Winter

by Michelle Love

  “How did the house parents deal with that many children, Max?” Kate asks.

  I shrug and say, “I can’t tell you. All I know is we all had chores and responsibilities to the other kids, and we were expected to uphold them and for some reason we all did. No questions, no griping, no arguing like you see kids do now days with their parents.”

  Kate’s eyes light up as she spots a set of wedding rings. Her small, slender finger points at a couple of wedding bands, then she looks at my pinky finger where Lexi’s ring is. “That metal looks like the metal of her ring.”

  The sales clerk makes her way to us. “Well, hello there. I see you’re looking at our most expensive set. May I see the ring, your fiancé is talking about?”

  I hold up my finger. “This is it, but this isn’t my fiancé. This is my little guardian angel, and she’s helping me find a set of wedding rings to match the ring I gave my fiancé.”

  Dollar signs light up the clerk’s eyes as she sees the engagement ring is indeed made out of rhodium. She licks her lips and says, “That is a very expensive engagement ring, sir. So I naturally assume you’d like wedding bands to match and this set right here is a gorgeous combination. Not too flashy, but obviously fabulous.”

  I look at Kate. “What do you think?”

  “Lexi will love them, I think. I know she wouldn’t want anything flashy and the engagement ring already has that one large diamond and the little ones around it. A nice, simple wedding band would accent it nicely and I do believe she’d love it. But should you wait for her to be sure of that, Max?”

  I glance at the sales lady and she makes a frown. “I tell you what, sir, I can make you a fantastic deal if you want to buy them right now. If she doesn’t like them we can buy them back from you, but I’m almost positive she’ll love them.” She quickly pulls them out of the case and holds the smaller one up. “Can I see her engagement ring?”

  My pinky I hold out and she takes the ring from my finger and holds it up to the other ring. “Look at that,” I say. “They’re the same size.”

  The sales lady takes out the men’s ring and I move the baby to my other arm and hold her bottle with my chin as she slips the ring onto my ring finger and it fits perfectly. “Imagine that, both rings will fit you both perfectly, no need to wait for them to be fitted. That is fantastic, no?”

  I look at Kate and smile. “It looks like she’s picked up your accent, angel.” The women both laugh and I look at the ring on my finger.

  “I’ve waited a long time to see a wedding ring on this finger and I tell you what, I think this is just the one I could stand to look at for the rest of my life,” I say then look at the eagerly awaiting woman who chomps at the bit in front of me. “I’ll take them.”

  She nearly jumps for joy as this has to be the highest commission piece in the whole jewelry store. “And to think I came in on my day off because the other saleslady called in sick.” The lady pulls the ring back off my finger and places Lexi’s engagement ring back on my pinky.

  “Umm, Kate. I need to grab my wallet,” I say and gesture to the baby.

  She takes her from me and the baby looks back at me like I just handed her off to a stranger. I smile as Kate frowns. “You’ve stolen her from me already, you handsome devil.”

  I tickle the baby’s chin. “I’ll get you right back in just a minute, pumpkin.”

  The sales lady smiles at me. “Do you have children?”

  I shake my head. “Not yet, but I hope we have some soon.”

  “You’re a natural,” she says. “I wish my son’s father was a quarter of the man you are. He took off a year ago and hasn’t been seen since. A real winner I picked.”

  “A single mother you are then?” I ask.

  She nods and places the rings in the black boxes and puts them in a bag. “Yeah, it’s not always easy to keep a roof over our heads or food on the table, but I manage. This commission will set me up pretty good for a while.”

  The woman goes to run my credit card and I take the opportunity to look in my pocket and see how much cash I have. I’m not usually one to carry very much cash, but I did load up in hopes I could talk Lexi into running off to Vegas to get married, which I see now she won’t be able to do.

  I find two, one thousand dollar bills and take them out and fold them together so they look like hundreds. As the woman comes back to me she hands me a pen and the paper to sign. Another bunch of papers she places in the bag as she explains, “These are your warranties and things. Plus I added the agreement to buy the rings back if you aren’t satisfied.”

