This time she couldn’t stop the smile. Some of the rough edges of her psyche began to smooth. She’d forgotten how straight forward and in-your-face Nina tended to be. She dropped her purse at the base of her chair and plopped back into the seat. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Of course I am. Be sure to remind Tucker of that the next time you see him, I’d really appreciate it. He doesn’t care much for my butting in to his business.”
“I can’t imagine why not.”
They laughed together and Maggie felt more of her unease slip away. Maybe her decision to return home wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
In the back of her mind, Maggie heard the front door chime and she stiffened. The woman in front of her transformed instantly. Her smile disappeared and her eyes widened. Nina’s expression worried her and did nothing to ease Maggie’s paranoia. In slow motion she turned to see who’d arrived while holding her breath. If Tucker had followed her, they were about to have words.
When she saw it was in fact not Tucker she almost sighed a breath of relief. But the big man looming in the doorway did not look happy. His intense stare in her direction forced Maggie to smother a gasp. She hastily turned in her seat and returned her attention to Nina. Although Nina paid no attention to Maggie. Instead, she sat transfixed on the gorgeous, if not a little scary, stranger, who had for all intents and purposes taken over the entire café with his presence.
“How about I make you some food? You can relax here as long as you want and I’ll feel better knowing you’ve been taken care of. Deal?” Nina held out her hand in offering, and although she was speaking to Maggie, her eyes never left the man in the doorway.
“What’s going on?” Maggie whispered to her friend. “Who is that man?”
For a second she didn’t think the other woman had heard her.
“His name is Mason,” Nina finally answered. “And he shouldn’t be here.”
Maggie tried not to laugh. Anyone not blind could see he mesmerized Nina. “Whatever you say. But when you come back down to earth, I’d like to hear all about it.”
With obvious reluctance, Nina tore her gaze from the dark and scary, Mason. “Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not true. So, what do you say about that food?”
Maggie didn’t hesitate. She didn’t understand Nina’s response, but wasn’t about to miss this show. “Sure, why not?” Maggie replied.
“Soup sound good?”
“It sounds perfect, actually.” Nina gave her a quick smile that didn’t seem real and hustled in the direction of the kitchen. Relieved to have a brief distraction, Maggie relaxed, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hands. She stared at the fire burning in the far corner and got lost in the movement of the flames as the wood popped and crackled in the space. Maybe stopping here had been fate. Nina had assured her that Tucker had agreed to give her the space she needed and once they got past the initial uncomfortable reunion , Nina had been very helpful.
A quick glance from the corner of her eye showed Mason had taken a seat not far from her. Out of hearing range, but it didn’t take full audio to see this man tied her friend up in knots. Time passed and she eventually lost interest in the awkward discussion happening across the room. Nina’s distraction gave Maggie the perfect opportunity to retreat into the solitude she’d been hoping for in the first place. Now if only she could get Tucker out of her head.
By the time Maggie got home, the sun had begun setting across the lake. With the barren winter trees surrounding the water, there were no barriers to the vivid colors from the sunset. Pinks, yellows and oranges striped the horizon as she drove the winding road to her parents cabin. She pulled to the edge of the road and got out. A slight breeze tugged at her bangs and sent a chill skittering down her spine. She zipped her jacket to just under her chin and crossed her arms to ward off the cold already settling in.
The frosty air didn’t deter her from getting some fresh air. The beauty of the lake was hard to resist in any season but she especially loved the winter. It was the restful period of the year before the busy season of spring began. Once the water warmed and the plants began to grow the lake got overrun by enthusiastic boaters and an influx of tourists and college students. On an evening like this she wasn’t likely to run into anyone, which is exactly the way she wanted it.
There was so much to ponder. Her knowledge for one. Over the years she’d been meticulous about her research, taking care to document all of her findings in painstaking detail. All for nothing. Intellectual knowledge of BDSM simply did not compare to intimate knowledge. Tucker had made that clear.