“Aw…Max…” Jeffrey said as another impressive round of applause kicked in for Drew. Tugging the silk hanky right from the pocket of his tux jacket, he passed it to Maxine. Even Maggie was crying! “This was sweet…”
“Happy tears, Jeffrey…happy tears…”
Of course, Maxine couldn’t pay attention at all to the rest of his set, so full of emotion she’d found herself. That was a first, and she just knew that Judy was hovering up above, cheering on her baby girl.
At the end of the short show, he’d surprised everyone with the title song from Sunset Boulevard, and at last Maxine awakened from her reverie. While reciting lines from a script, he often sounded rehearsed—even Maxine could admit that. However, with his voice, he could convey such heart-wrenching emotions, convincing the audience of anything and everything. In those final moments, he was Joe Gillis, so lost in his own self-destruction that he’d do anything just to survive…even if the consequences included an eccentric older woman drowning in her own defeat.
On stage, he belonged to everyone, but the second he returned to their table in the audience, there was only room in his little world at that moment for Maxine. Delicately, his fingers swept the tears from her eyes that were still flowing as his entire family and their two best friends looked on.
“That…was so sweet and beautiful, Drew…” She wondered if he could even hear her fragile voice. “Thank you. No one’s ever done anything so romantic for me…”
“More memories to come, little one,” he promised.
“Yes, dear,” Maggie added, “listen to Maxine—because I can barely speak right now...”
“Nice work, bro,” Adam patted Drew on the back. “Class act. Like always.”
As his hands framed her face, Maxine whispered, “You didn't tell me...”
“You know that I love surprises,” he smiled. “Now, please stop crying, little one. More fun is on the way…”
Naturally, Drew had to have the first dance with Maxine, and while she felt so awkward on the floor, he had a way of making her feel like a ballroom star. It wasn't the first time they'd shared a spin—he'd danced with her on their very first date on the deck of the Empire State Building—but the wondrous spirit of that evening just seemed to heighten the intimacy as he held her so close, swaying to “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.” All gazes were upon them, but Drew could only see Maxine.
Of course, one dance led to two, but Ben stole her away for the third as the band slipped into that oh-so-familiar mambo beat of their favorite song, “Relax Max.” However, Drew was forced to wait it out just a bit longer, as Adam was so very quick to cut in before his brother had the chance to swipe Maxine back.
“I made a very special request with the band just for you,” he said as the first few notes of “Twelfth of Never” began to play. “Now, may I please have the next dance, Miss Max?”
“Adam, Adam, Adam,” Drew muttered and threw his hands in the air. “You're such a clever little asshole, aren't you?”
“That I am, big bro,” he said, opening his arms to Maxine.
“Fine—dance with her once. Once, being the operative word...”
Whisking Maxine away, Adam said, “That brother of mine is just so possessive...”
“I think passionate is probably the more appropriate word,” Maxine suggested.
“Hey, now, I don't need to know what you two are doing in the privacy of your little cottage at the bottom of the hill...”
“Adam, you're funny...”
“Yeah, we tease—a lot—but I wouldn't trade him for all the money in the world,” Adam admitted. “He pisses me off sometimes, but underneath, he has an amazing heart...”
“He does,” Maxine agreed. And beneath that rascal exterior, Maxine had a feeling that Adam did, too.
“If it’s worth anything to hear it from me,” he went on, “he's nuts about you. Just keep him in line, Max. Keep him in line...”
“I'll try my very best, Adam...”
In spite of his daffy ways, Maxine found Adam so deviously charming. He could actually behave like a gentleman when it suited him. With a curt bow at the end of their dance, Adam thanked her then made his way over to ask Aunt Frannie for a perfunctory turn.
Meanwhile, Maxine found Drew again, just where she'd left him. Without even questioning him, she could just sense that he'd been chomping at the bit each and every second his brother held her in his arms.
“Why don't we take a little walk?” Maxine suggested. “Get some fresh air?”
