by Bru Baker
Danny flushed. “I thought you were the officer responding to my call.”
Max grinned at him, and the happiness in his scent took Danny’s breath away.
“I’ve never been chased before,” Max teased. “I kinda liked it.”
Danny decided to take that as an invitation to do a little more chasing. He leaned in for a kiss, moving slowly so Max plenty of time to pull away. Max’s scent thickened and his heart rate sped up. He tilted his head, eyes fluttering shut as Danny closed the rest of the distance between them.
First kisses were usually awkward, and they didn’t get much better after the newness wore off. Danny had never seen the appeal with previous partners. It was always just the prelude to something more fun. A step in the process he could take or leave.
But it was different with Max. He could feel the warmth of Max’s lips even before they touched his, and the anticipation made his breath catch. The kiss was soft and tentative at first, but it didn’t take long before Max took control. The press of his lips became more insistent, and Danny groaned and plastered himself to Max. Every point of contact between them made his skin buzz in the most delicious way. He’d never felt like this before, and it was intoxicating.
His head was spinning by the time Max leaned back to break the kiss. He had his hands on Danny’s shoulders, and Danny’s knees were weak enough he was afraid he might fall without the support. Max stared at him in shock, his eyes shining amber instead of his usual warm brown. He blinked and looked away, the glowing color gone by the time he turned back to Danny.
“Wow,” Danny murmured, still trying to get his galloping heart under control.
Max reached up and traced the pads of his fingers over Danny’s kiss-swollen lips.
“Wow,” he agreed with a nod.
Danny let go of him and blew out a breath. “Okay. So that happened.”
Max laughed and dropped his hands from Danny’s shoulders. “We definitely have chemistry.”
“If we had much more chemistry, it would be illegal in a public place,” Danny muttered.
Max’s smile deepened. “Let’s go have lunch. I want to hear more about you.”
This guy was unreal. Gorgeous, kind, funny, and he wanted to get to know Danny instead of rushing him off for a quickie? Hubba, hubba.
“You have to tell me more about your family,” Danny said as he ushered Max into the hallway and locked the office behind them. They made their way toward the elevator. “Everyone I met last night was awesome.”
Max lit up. “In that case, are you up for meeting some more of them?”
Max had gone toe-to-toe with Veronica Cresswell and lived to tell the tale, and then he’d kissed Danny until his brain melted. Danny was up for nearly anything he wanted to do.
“Sure. Will they be joining us for lunch?”
“No, they’ll be making lunch. I’m taking you to Paulo’s.”
“What’s Paulo’s?”
“Homestyle Pinoy food. My Auntie Ginn owns it, and my cousins help her run it. You seemed to like dinner last night, so you should love it.”
How big was Max’s family? It seemed like every story introduced more family members. It fascinated Danny.
“Are they in your Pack too? Ray said last night your Pack was mostly family.”
“A good number of them are. Shifters tend to form familial Packs. You’re either born into them or you marry into them, with a few exceptions.”
A niggle of disappointment bloomed in Danny’s stomach. He’d really enjoyed hanging out with Max’s siblings yesterday. It had been more intimate and right than being with his own huge Pack ever had. He’d never thought about leaving the Connoll Pack before, but if he did it would be for a Pack like Max’s. Too bad he couldn’t switch.
“You never told me what type of shifter you are.”
Last night the question would have been unforgivably rude, but if they were going to make a go of this relationship thing, he needed to know, even if their dating was mostly for show. Once she found out Danny had gone out with Max today, Sloane would expect a full report, and his parents would want to know more about Max before dinner tomorrow too.
Max flashed his eyes at him in the empty elevator. “Binturong. It’s a small bear. I have claws, fangs, and a pretty unsightly mullet when I do a half shift.”
Shifters were different from werewolves because they weren’t influenced by the moon. In terms of strength, speed, and other super senses, it depended on what type of animal form the shifter had.
“I’d like to see you with a mullet.” The thought made him smile.
