Page 39 of Drunk In Love

CHAPTER 13

Maxwell

The rideshare pulls up to Kamaya’s building, and I exit the vehicle. The car is long gone and it’s too late to turn back now. I want to turn back because this is probably not a good idea. With two old-fashioneds in my system spurring me on, I press the option for level three in the elevator and make my way up to Kam’s.

Once I reach the landing for her floor, I release a deep breath and knock on her door. I can hear the twist of the locks on her door before her surprised face appears in the open doorway.

“Max, what are you doing here?”

I didn’t know what I was doing. I just knew I needed to see Kam. Her eyebrows knit at the prolonged silence between us. “Max?”

“I don’t know, Kamaya. I just needed to see you,” I say, stepping inside and backing her farther into the studio apartment.

Logic had long since gone out the window. I didn’t even care to consider that maybe Kamaya and Zach had gone back to her place or his. I just knew when I saw the light in the living room on from the parking lot that I desperately needed to come up here and tell her how I feel.

I shut the door behind me, quickly fastening the locks again. No need to subject her neighbors to me spilling my guts.

“Kamaya, I—,” I say, taking a deep breath before continuing. Probably should have tried rehearsing what I was going to say, but instead I rushed over here. “I’ve been trying to put these feelings out of my mind, but I can’t any longer.”

Kamaya’s brows knit in confusion. “What feelings, Max?”

“You and me! That’s what I am talking about. Or least what I’m trying to say.” I run a hand over my head like that can slow the thoughts firing all through my mind. “I can’t stop thinking about you, and the idea of you and Zach together has nearly made me come undone.”

Kamaya doesn’t say anything for a beat, as if she’s shocked by my candid words. “Maxwell, this all sounds… I don’t know. Not like you. Maybe you just feel this way because you think Zach will take up more of my time or?—”

“No.” I cut her off. She’s not getting it. I need Kamaya to understand how I feel, but I can’t seem to articulate my thoughts any better because this—showing up here and trying to be vulnerable—is something I’d never normally do. “This isn’t just jealousy that you’ll be with some other man because it will take time out of our friendship. It’s because I want to be that man. I don’t want you to be with anyone else, especially him.”

Understanding dawns across her features. Her expressive dark-brown eyes narrow at me before she speaks again. “Why now?”

“What do you mean, why now?” I ask.

Kamaya begins pacing the small foyer with her hands clasped behind her back. “Why are you telling me all this now? After two years of getting to know each other! It’s as if as soon as I get attention from someone else, now you have to make your feelings known.”

“That’s not what this is,” I say, incredulous. Kamaya’s completely missing the point. I wouldn’t have rushed into anything with her. Especially her. Our friendship and working relationship was much too important to me.

“No, I think that’s exactly what is happening. Maybe deep down you like the fact that I’m single and that you have me to fall back on. Have me to be there to pick up the pieces or be a sounding board when you’re lonely.”

I scoff. “No, that’s not it at all,” I say, taking a step closer to her so that we’re nearly chest to chest.

“So what is it, Max?” she asks softly, her breath catching now that I’m up in her space.

Kamaya’s eyes are on my mouth, and I take that as an invitation to clasp my arm around her back and pull her into a kiss. Her soft lips are tentative at first, and she breaks the kiss, looking up at me with wide eyes that search mine for answers.

“That is why I came over here,” I say before Kam smashes our faces back together.

This time I don’t need any more permission to keep going. Our lips stay locked as I back her up the short distance to her bed. For once, I’m grateful for this little ass apartment. We both topple down to the bed, and I cover her with my body. My length hardens against her thigh as both of our bodies begin undulating. We’re desperate to reach the other through all these unnecessary layers.

My tongue dives deeper into Kamaya’s mouth, matching her stroke for stroke, feeling her pull me in. Her lips surround my tongue, applying slight suctioning pressure, and my own moans startle me at how easily we’ve become attuned to what the other needs.

“Oh God, Max,” Kam moans as her lips hover before mine.

“Baby, I know,” I say.

She giggles before clasping her hands around my shoulders, resting them at my neck. The feel of her short nails lightly scratch against my neck, but it’s not enough.

I need to feel all of her.

Desperate with need, I tug on her lips with my own until I can tell by her whimpers that she can’t take any more of it.

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