Fuck. He increased his stride, getting to her as quickly as he could, and when he was finally standing in front of her, he noticed that her hands were shaking and the forks on the plates were rattling. He took both dishes and gave them to a passing waitress to take care of, then took her hands in his to still their trembling.
“What the fuck did Addison say to you?” he demanded to know, his rage simmering right below the surface.
She shook her head, her eyes so filled with pain it made him want to punch his fist through something, just to release some of the fury boiling in his veins. “Nothing,” she whispered, the raw tone of her voice sounding as if Addison had literally sucked the life out of her. “It was nothing.”
“It wasn’t nothing,” he growled, trying to keep a tight rein on his temper. “Tell me what she said, Hailey.”
She swallowed hard and glanced down at his chest, her reluctance palpable. “She said . . . I really ought to cut back on the cake and take better care of myself if I ever expect to keep a man like you . . . although she was certain that your interest in me wouldn’t last long, anyway.”
He swore out loud and jerked his head up, immediately searching for Addison. When he found her, he let go of Hailey’s hands but only managed to take one step in the other woman’s direction before Hailey grabbed his arm to stop him.
“Don’t,” she pleaded desperately. “They’re just words, Max, and I’m fine. And she’s not worth making a scene over. Not here and not now.”
God, she was far more level-headed than he was feeling at the moment, and he appreciated her reeling him in before he did something to ruin his parents’ night that he’d regret later. He jammed his fingers through his hair, needing a few minutes to calm the fuck down, preferably without fifty or more guests around.
An idea came to mind. He was going to take Hailey somewhere, a place where they could be alone until he decompressed, and give her the chance to relax away from everyone, as well. Sliding his hand into hers, he guided her back into the house, where it was blessedly quiet.
She followed him past the kitchen and living room area, probably because he wasn’t giving her a choice at the moment. “Max . . . where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” he replied, not breaking stride as they walked through the foyer and up one of the double staircases to the second floor. He continued down a hallway and stopped at the third door on the left-hand side, which was closed. He twisted the knob, pulled Hailey inside, and shut the door, then switched on one of the lamps on the nightstand to illuminate the space.
She gasped in delighted surprise, and just that one animated sound had the ability to soothe his irritable mood. “Is this your old bedroom?” she asked, taking everything in with wide-eyed charm.
“Yes.” It had been years since he’d been in this room, and high school since he’d last brought a girl here. Even for him, it was a total blast from the past. Hell, it still even smelled like the Axe body spray he used back then.
She trailed her fingers over the blue plaid comforter on the queen-sized bed while glancing at the Chicago Cubs posters and banners hanging from the walls, along with other memorabilia and souvenirs he’d collected whenever his father took him and his brother to Wrigley Field to watch a game from one of the private suites located right over home plate.
She looked at the trophies on his dresser and numerous childhood keepsakes, then picked up a framed picture of him in his high school baseball uniform that had been taken his senior year. “What position did you play?” she asked curiously.
He came up behind her, peering at the old photo, and geez, he looked so damned young. “Center field. You know baseball positions?”
“Actually, I do.” She set the picture back in its place and turned to face him with a smile. “My uncle was a huge Cubs fan, and I’d watch the games with him all the time, which means I’m a Cubs fan, too.”
“My kind of girl.” He tapped her playfully on the nose. “We’ll have to go to a game together sometime.”
“Mmm, we’ll see,” she said noncommittally as she strolled over to the desk situated in the corner of the room.
He knew she was being a bit guarded, probably because she didn’t believe they’d still be together beyond his promise to accompany her to the charity carnival the following weekend. Especially after what Addison had just said to her, which was undoubtedly still fresh in her mind.
Max already knew he was all in with Hailey, but he also suspected if he brought up a heavy conversation right now about them, she’d most likely be skeptical and end up shutting him out. They had time, and he had patience. As far as he was concerned, both would work to his advantage.
