Chapter 6
Maxie
I collapsed back on the counter, my breath coming in pants.
What the hell?
How?
Did he have like some sort of magic hoodoo inside his body? I knew it wasn’t just in his cock because that had only been the closing credits of this interlude.
He smoothed his big, rough hands over my thighs. “Maxie?”
I draped an arm over my eyes, still fighting for my life. “Uh-huh.”
“You good?”
“Not sure yet.”
He laughed and I felt him leave me. My legs dangled from the edge of the counter. I arched my back at the angle but couldn’t quite get up the strength to sit up. While in this position, I looked at how little space there was around me. Not exactly great for big meals.
“You know, I think we need a bigger kitchen island.”
“That’s what you’re thinking about?” He laughed. I could hear him shuffling over the tiles then the distinct sound of a zipper.
He leaned over me, rubbing his bearded chin over my belly idly. “Evidently I need to work harder.”
I lifted my head to meet his gaze. He already had his shirt back on but left the buttons open. Damn, he had a nice chest. “If you worked any harder, I’d need those paddle things for heart attacks.”
He laughed, then straightened and pulled me to a seated position and then over his shoulder.
I yelped.
“As your future husband, I’d like to see our bedroom.”
“Ours?” I struggled as he walked down the hallway toward the staircase.
“Yep.”
I shrieked as he went up the stairs with me as if I weighed nothing. “Put me down.”
“Nope.”
“I’m naked.”
“I’m aware.” He turned his face and gave my hip a playful bite.
At least he was human because he was breathing a little heavy at the top of the steep staircase.
“Which way?”
I sighed. “Down to the end and take a right.”
He stopped outside of the room just before mine. “Yikes.”
I peered into the room. There was a large hole, barely patched beside the four-poster bed. “Yeah, I told you it was rough up here.”
“Do I want to know what happened in there?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
He kept going then used his boot to nudge my door open. My room was the one that needed the least help. My grandmother’s space was pristine, but it was just too weird for me to sleep in there.
The creamy wallpaper with an embossed fleur-de-lis pattern gave it a rich feel. A cherry four poster bed took up most of one wall. It used to have a canopy, but I’d pulled it down when I noticed the moth holes.
No thanks for that over my head when I slept.
I’d swapped out the ancient spread with a simple white duvet over claret-colored sheets. He did a lazy circle as he took in the rest of the room. The large windows had condensation at the edges and the frames had peeling paint. Even the sills were in desperate need of help.
I shivered.
He lowered me to the floor and rubbed my arms. I grabbed my thick robe tossed over the bench at the foot of my bed. The rich eggplant terrycloth was warm against the chill of my room.
He didn’t seem inclined to give me space, so I stepped away from him.
He grabbed my hand. “You’re not going to get weird on me, are you?”
“How can I not? I just came my brains out and we’ve spoken twice.”
His lips quirked up at the corner. “Yeah, you did.”
“Cocky much?”
“Not when it’s fact.” He huffed out a laugh. “Your face.” He dropped an absent kiss on my mouth and walked around me to look over the room. “Seal’s gone on the window, but we should be able to repair it instead of replacing it. Can’t find glass like this anymore.”
I tugged the lapels of my robe closed against the draft and crossed my arms. “Good. I’m sleeping under three blankets.”
“Can’t have that for you or guests. I’ll get to work on that this weekend.”
“This week—Really?”
“Yeah. I can do a lot of the surface stuff myself until we get a plan together, but winter is a bitch in New York. Can’t have us freezing to death.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I can only fuck you senseless a few times a night.”
My jaw dropped.
His lips twitched. “Kidding. After a long day I’m good for twice usually.” He disappeared into the closet.
My heart slammed in my chest. “Just because we had a... whatever that was downstairs doesn’t mean I’m ready to play house, house.”
He peeked out of the walk-in closet. “House, house?”
“You know. Like really doing the relationship thing.”
“Hmm.” He dipped back into the room without another word.
I followed him in there and snapped a hoodie and another pair of yoga pants off the hangers. I stepped into the pants and struggled them on. “Care to give me some space.”
He leaned on the doorjamb. “Nope. Enjoying the show. I’ve seen it all, no need to dress under the robe like a nervous virgin.”
I lifted my chin and shoved the robe off around my ankles.
His dark eyes heated as he straightened and crowded into me. “Your skin makes me crazy.” He stroked his hand down my arm to rest at my waist.
“Why, never been with a black woman before?”
His eyes narrowed. “Actually, I have.”
“Is that your kink? White boy likes to play with a beautiful black woman from time to time.”
He palmed my ass and dragged me against his side.
“Honey, it ain’t about race. I just like strong women.
” His gaze dropped to my lips. “And maybe that 4th of July party by the lake when I saw you in that white bikini changed my trajectory for the type of woman I found attractive, but it’s you who makes me crazy. ”
“You don’t know me.”
“I’m going to learn. I told you attraction is the first level. I’m going to make my way through the rest.” He stroked up my back into the heavy fall of my hair. “Am I allowed to touch your hair?” He gentled his touch.
Surprised, I arched a brow. “Maybe this isn’t your first rodeo with women of color.”
He huffed out a laugh. “Any woman with a blowout like this can skin a man if they fuck it up.”
I went on my toes, because dammit I couldn’t resist him. I bit his lower lip. “I like a good hair pull.”
He gathered a handful and pulled just enough to cause a tiny lick of pain.
“Good to know.” He pulled again until my head tipped back, and he could get to my neck.
He dragged his nose along the column and down to the hollow of my collar bone.
“This whole closet smells like you. Like cookies warm from the oven and my favorite bourbon.”
I swallowed down a groan as he went lower to the tops of my breasts before making a return trip up, relaxing his hold on my hair.
“Write up your paperwork. Whatever it is that makes you feel safe.”
Staggered by the change in conversation, I stared at him. “What?”
He buttoned up his shirt. “Whatever it is you need to get rid of those chains your grandmother put on you. Make it happen.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
“Good.” He took the hoodie from me and stretched the neckline to get it over my head. I automatically slid my arms into the sleeves. He pulled my hair out and settled it over my shoulders. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I followed him out of the closet and down the stairs.
“Make sure I hear that lock after me.”
“You’re awfully bossy.”
“Protective.” He paused at the door. “Very protective.”
My heart rate still was living at marathon levels when I locked up and finished cleaning up the kitchen. I put the rest of the bread in the cute little bag it came in. At least I had the fixings for breakfast and lunch tomorrow. Then I’d need to actually do some shopping.
By the time I shut off all the lights and got upstairs I was a little more even.
Only a little, because this was way more than I expected when I asked Cam to help me out.
I couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not.