She followed her. “I said I was sorry. I’m not sure what else I can do.”

  “You can trust me to know who I want in my life and who I spend time with.”

  “I can’t believe you’re letting Beth back in after all she’s put you through.”

  “That’s not your business.”

  “Isn’t it? I mean it will be if…” She closed her eyes briefly. “I don’t want her to hurt you again.”

  Lynn’s eyebrows pulled together. “You’re jealous.”

  “Fuck yes, I’m jealous. Do you have any idea how I felt last night when I found her here with you eating the dinner you planned for me?”

  “The dinner you didn’t show up for.”

  “That wasn’t my fault. I fully expected Beth to perform the surgery and was totally surprised when she gave it to me. Don’t you see? Beth set that up. She must have found out about our plans somehow.”

  “That’s ridiculous.” Lynn picked out a doughnut and bit into it.

  “Why else would she have shown up here last night? Or is that a habit I’m not aware of? Do you have some kind of friends-with-benefits thing going on? Because if you do, we have a problem.”

  Lynn seemed to contemplate what she’d said. “No. I rarely see her outside of the hospital.” She sighed.

  “I’m an intern on Beth’s service. She has complete control of me at work right now.”

  “I’ll talk to her about it.”

  She shook her head. “No. That’ll only make it worse.”

  “Then what? We just suffer through Beth’s control?”

  “It’s only for a couple more weeks.” Maggie moved closer and pushed a stray hair from Lynn’s forehead away with her fingers. “Can you handle that?”

  Lynn nodded “I don’t really have a choice if I want to continue on this path with you.” She took in a deep breath. “And I do want to see where it leads.”

  She smiled. That was what she wanted to hear. “Can we try again this week?”

  “Thursday after shift. Tell no one,” Lynn said as she raised an eyebrow.

  “I promise.” Maggie kissed her, and the sweet taste of sugared doughnuts exploded in her mouth. Soon she had Lynn pressed against the refrigerator with her hand on her breast, wanting to do so much more, but she stopped herself, broke away, and took a breath. Lynn stared, her eyes dark and glassy, and Maggie knew she could have her right now if she wanted. God help her, she wanted her more than anything else.

  But not this morning. Not this way. Lynn fell into her arms and held her near, and she knew she’d made the right decision.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The week hadn’t gone fast enough for Lynn, and with the way her day had turned out, she couldn’t wait for it to end. It had been disappointing that her work week had ended with such a crazy day. She’d ended up working late and was going to have to cancel dinner with Maggie. Maybe they weren’t meant to be together. All the forces around them seemed to be working against them. When she’d texted Maggie to cancel, she’d immediately texted back.

  Absolutely not. I’ll have dinner with you at midnight if I have to.

  Lynn smiled at her response and typed back, That’s a possibility.

  Come here when you’re done. We’ll eat with the vampires.

  Will you be alone?

  Lynn knew Maggie’s roommate, Stacy, was on a different service. Lynn had seen her now and then but had no idea what shift she worked and when her days off were scheduled. The bubbles appeared as she waited for Maggie’s response.

  Completely alone, and possibly naked. Get here soon.

  The sentence was punctuated with a wink face, but Lynn knew she wasn’t kidding, and the thought of seeing Maggie completely naked sent a jolt through her that she almost couldn’t contain. This was happening tonight. She glanced around to see if anyone was watching her, and thankfully no one had seen the heat rush to her face.

  When her last patient had been discharged and sent home, Lynn couldn’t leave fast enough, so it was nowhere close to midnight when she showed up at Maggie’s door. She’d texted her when she’d gotten home and told Maggie she was stopping by her place to take a shower first. She didn’t want to smell like the hospital and needed to relax for a few minutes to wash off her day.

  Maggie opened the door looking absolutely breathtaking. A pair of sweatpants and a tank top had never looked so good. It was amazing how she could do things to Lynn without even trying. “I thought you might want this.” She handed her the glass of wine in her hand and moved aside to let her in. “The pizza just arrived. Sausage and mushroom, right?”

