by Elise Faber
“Incredible,” she said, nuzzling into his chest, the word almost drunk with pleasure.
He knew the feeling. Incredible didn’t even begin to cover it, let alone encapsulate how natural it felt to wrap his arms around her, to hold her close and stroke a hand down her spine.
“You’re a bad influence,” he teased, mouth curving when she shot him a glare.
“You kissed me,” she said, stepping back and putting her hands on her hips again.
Yeah, he really liked it when she did that, could seriously appreciate how the movement accentuated those perfect handfuls of breasts. Not to mention that when Angie was mad at him, when her pretty brown eyes were shooting fire, she forgot to be in her head so much.
He’d take a present, pissed off Angie, over a scared, distant one any day.
Beautiful—inside and out—in both versions, but only one of those had asked him to kiss her.
“Should I remind you that you asked me to?”
Her jaw dropped open, and Max couldn’t help it. He kissed her again, sweeping his tongue in between those parted lips, loving the way she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
“You’re terrible,” she said, a few minutes later, chest heaving, eyes still filled with fire.
“Well, you’re amazing,” he told her and tapped a finger to her nose.
She stepped back, crossed her arms.
“What?” he asked when she didn’t say anything.
“I’m looking for your flaws,” she grumbled. “You’re perfect and hot and can kiss like a fucking god.” A pause. “And I’m just me . . . the nerd who has a wardrobe consisting of pun-filled T-shirts and Star Wars dresses—”
Yeah. No. He wasn’t going to let her slip back into herself again, wasn’t going to let her shortchange how special she was. Fuck, he’d known her for such a short time and he could see that Angie was different.
Not in a weird way either.
Yes, she liked Star Wars and knew Wookie speak, but fuck it all, so did he. And he loved that she enjoyed the things he did. Nerdiness was equal to sexiness in his book.
For God’s sake, Max was the biggest nerd of them all.
He played video games on the plane trips. He watched every SciFi or Fantasy movie he could get his hands on. He looked forward to sharing all of that nerd-dom with Brayden.
But nerdiness aside, what mattered more to Max was Angie’s heart.
It was, all jokes aside, solid gold.
“Are we going to play Who’s the Bigger Nerd?” he asked. “Because I think I’ll win.”
She snorted.
“No?” He tipped her chin up. “Good, I’m glad you acknowledge my greater nerdiness.”
“Hey—”
Max kissed her again.
And, yup, sparks. Heat shot down his spine, arrowing straight for his cock. Yes, it had been too long since he’d been with a woman, but he’d never gotten this hard from a simple kiss. Chubbies were a given, raging boners, not so much.
Then there was the other feeling.
The potentially scary one.
Because it had the power to devastate him.
So, he kept it light.
He grabbed Angie’s hand and closed her fingers over his erection. “You do it for me, m’kay?” Her hand twitched, and he groaned, hips thrusting forward before he managed to regain control and tugged her fingers off.
Her shoulders relaxed. “That’s not a pity boner?”
He snorted. “Not so much.”
She grinned. “Damn, and here I was working up a full head of anxious steam.”
“Nice try.” Max cupped her cheek. “Should I add to that steam? Or should we stay here and risk getting caught making out like a teenage couple?”
Angie’s eyes were filled with a mixture of hope and fear. “You mean Mandy?”
He nodded. “She’ll leave pretty soon.”
Angie sucked in a breath and lifted her chin. “As much as I want to keep kissing you, I think I’m finally ready to do this.”
“I think you are, too.” He laced his fingers through hers. Such a short time and yet . . .
He knew her.
Angie was special.
And she already meant too much.
Nineteen
Angie
Her heart pounded like a drum, and Angie would be lying if she’d said she wasn’t nervous.
What the hell am I doing? Was pretty much playing on repeat in her brain.
And yet . . .
Her feet were still moving.
Max had taken her to an elevator and through several twists and turns before she was finally in familiar territory. Or semi-familiar, since she’d only been underneath the arena once.
A visit aborted by her sister’s engagement—and now the visit was prompted by Mandy’s pregnancy.
Plus Max.
And Kelsey. Angie couldn’t discount her friend either. Or herself for that matter.
Life was funny sometimes. She’d done the work, put her time in at therapy, pushed herself slowly and inexorably out of her comfort zone, and yet all of that progress was dwarfed by her growth over the last few weeks.
Max stopped them a couple of feet from the door to the therapy suite. “You sure?”
Angie swallowed hard.
She’d delayed long enough.
It was time.
“Should I knock?” she asked.
“No need.”
A nod, a deep breath, and she turned the doorknob.
The room was empty except for a group chatting in one corner. Angie knew they were players not only because they were head and shoulders taller than her, but also because their shoulders were wide and their thighs like tree trunks.
Her gaze trailed around the room, searching for any sign of Mandy and finding none; her stomach twisted.
Damn.
Max nudged her forward. “Her office,” he said, taking her hand and tugging her across the space. He deposited her in front of another closed door. “You can do this,” he murmured.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked.
He frowned. “Am I pushing too much?”
Angie shook her head. “No,” she said. “I just—why are you being so nice? Why do you care when we barely—”
“Know each other?”
