Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
~WILLA~
“ I ’ll take him out,” Max offers. We’ve had the puppy for almost a full week, and it’s more work than I ever anticipated.
I feel like I have a newborn and a toddler.
“Thanks.” I smile in gratitude and return to browning the meat on the stove. Alex is at Pierce’s house for the night, having a sleepover. Which means, I have the puppy and Max for the night.
I’m nervous as a virgin on her first date. The chemistry between Max and me is as strong as it ever was. Maybe even stronger.
And with no kid at home tonight, there will be nudity.
Please, God, let there be nakedness.
But first, there’s dinner and puppy detail.
My phone rings, and I frown at the number. It’s the mechanic.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Willa, it’s Tom. Say, I know I promised you the car back by Wednesday, but it looks like it’s going to take longer.”
I sigh and rub my hand over my face.
“How much longer?”
“At least another week. I’m sorry to do that to you; we’re still waiting on parts.”
“How is it taking this long?”
“We live in the boonies, Willa,” he says, laughing in my ear. “Everything takes a long time. But I’ll let you know when the parts get here.”
“Thanks. Keep me posted.”
I hang up and sigh just as Max comes back in with Rocky, the name Alex settled on for his pup.
“What’s up?” Max asks as Rocky runs over to his water dish.
“That’s it, drink more water and pee on my rug again,” I mutter, shaking my head. “Why don’t they make diapers for puppies?”
“Good question,” Max says, wrapping his arms around me from behind and burying his face in my neck, sending shivers over every damn inch of my body. “What’s wrong?”
“Tom called. No car by Wednesday.”
“Did he say why?”
“Still waiting on parts. I don’t get it, Max. My car isn’t that old.”
“Maybe they sent him the wrong ones to start with,” he suggests, his hands gliding down my sides to my hips. I suddenly don’t care about my car anymore. “This smells great.”
“Tacos always were your favorite.”
“Yeah, the tacos smell good, too.” He grins against my skin, and I want to turn in his arms and strip him naked, then have my way with him.
But the ground beef is sizzling, so I turn my attention to dinner, sprinkling taco seasoning and water over the meat and giving it a stir.
“The puppy is quiet,” I announce, looking around in panic.
“I’m on it,” he says, leaving me to see where the little terrorist ran off to. “Found him.”
“What’s he doing?”
“You don’t want to know.”
I blow out a breath while I question my life choices.
“You’ll need to replace the rug after he grows out of this puppy phase.”
“Did he pee on it again? You just took him out.”
“No, he chewed the corner.”
“Damn it.” I glare at the little thing and shake my spatula at him. “It’s a good thing you’re so cute.”
“Arf,” Rocky replies, panting happily and snuggling against Max’s chin.
“In the crate for him while we eat. He can have a chew bone and his rope toy.”
Max gets Rocky settled, and I dish up dinner.
“I guess I didn’t realize how much Alex does for Rocky,” I admit. “He’s really done a good job of taking care of that dog.”
“What do you do with him during the day when Alex is at school, and you’re at work?”
I cringe. “I’ve been taking him to the shop. I said I wouldn’t do that, but he’s just a baby. He shouldn’t be in that crate, alone, all day long. So, I have a bed, leash, and crate for him at work.”
“You’re a sucker,” Max says with a laugh.
“Would you leave him home alone for sometimes ten hours at a time?”
He seems to think it over, chewing his tacos. “No. That’s a long time.”
“Exactly. My hope is that as he gets older and calms down a bit, he’ll be easier.”
“It will be,” Max assures me.
He clears the dishes when we’re finished eating. I check on Rocky, who has his nose pressed to the edge of the crate as if to say, “ help me! I’m in prison.”
I let him out, scoop him up, and we go into the living room to turn on the TV.
“Want to watch a movie?” I ask Max when he walks in from the kitchen, carrying two mugs of coffee. “Mm, thanks.”
“We can watch whatever you like,” he says as he sits next to me. The way the man fills out a pair of jeans should be illegal. And when you add that black Henley with the sleeves pushed up on his forearms, well…
Hello, sex on a stick.
Rocky abandons me for Max, turns a circle, and falls asleep in his lap.
Little traitor.
I flip through the movie channels as we sip our coffee.
“I like your house,” Max says.
