Chapter 12
TWELVE
MAX
Annie’s weight on top of her, rocking her hips against her all desperate and needy was incredible—better than Max ever imagined it would feel.
Max’s fingers slid through Annie’s slick, hot folds igniting a fire deep within her.
Breathy pants and whimpers and the feeling of Annie’s desire in her hand delighted her as Max shifted her hips, trying to keep her own need for Annie in check.
She had wanted this for months. To have Annie like this, on top of her, putty in her hand.
Max had imagined what her moans would sound like—the pitch, the breathiness, the way her voice might crack—but no figment of her imagination came close to the real thing.
She wanted to make Annie come. Wanted to make her feel how desired she was.
Max was determined to take as many seconds, minutes, or hours it would require to make Annie feel adored.
“Oh—mmmm.” Annie’s low groan sent shivers through her as Max wrapped an arm around her torso, her fingers continuing their movements.
“Can you come like this?” she whispered.
Annie’s breathing stuttered, hot against Max’s collarbone as her hips pushed against her thigh. Max was ready to move mountains if it meant making Annie feel the pleasure she deserved. But then she noticed it.
It wasn’t all at once, but it was definitely there. A change in Annie’s entire body, a tautness that hadn’t been there a moment ago. Like Annie was holding herself back, but she was moving again, her hips picking up the same motions as she called out in a voice that didn’t quite sound like hers.
“Fuck—baby,” Annie whined, a high-pitched, nasally sound that caught Max off guard, her fingers stilling as she tried to make sense of the sudden change. “Yes, yes, yes,” Annie chanted, but something still felt off.
Max stopped her movements, removing her hand, the other trailing softly up the curve of Annie’s side. Annie sat up, still straddling Max’s thigh, eyelids fluttering rapidly as she looked anywhere but at her.
Max propped herself up on her elbows, aware that her chest was bare and fully on display, but her focus was on Annie and the tears she was currently trying to hide.
Max reached up, cupping Annie’s cheek in her hand, thumb running across the smooth surface.
“Hey, it’s okay. What’s going on? Talk to me. ”
Annie shook her head, quickly moving so she was no longer on top of Max. Her legs draped over the side of the bed, her body hunched over, shoulders shaking as she buried her head in her hands.
Max’s heart hurt for Annie and whatever feelings were currently working their way through her body as she shook, crying silently into the darkness.
Max scooted closer, coming up behind Annie, her legs on either side, circling her arms around her to hold her tight.
“It’s okay,” she whispered, her chest pressing against Annie’s back, feeling each and every shudder and shaky inhale.
“I’ve got you.” Max squeezed her tightly, letting her feel everything she needed to.
After a few long minutes, after her breathing returned to normal, Annie’s body relaxed against Max. She leaned back into the embrace, hands coming to rest on Max’s forearms, still holding her tightly.
“I’m so embarrassed.” Her voice cracked with fresh tears.
Max pressed a kiss to the nape of Annie’s neck, murmuring against her skin as they breathed together. “Nothing to be embarrassed by.”
Tiny wispy blond hairs tickled her nose as Max placed a trail of kisses across Annie’s strong shoulders, inhaling the lingering scent of jasmine.
“I just want to make sure you’re okay,” she said into another kiss.
“And make sure what we’re doing feels good.
I know it hasn’t quite been the full seven months—”
Annie twisted in her arms, her hand coming cradle Max’s jaw, steady and sure as she captured her lips in a confident kiss leaving both of them breathless.
“I want this. So badly,” she whispered, body leaning back against Max’s once more as she attempted to articulate. “But…in my head…”
Max ran soothing hands up and down her arms.
“I’m not boring,” Annie choked out, her body heaving with fresh tears.
Max tugged gently on Annie’s arm, urging her to lie down with her head on her chest. She reached for the blankets, pulling them snug around their bodies, Annie resting a delicate hand on her sternum, perfectly manicured nails glistening in the moonlight pouring in through triangular windows set high on the wall.
“I’m really sorry,” Annie hiccupped.
“Don’t be.”
“I wanted this to go so differently. I wanted our first time together to, you know, be special and sexy and fucking hot as hell.”
“Sometimes what’s real is better than what’s hot.
I want the real you, Annie.” Max maneuvered the hair tie holding Annie’s hair in place and seconds later a waterfall of brassy strands spilled over her chest as she wove her fingers through them.
