The Summer Proposal

My face fell. “We can’t just be friends?”

Max’s eyes dropped down to my body. They took their time caressing their way up and over each curve. “Friendship between two people who are the opposite sex doesn’t work when one of you wants to see the other naked. That might be an asshole thing to say, but it’s the truth.” He pushed the button to call the elevator. It must’ve been waiting, because the doors slid right open. Max lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed the top. “I hope you call.”

I swallowed and nodded. But as I stepped into the elevator, a heavy feeling came over me. The thought of never seeing Max again made me panicky, so when the doors began to slide closed, I stuck my hand out to stop them at the very last second.

“Max, wait!”

He looked up at me, and I stepped forward, holding the doors open.

“I never do anything without spending forever debating all the pros and cons.” I shook my head. “And I’m not sure what the right thing is for us, but I am sure it’s not never seeing you again. Could we…take it slow?”

The biggest grin spread across Max’s face. “I like it slow.”

I chuckled. “You know what I mean.”

He nodded and took my hand. “We can go at whatever speed makes you comfortable.”

I took a deep breath and blew out a rush of air. “Okay.”

He lifted a brow. “Okay?”

I nodded. “Let’s do it—spend the summer together, I mean.”

Max yanked the hand he was holding, and I stumbled against his body, crashing into what felt like a brick wall.

“Oww…” I said, laughing. My palms landed flat against his chest, and I patted it twice. “This thing hurts. It’s really hard.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to show you hard. Now give me that mouth. I said I’m good with going slow, but I’m going to lose my mind if I can’t at least have a little taste.”

I didn’t get a chance to respond before his lips crashed down on mine. He squeezed me tightly against his hard body, making my knees feel weak. There had been an intensity about the way Max looked at me from the moment we’d met, but this kiss… It was a whole other level. He licked my lips and nudged my mouth open while one of his large hands slid up to my neck and wrapped around my throat. I’d never had a man hold me like that. It felt desperate and needy and just on the right side of dominant. My hands threaded through his hair, and he lifted me into the air and walked us until my back hit a wall. I lost all sense of where we were when I felt his hard-on push up against my stomach.

Oh God.

We stayed wrapped around each other for the longest time, groping and grabbing like two horny teenagers. Max used my hair to pull my head back and sucked along my pulse line, which had to be beating frantically. When we came up for air, he leaned his forehead to mine and used his thumb to wipe at my bottom lip.

“I knew it.”

I could barely form words, and I was glad he hadn’t set me down yet, because my legs felt like jelly. “What?”

“Magic, sweetheart,” he said. “We’re going to make magic.”

The smile on my face was so big, I thought my skin might crack. “Would you…like to come up for a little while?”

Max gripped both of my hands in one of his behind my back. “I’d love to come up. But you’d probably never get me to leave, and I also have practice in the morning. Besides…” He pressed closer to me, and I felt his erection dig into my hip. “My brain understands going slow, but my body isn’t quite getting the message. Have dinner with me Friday night. Let me take you out on a real date.”

I nodded. “I’d love that.”

Max pushed the elevator button again, and the car doors immediately slid open. He leaned down and brushed his lips against mine once more. “I didn’t even leave yet, and I can’t wait to see you again.”

I stepped into the car with a fluttering heart and smiled as I shook my head. “No strings attached, right?”

He winked. “The only string might be one I use to tie you up.”

It all sounded perfect. Too perfect. As the doors slid shut, I felt sweat tingling my palms. I rubbed them together and squeezed my eyes closed a moment. I mean, what reason would there be for something to go wrong?

CHAPTER 8

* * *

Max

Ten years ago

“Ummm…what are you doing?”

I shrugged without turning around. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

“It looks like you’re filling an empty, half-gallon container with milk from that milk dispenser that’s supposed to be for coffee.”