“Okay,” I mumbled.
“Promise?”
“Yeah, I promise. Oh, and Joanie? Thanks for…well, everything,” I felt my words wobble as I held back the bubble cresting the back of my throat.
“You’re welcome. I’ve gotta go. Talk to you in the morning.” The connotation was that Joanie wanted to get back to Nick.
“Okay, talk later,” I said just before I heard her hang up.
Every burden and every second of anxiety that had been fluctuating through my body suddenly vanished. It was as if every organ, muscle, and bone took a huge sigh of relief. Warmth filled my heart, swirled in my head, and radiated out to the tips of my fingers and the bottoms of my toes. Once again, Joanie was there to save me from my own drama. She really was the sister I knew I supposed to have. I flopped back across the collection of outfits I’d been matching on Max’s bed and stretched my arms out to my sides. Staring at the ceiling, I couldn’t help but think about the time Joanie was having with Nick. It was those moments that I wish I could regain with Max—walking together in downtown Aspen, or being completely alone with him in his cabin. I guess Max and I had our flicker of incredible memories that made this trip unforgettable. Besides, I loved the fact that he convinced Joanie, behind my back, to go back to the Bay Area with me.
~ Max ~
When I hung up the phone with Joanie, I was relieved that she had agreed to go back to California with Wilson. Of all the things that happened over that week, the fact that I couldn’t go back home with my girlfriend was the fucking cherry that topped the bitter, messed-up sundae I had to swallow.
The reading of my father’s will was exasperating. Every little detail was covered, discussed in detail, eventually hashed out, and lamentably revisited until everyone in the room believed they knew what it meant. It was beyond ridiculous. I kept pulling out my phone, checking the time, and thinking about Wilson upstairs packing…alone.
Shitty as it was, I found myself just tuning out the voices in the room. Every moan, snivel, whimper, and demand was wasted on me. I didn’t mean to be inconsiderate or selfish, but I never signed up to run my father’s company. I didn’t need to know who holds what portion of GP, or how the shares in GP were going to be split between the living. All I wanted was to have my own life, doing something a hell of a lot different than running a company whose profits and losses fluctuated on the supply and demand of the weather or the planet’s seasons.
“How do you feel about that, Max?” Dan’s voice shattered every thought in my head.
“What?” I barked.
“Everyone was just discussing the options of liquidating GP. Camille asked you your thoughts about it.”
I looked at Dad’s lawyer, then Dan, then over at Calvin, Camille, and finally my mom. Everyone’s mouth hung gaping open, waiting to hear my thoughts. I was so disengaged they could have just sold everything I owned and I wouldn’t have known it.
“Let’s face it, there isn’t one person in here who’s unaware of how I feel about this situation. My fate has been chosen for me, so listening to what could or couldn’t happen is, quite frankly, a big waste of time. My girlfriend is upstairs packing to go back to California to handle what is left of her family and quite possibly the rest of her life, without me. So I tell you what, I’ve heard enough. If it’s my call, then I’ve made a decision. We are not liquidating GP. Gary, there has to be a way to work this out in the next three days,” I said, hoping he would find the words to agree with me.
“Yeah, there is, but three days is wishful thinking. There are major decisions that must be made, for the security of your family, and the system works on its own time…no matter who you are,” Gary stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
I felt my heart tumble down into my gut. Gary’s words were killing any hope for me to get to Wilson in three days. I took a huge breath, clearing the disappointment clustering in my mind.
“Okay, so are we done here? We all know what our choices are and the roles we must play to keep GP, right?” I looked across the room to Dan and Camille. They were holding tight, resentful smirks on their faces. I looked over a Gary, who was shaking his head.
“Yeah, Max, we are pretty much done with what we can do today. I will file the papers later this afternoon and get the ball rolling. I’ll call you tomorrow morning, 9:45,” Gary said as he popped open his briefcase and shuffled some papers in his hands.
“Good.” I looked over at my mom. Her eyes were puffy with the confirmation of every waking moment without my dad.
