Maxen (Kinky Shine Book 2)

by Stephanie Witter

  Maxen turned back to them and tensed next to me. “Mr. and Mrs. Hardin? Listen, I know I’m not what you’ve always dreamt of as a son-in-law, but I swear I’ll make sure all this media circus doesn’t mess with your daughter’s life. I know that incidentally I’m the cause of Lark and Caleb’s failed relationship, but if you want my opinion, I don’t think Lark is losing anything there. But when it comes to her work and finding a new place to live, I’ll be there to support her, even if I’m her husband on paper only. We’ve known each other for a while. I owe her that much.’’

  “Caleb and you are over?’’ my father asked with a strange voice as if he’s trying to hide his hope.

  I frowned at him. “Yes. He threw me out when I told him and when I let out who my husband is, he ran to the first journalist and spilled everything. Caleb and I are well and truly over.’’

  “Oh, that’s good,’’ my father said and smiled at my mother. They both raised their water in a silent cheer.

  “What the hell?’’ I blurted, at a loss, my eyes probably wide from confusion.

  “I don’t think your parents are real fans of Caleb,’’ Maxen supplied, and my mother nodded at his words.

  “He was always so standoffish when you would visit, and he pushed you into wearing certain clothes and talking a certain way. Of course you’re a woman, and you’re bound to evolve, but it didn’t feel natural to us.’’

  “And he couldn’t talk about anything other than his damn job,’’ my father added with a frown.

  “At least we have something in common. I think this man is an asshole, and I’ve never met him,’’ Maxen agreed immediately and cringed when the curse word escaped his mouth. His eyes sought me out and I smiled, too amused and finally relaxing.

  “But let’s go back to this marriage,’’ my mother said, losing her small grin at the word marriage. “Is it true that you’re getting a divorce? Why not before?’’

  “We both buried our head in the sand, Mom.’’

  “I also dropped out of college soon after our Vegas trip when word came that a label wanted to sign the band. I had to leave for LA and Lark avoided me and everybody at all cost, even Alan so—’’

  “It became easier to ignore that we were married and that it wasn’t just a weird dream,’’ I finished, putting the empty glass on the coffee table.

  “Easier? Since when do you do what’s easier, Lark? We’ve never raised you to take the easy route when you have to face the consequences of your choices. Or mistakes,’’ my father said and it’s like a kick to the gut. It hurt, made it difficult to stay upright, but ultimately pride won over and I didn’t waver too much.

  “Since I’m only human and I can be lost too.’’

  Maxen put an arm around my shoulders and I went willingly against his side. I didn’t care if it wasn’t appropriate and if my parents had more questions regarding Maxen and me. His comfort was nice, and I really needed it right now.

  “Don’t let this create a breach between you,’’ Maxen said quietly, his renewed confidence gone. “You’re family. It’s the most important. In no time I’ll be out of your hair, and you’ll be able to forget that your daughter ever married a man like me.’’

  “Don’t say that,’’ I retorted and pulled away from him, giving him my best glare. “You keep degrading yourself as if I’m so much better than you are. It’s ridiculous. Stop it.’’

  “If you don’t mind me butting in,’’ my mother interrupted before Maxen could say a word and we both ground our teeth while sending murderous stares at the other. Love was in the air. “We don’t have an issue with you Maxen. We don’t know you. That being said, we have an issue with the way this marriage happened. My husband and I believe that a marriage isn’t something to kid about.’’

  Maxen’s eyes softened and left mine to lock with my mother’s who started blushing. My father grunted in his armchair.

  “Mrs. Hardin, marriage is important to me too. I’ve…’’ He started toying with his piercing, something he always did when nervous. I wanted to reach out and grab one of his big hands to show him that even when he annoyed me, I was right here. Funny how things had changed in so little time. “I’ve had a difficult upbringing. It’s a matter of time before more dirt is dug from my past so I’d rather tell you a little about it here and now.’’ He fidgeted and took a deep breath as if getting ready to jump from a sharp cliff. “My parents aren’t the most stable people. Their love and marriage was destructive, unhealthy and the opposite of how I envision what a marriage should be and how love should be shown. I’m not going to go through the gory details, but I’ve always told myself I would never fuck up like my parents and if by some miracle I ended up married I’d do my best to make it a success and never hurt my wife. Let me tell you, this situation is the opposite of what I’ve always wanted. And it’s not sitting well with me.’’

