by M. Tasia
“I know, Saint. So do I.” Might as well get it out there and let Saint get used to the idea.
The relief he saw in those stunning blue eyes and his following words humbled Max. “I do. I have never felt this strongly before.”
“The words don’t matter. All that’s important is that we’re on the same page,” Max assured. “Now, are you packed for the weekend?”
Saint looked happy for the change in subject and jumped on it. “All ready to go.”
“Then let’s hit the road. Mom will worry if we’re late for dinner and the traffic is bound to be a nightmare.”
“Are you sure we should be leaving the building now, with my father nosing around? It’s a valid concern. The man is just crazy enough to try something. If Thomas believes this building is standing in the way of getting what he wants, I have no doubt the bastard would burn it down.”
“Along with the security system, Finn, Miguel, and most of the crew will be here. It will be safe, sweetheart.” Max stood straight and stretched his sore back. “Now, where’s your bag?”
“In our bedroom,” Saint responded before heading for the door. “I’m looking forward to checking in with Emma.”
“I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you. Oh, hold on, this was delivered for you out front when I was coming in.” Max handed over the envelope with the unmistakable emblem of a nearby children’s orthopedic hospital emblazoned on the front left corner. “It was weird. The delivery guy didn’t even want a signature.”
Saint took the envelope without even glancing at it before shoving it into his pocket. “Thanks, let’s get moving.”
There was a story there, but Max decided not to push Saint on the issue. He’d seen similar envelopes shoved off to the side on Saint’s dresser in the bedroom. All unopened and mostly crushed. He followed Saint to the hub, where Miguel and Finn sat reviewing what was undoubtedly course information on the laptop.
“We’re out of here, guys,” Saint said as he walked out of their bedroom with two bags, which Max quickly took out of Saint’s hands.
Saint gave him a resigned but indulgent look. Max couldn’t help it, and he wasn’t going to change. He wanted to take care of Saint, even if he fought it all the way. No one had taken care of him and it was damn well time someone did.
“I’ll leave everything up to you, Miguel. Please explain the situation to the crew. No one comes on the property that doesn’t belong here no matter who they say they are. We’re not expecting any city officials or deliveries.” Max wanted to be specific, no question.
“Done,” Miguel responded without even looking up from the screen. It wasn’t that his friend took the situation lightly, quite the opposite. Miguel lived his life always on alert and at the ready. Max hadn’t seen him act in any other way since his return from active duty.
“When I get back on Monday, we could sit down and discuss what courses you’re interested in,” Saint said to Finn. “Use the card if you need anything.”
“It’s okay, I have a bank account now, boss. I can use the pay you give me if I need something.”
“Not a chance. You save your money. All expenses are included in your position here. Besides you’ll be a starving student soon enough,” Saint explained as Finn’s eyes got bigger.
“Are you sure, boss?”
“Positive. Now have a good weekend and watch over the place for me.”
“Yes, sir. Nothing will happen to the building.”
Max led the way to the back door so they could put their bags in the truck and get on the road to the farm. “We have to pop by the shop on our way out of the city. I need to check on something.”
Saint hurried ahead and opened the large steel door leading to the exterior lot that would be used for patrons of the restaurant and bar for parking. The condo owners were going to have designated spots in the underground garage of a newer hotel that was around the corner. Saint had been working on that agreement this week, getting it ready for the lawyers to review.
He had explained that he wanted a safe place for the people who called this building home, and after what the brave man had been through, Max could understand. He hadn’t missed the existing security system that friends of Saint’s had installed for him when Max had done his first inspection. Initially, the excessive measures had confused Max, but after what he’d learned, they no longer did.
Max stowed their bags in the backseat of his quad cab truck and then they were off. He couldn’t help the small laugh when he thought of the last time they’d taken the drive to his home.
“What’s so funny?” Saint asked as he reached for Max’s free hand.
“I was remembering the last time we drove to Temecula. I think if you could have, you would have decked me right there in the hospital.”
“I couldn’t figure out why you kept coming back even after I yelled at you and told you to get out.” Saint turned his head to look out the passenger window. “I’m glad you didn’t listen to me.”
Max brought Saint’s hand up to his mouth and kissed his knuckles. “So am I.”
The bandages on Saint’s hands had been reducing weekly until now Saint only used a thin pad of gauze under his gloves to protect the quickly healing wounds. It shocked Max how once Saint had begun eating better and sleeping more, his wounds began to heal much faster. No matter what was causing the change, Max was simply happy for it.
They pulled into the parking lot beside his main shop about thirty minutes later. He had something to show Saint. “Come on in with me for a minute.”
Saint released his hand and opened the passenger door without question. When they walked through the open overhead doors, Max could hear the familiar symphony of table saws, nail guns, and rock music. He loved working in construction, using his hands to create and save as much as he could from jobs in various buildings in LA, and turn-of-the-century carvings, stonework, and design still thrilled him.
A few of his employees waved as they walked through the main building and back into a separate locked room. The carved panels from the bar area stood braced in separate crates around the area, but the one Max was looking for sat on top of his worktable in the far corner.
