Bared: A King's Hart Novel Book 3 (BWWM)

III. Wallowing and Waiting and Alone

Before she could walk off, I turned. "Maggie wait." She was almost at the door but stopped. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you- - I just. . .," words failed me and I shook my head.

Maggie turned and settled in one of my chairs facing my desk. "No worries Suga, you wanna talk about it or do you just need someone to listen?"

I said nothing and we stayed silent. Maggie St. James is not a patient woman, and she has a temper that is down right infamous, but I was glad to call her my colleague and friend. She knew all that went down and has been loyal to me from the very beginning.

For a time she tolerated the silence waiting for me to speak first, but when I said nothing, she rolled her eyes and leaned forward to ask, "So you got in a fight?"

"Yes." I nodded.

"This morning?"

I nodded again. "It was my fault. I started it, I'm man enough to at least admit that part. I threw her past in her face. She didn't react like I'd expected and - -,"

"Well how's that?" She inquired with a raised brow her bright emerald eyes scrutinizing me the way she often does when she needs someone to get to the point.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you said she didn't react like you expected. How did you expect her to react when you threw her past in her face? You make it sound like something you had planned out."

I blinked up at her and she glared back at me.

"Did you plan for this to happen or were just acting off of emotions when you threw her past in her face. You have to give me all he particulars here Suga."

"You know very well that I have a temper, it was a knee jerk reaction to something that I'd found out. I thought she would understand where I was coming from."

"But she didn't understand," she said drawing her own conclusion.

"No she didn't. Than she threw Emma in my face and stompped off telling me in not so many words to leave her alone."

Maggie looked off for a moment and nodded her understanding. "So you've told her about Emma, I gather?"

I shook my head. "Nuri knows about Emma but she didn't hear it from me. All this time she's been waiting to hear my side and I just was not- - I am not ready to tell her about that part of my life."

"What's the harm in telling her about Emma? She'd dead, and you've moved on. I think it will bring the two of you closer together as a couple."

I havent' really got an answer to that question.

Maggie picked at invisible lint on her white blouse. "At any rate, you should never bring up a woman's past, at least not in a harmful way as though you have leverage over her. I'm not surprised she reacted the way she did."

"I don't' want to lose her Maggie," I admitted. "She's a good girl, innocent and it's like she's been shielded from the ugliness of this world. I need something good in my life."

Maggie drew in a cool breath and held her hands together in her lap. "You aren't going to lose her Suga. Nuri Hart is smart girl. Beyond the naive exterior, she has keen instincts and I think she realizes what she has with you."

I shook my head convinced that was just trying to make me feel better about myself.

"I'm serious. Right this second she is just as miserable as you are. The both of you are pathetic looking - -  only she is hiding it much better than you are."

I wanted to ask Maggie all about it, but what purpose would that serve. She's miserable and so am I. I don't need more confirmation of what I already know.