“That was a mistake.” She reached across the table and took Maggie’s hand.

  “Yet you’re working side by side with her in the lab every day.” Maggie knew how hard it was to be around someone you wanted and not be able to have her.

  “I can’t just quit my job.”

  “I’m not asking you to. She’s there, you’re there. Have at her.” She slipped her hand away. “My job is here. I’m not going back to Boston.”

  They both turned when the clerk shouted, “Ma’am, you forgot your coffee.”

  Maggie saw Lynn rushing to the door. “Fuck. I have to go.” She bolted out of her chair and flew after her.

  * * *

  Within fifteen minutes, Maggie was pounding on Lynn’s door, but she wasn’t there. She knew Maggie would come here first. Where would she go? She paced the hallway and then rushed to the elevator. Pam’s. She’d go there. The button remained lit as she pressed it multiple times before the doors opened. She sprinted the few blocks to Pam’s house, and when she got to the porch, she knocked on the door before she grabbed her knees and took a few breaths.

  Pam opened the door and raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got some explaining to do,” she said as she crossed her arms.

  “Fuck me. I know. She’s an old girlfriend. That’s all.” She thought Pam might send her away, but then she opened the door wider and let her inside. She led her through the large, traditionally decorated living room and out onto the back porch, where Lynn was sitting on the steps staring across the yard.

  “I’m going for a drive. Call me if you need me,” Pam said and then went back inside.

  Maggie stood at the edge of the porch, bracing herself on the railing. “Why’d you take off like that?”

  Lynn glanced up and stared. “Who was that woman?”

  “A friend.” She didn’t want to go into the details of a relationship that was never going anywhere. She might have been callous, but what she’d had with Brenda had never been anything more than a pairing of convenience.

  “She’s more than a friend.”

  “Yes. I mean, she was.”

  “God, I am so stupid. I thought you and I were—” She shook her head. “I don’t know what I thought, but you’re involved with someone else in Boston.”

  “No.” Back to the one-word answers again. “Absolutely not.” She sat on the steps next to Lynn. “I was done when I left Boston, but apparently she was still invested.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about her?”

  “What the hell, Lynn. You never told me about your divorce. I had to move to another city to even attempt to get over you, and it still didn’t work.”

  Lynn was silent for a minute. “You’re right. I have no right to be upset.” She got up and walked to the screen door, then swung back around. “But just for my own sanity, what the hell happened to you four years ago? The week after graduation.”

  “The week after we kissed?”

  “Yes.” Lynn’s voice softened. “I turned around and you were gone. You totally ghosted me.”

  “I couldn’t just hang around waiting for you to want me.” She couldn’t tell her that Carrie had made her leave, threatened to never speak to her again if she broke up her parents’ marriage. That would’ve changed everything in their future, even now.

  “It wasn’t a question of want, Maggie. You didn’t give me a chance to make a decision.”

  “You were trying to make it work with Beth. I thought it would be easier if I left.”

  “And within six months, I was divorced.”

  “I know. Four fucking years, Lynn. Why didn’t you call me?” She paced the deck.

  “I did, but your girlfriend answered.” She clenched the railing and looked out onto the yard. “I refused to interrupt your life.” She spun around to face her. “I know what it feels like to have obligations.”

  “She was my roommate at the time. That was it. Absolutely nothing else.” She let out a short breath. “You didn’t give me a whole lot of credit, did you?”

  “I just knew that I’d hurt you and—”

  “And you thought I’d hop in the sack with the first woman I met?”

  “No.” Lynn shook her head. “I’m not sure what I thought.”

  “If I’d known you were divorced, I would’ve been back here in a New York minute.” She’d waited for that call every night in Boston.

  Lynn turned to the yard, clearly trying to hide her emotions. “And now your girlfriend is here and wants you back. Are you in love with her?”

  “Damn it, Lynn. You’re just as blind now as you were then.” Maggie slipped her arms around her waist. “I was telling her good-bye, again.” She pressed her lips to Lynn’s neck. “I’d already told her when I left Boston.”

