Love on the Line (Beaumont Legacy #2)

19. Maya

Chapter nineteen

Maya

T he event hall was packed with people laughing loudly as they mingled with other invitees of the evening at round tables. Between her brothers, Cooper, her friends, and herself, they’d managed to convince over seventy athletes, staff, and tech investors—courtesy of Landon in the Bay Area—to listen to their pleas and potentially donate to the cause.

Maya turned to Viola, who had stayed steadfastly by her side through the welcome reception, opening remarks, video presentation, keynote speaker— the Nicholas Aetos, the top male tennis player in the world, an appearance gifted by her friends—the two auctions, and now, as their guests enjoyed dinner.

“It’s going well. It’s going well, right? I feel like it’s going well. ”

Viola’s hand found hers and squeezed. “Breathe, hon. It’s going very well. Everyone here seems happy, and the auction put you very close to your goal.”

Maya took a breath in, smiling at this woman who had quickly become a friend. “Put us very close to our goal,” she reminded Viola. After all she had done, Maya had asked her to be outreach coordinator for the charity, a position she was currently crushing.

Viola squeezed her hand once more. “Exactly. All is well. We can always talk about lowering the cost of the courts if that becomes an issue too. But I don’t think it’ll come to that.”

Maya nodded. “Okay. You’re right.”

“Why don’t you find Cooper? He’s been looking at you all night.”

Maya stuttered on her next words before she closed her mouth. She’d been doing her best not to look at him all night, because every time she did, she noticed how handsome he looked in a suit and could barely breathe. They’d hardly had a moment to speak about anything other than the gala since he’d flown in, and even though they’d talked almost every night of the two weeks they’d spent apart, Maya felt almost shy around him.

“Probably has a question. Or just checking to make sure I’m okay.”

“Mm-hmm,” Viola hummed.

“You’ll be okay if I go? ”

“Oh, please. I’m perfectly content people watching, you know that. It’s like watching reality TV in here with all these minor celebrities.”

Maya snorted but began looking for Cooper. Her eyes fell on Landon, who was speaking to a group of people who appeared to be hanging onto his every word. Colton and Lucia had had to say goodbye after the live auction to make their flight to Rome—a gift to her for all her draft work, Colton had said.

She found Cooper, and just like she knew she would, Maya struggled to breathe as she watched him talk animatedly, a charming smile on his face. Approaching him, she noted the woman he was speaking to, with her long auburn waves falling to mid-back and the prettiest fox-like features. An unpleasant feeling reared its ugly head somewhere deep in her chest, and it took everything inside her to quash it and plaster a big smile on her face as she took in the woman’s hand on his arm.

She really did not like that.

When Maya finally reached his side, he turned to her, his eyes lighting up, though a hint of worry flitted across his expression. She took that to mean she was baring her teeth a bit too much rather than smiling, so she turned to the woman, pulling it back a couple of notches.

“Hi! I’m Maya,” she said through the smile as she held out her hand.

“Abigail.” The woman shook Maya’s hand. “I was just telling Cooper how much I enjoyed the guest speaker, and he said you might be able to put me in touch? I’m a sports journalist and would love to talk to him.”

“Of course I can. Do you have a business card?”

Abigail finally removed her hand from Cooper’s arm as she searched through a small black clutch that Maya wouldn’t have minded swiping from her, knowing how well it would go with her long, red evening gown. Maya saw Cooper watching her in her periphery but kept her focus on Abigail until she had the card in her hand.

“Here. I appreciate it so much.” Abigail leaned toward Cooper. “And my personal number is on the back.” The sultry expression on her face was fixing for a smack, but Maya had never been violent, so she kept the fake smile plastered on her face.

When the woman finally walked away, Maya ripped the card in half and shoved it into the tight bodice of her gown. “Mm, that’s a shame. It was almost believable.” She turned so she was facing Cooper.

“Is my sunflower jealous?” The lines beside his eyes as he grinned at her only served to make his clean-shaven face more handsome, and her heart thrashed against her ribcage. If he looked mouthwatering in jeans and a tight T-shirt or his football uniform, she didn’t even know what word to use to describe him in a suit.

Maya scoffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, my motor functioning is just impaired from all the alcohol I’ve consumed. It was an accident. ”

His knowing smile widened. “You haven’t touched any of the alcohol, Mai.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Have you been watching me all night?”

“Always.”

The storm in her stomach raged, and she had to break their eye contact. Jane ambled toward them, saving Maya from responding. Their event planner extended a small index card with a crudely written number. Maya struggled to decipher it, but when she finally did, she stared at Cooper with open-mouthed shock.

The number was far higher than they’d been hoping for.

Cooper’s expression matched hers, and she had to will herself not to squeal loudly right there in a room full of some of the richest people in the country.

Jane cleared her throat. “There’s a celebration room for you through that door.” She inclined her head to their right, where two venue staff members stood. “You’ve got a few minutes to celebrate before acknowledgements and thank yous, if you’d like.”

It only took them a few seconds to get through the door, waving at people who called out to them or raised a glass in their direction. On the other side, there was a small closet before them and a long hallway to the right.

