Max (A Carter Brother series Book 4)

by Lisa Helen Gray

  Obviously not.

  “What are you doing here?’’ I ask surprised. He said his granddad was making him go look at a college course that he’d seen in one of the college application course books.

  In the end, Max decided to take the sports and leisure course, seeming really interested in it. He hadn’t heard of it before, however, if he gets his diploma there’s a lot he can do with it. I personally think he’ll be good as a football coach. I’ve seen him with some of the kids in the street playing football. He’s pretty good with them.

  Thor jumps up on my lap, bringing my attention back to him, and I giggle. He’s so freaking cute.

  In just the little time I’ve had him he’s already gained a lot of weight. He’s also come into himself and has become my cute little terroriser.

  “I owe you payback,’’ Max answers after a couple of seconds, walking farther into the room.

  My head snaps up at that. I try reading his expression and I can tell he’s deadly serious.

  Thor runs across the bed before pouncing back in my lap where I’m sitting cross legged. He walks around in a slow circle; all the while I can’t keep my eyes off Max who is locking the door behind him.

  “W-what do you mean?’’ I choke out nervously. The tension in the room is thick, not caused by revenge but by lust. I can see it in his eyes, read it on his face and hear it in his breathing as he steps closer towards the bed.

  My breathing picks up, the swell of my breasts expanding in my white camisole with each breath I take.

  “You see, I’ve been waiting for the swelling on my left ball bag to go down before I chose the perfect moment to approach you.”

  That explains why I haven’t seen him since the hospital.

  “To approach me?’’ I choke out, leaning back further into the bed.

  “Yes, approach you. You owe me,’’ he whispers huskily, his gaze drifting to my lips which has me squirming. My mouth hangs open when he leans into me, his fists to the bed, his gaze searing into mine. Whatever bizarre game he’s playing, I don’t want to play. Okay, that’s a damn straight lie. Whatever game he’s playing, at this precise moment in time, I’m in. All in.

  “Owe you?’’ I ask, tilting my head a little to the side. A quick grin tugs at his mouth, his dimples showing and melting me right there and then.

  “Owe me,’’ he agrees, smirking. Moving in closer, his spicy scent surrounds me. His scent is one of the things that turns me into a blonde bimbo around him. It’s so intoxicating, all man, all natural, and all him.

  “And what do I owe you?’’ I ask, showing more confidence than what I actually have right now. I’m really a nervous wreck having him this close, his lips right there in front of me, ready for attack. The urge to grab at him and slam my lips onto his is driving me wild. Ever since we kissed that first time it’s consumed my thoughts and my dreams over and over.

  “You have to go out with me,’’ he states, moving in closer, his lips hovering over mine.

  I take in a deep breath, trying to concentrate but it’s hard having him this close. “No.’’

  “No?’’ he asks amused. “I’m not giving you a choice. You owe me. And I want a chance to prove to you I’m not whatever your mind has twisted me up to be.’’

  “You really thought this through,’’ I snap, my lust and desire evaporating.

  “Of course I did. I’ve been fantasising about you since the moment you gave me attitude at the station,’’ he grins.

  I roll my eyes and try to push him away, but his hard body doesn’t budge. No, it doesn’t budge. Instead he moves closer, closing the little space that is between us, placing his lips on mine. His tongue swipes inside my mouth and I melt into the kiss, kissing him back with such intensity that I moan into his mouth.

  When I hear a hissing sound I ignore it, too committed to the kiss, when all of a sudden Max flies backwards screaming. I sit back stunned, wondering what just happened. It doesn’t take me that long to guess when Thor cuddles back into my lap, purring himself back to sleep.

  I look back up to Max with a shocked face before bursting into laughter when I notice Thor has scratched his throat.

  “He tried to slice my throat open,’’ Max hisses, his eyes narrowing on Thor.

  I laugh. Hard. And in doing so I disturb Thor and his little cat nap. I laugh at him, stroking his soft fur before looking back up at Max.

  “He’s a kitten,’’ I scoff. “Stop being so dramatic.’’

  “Are you serious? That thing was a tramp before you took it in. I could have rabies. Fuck! I need to go.’’