I walked over to her and said, “I promise you, I will not let this family down,” then leaned over and kissed the top of her head. With that she reached over and tapped her delicate, reassuring hand across my shoulder before I turned away and walked out.
My heart was thrashing in my chest and my lungs were burning with every breath I forced into them. My hands were drenched because of all the time I was missing with Wilson. My ears were filled with words drifting to catch up as I took the stairs two at a time. I wasn’t going to stop climbing for anyone. It was already midafternoon and I didn’t want to lose any more ‘anythings’ with her before she was leaving tomorrow morning.
I pushed open the door, expecting to see Wilson packing her bags; instead I noticed she was lying down on the bed, her suitcase emptied, her clothes folded under her body. I walked quietly toward her; she didn’t move. I got to the side of the bed. Still nothing. Her chest rose and lowered in a rhythm that indicated she was asleep. Her pulse danced in her neck, her eyes closed, her lips relaxed, like nothing needed to be said. I just stood there, taking her in.
I guess it was my presence that woke her. Or maybe it was when I nudged my legs between her knees, pushing against the bed so I could lean down and breathe in her scent. Either way, when she opened her eyes, I startled her.
“Oh my God, Max, you scared the shit out of me!” she shrieked as she slammed her fist across my shoulder.
God she’s so beautiful. I have to find a way to leave Aspen and be with her in California. I just have to.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I just wanted to come up and help you…..um…pack?” I said as she sat up and yawned. I made an exaggerated motion to her empty suitcase.
“I know…I wanted to reorganize.”
“I see that,” I said sarcastically.
“Hey, now, I was working really hard matching everything. I was just about to finish and repack when Joanie called me. How’d the meeting go?” Wilson twisted on the bed.
“Well, there’s paperwork that needs to be filed. And Gary and I need to work out some logistics with the timing. Anyway, Joanie called, huh? What did she have to say?” I asked, trying to change the subject and be as casual as possible. I noticed Wilson’s nose creased and her lips twisted at my answer. She could tell I didn’t want to talk about what happened downstairs.
“Nothing much. Just that she is going back with me to California. I guess she had some magical awakening that she should be with me….you wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?” Wilson asked as she placed her fourth pile of clothes into her suitcase.
“Nope, I have no idea,” I teased.
“Don’t play me, Max. I know you called her,” she retorted as she stood up off the bed.
That’s when I noticed something black and lacey in a pile of panties on the bed. Holy shit, when did she get this? I raised my eyebrow and smiled. I twisted my fingers through the straps and held the silky garment aloft in front of me; it was some super-hot lingerie. Suddenly I felt everything I had pool down below my belt.
“When did you get this, Wilson?” I swallowed roughly as my mouth watered. Damn, what I wouldn’t give to have her put this on right now.
“I bought it before we left.” Wilson grabbed the g-string panties apparently the matching piece, and held them up. “And these go with it too.”
I wanted to find some sexually charged remark to say, but I couldn’t even find the words. I just swallowed hard and wiped the drool fro
m the side of my mouth. She noticed how tongue tied I was, smiling wickedly. She crumpled up the panties and tossed them at my face.
“Why didn’t I know you had this packed?” I asked, sheepish.
Wilson snatched the lingerie out of my hand and answered in a low, provocative voice. “Well, it was supposed to be a surprise for the first time we…you know.” Her face turned bright red as she turned her back to me and placed the lingerie back into her suitcase.
“Are you embarrassed?” I slipped my hands around her shoulders, trying to stop her from packing.
“As if,” she sang as she stretched across the bed to snatch up the last pile of clothes. “I’m just bummed that I didn’t get to wear it for you,” she murmured as she turned around facing me.
I slid my finger under her chin, pushing up just enough to make her look me in the eyes.
“As sexy as that lingerie is…I don’t need it. You turn me on no matter what you’re wearing.” I noticed as a familiar smile crept across her face, the same smile that clung to my gut and made my body react to her.
