Wanting to Remember,Trying to Forget(30)

“Yes.”

“Well, maybe you could play on that. Maybe…never mind. It’s a stupid idea.”

“No. Go on, Danielle. No idea is stupid at this point.”

Danny squished her lips together, almost nervous to elaborate. “What if you change the theme? Maybe a kid’s party…or a carnival. You could mix it with a fourth of July kinda feel. That way you can still use all these mismatched colors. You paid for it, you might as well use it.”

Lauren smiled at her, but there was something odd about it. “What else?”

“I don’t know. Maybe some balloons…and a popcorn machine…” She began to speak slower, feeling more anxious under Lauren’s eager gaze. “Maybe some jugglers…or a clown…we could move some of those tables…um…”

Lauren released a sigh that sounded a little fake. “Everything you are saying sounds wonderful, dear, but like I said, the function is in two days and unfortunately I simply do not have the time to put all that together.”

“I’ll do it,” Danny volunteered. “I’ll be happy to do it. I don’t really have much else to do.”

“Then it’s settled.” Lauren reached into her handbag and pulled out an iPad. “This is yours. Your code is four-one-nine-two. It has all the information you may need. Caterers, florists, all those things. If you need any help, call Charlene, our receptionist, and she can help you with all the other details.”

She spoke so fast that Danny couldn’t help but feel that it was all rehearsed. Before she could even voice her thoughts, Lauren was making her way to the door.

“Oh, Danielle, I think it’s only fair that you charge me for your time and effort.”

And that’s when it became very clear that the whole thing had been orchestrated. Danny had wanted to start working again, but finding a job in a professional, corporate environment wasn’t easy when the last thing she could remember was bits and pieces of the tenth grade. Creativity, however, did not require a degree and Lauren, bless her heart, had known that all too well.

* * *

Max switched on his gaming console and sat down. He needed something else to occupy his mind. Feeling at odds with himself was sort of a given at any moment in time.

A part of him wanted to leap wholeheartedly into this relationship with Danny while the other part of him was holding back. The more they progressed, the heavier the burden of guilt became. And they were progressing quickly.

It was bewildering. Danny had dated nine other men before him and not once had she been tempted to explore beyond first base. Maybe it was because she couldn’t remember how strict she had been about physical acts, or maybe it was him. He brought out a side of her that he never knew existed.

Leo and Aries. Maybe that was the product of two fire signs colliding. Heat. Sizzling heat. Burning passion. Scorching need.

He had that with Danny. Chemistry between two people could not be faked. Even if their entire relationship was based on a fabrication, that part was very real.

He wanted to confess everything to her, tell her the whole truth, but with every passing day, he was sucked deeper into this lie. He couldn’t possibly tell her the truth now. There was too much to lose. It seemed simple enough on the surface. She liked him. She cared about him, so telling her the truth shouldn’t really change her feelings for him, especially because she couldn’t remember what their relationship was like before. But that wasn’t the problem.

The problem was figuring out a way to explain to her that he had blatantly lied to her every day for two months. She would never be able to trust him again if he told her what was really going on. She would doubt everything he had told her so far and that’s what stopped him. Losing what they had built scared him into silence. He had been in love with her for the longest time, but this was different. His feelings for her were changing, morphing into something deeper and he didn’t want to ruin that.

The lie was beginning to escalate beyond their relationship. His mother had called several times since she had been discharged from the hospital and every time she asked to speak to Danny, he had to think of another excuse. His mother knew that she had lost her memory, but he had not told anyone in his family – not even Jordan – that they were now dating. He would have to think of a way to rectify it before Christmas, but right now all he could do was continue living a lie.

And while their invented lives pushed Danny forward, the guilt kept pulling him back. He wouldn’t allow himself to lose control with her. He barely let her touch him. That was how he maintained some kind of sensibility, because one slip, one moment of weakness and they could end up doing something she may regret. And that was the last thing he wanted to be if she regained her memory. A regret.

So even though it was killing him, he was trying to practice restraint. Operative word being trying. Two inexperienced people in the bedroom and he had foolishly thought that making out would be enough for a long while. It was definitely not the case. Danny was insatiable. Reasons and excuses all fell on deaf ears. She had always been assertive but even more so now. She didn’t ask anymore. She took what she wanted. And she wanted him.

When a woman as hot as that wanted something he so wanted to give, practicing restraint was damn near impossible.

Max continued playing his game, shooting aliens and dodging monsters. It was a welcomed distraction from the thoughts afflicting his mind. He had just conquered level seven when she swooped through the front door and into the living room, glowing with excitement.

Leaning over from behind the sofa, she wrapped her arms around his neck and plucked a quick kiss on his cheek. “So…I think I got a job,” she said.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. It’s just a one-time thing, but I’m really excited.” She moved around the sofa and sat down on the floor between his legs.

Max leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs, holding the controls with both hands in front of her. “I’m happy for you,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “Maybe Lauren will let you plan more functions in future.”

“How do you know that’s what Lauren wanted me to do?”

He chuckled. “She made it pretty obvious when she came to pick you up earlier.”

“I guess you guys do know me better than I know myself right now.”

Max noted the saddened tone in her voice and placed another kiss on her head. “You’re still the same person,” he said softly. “The accident didn’t change you, it just…altered your perception a little bit. I know this is hard for you and it’s going to take some time, but eventually you’ll feel whole again.”

Max used one hand to select his weapons for the next level while his other hand idly slipped into her T-shirt, his fingers tracing along the scar at the top of her chest. He loved that scar, all her scars. He loved everything they represented; a life with her he never would have had. They were tangible evidence that her perception had been altered and as much as it invoked guilt, he felt gratitude as well.

She dropped her head back so she could look up at him. “Will you come with me to the charity dinner?”

“Sure.”

He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. It was supposed to be brief, a quick simple kiss, but then she opened her mouth and everything in his body shifted up a gear. There was something about the way she kissed him that drove him absolutely wild. It was hungry, consuming and as much as his mind always told him to practice restraint, his body, the traitor, always reciprocated every one of her voracious desires. This was how things got out of hand.

She twisted on the floor, moving onto her knees. “Max,” she whispered, nipping his lower lip. “I wanna try something.”

Nope! No way! He wasn’t agreeing to anything with her looking at him like she was the predator and he was the prey. No! That look could only mean trouble. “I…uh…I would…I would really love to, Danny, but…” Her hands pressed up his thighs and his eyes shut involuntarily. “Uh…mmm…but I’m already…”

She tentatively unbuckled his belt and unzipped his jeans. “I’m listening,” she said, looking up at him with innocent hazel eyes, but what she was doing was far from innocent. Her fingers nervously crept into his pants and wrapped around his thick shaft.

“Fuck,” he whispered.

That was the only reaction she needed for her nervousness to subside. His breathing accelerated as she began stroking him.

“You were saying?”

Her tone was neutral, completely indifferent, like they were talking about the fucking weather. But her hand was around his cock, slowly rubbing him up and down, and talking about anything at that moment was difficult. “I was…I was…aaah…I was saying that…um…fuck…I’m already…on the eighth…level…just…really busy.”

“Oh, okay,” she said, feigning disappointment. “You carry on with your game. I’ll just find something better to do.” She pulled on either side of his jeans, tugging slightly until there was no longer a barrier between her and the only part of him that mattered right now. “Wow,” she said, staring at the thick rod in her hand. “That’s impressive.”