Max’s lips twitched. “We’ll see. That’s fourth- or fifth-date status.”
Chapter Four
“I’VE never seen you so nervous about a date.”
Max tossed a balled-up T-shirt at his computer screen, and his sister shrieked.
“Are you going to help me pick out something to wear or not, Tori? I googled Danny’s family, and they’re megarich. Like vacation home on a private island rich. Get written up in the society pages rich. And Uncle Al laughed his head off when I told him I was working on a fundraiser with them.”
“It’s just dinner at their house, right? How fancy could it be? I mean, Danny is pretty chill. He didn’t even have enough forks for all of us at dinner.”
Max leaned over the computer and emailed her a link. “His parents are definitely not chill. That’s their house. Architectural Digest did a piece on it two years ago.”
He ignored Tori’s squeals as he ducked back into his closet to find a button-down shirt that didn’t have stains on it or missing buttons.
“Max, what were you thinking?” she shrieked.
“I didn’t know!” he yelled back.
He should have listened when Danny tried to warn him. Max’s family wasn’t wealthy by any means, but they did okay. He’d been to tons of fundraisers and events when Uncle Al was running for mayor. He owned a three-piece suit and knew how to use a pair of cufflinks.
But Danny’s family was an entirely other scale. What the hell was he supposed to wear?
“Would a suit be too much?”
“How should I know? Did you ask Uncle Al what you should wear? He’d know.”
He poked his head back out of the closet. “He suggested my bulletproof vest.”
Tori snickered. “Well, if they’re all like that chick, you’re in trouble.”
“Sloane’s okay, I think. Danny said she’s usually really nice, but she was worried about me swooping in while he was vulnerable.”
Over lunch Danny had told him Sloane was overprotective. Max thought it sounded more like Danny was bad at choosing boyfriends, but he wanted to withhold his judgment on that till he talked to Sloane more about it.
“Besides, his mom really dug in when she realized I was related to Uncle Al.”
“Uncle Al has deep pockets,” Tori said. “Why is it people with money always want more?”
“Danny said his father’s in real estate. I bet it’s more about permits and brown-nosing the mayor than money.”
Uncle Al had retired from investment banking ten years ago and decided to take up politics as a hobby. His son Bert was the Pack Second, but everyone knew Bert was just biding his time before going into politics like his father.
“I’ve got to go. I told Ma I’d come by and help make dinner. She’s got all the grandkids tonight.”
His mother had the patience of a saint and definitely didn’t need any help minding her grandkids, but she wasn’t above laying on a guilt trip to make her children spend time with her.
Max blew his sister a kiss as she signed off, then dove back into his closet to make his final selection. He was due across the street to pick Danny up in ten minutes, so it was now or never.
Max brushed a spec of lint off his charcoal trousers and put them on. He’d had to get a few new suits after his promotion, but this was nicer than his work clothes. He slipped the vest from his fancy suit over a light blue button-down an
d examined his reflection.
Hell, he had no idea if this looked good or not. It was probably fine. July in the city was hot, so he rolled up his sleeves, taking time to do it the way he’d seen them do it on Queer Eye. No need for cufflinks if he was wearing it this way. He skipped the tie as well, because it seemed too formal.
He looked at himself again.
Maybe he’d bring the cufflinks with him, just in case. And a tie. And his suit coat.
Shit.
His phone buzzed underneath a pile of discarded shirts on the bed, and he fished it out. Danny’s number flashed on the screen.
“I’m outside your building,” Danny said when he picked up. “Buzz me up.”
“I can be ready in—”
“Just buzz me up.”
Max looked around his bedroom and swore under his breath, but he let Danny in. His living room was cluttered but not as badly as his bedroom, so he shut the bedroom door behind him and focused on making a quick sweep to grab coffee cups and stray socks.
He’d just swept all his unopened mail into a drawer when Danny knocked on the door.
Max opened it, his mouth falling open when it revealed Danny standing there in a pair of Dockers and a T-shirt.
“Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of,” Danny said, shaking his head. “You looked up my family, didn’t you?”
Max flushed. “A little bit.”
Danny laughed and stepped inside, moving past Max into the living room.
“My parents spend most summer weekends on their yacht in Montauk,” Danny said. “I figured you’d be over here freaking out about what to wear. Not that you’re wrong. My mother will absolutely judge the hell out of you. But at least you get to be comfortable.”
They were going to Montauk?
“You could have given me a heads-up, you know,” Max said, pulling off his vest and starting in on the buttons on his shirt. “I don’t even know if I have anything to wear on a yacht. Jesus.”
“Eh, as long as you avoid cut-off jeans and a holey T-shirt, you’ll fit right in. There’s no dress code at the marina.”
Was that really a thing? Did some marinas have a dress code? What would that even be?
“I’d suggest khakis and a polo or something. It gets a little cool out on the water after the sun goes down.”
“So we’re actually going to be out on the boat?”
“Yes and no,” Danny said. “We’ll be docked. And never let my father hear you call his five-million-dollar yacht a boat.”
Jesus. The thought of spending so much on a boat made his stomach hurt. He’d been saving toward a down payment on a house, and with Uncle Al’s investment advice, he’d turned it into a pretty decent nest egg. But it was a drop in the bucket compared to that.
Danny nestled in close and kissed him, soft and sweet. Nothing like the frantic kiss in his office yesterday, or the fevered make-out session they’d shared last night after the movie. Max was off-kilter, the kiss making him feel like he was fourteen and hoping his siblings didn’t barge into the family room to interrupt.
He followed Danny as Danny pulled away, chasing the intoxicating taste of him. Danny laughed and held a hand against Max’s chest, keeping him from picking the kiss back up.
“We’ll have to cancel on dinner if we don’t stop,” Danny said, eyes sparkling. “Do you need help picking something out to wear?”
Max waved him off and made sure the door was mostly closed so Danny couldn’t see the mess in the bedroom while he changed. He also didn’t want the temptation of Danny’s bright eyes or flushed cheeks distracting him from the mission at hand. They were probably already going to be late.
Montauk was two hours in very favorable traffic, which a Friday night certainly wouldn’t be. It would probably take them more like three.
“Sloane’s on her way here, and we can all Uber over together,” Danny called through the door. “Do you have any beer? Sloane likes to pregame family dinner nights. Not that we can actually get drunk, so it’s more symbolic, I guess.”
Max grabbed a polo shirt from his closet and stormed back into the living room. “Are you honestly telling a cop that you’re planning to have open containers in a car? Really?”
Danny looked up from his perusal of Max’s refrigerator. “I mean, we won’t open them in the Uber,” he said slowly, his expression puzzled. “It’s perfectly fine to drink in the helicopter. And the pilot is a witch, so you don’t have to worry about a human seeing us pound a six-pack.”
Max slipped his shirt on. “We’re taking a helicopter?”
“Well, yeah. If we were going down for the weekend, it would make sense to drive, but we’re coming back tonight. I didn’t want to tell you yesterday because I figured it would add to the freak-out. There didn’t seem to be any harm in letting you think we were driving.”
Of course Max had assumed they’d drive. In his world, if you didn’t drive you’d have to take the train, and the train took even longer than the Southern State Parkway. Holy shit. Danny’s family was rich enough that they could afford to fly to Montauk for an evening to have dinner.
“I was kidding about drinking in the helicopter. Sloane usually saves whatever she brings to slam right before we walk down to the boat. The pilot really is a witch, but it’s a six seater, so we’ll probably have company on the ride down. It’s not a private charter.”
“So this is normal for you?” Max asked, incredulous.
“Not anymore,” Danny said, flashing him an embarrassed smile. “My father and I aren’t really on talking terms, remember? But for Sloane, yeah. She doesn’t like spending the weekend on the yacht because there isn’t much to do up there, so when she goes for Friday night dinner, they charter her a helicopter. I haven’t been summoned for a dinner in Montauk since I decided to go to grad school for social work.”
