11. Talia
“Fuck,” he groans, clenching his jaw tightly when I start to explore. His eyes close when my fingers trace along the ridge of skin I can feel through his joggers and then start to massage his head. “If you keep touching me like that, I’m going to have a very embarrassing accident,” he says with a soft laugh.
I lean closer and kiss his neck, whispering against his skin, “Maybe I want you to, and it wouldn’t be embarrassing with me.”
“Oh yes it would be,” he says, but he makes no move to stop me.
“Does this feel good?” I ask, giving the head of his cock a soft pinch before using my thumb to massage small circles all the way up his length. “I really have no idea what I’m doing,” I admit, giving his neck another kiss.
“You’re a fucking natural then, and hell yes it feels good.”
I run my tongue up his neck, hearing his breathing pick up as his hips rock, every part of him vibrating with need. I keep working him, wanting this to feel good, determined and eager to see this through to the end, but the sound of my dad calling my name has my hands stilling as I suck in a quick breath of air.
“Oh my god,” I whisper. “I completely forgot everyone is still sitting out there.” Trying to sound normal, I raise my voice and yell, “Just a sec, Dad!”
Max groans in frustration, but I can tell he’s not pissed. Frustrated, yes, but not angry, and it makes me love him a little bit more. We’ve spent so much time together, but it was under extreme conditions, and I still feel like there’s so much I don’t know about him, so much left to discover.
But there is one thing I do know, and when I look at him and say, “You’re such a sweetheart, Max,” the deep laugh he gives makes it impossible to not join in. We share a laugh before he gives me another kiss and then pats my ass.
“I’m glad you think so,” he says, giving my ass another squeeze before resigning himself to the fact that what we just started is going to need to be put on hold.
Reluctantly, I start to get off him, but he moves his left hand to my hip, gripping it firmly and holding me in place. Before he lets me go, he gives me one last slow kiss, and then drops his hand with a sigh. I move to get up, but before I stand, I cup his face and lift up enough so I can kiss his scarred eyebrow. When I’d first met him, it was clear it needed stitches, but that of course never happened, and now he’s left with a deep scar cutting through his dark brow.
“Souvenir from Miguel,” he says.
I kiss it again and shake my head. “Think of it as a memory of when we first met. I refuse to let that bastard taint our first memories. He doesn’t get to take that from us.”
“You’re right,” he says, tapping the tip of my nose before I stand so he can do the same. “Fuck him. We remember the good and forget the bad, but, Talia, when you’re ready, I want to hear about what happened while I was passed out.”
I think about that night and grimace, not having the slightest desire to relive it, but I know he’s right. I need to talk about it with someone, at least once just so I can get it off my chest, and Max is the perfect person to listen. He’s the only one who will really understand.
He lets out a soft laugh as he readjusts himself. “I need a few minutes before we walk out there. I don’t think your dad will kill me, but your brothers might.”
“They like you,” I tell him.
“For now. If I walk out there with you and a raging hard-on, they might change their minds about that.”
I laugh and shake my head. “Yeah, let’s wait a few minutes.” Wanting to get his mind off things, I say, “I met your cousin Sasha, by the way. He scared the hell out of me and I kind of freaked out. Not my finest moment.”
“What happened?”
“He came walking into the basement with a bloody skull mask and a wicked-looking knife. Your uncle told him to take off his mask, but that just made it worse because his eyes were completely dead.”
Max nods and kisses the top of my head. “That sounds like Sasha. He would never hurt you, though. He has a few demons, and he usually keeps them in check, but you caught him on a killing spree. He can’t fake normal when he’s that far gone, but he knows the rules, and he’d never break them.”
I can’t help but be intrigued. “Rules?”
“He knows he can’t kill innocent people, and he especially knows he can’t hurt you because of what you mean to me.”
“I’ll remember that when I see him next. Hopefully he won’t be wearing the bloody mask.” I snap my finger at the memory of what he’d said to Mateo and tell Max, “He did mention killing Mateo’s mom, but then he looked at his dad and said something about her trying to shoot him first, so it was allowed.”
Max grins. “See? He follows the rules. He never would’ve hurt her had she not tried to kill him first. Once she lifted that gun, it would’ve been like a green light going off in his fucked-up head.”
“Do you like him?” I ask, making Max smile even bigger.
