by R B Hilliard
“We got it man,” Kurt assured. “Go take care of your girl.”
We were halfway across the bar before I began to process what had just happened. “Do you record all of your conversations in your office?”
“All the ones with Priscilla Newman, I do. I don’t trust her and never have,” he replied.
We were halfway home when I asked, “How exactly did you record her?”
He shot me an I-know-what-you’re-doing look before answering. “The first thing I did after purchasing the garage was have the office wired.”
We walked into our bedroom and I asked, “When did you talk to Detective Copeland?”
“Right after you told me about what an ass-hat he had been to you and then again after Cilla showed up in Charlotte.”
“Oh.”
I hadn’t seen him in almost three days but it felt like three years. He looked as tired as I felt.
His beautiful blue eyes scanned over my body. A look of relief flitted across his face and I felt a pang of guilt.
He was really worried about me.
“I’m okay,” I told him. “I realized that she was one donut shy of a dozen when she started talking about how much you loved her in and out of the bedroom and she clearly did not know that you had my name tattooed on your back.”
“I did this to you,” he said. His voice was full of pain.
“I’m okay Max, really,” I assured him. I wanted to let him completely off the hook but couldn’t. I had to be sure that he wanted me for the right reasons.
He sat on the edge of the bed, pulled me in and hugged my waist.
I need to tell him I’m pregnant.
“I should have told you about Cilla and warned you that this could happen. That is all on me, but you running away without talking to me? I don’t get that.”
I took a step back. The hurt and anger I had been living with for the past few days came rushing back and I lashed out at him. “The other night while I was working, a beautiful woman came in asking for Jack Barnett. Imagine my surprise when she says that she was with you that day and the night before. That was the very same night you blow me off at the bar, flinch when I touch you in bed and the same day I call and text you all day long, but you don’t respond. Then, what do you know? She suddenly recognizes Gage from your trip to Texas. The one you took together. And to think, that was just a mere few months before you show up here and sweep me off my feet…again. Look, I get it. Prissy is beautiful and looks like she belongs with you. What I don’t get is why you keep her there and come here and do this to me? It just doesn’t make any sense.”
“Are you finished?”
“What?” I asked, surprised by the harsh tone in his voice.
“Are..you..finished?”
“Uh…..”
“I thought you knew me. I see I was wrong.”
What?
“Cause’ if you knew me, you would know that I would never in a million …fucking…years intentionally hurt you…ever.”
Oh no!
“Since you obviously don’t know me, I’m going to clue you in, babe. I met Cilla a couple of years ago when her dad brought his truck into the garage to be serviced. She picked it up when it was done and was not hard to look at.” My heart squeezed. “She saw me and decided that she wanted me.”
I do not want to hear this.
“I did not want her but she wouldn’t let it go. A year and a half later I was at a bar with my crew from MMG. We had been doing shots all night and were pretty shit-faced when Cilla and some of her friends came in. The next thing I knew we were all back at her place doing more shots. One thing led to another and I slept with her.”
Jealous anger pulsed through me. I knew that he wasn’t with me then, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t mine. In my mind he had always been mine.
He pulled me onto his lap and I didn’t even attempt to stop the tears. “I laid it out to her from square one, Ells. She knew that she was nothing but a good time. She never slept at my place and I sure as hell didn’t sleep at hers.”
This hurt to hear, but I needed to know so I could move on. “You knew you were coming back to me so why did you take her to Texas?” I tearfully asked.
His brow wrinkled in confusion. “I didn’t take her to Texas. Her dad was the reason for the trip. I was wrapping things up with witness protection and preparing to make my move to get back here to you when an associate of mine offloaded five trucks at MMG in Texas. Next thing I knew, Cilla’s dad had me on the phone. He needed some trucks for his crew and offered me a load of money to facilitate the purchase and move the trucks for him. I didn’t have time for that shit. The deal was that he, Nolen and I would go to Texas to finalize the details. I had to charter a private plane so I could be home the next day. When we got to the plane, Cilla was there instead of Ted. That’s how she ended up in Texas with me.”
“You weren’t together?”
He pulled back and looked into my eyes. “We were never together, Ellison. I only slept with her a handful of times. In fact, by the time Texas happened, I hadn’t been with her in months.”
I tore my eyes away. “She said you two have been a couple for the past eight months.”
“She lied. Look at me, baby.” Using the tips of his fingers, he tilted my chin. When he had my eyes, he continued. “At first I thought that Cilla was a sweet girl. I thought she wanted me because she had never been turned down before. As time went by she kept at it, and believe me, she was persistent. Then I made the mistake of sleeping with her. It was the biggest mistake I ever made.”
I rolled my eyes. “But yet you kept doing it.”
“I did for a while. I needed a release. She was there and that was it.”
Wow, crude but effective.
“Why did you flinch when I touched you the other night? Why did you ignore my calls and texts?”