Max was pretty sure he was going to hate Danny’s father. And he was totally sure his own mother was going to smother Danny with food and attention when she met him. Maricella had been right. She’d probably want to adopt him.
Danny pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen. “Sloane’s downstairs, and she’s already got an Uber for us. Do you need anything else, or are you ready to go?”
Max couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so scattered. “I picked up some flowers for your mom. Should I be bringing something else? Wine?”
Danny smiled, his scent going sweet. “No. They’ve got a wine refrigerator in the galley that could put a kid through college. The flowers will be perfect.”
The flowers were from a street vendor two blocks from the station. His mother would skin him alive if she found out he’d shown up for dinner at someone’s house empty-handed, but he wondered if that was preferable to giving Danny’s mom a wilted ten-dollar bouquet.
It was the thought that counted, right? He stuffed his wallet in his pocket and picked up the flowers. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
“That’s the right attitude,” Danny said. “You’ll never be ready for a Cresswell family dinner, so you may as well just jump in.”
Max snorted and followed him downstairs. Sloane surprised him by greeting him with a hug. He gave her an extra squeeze when she thanked him for coming with them.
“Danny pretends he’s above all this shit, but they really get to him,” she whispered.
Danny scowled at her. “I’m more worried about Max. You know what they’re like with fresh meat.”
The back seat was a squeeze for the three of them, but Danny scooted closer to him, practically sitting in his lap. Max wrapped an arm around him, and Danny melted against him.
Max listened to Sloane and Danny banter back and forth with half an ear, the other half trained on Danny’s heartbeat. It had been pounding when they’d gotten in the car, but by the time they made it to the heliport, he seemed relaxed. Max liked this side of Danny—pliant and splayed out along his side, a line of soft heat that smelled amazing and fit just right against him.
They’d had fun at lunch yesterday, and they’d ended up watching a movie over takeout at his apartment after his shift. He hadn’t laughed that hard in a long time. Danny was the perfect mix of goofy and brilliant. He didn’t take himself too seriously, and that was exactly what Max needed. There was so much pressure on him both at work and at home right now that having someone he could relax with was amazing.
He’d never been so comfortable with a werewolf before. Usually his guard was only down around Pack, but Max could have fallen asleep in the Uber if he’d closed his eyes.
There were two other people on the helicopter when they got there, not including the pilot. Max could smell the electricity on him, and he was relieved when the man wiggled his fingers at him, showing off the slim rubber gloves that witches often wore to prevent power surges. It wouldn’t have been fun to have one short out all the electronics in the helicopter halfway there.
“We’ll be in Montauk in about half an hour,” the pilot said after he’d shut the doors and climbed into the cockpit. “If you have sensitive hearing, I have extra sets of noise-cancelling headphones you can borrow to make your flight more comfortable.”
Danny reached forward and grabbed three pairs from the pilot. Max had tried noise-cancelling headphones once and hated them. They couldn’t totally block out shifter hearing, and they made his ears feel funny, like they needed to be popped.
The headset Danny handed him smelled like ozone and herbs. Max sneezed, and the pilot looked back and grinned at him.
“They’re spelled for Supe hearing,” Danny whispered. “You won’t be able to hear a thing.” He popped his on and sat back in his seat.
So much for getting to know more about Danny’s parents on the helicopter. Max put the headphones on and grimaced. Intentionally dulling his hearing was eerie. He was good at tuning things out, but this was different. The moment the noise-cancelling kicked in was almost a visceral thing, like diving into a deep lake.
It also sent all his other senses into overdrive. From the way Danny scooted closer and buried his nose against Max’s collar briefly, he figured he wasn’t alone. Max moved in his seat and reached out for Danny’s hand, twining their fingers together. Danny’s answering grin sent warmth pulsing through Max’s chest.