  “Max,’’ I laugh, stopping him. “He’s had injections.’’

  “Yeah? Well, that makes one of us. Who the fuck knows if my mom or dad fucking bothered to take any of us to get our injections when we were little.’’

  “So, you’re saying you’re diseased?’’ I choke out, trying hard to keep my laughter at bay. “That you could have given Thor something?’’

  “No. I’m…What I’m saying is,’’ he pauses looking at Thor warily. “Fuck! I need to go. Look, he’s staring at me.’’

  I look down at Thor and notice he is in fact staring at Max; his green eyes focused entirely on him.

  “That’s because you’re being dramatic; isn’t it, Thor?’’ I coo, teasingly. Max grunts and I look up at him from under my lashes and grin.

  “Oh, you’re enjoying this. I’ll be back tomorrow. Be ready for 7.’’

  “What for?’’ I scoff, still laughing.

  “Well, if you’re going to go out with me then we need to go on a date,’’ he winks. That cheeky, sly, little sod.

  I narrow my eyes. “I’m not going out with you or on a date.’’

  “You will. You won’t have a choice.’’

  “We’ll see,’’ I sing, still keeping my eyes narrowed on him.

  “Stop fighting the inevitable, Lake,’’ he sings back as he walks to the door. He unlocks it, opens it, and steps out before turning back around to face me with an expression I know all too well. “And wear something that will…’’

  “Stop right there, buddy,’’ I shout, knowing where his dirty mind is taking him. His laugh echoes down the hallway and all the way down the stairs. Once he’s out of ear shot, I lie back down on my bed, fuming. I hate that he got to me, that he got me worked up in all the right ways, but mostly because he left me worked up in the right ways.

  *** *** ***

  The following night I make sure to be gone by five. Knowing Max, he will know I’ll be avoiding him and arrive early.

  So when five comes along, I grab my coat, say goodbye to Joan and leave in the pouring rain. As soon as I get clear of the street, I begin to relax. Max scares me and not in the way most people get scared but emotionally scared. The scared that has me trying to build my walls back up, yet, every time I’m in his company he manages to knock two-to-three down at a time.

  I end up at the cinema, watching some lovesick movie that bores me to tears and has me spending more time thinking about Max, my vibrating phone, and what I’m going to do next.

  By the time I leave the cinema it’s finally late enough for me to go back. I’ve eaten dinner and watched two movies since I had nothing else to occupy my time.

  The lights are on when I arrive back home. No doubt Joan will be waiting up to see where I’ve been all night. Since arriving I’ve not been one to disappear or to leave at night. I guess I should have filled her in on the whole Max date thing and me trying to avoid him. But she’s done nothing but try and get me and Max together.

  When I first found out Max would be doing community service at the church I wanted nothing to do with him. I vowed to stay as far away as possible. But then Joan lumbered him with me at the church and as much as I tried to hate him, I can’t. I should but I can’t.

  Then when we’re together, hell, even apart, Joan will find a way for him to do something for me or vice versa. It’s obvious where her loyalties lie and I suppose that’s why I neve
r really told her what I was planning on doing tonight.

  Walking in, I hear someone get up off the sofa and I brace myself. When Joan walks into the hallway I relax slightly until I see the expression on her face. She looks wary, disappointed and, if I’m not mistaken, like she’s up to something. She has that look on her face. The one I’m becoming accustomed to. The look that warns me I’m about to get manipulated in some way.

  “Hey,’’ I wave lamely.

  “Why did you stand up Max?’’ she asks straight out, no pleasantries.

  “It wasn’t like that,’’ I tell her quickly. “I never agreed to meet him.’’

  “So, why was he here for three hours waiting for you? He’s really upset. Max may come off a charmer, a joker, someone who doesn’t take anything seriously, though, deep down that boy has a heart of gold.’’

  “I know and I’m sorry. Look, I’m just not ready to date anyone or see anyone,’’ I begin, feeling uncomfortable.

  “I’m not going to be around forever and neither will Mark. Mark was beside himself with glee when Max turned up all dressed up,’’ she smiles sadly.

