Stolen Hearts

Chapter Nineteen.

If the photo woks it's of  Jake.

For the first time since she had opened her bakery Maggie didn't go to work, more content to stay in her bed and feel sorry for herself. She'd broken up with Liam and Jake had gotten back with Artemis, she would have said something had it not been for Trevor and Ava those kids loved their parents and she couldn't be the reason they didn't have both.

Sometime around noon a knock on her door forced her to climb from the warm recess of her bed and stumble to the bed. She opened it to find Jake on the other side, surprisingly she didn't feel that wild flutter in her heart anymore, nor the breaking pain just nothing. She didn't feel anything.

"I stopped by the shop, you weren't open."

"I.....took a sick day."

"I wanted to look at your car, you said it was acting up."

"The car is fine Jake, I think we both know that."

"Can I just...come in...just for a minute?" He asked, his eyes begging her.

"I don't think that's a good idea," She said honestly.

"Maggie please, we've been best friends for twelve years."

She broke, just like she always did and she stepped back opening the door to let him into her humble apartment. He stepped inside and she closed the door carefully behind him, making sure not to brush against him as she moved towards her table.

Her apartment was a small, loft which meant her bed was just a few feet from the table, her bathroom in one corned and then her kitchen and living room combined on the other side of the table. Sitting at the table seemed like the best place.

"Sit," She said motioning at the chair across from her.

"Really?" He asked.

She didn't reply as she settled a little better in her own seat. Her hand rested on the table and instantly he reached out laying his on top of it. She winced tried to pull it away but he held on too tight refusing to let go.

"Jake...."

"Maggie, please. I'm begging you just let me touch you even if it's only this."

"Why are you here?"

"Because I wanted to see you, I wanted to explain what happened last night."

"You don't own me an explanation."

"Yes I do. Artemis....she just showed up crying about Carlos leaving her, I let her in because....we are friends, we have children together. She said he was running around on her and she was so distraught. The kids are at your parents so I told her she could stay."

She winced, she really didn't want to know. Deep down she thought maybe it was better if she didn't know all the details.

"She's hurt, she's confused and.....I slept on the couch."

She lifted her eyes from where they were staring at their entwined hands. He released her hand, taking it in his other one and stroking her palm with his long fingers.

"I didn't tell her about us....I didn't think the time was right but...nothing happened."

"Nothing happened?" Maggie asked.

"No."

"So....what do you want Jake?"

"You, I want you."

He leaned over the table before she could say anything else and sealed his lips over hers. She thought for a second about resisting but this was Jake, she could never deny him anything. She was standing and kissing him back before she had time to talk herself out of it.

He released her to walk around the table and pull her against his chest, kissing her passionately. Crushing her small body to his muscular chest, her hands fisting in his t-shirt, his funneling into her hair. She dropped her hands briefly to grip the edge of his shirt, she was on her way to pulling it over his head when he pulled back again.

"Wait.....we don't have too."

"I want too," She promised.

"Maggie...."

"Jake, I want too."

He hesitated a minute maybe too then he kissed her again, leaning down he lifted her like she didn't weigh a single pound. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he turned and went to his knees on her bed, pinning her beneath him.

His hands dropped to the sweatpants she was wearing, pulling them down her legs and off of her feet. Then going for her panties, they joined her sweat pants and his hands pulled her shirt over her head.

She pulled him down against her and he sealed his lips over hers, kissing her deeply. Taking his time this time, not rushed or hurried like they had all the time in the world.

He held her close afterwards, his arms wrapped around her holding her against his naked chest. She sighed in content nuzzling her face into his neck, he was so muscular it was almost impossible to believe he wasn't a figment of her imagination. She ran her hand across his broad chest and down his abdomen, feeling the tight skin.

"Maggie, if you don't knock that off I'm going to put you over my knee," He warned in a teasing tone.

Her hand stopped it trail resting gently on his chest she turned, resting her chin on his collarbone. He had his eyes closed and was completely relaxed, his hand stroking across her bare shoulders.

"What will we tell everyone?" She asked.

"That the sex is just too damn good," He teased.

"Jake! I'm serious."

"I don't know Maggie, but we're not doing anything wrong."

"You were my brother in law......you were my sisters husband."

"But I'm not anymore, we're not doing anything wrong Maggie. We're both consenting single adults." He sat up and she slid off his chest her head falling onto his lap.

Reaching down he cupped her cheek in one hand and then leaned down to kiss her. It was a short and chaste kiss before he pulled away, he knew she was nervous and wished he could take that away from her.

"It's going to be okay, Maggie."

She wanted desperately to believe him but it was so hard, Artemis would be angry, her parents would most likely be disappointed that she had taken up with her sisters ex instead of getting her own husband and the poor children would be so confused.

"What about the kids?" She asked, raising an arm to push her fingers through his hair.

"What about them?"

"What will you tell them?"

"Nothing, they adore you Maggie..... and they're fortunately still too little to understand the reality."

She smiled up at him, letting his hair slide between her fingers before pulling him down for another kiss, he was naive to think that this would all be okay that simply but for now she was willing to pretend.

For now it was okay and that was enough, for now.