Maggie sighed as Brad lightly touched her skin, igniting a flame within. She reached up and wrapped her arms around him holding his close, her legs wrapping around his back as he glided into her. Maggie moaned as Brad thrust deep into her, rocking his hips back and forth as her walls tightened around him.
Brad gave one final thrust and they both cried out finding their release together. Maggie lay back on the bed, Brad still inside her as he brushed a few stray locks of hair back from her face. “I could lay here all day inside you,” he smiled warmly, sated from their lovemaking.
Maggie replied languishly, “I’d be okay with that. I wish we could stay here forever. It’s such a magical place. Like our own private hideaway.”
They lay together for as long as they could before Brad had to leave for his flight. Maggie’s flight was scheduled to fly out a few hours later. When Brad left, he promised to let her know when he would be back the next week and he planned to stay with her for Christmas.
On the flight back home, Carl told Maggie all about Evelyn and that she also planned to come to Georgia for Christmas. Maggie smiled and nodded, happy for her dad to have found someone that seemed to make him happy. She, on the other hand, was scared. Even though Brad had promised to spend Christmas with her, she was afraid that once they were away from the spell of the resort and the weekend, that he would realize he didn’t want to be with her.
Also, the fear of falling in love with someone again, crept back in. Maggie wanted to trust Brad, but a small voice inside her head told her that one weekend would not change him. That Brad was a womanizer, and she was going to be his latest victim. Maggie tried to shake the feeling, but the longer they were apart the more the thought kept wriggling back in. By the end of the week she had not heard from Brad and she started to berate herself for letting him in and being so stupid.
Chapter 13
“So, tell us everything again,” Jim repeated, pouring himself his third glass of wine.
It was the weekend before Christmas and Janet and Lori were back in town to visit with their families. They hadn’t seen Maggie since Thanksgiving and they all wanted the dirt.
“There’s really not much to tell,” Maggie informed them again. “You saw the show--that’s pretty much it.” Maggie had done her best to dodge all their questions since she had returned home. Jim had stopped over and called several times, along with Janet and Lori, who texted her nonstop. Thankfully she had been so busy at work that she was able to use that as her excuse to not have time to talk.
“Come on, Mags,” Janet whined. “We know you too well for that to be all. Something happened between you two and you’re not telling us. Now dish! We’re your best friends and you can trust us.”
Maggie rolled her eyes. The whole world had heard about how they had been rescued after being shacked up in a cabin alone for two nights. They’d been the talk of all the Hollywood insider shows. Everyone wanted to know, did they, or didn’t they? A few reporters had called for Maggie, but she ignored them. Brad had gone M.I.A. and no one had heard from him in almost a week. Not even Maggie.
That was what hurt her the most. She had believed his promises and foolishly she had opened her heart. Maggie turned and looked them all square in the eye. “Nothing happened, I swear.”
Janet, Lori, and Jim all looked at each other, knowing she was lying, but also aware Maggie was not going to open up. “Okay, okay. So nothing happened. Now what? Are you at least going to try dating again?” Lori asked.
“Mags, we all get it--Isaac was amazing, but even he wouldn’t want you to pine away forever. He loved you too much for that,” Jim interjected.
Maggie knew they were right. But she also knew she wouldn’t be able to move on until she got the truth from Brad. She needed to know once and for all if he ever really cared for her or not. “I’ll think about it, okay?” she told them, wanting to change the subject. “Janet, tell me all about the pregnancy--how have you been feeling?”
Janet smiled, “Besides the constant vomiting all morning, not too bad. I’ll be happy for this part to end.”
The rest of the evening Maggie filled them in about her dad and his new love interest and Jim informed them all that he and Billy had decided they were ready to adopt and had met with an agency to start the process.
The next morning, Maggie woke up with a slight headache. Though Janet and Lori had left early, Jim had stayed late into the morning hours and she was paying for it now. Maggie went to the bathroom to rummage through her medicine cabinet for some aspirin, when she got a text message from Jim. He had attached a picture of them hugging outside her house. The caption below “Looks like Dr. Vaughn has moved on, leaving Bradley Thomas with a broken heart.”
