Maggie turned her back and sat back down between Kyle and Polly, who both hugged her tightly.

“Don’t come crawling back when he dumps you,” Cecelia spat out and they all moved off.

“Oh good lord. Who needs a drink?” Edward drawled.

Maggie raised a hand and he took it and kissed it. “You got it, baby girl. One stiff bourbon. Be back in two shakes.”

Shane sat down as did Marc. Liv, Dee and Arthur, who had heard the whole thing, came over as well. Liv and Dee pushed in and each hugged her tightly. Polly looked over them at Kyle and her eyes were shining with unshed tears.

“Good for you, Maggie. You should have said all of that a long time ago. I’m proud of you. By the way, how could you not tell me that Janie slept with your boyfriend?” Liv said.

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Not for a while. I can’t or I’ll lose it and I don’t want to. More and more people are showing up and I just can’t face being the focus of yet another town drama.”

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” Liv sat down in an empty chair, conveniently next to Matt. Dee and Arthur sat across from them on Marc’s other side.

“Here you go, sugar.” Edward put the bourbon in her hand and she downed it in three big gulps. His eyes widened for a moment and he laughed and put the one he got for himself in her hand as he exchanged it for the empty glass.

“I think you and I need a dance, Red,” Kyle said.

She stood up, knocked back the second bourbon and sat the glass down, looking back over her shoulder at Edward. “Thanks. I feel much better now.” He winked at her and watched as his son took her out to the dance floor, wrapping himself around her protectively.

“Our boy is falling in love with that little spitfire,” he said to his wife, who’d come to sit next to him.

“Yes, I think so too. It’s nice. She’s special. I can’t believe her family. My goodness, how awful to tell a child you didn’t want her. To compare her to the other child and say she’s lacking.”

Kyle looked down at Maggie and felt a protectiveness he’d never felt toward anyone other than his family. He felt possessive and full of admiration for the woman in his arms. “Baby, I’m sorry about all of that.”

Maggie was snuggled into his body and she just shook her head, not wanting to talk. When the slow number ended he led her back to the table where luckily everyone had moved on to another topic.

“You hungry, Red? Wait, stupid question. You want me to grab you a plate?” Kyle teased.

“No, I’ll come with. You’ll steal my food if I don’t guard it,” she said.

“Never come between Red and her food,” he told his family.

Despite the beginning of the evening, the rest of it was quite enjoyable. Maggie danced with every male Chase including hers, at least twice. She laughed with her friends and ate at least three platefuls of food. She saw Kyle talking to the DJ and then come back toward her, looking like the cat that ate the cream.

“What are you up to, Kyle Maurice Chase?”

“You know my darkest secret now.” He gave a quick look toward his mother. “My great grandfather was named Maurice. I narrowly escaped it as a first name.”

She chuckled and then cocked her head as a slow number came on. One that she and Kyle had danced to at the Honky Tonk and later, had made love to. “Raining on Sunday” by Keith Urban.

“I’m beginning to think of this as our song. Care to dance with me, Red?”

She nodded and he led her out to the floor, pulling her snug against him. With a satisfied sigh, he kissed the top of her head before laying his cheek there.

Back at her house he drew her up the stairs to her room. “Let me love you, Maggie. Let me show you how special and beautiful you are,” he murmured.

“I’m yours, Kyle.”

He grinned. “I’m a lucky man.” He picked her up, gently putting her on the bathroom counter.

Watching her in the mirror he reached around to unzip the back of her dress. She shrugged out of the top of it while he pulled the rest of it off. Her nearly bare ass sat against the cool counter, her ni**les tightened in her sheer bra.

“You look good, Red.” He popped the catch on the front of the bra and her br**sts came free. He chuckled. “Now you look even better.”

She grinned at him, looking into his face. “What is it about being nearly naked when you’re fully dressed that turns me on so much?”

“That’s a coincidence. It turns me on, too.” One handed, he pulled his pants open and his c**k sprang free.

A gasp broke from her lips as he pulled her ass to the edge of the counter and she caught a glimpse of the flutter of colorful silk as he tossed her panties over his shoulder. The crinkle of the condom wrapper made her body tighten in response.

His fingertips brushed through the folds of her pu**y, making sure she was ready. “God damn, so wet. Always so wet and ready for me.”

“Yes. Oh god, pleasepleaseplease, I need you, Kyle.”

“Yes, Red. On the way.” The fingers at her hip dug into her skin as he entered her hard, in one thrust. “Yesssss,” he hissed softly.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and turned her head, watching them in the mirrors. Saw a woman she didn’t recognize, small and sexy as a fully clothed man f**ked into her. Watched that woman arch to take him in deeper. Listened to her pleas and orders.

“So beautiful. You’re so damned beautiful, Red. Look at yourself. See what I see every time I make love to you.” He met her eyes in the mirror. “Sexy. Those long legs wrapped around me. Your eyes, hazy with pleasure. Lips, shiny wet.” He leaned in and nipped her bottom lip between his teeth, causing her to gasp. “I love the way your br**sts move when I’m inside you. Love the way your pu**y is so tight that it hugs my cock. You have no idea how hot you are deep inside. It drives me crazy. Sometimes during the day I’ll be working and it’ll come over me suddenly—the sense memory of your pu**y, clutching me, fluttering around my c**k like it’s doing right now, just before you come.”