“I love him. Sasha’s not just my cousin; he’s also one of my best friends. I trust him with my life, and, more importantly, I trust him with yours. He doesn’t see things like we do, but we’ve never let it come between us. I know it’s going to sound weird to say this, but he’s a good person.”
“He did save a hurt dog. Most people wouldn’t have wasted their time or taken the risk to help,” I admit, “but he didn’t even hesitate when he heard him whining.”
“He’s also really sweet to his sisters and his nieces and nephew. Aside from his desire to kill, the man has a lot of really good qualities.”
I laugh and say, “I can understand that. My Uncle Volodya is a bit of a nut, too. I don’t know all the details, but I’ve heard enough stories to know he prefers knives and really likes to chase my aunt. I think my cousins take after him.”
“I think the four of them are going to get along very well,” Max says, and then looks down and grins. “Okay, it’s safe to go out now.”
“Talking about family is the equivalent of an ice bath, I guess,” I tease.
“Pretty much, yeah. It’s definitely not gone for good, but at least I can walk out there without my dick leading the way.”
I laugh at the image and thread my fingers through his when he offers me his hand. We leave his room together, walking out to the living room where everyone is sitting around with plates of dessert in hand. I can feel every set of eyes on us. I can only hope I’m hiding the fact that I just came hard a lot better than I’m hiding the obvious blush that’s heating my cheeks. Max squeezes my fingers to let me know it’s okay.
“The dessert is on the counter,” his mom says. “There’s plenty left if you two want some.”
I look over at Bran who quickly signs, You look guilty as fuck. What were you doing?
My dad chokes on his next bite while my mom laughs and pats him on the back. “You okay, honey?”
“I’m okay,” my dad says, coughing and taking a drink of water.
Dima laughs while Bran grins and Max’s family has no idea what’s going on. I hustle my ass out of the living room, taking Max with me. It’s an open floorpan, so we don’t get much privacy, but at least I can turn my back on everyone and pretend to be fully absorbed in cutting a couple slices of pie. I hear Max’s soft laugh as he walks around the island to get some ice cream. I ignore everyone while I fill two bowls with hot apple pie and then hold the container steady as Max scoops us each a generous portion of ice cream.
“This is going to make us both wish we were dead, isn’t it?” I ask him, eyeing the bowl of sugar.
“Probably, but we could both use the calories.” He hands me a spoon. “Just eat what you can. It’s going to taste amazing after a month of rationed calories and no sweets.”
“True enough,” I say, taking the spoon and digging in. As soon as the warm apple pie hits my tongue, I close my eyes and let out a soft whimper of pure appreciation. The cold vanilla ice cream mixes in, reminding me just how much I’ve missed desserts. When I open my eyes, Max is giving me a heated look from across the island.
Leaning in closer, he says, “Moan like that again, and you’ll be leaving me good and fucked in these sweatpants that don’t hide anything.”
I nod, taking another bite to hide my grin. He sees it and gives me a wink before taking his own bite. He may not let out an ecstasy-filled moan, but his eyes go heavy-lidded, and I see the look of euphoria written all over his face. I point my spoon at him and raise a brow.
“It’s good, right?” I ask.
He gives me a wink that’s as sinful as this dessert and says, “Delicious.”
An image of him with his beautiful face buried between my legs hits me full force. I already know Max is good with his tongue, but something tells me he would excel at oral sex. He seems to be good at everything he does.
“What are you thinking about?”
I give my head a shake and fill my spoon again. “Nothing.”
“Well, I don’t believe that for a second. You’ll have to tell me when we’re alone again.”
I make a noncommittal sort of noise that makes him smile. He fills his spoon, and even though I can tell it’s awkward for him to be using his non-dominant hand, he never once complains. Max isn’t a whiner. I learned that down in the basement. I’ve never seen anyone endure the kind of pain he did and not bitch about it at least a little bit. Maybe it’s some kind of deeply ingrained lesson from playing the piano. All those years of tedious practice, countless hours going over the basics again and again so he could master the instrument and make it really sing. He must have the patience of a saint.
He takes my bowl when I’ve eaten all I can and sets it in the sink. We join the others, and I love how Max doesn’t hesitate to put his arm around me and hold me close. He’s not intimidated by my family, not scared of my dad and brothers. He keeps me next to him like it’s the most natural thing in the world. We sit around talking, both of our families getting to know one another, and I can’t get over how natural it all feels. Like usual, Bran has positioned himself in the corner so he has a better chance of reading lips, but every once in a while he misses something. When he does, he looks over at me, and I quickly sign what’s been said.
