Page 15 of Surviving the Break
My thoughts predictably went to Max. What started as curiosity swiftly grew in scope to awe, propelling head first into mild obsession. How could that be when I still knew so little? Observing and speaking to Max could be compared to the peeling of an onion. More was revealed with each layer, and the more you peeled, the more it burned.
I took pleasure in shaking up his comfort zone with my disconcerting questions. The more he resisted, the more I wanted to urge forward. The spark of angered fire in the pits of his eyes that turned his irises from a caramel sundae to a Hershey’s Kiss made my cock rage and my ass clench. What I would do if I ever got my hands on him again...
With a body built from hours of hard labor, we were an equal match. What would those broad, callused hands feel like onallof me?
I typically dated refined men. In my field of work, that’s who I had access to. But Max’s paint-splattered jeans, tight Henley tops, and the carpenter's pencil he kept tucked behind his right ear were sexier than any three-piece suit. Max was capable, and I found it alluring as hell.
My schedule had kept me from The Center the past few weeks, so I hadn’t seen Max since our last conversation, when I’d told him about Marisol. I’d had lunch with Damon and Justin, where I kept asking questions that might lead to Max being mentioned in some way.
Progress on the library that Damon had donated a hefty lump sum to build, how things were coming along with preparation for the auction. How was Pluto? Pete? The misfit gatherings that some of the volunteers from The Center participated in, including Max. Anything that would earn me more details.
Damon didn’t seem inclined to discuss Max, but Justin, with his knowing smirk, indulged me. My heart thumped erratically when Damon excused himself to the restroom and Justin informed me that Max had asked about me. “He wanted to know if you were okay,” he’d said with concern. I’d brushed off his worry.
Getting out of the pool now and toweling off, I skipped the sauna in preference for another activity guaranteed to draw heat and release the strain on my muscles. With any luck, it would be enough to encourage deep sleep and keep the nightmares at bay. I headed through the apartment to the bedroom, showered, placed clean sheets on the bed, and got in with a contented sigh.
Neglecting the root of my cock, I jerked myself off by applying pressure near the tip. Visions of brown eyes and skin flushed and well-fucked brought me to my climax.
STANDINGin the doorway of Max’s classroom, I quietly watched as he placed the tools in the closet before I knocked lightly. He turned, wearing a smile that froze and then wilted when he saw me.
“Ouch,” I said, stepping into the room.
“Sorry, I thought you were Pete. It’s his birthday. We're going to grab a bite to eat.” He made himself busy straightening up.
“Let me guess, The Best Burgers in Town?”
He paused with the broom in his hands. “Am I that predictable?” He was trying to not be rude while also appearing disinterested. I found that I preferred his annoyance to his indifference.
“In some ways, yes. What you like to eat, pretending to not be affected by me...”
He ignored my statement, but I caught his hard swallow. “How are you? How did everything work out with your patient and her child?”
“You know, a couple months ago I would’ve taken you asking as a sign, but I know now that’s just who you are,” I bristled. I’d thought about nothing but him for weeks, yet here he stood trying to balance being unaffected and genuinely concerned. The juggling act obviously didn’t come easy for him. The whole situation reeked of awkwardness. And I just wanted to kiss him.
“Must every encounter with you be soheavy?”
I strolled down the aisle of desks toward him, and he gripped the handle of the broom tighter, but he didn’t back up. Not even when I stood so close we were sharing the same air. “I want you,” I stated plainly, and he scowled at my gall.
“Want me? You hardly know me.”
“The opposite holds more truth. I believe I know you better than most in this town. I know if I raise my hand to feel for the pulse at your neck, I would find it fluttering like a jaybird's wings under my touch.”
At that, he stepped back, a look of panic crossed his face before his scowl deepened.
“I’ve thought of little else but you,” I said, unafraid to be bold and lead by example.
“Why?” he breathed, shaking his head in bewilderment.
I slid my hands in my trouser pockets and peered around us before gracing his eyes with mine once again. “Justin told me you were creating the library in Damon’s honor. Not just in name, and not just because of his donation. The whole concept and design will be in tribute to his past and the things that matter to him most.”
Max rested the broom against the wall, thrown by my change in direction. Already knowing from experience it would lead him to a place of uneasiness. “Yeah. It’s a surprise, though, so—”
“My lips are sealed. Unless, of course, you need them open...”
“Get to the point, Ash,” he sighed.
“Why would you go to such trouble to honor a man who would see you maimed on a good day?”
He shrugged. “I don’t hold his feelings against me against him. And besides, Justin is a friend.” He still appeared confused by my question. As if the answer should’ve been obvious.
