36. Daisy
***Daisy***
It scared me that I was more upset about Max not joining us in the theater room than I was about him seeing us.
I didn’t understand what was happening to me but I was losing my mind over the older Calloway brothers.
The scariest part was that it had nothing to do with Tyler.
I wasn’t using his brothers to get back at him; I genuinely liked them.
My feelings were becoming more real by the day and that was about as bad as things could get.
Not that I was willing to do anything to help save myself from another broken heart.
I stopped in the doorway to Max’s shop and saw him bent over a table with a sanding block.
Instead of going in right away I just watched him.
I studied the way his muscles flexed as he worked, the soft sound of his breathing, even the way his hair brushed the back of his shirt collar.
He probably needed a trim but I liked the way it looked a little wild.
“Need something, Daisy?” Max’s deep voice made me jump and lose all my calmness.
I took one small step into his workshop and blushed from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. My core temperature had to go up at least two degrees with how hot my skin felt. I locked my hands together behind my back to keep him from seeing me fidgeting. “Well… I…”
He straightened and turned to face me. The sight of me seemed to strike him because he stumbled back a step. “Nice shirt.”
I frowned down at it and shrugged. “Wes grabbed it for me so I could come out here to check on you.”
“Wes grabbed it, huh?” He tossed the sanding block aside and grabbed a rag to wipe the dust off his hands.
Then he crossed to me and picked me up with an ease that would never grow old for me.
His arm banded across my ass as he walked me over to the table he’d been working on.
Ignoring my gasp and clutching hands, he put me down and then sat in a chair right in front of me.
He pulled my feet into his lap and used that same rag to dry them off.
I had to swallow around a lump of emotion. He manhandled me and then touched me so gently that it didn’t even feel like the same man. I couldn’t form words while he took such care with drying my feet. Then he held them in his hand to warm them up like it was the most casual thing in the world.
“Wes gave you my shirt but no socks or shoes. He needs to up his game.” He finally looked up and met my eyes. I tried not to read too much into what I was seeing but it was hard not to feel cherished when he was taking care of me and looking at me like I was something precious.
“I should’ve stopped for shoes but I just wanted to get here.” I heard how desperate that sounded and tried to fix it. “I mean, I wanted to make sure you were okay as soon as I could. Just because. Yeah.”
Max raised his brows and cupped the back of my calves while I let my mouth get away from me.
“I saw you. And you saw me see you. I saw other things, too, but… Anyway. I need to make sure you’re okay after seeing what you saw.
I’m sure it was a shock. It was a shock for me, too.
Believe me when I say I’ve never done anything like that before.
I swear. I don’t even know what to say about it.
Um, but I didn’t want you to think… I didn’t want you to think that I…
Dammit.” I stopped and scrubbed my hands over my face.
I saw mascara smudges when I pulled them back but I didn’t stop to care.
“We did what we did. Me and you, I mean. And I didn’t want you to think what happened tonight makes what we did mean less. ”
His eyes followed me as I leaned forward and back, side to side. He stayed silent, just a solid force of silent judgement.
“I wanted you to be a part of it. Whatever it is.” At that admission I buried my face in my hands and groaned. “I sound like a slut. Like a demented slut who can’t stop talking. Please, Max, step in here.”
He slowly stood up, walked to the other side of the shop and grabbed a clean rag. He ran water over it for a few seconds and then came back to sit in front of me. As he pulled my feet back into his lap, he finally spoke. “Spread your legs.”
That one direction nearly made me run away.
I was embarrassed and scared that he’d find me disgusting.
The last thing I wanted to do was let him see the mess between my thighs.
His gaze left no room for argument, though.
I whimpered as I braced my feet on his thighs and slowly let my legs fall open.
I turned my head to the side and closed my eyes.
Max didn’t make a sound to let me know what he was thinking.
He waited for me to look at him again before he even looked down at my sex.
He forced me to watch his expression strain as he fought to keep a blank look on his face.
That stoicism failed when he looked back up at my face and couldn’t hide the heat in his eyes.
“Max?”
He took his damp rag and began a slow and meticulous cleaning.
His breathing became labored as he watched come slowly trickle out of my core.
I shook, ashamed and turned on despite that shame.
His focus was intense and he moved the rag so gently that it felt like foreplay instead of cleaning.
I held my breath, not wanting to lose the soft look on his face.
It was like he was momentarily someone else, someone who didn’t feel the need to keep her out.
He let his fingers graze my lower lips as he cleaned me and each time I shivered from it, his lips would tip up in a half-smile.
It went on for so long that I was barely holding myself together.
My hips chased his touch, I was so wet that I was probably making a mess of his table.
I felt like one touch would send me over the edge.
He never gave that direct touch, though.
He set the rag down next to my hip and slowly rolled my shirt up so I was even more exposed. Then he took my hand and moved it lower until it pressed against my sex. His softness was gone, replaced with something edgier and dangerous and all Max. “I like watching you.”
Four words and I felt myself slipping under his spell.
That admission wasn’t easy for him, I knew.
He’d given it to me, though, and I’d give him something back.
I leaned back on one arm and let my other hand explore.
I was too wiped for a big orgasm but the moment felt like it called for something quieter, more intimate.
I gathered my own wetness and then rubbed slow, small circles over my clit.
I was sensitive from the night’s activities and after Max’s cleaning, it didn’t take long for me to be at the edge.
I watched Max and seeing his need so clear on his face pushed me over.
I let out a quiet whimper and orgasmed for the second time with Max’s eyes on me.
It wasn’t a huge release; it was more like a warm embrace.
It left me relaxed and limp, at Max’s will.
“You’re not a slut.” His voice shook with his restraint. “I was jealous. I wanted to be the one making you come while someone else watched.”
I sat up, closing my legs, and leaned forward to cup his face with my clean hand. “You could’ve been. I don’t know what’s happening, Max, but I know that I missed you tonight.”
He stood up and moved to stand between my legs. Our faces were just inches apart. Finally. “You wanted me there?”
I moved closer, so close that we were sharing the same air. “Yes. I swear, Max. I wanted you there with us. I’ve wanted you every day. Even when you regretted me and hid from me.”
He cupped my face in his hands and angled his head while staring at my lips. He wanted to kiss me. I wanted him to kiss me. “I lose control around you.”
“Is that so bad?” I knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as the words left my mouth. His eyes shuttered and he stepped back. “Max. Please.”
“I can’t yet. I don’t trust myself, Dais.” He came close again and brushed his lips over mine in a ghost of a kiss. “I’ve held everything so tightly for so long and I feel like loosening my grip on one thing would make everything fall.”
I frowned but nodded. Instead of kissing him like I wanted to, I hugged him. It took him a few seconds to hug me back but when he did, it was pure peace. I didn’t want to let go but I forced myself to. “Can I stay and watch?”
His eyebrows furrowed as he studied me. “Really?”
I nodded and crossed my legs. “I won’t talk. I’ll just watch.”
He tried to turn away to hide a smile but I saw it. He cleared his throat and spoke with more gravel in his voice than normal. “Fine. Stay there. I’ll work around you.”
I did as he said. Watching him was relaxing. He moved with purpose no matter what he was doing and it was hypnotic. I leaned back first and then I laid on my side on the table, careful to not get in the way. I wasn’t sure if I made it a whole minute before I was out.