  Lynn twisted around. “You told her again?”

  She nodded. “No way in hell am I going to lose you twice.” Maggie moved closer, brushing Lynn’s lips with hers. The rest of the world faded away again. “Come on.” Maggie took her hand and opened the door inside. “Let’s go home.”

  * * *

  After they entered Lynn’s apartment, Maggie turned around and flipped the deadbolt. She pushed Lynn up against the wall and covered her mouth with hers. “I’m not letting anyone get between us again.” Her breaths were labored as she slipped her hands under Lynn’s shirt and grazed the curve of her hips up to the swell of her breasts. “God, you feel good.” She pulled her shirt over her head and had her bra off in seconds. She put her mouth on Lynn’s again, and Lynn moaned as she pinched her nipple between her fingers. She slid her other hand under the waistband of Lynn’s scrubs and between her legs, pressed her palm to her center, and Lynn bucked into her. Desire sparked wildly throughout her, and she couldn’t get enough of Lynn. She kissed her deeply as she pushed her fingers between Lynn’s folds. “God, you’re so wet.” Lynn shuddered and suddenly gripped her shoulders for balance.

  “Every day, since you came back,” Lynn said, her breaths labored.

  She held Lynn firmly against the wall and felt her tense as she shoved her fingers deeper, then dragged them out slowly, raking across the perfect spot. Lynn jerked and her legs wavered, but Maggie waited for more to come as she continued to stroke the flesh between her fingers and thumb. Lynn’s face changed, her tongue pressed to her teeth, her darkened emerald eyes fixed on Maggie’s. She didn’t want anything more than to be right here right now. When she heard Lynn cry out, she increased her rhythm, and Lynn gripped her tighter and launched into orgasm. She moved faster and harder until Lynn loosened her grip and urged her to stop.

  Maggie slowed but wasn’t completely done, Lynn’s hips jerking as the tremors still coursed through her each time Maggie slightly touched her. When the tremors subsided and she backed up and saw Lynn gazing at her, tears sprang from her eyes. She’d never wanted anything more than to love and be loved by Lynn. She kissed her gently. “I don’t want to do that to anyone but you.” It had only been a day since they’d been together, but she craved Lynn every minute they were apart. “And I don’t want anyone else to touch you.”

  Tears welled in Lynn’s eyes too. “Same,” Lynn said as she wrapped her arms around her. As they stood there holding each other, all Maggie’s fears were swept away.

  * * *

  Lynn lay in bed holding Maggie in her arms, the thought of losing her terrifying now. Yesterday, when she’d stopped at the coffee house to pick up a latte on her way home, she’d been in a great mood. Maggie had reentered her life, and she’d finally thought fate was on her side again. After she’d ordered her favorite treat and moved to the other end of the counter to wait for it, she’d turned to look at the cups for sale on the center display, as she often did. Then, from across the room, she’d heard Maggie’s voice. She was talking to a woman Lynn didn’t recognize, a beautiful, dark-haired woman, whom she now knew as Brenda. When she saw Brenda reach across the table and take Maggie’s hand, heat had penetrated her neck instantly and she’d felt nauseated. She’d almost knocked over the display when she’d grabbed hold of it to steady herself.

  She’d abandoned her coffee and rushed to the door. When the clerk yelled, she saw Maggie’s head turn, and her heart had almost launched into a complete arrhythmia. No way would she confront Maggie in the coffee shop. Then as she flew by the front window, she saw Maggie bolt out of her seat and knew she was coming after her. She couldn’t talk to her right then, not after seeing her holding hands with another woman.

  Instead of going home, where she knew Maggie would hunt for her, she ran to Pam and Heather’s house a few blocks away and banged on the door until Pam let her in. As soon as she got inside, tears flooded her eyes. She couldn’t believe what she’d just seen. By the time Maggie showed up at Pam’s house, she’d calmed down, and Pam had convinced her to listen if Maggie attempted to explain. She had, and Maggie had told Lynn her innermost feelings. She’d laid everything she’d felt on the table, starting with the moment she’d first seen her years ago.

