His lips meet my neck and for a moment, he just breathes me in. My heart races in my chest and the urge to cry grows so strong now I have to bite my lip to stop it. “Don’t do this unless you mean it,” I beg. I can’t do it anymore. I tried, but my feelings run too deep to play games. To only get half of his love and heart because the rest belongs to someone else.
He spins me around in his arms and crushes his lips to mine. Right here in the middle of the airport with hundreds of people walking around us. With kids screaming and adults talking on their phones.
Keith Dawson is kissing me like he means it.
His hands cup my face, his forehead pressing to mine. “I’m so sorry about this morning, Maia. Sorry for whatever it is I said to you and the way I ran out on you when I swore we wouldn’t do that. I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you got that call and had to go through all that alone. I never wanted to hurt you, and that’s what I’m sorry for the most. I had the worst nightmare I’ve ever had. It shook me to the marrow of my bones, and I couldn’t look at you because the dream was about you. I’ve been talking to Beth—”
“Your sister?”
He nods against me, pecking my lips. “Yeah. She’s a psychologist. I knew I needed help. That I couldn’t do it all on my own. But I didn’t want to start therapy with someone I didn’t know. Someone who didn’t know me or what happened. It’s probably not the best way to do it, using family, but she’s helped me so much these past few weeks. Then I had that dream this morning. And as terrifying as it was, it was also my breaking point. I need you and I can’t lose you and I very nearly did anyway. My worst nightmare realized.”
I lean in and kiss him again. “You didn’t lose me. I knew what happened. I was hurt and scared, but I understood. Well, as best I could.”
He shakes his head. “That’s not good enough for you. I asked you to be patient with me when we were back in Seattle. But I don’t want you to be patient anymore.”
“No?” I ask, my voice wobbly as the first of the tears start to fall.
“No. Because I love you, Maia Alice Angelo,” he whispers into my lips, his hands cupping my cheeks and wiping my tears. “I think I fell in love with you that first night you crashed into my car. The second you opened those big beautiful brown eyes of yours and looked right into mine. Since that moment, I’ve been hooked on you. Just you. Only you. I just got stuck for a bit, but I’m not stuck anymore. I want this with you. All of it. Because you have all of me.”
“I do?”
He smiles, the blue in his eyes the lightest I’ve seen it since I met him. Well, except for that shiner. I reach up, my fingers skimming along the swollen, purple tissue.
“Yeah, darlin’.” He takes my hand from his face and places it over his heart. “This only beats for you. You and no one else. And for the first time, I’m okay with that. I waited ten years for you to come along and give me this second chance at my life. Now all I want to do is spend it with you.”
“I love you too,” I tell him, and the most stunning smile erupts across his face, his eyes dancing over me. Strong lips rain down on mine, kissing me hungrily. Like any air or space between us is just too much for him to bear. He kisses me until I’m breathless. Until my knees are weak and my heart is weightless in my chest.
Then he intertwines our fingers with one hand, takes my suitcase in the other, and leads me in the complete opposite direction of my next flight.
“Where are we going?”
“You would not believe the shit it was going to take for me to get to you. I had missed the flight you came in on, so it was going to take me two layovers and then a long ass drive.” He shrugs, giving me a sideways glance and a smirk to match the cockiness I see in his eyes. “So I rented a plane.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Why am I not surprised. How much did that set you back?”
“Whatever it was, it was worth it. You were about to wait three more hours in this airport to take your puddle jumper into a regional airport and then drive for hours. Nope. Not happening, darlin’. We’re going to land where they set us down and get ourselves a place to stay for the night. After that, we’ll rent a car and drive wherever the hell we have to drive together. After all that is done, I’m taking you back home, and by home, in case this isn’t clear, is my house in California.”
“We’re going to talk about that, Keith.”
He winks at me. “Oh goodie. I feel a fight brewing. Have I ever told you how hot you look when we fight?”
“We will fight about it. Just not today. I’m too drained to fight.”
He releases my hand and throws his arm over my shoulder, tugging me into his side. He kisses my temple. “I’m sorry. A lot of that is on me. I’m also sorry about your father.”
“I need to get more information, but is it wrong if I’m not? He called me the other day when we were in DC. I spoke to him. Carvalo had come out to California to look for me. I have no idea why, but it was pretty clear on the phone my father was helping him do it. Tomorrow, before we meet with the FBI, I want to go to the jail and talk to Carvalo.”
Keith shakes his head. “Can you even do that?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“I don’t want you anywhere near him.”
“He’s in jail, Keith. He can’t do much. But I need to tell him that regardless of what happens with him, I’m done. I will not pay him another cent. And I need to look him in the eyes when I do that.”
35
Maia
* * *
When we pull up to the local jail. It’s not much of a building. Not like what I imagine the big state prison is like. Other than the curled barbed wire sitting atop the wrought-iron fence, you’d never know this place houses criminals. I realize I have no idea what I’m doing. “What am I doing?”
Keith puts the rental in park and clasps my hand. “You’re taking back your life from those who tried to own it and use it against you.”
I nod. That sounds pretty good. The taking back my life part, not the second half.
“I don’t even know if I can see him.”
Keith hitches up an unconcerned shoulder. “Only one way to find out. Whether you can or not, you’re done with him. This is your past and from here on out, it’s nothing but future for your darlin’.”
I like the sound of that too, so I lean across the console and kiss him.
The courage of my convictions is sitting square on my shoulders and I will not go in there afraid. I have my mini panic attack in the car instead. Keith stares at me with a bit of a grin and slightly wide eyes as I scream and pull on my hair.
When I finally stop, his grin widens. “I must really love you. That was something to witness.”
“You’re mocking me?”
He smiles from ear to ear. “I’m mocking you. But I also punctuated that with I love you, so I think that absolves me for my sin.”
“Whatever. I can’t focus on you. Let’s do this before I either change my mind or throw up.”
We don’t get very far before we’re stopped by a guard who asks our names and requests our IDs. “I’m sorry, sir, but you’re not on the approved list. You’ll have to wait out here,” the guard explains to Keith.