Page 52 of Tempting Max

Gus presses her lips together as I talk, listening to every word, making me feel like I can say anything, and she’ll listen. It gives me the strength to get to the harder part.

“Patrick started making moves in the company behind my dad’s back when we were mourning the loss of my mother.” Gus gasps lightly and I nod.

“Dad had left him in charge for about a month while we buried her and spent time together and…” My fists clench, “we wouldn’t find out until later, that he was funneling money into a fake account. Enough to buy the shares of everyone else in the company.”

“The only people he couldn’t buy out were my father, myself, and my brothers. Sutton Brewing was supposed to stay in the Sutton line, to be passed on to us and then our children, and theirs…” my breath catches on the last part as I think about how I fucked the whole thing up. Tears burn the back of my eyes, but I keep them from falling by gritting my teeth together.

Like a goddamn salve, Gus reaches out and puts her hand on mine and I feel one of those tears slip over my lashes. Because goddamn, I love this woman and I’m damn lucky she’s still sitting here with me after I was such a world-class prick.

“So, he waited. Pretending to be the good brother and the good uncle until he could make his move. He waited until the day after dad died to make it.”

“Shit,” Gus whispers, her eyes rounding before filling with empathy.

“I was reeling, we all were. We’d lost both our parents in the span of ten years, one to a slow painful disease, the other so suddenly we didn’t even get to say goodbye.” I swallow around the painful lump in my throat. “Patrick played the good guy, told us that he’d hired some help until we found our footing. That he would take care of everything until we were ready to lead.”

I turn my hand over and weave my fingers through Gus’. “He hired Sloane.” My gut clenches at the thought of seeing her for the first time. How I fell head over heels, how I…ruined everything because I thought I was in love. “She was beautiful, smart, and did exactly what Patrick said she would do. She pulled us all together, she made everything run so well we didn’t even have to think about it. And I was so dumb. I fell like a sack of bricks and for a brief moment, I was happy.”

Gus cups my hand in both of hers. “I had lost my dad, but Sutton was running smoothly, my brothers were with me, and I thought I found the love of my life in Sloane. Things no longer looked quite so bleak.”

“It took two months,” I hold up two fingers and cringe. “Two months for her to fuck us over. I was so lovestruck that I signed whatever paper she put in front of me, and she managed to trick Liam and Elliot into doing the same.”

I meet Gus’ eyes, praying that she’ll still feel the same way about me once I finish the story. “We’d signed away our rights to Sutton Brewing. All of us. Without even knowing.”

Gus’ eyes fill with tears. “Oh my God Max, I’m so sorry.”

“We were out of Sutton Brewing within days.Days. Patrick took over, Sloane got the million-dollar kickback he promised her, and we spent the next four years and every dime trying to fight him in the courts.” I take a steadying breath. “We. Lost. Everything.”

“Oh Max.” Gus’ voice is filled with emotion and understanding and everything I need right now. “I’m so sorry.”

I shake my head. “No, I am. I saw you talking to him and lost my absolute mind. I know you wouldn’t trick me or work with him. I know you didn’t know who he was. I’m so sorry I yelled at you. You didn’t deserve it.”

“I didn’t. But I understand why you reacted that way. Especially if you’ve never told anyone about this. Do you and your brothers talk about it?”

I shake my head. “We decided to leave it in the past and start fresh and I owe everything to them. Losing Sutton wasmyfault.”

“But it wasn’t, Max, it was Patrick and Sloane’s fault. None of that would have happened if it weren’t for them. They started the ball rolling. Not you. They stole your entire birthright, not you.”

“I know what you’re saying,” I answer, still feeling guilt clinging to my heart. “But if I hadn’t fallen for her, if I had paid more attention—"

Gus pulls her chair even closer to mine and takes my face in her hands. “You were grieving, Max. You’d just lost your father. Most people can’t even get up and get dressed after something like that. They took advantage of you at your lowest and that is,” she takes a breath as if she’s trying to come up with a dark enough word. “Fucking vile.”

“But...”

She puts her fingers over my lips. “I understand why you feel that way, but I bet if you asked your brothers, they wouldn’t blame you. I bet they’re rotting away on the inside too for the same reason. You need totalkto them. You need to talk to a therapist, Max, it’s the only way you’re going to completely heal.”

My eyes fall to my hands, knotted in my lap. “I don’t know if I’m strong enough.”

She urges my head up and meets my gaze. She’s so strong, so beautiful, that I’m overcome by love for her. “You toldme,” she says softly. “And that’s a start. If you can talk to me, you can talk to anyone because I was ready to cut your balls off when I came in here and I doubt a therapist will be in the same mood.”

I let out a laugh, my heart opening just a crack.

“And I need you to heal, Max, because you deserve to be happy, you deserve to feel worthy of all the good things you have…”

She pauses and presses a kiss to my lips that makes me feel like I can do anything in the world. When she pulls away, she finishes her sentence. “Because I love you, Max. More than I thought possible.”

I feel a calmness wash over me that I haven’t felt in years. I hear my heart beat a completely different rhythm. I feel everything in me shift and change for the better. Because Gus loves me. Andfucking hell, I love her too.

I let the tears fall down my cheeks this time because I don’t care anymore. If this amazing, wonderful, pain-in-the-ass beauty can love me, maybe it’s worth taking the time to heal. Even if it’s hard.

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