  Lynn had almost drifted off to sleep when she heard the door to her apartment push open and Carrie calling her name. Fuck! She shoved Maggie aside and vaulted out of bed, barely hearing the thud as Maggie rolled off the bed on the other side.

  She looked across the bed to see Maggie’s head emerging. She whispered, “Oh my God. I’m so sorry. Stay there. Carrie’s here.” Then she shouted, “Be right out,” before she sped into the bathroom. There she quickly splashed water on her face and finger-combed her hair with her wet hands. She didn’t wear a lot of makeup on her days off, but her cheeks were seriously flushed.

  “Auntie. You in there?” Carrie’s voice resonated through the bathroom door.

  Fuck, she’s in the bedroom. Her mind scrambled as she tried to figure out what to do. She tugged the towel from the rod and wrapped it around her, opening the door to find Carrie rounding the bed to pull the blanket over it. “Hey. Why don’t you go make us some coffee, and I’ll do that.”

  “Since you were at the cabin on my last visit, I thought I’d come today.” She dropped the blanket and gave her a strange look. “Since when do you wear boyshorts?” She held them up between her hands. “Do these even fit you?”

  She swiped the boyshorts out of her hand. “Yes, they fit, and no, if you’d called I would’ve already been up and dressed. It’s my day off, and it’s still early.”

  “It’s ten a.m.”

  “I didn’t sleep well and thought I’d give myself a few more hours.”

  “Oh, sorry. I got off early from my shift at four this morning and left right after.” Carrie glanced around the room, clearly noticing the disarray. “I went by to see Maggie, but she’s not home.”

  “I haven’t seen her much.” She guided Carrie to the door. “I’ll get dressed and be out in a minute.” As soon as Carrie was out the bedroom door, she rushed to the other side of the bed to beg Maggie’s forgiveness but saw no sign of her. Had she slipped out of the room somehow while she was in the bathroom? Did Carrie see her? Panic rushed her as she dropped to her knees and peered under the bed. Then happiness captured her when she found the most beautiful light-blue eyes staring back at her. “I’m so sorry.” Lynn leveled herself on the floor facing her and smiled. “Maybe I should keep you right here under my bed forever.”

  Maggie raised an eyebrow. “Although that sounds tempting, I might lose my job.” She sighed. “We need to tell her.”

  Lynn nodded. “I know. But not today.” She brushed Maggie’s cheek with her thumb. “You need to stay here until I dress and get her out of here.”

  “Can I at least have a blanket?” Maggie pointed to the air-conditioning vent near the wall. “That cold air is a killer.”

  She pulled the blanket from the bed and pushed it to Maggie. “We’ll be gone soon.” She started to get up and gazed at Maggie again. The most beautiful sight in the world seemed to be her dirty little secret. She would have to do something about that soon. “Thank you.”

  Maggie nodded. “Now go.”

  By the time Lynn entered the kitchen, Carrie had already made a pot of coffee. The empty pizza box left on the counter from the night before had been broken down and stuffed in the trash, and the carton of eggs from the refrigerator sat next to the stove. Apparently, Carrie wanted breakfast, which wasn’t unexpected, but no way were they staying there. On any given day she would’ve been thrilled to fix it for her, but the prospect irritated her this morning. In the past, Lynn had always been available when Carrie needed her, but going forward, she needed to set some boundaries. If Carrie had shown up an hour earlier, she would’ve had a huge surprise, and the morning would be going much differently. Lynn had been so wrapped up in Maggie that neither of them would’ve heard her come in.

  “Hey, let’s go out to breakfast. I feel like pancakes.”

  “You won’t get any argument from me.” Carrie opened the refrigerator door and slid the eggs back onto the shelf. “Are you seeing someone?”

  “No.” Lynn had hoped to dodge any questions this morning, but they were inevitable. Carrie had started hitting her with them before they’d even left the apartment.

  “Two wineglasses were on the coffee table.”

  “I had a friend over last night.” As usual, she and Maggie had moved from the couch to the bedroom quickly the night before, and she hadn’t cleaned up anything.