“Maybe I should wear it for our last night together, before I leave?” Wilson teased as she slipped her fingers through my belt loops and pulled my hips closer to hers. The pressure against my zipper grew as I swayed my hips slowly. She blinked real slow as she slid the tip of her tongue across her bottom lip, biting it between her teeth. The hair on the back of my neck rose as my lips found the space between the top of her breasts and curve of her neck. I felt her flesh tighten and react to my lips while her hands automatically tangled in my hair.
“Maybe?” I breathed against her fragrant skin. “There’s no question, you’re wearing that for me tonight,” I huffed against her skin as I pushed my hands against her back, urging her body against me. I dragged my tongue along her jawline, mapping my way behind her ear. Her breath sped and I had to feel her flesh under my touch. I slipped my hands down and pulled her top off her shoulders. Dragging my nose across her skin, inhaling every need we both had, my bottom lip followed my tongue as I traced my way across her skin and down to her exposed shoulder.
“You keep doing this you’ll never see me in that little black sexy thing,” she sighed, urging me to kiss down the swell of her breast.
I want to make love to her right now. Truthfully, I wanted to keep her in my bed until I had to let her go. I wanted to feel her legs around me, feel her quiver when her muscles tighten, and her hips sway as she consumes me. I wanted to hear her moan, listen to her laugh, kiss her tears. I didn’t want to let her go. I wanted to keep her there with me forever.
“Bonus or not with the black lacey thing. I can’t stop thinking about how good it feels to be with you; when I make love to you it’s like I’m finally home,” I emphasized against her ear. Her body tightened with my words. I felt her begin to sway, almost like she’d gone weak in the knees. I felt her take a deep, exaggerated breath before she pulled away. I reached for her as she sat on the edge of the bed. But her eyes filled with the same tears she had when she came back to me.
“What’s wrong? What did I say? What did I do?” I repeated in a stutter as I dropped on my knees in front of her.
“Why would you say that?” Wilson asked in a low, somber tone. Her blonde hair swayed forward as she looked down at the floor.
“Say what?” I asked, confused by her question.
“That you’re finally home with me?”
“Wilson, you make me feel things way beyond myself. When I’m with you...nothing else matters,” I said as I lifted the hair out of her eyes and held her face between my hands.
“But Max, you’ve always had a home, and a family.”
“Yeah, but now that I have you…I feel I have someone who will protect my heart, love me through all the messed-up moments I’ve made and the perfect moments I’m ready to create…with you. Wilson, don’t you know you’re my forever girl?”
Oh, those powerful words coming out of me…I would never be able to tell you where they came from. Whether they were buried under all the pain of losing my father, or the dark places I crawled out of after Mallory, all I knew was that the love I felt for Wilson, the healing that takes place when I touch her skin, see her smile or taste her tears, is irrevocable.
“Did you just call me your forever girl?” Wilson asked in a delicate voice.
“Yeah, I did.”
Wilson pushed her lips to mine, letting her tongue flit across my upper lip before I opened my mouth and kissed her back like it was our first time. I rose to my feet, pushing her back onto my bed. My hands busied themselves finding the edge of her top. I wanted to feel her tight stomach against mine, her rigid nipples across my chest. I pulled her shirt up, sliding my hands across her ribs to unclip her bra, and slowly withdrew from her kiss. Standing above her, I pulled my t-shirt off as she took off her top and slipped out of her bra. I stood for a lingering minute, teasing her into laying there exposed to me. She folded her arms across her chest.
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
“Well, I’m just kinda cold,” she offered.
I pushed her arms off her chest. Her nipples were firm and her skin danced with chills as I lowered my mouth to her exposed stomach.
“Well, then let me help you,” I breathed as she lay there, waiting for my tongue to skate across her quivering flesh while my hair tickled and danced against her skin.
