The Thorne at My Side

CHAPTER 19

She doesn’t know that I know

AUSTIN

Maggie’s hot tears pool against my thumbs as I dive in and kiss her. She shudders and my arms wrap around her waist. The second her toes lift off the ground, I spin into the apartment, kick the door closed, and press her up against it with my hips. She returns my kisses like they’re oxygen.

“Austin, what are you doing?” She asks, breathless.

“I’ll stop if you tell me to but, fuck Maggie,” I rest my forehead on top of hers, “I’m not done with you yet.”

Her hands slowly circle my shoulders and upper back and my arms quiver in reaction to her touch. My whole body tries to get closer to her. I don’t know why she’s trying to push me away when every cell in my body is on fire when I’m near her.

“Okay,” she whispers on an exhale. She reaches up and slowly pulls my glasses off; her eyes fixed on the frames as she sets them on the little table near the door. I smile at her and revel in this moment of intimacy.

The sweet moment is over quickly. She frantically pulls her sweatshirt over her head in a hurry, then her tank top, then her sports bra. I lower to my knees as I pull her leggings down.

Maggie uses my shoulders to steady herself while she steps out of the tight fabric and then she pushes my shoulders down and I fall back onto my ass. She dips and pulls my shirt off over my head and discards it behind her. She slides her hands up my chest and down my arms before sliding them into the waistband of my shorts and pulling them down.I lift my hips to help her.

I take her hands in mine as I toe off my shorts. With a quick tug she falls into me and I’ve never been prouder of my solid body. I would be her support every moment of every day if she would let me. The weight of her on my thighs a welcome pressure and I want more.

I twirl one hand up to my mouth where I pull two of her fingers inside and she shivers as I suck them and scrape my teeth along them as I drag them out. Maggie closes her eyes and her head falls back as I repeat myself on her other hand.

Still holding her wrists I cover her hammering pulse points with a kiss and then place them on either side of my head as I roll down to the floor.

With my hands free, I blaze a trail up her thighs to her center. My thumb applies pressure as she starts to slide on top of my dick.

“Oh fuck,” she whispers as she picks up her pace.

“That’s it Maggie, use me, take what you need,” I coach her as I grip her ass and bring her down on me harder.

“Condom,” she says on an exhale.

“Not yet, get yourself off on me first.”

“Ohmygod,” she chants as her movements start to splinter. I take over and rock her against me and roll my hips to help her out. She lifts up and grabs her tits and I feel a surge of arousal shoot through me. My eyes zero in on where she is rolling her nipples between her perfectly manicured fingers.

“Austin!” Maggie yells out as I feel her wetness slide across my cock.

“Now we get a condom,” I tell her as I give her ass a little smack and move her off me. She stands and gets a condom from her bedside table while I give myself a few languid strokes. My palm spreads her up and down my length, I fucking love being covered in her.With my other hand I slide my glasses back on.

She turns and holds the condom out to me and I grasp it in one hand and pull her by the back of the neck into me for a kiss with the other. If she thinks it’s too rough she doesn’t say. I’m not sure I could slow down. My body is buzzing.

“Turn around, hands on the wall,” I tell her as I slide the condom on. I lean over her shoulder and press my back into her as I cup her breasts and pull her towards me. “You going to give me two more?”

“If you earn them,” she replies and my chuckle blends with the kiss I place along her neck. I slide one hand down and slip it between her legs where she is wet and waiting. My dick throbs wanting to get in on the action but I’m giving Maggie one more before he goes anywhere.

I pinch her nipple as I circle two fingers over her clit. I watch as her fingers press into the wall and her jaw flexes to keep it shut.

“Don’t hold back MC, you know this feels good,” I tell her against her ear. My breath is hot along her skin but then I purse my lips and blow cold air in the same spot and her knees buckle.

“Holy shit,” she curses as I hold her up. I strum her faster and pull my hand down her side and around to her ass. One small smack lands and my fingers get wetter. I grip her ass and press my thumb between her cheeks and her head falls forward between her shoulders.

“Give it up Maggie, give it to me,” I growl into her ear. “Come.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” she whines but then I watch goosebumps dance across her arms and she smacks the wall when I shove two fingers inside her and feel her walls crash down on them.

“Atta girl,” I tell her as she gasps for breath. I grip her hips and line myself up. I’m going to take her next orgasm from her hard and fast. My body is thrumming with tension and with an inhale I press myself into her.

