Page 29 of Max's Mission

Resting her cheek on his chest, she peered up at him. “That was a disjointed mess. But I guess what I was getting at is that I was on a path to want more with you.”

All the air in Max’s lungs stopped moving. He blinked, a slight frown forming. Elation soared through his veins for a moment before her choice of words registered, putting a damper on his feelings.

She said was. Did that mean she wasn’t now?

He forced down the lump in his throat so he could speak. “Oh. And now?”

Her hand fluttered over his jaw. “I still do.”

Twelve

Margot had lost her ever-loving mind. What was she doing? Thinking about more with Max and leaning in to kiss him were two wildly different things.

But she’d be damned if she stopped. Hearing him say how he felt—how he wanted more—she couldn’t deny it anymore. She wanted this man. Even if getting involved with someone again scared the daylights out of her.

Beard stubble pricked her fingers as she urged his face closer. Those blue eyes that always looked at her and the twins with such kindness now burned a steely blue with desire.

It ignited a fire in her gut. One only he could extinguish.

After he fanned the flames, of course.

Eager to feel the burn, and done playing it safe, she closed the gap.

Holy crap.

The press of his mouth on hers did not disappoint.

White-hot need, more intense than any she’d ever felt, burned through her lips, prickling the skin on her scalp.

Why had she not done this before?

A soft whimper escaped her, which spurred Max’s hands into action. He skated one down her arm and over her hip, urging herinto his chest. Margot clutched his shirt with one hand, the other still stroking the beard stubble on his jaw.

In just moments, need clawed at her. She wanted this man. Wanted him like she’d never wanted any other before, including Tad. And their sex life hadn’t been boring.

But there’d never been this… this… urgency. It consumed her, obliterating all thought except the need to strip them both.

Emboldened by the desire flooding her system, she shifted to straddle his lap.

Max’s phone rang from the other room.

With a low groan, he wrenched his mouth away, staring at her with passion-filled eyes for a blink before lifting her up to move her to the side.

“It’s Asher.”

Margot knew that. She recognized the distinctive ringtone. He was lucky he was hundreds of miles away on the west coast. Where she couldn’t reach him to throttle him.

Covering her face as Max hurried through the connecting door, she heaved a sigh. It probably wasn’t a bad thing Asher interrupted them. This thing with Max had gone from idle to full speed in an instant. And as good as he made her feel, it was wise for them to take things at a more sedate pace. She valued their friendship and didn’t want this to be just a flash in the pan.

That didn’t mean her body liked it, though.

Scrubbing her hands down her cheeks, she dropped them into her lap. The low murmur of Max’s voice grew louder as he walked into her room. As he stepped over the threshold, he put the phone on speaker. Asher’s smooth, rich voice filled the space.

“Hi, Margot.”

“Hello, Asher.”

“So, I was telling Max, I got a hit on the car.”

---