He pushed his hands into the front pockets of his pants, watching as she removed To Kill A Mockingbird from his small library of classic books on the shelf above his desk. The novel was creased and dog-eared, and it made him smile when he remembered those late nights before a test when he’d stayed up until morning reading and highlighting passages.
“I read this in high school, too,” she said, smiling at the nostalgic memory as she put the book back with the others. “Lit class, right?”
He nodded. “Yep. My mother refused to get rid of any of those classics. She swears that my own kids will probably be required to read them one day, as well.”
“She’s probably right.” She laughed while moving toward a closed door, which she opened, revealing a small walk-in closet.
He reached in front of her and turned on the overhead light. He’d forgotten what was inside, and what he saw definitely made him grin. Clothes and shoes that he hadn’t taken to college, and were now clearly dated, hung on the rods. A box labeled baseball cards sat on one of the shelves, and at the far end, his mother had secured his high school letterman’s jacket in a clear garment bag to protect it from aging.
“I remember the day I got this jacket and how excited and proud I was to have my varsity letter put on it.” Unzipping the bag, he slid the jacket from the sturdy hanger and inhaled the scent of leather, causing him to reminisce about old times. “And my girlfriend at the time wanted to wear it so badly, and I wouldn’t let her. In fact, we had a big fight about it, because I told her I didn’t want her getting her makeup on it, or to end up having the jacket smelling like her perfume.”
He chuckled and shook his head at how ridiculous the argument had been. “I probably could have been more tactful in my word choice, because she totally punished me for being a dick about it.”
“Punished you?” Hailey asked, intrigued and amused at the same time. “How?”
He smirked. “She cut me off for two weeks. No sex, no blow jobs, nothing.”
Hailey rolled her eyes, though she was grinning. “Oh, yeah, that’s quite the harsh punishment.”
“I was seventeen years old, and just looking at the shape of her breasts beneath her T-shirts made me hard. It was pure torture,” he said dramatically. “She didn’t give in, not until I finally groveled and apologized, but I still didn’t let her wear the jacket. But I’m much more mature about it now.” He held the jacket open for her and gave her a flirtatious wink. “Want to be the first girl to try it on?”
She nodded eagerly, and the look of pure delight that encompassed her features made his heart do a weird little flip in his chest. It was crazy, but he wanted her to know how special she was, wanted her to feel special. She’d told him that she’d never dated in high school, and a part of him wanted her to have this moment, as silly as it might be.
She turned around, and he helped her into the jacket, pulling it up her arms and settling it on her shoulders before turning her to face him again. It was big on her, the sleeves ending at the tips of her fingers and the bottom falling to her thighs. It didn’t matter, because she looked fucking adorable. So pretty and sweet and guileless.
In high school, he never would have been mature enough to appreciate a girl like her. As an adult, he realized she was exactly what he’d been waiting for but hadn’t known until h
e’d met her.
He lifted his hands and gently removed her silky hair from the collar so it spilled over her shoulders, then grabbed each side of the jacket and drew her closer, his body warming with need and desire. “You look damn good in my letterman’s jacket,” he murmured huskily as he dropped his gaze to her mouth.
The soft smile that touched her lips was nothing short of beautiful. “You weren’t kidding when you said your bedroom was a time capsule back to when you were a teenager,” she said, suddenly engagingly shy. “I kind of feel like I’m back in high school and the hottest guy on campus just noticed me.”
“I’ve more than noticed you, sweet girl,” he said, and glanced over to the blue plaid comforter covering his mattress before waggling his brows at her. “Wanna make out on my bed like two horny teenagers? I promise I’ll only go to second base.”
“Only second base?” She actually sounded disappointed.
“For now,” he said as he started walking backward to the bed, pulling her along with him. “But later tonight, when we’re back at my place, I’m hoping for a fucking home run.”