I watch my cock disappear under her ass and my eyes roll back into my head as she flutters around me. My entire reason for existence is to fuck this woman.

“This pussy is perfect, Maggie,” and she whimpers in response as I pump into her at a furious pace. The room around me fades at the edges of my vision and I feel my glasses start to slide down my nose but I will not let go of her to fix them.

“Harder, Austin,” she begs and I spank her ass cheek before I reach forward and cup her pussy.

“You in a hurry for this to be over, Maggie?”

“No but I need more,” she whimpers.

“Flick your clit,” I command before I bring my hands to her breasts. Her pert nipples grate against my palms before I clamp down and pinch them. She shrieks and I twist. I lean back just enough to see her pussy consume my cock and I feel my balls tighten.

I can feel her fingers flying across her folds and her third orgasm is close. This incredibly smart, willfully strong, and excruciatingly beautiful woman is panting before me.

With a final pinch of her nipples her knees buckle. I wrap an arm around her waist as she pulls her hand away from her clit to press into the wall again. I pump into her twice more and release myself into her fluttering center.

Shockwaves course through my veins and Maggie’s body vibrates in my hands. She gasps for air as I breathe heavily into the crook of her neck while our bodies come down from the intense high.

I pull my deflating cock out of her slowly and remove the condom. I tie it off and wash up in the bathroom. When I come out, Maggie has slipped her sweatshirt on again and is leaning against her bed.

“And to think you almost walked away from that,” I grin as I step into my pants.

“I think that was our last time.”

I look up at her from where I was picking up my shirt.

“You think, or you know?” I ask.

“I know, Austin, I just can’t. This was good for what it was. Really good. Served its purpose. The election is in 10 days, Senator Quinn is flying all over and we’ll be in Kentucky for election night.”

“Makes sense MC, that’s fine, I’ve got a few things going on this week anyway.” I tell her, remembering my date with TalkShopGirl who I forgot about as soon as Maggie walked into the yoga studio.

“So, okay, well, then, bye?” Maggie says as she stands and follows me to the door.

“Consider this goodbye for now,” I say and I press one last kiss to her heart shaped lips before walking away.

◆◆◆

"Dude, Thorney, chill out. Why are you nervous?" Felix asks me as I pace around my apartment.

He's off tonight so he had the time to come and hang out with me before my date with TalkShopGirl.

"Why am I nervous?" I ask him. "Why am I nervous?" I repeat again, louder this time. "Oh, I don't know, maybe because I'm meeting the woman I would give up the best sex of my life for and I don't even know her name!" The anxiety has ratcheted up steadily the last three days.

"Wait, who was the best sex of your life? You're not talking about your hand, right buddy, because, he's great I'm sure, but there is better out there."

"No I'm not talking about," and before I continue I stop myself because I can't share the details of Maggie with him. I can't tell anyone. I can't talk about how amazing it was to watch her melt into relaxation with puppy yoga. How S'mores is training to be a therapy dog so he definitely sensed some tension and stress coming from Maggie.

Now that I'm thinking about her, I'm wondering how it went when she got the data from the debate. How her team responded. How it's going for her out on the road right now. The senator is visiting 40 states over the next week including one or two on election day itself. I smirk to myself trying to imagine Maggie traveling that much, she must hate it.

"That girl," Felix says.

"What girl?"

"The one you're thinking about that put that love sick smirk on your face. She's the best sex of your life."

"Yeah, she is, but you'll never know who she is."

"Because it's over?"

"Because it's over." I confirm before I loosen and retie my favorite necktie, again; for the third time.

"Wow, man, this is weird. I've known you for five years and I've never seen you this wound up about a date. "

"Well, if this woman turns out to be even remotely attractive I might propose on the spot."

"Really? Maybe I should sign up for this thing."

"You sure man? I was ready for a relationship but I honestly didn't believe that the first person they matched me with would be this great. It's been a surprising journey. And since we've made such a strong connection I couldn't imagine stringing her along for a few years until I'm ready to get married. I have to decide quickly but if she returns my feelings, she'll be it for me."

"That fast huh, maybe not."

I laugh as he swipes open his Instagram and there is a message waiting for him. Of a girl, topless.

"Want me to drive you?" Felix asks when he checks the time.

"Sure, I can always call Greg for a ride later if I need him."

