13. Maxwell
CHAPTER 13
Maxwell
The rideshare pulls up to Kamaya’s building, and I exit the vehicle. The car is long gone and it’s too late to turn back now. I want to turn back because this is probably not a good idea. With two old-fashioneds in my system spurring me on, I press the option for level three in the elevator and make my way up to Kam’s.
Once I reach the landing for her floor, I release a deep breath and knock on her door. I can hear the twist of the locks on her door before her surprised face appears in the open doorway.
“Max, what are you doing here?”
I didn’t know what I was doing. I just knew I needed to see Kam. Her eyebrows knit at the prolonged silence between us. “Max?”
“I don’t know, Kamaya. I just needed to see you,” I say, stepping inside and backing her farther into the studio apartment.
Logic had long since gone out the window. I didn’t even care to consider that maybe Kamaya and Zach had gone back to her place or his. I just knew when I saw the light in the living room on from the parking lot that I desperately needed to come up here and tell her how I feel.
I shut the door behind me, quickly fastening the locks again. No need to subject her neighbors to me spilling my guts.
“Kamaya, I—,” I say, taking a deep breath before continuing. Probably should have tried rehearsing what I was going to say, but instead I rushed over here. “I’ve been trying to put these feelings out of my mind, but I can’t any longer.”
Kamaya’s brows knit in confusion. “What feelings, Max?”
“You and me! That’s what I am talking about. Or least what I’m trying to say.” I run a hand over my head like that can slow the thoughts firing all through my mind. “I can’t stop thinking about you, and the idea of you and Zach together has nearly made me come undone.”
Kamaya doesn’t say anything for a beat, as if she’s shocked by my candid words. “Maxwell, this all sounds… I don’t know. Not like you. Maybe you just feel this way because you think Zach will take up more of my time or?—”
“No.” I cut her off. She’s not getting it. I need Kamaya to understand how I feel, but I can’t seem to articulate my thoughts any better because this—showing up here and trying to be vulnerable—is something I’d never normally do. “This isn’t just jealousy that you’ll be with some other man because it will take time out of our friendship. It’s because I want to be that man. I don’t want you to be with anyone else, especially him.”
Understanding dawns across her features. Her expressive dark-brown eyes narrow at me before she speaks again. “Why now?”
“What do you mean, why now?” I ask.
Kamaya begins pacing the small foyer with her hands clasped behind her back. “Why are you telling me all this now? After two years of getting to know each other! It’s as if as soon as I get attention from someone else, now you have to make your feelings known.”
“That’s not what this is,” I say, incredulous. Kamaya’s completely missing the point. I wouldn’t have rushed into anything with her. Especially her. Our friendship and working relationship was much too important to me.
“No, I think that’s exactly what is happening. Maybe deep down you like the fact that I’m single and that you have me to fall back on. Have me to be there to pick up the pieces or be a sounding board when you’re lonely.”
I scoff. “No, that’s not it at all,” I say, taking a step closer to her so that we’re nearly chest to chest.
“So what is it, Max?” she asks softly, her breath catching now that I’m up in her space.
Kamaya’s eyes are on my mouth, and I take that as an invitation to clasp my arm around her back and pull her into a kiss. Her soft lips are tentative at first, and she breaks the kiss, looking up at me with wide eyes that search mine for answers.
“ That is why I came over here,” I say before Kam smashes our faces back together.
This time I don’t need any more permission to keep going. Our lips stay locked as I back her up the short distance to her bed. For once, I’m grateful for this little ass apartment. We both topple down to the bed, and I cover her with my body. My length hardens against her thigh as both of our bodies begin undulating. We’re desperate to reach the other through all these unnecessary layers.
My tongue dives deeper into Kamaya’s mouth, matching her stroke for stroke, feeling her pull me in. Her lips surround my tongue, applying slight suctioning pressure, and my own moans startle me at how easily we’ve become attuned to what the other needs.
“Oh God, Max,” Kam moans as her lips hover before mine.
“Baby, I know,” I say.
She giggles before clasping her hands around my shoulders, resting them at my neck. The feel of her short nails lightly scratch against my neck, but it’s not enough.
I need to feel all of her.
Desperate with need, I tug on her lips with my own until I can tell by her whimpers that she can’t take any more of it.