Maggie cursed, dropping the bottle of pills. She opened up the article and read. When she was done, she was fuming. Someone had written the article to make it look like she had been dating Jim the whole time and that Brad found out. It went on to say how crushed and heartbroken he was and how he may never love again.
Maggie could feel her blood begin to boil. She picked up her phone and called Brad. She hadn’t heard from him all week and wanted to give him his space, but now she didn’t care. She needed to know if Brad had known about this scheme and if making her out to be the bad guy had been the plan all along.
Maggie listened to the phone ring five times before it went to voicemail. She cursed under her breath and then the doorbell rang. Maggie didn’t want to answer it, sure it was someone wanting to find out how she could break Brad’s heart. Maggie walked downstairs to the door and opened it. Standing there in a blue baseball cap, a red flannel shirt and a pair of jeans was Brad.
Maggie’s hand flew up into the air to strike him, when he reached out and caught it mid-swing. “Well, I’m happy to see you too,” he looked up, a devilishly handsome smile forming on his lips.
Maggie grunted and jerked her arm back. “Seriously?! Are you going to stand there after no word from you all week and act like I should be rejoicing that you’re here?!” she exclaimed, hotly. “And now I see someone must have been hiding out in my yard taking pictures of me and Jim to make up a story and turn me into the bad guy!”
Brad bridged the short space between them and wrapped an arm around her waist. “I’m sorry. I wanted to call, but I couldn’t. I’d signed an agreement when I agreed to the contest and I wasn’t allowed to contact you after we departed. Technically, if someone catches me here right now, I could be sued by the T.V. station,” Brad informed her. Maggie had no idea what he was talking about. She hadn’t signed anything stating they couldn’t contact each other.
Brad could see the lost look on her face. “Can I come in and we can talk about things inside?” he asked. “I’d hate for someone to see me and blow my cover.” Brad glanced around to see if anyone was looking.
Maggie stepped aside and Brad walked in, closing the door behind him. Maggie was apprehensive at first. She was so furious with Brad, but also so delighted that he was standing here in her house only inches from her. She wanted to slap him and kiss him all at once. Brad made the decision for them and took her into his arms, kissing her passionately on the lips. Maggie’s mind screamed stop but her body said keep going. Maggie relaxed and let all her anger wash away in that kiss.
When Brad pulled back, she was no longer mad, but she still wanted an explanation. “Can we sit down?” he asked, nodding to the living room couch.
“Sure,” Maggie replied. They walked into the living room and took a seat. Brad began to tell her everything from the beginning--how he had signed a contract and he knew he couldn’t be seen near her or found talking to her after the show. The plan was to have the world believe that in one weekend he had fallen head over heels in love with her and then she would break his heart and that was why the picture of her and Jim was plastered everywhere on T.V. America would see him as the victim and he would no longer be the bad boy who slept his way around L.A. Instead, fans would see he was really a lovable guy who got hurt and w
omen across the world would feel sorry for him. His image would be that of a heartbroken movie star.
“But, why didn’t you warn me about all this? I still don’t understand,” Maggie asked.
“First of all, I never expected to actually have any feelings for you. I mean, who falls for someone after one weekend together? That doesn’t happen in real life. And second, I was afraid if you knew you’d be so pissed, you’d leave. So I took my chances and hoped you’d forgive me once I could tell you,” Brad attempted to explain his reasoning looking a little remorseful.
Maggie wasn’t sure if all he said was the full truth, but she had no reason not to believe him...and he was here now. She hoped he planned to stay. “So, what’s the plan?” she asked. “I’m sure you can’t stay if people are looking for you.”
“Todd knows I’m here. He’ll cover for me. Plus, it is Christmas in two days, so he can tell everyone I was so brokenhearted and with the holidays I decided to head to a cabin in the woods to be alone. You know, off the grid for a few days,” Brad smiled confidently.