“Do you think she was talking about the close—oh,” she cut herself off as Cooper dragged her by the hand into the closet, closing the door behind her and backing away from her until his back hit the wall of the little room, running a hand through his hair.

She stepped forward, batting his hand away. “Careful! Your hair is so perfect right now. Don’t mess it up.”

His lips pulled into a smile, and she beamed back, completely uninhibited. The joy she felt after seeing that number and knowing how many children’s lives she could hopefully enrich beat almost every other achievement she’d had in her life.

“We did it, Coop.”

Cooper brushed the few strands of hair she’d pulled out of her half-up half-down hairstyle behind her ear, like he wanted to get a good look at her, his smile shifting into something more tender.

“Yeah. We did,” he whispered.

Cooper had been there with her, a driving force alongside her, helping her get something Maya never could’ve imagined for herself only a couple of months ago. And here he stood, more handsome than any man she’d ever seen, and all his focus was on her too.

Maya didn’t know what kissing him would entail, other than the complications that came with him being Colton’s closest friend and them working on the charity together, but she knew she wanted to. She was tired of pushing away the need that thrummed between them.

Her thumb reached out to brush against his bottom lip, and warmth wound tight behind her belly button at his sharp inhale and the subtle change in his eyes. Desire hung heavy around them, pulling his forehead to rest on Maya’s like she was his gravity. He closed his eyes, inhaling another sharp breath.

Quietly, Cooper murmured, “I’m sorry. I can’t stop myself anymore. If you don’t want this, I need you to tell me right now so I can walk away, because I can’t stop thinking about you and what you might taste like.” His hand slid to cradle the back of her neck.

Want, bright and hot, pulsed through her at his words. She felt her nipples harden and push at the cups of her gown, and the lace of her panties rubbed perfectly against her center, drawing a sigh from her lips. “Finally,” she breathed.

The word was hardly out of her mouth before his hand was digging into her hair and his mouth was upon hers, his other hand wrapping around her waist and pulling her body flush against his.

Just as she’d imagined, kissing Cooper was like playing with fire. Her skin heated deliciously, her whole body alight in his hands as his lips pressed to hers firmly, warmly.

Maybe it was a bad idea, maybe she would one day regret the passion behind this kiss, the raw need. But every cell in her body lit up with his flame and burned the doubts away, leaving her with only desire. The desire that’d been building in her for months. Every time his hand had brushed hers. Every time they’d hugged goodbye. Every near kiss. It all culminated to this point.

Screw the consequences .

Maya flicked her tongue over his bottom lip gently, needing him to know how badly she wanted him. She grabbed a fistful of his pristinely pressed button-down, loving the feel of his beating heart beneath her hand. His groan into her mouth was music to her ears, and the hand around her waist slid to her ass, pushing her into the bulge in his pants.

It was her turn to moan, feeling the slickness between her legs at the knowledge that she did that to him. His tongue matched hers in every stroke until she was pressed up against the door and ready to rip off his clothes right there in that closet, and hers with them.

He pulled back, leaving her panting.

“Wha—”

A knock sounded from the door against her back, and she remembered where she was.

She took in his disheveled state, reaching up to fix his shirt and the tie that was just slightly askew. Noting the lipstick that painted his lips a shade of pink, she swiped at them with her thumb, chuckling.

“How’s my hair?” she asked.

His voice was strained as he attempted to get the word out. “Perfect.”

She knew he was lying, so she tried to pat it down.

“Guys? It’s time for thank yous.”

They took one last look at each other, and when he stepped away and nodded, she turned and pulled the door open .

Jane’s eyes ran over them like she knew exactly what she’d interrupted. She reached over Maya, and only when Maya felt a sharp tug did she realize Jane was fixing her hair. Maya threw an annoyed look over her shoulder and was met with a sheepish smile from Cooper.

“For future reference, the celebratory room, also known as the back room or set up room, is down the hall. But the closet’s good too,” Jane teased.

Cooper snorted behind her.

“Right. We’re ready,” Maya said, not even sure they were.

Luckily, as they reemerged into the main event room, no one seemed to notice them besides Viola and Landon. Viola also looked like she knew their shame, but Landon either wasn’t very perceptive or he didn’t really care because he walked up to Maya with his signature cocky smirk on his face.

“I’ve got to head out for the evening so I can make my flight back to San Jose, but I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. You’ve come so far in the past three months.” He opened his arms for a hug, and she stepped into them, tears welling in her eyes at his words. “Mom would be proud of you, munchkin.”

Maya had tried to stop the tears from falling and ruining her makeup, but that was the final push, identical tear drops making their way down her cheeks. She smiled up at her brother, wishing, not for the first time, that his not-so-great relationship with Colton hadn’t put a wedge in their own. If only she could’ve had this all these years .

Well, she was thankful to have him back now.

Maya sniffled. “Thank you. Love you to the moon,” she whispered.

“Love you to the moon.” He squeezed her hand and then walked out of the room.

Maya had all of a few seconds to get herself presentable, taking Cooper’s warm and reassuring hand as he helped her up the stairs to say their thank yous.

She almost felt like she was taking a step into a new future.