Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
While Max cleaned the handgun she’d used for practice, Lana went out into the hallway to get some air. The range was stuffy to her, the smell of gunpowder and cleaning chemicals too strong despite the ventilation.
She dealt with law-enforcement every day, and she respected what a difficult job they had to do. Part of that job required using guns. But she also spent her days talking to victims of gun violence. So, she had mixed feelings about using a deadly weapon herself.
She knew Max had a point, though, and she appreciated the effort he was making to teach her how to protect herself. She didn’t feel comfortable carrying a gun on a regular basis, but at least she would know how to handle one if the need arose.
She was excited about the new lead in their investigation to find her stalker. That made her feel more secure as well. Whether Crane was involved or not, at least she had another puzzle piece that might lead her to the answer.
And as for the scarf going missing from the beach, any number of things could’ve happened to it. She had no real reason to suspect that the stalker was involved. So, there was also no reason to tell Max about her suspicions.
It was almost the end of their day together, and tomorrow they would both have to go back to work.
The Hearst trial would resume. With these last few hours, Lana just wanted to concentrate on Max.
She had no idea what the next few days would bring for them, whether they could maintain the closeness they’d been sharing all day.
No matter what, she was going to cherish every memory she’d made with him today.
Even if those memories turned bittersweet.
The elevator opened, and Devon came out. He stopped when he saw Lana standing there in the hall.
“Hey,” she said, “Max is in the range. If you were looking for him.”
“Actually, I was looking for you. I wanted to check on the schedule for tomorrow. Since I’ll be your chauffeur again.”
She told him when she planned to leave in the morning, and how long she expected tomorrow’s trial proceedings to go. It would be another long day.
He nodded along, entering the information into the schedule on his phone. “I’m about to head out for Sunday dinner with my family. Did you want to come? I know Aurora would love to see you.”
Normally, Lana would have said yes without a thought. She loved Sunday dinners at the Whitestone residence. Devon had an adorable baby niece, and his mom and sister were always fun to be around. She wanted to see Aurora, too, and find out how her friend was doing after their scare a few days ago.
“Max is invited,” Devon added. “In case you were worried about not including him. Or anything like that.”
Lana hid her smile. Devon clearly had questions about what was going on between her and Max.
The Bennett Security office was small, and rumors seemed to fly pretty fast. Everyone had to have noticed their beach attire when they returned in the afternoon, and Max’s decision to take most of the day off had no doubt caused a buzz.
She considered whether Max would want to come along with her. They had both gone to Sunday dinners at the Whitestones’ before, but they hadn’t been…whatever they were now. A couple? That seemed like a stretch.
Her uncertainty answered her question. She and Max definitely weren’t ready to make any appearances at family dinners. They needed to know what the heck they were doing first.
“I’ll stay here. Max and I wanted to spend some time together before work starts up again tomorrow. But I’d love to come for Sunday dinner next week.”
Devon twisted his lips, his hesitation obvious. She almost put him out of his misery. But she was really curious how he was going to handle this.
“I’m not trying to get into your business, but… You and Max? Does Aurora know?”
“She knows it’s a possibility. I haven’t spoken to her about recent developments.”
“I just don’t want to keep anything from her, and I definitely don’t want to lie. Because I love her, but also because she’ll be able to tell.”
“You can tell her whatever you think you should. But don’t ask me what’s going on between me and Max because I honestly don’t know.”
Aurora wasn’t a kid anymore. She wasn’t going to get hurt or confused if Lana and Max didn’t work out. The most likely possibility was that Aurora would insist on taking Lana’s side and get angry with her brother. Even if Lana wasn’t upset, and Max wasn’t to blame.
Devon was hesitating again. “Lana, you can tell me to butt out if you want, but I just want to make sure you’re doing well. You’re happy? A few days ago, you were pretty pissed off to be staying here. I didn’t want to say anything, but…”
“You’re looking out for me? That’s sweet Devon, thank you. But I promise I’m good. You can tell Aurora that, too.”
Max came out into the hall. “Evening, Whitestone. Heading home?”
“Yes, sir.” Devon nodded at Lana. “You have a nice night. I’ll see you in the morning.” He pushed the button and got into the elevator.
“What was that about?” Max asked. “He seemed tense.”
“Oh, we were talking about you.”
“What about me?”
“You don’t need to know everything, Max.” Lana pushed the button for the elevator again. When it returned, she stepped inside, smiling. “Going up?”
“You’ve been giving me some lessons, which I’ve appreciated,” Lana said. “But now it’s my turn. I’m going to teach you my favorite recipe.”
They were in Max’s kitchen. After coming back upstairs, the two of them had both stopped by their rooms to check their messages.