Maggie just laughed. “Seriously, that’s your story?! And you really think people will believe it?” she laughed even louder.
Brad shrugged. “Either way, it buys me time to be here with you and that’s where I want to be. Just no one can know,” he told her.
Maggie grimaced. “But I spend every Christmas with my dad. I can’t possibly…”
Brad sighed. “Okay, just no one else but your dad--”
“--And Evelyn?” Maggie cut him off.
Brad was about to object, when he saw the look on Maggie’s face. “Okay...and Evelyn, but no one else, period. And they both have to swear to tell no one I’m here. Got it!” Brad exclaimed.
“Promise,” Maggie pledged. Then she wrapped her arms around Brad and hugged him tight. “I still can’t believe you’re really here. I’ve missed you,” she purred.
Brad caught the thick desire in her voice. “I’ve missed you too,” he growled as he wove his hand into the back of her hair, pulling into a passionate kiss.
Maggie leaned into him, her body relaxing as she relished in the taste of his mouth on hers. She parted her lips to allow his tongue to enter, a soft moan escaping as he tasted her. Maggie had missed the feeling of his mouth on hers and kissed him like it had been years since they had last been together.
Brad released his mouth from hers long enough to whisper in her ear, “Should we take this upstairs?” Maggie nodded and took his hand to lead him up to her room.
Brad looked around the femininely decorated bedroom. It was not at all what he would have pictured her room looking like with the large four poster bed and satin comforter. There was a seat by the bay window, where he pictured her sitting up reading at night. There was an adjoining bathroom and a large dresser filled with pictures of friends and family. And in the middle was a tiny snow globe with a grand house in the center of it. He figured it must be one from her mother’s collection.
Maggie walked over to the edge of the bed and guided Brad to sit down. Maggie stepped back and slowly began to remove her clothes. Maggie enjoyed the expression on Brad’s face as he watched with great anticipation. Her confidence grew as she stood stark naked in front of him, letting his eyes take in every inch of her body.
Brad licked his lower lip, wanting to reach out and throw her on the bed and take her now. But he resisted the urge and allowed her to set the pace. Maggie walked over towards him and removed his hat and then his sweatshirt. Maggie pushed him back onto the bed with one finger and then used the same finger to trace a line from his chest to his belly button, straight to the top of his pants. She smiled wickedly as she unbuttoned the button and pulled down the zipper. Her hand reached in and freed the thick rod underneath.
Pulling his pants all the way off, she knelt down between his spread legs and guided his hard member into her mouth. Maggie sucked and licked, enjoying the feel of him inside her mouth. She closed her eyes and enjoyed tasting every last inch of him. Brad moaned as Maggie fondled and stroked his swollen rod.
Brad could tell he was close to coming and groaned, “I want to feel you wrapped around me.”
Maggie released him from her mouth and crawled on top of him. She grabbed a condom from the nightstand drawer and slid it on him. She then placed his cock at her entrance, and she pushed down, taking him fully. Maggie’s head rolled back as she rocked back and forth, riding him faster and faster. Then with one last buck of her hips, they both cried out as the waves of ecstasy overcame them both.
Maggie rolled off Brad and lay by his side in the bed. Brad leaned over and stroked the side of her face. “Do you know how beautiful you are?” he asked.
Maggie blushed and looked down. The compliment made her feel more naked than she already was. She wasn’t used to a man telling her she was beautiful. Brad took her chin in between his thumb and forefinger, making her look up at him. “You’re the most breathtaking woman I’ve ever met,” he murmured and placed a light kiss on her lips.
Maggie only gazed at him. She couldn’t believe that she had been so lucky to get the best Christmas gift ever.
********
Christmas morning arrived and the sun was shining. Maggie woke up to the smell of coffee brewing and bacon cooking. Brad had woken up an hour earlier and was downstairs waiting for Maggie to wake up. Maggie got out of bed and threw on a robe before heading downstairs.
