by Kate Hunt
Marrying Max
Dirty Sweet Alphas Book 4
Kate Hunt
Copyright © 2019 by Kate Hunt
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Contents
1. Lindsay
2. Max
3. Lindsay
4. Max
5. Lindsay
6. Max
7. Lindsay
8. Lindsay
A note from Kate
Chapter One
Lindsay
I scream when I hear a bang and feel the violent impact of something beneath my car.
Shit. Did I just hit an animal?
Guilt ravages me as I grip the steering wheel tighter, confused and terrified at how much my car is pulling to the side.
Then common sense kicks in and I realize I’ve just blown a tire.
It doesn’t exactly surprise me that something like this would happen to me. My whole life is one mess intertwined with another. In fact, right now, I’m already running late to the birthday party my friends Elle and Liam are throwing for their one-year-old. I tried to leave my place on time, I swear I did. But for some reason, no matter what I do, I always end up showing up late to things.
Drawing in a deep breath, I try to forget about the fact that I’m late and just focus on dealing with the crisis at hand. My old driver’s ed instructor from high school momentarily appears in my mind, and thankfully, I remember what to do.
I hold a firm grip on the steering wheel, keep my foot away from the brake, let the car slow down, and then pull it off onto the shoulder of the highway. Fortunately, there’s a decent amount of shoulder on this stretch of highway.
Still, when I get out of my car, it feels like all the other cars are suddenly going way faster.
I walk around to the back of my car, open up the trunk, and sigh at the mess that greets me. I really need to make a point of cleaning it out. I mean, for fuck’s sake, there’s even a waffle maker sitting here in my trunk.
Why? Your guess is as good as mine.
I push all the junk aside—being extra careful with my gift for the birthday boy, Grayson—and pull up the mat on the bottom of my trunk to access the spare tire and the tools I need. As I drag everything around the side of my car, a passing car’s horn blares at me. I look up just in time to see a guy making a crude sexual gesture out of his rolled-down window.
In response, I flip him off. Then I crouch down in front of the blown-out tire and mentally go over what I need to do. I’ve never done this before, but it can’t be that hard, can it? I pull out my phone, do a quick search, and make sure I’m remembering all the steps right. Then I wedge the wheel chock into place and get to work.
I remove the hubcap first; then, with the lug wrench, I loosen the lug nuts, grunting at how much effort it takes. Next, I get the jack positioned and crank it until the car is lifted up enough. I’ve just started to remove the loosened lug nuts when I hear another car pull off the highway and park ahead of me on the shoulder.
But I don’t look up. I stay concentrated on my task. I finish removing the lug nuts and temporarily wrap them up in a spare rag so they don’t go missing—because, knowing my luck, that’s probably exactly what would happen.
Before I can get the tire off, though, I hear a man’s voice.
“Hey, you okay?”
The man’s voice is deep and husky, and the sound does something funny to my chest. When I look up, the man I see standing before me makes me temporarily lose my breath. I blink at him, stunned. Sweet Jesus. This guy is built like a tank. He looks like he could probably lift up my car with one hand and not even break a sweat. His shirt is stretched tightly over his muscular chest, and I swear I can make out the ridges of his abs.
I force my eyes up to his face, but that doesn’t do much to stop me from gaping at him. He has a head of thick, dark hair, a bit of sexy stubble on his jaw, powerful-looking lips, and devastatingly attractive eyes.
This guy is as close to perfection as I’ve ever seen.
“Let me help,” he says. He’s studying me intently, his eyes filled with concern. As he gets closer, I can see they’re a shade of dark grayish blue. He’s so hot that I almost let him rescue me.
Then a little voice in the back of my head clears her throat and reminds me that I don’t need to be saved.
“I’m fine, thank you,” I say, struggling to keep my voice even.
The man’s jaw tightens. “I’d feel better if you’d let me help.”
His allure temporarily releases its hold on me. I scoff. It would make him feel better, huh?
“I’m plenty capable of doing this myself,” I say. The words come out laced with indignation.
“I didn’t say you weren’t capable,” he grunts. “I’m saying it would make me feel better. It’s not safe for you to be on the side of the highway like this.”
“It’s not safe for you, either,” I point out.
“I’d rather put myself in danger than see you put yourself in it.”
“You don’t even know me,” I say. I can’t help but smirk. “What if I’m a horrible person and I deserve to be put in danger?”
He laughs—a burly laugh that makes my heart stutter.
“I seriously doubt that,” he says. He studies me for a second longer, then sighs. “You’re really not going to let me help?”
“Nope,” I say. “Sorry, dude.”
If I look at him for much longer, my resolve is going to waver. I pull my eyes away and get on with removing the blown tire. It’s bulky and heavy, but I maintain my cool and set it aside like it’s no big deal. As I put the spare tire onto the hub and put the lug nuts back on, my attempted rescuer stays mum.
