Chapter 69
Ten Years Ago
Max spent all day at war with himself. He’d taken his little sister’s babysitter to bed. Lana, who should’ve been off-limits.
But last night wasn’t enough. He still wanted her.
He’d noticed before how much she’d matured in the last few years. Any man would. How she’d grown into a stunning, confident young woman. The kind who might even be out of his league in another year or two.
Lana wasn’t just attractive; she was smart.
Really smart. Driven, too. Max hadn’t gone to college, but he could recognize and respect Lana’s ambitions as a mirror to his own.
Her sharp mind sometimes intimidated him, when he normally didn’t let anything, or anyone, rattle him.
Not because he thought he wasn’t capable compared to her, but because she made him want to prove his worth all the more.
But while she was probably smarter academically, Max had the advantage when it came to experience.
Last night, he’d known immediately that she was a virgin.
He might’ve guessed before, based on her seriousness about school and family and the lack of guys in her orbit.
But her body language last night told the story, too.
The way she sat so rigidly beside him, the hesitant way she spoke.
Everything about her broadcast loud and clear that she’d never done this before.
And he knew in his gut that he should gently but firmly point her elsewhere.
Give her some advice but discourage her from thinking anything would happen between them.
But then she’d touched him, kissed him, and all that logic went straight out the window.
He’d wanted her so badly. She was so soft and yielding under his hands.
And he’d asked her, again and again, if she really wanted this.
Wanted him. Almost begging every time for her to come to her senses.
Just tell him no. That would’ve been the end of it.
He would’ve done the right thing and let this amazing, gorgeous girl find some other guy who would give her everything, his entire heart and soul. Everything that Max could never give.
It wasn’t just Lana’s heart at risk. It was Aurora’s stability, too.
He was sure that, no matter what happened between them, Lana would never take it out on Aurora.
But Lana’s parents? If they found out he’d fucked their nineteen-year-old daughter in their house?
They were wonderful, generous people, but everyone had their limits.
He should’ve known better. He did know better.
But Lana said yes. Yes, and yes, and yes. Max, yes. So, he let his body make the decision for him. Because his mind was too weak to hold back that surge of insatiable craving.
Then again, he’d had the presence of mind to first tell her not to expect a relationship. So maybe blaming lust was just another excuse. Maybe he’d been keenly aware, at every single moment, of just what he was doing. But he wasn’t a good enough man to choose the honorable course.
He’d touched every part of her, entered her, gotten off inside of her.
Then, this morning and all day, he had the chance to set her free. Make sure she knew how wonderful she was, how incredible last night had been, but that they shouldn’t repeat it.
And once again, he’d failed. He’d taken one look at her standing in the kitchen and known he had to have her again. As long as Lana was saying yes, he would take whatever he could get.
Take everything she had to give, even though he had no right to any of it.
Max lay on the couch, pillow under his head, a blanket stretched out over him. Aurora and Lana had already gone to bed. He’d read Aurora more of the third Harry Potter book, since they were working through the series together for a second time. It was their special thing.
He’d been hoping that Aurora would go right to sleep, like she had last night. But instead, she’d protested that she wanted Lana there beside her. Because she was scared that someone was going to break into the house.
Max was sure that Aurora had seen that guy bothering Lana on the beach.
Aurora had gotten quiet and skittish afterward.
That probably explained her sudden fear tonight of sleeping alone.
At thirteen, Aurora was both a teenager and a little girl, wrapped up into one attitude-filled hormonal package.
But she was old enough to understand the implied threat that the man on the beach had represented.
Aurora needed to assure herself that Lana would be there to protect her, and that Lana was safe from the unknown, too. The two of them, united against all the threats that could be waiting out there.
The threatening men.
Max wasn’t really his sister’s protector. Lana was.
Yet another reason that he was selfish. Because he could’ve sought a discharge from the army if he really wanted to, even though it was a difficult process since he hadn’t finished his current obligation yet. He could’ve chosen his sister over everything else.
But he didn’t. Fucking selfish. He’d already proved that about himself, time and again. Tonight was no exception. Here he was, in typical form, hoping that Lana would leave Aurora’s side tonight and come to him.
Instead of feeling all the self-loathing that he’d earned, his cock was stiff, and his balls were full and heavy. If Lana didn’t join him soon, he’d have to go into the bathroom and beat himself off.
He was imagining all the things he wanted to do to her body. All the ways he wanted to make her come. That tight, sweet channel that he’d claimed before any other man. Max reached into his pajama pants, fisted his shaft, and squeezed, trying to calm himself down.
He heard a door open, and his nerves went right back to high alert. He’d stopped breathing.
Lana appeared at the mouth of the hallway, a dark silhouette.
“Max?”
“Come here.”
Lana walked over beside the couch. He lifted his blanket and she crawled onto him, stretching out over his prone form. He knew that she felt his arousal pressing into her stomach. Lana kissed him before he could say anything, her tongue darting into his mouth as she writhed against his hard length.
She was wearing a long T-shirt. He touched her leg, trailing his hand along her inner thigh toward where her legs connected. There, his fingers met exposed skin and slick, warm wetness. She wasn’t wearing any panties.
He cursed. This girl. She was going to be the end of him.
It wasn’t too late to stop this. He had to give her a way out.
He broke their kiss. “Are you sure you’re not too sore?”
“I’m fine. I’ve been wanting you all day. I can’t think about anything else.”
“Tell me what you want.”
“Everything.”
“What first?”
“Your…” He heard her swallow. “Your tongue. Between my legs.”
His vision clouded over. There was no fucking way he’d turn down that request. Somebody would have to tear him away from her, kicking and screaming, because he sure as hell couldn’t do it himself.
Max sat up, holding her around the hips. He kept going, standing all the way upright with her in his arms, her weight cradled against him. The blanket fell to the floor.
He carried her into her parents’ bedroom and shut and locked the door.