“Sounds like the perfect plan to me, little one,” he agreed.
Once outside, Drew covered her with his jacket, then wrapped her own scarf around her. He wished he’d thought ahead to bring gloves. Her father’s warning still stuck in his mind. Keeping Maxine warm was on his list of duties.
He held on to her tightly, always so protective, mindful of her every last step over the stone path that eventually led back to the guest cottage. They continued on, strolling under the stars and giggling just like any other pair of young lovers, reveling in nothing but the mere presence of each other…unaware of the shadowy presence in the darkness.
Chapter Thirteen
“Where are you leading me?” Maxine wondered rather gleefully as she stumbled along beside him.
“For once, Maxine, I have no idea…” he admitted, laughing along with her and pulling her close. “Come here for a second…”
“Yes?” she snuggled closer and Drew just kissed her, mid-giggle. Every nerve ending in her body heightened to acute awareness of his nearness.
“Know…what I want…” he spoke against her always seeking lips.
“Tell me…”
Slipping his hands inside his jacket, he circled her waist, suckling her lip then teasing her with the rigid tip of his tongue. “Another…” His hands drifted downward to cup her perfect little ass. “Blowjob…”
“Here…?” She jerked away with such a shocking suddenness that Drew actually considered the thought. The only thing stopping him from pressing the suggestion was the fact that his entire family wasn’t far away. Even in Dominance, Drew did show some decency.
“Cottage…” he breathed, allowing her to slither ever nearer. “Say our goodbyes…early night…light the fucking pumpkin and—”
“Sooo….” That single slurred word resonated like nails scraping down a chalkboard with a punctuated disturbance in the still night. “We meet…again…”
“Fuck…”
“Balls…” Maxine added. She’d probably had a few too many sips of wine with dinner, but Maxine didn’t care as she watched Lorna Devane stagger and sway through the shadows like Mae West on a bender.
“So much for that blowjob…”
“Lorna, what the fuck are you doing here?” Drew spat. “Spying on me? How grown-up of you! I thought you might have matured a bit since our last date—fifteen years ago…”
“Just taking a little walk,” she mumbled, but while she wobbled, she still managed to keep a grip on her wine glass. Tugging just at the bosom of her low cut black gown, Lorna groaned and sighed. “Soooo…hot in there. And darling, your show was wonderful! Can’t wait to see you in Sunset. Already have my ticket…”
While Drew made a mental note to remind security at the stage door to put Lorna on the watch list, Maxine just had to step in. “Well, we were actually just trying to leave, and—”
Cutting Maxine off, Lorna looked directly into Drew’s eyes, her own gaze glassy if not a bit dazed. “Did I hear something? Like some annoying bird chirping off in the trees over there?”
All the while, Maxine struggled to hold her cool, but while her anger built, she refused to emit emotion. She’d been bullied by the worst of them. Crying got her nowhere, but strength nearly killed them every time.
“Say what you want, Ms. Devane,” Maxine began, “but I’m still going home with him…”
Cocking her head as if she were stunned that Maxine had the courage to actually speak up, Lorna opened her mouth, but
the words seemed to stick upon her thin lips.
“Cat got your tongue?” Drew smiled.
“I seriously can’t believe you brought this to meet your parents, Drew,” Lorna continued on as her feet stumbled in the grass.
“Introduced you to them, didn’t I?” he asked with no intention to mask the snide undertones. “But they excused me. I was quite young…and stupid…”
Although Maxine understood that he was defending her honor—and she appreciated his gallant efforts—she thought that Drew might be heading toward falling overboard with his comment. What they needed to do was simply walk away.
“Let’s just go back inside, my sweet man, and—”
“My sweet man,” Lorna mimicked under her breath as she leaned ever closer in the darkness, invading Maxine’s personal space. “You really think he wants you?”
The tiny drops beating upon her forehead transcended into a steady pour. Once Maxine realized that Lorna held her glass of red wine over her head, Drew had already lunged forward, not to strike but to give Lorna a piece of his mind.