  “Thank you, I really appreciate your help. Um, what did you say your name was?” I ask as I hand her the paper back with the cash underneath it.

  “My name is Pam, Pam Stevens, and it’s been a pleasure doing business with you Mr. Lane.”

  “You too, Pam.” I pick up the bag and give her a smile then take the baby back from Kate and start to walk towards the food court.

  “Oh, wait!” Pam calls out. “You accidentally put some cash with the receipt.”

  With a wag of my finger I look back. “That’s for you, a tip for all your help, Pam. Have a great day.” I keep walking and notice Kate peeking back.

  She laughs. “You should see her face, Max!”

  “It made her happy?” I ask.

  “She’s jumping up and down, so yeah it made her happy,” Kate says and wraps her small arms around me and gives me a hug. “You’re such a good man, my prince. I’m so glad I found you that day.”

  “Me too, my angel. Me too.”

  Alexis

  Quiet chatter fills the large restaurant we all went to after the shoot. Devin, the photographer, has Max in a captivating conversation. I suppose it’s captivating as he’s monopolized Max’s attention nearly the whole time we’ve been here.

  Ross sits on the other side of me, something that had Max giving me the stink eye. I look across the table at Marcos as he handles his baby very awkwardly then hands her back to Kate who is looking a bit put out.

  An arm runs around my shoulders, drawing my attention to Ross. “For a man who hasn’t seen you in quite some time, he certainly isn’t paying enough attention to you in my opinion anyway.”

  I lean in to whisper, “Well that’s Devin’s diddly dang fault. He won’t quit bothering him about doing more modeling.”

  Ross’s eyebrows raise. “So our little threesome could become a foursome?”

  “You know I hate you to call us that,” I say as I smack at his chest.

  He grabs my hand and holds it to his chest, running it down his abs and leaving it on his leg. “That’s what we are, baby. And a really hot one. Please don’t let this thing you have with this guy take that all away. There’s so much money to be made and we all look so good together. Plus I’ve had an offer for some work using only you and me.”

  “Only the two of us?” I ask. “Why’s that and what type of work is it?”

  He gives me a wink. “We’ll talk about it at another time. I want you all to myself when I tell you the details. I think you’ll be very happy with the amount of money I’m negotiating, but I don’t wish to rub it in Marcos’ face, you know?”

  I nod and sit back, taking my hand off his leg. Ross has been a little free with touching me. I understand since we’ve been spending several hours a day in various lovemaking positions. But he has to stop or Max will get furious and I want us all to get along.

  “Max doesn’t want me to continue modeling. He said he understands about the commitment I made for the book cover deal, but after that he thinks I should put this behind me. Once we’re married, which I think will be soon, all that money he has will be mine too, at least that’s what he said.” I sit back and look over at Max’s back.

  A tug on my hand has me looking back at Ross. “Is that what you want? To be taken care of. I thought you liked being an independent woman.”

  I look at my hand as he has it clasped in his, tightly. “Ross, I want to be married to him, not
a career.”

  “Why can’t you have both?” he asks with a devilish grin.

  “He lives in Houston and the work we do is here. I won’t be sending him home alone.”

  “Do you mean to tell me that a man worth over a billion dollars can’t buy himself another palatial estate in the area around Dallas, Lexi?” He pulls me close to him and whispers, “Don’t give in all the way, men can grow bored if their woman hands them everything they think they want. Make him meet you half-way and don’t quit your career just yet.”

  He makes sense, and he was right about after three times of not answering Max’s call he came to find me. But the bad part was I wasn’t there for him as his mother was dying and that’s like a real bad thing. But he did show up and ask me to marry him again so that’s a point on Ross’ side.

  A tap on my shoulder brings me out of the Ross cocoon and Max is frowning at me. “You about ready to go, Lexi? It’s been a bit of a long day for me, love.”