She laughed, and just as he reached the edge of the mattress, she pressed her hands to his chest and gave him a shove that was so hard and unexpected he lost his balance and fell back onto the bed. He came up on his elbows and cocked his head to the side, suddenly aware of the way she was tugging on her lower lip with her teeth. There was obviously something on her mind, and he waited for her to share what she was thinking.
“There’s something I want to show you first,” she said, unable to completely conceal the slight nerves he detected in her voice.
Whatever it was, he was certainly intrigued. “Okay.”
Her chest rose and fell with a deep, fortifying breath, right before she grabbed the hem of her dress and slowly started raising the material higher and higher. Yeah, he was definitely taken by surprise, but that didn’t stop his hungry gaze from automatically lowering to watch as, inch by inch, she exposed her soft, bare thighs, so smooth and supple-looking it took effort not to reach out and slide his hand up the inside of her leg and touch everything she was revealing to him.
It drove him a little crazy, just how much she was teasing him—that she finally felt comfortable enough to do something so intimate when her past experience with the guy in college had destroyed her confidence for so long. He managed to swallow back the ragged, lust-filled groan that rose in his throat, but there was nothing he could do about his rapidly hardening dick and the way it strained against the front of his pants.
When she finally had the material lifted around her hips and he could see the surprise that awaited him, hot desire licked its way straight to his cock. “Oh, fuck me,” he muttered appreciatively, absolutely loving what she’d unveiled, for his eyes only. Light pink cotton panties trimmed in lace. Most likely the same ones she’d been wearing when he’d asked her if she’d show them to him sometime while she was still wearing them.
The panties were cut a bit higher on the thigh, the pretty lace banded around her hips, and between her legs he could see the faint outline of those soft lips he ached to touch and taste. Practical and innocent-looking, definitely, but they were sexy as fuck on her, and while he’d just promised Hailey he’d only go to second base, he now wanted his hands inside those panties.
When he finally lifted his gaze back to hers, the seductive heat in her eyes mesmerized him. “Come here,” he said, his tone low and thick.
She neared the bed, and when she was close enough, he reached out and grabbed her, tumbling her onto the mattress beside him. She let out a surprised squeal that turned into a husky laugh, until he moved half on top of her and an instantaneous awareness replaced the playful moment. With one leg pushed in between hers and one of his hands delving into her hair, he lowered his head and kissed her. His lips slid over hers, and his tongue took things deeper, made things hotter and more demanding.
He placed his hand on her leg, right above her knee, and slowly skimmed his palm higher to give her time to adjust to the idea of him touching her intimately. She moaned encouragingly against his mouth, her thighs opening a little wider in invitation as his fingers disappeared beneath the hem of her dress. Just as he neared the sweet spot between her legs, the bedroom door opened behind him and a loud female gasp had Hailey wrenching her mouth from his, then burrowing closer to him in embarrassment, as well as to hide from whomever had just walked in.
Pulling Hailey closer to him and shielding her the best he could with his body, Max glanced over his shoulder and found Addison standing in the doorway, a disdainful look on her face. He narrowed his gaze at her. What the fuck was she doing here? The furious words were on the tip of his tongue, but she spoke first.
“I was looking for the bathroom,” she said, her glassy eyes filled with contempt as she shifted her gaze to what she could see of Hailey, which wasn’t much.
Max immediately knew it was a lie, that Addison had most likely been looking for the two of them. “Upstairs?” he asked, not bothering to disguise his anger, because yeah, he was still pissed as hell at her for what she’d said to Hailey earlier. “There are three of them downstairs.”
“They were being used.” She shrugged a shoulder insolently.
Yeah, total bullshit. “Well, you missed the bathroom upstairs by two doors down, before this bedroom.” Which meant she’d already known that herself.
Addison glared at him. “Asshole,” she said, her tone vehement.
He almost laughed, because he’d done nothing to provoke this response from her. Clearly, she’d had too much to drink. “Okay, sure, I’ll be the asshole,” he replied indulgently. “Whatever makes you feel better. Now can you leave?”
