Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jasmine awoke slowly. Golden sunlight slanted through the crack in the blackout curtains and landed across the most comfortable sheets she had ever lain on. The thread count must be near one thousand. Coupled with the to-die-for comfort of the mattress, she wanted to stay in bed forever.
She sighed. Wow, she was really in Maxwell’s condo, lying in his bed.
Last night, in his arms, she hadn’t missed her pillows once as she snuggled against him while he spooned her.
She stretched and let her eyes wander the room that she hadn’t paid much attention to the night before. She took in the sleek dresser and a photo of him with his parents, wearing his graduation tunic and hat.
Yawning, she slipped naked from the bed and padded toward the bathroom Maxwell had pointed her to in an offhand manner the night before. Inside was a neatly folded white towel, washcloth, a toothbrush still sealed in its wrapper, a gray Emory University T-shirt and a pair of navy boxer shorts.
Touched by his thoughtfulness, she couldn’t help but smile.
She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and took a luxuriously hot shower behind glass walls. When she finished, she dressed in the clothes he had laid out for her, knotting the T-shirt in one corner to keep it from looking as if it was swallowing her.
Before she went in search of Maxwell, she caught her reflection in the mirror. She was bare-faced, damp tendrils around her head, wearing his clothes, feeling sexy and feminine.
She found Maxwell in his studio, which smelled of wet earth and minerals.
He was at the wheel in gray sweatpants and shirtless, the sunlight hitting his broad back and highlighting its muscles.
His profile showed how much he was concentrating, the wheel humming at a steady pace while his hands moved over a small piece, coaxing it into shape.
He displayed the type of patience she had occasionally had the privilege of seeing him exhibit to the little ones in his care at the practice.
Knowing the reason he had gone into pediatrics endeared him to her even more.
He finally looked up and saw her, and a smile broke out on his face. “Hey,” he said, his voice still sounding rough as if he had just woken up himself.
He dropped his gaze to the piece collapsing in his hands once his attention had left the wheel.
“Oh no!” Jasmine exclaimed.
He laughed under his breath and pressed his foot to the pedal to slow the spinning wobble to a stop. “You’re dangerous. You’re a distraction.”
“Sorry about that,” she said.
“No worries.” Maxwell picked up a rag from a nearby table and wiped his hands. He came toward her and pressed a kiss to her cheek, as if he had done that every day for the past ten years. “I forgive you. You’re the best distraction I’ve had in a long time. Hungry?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s see what’s in the kitchen.”
She stepped into the hallway to walk ahead of him, and he slapped her on the behind.
“Hey!” she said.
“I like the way you look in my clothes,” he said, tugging on the hem of the T-shirt.
He took the lead and led the way into the kitchen. Saying he had a really nice kitchen was an understatement, considering all the appliances were high-end Wolf.
“Shoot.” He was standing in front of the fridge with something in his hand.
“What’s wrong?”
He turned to face her, and she saw the egg carton. “This is embarrassing. I promised you an omelet, but I only have one egg left.”
“That’s OK. What else do you have in there?”
He opened the freezer. “How do you feel about breakfast sandwiches? This one is sausage and egg. We can stick it in the microwave and in sixty seconds you’ll be eating.”
“As hungry as I am, if you offered me cardboard I’d eat it. I think I’ll be okay with the breakfast sandwich.”
“Breakfast sandwiches it is,” Maxwell said, pulling two from the box.
They ate at his dining room table. The egg was a little rubbery, but somehow this was one of the best meals Jasmine had ever had, and it was all because of the man sitting across from her.
They chatted with ease, discussing work issues as well as sharing stories about their families. Afterward, they took their dishes to the sink and Maxwell moved into the living room.
He dropped onto the couch and looked up at her. “What are you doing a week from Sunday?”
“Um... nothing that I can think of. Why?”
“My brother, Ignacio, is nominated for several awards for his film, Wrong. My family’s getting together for an Oscar-viewing party. Would you like to come?”
“I would... love to.” He had invited her to spend time with him and his family. Was it as big of a deal to him as it was to her?
“I’m not going to lie and pretend I’ve never brought a woman around my family before, but it was usually for big parties. This is an intimate event. Family only. I want you there with me, okay?”