  “You don’t look the marriage type. Or the one-woman type.’’

  “Dad!’’ I pursed my lips and put a hand on Maxen’s massive shoulder, but he didn’t look my way.

  “I can’t exactly prove you wrong considering I’m leaving for LA tomorrow, sir. I understand your opinion of me.’’

  “What? Damn it, Maxen.’’ I stood up and pointed at my father, whose eyebrows went up on his forehead, deepening the wrinkles there. “Dad, you can’t judge him because he’s famous and has been pictured with many women. You don’t know him, don’t know who he really is. At least, you should respect him. And you!’’ I was now pointing at Maxen who blinked at me. “It’s not because you’re meeting my parents that you should be so… so… argh! Such a doormat. Be yourself!’’

  “Myself? Fuck, Lark. You want me to brag because I was able to fuck countless women and because I can play music talking about sex that makes me win millions? I’m not going to come here with my big ass smile and act as if everything is chill when there are fucking gossip journalists harassing you, and you might lose your job because of that ass Caleb. So what do you fucking want me to do so your parents don’t think I’m a bigger fuck up than I really am, huh?’’

  “You’re not a fuck up! You’re real and I’d rather you be real than this.’’ I waved at him as he stood up and loomed over me. His big body invaded my personal space until his nose was close to brushing mine.

  “Real? You want me fucking real, Lark? Yeah, let’s have a good laugh and be all chill and shit.’’

  He’s breathing loud and fast. His green eyes were dark and bright. His lips so close to mine were calling out to me until my father cleared his throat and broke through the haze of our very strange, yet very arousing moment.

  “I think we just saw a small piece of Maxen Walton and the dynamics of your relationship,’’ my mother said.

  Maxen’s eyes widened, and he turned around to face my parents, as white as the walls. “Oh fuck. Shit.’’ He rubbed his face roughly and eyed me sideways. “Remember in the car when I told you to kill me if I did something like this? Please, kill me now.’’

  “Is this how you two were back in college?’’ my mother asked me, sipping her cold glass of water as if she was watching an interesting program on TV.

  “Pretty much.’’ I crossed my arms and forced a smile when I was still shaky and embarrassingly aroused. This was too twisted.

  “I’m starting to get a better picture now,’’ my father mused and chuckled, startling me so much that I gasped loudly. “You two, sit down. It’s been a few weeks since we’ve last seen you, Lark.’’

  Maxen and I sat back on the couch, our bodies still touching from thigh to shoulder.

  MAXEN

  I locked myself in the bathroom thirty minutes ago. I would have loved to get Lark one last time in the shower while I got ready to board that damn flight back to LA, but for once in my life, I wasn’t in the mood for sex.

  I still wanted Lark, that’s beside the point. She’s the most desirable woman I’ve met. It’s saying goodbye, the clock ticking bringing me ever closer to the moment w
hen I would be leaving her here. That was the thing clogging my mind, the thing that had me sleeping for shit while I was clutching my wife to me as if afraid she’d disappear into thin air.

  After the visit at her parents, we had so much sex that I still wondered how I could actually move today. She wore me out and I did the same to her. It was glorious, but it made it all the more difficult this morning.

  I was going to leave a part of me behind with her.

  I braced myself on the sink, my palms getting damp from the water around the edge. I looked at myself in the big mirror lit just right with fancy spots and I glared at my reflection. I looked like hell with rings under my washed out green eyes. My stubble seemed more like an unkempt beard this morning and my hair curled around my ears and stuck here and there on top of my head from running my hand through it earlier. To complete the mess, I was pale. Shit, I looked as pale as when I was snorting coke.

  I pushed away thoughts of drugs before the first tug of want made itself known and sighed. I wondered if one day I would stop wanting that shit in my body.