  “Right.” She glanced at the box and saw that it was from her favorite pizzeria, the one she’d always ordered from when they’d lived in the house on the other side of town. She couldn’t believe Maggie had remembered after all these years. Maybe she’d just taken a wild guess. No, she’d ordered from there specifically instead of from one of the many other pizzerias and restaurants nearby.

  Maggie led her into the living room of the small apartment and sat down on the couch before she opened the box, snagged a couple of pieces, put them on a plate, and handed it to Lynn before she did the same for herself.

  She immediately took a bite, savoring the taste. It had been a while since she’d had this particular pizza, and the sauce was just as perfect as she remembered. She took a sip of wine before she said, “I’m so sorry I got hung up.”

  “No worries.” Maggie devoured her first slice. “We can’t avoid our jobs or the shit life throws at us, but we can navigate it together if you’ll just stop worrying and let whatever happens, happen.”

  “You underestimate the power of our circumstances. The last two times we’ve tried to have dinner have been disasters.”

  “Only one disaster. Tonight is still looking good, if you ask me.” Maggie gazed over her glass at her before she took a drink. “You want to tell me about your day?” She set her glass on the coffee table and snagged another slice of pizza.

  Lynn smiled. Maggie seemed to be starved. She must have waited for her to get here before she ate. Beth would’ve eaten and already been asleep. The two were so different, almost exact opposites. Beth was all about herself and never asked Lynn about her day. She might have inquired a few times when they’d first started seeing each other, but as their relationship progressed, it was one of the little things Lynn needed that had gone missing, along with everything else.

  As she went through all the ups and downs of her day, Maggie listened and commented when Lynn felt down about something she’d done or that might not have come out right, which happened daily.

  The curiosity in Maggie’s eyes and voice comforted Lynn. So many things about her job just spilled out, things she’d learned to keep bottled up. Maggie had a fantastic aura of care that made Lynn want to tell her everything. Almost an hour later, she realized how much she’d been talking while Maggie’s attention hadn’t strayed. She was still watching her intently, waiting for whatever words came out of Lynn’s mouth next.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve just been running on about things you probably don’t even care about.”

  “Not true. I care about everything that happens in your life.”

  “You are so…”

  Maggie’s head tilted as though she was waiting for the rest of the sentence to come out of Lynn’s mouth. Lynn took a deep breath and glanced around the room. “I don’t even know where to start with what I need to say.”

  “How about the beginning?”

  “You are so not what I ever expected you to be. Not then. Not now.”

  A slight smile crossed Maggie’s face, and she shifted to face her. “The reason you’ve been avoiding me?”

  “I’m so sorry, Maggie. I just didn’t know what to do. I thought you’d moved on, and I certainly didn’t want to complicate your life during your internship.”

  “What does that mean? Complicate my life how?”

  “By letting you know how I feel about you.”

  “How do you feel about me?” Maggie’s eyes were wide and curious. Did she really not know?

  “Very few days have passed that I haven’t thought about you since you left for medical school. I’ve been ignoring my feelings for so long that having you here in front of me seems surreal.”

  “Really?” Maggie seemed to be more able to keep a handle on her emotions at this moment than Lynn did.

  Lynn nodded, and her heartbeat drummed in her ears. “I never stopped feeling it. I tried seeing other women after my divorce, tried to put you out of my mind, but I never could. And trying to avoid you since you came to Baltimore has been exhausting. I can’t get you out of my system.”

  Maggie’s lips twisted into a quirky half-smile. “You don’t need to avoid me.”

  “Oh, but I do.” Lynn shook her head. “You have so much ahead of you. Your career, kids, a family. I don’t want to ruin your life.” The words came out of her mouth in a firm, strong voice, as though Lynn was trying to convince herself.

  “Ruin my life? That would never happen, and if that’s what you think, bring it on. I want you to ruin it in the best way possible.” Maggie moved closer, took Lynn’s face in her hands, and kissed her.

  Every rational thought flew from her mind as she kissed her back with everything she had. It was still a wonder how one kiss from Maggie could do things to her that no one else had ever been able to. When Maggie’s lips went to her neck, she could think of only one way to resolve her reactions.

