“Thanks, man. I’m glad you showed up when you did. What the hell was she thinking letting him in like that?”
A slight frown creased Ian’s boyish features. “I asked her the same thing. That got her back up, said that I was the one that broke into her house.” Michael raised his eyebrows.
“Well, I didn’t recognize the car, and knew you’d already left,” Ian explained.
“Perfectly reasonable.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. But Maggie didn’t quite see it that way. Go figure.”
Michael’s lips twitched. “That explains why you didn’t call me right away.”
“I didn’t call right away because there was no need,” Ian said firmly, suddenly finding a spot on the bar that needed attention. “Everything was under control.”
“Meaning she offered to show you some creative storage space for some of her scarier kitchen implements if you tattled, all of which involved parts of your anatomy to which your wife is fondly attached?”
Ian’s huge grin confirmed his suspicions.
Michael laughed. “Afraid of my little woman, are you?”
“No,” Ian countered defensively. “But I’m not stupid enough to wave a red flag in front of a bull, either.”
When Maggie came into the bar with Taryn an hour later, her face lit up at the sight of Michael. His heart swelled in his chest; he didn’t think he would ever get used to the fact that she loved him so completely. Pulling her into his arms, he greeted her with a searing kiss, one that left absolutely no doubt to anyone within viewing distance exactly who she belonged to. Let that get back to Spencer Dumas and his little spies.
“Michael! I thought you had to work all day,” she said breathlessly.
“I finished early,” he said, his voice husky.
“Did you now?” Flames licked through her green eyes at the possibilities of exactly how they might spend the bonus time. That soft, Irish lilt had him hardening painfully.
“Aye.” It was the only way to answer when she spoke to him like that.
Ian cleared his throat, and their little private world expanded to include everyone else again. Maggie’s eyes swiveled toward him accusingly. “You called him, didn’t you?”
“Now, Maggie, – “
“The question is,” Michael said quietly, his deep voice commanding her full attention, “why didn’t you?”
*
Ian almost patted Michael on the back for his exemplary male behavior, along with an encouraging remark or two, but thought better of it as Maggie’s eyes flashed and he mentally prepared himself for her response. Amazingly, though, the intensity of Maggie’s fire dialed down to a low simmer as she dropped her eyes. It was one of the most impressive transformations he’d ever seen.
“It was nothing,” she said unconvincingly, her hand coming up to rest against Michael’s chest as if she might soothe him. Her fingers splayed against his chest, small caresses meant to reassure him.
Ian watched in fascination at the silent exchange that followed. Michael, wrapping himself around her protectively; Maggie, snuggling in and calming him. For a few minutes, they were oblivious to everything except each other.
“So tell me. Do I have to kill him?” Michael finally said, making her chuckle.
“No. I think Ian scared him enough for one day.”
“Thank God he was there, Maggie.”
“I could have handled it.”
Michael kissed the top of her forehead and said, “My fierce tigress. But I worry about you, Maggie.”
Maggie melted into him, while Ian looked at Michael with something akin to hero worship. If it had been him, he would have reinforced how bad of an idea it was to allow herself to be put in such an undesirable situation in the first place. But Michael was a genius. He called her fierce and managed to convey his concern without pissing her off. He’d have to remember that one.
“I know,” she sighed, but there was no trace of the irritation she’d harbored earlier. “I didn’t check to see who it was before I opened the door; I just assumed it was Ian coming to pick me up. He said he just wanted to talk to me for a few minutes. I should have known Ian wouldn’t have knocked; he would have just barged right in.” From the protection of her husband-to-be’s arms, she shot Ian a scathing glance, but the twinkle in her eye neutralized the effect.
“What did he want to talk to you about?”
Maggie frowned. “I’m not sure exactly. We didn’t really get around to that.”
“What happened, Maggie?”
*
Maggie glanced at Ian, wondering just how much he’d told Michael. Given Michael’s relative calm, probably not all of the details. Ian earned back a couple of merit points for that.
“Spencer was just being Spencer. I shouldn’t have let him get to me.” Maggie guided Michael’s hand to the soft swell of her belly, barely noticeable beneath the loose sweater she wore. “I’m going to blame it on hormones.”