She nibbled at the corner of her mouth. “Well, yeah. I mean why are you invested in me? In this?”
Max inhaled and exhaled slowly. “At first, it was for Mandy. She’s my family and I didn’t want her to be sad.” A shrug. “But that’s not all of the story. I mean, I’m attracted to you, obviously, and want to get to know you better. I also think that most people would empathize with you and want to help . . .” He trailed off.
“And?”
“And—” Another breath, this one shorter and more staccato. “I’m drawn to you, Angel. I could list all the reasons why, starting with that big heart of yours, with the way you talked so sweetly to my son, how you checked up on me and Sparky, but those are not even the whole story either.” He cupped her cheek. “I’ve never believed in instant anything—and certainly not instant feelings—but somehow with you, Angel, I feel like I’ve known you my whole life.”
She bit her lip. “Me, too. I can’t explain it, other than you somehow get me.”
“It’s because we have nerdy things in common.” His handsome mouth curved.
Angie placed her palm over his, laughed softly. “We’re nuts, aren’t we?”
He grinned. “Yeah, probably.”
“And what about Brayden? I don’t want to take away time from him.”
“Brayden will be fine,” he said. “We’ll go slow and steady and see where things go, okay?”
She sucked in a bracing breath. “Okay.” Her lips twitched. “But you still owe me a date tomorrow. This doesn’t count.”
He saluted. “Noted.”
“All right,” she said. “Here goes.”
And she knocked on Mandy’s office door.
T
here was a thump and a male curse, followed by a “Shh!” Eventually, the door cracked enough to reveal Mandy’s fiancé, Blane, his shirt buttoned wrong.
Blane glanced at her, then Max, his brows pulling together. “Um, can I help you?”
“H-hi.” She lifted her chin. “I’m Angie. I, uh, wanted to see if Mandy was available—”
The door wrenched open.
“Angelica? Oh my God!” Mandy gasped, one hand coming up to cup her mouth.
Angie nodded. “Hi, I’m sorry it took me so long to—”
Mandy’s eyes filled with tears. “Don’t apologize and don’t freak out. I’m going to cry because I’m a hormonal mess and I’m so happy to meet you finally. God, you’re so pretty.” She sniffed. “Can I hug you?” Her face screwed up. “I’m sorry, I’m so weird right now. Of course, I can’t hug you. We just met. I—”
Angie wrapped her arms around her sister, squeezing tight. She was surprised to find that Mandy was several inches shorter than her, considering Angie always felt so small when compared to her.
After a few seconds, Mandy pulled back and took Angie’s face between her palms. “You’re so beautiful.” Another sniff. “And you have Dad’s eyes.”
Angie blinked back tears herself. “So do you.”
Mandy nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t know about you sooner.”
“I shouldn’t have stayed away for so long. I—uh—”
“There’s probably a lot we both need to talk about,” Mandy said. “Are you—? Do you—?” She covered her face. “I’m sorry. Usually I’m better with the English language than this.”
“Breathe, sweetheart,” Blane said, wrapping an arm around Mandy’s shoulders. He extended a hand to Angie. “I’m glad to meet you.”
She nodded. “Me, too.”
And silence. She had so many things to talk about with her sister, but it was late and they were at the arena and—
“Do you want to grab lunch sometime soon?” she asked. “Both of you,” she added hurriedly when Mandy exchanged a look with Blane. “I’d like to—well, I’ve been alone for a long time. I’d like to get to know my family.”
“Are you—?” Mandy sighed. “Ugh. I was trying to find a tactful way to ask if you have a safe place to stay.”
Angie frowned. “Um, yes? I bought an apartment in the city a few years ago.”
“Oh.”
Mandy’s disappointment was so glaring that Blane stage-whispered, “She’s in mother-bird mode. She wants to gather all her chicks and bring them home.”
Mandy smacked him the same time as Max snorted.
Angie glanced back at him.
“Mandy’s very good at organizing people,” he agreed.
“That’s not fair—” Mandy sighed. “Okay, fine. It is.”
Angie straightened her ponytail nervously. “I’m, uh, all right. I’ve lived on my own for a long time and have a good job.” Mandy’s face fell, and Angie hurried to say, “I appreciate the offer though.”
Mandy beamed and they spent a few minutes talking about Angie’s job at RoboTech. They were just starting to tour the freshly remodeled therapy suite when Mandy let out a huge yawn.
“You’re tired,” Blane said. “We should—” He shut up when Mandy leveled a glare at him.
“Blane is right,” Angie said, half to save him and half because it was late.
“I’m—”
“And I have to work tomorrow.”
Mandy’s face fell. “Oh gosh! I’m—”
“Give me your phone.” The demand seemed to shock Mandy out of the apology and her sister didn’t say anything further, just mutely reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell.
Angie input her number then sent herself a text.
“There,” she said, handing it back. “Now we can figure out a good time to meet up again.”
Mandy clutched it to her chest. “You’re not going to d-disappear again, are you?”
That glimpse of emotion made Angie’s heart skip a beat, her eyes burn with tears.