  “He was dressed up?’’ I ask, feeling shocked he went to any trouble. I presumed he’d take me to McDonalds and watch a film at his place.

  “Oh yeah, he looked so handsome. But back to my earlier point, Mark and I won’t be around forever. We need to know Max will be happy. He’s happy when he’s around you,’’ she tells me gently.

  See? Manipulation.

  “Joan,’’ I start, not wanting to get into this.

  “But lucky for you and Max, we’ve got years left in us so we will put this right. Just cause you missed tonight doesn’t mean you’ll miss another date. He said he’ll be back later or tomorrow.’’

  Later or tomorrow, is the only thing that reaches my ears before a full blown panic attack threatens to surface.

  “I’m really tired. I’m just going to go…’’ I tell her, pointing upstairs towards my room.

  “Oh, go on, we’ll talk in the morning about what you’ll wear,’’ she smiles and I sag with defeat. I’ll figure something out later to avoid Max, until then, I just need to get out of Joan’s hair.

  Nodding my head, I return her smile and make my way up to my room. Opening the door my feet step on something. Flicking the light on an envelope is on the floor beneath my feet.

  Opening it up I’m not sure whether to laugh or to be annoyed.

  Will you go out with me? Tick one box. Yes or No

  I don’t want to tick either, but in the end I find my feet moving over towards my bedside table. I grab a pen and tick ‘no’ before putting the piece of paper back in the envelope and sealing it before I chicken out. I open the door, ready to drop it off to Max when Joan stands there with her hand out ready to take the envelope and scares the bejeezus out of me.

  “What on earth, Joan? You scared the crap out of me,’’ I laugh nervously, a hand to my heart.

  “Sorry,’’ she laughs. “I knew Max had left something and he did tell me I’d need to return it once you’ve replied. It’s why I’m up so late,’’ she tells me.

  I shake my head, handing her the envelope. “He’s not going to give up is he?’’

  “Not likely. When that boy wants something he doesn’t give up until he’s got it.’’

  “Reassuring,’’ I mutter. “He doesn’t even do relationships. The only reason he wants one with me is because I won’t give him one. If I was all for being with him he wouldn’t be sending little school notes or even trying to get me to go out with him.’’

  “Maybe; maybe not. It’s no secret that Max doesn’t believe in relationships and sometimes I think he doesn’t even believe in the concept of love. He’s never really been shown the true meaning. His upbringing wasn’t the best. His belief in relationships simmers down from his parents’ damaged relationship. Then when he was given a chance to witness a real, loving relationship, his grandmother was taken too soon, bless her soul. I honestly believe when it comes to you he sees past all that because he doesn’t just see you as a commitment. He sees you as a friend, a partner, someone he can laugh and joke with.

  “I’ll let you think it over and I’ll get this back to him. Get some sleep,’’ she finishes. She moves forward, grabbing my face in the palms of her hands and pulls my head forward so she can kiss my forehead. My eyes close from the loving touch and when she’s gone I still stand there thinking over her words.

  I’ve been too busy thinking about all the reasons why I shouldn’t be with Max, what it will do to me that I never really thought about what Max really wanted.

  Maybe if we just go out with no labels, no promises, then we will be good. No one will get hurt. Planning on saying yes the next time he asks, I take a step back into my room. I close the door whilst smiling to myself, thinking that my idea could possibly work. But just because I plan on saying yes, it doesn’t mean I’m not going to make him work for it. I’m actually a little curious as to what he has planned next.

  *** *** *** ***

  Waking up the next morning, I listen out for the sound that has woken me up. When scratching at the door begins again, I smile.

  Thor!

  Jumping up, I rush over to the door and notice another envelope has been shoved under the door either late last night or early this morning.

  I quickly snatch it up before opening the door to Thor. He immediately runs through the door, meowing and purring around my feet before ditching me to go and jump onto my bed. There, he moves into the spot I just vacated, getting himself comfortable.

  “Morning to you, too,’’ I grumble on a smile. I shut the door behind me before following Thor and jumping into bed with him. He immediately snuggles into my side, not caring I’ve covered us both with the blankets.