  “We can’t tell anyone about this,” she whispered.

  “What?” Maggie immediately stopped kissing her, batted her eyes as though trying to focus, and backed up. “Why? Are you ashamed to be with me?”

  “No. Of course not. I just want to figure this out without other people watching and giving us advice.”

  “Okay. That makes sense.” Maggie returned to kissing her.

  “And we have to consider Carrie.” Would Carrie mind if she were involved with a younger woman other than Maggie? Did that make it better or worse?

  “Right, Carrie.”

  “And Beth.”

  “Fuck Beth.”

  “Do you think Carrie will be okay with this? I’m essentially her mother, and you’re her best friend.”

  Maggie growled into her neck. “For God’s sake, stop talking about Carrie. It’s really killing the mood.”

  “I’m sorry, but I worry about it.”

  Maggie sat up and created some distance between them. “Okay. Then let’s look at all the scenarios.” She threaded her fingers through her hair and swept it out of her face. Several blond strands immediately flopped back across her forehead.

  It was hard to focus with Maggie sitting so close. Her cheeks were pink and her hair mussed perfectly around her face. She was beautiful and vibrant, and unbelievably sexy. Maggie was so much more than Lynn had ever expected to have in her life. She pushed off the couch and went to the kitchen to get some water. They had quickly drained the wine bottle after dinner, and Lynn definitely needed to clear the fog from her mind.

  When she returned, she handed Maggie a bottle of water and sat in the corner of the couch. Maggie attempted to move closer, and Lynn put her hand up in front of her. “Stay there until we figure this out.” She pulled one leg up under the other on the couch, creating a barrier between them.

  The deflated breath that whooshed out of Maggie’s chest sounded pitiful. “Then can we continue?”

  “Yes.”

  Maggie raised an eyebrow as she slid her fingers lightly across Lynn’s leg. “What if I don’t remember where I was?”

  She took her hand and held it. “I’ll remind you.”

  “Okay, then. First scenario, we tell Carrie, and she’s ecstatic about us being together.”

  “Optimistic, and I’d love that, but…” Carrie would not be thrilled about it at all.

  Maggie frowned. “You’re right. Carrie’s probably going to be a hard sell.”

  Lynn nodded. “It took her a while to accept my divorce from Beth.”

  “Did she ever tell you why? I mean, did the two of you talk about it?”

  “She said she hadn’t seen it coming.” They’d put on such a good show of being happy on the outside that everyone was surprised.

  Maggie raised her eyebrows. “But you’d separated at one point. I remember that.”

  “I believe she just always thought we’d work things out. She’s fine with it now. We’ve talked, and she understands the reasons.”

  “So we need to ease her into the idea of us.”

  “Right. How do we do that?” she asked, sure it would be a slow process.

  “Well, she’s already aware that I’m seeing someone.”

  “You told her that?”

  “You know how she is. Twenty questions right up front whenever we talk.”

  Lynn chuckled. “Yes, I do.”

  “Have you told her you’re seeing anyone or are even testing the dating-pool waters?”

  She shook her head. “No. She asked, but I haven’t told her.”

  “Okay, first step, let her know you’re interested in dating. Or at least going out with friends.”

  “I can do that.”

  Maggie inched closer and kissed her.

  “We didn’t go through the bad scenarios,” she said in a breathless whisper.

  “But we have a plan,” Maggie said against her neck as she tickled it with her lips. “We can revisit the scenarios if something goes awry.”

  This wouldn’t stop with only a kiss. It took everything she had to push Maggie away and move to the edge of the couch. “No. I need to have everything straight before we go any further.” She drank another swallow of water and stood. “I need to go.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Maggie.” She shook her head, trying to make sense of the feelings swarming her. “I need to think.”

  Clearly disappointed, Maggie blew out a breath and sank into the couch. “Okay. You set the pace.”

  “Thank you,” she said and went to the door. Maggie didn’t follow, only watched her go like a sad puppy being left alone for the day.

