He was pushing too hard again. Jumping to his feet, he paced as he tried to rein himself in. “You’re worrying about something that may not happen. I understand why, but hiding from the world isn’t the answer.”
Maggie bristled. “That’s not what I’m doing.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No. I don’t see what’s wrong with needing a little time to make sure I do the right thing for me and my daughter. I don’t see what the rush is.”
“I want to show you how important you are to me, damn it.” He thrust his fingers through his hair, then stopped in front of her. “I may not be handling it the way you’d like, but I’ve never wanted to get serious with anyone before.”
She lifted her chin. “You’re important to me, too. I’m just asking for a few days.”
“Okay,” he said grudgingly. “Sure. A few days.”
The walk back to his parents’ house wasn’t as lighthearted as earlier—no passionate stops en route. They returned to find Emily dozing on the sofa and Tracy yawning.
“Time to get you ladies home,” he said.
Laden with leftovers, they got into his M-Class. They hadn’t gone a mile before Tracy and Emily were asleep.
For most of the journey, he and Maggie were lost in their own thoughts. When she finally broke the silence, it was to confirm their plans for Saturday. They were all coming to watch him play, then Tracy would take Emily home so he and Maggie could have dinner.
His body began to hum with anticipation at the thought of the private, postdinner rendezvous they’d planned.
At the house, he carried a sleeping Emily inside. He said good-night to Tracy, then grabbed Maggie’s hand and pulled her back outside. As she half-closed the door behind her, he brought her into his arms for a hot kiss.
“Something to help your deliberations.” He released her and climbed into his SUV.
As he drove off with a cheery wave, he saw Maggie touch her fingers to her lips, as if to keep his taste there. The hungry look in her eyes was encouraging. Enough to make him feel confident that things would work out as he’d hoped.
But as he drove home, that confidence began to melt away and was replaced by doubts.
Maggie’s physical response wasn’t an issue. He had enough evidence to prove she found him attractive, his touch pleasurable. Whether that was enough to make her step outside her comfort zone was something else altogether.
All the sparks in the world didn’t matter a damn if she wasn’t prepared to take their relationship to the next level. He understood her concerns, but he’d said he’d make sure nothing happened. Why couldn’t that be enough for her to say yes?
He didn’t need to hear the echo of Tru’s voice to know this was another of those situations where he had to be patient and hold off the pressure. It went against his nature to sit around waiting for things to take their course, but he knew if he pushed too hard he’d push Maggie away completely. He had to trust that if he stepped back and gave her space she’d come around.
Jake pulled into his driveway and turned off the engine. As he took the keys out of the ignition, a worrying thought occurred to him. What if she never became comfortable enough to attend events by his side? He couldn’t duck media coverage forever. He had responsibilities to his team, the fans and the community that couldn’t be blown off. Sure, he could compromise on some things, but he couldn’t give them all up.
He didn’t want to give Maggie up, either.
There were some tough choices ahead for him. Damn it. Sometimes trying to be a good man and do the right thing sucked.
* * *
“WHAT SHOULD I do?”
Maggie looked at her sister sitting on the opposite sofa cradling a glass of wine. “I’m thrilled Jake wants our relationship to become more serious, but I’m also scared.”
She touched her fingers to her throbbing lips, where his heady flavor lingered. “I care for him, but I want to take things slowly. I rushed into marriage with Lee. Perhaps if I’d waited, I would have found out what he was really like and saved myself a lot of heartache.”
“True. But then you wouldn’t have Emily, either. What’s more, you wouldn’t be over here. Nor had the opportunity to meet Jake.”
Maggie pursed her lips. “Your point being?”
“You can’t keep beating yourself up about the past. Mistakes or not, it is what it is. The only thing you have control over is what happens next.”
“Which is why I want to do things properly this time.”
“Isn’t that what Jake’s suggesting with the gala evening?”
“Don’t get me wrong—it sounds like a great event. I admit, I miss getting dressed up in a glitzy new gown and hot shoes. But it’s not all glamour and fun. The media and paparazzi will be circling and swooping like vultures. One wrong step and they’ll pounce.”