I got the impression Amanda would be very happy to see our dinner become something more than apology and air clearing and that gave me some hope she knew something of Max’s intentions.
We watched them drive off until their taillights had completely disappeared.
“She’s beautiful, Max,” I said.
“She is. Thank you for being here, for helping her. I wanted this to be special; she’s been so excited.”
“It’s been a total pleasure. You didn’t want to go with them?” I asked as Max closed the door.
“Amanda wouldn’t let me. I think she was concerned I’d kick Callum Ryder’s ass given half a chance. And anyway, we have things to talk about,” he replied. He held my gaze and my breathing hitched.
I had things to apologize for. “Max, I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry. I’ve been an idiot and selfish and I lost all judgment when it came to JD Stanley. You did nothing wrong . . .” My words were running together; I wanted to get them all out before he had a chance to say anything that would make it harder to get them out, wanted to make him see how I understood he’d done nothing wrong. I covered my face with my hands.
“I’m the one who’s sorry.” He removed my hands from my face and threaded his fingers through mine. “We were involved and I didn’t think through the consequences of accepting your father’s ultimatum. I have no experience mixing the personal and the professional, so I didn’t think about you or your feelings. I should have.”
“It wasn’t as if we were serious, but if we had been . . .”
He squeezed my hands and heat travelled up my body. “Maybe I gave you the impression that it was just sex, but I’m not sure it was ever that for me. I want to take you out on dates, to have you here with me and Amanda. I want to talk and laugh and wake up together.” He sighed and shook his head. “I thought we had time. I missed the bit where I told you how important you were to me. I told you I’ve had zero practice at this stuff.”
My stomach twisted. “I was important?” Did that mean he’d moved on?
“Was and are,” he said. “I’m just so sorry I screwed it up.”
How was he making this so easy for me? I’d expected to have to try to convince him, talk him round.
It wasn’t too late. I closed my eyes, trying to compose myself. “You didn’t. We’d made no promises to each other, and my issues with my father aren’t your battles to fight.”
“I want your battles to be my battles,” he replied.
The corners of my lips twitched. “You do?”
He nodded. “And I’m ready to make any promises you want. I want to be the man who deserves you. The man who will do anything for the woman he loves.”
I swallowed. “Loves?” I stepped toward him until our bodies were almost touching.
He shrugged. “Yeah. I love you and I need you to know. And I want you to give me a chance. I’m going to get this wrong. A lot. I haven’t had much practice—I’ll need you to stick with me.”
“Max, I’ve never trusted a man. I don’t know how to be that woman.” I’d never expected a relationship to work before, never needed it to. “You’re going to have to be patient with me, but I promise I will do my best if you give me another chance.”
“You can have a lifetime of chances,” he said. “I can’t think of anything I wouldn’t forgive you for.” His eyes were soft and I reached out and stroked his jaw. He was still breathtakingly handsome but somehow the photographs I’d seen of him before I knew him had never done him justice. They’d not seen what a beautiful soul he had, what a wonderful father he was.
I tilted my head to one side. “You know someone told me about this thing Michael Jordan once said.” I released his hands and smoothed my palms up his chest, staring up at him. “He said, ‘I’ve missed more than nine-thousand shots in my career and I’ve lost almost three-hundred games.’”
Max lifted an eyebrow.
I continued. “He said, ‘I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.’”
I lifted my shoulder in a half shrug as he slid his hands around my waist. “Some guy I’m in love with told me about it. I think he’d say that we should keep trying until we win.”
Max’s grin made my stomach swoop. “Sounds like a smart guy.” He paused, then said, “Sounds like a lucky guy.” He pulled me closer and pressed his lips against mine. “I’ve missed you so much.”
His tongue trailed along my lips before pushing in to find my tongue. I’d forgotten how urgent his mouth was, how passionate his kisses could be. With every second, my knees got weaker, my breaths got shorter, but I wanted more.
We separated, panting, our foreheads resting against each other. “I’ve missed you, too.” I slid my arms around his neck. As he lifted me, I wrapped my legs around his waist.
“Lasagna will have to wait,” he said as he carried me toward the stairs. “I’ve fantasized about having you in this house a million times. I’ve dreamt about bending you over on the kitchen counter and fucking you from behind, thought about laying you out on the dining table and making your pussy quiver with my tongue. But right now I’m going to make love to you in my bed.”
When we got to the bedroom, I unwrapped myself from Max’s body and pulled his shirt from his jeans, undoing the buttons keeping his skin from mine. I wanted time to take in where I was, to get to know more about Max, to hear stories of the black-and-white photographs that lined his bedroom walls and to understand why he’d chosen the huge mahogany four-poster bed. But his touch temporarily wiped all my questions from my head.
“These have been driving me crazy,” he said, reaching under my shorts and cupping my ass.
“They had the desired effect then,” I replied.
“Harper, you could turn up in a trash bag and it would work magic on me.”
“I know that feeling,” I said.
When we were both naked, we stood, staring into each other’s eyes, Max cupping my face. “It’s so good to have you here,” he whispered. “I’ve missed your beautiful, soft skin.” He smoothed his hands over my breasts, around my waist, and across my ass, “Your perfectly wet pussy.” He dipped his hand between my legs and groaned. “I’ve missed this. Your sounds, your wetness.”
My skin tightened and I shivered.
“I’ve got to be inside you. I’ll take my time with you later, but I need to feel you around me. I need to be close.”
It was what I needed, too.
He spun us around, then pushed me against the wall. Lifting my leg, he rubbed his tip along the length of my sex.
“Max, condom,” I said, breathless and desperate.
He shook his head. “I just had my annual checks. I’m all good.”
Oh. I hadn’t slept with anyone but him since I’d last been tested. “Me too, and I’m on the pill.”
I moaned as he pushed into me and stilled. “Good,” he said.
“Max.” I tightened my fingers around his arms. I needed him to wait a few seconds for me to adjust to him. After not having him for so long, in this position, he seemed to fill me more than usual.