“No, Drew!” Maxine practically jumped in front of him. Her own dress was almost perfectly protected by his tux jacket, but she didn’t care about clothes with their collective pride disintegrating in their own hands.
“So help me, Lorna, security is about to toss your ass out, and you’ll never see another one of my mother’s parties again!” he continued to shout as Maxine pushed him closer toward the tent. Oh, he was strong! “I’ll even have them stop you at the door at the theater if you—”
“Drew, we’ve pissed off Jeffrey enough for one evening,” Maxine reminded him with a gentle pat to his chest. “We don’t need another reason to give the press fodder…”
Arms flailing in the air, Drew hollered, “That bitch just dumped a glass of wine on you and…”
“Let’s go have a word with security, Kind Sir…” Maxine said, scooting him inside. Now, they’d have to explain Maxine’s sudden transformation from Cinderella into a sopping mess.
“Little one…are you alright?”
“I’ll be much better once I’m undressed and have your cock in my mouth…”
“Oh, God…even in times of unrest…you make me hard…”
However, Jeffrey and Ben, alerted by the sounds of Drew’s bellowing voice, were already on guard.
“Captain, what the fuck happened?”
“Lorna Devane doused her with a glass of wine, and your little Captain here won’t let me handle it…”
“Two questions,” Ben began and turned to the bar behind him, muttering something to the tender. “Who the fuck is Lorna Devane? And what the fuck did she do to my best friend?”
“Lorna?” Jeffrey asked, pushing up the sleeves of his tuxedo jacket as if he were preparing for a playground battle. “That ugly little bumpkin you took to the prom?”
“I got it, Jeff…” Ben said, turning around with a quick whirl…and an open bottle of red wine in his hand. “Direct me to this Lorna…”
“She’s out on the lawn still…” Maxine coaxed him, pointing. That knowing sixth sense she shared with Ben just caught her in its hold…but she couldn’t resist a little mischief.
“Oh, Ben, don’t you even…”
“Benjamin Worthington…”
“I can’t see this…” Jeffrey pulled the flap of the tent in front of his eyes as Ben swept into the darkness. “This is getting ugly…”
“Getting ugly?” Drew’s eyes bulged. “She already threw the first punch at my lovely little—”
“I don’t know who the fuck you think you are,” Ben shouted, his voice carrying across the lawn, “but nobody—nobody—fucks with my best friend, you prostitution whore…you cu—”
“Oh, no, he didn’t just say that!” Maxine squealed, burying her head against Drew’s chest and dotting that once pristine white shirt with splotches of red wine that dribbled from her hair. That was one four-letter word that she still couldn’t bring herself to utter.
“Also note his use of ‘prostitution whore’ from Real Housewives,” Jeffrey added.
“He’s been dying to use that one for years now…” Maxine said.
While Maxine and Jeffrey succumbed to their chagrin, Drew simply couldn’t stop laughing. “The whole bottle…he doused her with the whole fucking bottle…dammit, he’s my idol!”
“Too bad her dress is black,” Jeffrey lamented. “I would love to see those stains on a lovely winter white…”
“Security!” Drew called out to two rather burly men in Armani suits who stood against the bar with their arms folded in front of them. “Excuse me…we have a little issue…”
“Drew, darling, what on earth is going on here?” Maggie admonished, stepping inadvertently into the little squabble that had unfolded.
“I took care of it,” Ben said and placed the empty bottle on a table behind him. “It’s all good.”
“As long as no one is hurt…Maxine!” Maggie cried out. “Oh, dear…your hair…your dress…”
“Yeah, Mom, it’s time to call it a night,” Drew said, feigning sadness as he placed a kiss on his mother’s cheek. He couldn’t wait to be alone with Maxine again.
“By the way, where is your brother?”
One conversation ensued while another began with discord caging in around them all.
“You, Captain,” Ben said, giving Maxine a kiss of his own, “still look gorgeous, even with the wet hair.”
“And you, my dear friend, are the best!”