Saint’s quick intake of breath confirmed he’d seen what Max had been working on. “Max, it looks stunning, almost new.”
“I certainly hope not, considering it’s older than both of us combined,” Max teased. He liked to see Saint smile.
“You know what I mean. All the layers of paint and varnish are gone and you can finally see the wood underneath. It’s beautiful, Max. Thank you.” Saint’s voice seemed to drift off as he ran the tips of his fingers along the sweeping lines of the carved gate.
The partially open gates took up almost the entire panel of wood, with the exception of the clouds gathered around them. Max had noted that this had been the carving that most concerned Saint when they were removed. So naturally, he began with it.
“I’m glad you like it, babe,” Max said as he wrapped his arms around Saint’s waist from behind. “I know it means a lot to you.”
“Do you want to know why?” Saint asked without turning away from the panel.
“Only if you want me to know.” There was no way he’d force anything out of Saint. Max could wait as long as it took for his man to be comfortable enough to share. And if he never was, that was fine as well.
“I’ve told you about my mother already,” Saint said in that distant voice he got when he travelled through his memories. “For years before she died we’d come to visit friends of hers in Los Angeles without our father. I remember how freeing that made us feel. Her friends were loud, boisterous, and fun. I looked forward to the trip every year. Johnny and I would get all dressed up in suits and ties and escort the ladies to dinner. We were so young. I doubt that Johnny even remembers.
“We were on one of our last visits. Mom was getting sicker by the day and still my father refused to accompany her to see her friends. Of course, while in town we came to her favorite re
staurant and Mom’s friends doted on her the entire time. I remember thinking how happy she looked every time we were here.” Saint stopped to take a couple deep breaths before continuing.
“Um…she was on her way back from the ladies’ room when she collapsed beside the bar. People were yelling for an ambulance and pulling the chairs back out of the way. Johnny was in the arms of one of Mom’s friends so I crawled through the legs of people standing around her. Someone had placed their coat under Mom’s head and people were talking to her by the time I got to her side.” Saint’s hand hovered over the panel, in the center of the open gates. “She was staring at this carving before she turned to look at me. Her eyes weren’t clear and she looked like she was in pain, but in a calm voice she was able to say while touching the wood, Don’t worry, my precious boy. I’m going to go through those gates of heaven. I’ll be waiting for you there when it’s time. Don’t be scared, I love you. She died in the hospital two days later.”
Max couldn’t stop his tears for the boy who lost his mom and the man desperately trying to hold on to her memory. The two stood wrapped in each other’s arms, no longer in such a hurry to escape the city that Saint’s mother loved.
Chapter Twelve
How have I gotten myself talked into this? Saint stood staring at what would be their sleeping accommodations for the next two nights. The pop-up camper looked to be circa 1980s with its patched sides and gold racing stripe running along the side. He shook his head as Max came over to take his hand, intent on leading him into what had to be a mouse haven. It had been stored in the barn. He remembered seeing it under a tarp.
Max had left him after dinner saying he had to check on a few things. Saint hadn’t minded, considering he had Max’s mom and grandma to keep him company. He’d checked on a happy and healthy Emma the moment he stepped out of the truck, needing to ensure himself she was doing well. She was still skittish around loud noises, but at least the brave little donkey had met him at the fence surrounding the pasture.
When Max returned, he had that look on his face that spelled trouble. Saint was becoming adept at distinguishing between Max’s many different smiles and saucy grins. This one spoke volumes. He led Saint to the truck and soon they were driving back past the pasture and barn, and up to a stand of trees. There wasn’t another house in sight. Emma and her two horse friends were already in the barn for the night.
It didn’t matter that there was a pit for a fire and two foldable chairs sitting nearby. It didn’t matter that lights had been strung in the tree or a stack of wood sat at the ready. Saint knew the moment he stepped into the camper, which looked to be older than he was, it was going to collapse under his weight.
“There’s no way that could hold us.” Saint went with logic, hoping to fend off the impending catastrophe. “No way, no, no, no,” Saint warned as he waved off Max’s outstretched hand once again.
“Looks can be deceiving. I’ve had this camper since I was fifteen years old. Whenever I needed my time alone, this was where I went and I want to share it with you.”
Damn it, Max wasn’t playing fair. How was Saint supposed to say no to that? He couldn’t and Max knew it. “Fine, but if my leg breaks through the floor, I’m so going with I told you so.”
“Duly noted. Come on.”
Saint finally took Max’s hand and allowed himself to be led up to the camper. The screens were down on the windows and door, making it impossible for him to see inside. He hoped it was at least livable but had his doubts about Max’s teenage hideaway.
Max opened the old aluminum door with a flourish and ushered Saint inside. What he found defied logic. Saint stood dumbfounded in the center of what some people might call a glamping paradise. “What the hell?”
The jokester stood laughing outside the camper as Saint took it all in. What had initially looked to be an old worn-out piece of metal appeared to only be a façade. Solid, painted walls had been placed around a small, operational kitchen. A queen bed covered in pillows and comforters stood to the right, while a collapsible table and chairs were off to the left. The quality of everything was remarkable and there was no sign of those patches he’d seen on the outside. It was solid, cozy, and clean, three things he hadn’t expected. There was even a French press on the butcher-block counter.
