Page 20 of The Ruthless and the Strong

“I came to see if you’d like a ride.”

“A ride?” I asked him, my mouth open. He wasn’t making any sense.

Amusement tinged in those blue eyes of his. “Yes, a ride. To the car dealership? I know both Olivia and Mason work today, so no one is around to take you. Olivia said you planned on taking an Uber.”

I nodded mutely, and when I didn’t respond, Max indicted with his head inside. “Can I come in?”

My grip tightened on the doorframe before I pushed away from it and made room for him to enter. “Of course.”

I should have left more room, considering how big Max was, because he brushed past me on his way in, his arms touching my belly. That small innocent touch affected me way more than it should have. I sucked in a sharp breath, and Max shot me a look, but thankfully didn’t say anything.

I did catch a hint of a smile on his lips as he walked past me and further into the house.

We stayed in the kitchen while Hunter stayed out in the living room, watching his show. I didn’t even think he knew Max was here.

“Tea?” I asked, mostly so I had something to do with my hands.

He nodded. I could feel his eyes on me the whole way, making my movements awkward. I hadn’t felt this awkward in front of him since I was sixteen, when I still hadn’t gotten my first kiss. He could make me feel like that young naive little girl with a single look, and I didn’t like it one bit.

The glass dropped from my hand, but thankfully it landed on the counter nearby and didn’t break. I could feel my cheeks heating from it, and I hated how loudly it echoed in the bare walls of the kitchen.

Suddenly, I felt something warm at my back. I stiffened.

I didn’t need to turn around to know he was standing close behind me. I imagined he was looking down at the counter, from the top of my head. Max had always been tall. Before I had met Mason, Max had easily been the biggest man I knew, and that was counting my Irish father, who wasn’t small by any means.

But Max had always carried himself with such an imposing presence. It was hard not to notice him whenever he entered a room, always so steady, so elegant in everything he did. I was completely and wholly enraptured at first sight.

Now he was standing so close to me, I could feel his hot breath at the top of my head, moving some of the baby hair there a bit.

“All right?” he asked me, his voice gruff.

I cleared my throat. “Yeah.”

He grunted a little before moving away, and I didn’t know what that grunt meant. I took a couple of moments to compose myself before I turned around, holding one steaming cup of tea. I remembered Max wasn’t much of a coffee drinker, only on occasion, and he had been the one to fuel Olivia’s love for tea drinking.

He offered a smile in thanks and grabbed the mug out of my hand, his fingers touching mine. I quickly pulled away, and thankfully, Max had a good reflex, otherwise we would be finding the teacup on the floor.

I moved my hands behind my back and shifted on my feet awkwardly.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked me.

I shot him a smile, showing teeth and all, like the complete loser I was feeling, before looking down at the floor, the blush on my cheek not getting any better.

His warm fingertips on my cheek brought my gaze up to him, my eyes widening in surprise. He cleared his throat and pulled back.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into me,” he said quietly.

I could say the same about myself. I thought I was no longer that naive little girl with stars in her eyes. The one that had looked at Max as if he was the answer to everything. Now I was nothing more than a fumbling idiot.

I shook my head and stayed standing by the island, grabbing my mug of coffee and holding it between my palms. “What’s up?” I asked. A thought occurred to me then. “It’s Monday.”

He took a sip of the tea. “So it is.”

I didn’t like the way his blue eyes danced, as if he found me amusing.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work on a Monday?”

“Usually. I decided to work from home today.”

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