I can feel his presence, though. It’s protective and unwavering. And the thing is…even though I don’t need his help, I like knowing he’s there. I have a sixth sense about guys, and I can tell he’s one of the good ones.
After lowering the jack, I can’t help but glance over in his direction again.
“How long are you going to stand there for?” I ask.
“As long as I need to,” he says.
Chapter Two
Max
It’s hard as hell to stand by like this and do nothing. But I’ve gotta hand it to this girl. She’s got conviction. And I’m not about to be an asshole and force her to let me take over, as much as I hate seeing her put herself in danger like this.
I would have pulled over no matter what when I saw the car on the side of the road. You see someone in trouble, you stop and help. And, trust me, I had the most wholesome intentions when I pulled over onto the shoulder to lend a helping hand.
But the second I glimpsed the curvy goddess crouched down by the car, another kind of desire rippled through my loins.
I felt destroyed by her already and I didn’t even know her name.
Now, watching her use the wrench to tighten up the lug nuts, I swallow back a groan at how tight she’s making my nuts feel. I want nothing more than to sweep her into my arms and pleasure her.
Oh, it’s so fucking wrong, thinking about her like that. I do feel guilty about it. Well, only a little. The thoughts I’m having about her could be so much filthier. I’m keeping them restrained.
I do my best to keep my lust in check as she stands up and starts to put everything away. As she does, I step forward and crouch down to get a closer look at the spare she just put on her car. The second I push my fingertips into
the tire, I shake my head. A second later, I look up to see her standing before me with her hands on her hips.
“What?” she says. “You gonna criticize my tire-changing skills?”
“Nope,” I say. “But you can’t drive on this spare.”
“Why not?”
“It’s under-inflated. It’s dangerous to drive on.”
She huffs out a breath. But when she pushes down on the rubber with her fingers, her expression changes. “Shit. You’re right. I don’t have to drive that far, though.”
“You really want to risk blowing this one out, too?” I pull out my phone and tap the screen a few times. “I’ll get someone out here.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she says.
“I’ve got good coverage,” I say, lifting the phone to my ear. A woman picks up on the other end and I give her the info she needs. A few seconds later, I’m sliding my phone back into my pocket and suggesting we wait in my car until assistance arrives.
“Not mine?” she asks, that adorable little smirk of hers making another appearance.
“Either way,” I say.
“Okay. Fine. We can wait in your car.”
“Good,” I say. “I’m Max, by the way.”
“Lindsay,” she says.
Lovely, lovely Lindsay.
We walk over to my car and I hold open the passenger door for her. As soon as I get into the driver’s seat, I’m engulfed by the urge to start the damn engine and drive Lindsay away from here. I imagine driving us straight to the airport, getting us tickets to somewhere tropical, spoiling her with sun and food and sex for as long as she wants…
“I’m not keeping you from anything, am I?” Lindsay asks.
I shake my head, simultaneously warding away my fantasy. “Nope. I was going into work to get a few things done, but it’s nothing that can’t wait.”
“On a Sunday? You must be a workaholic.”
“Guilty as charged,” I say. “Where were you heading to?”
“A birthday party for my friend’s kid. He’s turning one today.”
“Ah.” I get a pang in my chest. I always thought I’d have a family of my own by now. “What’s his name?”
“Grayson. He’s pretty adorable.” Lindsay sighs. “Hopefully I’ll make it to the party before they sing to him.”
“I’m sorry you’re missing any of it.”
“So am I. I can’t totally blame the blown tire, though. I was already running late. As always.”
“As always?”
“Yeah. I’m perpetually late.” She glances over and smiles. “I bet you’re never late to anything, are you?”
She’s not wrong. But so what? It’s not like that makes me a better person or anything.
I shrug in response to her question, then say, “So, are you from here?”
She nods. “Born and raised. You?”
“I grew up in Chicago,” I say. “Moved out here for college and I’ve been here ever since.”
We talk about my hometown for a little while, and Lindsay tells me how much she’d like to visit it. When she says that, I instantly think about what it would be like to bring her home and introduce her to my folks. It’s fucking crazy, I know. What kind of guy thinks about introducing a woman to his parents within minutes of meeting her?
Me, apparently.
I know I wouldn’t be thinking this way if anybody other than Lindsay was sitting next to me, though. There’s something about Lindsay that makes me feel…how do I describe it?
I feel more alive.
I ask Lindsay about her work, and she begins to tell me about the animal clinic she’s worked at for the past six months. I love hearing the passion in her voice as she talks about the clinic. I’m about to ask her more about her job, but just then, I see the roadside assistance vehicle pull up behind Lindsay’s car.
We get out and greet the technician, who ends up being the fastest damn worker I’ve ever seen. He’s got Lindsay’s spare fixed up like that. The next thing I know, he’s wishing us both a good day.