“Thank you.”
“It’s not at all like I remember it.”
I nod and set the remote aside, mid-search. Looks like it’ll be Armageddon in the background.
I reach over and mute Bruce Willis and then turn to Max.
“I’ve done a lot of work to it. When Cary and I bought it, we knew it was a fixer-upper. But we loved the property, and the size of the house was great.”
“Agreed. How much square footage do you have?”
“Almost four thousand,” I reply with a smile. “And one of the perks of being on my own large property outside of town? I can add on or do pretty much anything I want. The permits from the county aren’t as strict as in the city limits.”
“I learned that last year,” Max says, shaking his head. “I wanted to add a boathouse, and the city threw a fit.”
“Don’t you have a boathouse?”
“No, I have a covered lift, which is okay. But I’d like to store the boats out of the elements on my property in the winter. A boathouse is the most efficient way to do that.”
I nod as if I understand. There are moments when I’m reminded just how wealthy Max is.
“But we’re not talking about my boathouse.” He reaches out and twists a strand of my hair around his finger. “Tell me more about your house.”
“Well.” I clear my throat. “It’s finally just the way I want it. The new kitchen and master bathroom went in last year. I tore down the walls that separated the kitchen and main living area because I wanted an open concept. The beam that I had to put in was not cheap, but so worth it.”
“It’s beautiful,” he agrees, looking around the space. “I like the farmhouse feel.”
“Well, it’s no mansion on the lake, but we like it.”
“Don’t do that,” Max says softly. “What you’ve built here is impressive and beautiful. It has your heart in it. That’s more than I can say about my house at the lake.”
“You’re right,” I reply with a nod. “I am proud of my home. And I’m glad you like it.”
His eyes are pinned to mine as he leans in and brushes his lips over my own, back and forth, then he sinks in, kissing me lazily. His lips are soft, taking my mouth on the dance of a lifetime.
Max always did know how to kiss the pants off me.
Suddenly, there’s an extra slurp, right on our lips.
“Hey, buddy, you’re messing with my mojo here,” Max says, petting Rocky on the head. Rocky doggy-grins and boosts himself up to kiss my chin.
“Yes, you like to kiss.” I plant one on the puppy’s cheek. “Don’t you?”
“I think it’s time for this little guy to go back into his crate for a bit.”
Max’s eyes are shining, and I know exactly what he’s talking about.
“No more interruptions,” I say as I stand with Rocky in my arms. I take him outside so he can relieve himself and then get him settled in his crate. He lets out a little bark but then discovers his chew bone.
When I walk back into the living room, Max is gone.
I frown. “Max?”
“Back here,” he calls out from the direction of my bedroom. I hurry back there and smile when I see him leaning his shoulder on the doorframe of my bathroom. “I wanted to see your handiwork.”
“Ah.” I press my cheek against his back in the groove of his spine and sigh in happiness at his warmth. My arms are wrapped around his middle, pressed against his flat belly.
He’s just… hard. Firm. Warm.
Irresistible.
“What do you think of it?” I press a kiss to his shoulder blade.
“Just like the rest of the house, it’s beautiful.”
Claw-foot soaking tub. Subway tile shower. Heated Moroccan tile floor.
I freaking love my bathroom.
“I’m glad you like it.”
I press another kiss to his back just before he turns in my arms, frames my face in his hands, and lowers his lips to mine.
We’re standing in my dark bedroom, kissing as if our lives depend on it.
Over the past week, we’ve only been able to steal kisses here and there when Alex wasn’t looking.
But now, no one is here but us.
The nervousness is gone, and all I want in the world is Max.
“Wills,” he whispers against my mouth.
“Yeah.”
“I need to get you naked.”
I smile because it’s the same line he used back in the day when I gave him my virginity.
That was a lifetime ago.
“Okay,” I whisper, just as I did back then.
“Are you on the pill?”
“IUD,” I reply. “And clean.”
“Me, too.” His hands glide down my arms, and he links his fingers with mine. “Are you sure about this?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been more sure of anything in my life.”
That line is new and absolutely true.
He smiles softly. He slips his hands under my sweater, skims them up my sides, and pulls the top over my head, tossing it on the floor.
“My body has changed,” I warn him.
“So has mine,” he says.