Simona notices and waits for Bran to look back over. When she’s sure he can see her, she says, “I’m going to learn to sign. I’m sorry I don’t know anything right now.”
Bran shakes his head and looks at me. Tell her she doesn’t have to, he signs.
I tell Simona, but she’s already shaking her head no. “Tell him that of course we’re going to learn. We all are.”
I interpret as Niki says, “I’ve already talked to our cousins. They want to learn it to.”
“We’re going to hire a tutor to help us,” Max’s dad says. He gives a soft laugh. “I’m getting older. I might not catch on as easily as the kids do.”
“Tell me about it,” my dad says with a grin. He points at my brothers and me. “They picked it up like it was nothing, but my brothers and I struggled with it. It was a little embarrassing to be outdone so easily by a couple of three-year-olds and a seven-year-old.”
“That sounds about right,” Max’s mom says. “All the kids picked up Russian and English without any trouble, but it took me years to learn Russian. They were baby-talking it like pros, and I could barely put together a sentence.” She laughs at the memory. “It was a good motivator to study harder.”
I sign everything to Bran as my eyes start to burn. They’re accepting my brother, not expecting him to just fade into the background like so many people would. It’s unreal how often Bran and I have been out and he’s just been completely ignored or looked over because he can’t hear.
Learning ASL isn’t easy. It takes hard work and a lot of time, but they’re not acting like it’s a burden. Hell, they seem excited about it. They want him to feel included because they know that our families are going to be joining together soon and they want to get to know my brother. They want him to be a part of their family, too. When I meet my mom’s eyes, they’re just as watery as mine.
I’ll be proud to call him my son-in-law , she signs, and my dad squeezes her thigh and gives her a smile.
Thank you , Bran signs, and when I tell them what it means, Niki mimics the movement.
He smiles and says, “One down, just a few thousand more to go. I actually found some great online programs and signed up for one. Maybe I’ll learn enough to have a small conversation soon.”
Bran nods and then takes out his phone, typing a message for Niki before handing it over. Niki grins and nods before typing something back. I know my brother’s just offered to give him a few lessons before he has to leave. Bran doesn’t typically put himself out there like that, and I know he’s doing it because he can see how much Max means to me.
“I think our families like each other,” Max whispers.
“I do, too. It helps that you saved my life. My dad instantly approved of you after that,” I whisper back.
Max smiles down at me. “That did work out nicely in my favor, but it’s you who saved me, and we both know it.”
I meet his gorgeous eyes and say, “I think we saved each other.”
He grins and kisses my forehead, and when I turn back to look at the others, I notice that both our moms are giving us big, sappy smiles. Max lets out a soft laugh and sinks back into the couch, holding me against him until I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.
I must fall asleep at some point, because the next thing I know, Max is whispering that I need to get some sleep in a real bed. My brain is still fuzzy, and I almost ask him if that’s an invitation to join him, but then my mom is wrapping an arm around me while my dad kisses me goodnight. Simona leads us down the hall that has Max’s bedroom, and she doesn’t even try to hide her smile when she opens the door right next to his and says, “We thought this spare room would work for you. There’s an attached bathroom, and your mom already unpacked your things in here, but let me know if you need anything else.”
Before she leaves, she gives me another hug and wishes me a goodnight. After she’s gone, my mom cups my face and looks me over.
“Are you okay?” she asks. “I know there’s a lot going on and that you’ve been through hell. We’re going to find you a really good therapist to talk to, and if you want to go home, we can leave tomorrow. Your dad and I want to do whatever is going to be best for you. If you want to stay here, we’re happy with that, too, but we know how much you love your home, and Max is more than welcome to join us, or you could just come back for a few weeks and then fly back here to see him.”
Her eyes study mine, worried and searching for the answers to all the questions she has. I give her a smile and say, “Relax, Mom. I really am fine, and I’d like to stay here, if that’s okay. I want to be here for Max as his hand heals.” And because she’s always been able to read me like an open book, I don’t bother hiding anything and add, “And I really don’t want to leave him.”
She gives me a very knowing smile and cups my face. “I knew you’d say that, but I wanted to ask anyway. We really like him. Your dad isn’t thrilled about losing you, but we all see the way you two look at each other.”