  “Who?”

  “Pam.”

  “Why is your bedroom a catastrophe?”

  “I clean on my day off, and that’s today.” But Carrie wouldn’t buy that. Lynn usually kept her place spotless and always cleaned before anyone came over, even Pam. Recently she’d been expending her energy on another activity.

  “Since when?”

  “Since I’m an adult and can do what I want.”

  Carrie scrunched her eyebrows. “You’re acting really strange.”

  “Well, you did just burst into my apartment and wake me from a sound sleep.”

  “I thought you were in the shower.”

  “I was, after you woke me.” Fuck. She needed to get her story straight. “A little warning would’ve been nice.” She let her irritation ring in her voice. Carrie should’ve at least texted to let her know she was coming.

  When they reached the door, Lynn turned to Carrie and put up her hand. “That’s enough questions. Let’s just have a nice breakfast, okay?”

  Carrie rolled her lips in. “Okay. I just don’t know why you’re being so secretive.”

  “I’m not. But I am entitled to a life of my own. Now stop.”

  Once they were seated at the pancake house, Carrie changed the subject.

  “Scott asked me to marry him.” She held out her finger, and a nice-sized diamond sparkled as she wiggled it.

  “Oh, honey, that’s wonderful.” It was beautiful, probably close to a full carat. She’d been too irritated to see it before.

  “We want to do it right away.”

  “Like right away when?”

  “Like this coming spring.”

  “Oh, wow. That’ll take some quick planning.” She tried to calm the alarms going off in her head. Most people started planning at least a year out, and it was almost the end of August, which meant they were already a couple of months behind in planning. They’d have to move quickly to find a venue that wasn’t already booked. “Do you want to do it here in Baltimore or in Boston?”

  “Here. Can you believe Scott’s parents live in Mount Washington? He grew up here too.”

  “Okay.” Lynn repressed her anxiety. Carrie had no idea how much planning went into a wedding and expected Lynn to make it happen just like that. And Lynn would, as always. No matter how much time it took.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Still a little irritated from Carrie’s surprise visit this morning, Maggie stood in her kitchen putting the last of the groceries in the refrigerator. Carrie was as unpredictable as a thunderstorm and just as destructive. She didn’t have regard for anyone’s time but her own. Showing up at Lynn’s this morning unannounced wasn’t out of character. Weeks ago, before she’d gotten together with Lynn, they’d planned another girls’ weekend, and Carrie had canceled on her twice. They’d decided to hang out, binge-watch shows on Netflix, and eat like they had in college. She’d been looking forward to it and had rearranged her schedule, only to have her cancel.

  As soon as she’d heard the front door close this morning, she’d crawled from under the bed and found her clothes on the chair in the corner of the room. Apparently, someone had picked them up, and she wasn’t sure if it had been Lynn or Carrie. If it was Carrie, she would have questions when she arrived. Her phone dinged, and she read a text from Lynn.

  Almost done with breakfast.

  How long until you get here?

  About twenty minutes.

  Stall, please. I need a shower.

  No, you don’t. You’re beautiful.

  You’re all over me.

  I like that.

  She responded with a smiley face, dropped her phone to the counter, and headed to the shower. She didn’t want to give Carrie any indication that she’d been with anyone, especially Lynn, this morning until she’d tested the waters.

  After she showered, Maggie picked up a few things and actually ran the vacuum. Cleaning helped her think, and she didn’t know quite how to determine whether Carrie would be okay with her and Lynn as a couple. Hopefully that information would come this weekend, somehow.

  The doorbell rang through the apartment, and Maggie vaulted off the couch to open the door. She’d had more than enough time to shower and clean her apartment a little.

  “You’re here,” she squealed as she pulled Carrie into a hug. She had to make it look like she hadn’t expected her.

  Carrie looked around her into the apartment as though she might find someone else. “I came by earlier, and you didn’t answer.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t know you were coming. I volunteered to help out someone with a shift.” The circles under her eyes from her activities with Lynn would make the story plausible.