  As she sprinted to the elevator, all she could think about was the disappointment in Maggie’s eyes and how much she’d wanted to make it go away. The more she thought about it, the more confused she got. Maybe she was wrong about trying to make sense of it all and should just let it happen. God knows she wanted it to. Carrie would be all right as long as she was happy, right?

  She changed her mind several times, pacing back and forth in the hallway, and had been standing outside Maggie’s door when it suddenly swung open. She looked into Maggie’s beautiful blue eyes, and all her willpower vanished. She couldn’t put the lightning coursing through her back in the bottle even if she tried. She wanted Maggie with everything she had. She’d waited so long for this moment and had completely resigned herself to it never happening. Now, here she was standing in front of her, practically begging her to love her. They absolutely couldn’t turn back now. Not with the way they were looking at each other.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Lynn knew she should turn and walk—no, run away, but the decision was out of her hands now, and she quickly closed the space between them. She exploded in need as Maggie took her in her arms and each of them explored the other’s mouth with their tongue. She wanted to feel every part of Maggie against her, had dreamed about it so many times. She wasn’t disappointed. Everything she’d imagined sprang to life. The soft, tender kiss began slowly, and then suddenly the intensity made her stagger. Unbidden feelings swept through her as the union turned into a firestorm that Lynn knew she might regret.

  Suddenly she heard the door slam shut and was pressed up against the wall inside, thankful for the support it supplied. Maggie’s soft, warm hands crept up under her shirt, and she shuddered. She dragged her lips away and saw the want in Maggie’s deep-blue eyes.

  “I’ve been waiting so long for this. For you.” Maggie’s eyes were dark and full of desire. She’d thought for sure Maggie would’ve moved on, at least found someone her own age in medical school.

  “You have?”

  “Uh-huh. Since the moment I saw you. The first day I came to your house.”

  “When I was in the garden? Oh, God. I was all hot and sweaty.” She remembered the day perfectly. Maggie hadn’t been the only one who felt the connection.

  “Were you? I didn’t notice. All I remember is that when you turned around and smiled at me, my world shifted.” She moved up to her ear and whispered, “God, you were gorgeous.”

  “That was so long ago.”

  “It seems like an eternity.” Maggie buried her face in her neck, painting it with her tongue. “No wonder I want you so much.” She stroked her thumb across the silky cup of her bra, and Lynn shuddered.

  Maggie slipped her hands underneath Lynn’s shirt and skimmed her finger over her ribs. The touch, even though soft and tender, made Lynn quiver. When Maggie traced the valley between her breasts with her fingers before slipping her thumb beneath the underwire of her bra and flicking her nipple, Lynn shook, the most incredible jolt coursing all the way to her center.

  “We shouldn’t do this.” She arched when Maggie fell to her knees and slid her tongue across her midsection.

  “You want me to stop?” Maggie asked as she continued to caress her belly.

  “No,” she whispered and let out a moan as Maggie’s tongue dipped into her belly button. “I don’t want you to stop. I might die if you do.”

  Maggie chuckled and then popped back up and kissed her again.

  She broke the kiss, and Maggie’s forehead creased. “What?”

  “I want every bit of you, but not here in the entryway.” She shook her head. “I’m way too old for sex on the floor.”

  Maggie smiled and held out her hand. “Every bit of me is yours. Always has been.”

  Every word that came out of Maggie’s mouth was perfect. She couldn’t make Lynn want her more at this point. Her heart raced as she reached for Maggie’s hand and let her lead her into the bedroom, where Maggie immediately took her face into her hands and kissed her until she felt weak. She slowly, methodically pulled her shirt up over her head and then went right back to kissing her. Jesus, she could kiss. Every pulse point on her body was thrumming and waiting to be touched. When she reached for the button of her jeans, Maggie stopped her. It was completely clear who was in control tonight. Maggie popped the button loose and slid the zipper down slowly, letting her fingertips graze the skin underneath. Chills ran through Lynn as she fought to maintain herself. Once her jeans were on the floor, Maggie lifted each foot out of them, one by one. The kiss Maggie placed on her inner thigh sent a red-hot bolt of electricity through her, and Lynn had to grab hold of Maggie’s head to steady herself.