“Well, where you’ve gotten hotter, and thank the good Lord for it, I’ve had a baby.”
“You’re amazing,” he replies, guiding my jeans down my legs, not worried in the least. Which only makes me love him more because I know, without a doubt, those aren’t just pretty words being said to get in my pants.
Max means every syllable.
With my clothes gone, he steps back and takes me in. The light from the bathroom is the only illumination in the room, but it’s enough for him to see me.
In the past, I would have moved to cover myself.
But not now.
Not with him.
“Jesus, Wills.”
“What?” I glance down and cringe. “I know, these stretch marks are wild. They’re not nearly as bad as they were after I first had Alex?—”
“No.” My gaze whips up to his, and he swallows hard. “No, baby, I was just thinking that I’m going to come faster than an amateur on prom night.”
I giggle and step to him, returning the favor of stripping him naked.
My fingers linger over the ridges of his abs. I mean, are these legal in all fifty states? Does he need a license for them? A permit?
A freaking warning label, perhaps?
Max’s lips twitch. “Find something you like?”
“I see plenty that I like.” My voice is rough with lust. My fingers roam down to the waistband of his jeans. Rather than flick the button open, I run one digit under the fabric, touching his warm skin.
And the tip of his cock.
“That’s it,” he says, shucking off his jeans, kicking them aside, and lifting me onto the bed. “I’m sorry, I can’t take it. If you keep touching me like that, I’m going to make a fool of myself.”
“I want to touch you.” My hand plunges into his hair as he kisses his way from my neck to my breast, tugging the nipple between his lips. “You’re touchable.”
“You’re fucking incredible,” he growls. His mouth devours my breast, and his free hand glides down my belly to home base.
But he doesn’t push his fingers inside me or even go straight for my clit.
No, Max Hull lightly brushes his fingertips over my lips on either side of my opening, sending shocks of electricity through every nerve of my body.
“Oh my God,” I mutter, my fist tightening in his hair.
“Hold onto the pillow,” he instructs me.
I immediately comply. Hell, if he told me to jump off a bridge right now, I’d be swimming with the fishes.
He carefully and methodically plays my pussy like a musical instrument. Taking me right to the edge of reason, then pulling back again until I moan my frustration.
“I need to make sure you’re ready,” he says.
“I don’t think I can get much more ready,” I assure him and grin when he nudges his hips between my legs. “Can I let go of the pillow now?”
“You may,” he agrees and kisses me deeply. The head of his cock is nestled against me, and as the kiss deepens, it slides farther inside until Max groans and buries his face against my neck. “Fuck, Wills, you feel so damn good.”
“Mm.” I shift my hips and grip him, grinning when he groans again. Then all conscious thought leaves when he picks up the pace and sends us both into paradise.
After we’ve caught our breath, he leaves the bed before I can move and comes back with a warm washcloth to clean us both up, then he crawls into the bed next to me, tugging me into his arms.
My cheek on his chest was always my favorite place to be when we were kids, and it seems that’s one thing that hasn’t changed.
“I can hear your heart,” I whisper.
He kisses my head. “Go to sleep.”
My phone is ringing.
I sit up, disoriented. I’m in my bed, but Max is with me, and suddenly, the past few hours come rushing back to me.
“Phone,” I murmur as Max looks around, searching for it. “It must still be in the living room.”
“Got it.”
He rushes out and then comes running back with the cell, and I accept the call just before it goes to voicemail.
“Mommy?”
Alex only calls me Mommy when something’s wrong.
“What’s going on, Bubba?”
“I want to come home.” His voice is so small it breaks my heart. “Can you come get me?”
“Of course.” I glance up to see Max pulling on his jeans. “I’ll be there in about twenty minutes, okay? Is Pierce’s mom awake?”
“His dad is. He said it was okay to call.”
“Okay, Bubba. I’ll see you in a few.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
I hang up and blow out a breath.
“Well, so much for a whole night alone,” I say, apology in my voice.
“Don’t even worry about it,” Max assures me as I climb from the bed and pull on a fresh pair of leggings and a baggy sweatshirt. “Let’s go get him.”
“Oh, you don’t have to?—”
“If you think I’m going to let you drive alone at two in the morning, you’ve got another thing coming.” He holds his hand out for mine. “Come on. I’ll drive.”
