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"I was panicked... I mean, how do you even begin to explain something like this?"
"Yeah… I get it…” She pauses. “You know... It hurt when you introduced me as just your assistant to David. Not because I'm ashamed of my job, but because I felt like... what if that's all I am to you?"
"Maya, I—" I start, but she raises a hand to stop me.
"I know, Hunter, I know. You didn't mean it that way, and it's not your fault. It's just... this." She gestures between us. "It's all so new, so intense. I don't want to ruin this by pushing for more, yet I can't help but want more."
I reach for her hand. "I get it, Maya. I want more too. But we don't even know where to go from here yet."
A soft laugh escapes her lips. "That's an understatement." She pulls a face, trying to inject humor into the situation. "Seriously, how do we explain this to people? Your employees, my best friend... your daughter."
I grimace at the mention of my daughter. I hadn't even begun to think about how to approach that conversation.
"We should keep it a secret? Until we figure things out…"
She hesitates, chewing at her lower lip. "Maybe you’re right... for now. But Hunter, we can't hide forever. Eventually, we'll have to face the facts."
I take her in my arms, feeling the warmth of her body against mine in the water. "So, let's make the most of this secret we have for now."
She breathes before pressing her lips to mine.
14
MAYA
As I press my lips to his, my thoughts swirl.
A secret. We're a secret.
Well, at least we're a fucking hot one.
Something about it all sends a thrilling shiver down my spine. It's intoxicating, like a heady glass of red wine. I can taste the danger, and the excitement, and it scares me a little.
I feel his hand on the small of my back, pulling me closer to him in the warm water. But beneath this rush, a knot forms in my stomach.
What are you doing, Maya?
You know this isn't going to end well.
My thoughts invade.
Secrets are shadows — looming and creeping. They're a temporary safe house, not a permanent home.
You're going to get hurt.
I will the thoughts out of my mind and kiss him deeper, losing myself in his taste. I enjoy the feeling of his hands on my back with the warm water lapping against us. It's like we're in a world of our own, a bubble that no one else can pop.
His hands move lower down my back. And as they do, I feel the difference in our skin. His, weathered by time, mine, still soft with youth. The thought of our 20-year age gap strikes me like a lightning bolt.
The weight of the years between us suddenly feels like a chasm. I get in my head. I pull away, my breath ragged and my heart pounding against my chest. He looks at me confused.
"Hunter, do you ever think about... our age difference?" My eyes fall on our entwined hands.
"Maya, are you okay with this?" He takes his thumb and strokes my hand.
"I am... Really, I am. It's just... different." I pause, wondering if I am trying to convince him or myself. "But different doesn't necessarily mean bad, right?" I give his hand a squeeze, trying to fake my certainty.
"Yeah, different isn't bad..." He pulls me closer into his arms, our bodies molding together in the warm water.
