When Maggie said she wanted to know more about me, the first thing I thought of was bringing her here…to my happy place. The one spot where I feel peaceful, calm, and normal. Or let’s be honest, as normal as I can be under the circumstances.

I wanted her to see the man I hope to be, not the out-of-control monster I showed her last night.

A fucked-up, damaged disaster.

Even after the horror of what I put her through, she managed to find a glimpse of something worthwhile deep inside me. It’s hard for me to comprehend while at the same time gives me hope in myself and the strength to try my best to keep it going.

Disappointing Maggie is not an option.

She could be my queen.

The special one.

I felt more than a physical connection when we were fucking.

The word makes me wince as soon as I think it. I shouldn’t call it that because it was so much more. The word ‘fucking’ when talking about Maggie sounds crude and just plain wrong. If someone else used the word in reference to her, I’d knock the shit out of them.

What we had last night was more than sex.

After being screwed up in the head for so long, I needed a soft place to fall and she was there with open arms. The intense emotional connection when we made love was something I’ve never experienced before.

Deep, emotionally intense, and scary.

I’m terrified.

I’ve kept my emotions bottled up for so long, and now they’re pouring out like water over a dam spillway in the spring.

I’m scared that if I let Maggie in, I’ll let the monster who lives inside me out.

“You’re quiet all of a sudden,” she says, glancing up at me. “Is something wrong?”

We’re walking down the long dock and are almost at the end. The dock is narrow, not more than four feet wide. Plenty wide enough for two people to walk side by side as long as one of them doesn’t stumble or trip. I let go of her hand and slip my arm around her waist, pulling her close against my side.

“Don’t walk so close to the edge,” I say. “It’s making me nervous.”

“You’re really afraid I’ll fall into the water?” she asks with a laugh.

Truthfully, I am. What the fuck is wrong with me?

I don’t want to lose her.

“I was only trying to find an excuse to put my arm around you,” I say. “And to grab your gorgeous ass.” I slide my hand down and cup her ass with my hand. “You fill out a pair of jeans perfectly.”

When we reach the end of the dock, I sit down on the edge and dangle my legs over the side. “Be careful and climb down here with me,” I say. “If you’re real still, we’ll be able to see the fish in a minute.”

Maggie sits down close to me and waits. “Oh look! There’s one.” She points down at the clear water. There’s a big fish swimming around the wooden poles of the dock below us. “Do you come here more for the fishing or the solitude?”

“What do you think?” I ask.

I had no more than got the words out of my mouth when my phone rings in my pocket. Damn! I forgot to turn it off. I pull it out and check the caller.

Flint.

Must be important, since he rarely calls unless it is. He’s not a man known for silly chit-chat.

“I’m sorry, I’ve got to take this.” I stand up and walk several feet down the dock away from Maggie.

“What’s up?” I say into the phone.

“There’s been a change of plans,” Flint says. “Bring Maggie back to the clubhouse and I’ll fill you in on what’s going on.”

I’m not happy about leaving the lake right away and putting an abrupt end to our peaceful morning. It’s the first time I’ve felt content and hopeful in a long time.

“Are you kidding? We’re out at the lake with Sadie. We just got here.”

“Tough titty,” he says. “We’re calling all of the crew back in. It’s time to ride.”

I click off the phone and reluctantly turn around. Maggie is listening to my end of the conversation. She’s already standing up to dust off the back of her jeans.

“What’s going on?” she asks.

“We need to go,” I say. “We’ll drop Sadie off at the house, pick up your things, then head on over to the clubhouse where you can pick up your car. You should probably go back to Atlanta.”

“My car?” she asks in surprise. “Why? I thought I was supposed to hang around you for a couple of days? Are you in a big hurry to get rid of me?”

“Things have changed,” I explain. “Flint is calling all of the crew back to the clubhouse. I’m not sure what is going on.”

I whistle for Sadie, and she comes running full blast out of the woods. She goes ahead of us to the truck and waits impatiently until we get there.

“I’m not leaving and going back to Atlanta,” Maggie says when we’re all inside the truck. “I need to be here where the action is and besides, I don’t want to leave you yet.”

I blow out a long breath and grip her knee. She’s as stubborn as I am.

“What do you mean by yet?” I ask.

“We’re in this together,” she says firmly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

That’s what she thinks.