Neither of them could go too many hours without plugging back in.
Lana was glad they had that in common. At least she knew that this, whatever “this” was and wherever it might lead, wouldn’t end badly because of a mismatched commitment to their work.
Max arched a skeptical brow. “You’re going to teach me to cook something? I thought you didn’t cook. And, no offense, but I already know how.”
“Oh, but you don’t know how to make my grandma’s famous mac and cheese.” She opened the fridge and started grabbing ingredients. Milk, a block of cheddar, eggs. “I know it’s not fancy but give it a chance. It was my favorite as a kid.”
He scoffed. “I don’t need things to be fancy. I’m not fancy.”
“Are you kidding? Have you seen this apartment? Or this entire building? You are so fancy.”
“I like nice stuff and spending the money that I’ve made, but I don’t really need any of this. It’s not really me.”
She snorted a laugh. “Sure. Says the guy who wore a four-hundred-dollar bathing suit the size of a deck of cards today.”
“That was for you, and you know it.” He grabbed her and swung her around. When he set her down, Max buried his face against her neck. “L, you knew me before any of this stuff. You know the real me.”
“Do I?”
“I think so.” He lifted his head, eyes intense. “I want you to.”
She stretched up to kiss him. “I want that, too.”
Lana found dried macaroni in his pantry and told him to boil it. While Max’s water was heating, she pulled out a heavy saucepan and started melting butter. Next, she mixed flour with the butter, then whisked in the milk.
“My grandma was from the South, so she always added egg to her milk mixture, which makes it custardy.”
“Please tell me there’s an onion in there somewhere. Celery?”
She smacked him with an oven mitt. “You and your vegetables.”
Lana told him the rest of the steps, but she couldn’t tell if he was listening. He was too busy watching her, his eyes as melty as the cheese. Once the pasta was finished, Lana mixed everything together in a baking dish and stuck it into the heated oven.
“See? I can cook something. I used to make that for Aurora, whenever she felt down. It’s the ultimate comfort food.”
They ate sitting on bar stools at the kitchen counter. Max opened a bottle of French white wine to go with it, which Lana argued was the very definition of fancy. But she couldn’t deny that the pairing was phenomenal.
They did the dishes together, and Lana could almost imagine doing this every day.
“Did you have a good time today?” he asked.
“I did. I haven’t spent all day with you like this since…well, you know. Ten years ago.”
“You wore the jeans.” He touched the denim at her hip.
“Not the same ones as back then. But, yeah. You still like them?”
He answered by slanting his mouth onto hers. Lana remembered their first kiss, how aggressive he was. But younger Max had still needed reassurance that she wanted the same things he did.
Now, Lana felt like they were perfectly in tune without any need for second-guessing. Max’s hands and lips were more confident, yet he also showed her even more tenderness. As if he knew exactly how much strength he had and knew just when to use it.
I love you, she wanted to say.
Max, I’m in love with you.
But those words stayed firmly inside.
They were still standing in the kitchen. She reached for the button of his fly and popped it open. “There’s something I wanted to do back then. But I was too nervous.”
She pushed his tee up over his ridged stomach.
He helped her take it off. Then she nudged his zipper down the rest of the way and yanked down both his jeans and his briefs in one go.
Max stepped out of them, his cock jutting out, already glistening.
He smirked, bracing his hands back against the countertop, like he knew she wanted to look at him.
She took her time, letting her eyes move over him inch by inch. Her breath quickened in her nostrils, the scent of him stronger every second. Lana lowered herself down to her knees.
Her tongue darted out, flicking over the pearl of precum at his tip. The salty taste of him spread through her mouth.
“Oh, fuck yes, Lana…”
She took more of him, suctioning her lips against his shaft. Max’s fingers dropped into her hair and guided the rhythm. Her hand reached up to squeeze his ass cheek. He growled, growing more uninhibited. She was happy to keep on taking all he had to give.
But he pulled her off him. “That’s amazing, but it’s not how I want to come.”
Max peeled off her clothes. Once she was naked, he slung her body over his shoulder, just as he had in the ocean. His fingers teased her from behind. But he didn’t carry her to his bed.
He went to the couch instead.
He set her down on the sectional, then sat beside her. “Come here.” His palm tapped his thigh. Lana rotated herself so she was straddling him. She surged forward to kiss him, rubbing herself against his shaft.
Early that morning, she’d felt the urge to go without the condom, to feel all of him, and now that craving was even stronger.
“Max,” she murmured between kisses, “I have an I.U.D. And I’ve been tested since my last partner.”
He stopped to look at her. “I tested clean, too. You want to?”
She nodded, not bothering with more words. Her lungs were already tight from desire.
Yes.