“I already have the world.” He tipped my chin so I was looking at him. “You’re all that matters to me in this whole world.”
My lips betrayed the cool confidence my brain told my body to portray. My face broke out into a huge smile. “You don’t play fair.”
“I’m not playin’ at all, sweetheart.” His voice was heavy, his accent thick in the late hour. “I know I ask you to marry me all the time and it sounds like a joke at this point. I guess it kinda is because I know you’re gonna say no. But know this…” He bent down until our eyes were even. His greens pierced mine, cutting through all the crap that I tried to hide. “I’d marry you in a heartbeat. I’d be so damn honored to call you my wife. Okay?”
“Okay,” I whispered, trying to fight the swell in my chest.
“I mean it. I know there’s a bunch of garbage in your head, but I’m tellin’ you right now it’s a bunch of shit. All that matters is me and you.” He kissed my forehead. “I’m not sure what’s going on in there,” he said, tapping my temple gently, “but I’m gonna figure it out and fix it.”
He rolled onto his back, looking at the ceiling. “I don’t want you thinkin’ I’m pressuring you or anything. I just want you to know where I stand.”
“I love you,” I said softly, not sure what else to say. The simple truth seemed like the best response. They were words I usually had a hard time saying, words I didn’t want to toss out there. But Max just made it so easy.
“I know ya do. And I love you, too.”
I pulled the blankets up, feeling a sudden chill. I was getting deeper and deeper into this relationship when I should’ve been putting some distance between us.
I was making a huge mistake and I knew it. I just couldn’t do anything about it.
“I feel like I’m wasting your time,” I whispered.
“How’s that?” he asked, his voice sounding bored.
“Because you want to get married and do all that. And your family wants it for you, as they should.”
“I don’t give a damn what they want. I want you.”
“But—”
“No buts.” He pressed a finger to my lips, quieting me. “Did you see Joselyn?”
I nodded.
“If you don’t want kids, we’ll just turn Isa’s kids into little tyrants. We’ll spoil them rotten and they’ll love us. We’ll sugar them all up and then send them home to her. Or to my mom’s,” he laughed, making me laugh, too.
I scooted over and nestled my head into the crook of his neck. “Sam said that any woman would be lucky to have your kid. She’s right, you know.”
“Well, my mom said you were a part of our family. She’s right, too, you know.” He let his fingers trail down my back, his touch leaving a wake of goose bumps in their path. “I told Sam that our relationship was strictly professional yesterday.”
“You did?”
“I did. I know you don’t like her, but you honestly have nothin’ to worry about when it comes to her.”
“She asked me to have lunch with her tomorrow.”
Max laughed. “She did?”
“Yup.”
“What did you say?”
“I said I’d call her in the morning.”
Max let his fingers stroke the skin beneath the silky fabric of my nightgown. “I think you should go. It might do her some good to have a friend.”
“She has Brielle,” I countered.
“And Brielle isn’t doing you any favors. Maybe you should go just to calm your nerves about her.”