“I didn’t realize I flinched and I wasn’t avoiding you. Cilla showed up at MMG Tuesday evening. I was not happy to see her and made that very clear. She gave me some bullshit story about how her dad had sent her there to talk business because he was too busy. I told her that I couldn’t talk to her right then, but I had some time first thing the next morning. As soon as she left, I called Nolen and asked him to find out the real story. Then I came to Dragonfly to see you. While I was with you, Nolen texted that Ted had no idea Cilla was in Charlotte. This worried me. I knew she would try to fuck things up between us. You were crazy busy tending bar and I needed to think so I left early. If I flinched, it was probably because I was worried and all in my head about Priscilla being in town. The next day I wanted to get in to MMG early to prepare for my meeting with her. When I got to the garage I realized that my phone was dead so I put it on the charger in my office and completely forgot about it.”
“Were you ever going to tell me about her?”
“No.”
“Really?”
“There was nothing to tell. She meant nothing to me. Why risk upsetting you over nothing?”
“Did she know about me?”
“The first time I was with Cilla, I told her that unfortunate circumstances split me from the girl that I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I made sure that she understood that when I got the chance, I would move heaven and earth to get that girl back. She knew she would never be anything to me but a distraction and it did not take long for me to get tired of that distraction. When I told her it was over, she threw the mother of all fits. I spent time I didn’t have calming her down and making sure she was okay. A week or so later she was at it again. I wasn’t as nice the second time. In fact, she pissed me off to the point that I had to call her dad and tell him to come and get her.”
“You called her dad to tell him that his daughter was freaking out because you informed her you would no longer service her?” I tried not to laugh at the visual in my head.
“When you put it like that it sounds ridiculous. Hell, it was ridiculous. She has a major screw loose and I didn’t realiz
e it until I tried to get out. I was hoping that her dad would help.”
“Did he?”
“He did. In fact, he told me that this wasn’t the first time that Cilla had ‘fixated’ on something.”
“Oh wow.”
“Yeah. Her dad said she wouldn’t bother me again, but then she shows up here in Charlotte claiming she’s on an errand for him.” He shook his head. “I told her that if she didn’t want me calling her dad, she had better march her ass straight out of my office and back to Kentucky. I did not want to see her ever again.”
“But instead she came straight over to Dragonfly,” I grumbled.
“When I showed up at Dragonfly Gage and the boys were sitting at the bar. The icy reception I received tipped me off that something was wrong. Dillon said that you had left early, but wouldn’t tell me anything else. I powered up my phone, saw that I had several missed messages and started to panic. I called your dad who told me you weren’t there. When Joss and Piper wouldn’t tell me anything, I lost it.”
“I heard.”
He gave me a guilty smile. “Your turn.”
I explained what happened from the time I woke up Wednesday morning to now, minus the doctor visit.
“Can’t say I’m happy that you turned to Dillon, but seeing as Piper and Joss were both there, I’ll learn to deal with it.
I smiled back at him. “That’s big of you.”
“One more thing, Ellison.”
I could tell by his tone of voice that I wasn’t going to like what he was about to say.
“I want to know why it is so damn hard for you to believe that you are the only one I want? This is going to be a problem for us unless I can get to the root of it.” He brushed his fingers down my face. When he got to my chin he tipped it up, looked deep into my eyes and said, “Talk to me.”
Placing my hands on either side of his face I tenderly kissed him. “I love you Max McLellan. You are everything to me and you always have been.” I could feel the tears well. “There will never be another for me and, Lord knows, I have learned this the hard way. You, too, are my end game.” His breath caught, but before he could take over I had one last thing to say. “The day before yesterday I went to the doctor for my yearly exam. While I was there we discovered that my period was late by almost two weeks.” His eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped, but he didn’t say anything so I kept going. “Apparently taking an antibiotic while on the pill renders it ineffective and I had been taking one for seven days the first night that we slept together.”
He grabbed my face between his hands and asked, “You’re having my baby?”
“Yes,” I nodded.
He pulled back, shifted his hands to my belly and blew out a huge breath. “Holy shit.”
I couldn’t tell if this was a happy or unhappy holy shit so I explained. “I was upset because five seconds after I found out I was pregnant Priscilla showed up claiming to be your girlfriend.”
“We are done with that, he muttered. “Let’s go back to you having my baby.” He glanced up from my belly and gave me a heart stopping smile.
“You’re happy about this?” I needed to make sure he was on board.
“Hell yes! I’ve been in love with you since I was eighteen, Ellison. I’ve dreamt about you having my babies. Of course, I planned on marrying you first, but I’m not complaining. You becoming my wife and having my babies are all that I have thought about for the past five years. I told you that you were my end game and I should spank your ass for not believing me.” He smiled wolfishly. “That’ll have to wait until you are no longer carrying my baby.” I rolled my eyes and he burst out laughing.
We were in the mood to celebrate so we invited my dad, Piper and Benny all out for Thai food. Piper squealed and launched herself into my arms, Benny patted Max on the back and my sweet dad got a little teary eyed when we told them the news. It’s not every day that you find out you are going to be a grandpa.
Looks like we all get a second chance.
On the way home we stopped by Dragonfly for a celebratory drink.
And for Max to gloat in front of Dillon about knocking me up.
