kill him,” Alex muttered, refusing to let go of Maggie’s hand when she tried to pull free. “Ignore him.”
“I can’t ignore him. He’s going to start shouting.”
“Then his life is over.”
She playfully shoved his shoulder. “Stop it. I should check on my patients anyway. If I haven’t already told you, it’s amazing what you’ve done to help the kids. They’ll be talking about this for a long time.”
“What I would love is for the hospital to be empty, especially for Christmas, but since that’s not an option, I want to do whatever I can.”
“You are amazing. Well, except for the singing,” she teased, and he pressed a kiss to her nose.
“That singing was just to hear you laugh,” he said, leaning in again.
“Oh, Westie. We know you’re around here somewhere,” Jake called out.
Alex groaned. “I’m going to kill that guy.”
“Stop. Now get out there. We’ll pick this up when you get back next week.”
“I’m holding you to that.”
Tuesday
Alex: I wish you were here in Vancouver with me. We could walk around the city. It’s decked out for the holidays.
Maggie: That sounds beautiful. Maybe one day. Good luck with the game tonight. I’ve got to run. One of the doctors called out sick this morning, so I’m up to my eyeballs in paperwork and patients.
Thursday
Maggie: You were amazing tonight. So close to that hat trick.
Alex: Hey, gorgeous. Tell Henry that first goal was for him, even though he prefers Baz to me. Crazy kid.
Maggie: I’ll make sure to tell him. He’s going home tomorrow.
Alex: That’s great news. And as soon as I’m back, we are going out. I demand burgers and kisses. I’ll skip the onions. Miss you.
Maggie: I’ll see what I can do. My schedule is crazy, but I’m definitely up for burgers and kisses. Miss you, too.
Saturday
Alex: Remember that lake house we rented for a week after your freshman year of college? We should do that again.
Maggie: Totally random, but I would love that. But I’m not getting on a rope swing with you again. You almost crashed us into a tree.
Alex: You nibbled on my ear right before takeoff. Clearly, you were at fault. How was your day?
Maggie: Long and stressful. Camilla is not taking well to the new meds and we lost William today. I thought he was doing better.
Alex: Oh Mags, I’m so sorry. That kid was a trooper. I’ll call you.
Maggie: No. It’s okay. I don’t really want to talk, if that’s all right. Wait, shouldn’t you be at dinner with the guys? You flew into Winnipeg today, right?
Alex: Yes, but I skipped out on dinner. We didn’t get to talk much last night and you said you’d be home tonight.
Monday
Alex: We are back in town tomorrow. Have dinner with me.
Maggie: I’m working an overnight tomorrow. What about Wednesday night? I can’t wait to see you. Six points in 4 games. Your streak is still holding strong.
Alex: We have a game on Wednesday. You should come.
Maggie: I have to work early on Thursday, but good luck tomorrow.
Alex: I think you’re my good luck charm. You always were.
Thursday
Alex: I don’t care if we have to hang out at your place and get a pizza. We are having our date tonight.
Maggie: So demanding. What if I wanted to go out for dinner?
Alex: We can do whatever you want, as long as it involves both of us in the same room. I’ll make out with you in any secluded corner I can find. I plan to kiss every inch of you if you’ll let me.
“Look at that sappy expression,” Callie called out. Maggie dropped her phone. It clattered on the floor, and she bent down to scoop it up, then shoved it in her pocket.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Maggie said, grabbing her tablet.
“Sure you don’t. So, you’re finally going on a real date with Westie?”
“Maybe,” Maggie said, refusing to look up at her friend.
It’d been ten days since he’d kissed her. Since he’d swept her into his arms like no time had passed. Ten days and they couldn’t find one night to grab dinner and catch up on each other’s lives, on all the kissing they hadn’t done. It was almost as bad as a long-distance relationship, and they were living in the same damn city.
Syncing their schedules was not going to be easy, but they were going to dinner tonight, no matter how exhausted she was. She could sleep tomorrow. Or maybe their date would continue into tomorrow.
She took in a deep breath as desire coursed through her. Was it too soon to act like the last four plus years hadn’t happened? Like their relationship had continued all this time? It was their first date and their five hundredth date all at the same time. Their kiss had picked up where they’d left off all those years ago, but she wasn’t sure if falling into bed with him at the first chance she got was a good idea.