"Or maybe you can take text girl for a ride!" Felix laughs as he grips my shoulders and I have to shake my head to clear the image of Maggie from the first time I offered her a ride home, well before our arrangement.

She seems to be the only person I want to ride anymore.

I'm quiet, pensive, on the way over but my knee bounces in the front seat of Felix’s Porsche the whole way. He parks outside the restaurant and I run my palms down my pants to dry the sweat accumulating there.

"Time to go, bud," he says.

"Yeah, I know, but," I turn to him and he must see the desperation in my eyes because his expression turns serious. "Will you look for me?"

"What?"

"Just hop out, peek in the window and see if you see a woman in a red dress with a phone in a flower case on the table."

"You're crazy man." He says as he pops open his door.

"Thank you!" I call out after him as he walks across the front of his car. I don’t know what I would do without him. The sayings are true: sometimes your found family is just as strong as the one you are born into. I know in our case, we have each other’s back, no matter what.

Felix tries to be casual as he looks inside but I see a few people give him double takes. It’s tough for a guy who is 6’4” and built like a grizzly bear to blend in when he has his hands up next to the glass to improve his view through the window. It doesn’t help that he’s wearing a Renegades sweatshirt and his signature long hair is sticking out the sides of his beanie.

I watch him scan the restaurant and hold my breath when he stops, leans in a little closer, and then turns back to the car.

"So?" I demand as soon as he opens his door.

"I saw her," he tells me.

"And?"

"She's very pretty."

"Hell yes! Fuck. Thank god." I say on an exhale.

"Yeah, good, okay, one problem."

"What? No, you know what, it doesn't matter." I decide it as I say it out loud.

"That’s the spirit Thorney, the election is almost over anyways."

A rock rolls in my stomach. What does the election have to do with this? Shit, have I been texting with Senator Quinn? I scoff. That’d be wild. No, wait it can't be, she's out of town. And that rules out her team too.

"What does the election have to do with anything?" I ask as I reach for the door handle.

“You said it yourself. It doesn't matter," Felix says and then he reaches over and pops the door open for me and all but shoves me out. "Go get ‘em tiger!" He cheers.

I close the door, run my hand through my hair, and walk up to the door of the restaurant. I purposefully don't peek through the windows, wanting my genuine expression to be the one she sees. I step past the lattice that blocks the door from the rest of the space and stop dead in my tracks before rushing backwards behind the screen.

It's Maggie.

The woman in the red dress with the flower phone case on the table is Maggie Collins. Her hair is down in soft waves that falls just past her shoulders. She's looking down at the menu and nervously playing with the frayed edge of the corner. I eye her through the screen for a minute until she lowers the menu to the table and folds her hands on top of it. She checks the time on the phone and then looks around the restaurant.

I swallow the lump in my throat, and pull my tie off, and stick it in my pocket. As I undo the top button on my shirt, I stride confidently to her table. I'll decide how I play this once I get her reaction.

It's immediate. I see the change from hopeful anticipation as she scanned the room to skeptical disdain when her eyes settle on me. I watch as her jaw sets into place and her eyes narrow. She squares her shoulders and drops them down into their sockets.

"Well, well, well, Maggie Collins. Fancy seeing you here."

"Austin." She says shortly.

"Mind if I?" I ask as I pull out the chair across from her and take a seat.

"Yes, actually I do mind," she hisses and then she looks around the restaurant again. "I'm meeting someone."

"For a date? "

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Yeah, I think I would."

"You know it's a date, don't be a dick."

I shrug, "How come you never got this dressed up for me?" I lean across the table and pull a strand of her hair through my fingers.

She swats my hand away. But the tingling sensation of the silky curl lingers.

"Can you go? I'm sure you've got yoga instructors to fawn over."

"Jealous, Maggie?"

"No." She insists but she definitely looks a little green.

I make a point of checking my watch. "Is your date late?" I ask and follow it with a tisk tisk sound effect.

"I'm sure he'll be here any moment." Maggie says as she flips over the phone to check the time again.

"Wait a minute, is that?" I grab the phone from under her grasp and pull it towards me. "Why, Maggie Collins, I believe we have an SMS Connect phone here. Are you meeting your match?"

"Just, stop it. Give me that." She says as I let her snatch the phone back. She sets it down in her lap and looks up hopefully at the door as it opens.

A kid who could not be more than twenty years old strides in wearing an oversized t-shirt, baggie jeans, and Birkenstock sandals with socks.

