Page 19 of Sparks Fly
“Hello,” she said, injecting her voice with as much polite cheer as possible. “I’m here to see Max.” After a slight pause she added, “Williams. Max Williams. He lives here?”
She said that last bit like a question, and Ernesto quirked a brow as he looked her over. Stella figured she probably didn’t look like someone who’d be visiting a building like this, but she thought she looked pretty good at least. She’d worn her best pair of high-waisted boyfriend jeans and a black cropped sweater.
She’d switched out of her favorite Docs at work into black ankle boots that had enough of a chunky heel that she felt moderately comfortable walking around the city in them. She topped the look with her favorite pink peacoat and a matching pink tote purse and beanie. She’d also taken some of Chelsea’s makeup this morning, and although it wasn’t much, she thought the soft pink on her eyes and lips made her look at least cute, if not hot.
But maybe that wasn’t the vibe of someone living in a high-rise across the street from Central Park.
Regardless, Ernesto nodded and pulled the door open so Stella could step inside, out of the cold.
“Thank you,” Stella said, and then gave a slight bow for some reason.
She quickly ran inside before she could mortify herself any further. As if on cue, the doors of one of the two elevators in the lobby slid open and out came Max. He’d taken the opposite approach to Stella and was dressed down in a long-sleeved Howard crew neck, gray sweatpants, and black slides.But God, was the look working for him, especially when he pushed up his sleeves as he approached.
Stella half wondered if he’d done it on purpose.
“Hi,” he said as he came to a stop in front of her.
“Hi.”
Max reached out a hand for her bag and she let him take it, something fluttery happening in her stomach as she watched him nonchalantly pull it up on his shoulder. The fluttery thing turned into a storm of butterflies when he reached back, taking her hand and lacing his fingers through hers.
This was Stella’s problem. She could never do anything halfway, and that included liking someone. From the age of five, when she had her first crush on Jackson Andrews, Stella could track the passing of time by who she had a crush on. At this point, it’d been at least a year since her last one, but the feelings overwhelmed her all the same. As Max led her into the elevator and kissed her as the doors closed, Stella feared she’d already fallen much harder than she was supposed to.
Stella wasn’t going to worry about that tonight, though.
Instead, she let herself melt into Max’s kiss. He tasted minty and fresh, like he’d just brushed his teeth, which made her smile because she’d bought a travel toothbrush and toothpaste at lunch so she could do the same before she came. His hands were at her waist, and she could feel the warmth of them even through her coat. As he tugged her closer so she was pressed against him, she could already feel his dick getting hard.
The elevator dinged just as the doors opened, and Stella and Max reluctantly pulled apart. Max took her hand againand led her into the hallway, which appeared to only have two doors, one on either side of the elevators.
“You only have one neighbor?” Stella asked.
Max nodded as he opened his door, which was apparently unlocked. Yeah, she definitely wasn’t in Brooklyn anymore.
When Max opened the door, Stella’s mouth literally dropped open.
“Whoa.”
She could see why he only had the one neighbor. The apartment must’ve taken up half of the whole floor. Stella moved farther into the space as she took it all in. Past the short entryway, the walls were a mix of exposed brick and floor-to-ceiling windows, and the floors were polished wood that shone like they were brand-new. Maybe they were, for all she knew.
The space was split down the middle by a hallway that she presumed led to his bedroom and bathroom. On either side were the living room and the kitchen, similar to her apartment but on a much bigger scale. He also appeared to have all matching furniture and the newest appliances. The TV that hung on the wall of his living room was so massive, Stella was shocked it was able to defy gravity.
“Can I take your coat?” Max asked from behind her.
Stella was slightly startled by his voice, she’d gotten so lost in admiring his space.
“Yes, please.”
She unbuttoned the coat and he took it from her, hanging it on a coat hook along with her purse. Under the coat hooks was a little shoe rack, so she unzipped her boots and placed them there.
“You look nice,” Max said.
Stella grinned. “Thank you.”
“Shall I give you the tour?”
He held out his hand, and she happily took it. “Sure, I’d love that.”
Max led her through his apartment, and Stella attempted to listen, but all that was going through her brain was the thought that they’d end up in his bedroom. That was the point of the tour, right? One did not simply take someone through their apartment if not to lead them to their bedroom for sex.
