Slow Grind (Men of Mornington)

“Hey, guys, take a picture with me so I can send it to Jacey back home. She misses me and doesn’t know what you look like.”

“This is your home, Aubrey,” Max pouts in the back seat.

“I know, still… Please? Look, we’re at a stoplight. Get in here, Max.” I lean into Drew, he leans into me, and Max sits up. When we’re all in the frame, I stick my tongue out, and the guys smile. Click. Perfect. I load the picture into the messages and hit send. It’s a few minutes before Jacey responds.

Jacey: Well, shit. He’s a god!!!!!

Me: He’s something, all right.

Jacey: And the hottie in the back seat? That’s Max?

Me: Knock it off, that’s my brother, dude.

Jacey: He’s cute. And I’ve always wanted to be your sister.

I have to pause again; this time, because I’m suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. Will Max ever get the chance to get married? Have kids? Live a real life? I swallow down the uncertainty and continue texting.

Me: You go back to pity fucking Nate. We’re almost to Max’s. I’ll text you later.

Jacey: Love you, buttercup.

Me: Love you back.

I put the phone back in my purse as we hit a patch of traffic. This is exactly what I need—more time stuck in a car with a guy who knows I’m feeling him but won’t ever act on it because I’m just little Aubrey, as he so cleverly put it. Resting my head back, I pray for the cars to part and for us to arrive at Max’s sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make time pass any faster, so I close my eyes and pretend to be asleep.

Chapter Seven

Drew

Shaking my head, I slam my fist down on the steering wheel, which earns me an odd look from Max. I mutter something about the traffic and keep my eyes on the road. What the fuck has happened to me? When did I become the guy who gets caught checking out a girl? Or more to the point, when did I become the guy who checks out girls and doesn’t even realise it until he’s caught? When did I become so weak?

I’m sure she thought she had me until Max woke up, but I quickly put an end to that. Aubrey is definitely playing a game I refuse to let her win. At least, that’s what I’m trying damn hard to make myself believe.

Finally, after an hour stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, we pull into the garage of Max’s apartment complex. I find a parking spot as close to the lift as I can since Max decided he wasn’t an invalid and could walk a few feet. Stubborn as hell, that guy, but I can’t say I wouldn’t be the same way if the tables were turned.

“Can you grab my suitcase, please?” Aubrey asks, refusing to meet my eye as we get out of the car.

“No problem,” I smirk. Pulling her luggage from the boot, I’m surprised she met the maximum weight limit for her flight—the sucker is that heavy. Like, there could be a dead body of a small human in here, and I’m lugging it around just waiting to get caught.

We walk over to the lift, and Aubrey stabs the up button over and over again like that’s going to hurry the fucker up. I chuckle, and she shoots me a glare, followed by a triumphant grin as the doors swing open as if she had something to do with it. If Max notices the tension between us, he doesn’t mention it. Then again, he looks like he’s using all his energy trying to stay upright.

When we get up to the fifth floor, Max is obviously out of breath and close to passing out. I knew I should have put my foot down about him using his wheelchair. The hospital gave it to him after his last appointment, but Max being Max refuses to use it. Instead, he busts his arse using up the very little energy he has doing simple things like walking from the lift to his door or using the bathroom. If the cancer doesn’t kill him, his hard-headed ways just might.

“You doing all right?” Aubrey asks her brother in a soothing tone, reminding me of the way Em talks to me when I’m not feeling well. I love the concern she has for

him. As feisty as the woman she is now, she’s still that same kid who would defend her brother to the end of the world.

If she’s that same kid deep down inside, then why the hell am I so drawn to her now? I already know the answer. Because she’s not a kid anymore. She’s grown into a stunning, curvy woman, and the mere sight of her makes my cock harden.

“Yeah, I’m all right—just tired,” Max responds. His voice jolts me back to reality. He tosses the keys to me, and I open the door, holding it open for the siblings to walk through first. I don’t bother hiding my amusement as she’s forced to slide her body against mine to get past. It’s less amusing when Max has to do it, too.

Pushing Aubrey’s suitcase through the door, I shut and lock it behind me. One look at Max and I know he needs to lie down. I glance at Aubrey, but she’s watching her brother, concerned.

“Let’s get you to bed, mate,” I suggest, taking his hand.

“Out of all the people I thought would try and get me into bed, you’re the last,” he teases, and I crack a smile. Not even cancer can take away his sense of humor. He takes his hand from mine and slaps me on the back. “I’m not dead yet, mate. I can handle this myself, okay?”

Max takes off down the hall toward his bedroom, hollering behind him to not bother him unless the building’s on fire. I laugh and flop down on the couch. Aubrey sits down next to me and rests her head back on the cushion, releasing a loud sigh.