“Wait,” Lindsay says to the technician. “Don’t I owe you something?”
“It’s covered, miss,” the technician says, and gives us a nod as he turns to leave.
“Yeah, you don’t need to worry about it, Lindsay,” I say.
Lindsay turns to me with a look of protest. “No. Max. I can’t let you pay for this.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” I say. The tone of my voice tells her it’s not up for debate.
“Can’t I treat you to dinner or something?”
As much as I love the idea of going out to dinner with Lindsay, the last thing I want is for her to treat me to anything. She’s the one who deserves to be treated. And spoiled. And pampered.
All I need is her.
“Dinner sounds fantastic,” I say. “But not like that. Not as a way for you to repay me for anything.”
Lindsay looks at me with a mix of curiosity and warmth. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I want to take you out tonight, Lindsay. But for the last time, you don’t owe me a thing.”
“Okay. Fine. I won’t bring it up again. Thank you.” She smiles. “And seeing you tonight for dinner sounds wonderful.” Then her smile widens. “Or…you could come with me to the party, and then we could go to dinner after.”
A laugh rises out of my throat. “The birthday party? I don’t even know the kid.”
“You’ll like him. Come on. You can be my plus-one.”
It takes me only a second to make up my mind. Yeah, I was going to get some work done today—but it doesn’t really need to get done today.
“Okay,” I say. “I’ll come. I want to make a quick stop along the way, though. I don’t show up to parties empty-handed.”
“I’ve got a gift with me. We can say it’s from both of us.”
Lindsay’s eyes are shining. We’ve both moved nearer to each other, and now she’s close enough that I could easily dip my head down and kiss those sweet lips of hers.
But a first kiss on the side of the highway?
Fuck no.
When I kiss this girl for the first time, it’s going to be done the right way.
Chapter Three
Lindsay
On the rest of the drive to Elle and Liam’s, every time I glance in my rearview mirror, I can’t help but smile. Who knows, maybe this will all amount to nothing. Maybe today will simply be the crazy day I blew a tire, met the hottest guy ever, and spent half my day with him.
But that little voice in the back of my head? Right now she’s saying, Or maybe this is the start of something incredible.
There are a whole bunch of cars parked out in front of Elle and Liam’s, but I find a spot, and when I get out of my car, I see Max parking just a little further up the street. I get the gift for Grayson out of the trunk and wait for Max on the sidewalk. As he walks toward me, my heart starts fluttering again.
God, even the way he walks is sexy.
I’m relieved when we walk into the house and the party is still going strong. Actually, it’s kind of a madhouse in here, with kids running around all over the place.
“Lindsay!”
I look to my left and see Elle squeeze out of the crowd. She gives me a hug as she says hello, then looks at Max and smiles.
“Hi, I’m Elle,” she says. They shake hands as Max introduces himself. Elle shoots me a look that is ever-so-brief but tells me exactly what she’s thinking: Nice catch, girl. He’s hot.
“I wish I could stay here and chat with you two longer,” says Elle, “but I’ve got a million things to wrangle right now. Enjoy yourselves, though, okay?”
Elle disappears back into the crowd. I look over at Max. “So, that was one of my best friends. The other ones are around here somewhere, too.”
His eyebrows arch. “How many best friends do you have?”
“Three. Elle, Aurora, and Marisa.”
“Gotcha,” he says. I can tell he’s committing the names
to memory.
“We’ve been friends for ages,” I tell him as we start to make our way through the room. “Things are just a little different now that they’re all married and have kids.”
“Is that weird for you?”
I think about it for a second. “I mean…yes and no. In some ways they’re the same girls I’ve always been friends with. But of course things are different now. And obviously there’s some aspects to their lives I can’t relate to. But it’s not a huge deal. Not with friendships as strong as ours. Even if I never get married or have kids, I know they’ll still be my best friends for life.” I glance over at Max. “Do you want kids?”
“I do.”
There’s no hesitation, no maybe someday. Just a confident, unfaltering I do. That fluttery feeling reappears in my chest. I may have just met him, but it’s obvious to me that Max would be an amazing father.
And an amazing husband, for that matter. There’s just something about him that tells me he’d be attentive and faithful and copious with his love.
I pull my eyes away from him and look around the room. “Oh, I see another one of my friends. Come on, let’s go say hi.”
Aurora is talking to her two eldest kids when we approach. I watch them nod at whatever Aurora’s telling them and then run off, the older kid’s hand sweetly clasped in the younger one’s. A few seconds later, when I introduce Max to Aurora, she gives me a similar look to the one Elle gave me.
Max has to have noticed these looks my friends are giving me, right?
While we’re talking to Aurora, her husband Cole joins us with their newborn in his arms. When Max comments about how cute the little one is, Cole grins and says, “Want to hold her? Here. Take her.”