I ease up off her, unbuttoning my Oxford shirt and tossing it onto the floor as quickly as I can. Then with nimble, hurried fingers, I unbutton my pants and belt, removing every stitch of my clothing.
Kamaya’s eyes glide over the length of my body and her little inhalation only makes my erection harder.
“Now it’s your turn,” I say moving back to hover above her, but Kamaya quickly places a hand over my own at the side zip of her dress.
“Wait—” Kamaya says, stopping me from moving the zipper any lower.
“Have you changed your mind?” I ask. I’m hoping the answer is no, but I’ll ease up if she has decided she doesn’t want this or me anymore.
Kam bites her lower lip and looks away from me before speaking again. “I—it’s just there’s too many lights on, and I don’t feel comfortable taking my clothes off.”
Realization dawns on me why Kam is so hesitant. I hated that she felt that way. “I think you’re beautiful no matter what, Kam. Whether you’re fully made up like now or on the days when it’s just us working together and we’re in sweats. If you really want me to cut the lights off, I will.”
Kamaya meets my gaze again and eases her hand from the zipper slowly like she’s unsure of her next action. Then she sits up and begins pulling the zipper to the end. She slides the dress off her shoulder, leaving her bare to me from the waist up. Her breasts are firm and high, beckoning me towards her. Later, I’d reflect on what a gift it was to see my best friend in all her bare glory, but for now I couldn’t mess things up. I could tell Kam had reservations about revealing herself to me, but in this moment I needed to ease her mind of all that. Brush those insecurities away until all she could think about was us.
I lean back down over her and meld our mouths again. This time Kam’s whimper and shuddering beneath me has me so turned on I’m afraid I’m about to bust right here. Can’t have that. Not before I get chance to slide inside her.
I slip my free hand around her soft waist, my mouth never leaving hers, relying on my sense of touch until my fingertips find her nipple. I pinch the hardened flesh until I feel her squirming beneath me.
“Oh, Max,” she moans before moving her lips down my jawline and then to my neck. “ I can’t take it anymore, Max.”
I increase the pressure of my fingertips on both her tits, turning my head to meld our mouths together again, sucking on Kam’s tongue all the while. Her short breaths increase, and I can sense she’s getting closer.
Giving her body a break for now, I trail kisses down from her jawline to her neck, running my tongue where her shoulders and neck meet, then inching my way down to her tight breasts, so big they’re spilling out of my palms. I cup the globes and play with them, circling my thumbs on her pebbled nipples.
“Fuck, Max. Do it again,” Kamaya whimpers.
This time I replace my thumbs with my tongue, laving her tight peaks until her legs hook around my waist, causing our entwined bodies to buck against each other. My dick is so hard I can hardly see straight.
I slide my hands down and slip the dress over her ample hips, taking my time to savor the look of Kamaya splayed open before me.
Kam reaches over to her bedside stand and pulls open the top drawer, and I stop her movements. “Let me.”
I remove a condom from the box and place the latex over me, though my hands are shaking with anticipation. I should have let Kam do this, though I don’t want to embarrass myself early with her hands on me.
I finally get the blasted thing on and position myself back over Kamaya. Hovering over her spread body. Her dark eyes follow my every move. We’re unable to keep our gazes off of each other, marveling at this moment that I didn’t think would happen but still feel was a long time in the making.
“I need you, Max.” Her hands come up to frame my face.
“Babe, trust me, I feel the same way.” Finally, I slowly enter Kamaya. My best friend, my partner, and now my lover.
Our bodies fit together perfectly, not that I doubted they would, but the feel of her is too much to bear.
“Maxwell, please move.”
I begin thrusting my hips forward, and I get a rhythm going that quickly has her small space heating up. Our flesh becomes of one accord until neither of us can take the pleasure anymore. The feel of Kamaya’s short nails in the middle of my shoulders creates a pleasure and pain that has my body on fire.
“I’m close,” she says, leaning forward and kissing me. My moan is an invitation for her to push her tongue back into my mouth. We stay locked like this until I feel the muscles of her sex gripping me tighter before Kamaya comes.
“I’m right there with you, Kamaya,” I say before I come, gripping her hips tightly, riding the high of her sweet body. The orgasm is one of the most intense I’ve ever experienced. Kam’s whole body is wrapped around me as I spill inside her.
The best night of my life and one I’ll never forget.