  “You okay in there? I didn’t peg you for the kind of man who spends hours in the bathroom to get ready,’’ Lark said from the other side of the door.

  At hearing her voice, I couldn’t help the wide grin to spread on my face and immediately I didn’t look as shitty as seconds ago.

  I went to the door, unlocked and opened it to face her with her hands on her hips, the same hips I had held onto last night when she had ridden me like a goddess. Too bad she’s wearing one of my shirts because while she looked divine in it, she’d be downright perfect without anything covering her.

  “I was in there for thirty minutes tops, nowhere near an hour, babe.’’ I crouched, put my hands on her waist, right above her own and leaned into her to kiss her lips. I didn’t deepen it because I knew I wouldn't be able to stop there. The warmth from her lips against mine was enough to bring me to my knees already anyway.

  “You okay?’’ she asked, her eyebrows lowered over her cornflower blue eyes. She brought her hands to my chest and her touch seared me. Her imprints were everywhere on my body, invisible to anyone but I felt them, saw them everywhere on me.

  It’s fucking hard to go away to leave this, her, behind.

  “It sucks, but yeah I’m fine.’’

  “You’re not going to war, you know.’’

  I chuckled and squeezed her waist before my smile fell. Now that I was looking closely, I saw that hers wasn’t all that wide either or bright. She’s faking it, and I’ve almost bought it.

  “Come here.’’ I pulled her to me and wrapped her in my arms. She felt small and fragile in my arms when she’s anything but. She’s one of the strongest women I knew, and she didn’t need me, but the thing was I fucking needed her.

  Her arms were wrapped around my waist, her hands bunching my shirt on my back. I felt her shivering against me, small trembles that echoed through me. My eyes were starting to prickle and the back of my throat hurt.

  Shit, the last time I cried it started like this.

  I inhaled deeply and kept the air a bit longer in my lungs until I settled down, but my heart, it’s beating so loud it’s drowning out almost any other sounds.

  “The room is sorted out. You have it until you’ve found a new place.’’

  “Maxen, I don’t need—’’

  “You don’t need my help and you probably don’t want me to stick my head in your business, but’’—I pulled away while still keeping my hands on her—“you’ve never had to deal with media crap like I do. Just wait for the news we’re filing for a divorce and it’ll be a mess again. Let me give you this. At least here we’re sure they can’t bother you or find a way to sneak in to knock at your door.’’

  She nodded reluctantly, but she wouldn’t admit that she was relieved. She told me she didn’t want to bother Alan at the bar again so this was the next best solution. Last night he called to tell us he’s had to close when his patrons couldn’t get in because some paparazzi were out bothering them and asking questions. His business couldn’t afford closing time.

  “You should go. I’m sure the guys are waiting for you in the lobby.’’

  I cupped her face and attacked her lips with a sudden desperation that knocked me sideways, but I held onto her. Her lips were pliable under mine and I slipped my tongue into her mouth and reveled in the assault of her taste. Fuck, I was going to miss this, her, so damn much. Pain hit in my too tight chest and I broke the kiss, a bit out of breath as our eyes locked again. I couldn’t read what was in hers, but there was something. I had hope that maybe… no, scratch that.

  Hope, happy endings and shit like that weren’t for me. I hadn’t done a damn thing to deserve this woman.

  “Tell me you’ll come to LA as soon as you can.’’

  “I’ll visit. Of course.’’

  I shook my head and brought my forehead against hers. A foreign urgency grew inside me and my whole body buzzed. “You know what I mean, babe.’’

  “I don’t know what this is,’’ she whispered back, her hands reaching behind my head and in my hair. I was crouched, she’s on her tiptoes and somehow it worked. We worked for better or worse, but we fucking worked. Even when we fought, we worked.

  “I know, but I’ll wait for you to open your eyes.’’

  Stopping drugs had been difficult, but pulling away from her was barely bearable, but I did it. I couldn’t go and pour out my damn heart when I didn’t know if what she’s feeling was only lust for me because we were so well-suited in bed.

