Caught in the Middle

Chapter 20

"I can't believe we're late. So much for making a good first impression." I wipe my hands down the front of my dress, making sure I look at my best. Maya drops one of the grocery bags back in the trunk before she turns on me in surprise. "You were the one who wanted to test the limits we're not allowed to cross, remember?" I hit her in the stomach, looking around the car to make sure no one overhears her. She tucks me back into the safety of her arms, grinning up at me. I poke her in her chest when I see the intention to kiss me, in her eyes.

"Avresti potuto dire di no. (You could have said no.)" She leans her upper body back in shock like she cannot believe I have the audacity to blame her. Her smile turns lopsided, making the dimple in her cheek more prominent. She rests her hand on my hip, while leaning against the open trunk with her other arm "Like I can say no to you." Maya's eyes are locked on the skin exposed on the top of my dress. I quickly swat her hand away from my hip while glaring at her obnoxious smile. "Avresti potuto provarci! (You could have tried!)"

Maya's mouth falls open at my harsh whisper, but she just shakes her head at me on a chuckle. Both of us knowing that she might have impeccable control over our make-out sessions, but she can't stop the magnetic pull that brings us together. The exact pull that makes her stand on her toes to kiss me again now. "You can believe whatever you want, my love." I smile down against her lips just as they suck mine into the most delectable kiss yet. She takes a step closer to me to throw her arms over my shoulders as she deepens the kiss, and I cup her face in my hands.

"Noooo! My Bishy!" I wrench my mouth away from hers when a shower of something cold hits my back. Maya's eyes are still glazed over from our intimate moment but whoever she sees behind me, makes her eyes bug out in panic. "Antonio Beckett! Did you just squirt your juice box all over my wife?" I turn around to see a very distraught young boy stomping his little feet when Maya tries to get closer to him. His bottom lip starts trembling when he realizes Maya is cross with him before he scowls at me like I'm the villain in his story.

He throws his empty juice box at my feet, screaming at the two of us. "My! Bishy!" When Maya drops down on her knee to hug him, the little boy pushes her away. He runs back to the front door, wailing all the way. My dumbfounded wife looks back at me with her mouth agape. "That was new." I raise my eyebrows at her and then look back at the front door. She stands back up and looks me up and down. "You okay? I have a clean shirt in the back if you need it." I shake my head at her, feeling the sticky mess on my back from where the juice soaked through.

"I'm okay, bella. But I think you owe that little boy an explanation." She also looks back at the house before she hands me two grocery bags and picks up the rest. I close the trunk for us and follow her as she leads me through the front door, straight into the noisy kitchen. "Finally! I thought we were going to starve." Maya rolls her eyes at the sarcastic teen before pushing the grocery bags into Maddi's arms. "So, make yourself useful and help Molly with getting us fed." My wife's stern scowl quickly disappears when Maddi kisses her on the cheek before she moves past her to take the bags from my hands as well. "It's good to see you again, Dr. Deluca."

I startle when Jack throws his arm over my shoulder, handing me a drink before I can even say hello. "Let me introduce you to everyone." Maya winks at me as Jack takes me around the room to have a little chat with everyone present. Lara skips over to us as soon as it's her turn, pulling me into a hug like we're best friends. I meet her husband, as well as Molly's other brother and his wife, before nervously greeting Maddi's dad. "Bishop! What did you do to my son?" Beckett walks into the kitchen with Molly tucked into his side. When I turn around, I see Maya's already halfway down the hallway on her way to the crying boy.

When she sees the parents in the porch's doorway, she quickly walks back to them to explain. "I'm so sorry. He saw us kissing and freaked out. I don't know what happened." Molly looks me up and down like I'm the gum underneath her shoe before she walks past me like I don't even exist. "He's your favorite little human. You were parked outside for five minutes without coming in for your cuddles, like you normally would. He might feel a little abandoned." Maya slaps her palm against her forehead, groaning all the way down to, what I assume is Antonio's room, with Molly in tow.