Brad made all her breakfast favorites: buttermilk pancakes, bacon, and eggs. This was only his second day at her home, but she had already become accustomed to his cooking for her. Since he had been there, he had made her the best meals she had ever tasted. As she walked into the kitchen, she smiled to herself as she watched him make himself home in her kitchen. “You know, if you ever decide to give up your day job, I’d let you live here and cook for me all day,” Maggie stated.
Brad laughed, “Oh, you’d let me be your personal chef?” he asked.
“Amongst other things,” she purred as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms tightly around him.
“Sex slave and personal chef?” he raised his eyebrows. “If I must,” he resigned happily.
Maggie kissed him on the back of his neck and then went to take a seat at the table to eat. After breakfast, they both got ready for Carl and Evelyn to arrive. Maggie had already warned her dad that Brad was in town and told him not to tell a soul. Carl promised to take the secret to his grave.
When they arrived, they sat and chatted for a while before Brad and Carl went back to the kitchen to finish the final preparations for the Christmas meal. Evelyn and Maggie stayed out of the kitchen and got to know each other better. When dinner was ready, everyone went to the table to eat.
By the end of the dinner, everyone was full and slightly intoxicated. Carl and Brad offered to clean up while the women relaxed. Carl grabbed the dishrag to dry while Brad washed the pots and pans.
“So, how long do you plan to stay?” Carl asked. He was happy that Maggie seemed happy with Brad, but the fatherly part of him wanted to make sure that Brad was in this for the long haul.
“Well, I’m not sure. I mean, I do need to go back--my career’s in L.A,” Brad stated.
“And Maggie’s career is here,” Carl reminded him. “Have you talked about that?” he asked, curious about Brad’s intentions.
“We haven’t, but I know we will,” Brad replied. He knew Maggie loved her career, but he also loved his and he was not ready to give it up. Also, he had been burned once in love, and he didn’t want to go down that road again. He hoped that in the end Maggie would be willing to move.
Carl continued, “Don’t break her heart.” Carl stopped drying the pot in his hand and turned to face Brad. “I don’t think she could handle losing another man she loves.”
Brad stopped what he was doing and looked at Carl. “She has never said…” Brad started.
“She doesn’t have to...I’ve only ever seen her look at one other man the way she looks at you,” Carl told him
.
Brad knew who he meant, remembering his conversation with Carl at the bar. They hadn’t spoken the ‘L’ word to each other. He wasn’t ready to say it out loud, but deep down he knew Carl was right. She was in love with him and he was with her. And that was why he hadn’t called her right after he left her at the resort. He had been spooked by what he felt for Maggie. After he left the resort, he went on a five-day bender trying to get her out of his mind because he was scared. But she had changed him, and he only wanted Maggie now.
Carl said nothing else, he didn’t need to. Carl finished drying the last dish and then they both returned to the living room to join the others.
Maggie and Evelyn stopped talking once the men came into the room. Maggie turned on the T.V. looking for a Christmas movie for them to watch. She was flipping through the channels when she heard Brad’s name announced on a celebrity insider news station. Brad sat down next to her and attempted to take the remote as Maggie pulled her arm away. “Oh, hell no. I want to hear what dirt they have on you,” she laughed.
Brad didn’t laugh, instead a small bead of sweat began to form on his lower lip. He had no idea what they may have to say, but his gut told him this wasn’t going to be good. “Come on, you know everything they report on is just garbage. Why don’t we find a movie?” Brad tried again.
Carl and Evelyn exchanged a glance not sure what was about to happen.
“Well, everyone,” the reporter started, “we’ve finally solved the mystery of where Bradley Thomas disappeared to this last week.”
Maggie looked at Brad wondering if they knew about him being in Chesterville. Maggie looked back at the T.V. as the show ran footage of Brad leaving an apartment, looking slightly intoxicated with his clothes in disarray. Maggie looked at Brad, waiting for a response. Brad’s face was ghost white and Maggie could see he had been hiding something from her.
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