Beyond Eighteen(21)

“Mine too, but only the way you make it,” Max mumbled as he squeezed her tighter.

My heart melted down into my toes watching the love he had for his mother. The moments of warm banter they shared in a time of cold loss. They were the home I was glad to have. The comfortable place I was going to land and hopefully be with forever.

Max leaned his cheek against the top of his mom’s head. He noticed I was standing in the doorway watching them together and reached out to me. I meandered over to their embrace and they both wrapped their arms around me. It was just the three of us, in a moment of pure love for each other. Yeah, I’d found the mother I never had.

“Alright, you guys, break it up,” Calvin scoffed. “I found your sister,” he continued, pointing to Max.

“Well she’s yours too,” Max countered as he pulled away from his mom and me.

“No, I signed all the papers giving you full ownership of that title when I was nine,” Calvin teased.

“Oh, quit flappin’ your lips. I think they’d be better used for kissing my ass,” Camille said as she came into the kitchen and rack-a-popped Calvin in the back of the head.

“Oh, Camille, now come on, that’s not very lady like,” Nancy lectured as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“Tell him,” Camille countered.

Max ignored the jousting that continued between his siblings as he crept up behind me and wrapped me in his arms. His firm, warm body pressed against my entire backside.

“You really want to stay down here and cook? Mmmm, I could think of so many more things I’d like to do with you,” he whispered, his words tickling every tingling space in my body.

I pushed my rear against him and felt the blood flow that filled him.

“Max, I told your mom I was going to cook with her.”

“She’ll understand. I’ll get Camille to help her,” he tried to convince me. “I need a moment alone with you,” he asserted in a low rumble.

“I don’t want to hurt her feelings.”

I could feel my body begin to tingle as he ran his hands down to my hips and pulled me back again to feel his excitement.

“Ma, I need to borrow Wilson for a moment. Do you mind?” Max asked from behind me. He kissed my neck before even waiting for an answer from Nancy.

“Oh, heck, you two. I’ll just call you when dinner is ready.”

“Are you sure, Nancy? I feel bad. I told you I’d help,” I asked, embarrassed.

“Oh, sweetheart, I’m sure Camille won’t mind helping me. Where’s Dan?” Nancy’s attention shifted to Camille.

“He’s on his way,” Camille said.

“I don’t know why Dan’s parents didn’t just stay here,” Nancy offered.

“Oh no, Mom, they are perfectly fine in a hotel. Dan just texted me,” Camille said after she cleared her throat.

Suddenly the thought that Joanie hadn’t called or texted me yet flashed across my mind.

“I haven’t heard from Joanie,” I whispered to Max. In all the things I was dealing with, it hadn’t crossed my mind that she was still over at the Browlers’ with Nick.

“Well, why don’t I take your bag upstairs and you can have some privacy to call Joanie,” Max said loudly.

I looked over at Nancy. She was preoccupied with plopping fish into the power-marinade concoction that was supposed to make it desirable. Camille had her head buried in the fridge, and Calvin was standing glued to his iPhone. Nobody would even notice if we left.

“See, they want us to be alone,” Max breathed as he retrieved my suitcase and snatched my hand before dragging me through the dining room and up the stairs.

“Damn, I feel like I’ve done this before,” he teased as he hoisted my suitcase in front of him. I watched in reverence as his shoulder blades and biceps flexed.

“That’s because you have. But the second time…is a charm,” I answered as I slipped my hands low on his waist and felt the muscles of his butt as we climbed the stairs together…again. God, I love to watch his body move and feel his ass flex.

When we reached the landing I tugged at his crisp white dress shirt, pulling it loose from his black pants. He stopped, inviting me to slide my hands across his lats and up to the first button on his shirt.

Without warning, Max twisted and bent down in front of his door, dropping my suitcase. He stayed crouched longer than expected.

“Are you okay?” I asked, bending down low to talk to him. He raced his hands up the outsides of my legs. Quickly he caught my hips, lifting me up and causing my feet to leave the floor. I felt my body begin to sway back as he pinned me to his bedroom door. His lips were automatic and hot against the bend of my neck as he mapped his way around my skin. My phone fell to the floor as my hands tangled in his hair. My breath soared above me as I lifted my face to the ceiling, exposing more places for him to explore.