Closest To My Heart

Chapter Twenty-Five

Maggie lay listening to the sound of Tag's heartbeat as his breathing fell into the slow, steady rhythm of sleep. Her body begged for slumber, too, but her mind was racing over the whirlwind of change that had so recently swept through her life. When Kevin ended things with her, it had completely shattered Maggie's sense of self and security. But somehow, the pieces had fallen back together in a way that she never could have imagined, and the end result was something extraordinary. With Kevin, the future had been nothing more than a cloudy image of an offhand promise, like trying to grab smoke in her hand. But with Tag, the future looked clear and bright, and it was something she could hold onto. Granted, they hadn't discussed their future together in any great detail, and there were bound to be a few kinks to iron out along the way, but somehow, being with Tag just felt so... right. What she'd had with Kevin had been safe and practical—even good for the first few years—but it had never felt as real as the strange and wonderful bond that had grown so quickly between her and Tag. They'd known each other such a short time, and already Maggie couldn't picture a life without him in it.

Easing out of his embrace, Maggie propped herself up on one elbow and studied Tag's face as he slept. What had she been so afraid of? He wasn't going to hurt her, and he would never do anything to break her heart.

He isn't that kind of man, Maggie thought, smiling as she traced her fingertip gently down the slope of his nose. She wasn't sure exactly how she knew that, but it didn't matter. She knew, and that was enough.

She leaned over and brushed her lips across his, softly at first and then with slightly more resolve. He stirred as the tip of her tongue slipped gently between his lips, reaching out to pull her close but still not waking up.

"Hey," Maggie whispered in between kisses. "Wake up, sleepyhead."

*****

Tag couldn't remember falling asleep, or really even closing his eyes, but he had the distinct impression that he was dreaming. And if he was dreaming, then he definitely did not want to wake up. The dulcet sound of Maggie's voice softly saying his name, the warm velvety touch of her lips on his...

"Mm-hmm?" he murmured as she whispered his name again. Struggling to free himself from the depths of sleep, he forced his eyelids to open. "Magg—"

"Shh," Maggie hushed, silencing him with another kiss. "Don't talk. Just kiss me."

She swung her leg over to straddle his hips, and his erection instantly rose to meet the sultry heat of her sex. Her muffled moan tumbled into his mouth as she kissed him more fervently, teasing his tongue with her own. Tag's hands cupped the perfect curve of her ass and pulled her hard against his manhood, savoring the warm, moist heat of her core in spite of the clothing that separated them. Maggie gasped and rocked back to grind against him, her eyes closed and her face tipped up to the sky.

My God, she's beautiful, Tag thought reverently, reaching around to caress her breasts through the material of her bikini top.

Maggie smiled down at him and tugged at the front of his shirt, drawing him toward her. Tag pushed himself up to sitting and she wrapped her legs and arms around him as she covered his mouth with hers.

Oh, God. With one arm circled tight around her waist, one hand tangled in her hair, Tag kissed her lips, her neck, her shoulders, her chest, but it still wasn't enough. He wanted more. He wanted to taste every last inch of her, to feel her naked body against his, to fuck her goddamn senseless. But so much more than any of that, he wanted to—

"Make love to me," Maggie breathed, her fingers clenching in his hair. "I want you to. Here, tonight, right now."

Tag moaned as he kissed the valley between her breasts. She'd just read his mind, and she'd said exactly the words he'd been wanting to hear from her, but—

"Wait," he said, forcing himself to stop. He took a long, shaky breath. "We should wait."

"What?" Maggie asked, her face clouding over in confusion. "Why?"

Tag sighed and ran a hand down over his face. She wanted to know why?

"Believe me, Maggie, it's not that I don't want to," he tried to explain. "It's just that... well, it was only yesterday you were telling me that you needed time, that you weren't ready to pursue a relationship with me..."

Maggie shrugged. "What can I say? I changed my mind," she said blithely, and then met his eyes with a serious expression. "Are you saying that you've changed yours?"

"No! God, no!" Tag blurted out.

So what is it, then? he asked himself.

"It's just that...," he said, struggling to find the words. "I just don't want you to have any regrets, that's all."

"Oh, Tag," Maggie sighed, giving him a compassionate smile. She slipped the gauzy beach cover-up from her shoulders and let it fall to the ground. "I have a long list of regrets, but I promise you this isn't going to be one of them."

She reached back with slow, sensual deliberateness and released the lower tie of her bikini top. With the upper tie still intact, she slipped the top off over her head and tossed it aside, baring her lily-white breasts for only him and the moonlight to see.