“What are you planning?” Then my eyes widened in understanding, and I shot up in bed. “Oh, no. Max, don’t. You don’t want this to blow up in your face.”
He snorted and tumbled me on my back again. “Nothing’s going to happen. I have it in hand.”
“Max, dammit, wait—” His mouth cut off my words. “You don’t play fair,” I moaned against his lips.
Laughter rolled out of him as he deepened the kiss…
***
Pale light seeped into the bedroom as dawn broke. I woke to an empty bed. Max was gone. A sigh of disappointment escaped me at not waking up with him. He rarely slept, and it worried me, as did the pills he popped so regularly. For his headaches, he said.
One day at a time, I reminded myself. Being with Max this way, in this relationship and living together, was new for me. For both of us.
I glanced at the time and found a note blocking it. And there, beside it, so innocently, stood the nearly empty wine glass. My tummy dipped at just how he’d finished the half glass of merlot. Max was insatiable in his hunger for me, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.
I reached for the note. Opened it.Gone to the gym.
Setting it back on the nightstand, I rolled out of bed and grimaced, aching in just about every part of my body—in places I had no idea existed—and stumbled to the bathroom. A hot shower later, I put on jeans and a sleeveless, flamed-colored top with an embroidered hem.
At the sight of the twisted sheets, stained with red wine, heat filled my face. Before Ray saw this, and God knew she wouldn’t let it pass without some dry comment, I stripped the bed, put on fresh sheets, and dumped the used ones in the laundry.
I dumped the rest of the wine, and empty glass in hand, made my way downstairs. The aroma of eggs and bacon wafted in the air. Yep, Ray was off her vegan kick and was probably feeding all the little gremlins in her stomach starving for meat.
“Hey, sis. Made breakfast. Figured you’d need it.” She grinned, chewing on a slice of toast, her laptop opened in front of her. Her gaze skimmed over my face. “A late morning, and you still look exhausted. Max’s workout routine not good, huh?” she teased. “By the screams, I was so sure—”
“God, shut up, Ray!” I left the glass in the sink.
“—except, sexercise produces endorphins, which should make you smile,” Ray continued like she hadn’t heard me. “But you aren’t. Guess Max must be doing somethin’ wrong. Yeah, he could do with a belated birthday present. The Kama Sutra, yep, that ought to help—”
“Ray!” I slapped my hand over her mouth, heat spreading across my face, mortified that she’d heard us, but so glad Max wasn’t here for this. She must have come in early last night.
“Wot?” she asked, the word muffled beneath my hand, hazel eyes alight with mischief. Then she licked my palm.
“Ugh, gross.” Grimacing, I wiped my hand on my jeans.
Ray laughed. “I still can’t get over Max hammering Devyn. What a way to close a crappy chapter of your life. At least, I hope it’s the end. Devyn seemed really mad. Think he’s the vengeful type?”
I frowned. “I don’t think so. He usually dislikes confrontations.” But the influx of messages made me wary. I really didn’t want to rehash the ‘it’s over’ speech.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. He’s just a cheating shmuck.” Ray finished her caffeine intake then set the mug in the sink. “Righto, I’m off. Don’t wanna be late for class. Don’t wait up. I’m going straight to work after classes.”
“Hey, wait. How come you were home early last night?”
“Er, no reason.” Her lips twisted. “I had a ton of homework and had someone cover for me.” She grabbed her knapsack, gave me a one-arm hug, and like the wind, she vanished.
Something was off with my sister. Frowning, I padded to the fridge and got out an Oreo pudding.
Max walked into the kitchen, freshly showered. I smiled, until he took my sweet and set it aside. He kissed the scowl from my face, slow, deep, and decadently. And I forgot my displeasure.
When he finally let me go, I sagged against him. “What are you doing to me,” I moaned. “You touch me, and I can’t think straight.”
His lips quirked, but something flickered in his eyes, along with tenderness that made my breath catch. He smiled. “You do the same to me. Now, about breakfast?”
Since I knew he wouldn’t let me eat my pudding, I was happy to settle for the bacon and eggs, the aroma tormenting me.
“Sit,” he instructed, putting the pudding back in the fridge, and setting a yogurt near me. “Far healthier.”
A bowl of sliced fruits, milk, and juice appeared on the counter, followed by a box of organic cereal. I stared at him blankly. “But there’s bacon and eggs,” I protested. “Ray made them.”