She wasn’t going to vanish.
She was so beyond done with running.
But instead of admitting either of those things and risking starting some sisterly waterworks, Angie smiled and said, “And miss out on my chance to be the annoying younger sister?”
The waterworks came anyway. Mandy burst into tears and hugged Angie tight. “You’re so funny!”
“Then why are you crying?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
Angie sniffed.
“Why are you crying?”
Her lips twitched. “I don’t know either.”
After a long minute, they both pulled back. Mandy looked at her with her father’s eyes. “I’m so glad to finally meet you.”
Angie squeezed her sister one more time. “Me, too.”
“God, we have so much to talk about!”
Blane slipped an arm around Mandy’s shoulders again. “Soon, sweetheart.”
She nodded. “I know.” To Angie she said, “Run, before all of these questions I have in my head start bursting out of my mouth.”
“Bye.” Angie waved and turned for the door, Max trailing her. She’d just made it into the hallway when she heard Mandy exclaim, “Was she with Max?”
The man in question turned to her.
“Gossip train,” she said.
He inclined his head. “More like gossip Ferrari, but the point is there.”
She winced, trying to decipher how she felt about that, especially when things with Max were still new. It felt like they’d skipped a few steps. “Do you mind?”
He laced his fingers through hers. “Circle back to before. I like you, Angel,” he said. “So, the more important question is, do you mind?”
Angie considered that as they navigated the twists and turns in the arena. It wasn’t until they emerged out onto a parking lot that she’d ferreted out exactly what was going on in her mind. “No,” she said. “I don’t, even though the logical part of my brain is telling me that it’s all too fast, and it’s stupid to get wrapped up with a hockey player when my dad was . . . well, my dad. Not to mention Brayden and your ex and hell, my anxiety isn’t something that I can pretend is just magically cured. It’s work, and you may decide that you don’t want that in your life.” She squeezed his fingers. “Part of me feels like all of that together is a powder keg, destined to blow up and destroy us both.”
“And the other part?” he asked carefully, leading her to a black SUV.
Her eyes met his. “The other part of me wants to grab on to this chance and enjoy it for however long it lasts.”
Max released a relieved breath as he opened the car door and helped her inside.
“I like you, Max Montgomery.”
He trailed his fingers along her jaw. “I like you, too, Angelica Shallows.”
The gentle kiss he pressed to her lips stole a chunk of her heart.
Twenty
Max
Max started to pull out of the player’s lot then realized he hadn’t even asked if Angie had her car there.
“Oh no,” she said when he asked. “I took an Uber because I didn’t want to deal with all of the crazy city traffic.”
“I guess you’re looking for a ride then?”
“You offering?”
“Only if you tell me where you live.” He waggled his brows.
She rolled her eyes but that smile of hers, the one that never failed to make his own appear in return, crept out. “That’s generally how these things work,” she deadpanned before rattling off her address and directing him to her apartment.
“Have you seen the latest Marvel movie?” he asked.
“Uh, is that even a question?” she said. “Because the answer, of course, is absolutely. I’ve seen it three times already. It’s . . .”
“Everything,” he said. “Or at least, according to Brayden. He went with Anna opening weekend. It’s been all I can do to avoid spoilers.”
“Dude, t
hat movie came out weeks ago. You’re well out of the buffer period. Any spoilers you hear at this point are your own fault.”
He stopped at a red light, turned to narrow his eyes at her. “I have a job that keeps me too busy to—”
“I have a job that keeps me busy,” she teased. “Yours is just an excuse. You need to get on it, dude.”
“No sympathy,” Max grumbled.
“Nope,” she said with a giggle. “Also, you’re seriously making me doubt your priorities and your nerd degree. This is me.” She pointed to a building.
“Let me find a spot to park, and I’ll walk you up.”
“No. It’s late, and you should get home.”
He braked, double-parking for the moment. Hell, this was San Francisco, double-parking was pretty much an art form. “Brayden is already asleep,” he said. “I’m not in a rush, and the adrenaline from the game will keep me up for hours.”
Angie yawned. “Well, it was an exciting game, and I’m glad you guys won, but I’m not going to be up for hours.”
“It’s late and dark.”
She raised one brow, turned her head so she was looking out her window. “You can see inside my building from here. Plus, I have a doorman. I’ll be fine.”
He leaned close, nuzzled her jaw. “So independent.”
“Damn r-right,” she said, voice stuttering when he flicked his tongue out to taste her skin.
So fucking sweet.
“Or maybe you’re trying to deny me my goodnight kiss?” Her lips parted in surprise, and he traced one finger along the bottom one. “No reply?” he asked, pressing a kiss to her cheek, the corner of that mouth. “Just gorgeous, sexy silence?”
Angie rotated to face him, the movement so fast he blinked in surprise. “So, that’s how it is?” she said, lips a millimeter from his, her hot breath teasing and tempting all at once. “You only like me silent?” Her mouth brushed his.
Max stifled a groan when she leaned back, trailed one hand along the V of her blouse. The woman had gorgeous breasts, and he wanted to motorboat them like a son of a bitch. Especially when she caught him looking and arched her spine.
