Page 53 of Invisible String
What does this all mean? He’s territorial and jealous. Maybe I should just take it day by day.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
MAX
Aweek has passed, and today is the Fourth of July. I’ve spent every day and night with Rainey to the point where it felt too domestic. She makes us breakfast and dinner. Yesterday, she went to Mike’s place and tossed my clothes in the washer, even though I told her I would do it. We’re getting too close, and I’m unsure how to distance ourselves or if I want to when I know I should. She’s getting too attached to me. We can’t keep our hands off each other.
“It’s Christmas in July, and the Fourth of July. I find the Fourth of July so romantic.” She rocks on the porch chair.
Watching boxing videos on YouTube? I laugh. “Romantic? What the hell is so romantic about the Fourth of July? And what is Christmas in July?”
“Oh my gosh,” she says, taking the spoon out of her mouth after eating strawberry ice cream. “How do you not know what Christmas in July is? I mean, people don’t celebrate it, but stores do to make money. It’s half a year until Christmas, so we celebrate in July.”
“That’s stupid.”
“I guess so. And the Fourth of July is romantic when the fireworks light up the sky with different hues, like shards of glass. And you’re sitting with someone special to watch it with.”
My forehead creases. “With your ex? You watched it together?”
“No, you big dork. You, Max. I’ll get to watch it with you. I’ve never watched fireworks with a guy,” she says, passing me the tub of ice cream and a spoon. “How did you spend your holidays?”
I’ve never had anyone ask me that before. It’s a question that requires some thought. The answer would vary depending on where I was living and the type of family that took me in. I don’t recall having Christmas with a loving family. Time and again, they ignored me or skipped the celebration, just like they did on the Fourth of July.
“Holidays stopped being exciting when my mom passed away.” As an adult, I would go to Carlos’ home.
“I’m sorry, Max. Moms always spark up the place. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for you.”
“Life goes on. Some people have it all, and some get the short end of the stick,” I say, taking a spoonful of ice cream. “I’ve never been crazy about ice cream,” I admit.
Her eyes widen. She slaps her thigh. “Things are changing as of tonight. You will be an ice cream lover. We will pop fireworks, grill out, or we can go out to eat… Anyway, then tomorrow, we’ll set up a Christmas tree.” She grins all pretty and then winks. “It’s going to be spectacular. You’ll see.”
We grocery-shop, and I grill us burgers and steaks, while Rainey makes side dishes.
See? Domestic.
As the sun sets and dinner comes to an end, I check my watch. It’s almost nine o’clock, which means the casinos will be starting their fireworks show soon. Rainey pushes open thecreaky door and steps onto the porch, letting the screen door swing shut with a loud bang. She walks over with a playful bounce in her step and settles onto my lap, her warmth a comforting weight. She nuzzles into my chest, her small frame fitting perfectly against my larger one, and lets out a contented sigh as she snuggles closer. I can understand now why people love to cuddle. It’s the warmth of their body, the touch, the scent, and the feeling of security. She’s wearing a blue flowy dress. It rides up. I take that as my cue to place my hand under her dress on her ass. My fingers brush along the lace underwear she has on.
As the first burst of fireworks explodes above, the deep rumble of thunder shakes the ground beneath our feet. We crane our necks to see the dazzling lights in the dark sky, mesmerized by the colorful show. Pop after pop, the hues of color magically light up the sky. Of course, I’ve seen fireworks, but having Rainey on my lap, her arms wrapped around my neck, is a memory I’ll treasure for a lifetime.
She shoots me a smile. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
I lick the curve of her neck. “Yeah, so damn fucking beautiful.”
She laughs. “You’re not even looking.”
Another lick, then a kiss. I inhale her vanilla scent. She seems to change lotions a lot. “I have been looking, and she’s beautiful and sexy.”
She hums, still focusing on the show. “She? You’re not talking about the fireworks.”
My other hand goes under her dress, and I squeeze her thigh. “Not exactly. There is something prettier to look at before me,tesoro.”
My jeans tighten with the stretch of my shaft, growing thicker by the minute. She’s a tempting fruit. Her thumb traces a gentle path up and down my earlobe, creating a soothing pattern.
“Now, this is romantic.”
As I pull away from her embrace and look into her eyes, a knot forms in my stomach. Romance? It’s not something that comes naturally to me. I feel like I’m living in two different worlds. One where a love story exists and another where it’s completely foreign to me. I struggle to swallow the lump in my throat, unsure of how to navigate this unfamiliar territory. Before I can process it, her lips collide with mine. I take her tongue in my mouth and savor her. If this is romance, then I’m in a hell of a lot of trouble.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