“Do you like?” Max asked, and Saint heard a touch of uncertainty in his voice.
“It’s amazing, really. I…you know, from the outside it looked…” Saint had no idea why stringing a sentence together was suddenly a problem.
“So old and raggedy.” Max helped with the descriptors Saint had been searching for.
“Yeah. But why not fix up the exterior?”
“So no one gets it in their mind to steal it. When I pack it all up and put it back in the barn, no one is the wiser.”
“How long did this take you?”
“Years,” Max answered as he stepped up into the camper to join Saint. “I kept tweaking it along the way. Of course it’s changed over the years as I got older, but it has always been here when I needed it.”
Saint could completely understand that. He had often sought solace in the jungles on his aid missions away from the hell that was his life. Until it caught up with him there. “So, if this is where we’re staying, we’ll have to go back and get our bags.” Max pointed under the table to where their belongings had been stowed. “Thought of everything have you?”
“Well, I wasn’t going to make love to you with my mother down the hallway. And I wasn’t not going to make love to you, so, problem solved.”
Saint couldn’t fault him on his logic, and there was no way in hell he was saying no to that offer. “Good idea.”
“I thought you’d come around to my way of thinking,” Max teased, wrapping an arm around Saint’s waist as he kissed his jaw. “Now, all I need to know is if you want to get naked before or after the campfire.” Max was adorable when he raised his eyebrows suggestively.
“During.” The weather was warm, the sky was clear, and the stars were out. “Got a blanket?”
Max’s eyes turned heated and he cleared his throat before he answered. “That could easily be arranged. Let me go start the fire.” With a quick kiss, Max jumped out of the camper door and ran straight for the pile of wood. Apparently, he wasn’t wasting any time.
Saint grabbed the throw blanket from the back of one of the chairs and joined Max by the fire. The grass had been trimmed around the front of the camper and the fire pit, making finding a spot for the blanket much easier. Once he’d spread it out on the ground, Saint sat down, removed his shoes, and watched as Max brought the fire to life.
He slid his shirt over his head and tossed it alongside his shoes. When Max turned and saw him half-naked, he began stripping on the spot. Not an ounce of inhibition or concern that anyone would see them. Saint found himself the center of Max’s attention and it felt so right. He slowly unzipped his jeans and slid them, along with his underwear, off his legs and onto the ever-growing pile of clothing. Once he was naked, Saint lay back on the thick blanket and began stroking his hard cock.
It wasn’t long before Max joined him. Taking Saint into his arms and kissing him thoroughly, only breaking apart when they were forced to breathe. The moon and stars shone overhead as the fire roared several feet away in the safety of the pit.
Saint been dreaming about this kind of passion—the unending need to have your person branding you with their touch. All the while knowing it would never be enough. He loved Max, no matter the danger, threats or timeframe. Saint loved Max, and that might be the scariest part of all.
***
Max’s body burned much hotter than any fire could have ever caused. The sight of Saint touching himself drove Max to shed his clothing so quickly that he wasn’t entirely sure if he’d ripped anything in the process. He didn’t care. All that mattered was Saint, and what was growing between them.
When their bare skin touched, he couldn’t help but moan as their bodies tangled together and Sa
int’s hands began to explore Max’s body. They roamed over his back and down to his ass where Saint pulled their bodies together to grind his hard cock into Max.
That was when Max remembered something important. “Do we have supplies?” Of all things he had planned, somehow missed that one key component. Max knew that someday they’d go together and get tested so they could do away with the condoms, but they weren’t at that stage yet.
“In my pants pocket,” Saint was quick to reply, before diving into another soul-rendering kiss that left Max with no doubt of how much Saint loved him.
As soon as they came up for air, Max reached over and dug through Saint’s pants until he found his prize and held them aloft in victory. Max knew he looked like an idiot for holding up a condom wrapper and a single-use lube packet as if it were a trophy. However, to him, the fact that he was lucky enough to be making love with Saint was a victory worth celebration.
Saint shook his handsome head before he wrapped his hand around Max’s throbbing cock and pumped him at a leisurely rhythm. “We need to make sure you’re ready for me, babe. If you keep that up this will be over before I even have a chance to sink inside you.”
“A touch sensitive, are we?” Saint teased with a devilish grin. Max loved Saint’s playful side. It didn’t happen as often as Max would like, but it was increasing over time.
“Hell, looking at you makes me ready to blow,” Max stated seconds before Saint began rolling Max’s balls in his free hand. Saint didn’t have a full range of motion in his hands yet, but it made no difference. His touch was mesmerizing.
Max couldn’t help but moan as he remained braced on his hands and knees, legs spread wide, ass up in the air, receiving a hand job that was dragging him closer to the edge by the second. The soft glow of the fire held back the darkness, making him feel as if they were inside a bubble all their own. No one could reach them and the only thing that mattered was each other.