  I nod. “Of course.” Max stands up and pulls my chair out and takes my hand, lifting me up.

  “Did you tell your friends our good news?” he asks.

  “Yeah, I did. We all talk a lot while they stage us.” I laugh and look at Ross.

  Ross smiles and says, “We call it pillow talk.”

  Marcos kind of cringes as Kate shoots him a look that could kill. “You never told me that, Marcos!”

  Marcos looks across the table at Ross. “Do you have to tell every little thing, bro?” Marcos looks at me. “We need to get him a girlfriend so he can understand what it means to be in a relationship.”

  Max pulls me to him, his arm wrapping tightly around my waist. “Okay then. See you guys later.” We walk around the table and he looks at Kate. “You want to get the bag out of the diaper bag for me?”

  She reaches in and pulls out a bag from a jewelry store. “Here, take pictures. I want to see her face.”

  Max gives her a smile and out of the restaurant we go. I look up at him as we go out into the dark evening. “What’s that?”

  “When we get back to your place I’ll show you, but you can’t have it until it’s time,” he says as he opens the car door for me.

  I slide into the luxurious leather seat of his Jag and lean back into it. He gets in the driver’s side and I smile. “I missed this car.”

  He takes my hand and kisses it. “I missed you.”

  As we pull out of the parking lot and head towards my apartment I ask, “Max, do you think you’d like to get a nice place here and we could live here so I could keep on doing what I am now?”

  His gorgeous face looks confused. “You don’t want to go back to Houston?”

  “Well, it’s just that I have a great thing going on here and Marcos and Kate are living here now. It would be nice and I’d have something to keep me occupied too, just like you have your things going on.”

  “Is one of those things to keep you occupied, Ross?” he asks with a not so undetectable sarcasm to his deep, velvety voice.

  “Now don’t go getting all jealous on me, Romeo,” I say as I bring our clasped hands up and give his a kiss.

  “Jealous? I’m not real sure you see that dude like I do. He salivates over you, Lex.” His eyes meet mine. “You’re about to be my wife. I can’t very well let some guy drool all over you, now can I?”

  I roll my eyes. “That’s just his demeanor. He knows I love you with everything in me, Max. He wouldn’t try anything with me.”

  “I’m not sure he really has to, the way you’re all over each other during the shoots.” His face makes an awful frown. “It’s not a thing I want to see my wife doing, you know? The photo shoots were never this nasty when it was Marcos and us.”

  “I know, it started out really uncomfortable, but the guys have been so nice I got over it quickly.” I look out the window and try to picture how I’d feel if the shoe were on the other foot.

  “Want to know what kind of offer Devin was making me, Lex?” Max asks without looking at me.

  “Sure, baby, what was it?”

  With a quick glance he says, “He’d like me and this woman who is a gorgeous Hispanic woman to make twenty-seven book covers, as the couple in the series. He said our bodies look like they’d match up perfectly and our appearances match those of the characters portrayed in the book. The author even asked for me.”

  Ouch! There’s that ding dang shoe, and it’s on the wrong foot!

  Max

  Lexi vetoed the modeling gig Devin offered me. I have to admit, I’m relieved. It’s not something I wanted to do at all. All I can think about is getting Lexi in my arms and she needs to be naked.

  I wait in her small bed that is not nearly comfortable enough to sleep in for more than tonight. She’s in the shower. I couldn’t take smelling the cologne that’s all over her. Somehow I have to talk her out of wanting to do anymore modeling after this horrible book cover thing is done.

  I hear the water go off and seconds later there she is, standing in the doorway in nothing but a white towel. “Good, you’re still awake. I was afraid you might fall asleep. Not that I’d blame you, you’ve had one long day and on the heels of your mother’s death, no less.”

  “There’s nothing more I want than to hold you again, Lexi. You do realize it’s been months since we’ve made love, right?”

  Her smile captivates me, but I quickly lose focus on her face as she drops her towel and walks slowly towards me. “I do realize that, Max.”