“Dad isn’t losing me, none of you are. I’m not sure how this is going to work, but I know that it will.”
She smiles and nods in agreement. “Of course we’ll make it work.” Looking around at the large room, she asks, “Do you need any help with anything?”
“No, I’m good. I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. I’m going to brush my teeth and crawl into bed.”
“Me too. I think we could all use a good night of sleep.” She gives me a big hug and kisses my cheek. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to have you home. I was so scared, so afraid they’d hurt you.”
“I’m fine, Mom, I swear they didn’t touch me like that.”
I hear her quiet sob as she squeezes me tighter. “I couldn’t bear it if you had to go through that,” she whispers, and the pain in her voice goes beyond just worry. There’s something there, something buried deep within those words that she’s not telling me.
“Are you okay, Mom?”
She pulls back and swipes at the tears on her cheeks. “I’m fine.”
She gives a soft laugh, trying to make light of her reaction, but I’m not buying it. I want to ask her about it, but I also don’t want to pry and make her talk about something she doesn’t want to talk about.
In the end, she takes the decision out of my hands by kissing me goodnight and making it clear she doesn’t want me to press the issue. I don’t, because I love her too much to cause her pain, and because something tells me this is a wound she wants to keep private, something that will cut too deeply if reopened.
I give her another big hug, whispering that I love her, and then watch her leave. After she’s shut the door behind her, I head to the bathroom and brush my teeth. Leaving my yoga pants and sweatshirt on, I crawl under the covers, and reach for my phone.
After I’d been looked at by Tony, I’d texted my cousins and aunts to let them all know I’m okay and that I’d fill them in on everything after I’d gotten some rest, but I’m not surprised to see several texts from Allie waiting for me. I grin and send her a quick response.
ME:
I’m about to go to bed. I’ll give you all the details tomorrow!
ALLIE:
You’re in love with him, aren’t you? He’s really fucking hot, isn’t he? I can feel the sexual tension between you two from here. Why are you even responding to me right now? Go get naked with that man!
ME:
LOL. Yes, he’s hot. Night, Allie. Love you!
ALLIE:
I love you too, and I’m so glad you’re safe! Now, go jump on that dick!
I’m still grinning when I swipe through my chats and hit Bran’s name. I’d missed our nighttime conversations while I was gone, and when I send him a quick message, asking if he’s still awake, I get an immediate response.
brAN:
Yeah, I’m up. You okay?
ME:
Yeah, I just wanted to say hello. I missed our late night talks.
brAN:
Me too. It’s been a hard couple of months. This family doesn’t work so well without you. Dima and I have been spoiling Wallace like crazy, but he looks for you every day.
ME:
That’s so sad. It must be such a blow to Dima’s pride that I’m still his favorite even after being gone for so long.
brAN:
His pride can take the hit. If you’re not up for it tonight, that’s fine, but I want to know how they took you from the restaurant.
ME:
The waitress drugged my drink. When I went to the bathroom, I got really lightheaded, and she came in. She said she’d help me get back to the table, but instead she handed me off to some guy who was waiting outside the bathroom. He put a blonde wig on me and a jacket, and then he walked out of there with his arm around me like we were a couple. There was a boat waiting at the end of the dock.
He’s quiet for several minutes, and I know he’s beating himself up about the lapse in security, about his inability to see that this was a possibility.
ME:
This is NOT your fault.
brAN:
Agree to disagree. I’m sorry it happened. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it, and I’m sorry it took us so long to find you. We never stopped trying. I need you to know that.
ME:
I never doubted it for a second.
His next text makes me laugh.
brAN:
So Max is going to be my brother-in-law soon, right?
ME:
I hope so.
brAN:
I like him, and I like his family. I’m happy for you, Tally.
ME:
Thanks. I’m really glad you like him.
brAN:
Get some sleep, okay? I know you’re exhausted.
ME:
I am and I will.
I send him the sleeping emoji, and he replies with a thumbs up. I set my phone on the nightstand, expecting to fall asleep within seconds, but nothing feels right. It’s not pitch black or bright, which are the only two ways I’ve been sleeping the last several weeks, and my hand isn’t being held by Max’s much larger one.
I toss and turn while Allie’s very sound advice runs through my head until I finally kick off my covers, knowing there’s no way I’m going to be able to fall asleep without him.