Page 41 of The Charming Checklist
She couldn’t take this anymore.
“Don’t tell me you find fault with her, too. After all I’ve been through, and how hard I worked to find you someone perfect. I just can’t even begin to understand you.” Her palms went up. “You must want something that doesn’t exist. You—”
And then he reached for her in one smooth and fluid movement, pulled her close and kissed her. His hand was on the nape of her neck, holding her there, and warm lips were moving over hers before she could finish her sentence. Those lips were soft and hard at the same time. His tongue was deep and penetrating.
Her brain froze, her heart stopped, but the rest of her body woke up. Heat pulsed between her thighs, hitting hard and fast as a wave.
He pulled back slightly and smiled against her lips. “Do youevershut up?”
“Max,” she breathed, cupping his face. Oh, the stubble on his jaw. Hard bristle and prickly to her touch. “Wh-what’s going on here?”
“I want you to do something for me.”
“Sorry, but I can’t find you anyone better than Darcie. I’m done.”
“Yes, you are. I want you to throw away that stupid list I gave you.”
“Wh-why?” She tipped her chin to meet his eyes.
“Delete it.” He cuffed her wrists. “Please.”
“But—”
“Listen. I might be stupid when it comes to love, but I think we have something here. Something real. Am I wrong?”
Her heart pounded hard enough for her to hear it above the surf. “N-no. I’m right there with you.”
Then he kissed her again, even though she thought they probably had a few more things to talk about. But oh, well, maybe later. Much later. His hands had lowered to her butt and he squeezed and pressed her tight against him. Her fingers slid up his forearms to those rock-hard biceps, enjoying the feel of the muscles bunching under her touch. Eventually, she didn’t know when, her fingers found his thick hair and threaded through. She didn’t want this moment to stop.
And oh yes, she’d been right. The kiss? Off-the-charts sizzling hot.
When they finally came up for air, Ava studied his deep brown eyes, so warm and mischievous.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for a while,” he said.
She didn’t know this playful side of Max. “You should have said something.”
“I was waiting for you.”
“For me?” The sweetness of those words sliced through her and her body hummed with pleasure.
Because since when did Max Del Toro wait foranyone?
“I was waiting for you to realize that the spontaneous kiss, and that night on the boardwalk, they meant something.” He traced her bottom lip with his thumb.
“They meant something to me, too.”
“Good. We agree.” He crushed her against him, and she rested her head in the crook of his shoulder, a delightful warmth seeping through her. “Can I take you home?”
“Yes.”
She heard panting and worried that it could be her. But then she felt a wet coldness on her ankle and when she looked down, they’d been joined by Sub. For a good boy, he had the worst timing. But as if Sub wasn’t enough, Cole came right behind him.
“Come here, boy.” Looking stunned, he stopped, and Sub bounded up to him. “Uh, yeah. Hi. I’ll just...”
“Never mind,” Max said, taking Ava’s hand. “We’re leaving.”
This was similar to the original way she’d pictured Max “dating,” just taking his woman, and the woman was her!