“Aw, stawp!” Ben brushed her off, then put his arm around her so that he could whisper in her ear. “You better get going with Broadway Boy here. He looks like he’s itching to get laid…”
“Well, thank you for defending my honor, Ben,” she said. “I love you…”
“I love you, too, Cap. Now go take your clothes off. And don’t put any more back on!”
“Ben…hic…jamin…” Maxine winced. Not again!
“Oh, no…hiccups…water! Someone! Breathe, little one…”
Always quick with the affection, Maggie slipped her arm around Maxine and pulled her close without a care for the red wine that dampened the jacket and could easily ruin her own gown. “Darling, are you alright?”
“Too…hic…much…” Now she really wanted to just sneak out the side of the tent with Drew and hide away.
“Always happens when she gets excited,” Ben explained and passed a plastic cup to Maxine. “Surprised she didn’t start when Drew sang for her!”
“That was so beautiful,” Maggie cooed. “He’s never done that before, you know, Max? That’s what had him so anxious…”
“Aw, Mom…now she’s going to be hiccupping all night!” he groused. “Drink…then breathe, Maxine. And I’m getting you out of here…”
“But Drew, she…”
“Just one minute…”
“Drew, you two should…”
With everyone talking at once—and with Lorna now being hustled off the property—it was safe to return to the great outdoors.
“Fuck…hic…balls…”
He wrapped his arms around her, then lifted her into his arms. He certainly didn’t expect her to walk in those damn shoes all the way back to the cottage.
Meanwhile, Maxine did a little self-coaching. Breathe, dammit. You can’t give a proper blowjob with the hiccups!
At some point in their journey back to their little haven away from the world, Maxine kicked off one of her shoes in the brush, but there was no possible way that Drew could stop to find it. He’d buy her a hundred more pairs of shoes. At that moment, he wanted peace, quiet and some desperately needed alone time with Maxine.
Once they’d reached the house, Drew settled her carefully on the porch but stood on the ground so that they were face-to-face. Hands closing over her shoulders, he placed a kiss on her forehead. She still had an occasional spasm.
“You,” he kissed her again, “need to talk to one of your doctors about this…”
“Drew,
they…” Breathe. “They have enough…to keep track of with me…”
“Better?” he asked.
One more…inhale…exhale…gone. She swore that his voice held some sort of magic remedy to alleviate all of her troubles and pains. He was indeed her Rasputin. “Yes.”
While Drew truly did make her feel like his own personal princess that night, Maxine actually reveled in the thought of just changing her clothes and snuggling on the couch with him for a little while. Even down time with him was magnificent, especially over this weekend. Seeing him with his family, on stage—living in each and every moment—made her fall harder.
Just as Drew unlocked the door, he eased Maxine to the side. “Did you hear that?” he whispered.
Maxine refused to ask herself what possibly else could happen that evening, but her fears began to rise again. She could only imagine the worst of scenarios unfolding inside, all which led back to Lorna Devane somehow returning for Round Two.
Popping his head just inside the foyer, he winced, then turned around, pulling the door closed with one loud slam.
Frantic, Maxine reached for his arm. She could feel her own heart pounding within her chest. “What's the matter? Drew?”
“Son of a bitch,” he muttered. “But it looks like we have Air Adam privileges for the next year.”
“What the hell's wrong now?”
“Let's see...how shall I phrase this, Maxine?” Drew pulled at his hair. “Um...some anonymous woman is in there...on the couch...with her head in my brother's lap.”
All Maxine could do was curse that faceless socialite, while seething that their alone time had been sorely disrupted. Damn, that Adam!
However, Drew wasn’t about to allow this one to drop. As he charged back inside, she could hear the muffled sounds of the Brothers McKenzie in argument and the squealing protests of a young lady who’d been castigated from her spot on her knees on the floor—where she’d been giving Adam the blowjob to which Maxine should have been treating Drew!
WRAPPED: The Manhattan Bound Series, Book Two Page 23
