Page 91 of The Ruthless and the Strong

Lizzie

I waskissed awake for the second time that morning.

I smiled against soft lips pressed against mine, and opened my eyes to the morning light when he pulled away. Max’s blue eyes were light this morning.

“What?” he asked when I took too long to say anything.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, giving me another kiss. “Everything is perfect. Coffee?”

He held out a to-go cup from one of the shops nearby. I smiled at the sight. “Yes,” I answered quickly, holding out my hands. He laughed but gave it to me quickly. Smart man.

I could feel him watching me as I took a large sip of the warm black coffee. Just the way I liked it. My fingers tapped mindlessly on the cup as I resisted the urge to look back at him or fiddle with my hair.

I hadn’t felt so self-conscious a moment ago, but now that I was fully awake and had in my first hit of caffeine for the day, I was now thinking that this was the first time he saw me when I first woke up in the morning.

And he had just kissed me.

I hoped I didn’t have bad morning breath, but that was hard to tell now. My red hair was probably messy, with the skin around my eyes swollen from having just woken up.

I must look a sight.

I shifted on the bed.

Why wasn’t he saying anything?

He was just sitting there, staring at me, and I had been taking a drink from the coffee cup for an abnormally long time. I should stop. Put it down and interact with him like a normal person. Shouldn’t I?

Finally, I put the cup down on the bedside table and looked down at the dark sheets covering me. I was still naked under here from last night.

I cleared my throat and, putting on a brave face, I looked up at him. He looked amused. I scowled at him.

“Are you okay?” he asked, a hint of laughter in his voice.

“No,” I grumbled.

He pulled on my hair and I tightened my grip around the sheets. “Why not?”

“Because you’re just staring at me like a total creeper.”

“What if it’s because I just find you incredibly beautiful?”

I blew out raspberries at that, even of a part of me was pleased with the compliment. Fuck, I was easy to please.

My mom would be so disappointed.

Speaking of my parents…

“I'm going to visit my parents this afternoon.”

“Oh?”

I nodded confidently. “I’m going to tell them about us.”

My confidence started waning a bit when he didn’t say anything. “I mean, if there is an us, you know. Maybe this is getting too serious too fast. I know you said you love me yesterday, but I didn’t ask you to say it so really, this is all your fault, buddy, and—”

“Lizzie?”

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