Chapter Three
Max
“Here we are. Home sweet home.”
I put the shopping bags filled with Lauren’s new things down on the living room carpet and watched her green eyes grow wide as she took in the interior of the house she was going to live in.
There wasn’t much to take in, really. The house was a modern three-bedroom raised bungalow with a garage, a basement, and a medium-sized backyard with a stone-tiled patio. A large granite counter separated the kitchen from the living room. The interior was a mixture of browns and grays, most of the furniture straight from the Home Depot catalog. A 60-inch flat screen. A few abstract paintings. No potted plants. Three grown men didn’t need much.
Lauren let out a deep breath. “It’s…cleaner than I expected. No offense.”
I chuckled. “Well, we do what we can, plus the cleaning lady that comes in once a month.”
She looked at me. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to stay here?”
“That’s what Jake said.”
Even I was surprised. I thought the reason Jake had stayed unmarried all these years, in spite of Billie’s constant nagging and the women who flirted with him at the bar, was because he didn’t trust women. He was also the one who made the rule that we weren’t supposed to bring a woman to the house. So why did he suddenly decide to let a woman we’d only just met live with us?
”And do you always do what Jake says?”
I nodded. “Yeah, because he’s the leader of my MC.”
“MC?”
“Motorcycle club. It’s called Black Storm.”
“I see. That’s where he went?”
“Yeah. Someone was looking for him at the clubhouse.”
Lauren touched the back of the couch. “Have you been living together long?”
“A few years, ever since I joined the club. There’s also another guy, but he’s away right now.”
Lauren’s eyebrows arched. “And he won’t mind me living here?”
“He’s cool.”
Honestly, he would probably throw a fit, but that was a problem for another time.
Lauren glanced down the hall. “Will I be staying in your room?”
“Yes. I’m your boyfriend, after all.”
She nodded slowly. “Right.”
“But don’t worry. I’ll sleep on the couch until you remember me. I spend most of my time here in the living room, anyway.”
It was the same thing I told Jake when I insisted on letting Lauren stay in my room instead of his, which was his initial proposal since he could always sleep in the garage or in his shop. No way. It was nice enough of him to allow Lauren to stay in the house. The least I could do was give her my room.
Lauren frowned. “Are you sure? But…”
I held a finger to her lips to cut off the rest of her sentence. “No more buts.”
She did stop talking, but she also looked up at me with unguarded eyes, eyes that at first gleamed with innocence and concern, then shone with interest. Fascination? Attraction? All I knew was that I couldn’t look away, and as my gaze stayed glued on hers, I felt the silence grow hot and heavy, just like my balls.
Fuck. It had been too long since I last jerked off, longer since I’d been this close to a woman.
I was suddenly aware of how soft her lips felt against my finger. They were full and shaped into a bow, too, just the way I liked them. I had an urge to run the pad of my thumb across them, then maybe slip it in between to touch the tip of her tongue. I imagined her licking my finger, then taking all of it inside her warm mouth and sucking on it. My cock throbbed inside my pants.
Lauren stepped back with flushed cheeks, making me wonder if she had read my mind. If she had, she didn’t seem to approve.
“I think I’ll go rest now.” She grabbed the paper bags. “I still feel a little lightheaded.”
I drew a deep breath in an effort to calm the heat in my veins. “Of course. My room is the one on the right furthest down the hall, just before the bathroom.”
“Okay.”
She started walking off. Quickly. I knew I had managed not to prop up a tent in my pants, but she must have sensed my momentary lapse of self-control.
Fuck, Max. You better get a hold of yourself. She just got out of the hospital, remember?
And it was all because of me. I was supposed to be taking care of her and making her feel safe, not lusting after her like a stag in a rut.
“If you need anything, just let me know,” I told Lauren, making my voice louder so she could hear it. “And don’t worry about me. I’ve got everything I need right here.”
On second thought, I realized I didn’t.
I had my laptop, my phone, my earbuds and all my chargers in the living room, a blanket, and even a change of clothes, but I had left my pair of computer glasses in the drawer of my nightstand, and I needed it to read my flood of emails and their hefty attachments.
I headed to my room and knocked on the door. No one answered. I knocked again. When there was still no answer, I assumed that Lauren had fallen asleep, so I opened the door as quietly as I could. I was surprised to find Lauren awake, sitting on the edge of the bed facing the window.
“Lauren.”
She jumped to her feet, her phone nearly slipping from her fingers.
I put my hands up. “I’m sorry. I did knock. Twice.”