Finally we made it home. We barely made it through the door before Max had me stripped and on my back. He took care of me first with his mouth. Needing more I pulled him up, rolled him onto his back and started riding him. “I need to go faster, harder,” I panted. He had his hands on my hips, controlling my every move and was keeping me at a leisurely pace.
Seriously?
I was starting to get frustrated. “If I’d known you were going to go all grampy on me I would have held off on telling you about the baby,” I complained. I was about to whip out my vibrator when he flipped me over onto my back, wrapped my legs around his waist and carefully sunk back in. I grabbed his face and forced him to look at me. “You are killing me here,” I told him, trying not to give in. The look of desire shining from his eyes and the rocking of his hips was mind melting, but I needed for him understand that he wasn’t going to hurt me or the baby. I also needed some good toe curling sex. “I really need this Max and I need it only how you can give it. So, please, please give…it…to…me.”
“I don’t want to hurt you or the baby,” he ground out. I could tell that he was holding on by a thread.
“You won’t. I promise.”
He ran his tongue over my lips and slightly deepened his thrust. There was no way in hell that I was going to put up with this for eight more months. I slid my hands up his back and tightly gripped the tops of his shoulders. Then I brushed my sensitive nipples against his muscular chest while at the same time pulling up into his downward thrust. His head tipped down and his eyes locked on mine. “Again,” I gasped and let out a throaty moan. He closed his eyes, cursed under his breath and I knew I had him. He gave it to me again, except this time it was hard and deep and exactly what I needed. Suddenly I was there. “I’m there Max.”
Three thrusts later he buried his face in my neck, let out a long guttural moan and poured himself into me. I gave myself a silent pat on the back.
As we lay in bed, I watched Max rub his hand up and down my belly and couldn’t help but smile. I ran my fingers through his hair and quietly confessed what was on my mind. “Priscilla got to me when she said that you had sex with her at MMG. I know I shouldn’t have believed her, yet I started thinking about our lack of communication and how I hadn’t even seen the garage and I let what she said get to me.”
His eyes slid from my belly up to my face and I glanced away. “Look at me,” he softly demanded. I shifted my gaze back to him. “I would never have done that to you, but I get why you doubted me. I should have been more open and more cautious in dealing with her. That’s on me and I promise it’s a mistake I won’t repeat. Kurt watched her leave and I filed an application for a restraining order against her. It’s over. I promise. As for the garage,” he shrugged, “I didn’t want you to see it until it was finished.”
I arched my eyebrow at him and asked, “Are there anymore scary psychotic women from your past that I should be aware of?”
He smiled and touched his mouth to mine. I took that as a no.
Max and I spent the next few days helping my dad move into his new condo. Max was worried about me bartending while pregnant and since Piper still didn’t have a job and Max didn’t have a manager for MMG Charlotte, he came up with a plan. He proposed that I help him run MMG until the baby was born and Piper take my place bartending at Dragonfly. Apparently this plan suited Piper because not even three seconds after Max had presented it, she was on the phone with Kurt setting up bar-tending lessons.
Joss picked teal green as the color of her bridesmaid’s dresses. Now that I had put on some pregnancy weight, mine was a little snug. A month ago it fit perfectly and barely accentuated my chest. Now it looked obscene. Max loved it of course. He couldn’t keep his hands off of me and every time he talked about how much he wanted to tag me in it, he earned himself an eye roll.
Max i
n a tuxedo was a sight to see. I almost cried when he came home with his hair cut shorter, but he quickly got me over it. He was a gorgeously sexy badass in his dinner jacket, sporting his new haircut and a five o clock shadow.
And he was all mine.
The wedding went off without a hitch. Joss looked stunning in her dress and was the happiest that I had ever seen her. Kurt? Well Kurt, like Max, was just hot.
After the ceremony, while waiting for the photographer to finish up I watched how seamlessly Max fit back in with everyone. He even managed to get along with Dillon. I’m sure that my being pregnant and madly in love with him had a little something to do with it. Finally, we followed the bride and groom up a flight of stairs to the reception.
The table decorations and flowers were amazing but what made the night, other than two of my best friends getting hitched, was the music. Ben Edwards, Dillon Whitaker and Mass Seduction were playing together and it was brilliant. I was out on the dance floor with Polly and Lena when I happened to glance outside and see Piper and Gage out on the balcony. From their body language it looked like they were arguing, but when I glanced back a minute later they were gone.
I knew there was something up with those two.
Gage was a good guy. I couldn’t imagine him ever hurting Piper. Before I could further investigate, the music paused for the cutting of the cake. While Joss and Kurt were shoving cake into each other’s faces, I scanned the room. Dillon, Lena and Polly were laughing at something Dillon had said, Harry and Garrett were conversing at the bar and my dad was trying to cheer up a glowering Piper. Max was nowhere to be seen. Just then the lead singer started strumming his guitar and when I recognized the song, my heart flip-flopped and my breath caught in my throat.
All I want is you.
The words to this song were permanently etched into my heart. Every time I heard it I thought about the night Max and I spent together before he left and falling in love with him so long ago. I awakened from my reverie when Max’s approached me. Our eyes met, he held out his hand and my pulse spiked.
