by J. Woods
She had no idea what to tell her doctor who obviously had known Max. She actually felt her heart stop when he walked in the room, finding her on the table, pregnant. God, what had he thought? As soon as he was pushed out, Dr. Dae had turned to her.
“You know Max?”
“Not really,” she had explained away. She appreciated the way she didn’t probe after seeing her shaking hands. Her ringing phone pulled her out of her haze of shock; grabbing it out of her purse she breathed a sigh of relief at the familiar name.
“Rox, I need some girl time. Stat.”
“What flavor?” She smiled at how well her friend knew her.
“Double chocolate chip cookie dough,” she answered with a sigh.
“Oh, that bad huh? I’ll be there in an hour.”
Brie opened her front door to Roxy holding a tub of her favorite ice cream and a bottle of sparkling cider.
“I like what you’ve done with the place,” Roxy noted sarcastically as she walked through to the kitchen. Brie laughed, looking around at the still full boxes that sat in every corner. At least her couch was delivered today so they had something to sit on. She grabbed two spoons and glasses leading the way to the living room. After their first mouthful of each followed by appreciative moans, Roxy leaned over and placed her hand on her belly. She smiled as she cupped the firm roundness, shaking her head in amazed disbelief.
“Okay doll, time to spill.” Brie took a deep breath before she started.
“I ran into him today.” She said it quickly on an exhale but she knew Roxy understood judging by her gaping jaw.
“What happened?” she whispered.
“He was obviously surprised, I’m pretty sure I yelled at him and then I stormed off.”
“What did he say when you told him?”
“I didn’t,” she winced.
“What do you mean, you didn’t?”
“Oh Roxy,” she groaned covering her face with a pillow. “He’s not that type of guy. If I let him in… he could completely… break me.”
She nodded her head in understanding, seemingly contemplating her words before she spoke. “But what if he doesn’t? Don’t you think it’s unfair to both you and that precious little babe to not find out a little more about him at least?”
“I already know enough, trust me.” Roxy pouted her lips but held her disagreement. Brie knew the argument wasn’t over, when Roxy got it in her head to pursue something, she always saw it through.
“Okay well,” she started, looking around Brie’s living room, “Obviously we need to do something with this place.” She stood up moving toward the first box and starting unpacking; Brie laughed, getting up to follow.
“You’re still coming to the party on Saturday right?”
“Yeah of course. I have to go shopping tomorrow and get a new dress. What time should I be at your parent’s?” Before Roxy could answer, the shrill ring of Brie’s phone cut through the room. Moving toward her purse she frowned at the number she didn’t recognize assuming it was someone from work. “Hello?”
“Brie?” She pulled in a sharp gasp at just the voice, he didn’t need to introduce himself. “Don’t hang up. I have your address and if you hang up on me I’m coming over.”
“No!” She clamped her lips tightly against the too loud answer. Roxy looked over and Brie shook her head as she walked down the hallway to her bedroom. “It’s just a work call, I’ll be right back.”
“You’re not alone?” Max asked her.
“No, I’m not.” She shut the door behind her, making sure to click the lock into place. She listened to the heavy silence that came through the line after her statement. “How did you get my number Max?”
“I have my ways. Listen, Brie. Today didn’t go how I wanted it to. Can we just, meet for a re-do?” She frowned at the rush of his words, she could almost picture him running his fingers through his hair and instantly she wished they were her own. She knew she should meet with him, hell if she were honest with herself she wanted to meet with him, see him again. She looked down at her stomach and the fears and emotions she usually held in check when it came to Max swamped her instantly. A low moan of pain escaped her lips as she gripped her stomach in pain. “Brie! Brie, what’s happening? Are you alright. Jesus, I’m coming over.”
“No! No, no. I’m okay,” she breathed. “I’m fine. I just… I have to keep my stress levels down.” She slowly laid herself down on top of her mattress pulling in deep calm breaths until her heart rate slowed, a trick the doctor told her to do. She had been having pains throughout her entire pregnancy and with each doctor she was ordered to keep her stress levels down, it wasn’t good for the baby or her she was told on repeat. She had been given tests upon tests and pamphlets and websites about her condition and was threatened with frequent observation if she didn’t moderate her levels immediately. She almost smiled at his breath of relief that was palpable through the phone.
“Okay, no stress. So I can come over and make you dinner and give you a massage.” She snorted over the groan that built up in her chest at the thought of a massage, especially a massage from Max.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Which part?”
“All of it with the doubt lying heavily in the massage part,” she smiled, shaking her head knowing he was grinning into the phone.
“Are you sure? I have really talented fingers.”
“I’m quite familiar with how talented your fingers are, Max.”
“Okay, so we can go out then. I just want to talk, Brie. Please. Are you free tomorrow?”
“No, I can’t tomorrow.” She had to go shopping tomorrow and tomorrow was too soon for her to see him. She needed to be prepared for battle.
“Okay, and I can’t Saturday, I have… a thing. What about Sunday?” He had ‘a thing’? She bit her lip against asking if that thing was a date. She closed her eyes at the thought, pushing back the low simmering violence she didn’t want to admit to feeling if he admitted it was a date.