She moaned as I traced my mouth just below her navel, causing her hips to shift and rock beneath me. She threaded her fingers into my hair, pulling and pushing me with her hands as if she was confused on where she wanted me to be. Up far enough to kiss my way to her breasts, or down low enough to make her sway her body into euphoria? I pulled on the top button of her pants, trying to indicate where I wanted to go, but she encouraged my mouth to taste along her ribs, up across her waiting breast. I slid my body between her legs, wedging myself firmly enough to feel her thrust her hips up and down, dragging herself against me. She was excited and I could feel the exchange of heat between our legs. It was fucking hot. I couldn’t help myself, I wanted to drag my tongue down across her body and taste everything she was willing to give me.
Wilson’s stomach tightened and the sway of her hips stopped as she pushed back into the bed. I could tell she had something on her mind, and whatever it was wasn’t going to disappear or melt away with my tongue tracking her body or the push of my hips.
“What’s on your mind?” I breathed.
Her eyes, clear as the glare of the blue sky across the snow, narrowed. She dragged her fingers up the sides of my body and across my shoulders, causing me to shiver.
“I think we should go downstairs and make an appearance with your family before we lock ourselves up here for the night.”
I looked at the clock on my nightstand….4:45 p.m.
“If that’s what you want to do.”
“Yeah, I do. It’s been a very long day for everyone, and I think it’s the polite thing to do.”
“Okay, then we’ll do it,” I answered after I took a sizable recovery breath.
“I don’t want to disappoint your mother,” she whispered.
I kissed the tip of her nose and collected my t-shirt. She clasped her bra in between her breasts and slipped her top over her head. Nervously, she straightened herself up, and got ready to go downstairs. I adjusted the pressure in my jeans and pulled the door open. I hope this doesn’t take long.
~ Wilson ~
Well, if I really thought about it, was I truly fooling myself when I thought that Max and I were going to be able to go downstairs to say goodnight and come right back upstairs to be alone? I should have known Nancy wouldn’t let that happen. So after a giant lasagna dinner that Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn brought over and the gracious amount of time Max’s family gave to people who had come to comfort them, we didn’t start back upstairs until 9 o’clock. The only way we were able to leave, was to use the excuse that I was flying out tomorrow and still had some packing to do.
I clung to
Nancy until she pulled away as we said our goodnights. It was an exaggerated parting, laced with just enough of a good-bye in case she didn’t get up in the morning before I left. Her embrace was so inviting, so gentle, so accepting. I didn’t want to think about leaving her without a proper good-bye. As I went around the room, saying my goodnights to the rest of Max’s family, I made sure to give a little yawn every once in a while until that turned into a bona fide set of yawns that made my eyes water. I guess I was a little more tired than I thought.
Max slid his hand around my waist; I could feel his fingers curve around and slip just under the waistband of my pants. His exposed skin felt hot against the thin fabric of my top, his nose tracing down the side of my face before whispering against my ear that it was time to head upstairs.
My heart thundered in my chest. Excitement grew in my loin. The swarm of butterflies he created and fed with his aroma invaded every buried and recognizable space in my body until, finally, my entire being seemed to vibrate in his touch. At last I was going to be alone with Max. He nudged his body against my backside as he let out a low, warm exhale across my neck. It was enough of a bump toward the stairway to steer me up to his bedroom…and my waiting sexy black lingerie.
The stairs seemed to work in our favor. Max held my shoulders from behind as we climbed. His hands, hot against my top, scorched through to my skin. With every step I took, every time I grabbed the railing and pulled, I felt the need to move faster. It registered up through the muscles in my legs and encouraged chills to rush my skin.
Once at the top of the stairs Max pushed his entire body against my backside. He cleared my hair away from my neck and pressed his warm lips against my spine. His nose dragged and inhaled my flesh while his warm lips kissed their way up to the base of my scalp. Chills were followed by a rippling need that flooded my soul and I spun around to face him. Max’s hands swam down to my lower back before he caught the back of my thigh and pulled my leg up to wrap around his hip. He swayed, dipping just low enough to catch my other leg and swing it around his waist too. I crossed my ankles and let him hold me up with his hands supporting me under my ass.
The Wilson Mooney Box Set Page 68
