Page 32 of Until Delilah

He must take my silence as an answer. “If Beck doesn’t like it, we’ll figure something else out, but I want you in my bed.”

I’m not sure if it’s because he’s older or because Max is Max, but I love his confidence in us. He doesn’t try to fight me but explains himself so I can see his reasoning. Each day I spend with him, I fall a little more for him. I only hope he doesn’t let me fall flat on my face.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.”

Excitedly, I jump down. I can’t remember the last time I went on a date. Looking over my shoulder as I turn on the shower, I ask. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m getting as far away from you as possible, so I don’t take that fine ass of yours from behind and we never make it out of the house. Meet me downstairs when you’re ready.”

I watch as he walks into his closet before I step inside. The hot water coming from the pulsating beat from Max’s showerhead feels like a dream. I could stand under the spray all day, but when I see Max walk out of his closet and his eyes land on me, I rush to clean up, being mindful of the stitches on my hand. I’m not sure what he has planned, but whatever it is, I hope it leaves some time for sex before my parents get back.

I’m not sure what they’re going to think about me moving into Max’s room, but I have a feeling they’ll understand. Their top priority is my happiness, and Max makes me happier than any man ever has.

As I step out of the shower, I see Max come out of his closet again, and wonder what he’s been doing since he’s in the same clothes he walked out in earlier. After quickly drying off, I wrap a plush towel around my body ready to head back to my room to get dressed for the day only to stop dead in my tracks when I see all of my clothes have been moved. It’s not like I have much. I left pretty much everything I own back in Jackson, but to see my clothes hanging up next to Max’s brings a sense of belonging. Unsure where my underthings are, I spy one of my bags on top of the dresser in the middle of the closet and open it to find what little bathroom accessories I have inside. Unsure where the rest of my things are, I start to open the drawers, and find my bras and underwear in the first drawer I open.

I pick a hot pink, matching lace set, a pair of jeans, and a long sleeve flowy top. I don’t want to keep Max waiting, so I rush to put my lotion on and dry my hair as best as I can with a towel before I put on a coat of mascara and a swipe of lip gloss. I’m easy like that. I learned from my mom I don’t need makeup. Only put on what will accentuate what you’ve got.

I find Max standing at his picture window in the living room, looking out with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“Are you already regretting having me move in?” I joke, but there’s a ring of truth to it. I can’t get over how easily he brought us into his house. There aren’t many men who would do what he did.

He turns to look at me. His piercing blue eyes taking me in. “Not in a million years. I got the call that the dog doesn’t have rabies.”

My body deflates. I’d been praying that Beck and I wouldn’t have to get rabies shots. I’ve been scared of needles since I read a book as a child with a giant needle and these soldiers that were inside. I’m pretty sure it was meant to make me feel better about getting shots, but it did the exact opposite.

I moved to stand beside him and look out the window at all the trees that surround his place. It’s like living in a treehouse, almost.

“I found my things in your closet. Why didn’t you bring my toiletries into the bathroom?”

Dipping down, Max takes my mouth in a short, but hot as hell kiss that leaves me breathless. “I knew if I came in the bathroom, I’d get into the shower with you, so I left everything in the bag.”

My hands trail down his chest and along the ridges of his stomach, through his t-shirt, and stop when I reach his jeans. “I wouldn’t have minded the company.”

“I’ll remember that for next time. Now grab your phone and purse before you distract me anymore. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you’re averse to dates.”

“To tell you the truth, I can’t even remember the last one I went on. It’s been years.”

“Then I’m going to make up for all the dates you should have been taken on. How do you feel about Chinese?”

“Like I should have put on my sweatpants.” I laugh. The only places I’ve eaten at since being in Murfreesboro are the shelter and the pizza place. I’m not a picky eater, but the thought of some Chinese food has my mouth watering.

“That’s what I like to hear. It’s a little hole in the wall that most people overlook, but it’s the best Chinese in the state.”

Linking my arm with his, I skip to his large steps out to the truck.

“And here I thought you didn’t want to go on a date with me. I guess I should have mentioned Chinese first.” He smirks at me from his side of the truck.

Reaching over, I pull his hand into my lap and play with his rough fingertips. “I’m sorry if I made you feel that way. It was never my intention. I do want this date, but I didn’t want you to feel obligated either.”

Max pulls his fingers free from my grip and wraps his hand around the side of my neck. Not hard, but enough to get my attention. “Listen to me. I don’t do anything I don’t want to do. It’s as simple as that. And I don’t want you to do something you don’t want to do just to appease me either. Just be honest with me. It’s as simple as that.”

“I’m sorry. It wasn’t until I left my old life behind that I realized how much I’d changed. If you can believe it, I used to be a strong, opinionated girl, but she slowly started to slip away sometime after I had Beck and then withered out of existence once Bradley was in my life.” I swallow down the emotion that threatens to take over. “I’ve never met a man like you, Max Black. Since I started dating, men have always wanted one thing from me, and played games with me to get it.”

“Boys can be assholes when they don’t mean to be. In high school, all we can do is think with our dicks. There should be a class on it they make girls take so they know what they’re up against, but I’m no boy.”

He certainly isn’t. Max Black is all man. And it seems he’s all mine as well.

Max is right. When he pulls up to the Chinese restaurant, it’s a place I’d never look at twice. It’s close to where he lives, so that must have been how he found it.

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