  Opening the envelope, I can’t keep the giddy smile from off my face. When I open it I burst out laughing.

  Will you go out with me? Please tick one of the two boxes ONLY. Yes or Yes.

  He’s persistent, I’ll give him that. Not ticking either box I throw it on my bedside table. For Max to get a date with me he needs to work a little harder than juvenile notes shoved under the door to my bedroom.

  Dinner time comes around slowly. The whole day has been spent watching Sons of Anarchy in my room; alone. Harlow went off to college around eleven this morning, Malik leaving a few hours earlier than her. With Mark and Joan both out working Thor and I had the house to ourselves and it’s been quiet and boring.

  I’m so used to having Max’s big gob around the house that I’ve grown accustomed to noise. I’ve gotten used to talking to someone or another that being alone is actually depressing me. I even fell asleep due to boredom.

  Hearing Joan calling my name I get out of bed and grab my hoody off the back of the door. I’ve not taken one step out of the room before I’m cursing loudly, my toe throbbing from the brick I just kicked.

  “What the fuck?’’ I cry out. Looking down at the floor, there’s two weights. One’s a small round one and the other is a huge round one, both of them have pieces of paper sellotaped to the top. The biggest and, by the looks of it, heaviest, has a note with the letters, ‘NO’, written in big red lettering. On the smallest is a similar note, yet, this time the letters read, ‘YES’. I grumble under by breath seeing another note in the middle. Picking it up I curse. My foot is killing me. He could have bloody killed me.

  The note reads…

  Will you go on a date with me? Bring me back the answer, if I don’t get one, I’ll take that as a yes. Yours awesomely, Max.

  I want to kill him.

  There is no way I’ll be able to lift that fucker with the ‘NO’ answer on and take it next door. But he’s definitely not going to be getting me to take the lightest weight around to him either. The jerk! My foot is still throbbing when I step over both the weights and make my way down the stairs. Malik walks in just in time and an idea pops into my mind.

  I must look like a lunatic looking at him then ru
shing off back upstairs. Joan hears me and shouts my name again.

  “In a sec,’’ I shout back down, ripping the notes off both of the weights. I make quick work of carrying the smallest one over to the bottom of Harlow and Malik’s stairs.

  When I hear Malik telling Joan he’ll be back down in a minute I start to panic, wondering how I’ll move the other weight before he comes upstairs. When Mark stops him, I sigh with relief and waste no time in trying to move the weight.

  Getting on all fours, I slide the weight across the floor, and it works a little, but then I end up falling to the floor in a heap.

  Puffing out a breath, and wiping away strands of hair glued to my sweaty forehead, I get down on my ass. With my legs kicked out in front of me, I use the banister for support behind me, and use the strength in my legs to move the weight down the hall. It slides much easier, yet, it’s still hard work.

  Who the hell could lift this? I know Max is fit and has muscles that will put some boxers to shame, but this shit is enough to snap your arms off. There’s no way this weight is legal.

  Sliding more towards the weight, I use my legs again, pushing the weight down the hall, and before I know it, I’m out of breath, sweating my tits off, and planning the perfect murder. With the weight in the perfect place I get up and quickly rush back down the hall.

  Halfway down the stairs I bump into Malik and I smile. “Hey,’’ I wave lamely.

  “You okay?’’

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?’’ I ask enthusiastically. I think I used a bit more enthusiasm than needed because Malik is looking at me like I’ve lost my marbles. “I best go see Joan.’’

  “Um, yeah, okay,’’ he shrugs, still eyeing me curiously.

  Smiling, I move past him and walk down to the kitchen where Joan, Mark and Harlow are sitting around the kitchen table.

  “Hey guys,’’ I wave, sitting down in the chair next to Harlow.

  “Hey, you have a good day, dear?’’ Joan asks me and I get a chorus of hellos from everyone else.

  “Yeah, I’ve been up in my room watching TV,’’ I explain lamely. “How was college?’’ I ask Harlow and for the first time since entering the room, I notice she’s looking a little green. “Wow, you okay?’’