She backed out of the room and slammed the door shut behind her. Hailey’s body flinched against his, and he exhaled a frustrated stream of breath. Jesus. All he wanted right now was to be alone with Hailey, with no interruptions and a few hours to do all the dirty things to her that he’d been fantasizing about the past week.
It was time to make that happen.
He moved off the bed and held his hand out to help her up, too. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?” she asked once she was standing beside him.
“Back to my place.” He gave her a wicked smile as he gently placed his hand on the side of her face and grazed his thumb across her kiss-swollen bottom lip. “That pretty mouth of yours has some begging to do, and I’m ready to hear it.”
Chapter Ten
Hailey followed Max into his Lake Shore condo, the first time ever that she’d been at his place. He switched on a light, providing a glimpse of sleek gray and black decor with chrome accents, but he didn’t take the time to give her a tour. Instead, he took her hand and led her down the hallway and into the master bedroom, which was furnished with a dark wood dresser and night tables, a comfortable-looking armchair, an oversized ottoman, and a modern platform bed frame that held a king-sized mattress.
She wasn’t going to lie. The thought of having sex with Max filled her with anticipation and excitement, but there was no denying the teeny-tiny touch of worry that still lingered. Revealing her curvy thighs and panties was one thing. Baring her less-than-perfect body and all its flaws was a whole different situation that took double the confidence to carry out.
But as anxious as she was, in her heart she trusted Max. In the long run, maybe Addison was right and he’d lose interest—that was certainly Hailey’s greatest fear, especially when she could already feel her emotions getting involved—but for this moment, she wanted to forget all the drama with Addison, her cruel words, and just enjoy tonight with Max.
He stopped at the foot of the bed and gently tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear, his concerned gaze searching her features. “Are you nervous?”
She smiled at him and decided to be honest. “It’s a little hard not to be, but I want this. I want you.”
His relief was obvious. “Good, because I want you so fucking badly, and
I want tonight to be so damn good for you. I don’t want to mess this up.”
“I doubt you will.” She had the hang-ups and worries, not him.
“I put something in the bathroom for you before I left today to pick you up,” he said, glancing toward the adjoining en suite. “I want you to go and put it on.”
She had no idea what awaited her, but she was undeniably curious and willing to do as he asked. “Okay.”
Once she was inside the spacious bathroom that had a shower big enough to fit a small party in and a large Jacuzzi tub for baths, she found a pale-pink-handled bag on the counter with a black satin bow and the name of the store where it had come from printed across the front. Agent Provocateur. A high-end lingerie boutique that she’d driven by many times but never believed they’d have something to accommodate her body type. A Victoria’s Secret model she was not.
Tentatively, she removed the bundle of tissue paper inside, not sure what to expect—and hoping to God that it wasn’t something so risqué that she’d feel uncomfortable wearing it. But the one thing she was coming to realize about Max was that he understood her insecurities, and he’d never exploit them, so she peeled away the tissue and exhaled a soft breath when she discovered what he’d bought for her—a short slip-type nightgown in black silk chiffon that was trimmed in black French appliqués along the hem and had a low-cut décolletage. There was also a pair of matching silk and lace panties. The ensemble was so pretty, but sexy, too, and she couldn’t wait to try it on and wear it for Max.
She stripped out of her current clothes and put on the two pieces, loving the feel of the silk against her skin as the short gown fell into place, then glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Oh, wow, was her first thought, because she’d never, ever worn anything so provocative in her entire life or felt so sensual and seductive. The soft fabric outlined the shape of her full breasts yet fit more loosely over her hips as the hemline fell to mid-thigh. Both the slip and panties were modest and demure in terms of coverage, outlining her curves yet leaving everything beneath to the imagination for now, making her feel bold and daring.
The Book Boyfriend Series Box Set Page 29