“Sorry. I was…” She wiped the corners of her eyes and sniffed. “I was watching something on my phone.”
Had she been crying? I wouldn’t be surprised. Losing one’s family was bad enough. Not even remembering them? It must be hell.
And it was my fault she had to go through it.
If only I had been going slower. If only I had seen her sooner and stopped in time.
“Did you need something?” Lauren’s voice broke up my guilty thoughts.
I cleared my throat. “I just needed to get something.”
“No problem.”
I walked over to the nightstand and pulled out the drawer, taking a maroon case from inside. As I closed the drawer, I saw the gold bracelet beside the clock. It definitely wasn’t mine.
“That’s a nice piece of jewelry. Did you have it on you during the accident?”
If so, I didn’t notice.
Lauren shrugged. “I guess. I…found it in the inside pocket of my jacket.”
I picked it up. “It looks valuable. The person who gave it to you must have really cared for you.”
It suddenly occurred to me that she might have a real boyfriend. Wouldn’t that be a problem?
“I doubt it.” She took it from my hand. “If you’re suggesting that I was cheating on you, I’m sure that wasn’t the case. I don’t even think this is mine.”
“You’re sure?”
I thought she’d lost her memories. Well, the doctor did say she could remember bits and pieces.
“It doesn’t fit me. See?” She clasped it on her wrist then put her hand down, the bracelet easily slipping off and falling to the floor.
Strangely, I felt relieved.
I picked the bracelet up. “Maybe it belongs to one of your friends.”
“Who?”
“If you want, I can try to trace where it was sold and who it was sold to.”
Lauren’s eyes grew wide. “You can do that?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Why?” She took back the bracelet. “If I don’t know who it is, they’re probably not a good friend.”
I scratched my head. Right. I was supposed to be her boyfriend, so I was supposed to know all her friends.
The hell, Max. You almost made a stupid mistake.
Lauren pointed to the case in my hand. “You wear glasses?”
“Only when I’m working on my computer for several hours straight.”
“And what is your work? I thought you were just a biker. I mean I…I don’t remember.”
“Oh. I’m just helping out with a friend’s business.”
“I see.”
I slipped the case inside my pocket. “Anyway, I’ll leave you alone, but if you need anything, you know where to find…”
I stopped on my way to the door as I noticed the pile beside the laundry basket in the corner. They were my used clothes, including the pair of boxers I wore yesterday. What were they doing on the floor?
Lauren hastily gathered them in her arms. “I…I was going to wash my clothes, and I thought I’d wash yours as well. I mean girlfriends do that, don’t they?”
“Yes.”
And some liked to sniff their boyfriend’s boxers. Was she doing that, too? The thought of it elicited another throb from inside the boxers I currently had on.
I took the pile from her. “You don’t have to do that, though, or any chores around here. You should just focus on your recovery.”
“Okay.”
“If you want, I can do your laundry for you.”
She shook her head. “No. That’s fine. I’ll do it.”
I leaned over her so I could whisper in her ear. “And if there’s anything I can do for you, anything at all that you want from me, all you have to do is ask. I’m your boyfriend after all. I’m here to cater to your every need.”
Then I stepped away, leaving Lauren blushing and speechless as I headed out of the room, a mischievous grin on my lips.
I had only ever had women brashly throw themselves on me before, so the experience of teasing one was entirely new. And extremely exciting. My veins were buzzing, my pulse haywire.
I couldn’t wait for her to accept my offer.
When Lauren skipped dinner, I thought I’d missed my chance. I thought I’d scared her and extinguished the flames of her interest in me by trying to fan it. However, when she appeared in the living room around midnight, I felt a spark of hope, and I quickly closed my laptop and removed my glasses.
“Need anything?”
For a moment, she looked like she’d run, but she didn’t. “I…didn’t realize you were still awake. I was just going to make myself a snack. I got a bit hungry.”
“It’s no wonder since you didn’t eat dinner.” I stood up. “Why don’t you sit at the counter and I’ll make you a sandwich?”
Lauren followed me to the kitchen. “I can do it.”
“But I will.” I grabbed a plate. “You’re a guest. My guest.”
Lauren leaned on the counter. “Are you sure you know how to cook?”
I frowned, stung by the remark. “Ouch.”
She put her hands up. “Just asking.”
“FYI, I know how to make a sandwich. And I make a mean steak on the grill.”
“But not cook?”
I sighed. Lauren sure could be relentless.
“Jake does most of the cooking.”
“Is he asleep now?”
“Yeah. He’s in his room.”
“Hm.” She took the pendant of her necklace and brushed it against her lips. “I guess we should keep the noise down then.”