“Brie?” She heard Roxy’s voice travelling down the hallway.
“Max, I have to go.”
“What about Sunday?”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Good, I’ll pick you up at 11.” She let out an exasperated sigh knowing he would show up at her place whether she said yes or no. “Goodnight, Brie.”
“Goodnight Max,” she whispered, only after ending the call.
Chapter Five
For the past two days since his phone call with Brie, Max had gone back and forth between a high of triumph in seeing her again and the complete torment of her being pregnant with another man’s baby. He had no idea what the hell was wrong with him. He could go to the bar and within a couple of hours have a warm willing woman in his bed. But he didn’t want just anyone to keep him warm tonight. He wanted the one person who didn’t want him. He’d already lost his mind and deleted the little black book of women from his phone. He had to admit to himself he was tired of playing the playboy; he wanted… hell, he wanted what Logan had with Zoe, what his parents had. He wanted someone to come home to, to fight with and laugh with, he needed that woman that would infuriate him until he’d have to drag her to the bedroom and show her what the fire in her eyes did to him. And in just a matter of seconds Brie had the ability to pump his heart out of his chest, boil his blood and give him the stiffest erection he’d ever had in his life. He would see her tomorrow, he thought to himself. He would figure it out then. Maybe they could be friends. He rolled his eyes as he pushed the thought immediately away. He just couldn’t understand how she could go from his bed, straight into another man’s.
Hello pot, meet kettle.
He needed to pull himself together. Tonight was his brother’s engagement party and he wanted to be present, to share this day because he truly was happy for them. Zoe had brought life back to his brother’s eyes and a smile to his general grumpy demeanour. And hell, she was a spitfire; his brother had his hands full with
that one. But he knew Logan loved every minute of it. And how could he not - he had a gorgeous fiancée to come home to, a balls to the wall, all or nothing, ride or die woman who Logan admitted to on more than one occasion brought light and laughter and love into his life. He tamped down the spark of jealousy as he climbed out of his truck and made his way up his parent’s driveway.
“I was wondering how long you were going to sulk in your car for.” He looked up to see the smug face of his younger brother Nate. He raised an eyebrow in question. “Where’d you disappear to yesterday?”
“Here’s the thing,” he reached the top step and stared at his brother with a smirk. “It’s none of your business.” He patted Nate’s cheek in mockery before moving past him and into the house. He greeted the guests that had already arrived and moved into the kitchen finding his mom and sisters.
“Hi sweetheart.” He pulled his mom into a hug, bending down to kiss her cheek. He laid one against each of his sister’s head as he grabbed a much needed beer from the fridge.
“Oh Mom! I forgot to tell you, I invited Smurf tonight,” Roxy said from behind him.
“Oh that’s wonderful! I can’t wait to see her.”
“I invited Joel so they could meet.” He’d met Joel on his way in and instantly disliked the guy. He was Roxy’s friend from her airbase, but it was something about him that made Max want to keep an eye on him; maybe it was the way he immediately sized Max up when he walked in the room or the overly strong handshake when Max sent him an arrogant smirk.
“Hello?” they all turned at the sound of the light feminine voice that carried warmth and laughter. Max watched almost as if in slow motion as she pushed her way through the kitchen door.
“Speak of the devil!” he heard his sister distantly say.
“Brie! Oh my goodness, look how beautiful you are!” Distantly he heard his mother and his sisters fawning over her, almost as if he was in a vacuum, his entire attention grabbed by the familiar feminine scent, the blue eyes that shone with laughter and the smile that could knock any man to his knees. She hadn’t yet seen him and he hadn’t yet managed to pull air back into his lungs. She was the sexiest thing walking. Her long blonde hair fell around her shoulders in loose curls while her body was encased in a tight, curve hugging blue dress that fell below her knees in royal blue and black that showcased her prominent rounding belly. She was so tiny that even in her black fuck me heels she would only reach his chin. Hell, he could smell the light scent of her perfume and he had to discreetly adjust himself in his pants. He watched as she pulled away from his mother’s embrace and looked around the room and the moment her eyes landed directly on him.
“Max?” she breathed in shock. Before he could get anything out his sister interrupted.
“Wait, you know my brother?”
“Your… brother?” He watched as she looked back and forth between him and Roxy and it was then that he managed to put two and two together. Brie was ‘Smurf’ - his baby sister’s best friend.
Fuck.
He wanted to go to her as her face paled coming to the same conclusion, no doubt, as him.
“I ran into Brie at Aunt Sylvie’s work the other day, right?” He smiled at the look of brief relief that entered her eyes. She nodded her head but remained silent.
“Oh cool. Okay well,” she started, pulling Brie to face her. “You look stunning by the way. Joel is here and I want to introduce you to him!”
Like hell.
“Okay, I just… I need to use the restroom quickly.” She rubbed her hand over her belly as if in explanation.
“Of course. Use the one upstairs honey,” his mom interjected. He ignored the interest he saw in her eyes as she looked back and forth between him and the woman quickly retreating, running away from him.
