Page 28 of Primary Seduction
They grabbed their belongings and headed out, waving as they went. No doubt, they’d update Samuel, and he’d receive a phone call shortly. Just as he sat down with a coffee, there was another knock at the door.
“Trish, I told you—” he stopped his words when he realised Trish had not come back for more arguments. Max was stood on his doorstep. “Oh, hey.”
“Hey. Bad time?” he asked with raised eyebrows.
“Nah, come on in.” Trent opened the door wider, indicating inside with a cock of his head.
“I can come back.”
“No, honestly, it’s okay. My ex-wife had just been here, and she wasn’t happy when she left so I assumed she was back for more.” Trent shut the door. “Coffee?”
“God, yes, please. I had to forgo my cup this morning, and I so need one.” Max rested a large bag near the doorway.
“What, even my awful instant stuff?”
Max laughed. “Yes, even your horrible instant stuff will be better than nothing.”
“Wow, thanks. High praise indeed.” Trent chuckled but went about making what he knew was awful coffee. He just couldn’t afford anything better. “So, what’s up?”
“Nothing, really. I heard you were under house arrest so decided to spring you. But it looks like someone already did.” Max smirked, then sobered. “I know Asher and Sean left on Saturday, but no one knew what had happened. I wanted to check on you.”
Trent brought a mug over to Max and indicated the sofa. “I’m all right.” He took a breath, trying to decide how much to explain. They’d become closer over the past week, especially with the day they spent together on Saturday, so he decided to tell him the truth. He started slowly. “I’ve been losing random things over the past few weeks, and I’d been worried that there was something wrong. Mentally, I mean. Dementia, maybe. Or Alzheimer’s. Then on Saturday afternoon, I found something that I don’t ever remember buying, and it flipped a switch. I was on the phone to Samuel at the time, and when I went silent, he came rushing over. He managed to get me to the hospital for a scan. I’m just waiting for the results.” Trent finally looked at Max to see him wide-eyed, mouth open. “You okay?”
“Shit.” Max put his coffee down and rubbed his hands over his face several times. He mumbled something into his hands.
“What?” he again, feeling lost.
He came up for air, looking pale. “I said, what did you find?” he asked quietly.
Trent frowned at the question, wondering why it mattered. “Some bookends. On the bookcase. I don’t remember buying them—”
“You didn’t,” Max interrupted softly.
“What?”
Max took a deep breath and let it out in one big gush of air. “You didn’t buy them. I did. God, I’m so stupid. I never thought of the repercussions. I’m so sorry, Trent. I was just trying to help, even though you’d told me not to. I wanted to do something for you and didn’t think it through properly. I never thought about it. If I’d realised you were having problems, I would never have done it. I’m really sorry. God, I’m such an idiot. I need to stop butting in on people’s lives when they tell me not to. Fuck!”
Trent couldn’t stop Max’s verbal diarrhoea because he was too shocked to say anything. He just stared at him.
Max stood suddenly. “I’m going to go. I’m really sorry, Trent. I didn’t think it through. I won’t bother you—”
“Sit down.” Trent shook his head. He couldn’t let Max believe it was his fault, although he was slightly to blame. “It’s not your fault. Well, notallyour fault.” Trent huffed.
“What do you mean?” Max was still standing.
“Sit down. I’ll explain.” He waited until Max had sat and began. “The bookends threw me, for definite. But there have been other items, which have gone missing in the last few weeks. You weren’t to blame for them, were you?” Trent cocked his head.
“No,” Max said slowly, obviously not wanting to absolve himself yet.
“Then don’t worry.” Trent smirked. “But next time, tell me, even if you do think I’ll be mad. All right?”
Max nodded, hesitantly, and Trent saw his gaze shoot to the door and linger, biting his lip. “Actually…” Max started.
“You brought something else, didn’t you?” Trent laughed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. “And you were going to do the same thing, weren’t you?”
Max blushed and nodded. “Yes, though how I thought I’d get away with it, I don’t know.” Max looked up at him from under his eyelashes and the look shot straight to his cock.
“Go get it,” he said, voice slightly lower from the sudden arousal flowing through his body.