She gently combed through Annie’s hair in the way that always made her feel at peace.
“And for the record, I’ve found all of this to be extremely, extremely hot. ”
She felt Annie’s smile against her chest as she continued to finger-comb her hair.
“You’re really not mad?” Annie asked after a few more moments of quietly breathing together in the dark.
“Not even for a second,” Max reassured, leaning to place a soft kiss on Annie’s forehead, the tickle of her eyelashes fluttering closed a tease on her bare chest. “Do you want to talk about it? Or would you rather we cuddle some more, or head to bed? I’m down for either. You let me know what you need.”
Annie’s chest heaved, letting out a long sigh. “I think it would make me feel better to talk about it.”
“We can do that. Would it help if I started?”
Annie nodded, nestling herself even closer against Max’s torso.
Max inhaled deeply, thoughts zooming through her mind as she tried to decide the best place to start.
“I noticed a change after I asked if you could come. Did that feel like too much pressure?” She asked her question softly, feeling like she had some sense of where all this was coming from, knowing all she did about Annie.
Again, Annie nodded. “Yeah, but it’s weird because usually I like hearing that…
but this time…this feels so…big. For the last almost eight years of my life, I’ve had sex with one person,” she said, and Max’s cheek grew hot with the confirmation that there hadn’t been anyone else for Annie since Caroline.
“And now there’s you. And you’re kind, caring, and snarky as hell, but you make me laugh and forget that my life is an absolute dumpster fire.
You bring so much lightness to my life. And you’re perfect—don’t even get me started on how perfect I think you are.
” Annie traced her collarbone with the tips of her fingers as Max listened, glowing under Annie’s praise.
“But I didn’t want to meet you when I’m such a mess—when I’m such a work in progress.
I wanted to meet you when I was someone worth being with, someone who wasn’t…
boring.” She finished quietly, resignation heavy on her words.
The thought of Annie being so worried about being a work in progress when Max herself was the very definition of one was laughable.
Look at her—half a career, indecisive as fuck, and barely making ends meet.
She was the one who should be worried about not being worthy of attention from someone like Annie.
Her laugh started low in her belly and soon filled her entire body. “I’m sorry. I just—I can’t help but laugh because I was over here having some of those exact same thoughts about not being worth your time.”
Annie propped herself up on her elbow so she could look fully at Max, dark pupils reflecting moonlight back at her. “Really?”
“Annie. I’m a mess. I walked out of the country club job with no plan when I really needed the money.
I’ve got no clue what I’m doing with this land, and I have no idea what my life is going to look like six months from now or a year from now.
But I know one thing for sure. There is a very cute girl with blond hair and the most unique eyes I’ve ever seen who has occupied far too many of my thoughts, who I really, really like—exactly as she is right now. No changes needed.”
Annie grinned, averting her eyes shyly. “Oh yeah? And who’s this lucky girl?”
Max brought her hand up to Annie’s face, brushing her hair away from her eyes with the back of her fingers, tucking it behind her ear as she leaned forward, pulling Annie’s lips to hers.
“It’s you.”
Annie smiled against her. “I know. But I wanted to hear you say it.”
* * *
The following morning, the sun poked through the line of windows, gradually filling the room with light.
Max groggily reached her hand out, searching for Annie, but only finding cool bed sheets.
They had fallen asleep tangled up together.
For all of Max’s self-proclaimed little spoon talk, she had spent most of the night with a protective arm wrapped around Annie’s middle, breathing in her scent as she listened to her soft snores.
But the bed was empty and Annie was nowhere to be found. She checked her phone; it was a little past eight in the morning. Curiosity got a hold of her as she reached for her discarded tank top and a pair of sweatpants, putting them on as she left the room in search of Annie.
It didn’t take long to find her. A wide smile filled her face as Annie looked up from her spot on the couch where she was curled up with a paperback. Max moved towards her, bending over her to kiss her, enjoying the small gasp of surprise that left Annie’s mouth at the gesture.
She plopped down onto the couch next to her, bringing her knees to her chest, stealing some of the blanket piled in Annie’s lap. “Whatcha reading?”
Annie shot her a look Max couldn’t quite decipher—she was pleased, that was for sure, but Max didn’t know about what.