“Okay.” Jasmine was overwhelmed by the significance of the invitation. She could barely get the word out.
“Why are you still standing? Have a seat.” Maxwell patted the spot beside him.
All of a sudden, that was the last thing she wanted to do. She needed time alone to process her emotions. To figure out why everything he said and did hit her so hard.
“I should go,” Jasmine said.
“Why?”
Because I can’t think when I’m with you, she thought. Instead, she gave the first excuse that entered her head. “I didn’t plan on staying out all night, and I don’t have any clothes here.”
He arched a skeptical eyebrow, his gaze steady. “Wear my clothes.”
Jasmine laughed. “Really, I should go,” she insisted.
He didn’t laugh. “I want you to stay.” Taking her wrist, he pulled her onto his lap.
“I need to go,” Jasmine moaned, though she made no move to pull away, dropping her head onto his shoulder.
“Whatever you need, we can buy. Why do you keep trying to leave me? Stay the rest of the weekend.”
She lifted her head. “The whole weekend?”
“Did you have other plans or something else to do?”
“No,” she replied in a small voice.
“What’s the problem then?”
She bit the corner of her mouth. “Are you sure?”
“I wouldn’t have invited you to stay if I didn’t mean it, Jasmine. Stay until tomorrow. I want to wake up next to you again on Sunday.”
She cupped his bearded jaw, letting the soft bristles tickle her palm the way they had tickled the inside of her thighs the night before. “Are you real?”
“Very,” he said in an oddly solemn tone. “I don’t want to scare you, but there’s something I’ve been thinking about since last night. I think I’m in love with you, Jasmine. I know it seems sudden, and you probably think it’s too soon, but—”
“I think I love you too,” she blurted.
Emotion flashed in his eyes. They held surprise but also expressed what could only be described as joy.
Their mouths crashed together, lips sealed in a passionate kiss. Jasmine repositioned on his lap so she could straddle him and dive deeper into the kiss.
When she finally lifted her head to catch her breath, she cupped his face and looked deeply into his eyes. “Please don’t hurt me. If you ever want to move on or get tired, let me know, and I’ll walk away.”
Maxwell appeared genuinely confused by her words, as if she were speaking another language. He smoothed his hand over her hair.
“I promise I won’t hurt you. I’d rather cut off my arm than hurt you.” He spoke in a grave voice devoid of playful charm. He was simply a man giving an honest, heartfelt answer. “And how could I get tired of you? That will never happen. I could never get tired of these lips.”
He kissed her gently.
“This nose.”
He kissed her nose, and she giggled.
“This forehead.” He pushed her hair out of the way and kissed her forehead.
She sighed happily.
“This chin. This body.” He traced the curve of her torso. “Your personality. Your character. Your independence. Your kindness. Everything that makes you who you are. I’ll never get tired.”
Jasmine rested her forehead against his.
She was experiencing the kind of connection she’d always yearned for when she dated other men. She had found it with Maxwell, who on the surface had seemed like the wrong man. She had initially seen him as a rogue and player, the opposite of what she had wanted or needed in her life.
Behind the swagger and charm was a kind person with a big heart. She had fallen hard and fast for him.
“I need to feel close to you. Right now.” Jasmine spoke in an urgent whisper against his lips.
“Do you want this?” He pumped his pelvis so she could feel his hardening erection.
“Yes.”
“I guess I could accommodate you,” he murmured.
“If you don’t mind,” she said, rotating her pelvis on top of his. “You need to hurry, or I’ll make your boxers all wet and sticky.”
Biting his lip, he groaned and then plunged his tongue into her mouth.
Then he stood with her wrapped around him.
“I can walk,” she said, as he carried her toward the bedroom.
“I know.”
Maxwell placed her gently in the center of the bed and then climbed in beside her. They made slow, sensual love, their bodies rocking together in a climax that had her clinging to him. As he came, his hips thrusting hard between her legs, he said, “I love you,” in a choppy, broken whisper.
Later, he pulled her back against his chest, one heavy arm draped across her waist, his knees tucked behind hers. Nestled in the curve of his body, she felt his slow breath blowing against the back of her head, rustling her messy curls.
Jasmine sighed. Content.