“Where’s Nate?” he asked then. A knowing grin spread across her face.
“I’m not sure sweetheart. Why don’t you go try to find him? Our guests of honor will be here shortly.” He took his opening and escaped the kitchen and the questions he knew were brewing in his too curious sister’s heads.
He climbed the stairs two at a time before standing in front of the closed bathroom door. He stood quietly, listening to the silence coming from behind it. He lifted his hand, knocking softly before pushing open the unlocked door.
She was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, her head in her hands when she lifted her eyes to look at him. She stood up abruptly.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she hissed, pointing a finger in his chest. He was going to bruise if she kept doing that. Damn, she was fire and he wanted nothing but to shut her up with his own lips. Her instant anger at seeing him spurned his own.
“My brother is getting married. What the hell are you doing here?”
“Roxy is my best friend! She invited me.”
“She’s my sister. How come I’ve never seen you around if you two are so close?”
“Because I just moved back!” He was going to lose the thin handle on his control if she kept moving closer to him and pointing that slender finger into his hard chest. “Not that it’s any of your business!” That was it. He grabbed her finger and spun her around so her back was against the hard pane of the door and slammed his lips down on hers before she could take her next breath. Her reluctance soon turned into a passionate acceptance. The same passion he remembered from that one perfect night with her. Her palms rested on his chest, her nails digging in as if to pull him closer. He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips begging her to let him in. Her mouth parted on a whimper as he threaded his fingers through her hair and pulled her impossibly closer as her tongue played against his.
“Max,” she whispered against his lips. He didn’t want to hear the protest that she was going to throw down, because finally having her back in his arms felt nothing but right. “We can’t…” Her words contradicted her fingers fisting his shirt as if she couldn’t get close enough. He felt her rounded belly against his waist and he didn’t doubt she could feel his arousal. He moved his lips across her cheek and down her jaw, laying small nips across her flawless skin.
“Max? Has anyone seen Max around?” Brie immediately pulled away at the sound of his father’s booming voice travelling up the stairs. He didn’t want to let her go but he allowed his hands to fall away as she moved across the tiny room, her hand covering her mouth. He could almost hear her silent reprimand to herself.
“Brie,” he started. She put up her hand to stop him and it just pissed him off. He grabbed her outstretched fingers and pulled her back into him. She gasped as he gripped the back of her neck, forcing her eyes to meet his. “I don’t want you going out with Joel.”
“Excuse me?” Okay maybe that wasn’t the best approach, he thought as he started into her flared eyes, full of anger. He didn’t care; he wasn’t going to back down.
“You heard me, Brie. You and I have unfinished business, clearly. You are not going to pull another disappearing act on me by escaping to another man. Again.”
Shit. Wrong move.
He felt the sting of her palm as she laid it heavily against his cheek before she leaned in, tears of anger glittering in her eyes. “You have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.” As she pulled back she immediately bent over, a moan of pain escaping her as she clutched her belly.
“Brie! What is it?” He’d never felt panic like he did in that moment of complete helplessness.
“Don’t touch me,” she spat, shaking him off. She pushed past him and he followed her out of the bathroom and into his childhood bedroom. She needed to lie down, he realized. He ran to the top of the steps seeing his father.
“Dad! I need Aunt Sylvie up here now!” he yelled. Not waiting for a response he went back into the room watching Brie as she lay with her eyes closed taking calming deep breaths. He kneeled down on the floor beside her head. Running his fingers through her hair he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“It’s all your fault you know,” she murmured, keepin
g her eyes closed. He knew it was supposed to be teasing but he couldn’t get the image of her bent over in pain out of his head.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. She opened her eyes and turned to him with a frown but before she could say anything his aunt barged through the door, followed by his father.
“Brie?”
“She has a pain in her stomach,” Max explained, getting up and out of the way.
“I’m fine,” Brie protested.
“That wasn’t fine, Brie.”
“Who died and made you my keeper?” she snarled. He blew out an exasperated breath. He could see his father’s smirk out of the corner of his eye but refused to acknowledge it.
“Okay you two,” Aunt Sylvie said, addressing him and his father. “Out.” Max was torn, he didn’t want to leave but he knew he couldn’t stay either without raising some eyebrows. And he knew Brie didn’t want that. Yet. He followed his father down the stairs but made sure he lingered so he could catch her when she came down.
***
Brie lay on the bed listening to the sound of the door close. Well if that wasn’t obvious she didn’t know what was. At least it was only her doctor and Max’s dad rather than the entire family, or god forbid, Roxy. Christ, how had she been so blind! Max was Roxy’s brother. Just the thought of it made her want to crawl into a tiny corner and never come out. Roxy would never forgive her. To her defense she had no idea they were siblings or she would have never touched Max, no matter how badly she wanted to, with a ten foot pole. And what the hell was that in the bathroom? She couldn’t keep her hands, or her lips, to herself for ten god damn minutes! She was pathetic, she thought. No, it was the hormones. They were making her lose her mind. And her control apparently.