We hurry out to his Mercedes, and by the time we reach the end of my road, my seat and the air blowing on me are warm.
“This really is a nice car.”
He smiles over at me. “You really are beautiful.”
He kisses my hand as I blush in the passenger seat. I feel giddy. And, if I’m honest, a little sore.
Now I have to figure out how to tell Max that he can’t stay the night once Alex gets home. It’s never been an issue with men I’ve dated in the past because I never let them meet my son. No way.
But this is so different. Not only has Max already met Alex, they genuinely enjoy each other.
I’m not ready for a sleepover and all of the explanations that come with it.
Max pulls into Pierce’s driveway, and I immediately jump out and walk to the front door, which is already open with Alex coming outside, a smile on his sweet face at the sight of me.
“Hi, Mom!”
As if it’s not two in the morning.
“Hey, Bubba. Go get in the car, and I’ll be right there, okay? And what do you say?”
“Thanks for letting me stay. Sorry, I’m a pain in the butt.” He waves and hurries down to Max’s car, and I roll my eyes.
“I’m sorry about this.”
“Hey, it’s no big deal,” Stan, Pierce’s dad, says. “They’re at a tough age. They want to feel independent, but they’re just not quite brave enough yet. We’ll try again in a few months.”
“You’re the best. Thank you.”
I walk back to the car and climb in.
“—weird noises.”
“What’s that?” I ask.
“Alex was just telling me that there were weird noises.”
“Yeah,” Alex says. “And it smells funny. Pierce said his mom likes seasonal oils, and he has a water thingy in his room with the oils.”
“Essential oils?” I ask with a smile.
“Yeah, that. I didn’t like it. I’m sorry, Mom. I know I promised that I’d stay the whole night.”
“It’s okay.” I sigh, sinking back against the warm seat. “We’ll try again another time.”
“Did Rocky miss me?”
And there it is. The real reason Alex wanted to come home. I should have realized.
“Of course, he did,” I reply with a yawn. “Right to bed when we get home, though. It’s about three years past your bedtime.”
“Can I take Rocky with me?”
“Yeah.”
I’m too tired to argue.
By the time we reach my house, I’m ready to head back to bed myself. Max escorts us inside, and I’m faced with the uncomfortable talk.
Alex takes Rocky out of his crate and carries him to bed. I turn to Max, but his hand is already on the doorknob.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he says.
“I’m sorry.” I walk into his arms. “This was supposed to be different.”
“You’re a mom,” he says simply. “Sleep well. I’ll come over in the morning for breakfast.”
“You don’t have to?—”
He shuts me up with his lips on mine. “I’ll see you at breakfast.”
And then he’s gone.
I walk down the hall to my room, which is two doors down from Alex’s. He’s in bed, Rocky curled up with him, and he’s whispering to his pup.
“I’m glad I came home,” he says. “It’s fun at Pierce’s, but you weren’t there, and I missed you. And Mom, but don’t tell her that ’cause she might not let me go again, okay?”
I grin and keep walking.
“Max is here,” Alex announces, the way he always does when he sees Max’s car pull into the driveway. “Why was he here last night?”
I was hoping he would forget about that.
“We were on a date.”
It’s not a lie, and much to my relief, Alex just shrugs and goes back to watching American Ninja Warrior .
“Hey,” I say as I open the door, then feel my eyes bug out of my face. “What’s this?”
“I didn’t know what you liked,” Max says as he carries four bags to the kitchen and sets them on the island. “Alex, come get breakfast.”
“Holy cow!” Alex exclaims at the sight of the bags.
“Holy cow is right,” I agree. “What’s in here?”
“This bag is bagels and cream cheese. Over here we have omelets and hash browns. I got biscuits with a side of gravy, some fruit, some sausage, and a whole thing of bacon.”
Max wiggles his eyebrows.
“The bacon’s for me.”
“Will you share with me?” Alex asks as he pets Rocky, who’s also excited by the smells coming from the bags.
“Sure. One piece.”
Alex giggles. “I want an omelet.”
“Omelet coming up. With one slice of bacon.” Max slaps about four strips of bacon on Alex’s plate and winks at me. “What about you, beautiful lady?”
“Just a bagel for me.”
“More for us, right, buddy?”
“Yay, more for us!”