Page 41 of Property of Max
He leans in and presses a soft kiss to my forehead that makes my knees wobble and give out. He chuckles, looping an arm around my waist and pulling me flush to him.
“You okay, baby?” he asks, the laugh in his voice low and dangerous.
“Huh?” I manage.
“If a sweet forehead kiss makes you weak in the knees, I can’t fucking wait to see what happens when I get my mouth on the rest of you.” His grin is wickedly pleased.
“Oh, my,” I breathe.
The air between us grows hotter, tighter, until I can’t breathe. Maybe he feels it too, because Max finally eases his grip and takes a half step back. The loss of his body heat leaves me unsteady, but at least I can think again.
“I hate what I’m about to say,” I say, my voice low but steady. “I can’t get involved with someone. My life is chaos on a calm day. When I’m not working, every minute goes to my daughter and brother, making sure they know they’re loved, that they’re safe. I don’t even have time for myself, let alone a relationship. I can’t hand you pieces of a life that barely feels like mine. That’s not fair to you.”
“Hmm.” Max hums low, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, his arm still firm around my hips. “What’s not fair is asking you to give me a chance when I know exactly how dangerous my life can be.”
“I’ve seen the women in your club,” I tell him, meeting his eyes. “And I’ve never in my life seen women feel safer or more loved than the ones currently sitting in my van…regardless of how royally mad they are right now.”
He doesn’t answer at first. Just studies me, his gaze sharp and unreadable, like he’s weighing every word I said against everything he’s seen in his own life. The silence stretches, heavy and almost unbearable.
Then, quietly but with that same rough conviction, he says, “That’s what I want with you, Lila. Not just attraction. Not just chaos. I want to be the one who makes you feel safe. The one who stays when everyone else has left. I know what it means to fight for family. And I’d fight like hell for yours.”
“I don’t come alone,” I remind him quietly. “I’m a package deal. And it’s a heavy package.”
His face softens in a way I didn’t think possible. “I know,” he says quietly. “And I’ve thought about that. About you. About them. More times than I can count.”
“I don’t do short-term,” I say, trying one last time to push him away. Because if it doesn’t work this time, I don’t think I have it in me to try again when I so desperately want what he’s offering. “I don’t have the physical or emotional energy for games.”
“I’m not here to play games, Lila. I don’t want a night or a fling. I want the long haul. You, your daughter, your brother… all of it. I wouldn’t be standing here if I didn’t.”
“I don’t think you’re fully grasping what you’re asking,” I say with a small smile.
“I think you just need to give me the chance to prove you wrong,” he answers, smiling back.
Should I? Am I overthinking this? Does he even find me attractive, or is this pity wrapped up as something more? My head spins with questions I don’t have the answers to.
“Okay,” I whisper.
If I thought he’d been smiling before, I was wrong. The grin that lights up his face at my answer is blinding, filled with so much hope it makes my chest ache.
“Thank you, baby,” he murmurs, brushing a feather-light kiss across my lips before I can even catch my breath. “Can I take you to lunch tomorrow?”
“Well, I don’t think I have a job anymore,” I say automatically, remembering the chaos of the last hour. “Bree will be at school, Micah will be finishing with his tutor, and the nurse will be there. If I start the laundry in the morning, it should be done by lunch. I need to go job hunting, but that can wait until Monday. Alright, yes. I can do lunch.”
Max’s grin widens, and that’s when I realize…I’d just spoken all of that out loud.
“My bad,” I say sheepishly. “It’s easier if I map out my plans when I can actually hear them. Weird, I know.”
“No,” he says softly. “Cute. Now go have fun with your friends.”
When I slide open the van door, laughter bursts out of me. The girls are piled into the back, but Skip has somehow wedged himself into the driver’s seat. Since I’m short, the seat’s pushed far forward so I can reach the pedals. Skip, on the other hand…is not short.
“How the hell did you manage that?” Max asks, baffled.
Riley’s doubled over, tears streaming down her face. Sunny hides a quiet smile behind her hand, and Abby just shakes her head like this is nothing new.
“How in the world do you move this seat back?” Skip grunts, completely smashed against the steering wheel.
“Where are your legs?” I wheeze between breaths.