  I’ve already undressed and I grow hard instantly at seeing her like this. “Damn it, Lexi, you are so fucking hot!”

  I’m sitting up in the bed with my back against the headboard and she comes to me and straddles me. Her deep blue eyes are mesmerizing and I can’t stop starring into them. “Kiss me, Max.”

  I cup the back of her head in my hands and pull her to me. Our lips touch and the magic flows through me, just as it has with every kiss we’ve had. I breathe her in, she smells of vanilla and strawberries. Her mouth tastes minty fresh as I run my tongue all over and tangle it with hers.

  I pull my mouth from hers to taste every inch of her body. I kiss her cheek then move down to her neck, making her groan. I smile and trail kisses down her throat, over her chest and take one of her breasts in my mouth as I take the other in my hand and squeeze it.

  Lexi arches her back and her ass moves over my cock which grows harder with each passing second. It’s been so long, too long and I find I can’t wait. In a swift movement, I turn her over and she’s lying on her back with a smile on her face. “Oh! Max, you are strong, aren’t you?”

  “I have to have you, it’s been too long. We’ll go slower next time. I’m about to explode as it is,” I say, and she nods so I thrust into her and she exhales as if I’ve knocked her breath from her lungs.

  Her fingernails run over my back as she arches up to me. “Yes, oh baby, I’ve missed you. Fuck me hard, Max.”

  “That’s what I wanted to hear, baby,” I say then slam back into her.

  Her hot, wet pussy seems to be pulsing around me already and I thrust into her harder and harder, then grab her leg and pull it up so I can go deeper into her as she moans and tangles her hands in my hair, pulling me to her, then she leans up and takes my mouth with hers.

  I kiss her so hard her head sinks into the pillow as I ram into her over and over. Her breath is hot, and she’s moaning into my mouth, then she arches up and takes her mouth from mine as she screams. Her body shakes and her vagina goes ultra-tight, sending me over the edge and I burst inside her, sending my juices into her as she quakes around my still pulsing cock.

  Soft kisses she leaves across my chest as she leans up and wraps her arms around me, pulling me down to lie on her. “I love you, Max.”

  I whisper in her ear, “I love you, Lexi.”

  I feel as if I have to be crushing her and try to roll off her, but she holds me tight.

  “Don’t move, not yet. I just want to feel you like this for a little while longer. I didn
’t feel the real weight of how long it’s been until now.”

  Her words make me feel awful because it was me who sent her away. “I’m so sorry, Lexi. I promise I’ll never do that to you again.”

  “And neither will I. No matter what, we’re sticking together like we should have from the start,” she says then kisses me sweetly and I know home is wherever she is.

  “Do you want to see the wedding rings I bought today?”

  “Okay, you can get off me now, because heck yes I do!” I roll off and she sits up.

  Grabbing the bag out of the nightstand I open it up and take out the two black boxes. I hand hers to her and I open mine and put the ring on my finger. “It’s so crazy,” I say as she puts hers on and looks up at me, surprised it fits. “Both rings fit perfectly, like it’s meant to be.”

  “I wish I could keep it on, I don’t want to take it off, Max.” She looks at her hand and the rings on it then back at me.

  “Can you take tomorrow off?” I ask and cross my fingers she’ll say yes.

  “Why?” she asks with a smile.

  “So we can go to Vegas, why else?” I give her my best smile.

  She hesitates then throws her arms around me. “Yes, let’s do it. Let’s go tomorrow and get married!”

  Finally!

  Pulling her into me, I hug her tight and kiss the top of her head. Snuggling down into the bed I draw the blanket up to cover us both. She looks at her rings one more time and pulls off the wedding band and puts it back in the box, then I do the same. “After tomorrow they can stay on forever, Lex.”

  She turns back and snuggles into my chest. “I can’t wait, Max. I’m going to have such a tough time sleeping.”

  “I’m not, I finally have you in my arms and peace has found me once again.” I stroke her soft hair and hum a little as we both fall asleep.