Now she was getting way ahead of herself.
But that kiss.
She would not fan herself. She would not.
“I want all the details the day after tomorrow. And you should definitely pack a bag,” Callie said, wiggling her eyebrows.
“You are horrible. And, he’s coming to my place.”
“Even better,” Callie called out as Maggie headed to Camilla’s room. She still had two hours before her shift ended, and four hours until Alex showed up at her door.
Not that she was counting down the minutes or anything.
***
A few hours later, she paced her bedroom. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this nervous. Hell, her last round of clinical rotations hadn’t freaked her out this much.
The doorbell rang, and for a second she stopped breathing.
She was ridiculous. This was Alex. They’d known each other forever. They’d done everything together.
She smoothed down her sweater and took in a deep breath. Then she opened the door.
And swallowed her tongue.
Holy crap, he looked good. His hair was swept back like he’d run his fingers through it repeatedly. Dammit. She wanted to do that. His cheeks were pink from the cold, his lips inviting as he smiled at her. His green sweater clung where it should but wasn’t too tight under his jacket, and if she asked him to turn around, his dark jeans would fit his ass perfectly. His delectable hockey ass. It was a real thing, and it was magical.
“Hi, Maggie,” he said with a laugh, and her gaze darted up to meet his. The corners of his eyes crinkled. He was too damn adorable for his own good—and for her sanity.
“Hi,” she said quickly, her cheeks heating as he gave her a once-over that warmed her to the tips of her boots.
He tugged her into his arms, muting her gasp as he sealed his lips to hers. She melted into his body. He guided her further into her house, kicking the front door shut behind him before he picked her up and pressed her against the closest hard surface, never breaking the kiss.
She moaned, sinking her hands into his hair, clutching the strands as she kissed him back with everything she had.
And it was a lot. Pent-up need flowed through her as they devoured each other.
She finally broke the kiss, her breathing as rough as his when he pressed his forehead to hers.
“You look stunning. Want to get takeout?” he said, his voice rumbling over her, and she laughed.
She lowered her legs to the floor, but he kept a tight hold on her waist.
“Alex, we should go out for dinner. Like on a real date,” she said, attempting to sound stern as she got lost in his eyes again. Like warm, melty chocolate.
“If you look at me like that, we are getting takeout,” he grumbled, pressing a hard kiss to her lips, his tongue darting out for a quick taste.
“So where are we going?” she asked, stepping out of his hold.
“There’s a great pizza place nearby. It’s not as good as true Chicago pizza, but the owner lived in Chicago for most of his life, so it’s as close as we’re going to get. What is that?” he asked, pointing at her Christmas tree.
“Umm. Obviously, it’s my Christmas tree. What does it look like?”
He shook his head. “A sad excuse for one. It’s a pre-lit tabletop tree. You don’t even have any ornaments on it.”
“You always were a holiday snob. Don’t judge my tree.”
“That’s not a tree. It’s a sad shrub. Charlie Brown wouldn’t even wrap his blanket around that.”
“Shut up and be nice to my tree.”
“You used to have the best decorations and a massive, real tree in the living room. I still remember your house always smelled like cinnamon and pine as soon as the Thanksgiving leftovers were put away.”
They’d had more than a few joint holidays since their parents were friends. She smiled at the memory of him sneaking his hand under the table and linking his fingers with hers. He would run his thumb across her palm just to see her squirm in her seat.
“I know, but I’m busy at work and it’s just me, so I didn’t go crazy this year.”
In fact, after she’d moved into her own place after they’d broken up, she’d kept the decorating to a minimum. The holidays were hard for her. Christmas was hard for her. She still remembered Grace’s last Christmas. They’d all put on a good face, tried to not think about last anythings, but they’d known.
The final treatment they’d tried wasn’t working, and by mid January, her sister was gone.
“Dammit, I’m an asshole,” he said, tightening his arms around her. He didn’t need to say anything else. That was one of the great things about knowing someone your whole life. They got you.
“No, you’re not. So, about that pizza,” she said, her voice soft with the tears she refused to shed.
“I am. We’re going to grab a quick bite and then we’re going tree shopping.” He leaned back, giving her a bright smile.
All I Want (San Francisco Strikers Book 5) Page 4