My mind blanked as I stared at him. “Max? I need Max.”
“Get on your feet,” he said and stood himself. I glared but did as I was told, chafing the entire time at following his orders.
“Presumptive bastard.”
He chuckled. “Oh good, I was actually beginning to get worried. You’re going to be fine, too.” The fucker winked. “If you can insult me, I’m sure of it.”
“Great, I was about to interrupt,” Sugar said from where he stood uncertainly in the doorway. His lip gloss caught in the lights and made him seem shiny and too perfect, just like when he was onstage. People drooled over him, especially when he worked a pole at Triple X, but as beautiful as he was, my eyes only wanted to see one person—and it certainly wasn’t him. He smiled at me as I shambled like a zombie toward him, my legs, ass, and back muscles all screaming in protest. How long had I been on the floor tonight, playing with Max? Was it longer than I’d originally thought? My body sure ached like it had been a marathon.
Sugar let out a sad whimper and hooked his arm through my elbow, leading me forward. I followed Vic and Sugar back to Max, as if I didn’t know my own house, but the way I was right now—confused and aching—I wasn’t too upset about that. Max still sat on the floor with his back to the wall and a blanket around his front. I went over and dropped near him on my knees, worried in spite of Vic’s assertions that this would be fine in the end. The glow of the fire turned Max into a strange specter, a beautiful, timeless haunting that matched the carved molding along the baseboards and made my heart jerk in my chest.
Max broke the spell when he gave me one of his sweet smiles. I all but dove to get to his side and wrap my arms around him. When he was in my embrace, with his head resting on my chest, tension leaked out of me and my eyelids felt heavy. I was so tired. I could finally relax with him snuggled up to me.
Max burrowed himself closer. “I didn’t mean any of it, Daddy.”
“I know, boy.”
“Daddy, you’re not going to have Vic take me back, are you?”
I held him tighter and could smell sex on him—the mixture of our sweat and lube and cum. It was perfect. “Never. I’d never send you away. I thought you might be mad enough to leave.”
Max shook his head, and I leaned over to brush my lips against his. His mouth parted and invited me in, and I was instantly so grateful, tears burned at the corners of my eyes.
“Awwww. Vicky, look at them. Aren’t they adorbs? I’m so glad you talked me into this icy midnight adventure. Fucksickles, it’s nice to see a Dom who actually gives a shit.” Sugar’s voice ran sour, and I glanced up in time to see him stifle a yawn.
Max dropped his face, perhaps in embarrassment, and rubbed his forehead against my collarbone. I dragged him even closer. The warmth from the fire had me ready for bed. I didn’t know how to ask him if he was sleeping with me—I was still scared I’d do or say the wrong thing and he’d start shouting again. In the past he’d raged about real things, even if he’d caused them himself. Max might be hotheaded, but he’d never been completely beyond reason. “Thank you for letting me hold you.”
“Sorry, Daddy.” He dragged in a ragged breath. “I’m always yours. I’m sorry.”
I shushed him and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.
Sugar’s phone in his pants pocket began to play a slow, sultry waltz that reminded me of summertime and blow jobs in the back seats of cars, and he pulled it out with an eye roll before silencing it. He stuffed the phone away and didn’t check it.
“Were the roads bad on the way here?” I asked.
“We brought my four-wheel drive, and it was a good thing.” Sugar gave me a grin but cast a guilty glance down at his pocket.
“Why don’t you stay? I have an extra bed, and the couch is comfortable if you’d rather stay in front of the big fireplace.”
“Thanks. I can sleep anywhere,” Vic said cheerfully and flopped down onto the couch, taking up the entire space. He looked good stretched out, and the smirk Sugar wore said he agreed with me.
“I’ll get you blankets,” I said at once. I owed him a hell of a lot more than some creature comforts.
“Don’t you dare move, unless it’s to take your sweetie there to bed. Tell me where to find things.” Sugar’s smile was tense now in a way it wasn’t before his phone rang, and part of me wanted to make inquiries, but I was too trashed myself to take on even one more problem that wasn’t my own.
Sugar pursed his lips at me and waggled his shoulders, and I found myself completely unable to do anything except exactly what he suggested. Misgivings high, I told Sugar where he could find everything I thought Vic would need for a comfortable night on the couch. With a bounce, Sugar was off to gather bedding for Vic, and decreed, “I don’t sleep on couches, bitches,” which I assumed meant he’d take the guest room when he was finished with his mission to collect blankets and pillows.
I gathered Max close, ridiculously happy to endure getting an unintentional elbow in the stomach. “Up. Bed.”
He nodded, and we stood in an awkward wrap of blankets and achy limbs. The trek upstairs took longer than it should have, and in the meantime, Sugar almost knocked all three of us over trying to squeeze past us on the stairs with his arms stuffed full. But I didn’t let go of Max, and my knees were beginning to ache like they’d fall off, probably because I’d been on them for a couple of hours tonight while transfixed by Max’s ass. Torturing him had been so much fun that I hadn’t paid much attention to any cues from my own body.
We went to the bathroom together—Max wanted to brush his teeth, no matter how late the hour—and after about twelve thousand years, or at least that’s what it felt like, we were finally under the blankets in bed. I didn’t have to say a word; Max draped himself half on top of me and clung like a suckerfish. I loved it, and fuck, more than simple enjoyment, I craved close contact with him. Needed him.
“Thank you for not leaving, Max.” My eyes prickled with tears again and I blinked them away.
“I was so angry. I just… couldn’t stop myself from being pissed off. Now I feel a little… sad, maybe? But I’m better with you than when you were in the kitchen with Vic. I want to be here.”
“Good.”