Was that an invitation? I had a sudden urge to claim those lips for my own, but I decided to behave.
For now.
I took the sourdough loaf out of the bread box and sliced off two pieces. “So, tell me what you want in a sandwich.”
Her eyebrows furrowed. “I thought you knew.”
Right. I was supposed to know.
I shrugged. “I mean what are you in the mood for? Turkey ham? Bacon? Bologna?”
“Turkey ham sounds good.”
“Lettuce? Tomatoes?”
She nodded. “Yes please.”
I gave her a salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
I started making the sandwich, spreading mayonnaise on the bread slices. Then I topped one with cheese and turkey ham slices and the other with a few lettuce leaves. Now, all I needed to do was slice the tomato—something I realized I had never done before.
Well, it shouldn’t be that hard.
I grabbed the tomato and the knife. I was about to slice it right down the middle when Lauren shouted.
“Whoa!”
I stepped back, frowning. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to startle someone with a knife?”
“Well, clearly, no one told you how to use a knife.”
She took the knife from me and started slicing the tomato from one end. She was nearly done when the tomato squirted in her face, a drop of red juice landing on her cheek. I laughed before I could stop myself.
She wiped her cheek and glared at me. “Oh, you think that’s funny, do you?”
She grabbed the rest of the tomato and I assumed a defensive position, thinking for a moment that she would throw it at me, but she put it down and continued slicing.
“You’re lucky I’m hungry.”
And she was. After slicing the tomatoes, she assembled the sandwich and started eating.
“Good?” I asked.
She just gave me a thumbs-up sign and took another bite.
I watched her gobble up the sandwich, staring at her luscious lips as they got coated in the oil from the ham, the juice from the tomato and the mayo. I took the chance to study her other features as well, like her curved lashes and her button nose and the faint freckles on her chin. Again, it was a first for me. Usually, women were the ones gawking at me, fascinated by my blue eyes and my chiseled cheeks. Annoying really. I never paid them much attention.
And yet, I could hardly keep my eyes off Lauren. Not off her face or her slender fingers or the cleavage I could glimpse past the neckline of her loose-fitting sweater.
When she was done, she wiped her mouth and looked at me. “I guess no one told you it’s rude to stare at someone either.”
I shrugged. “I can’t help it. My girlfriend is just so hot.”
She rolled her eyes. “No, I’m not. I’m a mess.”
I wiped the spot of mayo on the corner of her mouth with the napkin then touched her cheek as I looked into her eyes. “A hot mess.”
She blushed then and smiled. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
That smile made my heart race. I stroked her cheek and gave her a mischievous grin. “Oh, I can be very bad.”
“Really?” She leaned forward to trace my jawline with her finger. “And what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”
“Well, I can tell you the naughtiest thing I’ve done.” I moved closer to her, so we were mere inches apart. “One evening, after we’d both had a few glasses of champagne, I tied up your wrists…”
I touched her wrist lightly. She drew in a breath.
“Then I blindfolded you and tore off your dress…” I let my fingers walk up her arm all the way to her shoulder. “And I started kissing you.”
I placed my mouth against her ear.
“All over.”
She shivered. I stroked her shoulder as I continued whispering in her ear. “Starting from your forehead above the blindfold to your lips to your neck, down to your collarbone and…”
I couldn’t continue any longer because Lauren grabbed my face and kissed me. I placed my arm around her and cradled the back of her head as I devoured her soft, succulent lips, then I pushed my tongue past them, tasting her. She tasted like the sandwich she had eaten and something sweet.
Something I had never tasted before and couldn’t get enough of.
I placed my hands under her armpits and lifted her, placing her on the edge of the marble counter so I could better kiss her. Over and over, I let my lips crash over hers and our tongues tangle, swallowing every moan she made and relishing every shiver I sent over her heated skin. For each one, my cock quivered in response. A tent formed in my boxers.
I gripped a handful of her hair and planted kisses on her neck. My other hand found the curve of her breast and I cupped it, feeling the pebbly skin peak against my palm.
She wasn’t even wearing a bra. That alone told me she was hoping for this. She wanted this.
And I wanted her more than anything I’d ever wanted before in my life.
Desire raging through my veins, I tore myself away from her for a moment to pull off my shirt only to stop with my hands up in the air as I realized Lauren and I weren’t alone.
Wade stood in the foyer, his forehead bunched up even more than usual and his jaw clenched. I could almost see smoke coming out of his flared nostrils as he spoke.
“What the fuck is going on?”