  For me, it’s always been more with her, even when I didn’t want to see it and would think it’s because I couldn’t fuck her just once. I couldn’t tell this woman I loved her, saying these words for the first time, and have her push me away. I’d rather keep my feelings to myself and get whatever she could give me. It hurt, but being with her however I could hurt a lot less than not having her at all. I didn’t know how I could go back if she didn’t want to see me again after I had gone back to LA. I’d rather not entertain that idea.

  “What do you mean?’’ she asked and her eyebrows did a cute thing as if putting an emphasis on her question. I wanted to lean down and kiss the small wrinkle between her eyebrows, but I couldn’t. Not if I wanted to leave this room.

  “We’ll talk about this later. I have to go before I miss my flight.’’ I stepped back and let my arms fall back at my sides. It’s fucking crazy how I felt when I wasn’t touching her anymore. It’s like a breach was starting to get wider, bringing me in two opposite directions. I bet if I closed my eyes I’d feel some kind of link, connection, stretching out thin already.

  I scratched at my chest over the wedding ring on my necklace and walked to the door where I knew the staff was taking care of my luggage and patiently waiting. His eyes bugged slightly when he saw Lark only in my shirt behind me, but he averted his eyes right on time. I clenched my fists anyway. I wanted to grab Lark and bring her back to the bedroom and have my way with her while she’s wearing my damn shirt stopping mid-thigh and making her breasts barely visible under the fabric.

  “I’ll let you know when I’m back at my place, okay?’’

  She glanced at the man waiting at the door and smiled embarrassingly at me. She tugged down the shirt as if it’d magically lengthen and cover her legs. “You don’t have to.’’

  “I know, but I want to.’’ I cupped her face and kissed her forehead when what I really wanted was to ravish her mouth until we were both dizzy from lack of oxygen. She drove me crazy. “If you need me or if anyone bothers you, call me. Anytime.’’

  “I will, but don’t worry.’’

  “I can’t help it.’’ I traced her bottom lip with my thumb and pulled back. “Talk to you later and please, pick up your phone. I don’t want to have to fly back here because you’re not answering.’’

  “You’d do that?’’ she asked with a doubtful grin.

  “Without thinking twice.’’

  I pa
tted my pockets to make sure I had my wallet and phone and nodded at the man who’s looking sideways, trying as best to make himself scarce. He opened the door and stepped into the hall, leaving me with Lark.

  “Go. You’re ten minutes late already,’’ she said and her eyes wandered over me, lighting me up like a fucking firework. This woman was seriously dangerous for a man like me who would rather be balls deep in her than being a functioning adult with responsibilities. She’s playing with fire without knowing that she’s the wind that stroked it to burn brighter, higher and mostly, hotter.

  I nodded and turned around to step out of the room. I closed the door behind me, and when I heard the click of the lock, the ache in my heart intensified. I cringed and stared at my feet in old black boots and put my hands in my pockets to keep myself from knocking back on the damn door.

  Fuck, it’s harder than I thought.

  “Sir?’’ the man called out from the elevator waiting for me.

  I nodded and walked to him with feet so heavy it’s like I was dragging lead.

  I loved my wife, future ex-wife, and I was leaving her behind.

  I’ve never hated being famous and Kinky Shine’s drummer before, but now I did.

  ***

  LARK

  I gave a cursory glance at the huge, empty hotel suite and hugged myself. Maxen’s shirt rode higher up my legs, but there’s nobody to see that I wasn’t wearing panties.

  Seeing Maxen leave and telling him goodbye had been harder than I’d expected. He’s been a comforting presence, but it’s not just that. It wasn’t because he’s hot either and made me want things I’ve never wanted before or feel things I didn’t think were possible. It’s something else.

  He filled space like no other, and when he wasn’t around, it felt like something was missing.

  I shook my head and checked the time on my phone. He should be calling any time now. It’s pathetic that I was here sitting in front of the TV on a Sunday afternoon and I wasn’t able to think about anything other than my husband ‘by drunken mistake’ about to call me. I should be on my laptop working for the upcoming meeting on Wednesday regarding a client’s project I had been working on for months, but I couldn’t focus on anything.