"Think that's him?" I ask as I turn back towards her.

"No," she growls.

"So, tell me about him? How long have you been chatting?"

"Austin," she says in a pleading way. "Do we have to do this?"

"Were you talking to him while fucking me?"

"Yes, and I felt bad about it, okay. Are you happy? But we were just sex and you clearly had options with a socialite or a yoga instructor this whole time so, pot meet kettle."

"Okay, okay, fair enough," I say as the waiter approaches.

"Can I get you something to drink?" He asks.

"No, he's leaving," Maggie says while I say "The Lapis Negroni please."

The waiter nods and walks away.

"Have you been here before?" I ask as I pick up the menu that's in front of her.

"What, no, you're not staying. You can't stay. You have to go." I can hear the desperation in her voice. If she feels half as attached to the SMS person as I am, she must be panicking right now.

"You're right. Sorry Maggie," I say as I stand up. I smile at her and see relief wash over her face. And then see it replaced with confusion when I pull back the empty seat right next to her table and sit down.

"Are you kidding me? That is not what I meant Austin."

"Maybe you should be more clear next time."

"Maybe you should take a hint and actually leave!"

"Is that what you want Maggie?"

"Yes!" She almost yells. I study her as she collects herself. "Yes, I want you to leave."

I stand, push the chair in, and step up next to her. I lean down and plant a feather light kiss on her temple as I brush her hair behind her shoulder.

"You look incredible tonight Maggie," I whisper and then I stand to my full height and look down into her face that is tilted up to see me. "And, that yoga instructor is my sister."

I force a weak smile and pivot for the door. Once I'm out on the sidewalk I glance back in at Maggie and feel a wild pang of jealousy that she doesn't know what I know.

She thinks her SMS Connect date is a no-show. That he stood her up. All she knows is I randomly showed up which in a city like D.C. isn't impossible.

I stick my hands in my pockets after turning the collar of my coat up. The late October chill has settled in tonight but I need to walk this jumble of feelings off and figure out what to do next.

Usually I send my SMS Connect messages at night. But since I'm supposed to be meeting her tonight I probably shouldn't send one. I don't want to cancel while she's still out. But how will I know when she is home?

My cell phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out.

FELIX: So was she happy to see you?

I huff out a sarcastic laugh and shake my head. No, I don’t think she was. This is almost too much for me to handle. How on earth did Maggie and I get matched just a few months before our worlds collided?

I cannot believe how many times we’ve been thrown together lately. Only for this to happen. How am I going to talk to her again?

How am I going to fix this?

What if I send a SMS Connect message saying that I got caught up at the office and couldn't make it?

That’s no good. The natural thing to do is reschedule. Or she'd expect me to. And what do I do then?

"You're home early," Elle says when I let myself in. "She stood you up?"

"No," I insist, "it just didn't go as planned."

"What was wrong with her?" Elle asks, knowing how I've dismissed possible dates for seemingly small offenses. She knows I don’t even consider a woman unless appears to be able to handle dating me. In the past that has mostly been focused on “can she handle the media attention?” but that has left me with a bunch of girls who only want me for the media attention.

"Nothing, she was perfect. She is perfect, I just, I'm not what she was expecting."

"Really? Aren't you the total package?"

I laugh as I sit down on the sofa with her. I pull my tie out of my pocket and start to slide the silk through my hands. I don’t want it to remind me of Maggie’s hair but it does. "Some might say that, but I'm not sure this girl would."

"So she broke it off with you?"

"Not exactly."

"I'm so confused." Elle says as she stuffs a handful of popcorn into her mouth.

"I am too, Elle," I say and reach over for some popcorn of my own.

We sit in silence for a few minutes while the period drama Elle is watching plays in the background.

"What are you going to do?" Elle asks the question we both want the answer to.

"I'm not sure. At this point I’m going to sleep on it and see if an idea comes to me in the morning."

"Well, remember what Mom always told us, honesty is the best policy, except in politics."

We share a laugh and after one character challenges the other to a duel for kissing his sister, I turn to her. "You know I'm not going to die because your honor is in question."

"My honor has been questionable for a long time, you're off the hook."

I laugh and stand up, "I'm headed to bed."

It is a fitful night of sleep as I toss and turn, replaying the hurt in Maggie’s face and not knowing what to do with the information that she is also TalkShopGirl.