Fear sets in and I start shaking. I can’t stop shaking. Max pulls me close to him and just holds me. I hear him cursing as he tries to reassure me, “Jaycee, trust me. Trust your family.” The men in my family and him? My body jolts with fear for them. He said he was coming back. He promised and he’s keeping his promise.
After a few minutes, Max gets me calm enough that I put on my helmet and after he gets on his bike and starts it, I hop back on the bike. I’m in a daze and I’m just sitting there when I feel him reach back for my hands and he pulls them around his waist. “Hold on tight, Jaycee. I got you.”
Chapter 26
When we pull back up at the cabin, Max and I just sit still. Or I do. He’s waiting for me. He reaches one of his hands back and starts rubbing my leg. His touch is warm and soothing and I drop my head to his shoulder and start to cry. I don’t know how any tears are left inside of me. The pain and fear I’m feeling for my family is so overwhelming that I feel like all I can do is shut down but Max isn’t going to let me. In this moment, I would choose the pain of being hit and my body bruised all over again, over this pain and fear I have for everyone. I must say that out loud, because Max twists around and grabs me by the waist and pulls me to his front so I sit on his lap sideways.
He reaches over and unsnaps my helmet and drops it the seat behind us and then does the same with his. He gently reaches up for my chin and turns my face towards him and his eyes are glassy. He clears his throat. “Jayc,” he whispers, “Please. Don’t ever say that. My beautiful girl with the green eyes and freckles, you’re breaking my heart.” He takes a deep breath. “No one deserves what happened to you. Ever.” He searches my face. “I know you’re barely holding on, but I got you,” he says, and he reaches up with both hands and cups my face and brings my face to his. “I can’t live without you, so I need you to fight for yourself but on the inside too. Fight the demons in your heart and head,” he says, and he pulls my head down and kisses my forehead. “Don’t let him get in here,” he says against my forehead. I feel his warm breath and then his lips again. “Don’t let him in here.”
Just sitting like that, he’s soothed me again. I’m not sure how long we sit like that but I feel a gust of wind and we both look up just in time to hear a soft roll of thunder and I can see a lightning strike in the distance. He lifts me up and stands me on my feet beside the bike and then he kicks the kickstand down and exits the bike as he’s looking around at the sky. “We need to find a radio to see if we can hear any weather updates, because this looks like it’s about to get bad.” As he’s speaking the sky is darkening and the thunder is getting louder. Bolts of lightning start lighting up the sky and the wind gusts are picking up, whipping my hair around.
“Gotta get you inside and park my bike in the garage. Come on,” he says, and he grabs my hand and pulls me to the back door. He pulls the key from his pocket and unlocks the door just as the first few drops start to fall. “Get inside and see if you can find a radio and candles, just in case,” he says and then he gives me a peck. “I’ll be right back,” he says, and he walks over to his bike and starts pushing it towards the garage. Once he has it inside the rain starts coming down in sheets. I turn to the cabin and start looking around for the candles and matches or a lighter. I remember seeing them in the drawer by the sink so I check there first and sure enough, still there. I get them out and set them up around the cabin’s kitchen area and then I walk to the back room where we have a couple of storage cabinets next to our washer and dryer. I open them and start looking around the shelves and find a small radio. I pull it down and turn it on, but it’s dead. I look around the kitchen and find few unopened packs of batteries, in different sizes. Once I load the batteries, I turn it on and can only hear static, so I start turning the knob for a station. I find one and the DJ is already talking about the weather.
I hear the back door open and Max walks through, dripping wet. Holy heck, if he didn’t look so hot right now I’d laugh at him being drenched. For a minute, I just stare at him as he looks around for a towel. I let myself forget and just take in all that is Max. My mind falls into all that he is and my heart follows. How did I get to be so blessed? I’m totally head over heels in love with Maxwell “Blue” Bradshaw.
I turn back to the radio and turn the volume up enough to hear the DJ announce the county is under a severe thunderstorm warning with dangerous lightning and to stay indoors.
“Jayc.” When I look back Max is walking in shirtless and has a towel drying off his chest and then his hair and when he’s done, he tosses the towel on the back of one of the kitchen chairs. “Let’s get a few candles lit just in case we lose power,” he says, and as if by his mere suggestion, the lights start flickering. I shake off the image of Max shirtless in front of me and walk to the counter and grab the matches and light a few candles and then there’s a flash of bright lightning like I’ve never seen before, and it lights up the outside sky to a striking blue and I watch, mesmerized. The inside of the cabin lights up along with the sky, the light so bright that its intensity shines brightly through the sheer curtains that hang from the windows and then the lights go out. Hypnotized by the light, I forget to prepare for what I know is coming next and when the loud booming clap of thunder happens, I jump and scream for what seems like a solid minute. Tense at all, Jaycee? “Jesus, Mary, Christ Almighty,” I exclaim, clutching my chest.
I feel Max come up and wrap me in his arms, pulling me close, and I feel his body shaking. He’s chuckling. “Jayc, we’re safe in here,” he says, and he’s still chuckling but I can tell he’s trying to hold back a full-blown laugh. “Holy heck, Max. Sorry,” I say, and he lets out a loud laugh.
“It’s okay. Not going to lie, that scared me too. I need you to stay strong. I may need you to hold me through this,” and he starts laughing again. “Aww, is my big brave Max scared?” I tease, and I wrap my arms around his waist and pull him into a hug as I look up at him, smiling. I see he has a full-on smile going, with his dimples showing deep and his teeth shining bright. “If I say yes can we stay like this?” he asks, and he drapes his arms on my shoulders and leans down to kiss me.
He doesn’t need to say anything because we’re just standing still like this anyway. The DJ announces he’ll be on every little while with updates on the storm, and the music starts to play again. Max leans down and kisses me as I pull my hands from his back and slide them up his chest. As we kiss, Lady Antebellum, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” comes on and Max pulls back from the kiss and takes me in his arms and we start slow dancing around the kitchen. I run my hands up his neck and then wrap them behind his neck as his hands are resting at my waist pulling us closer. We start slowly moving together with our bodies so close we can barely move. I turn my face into his neck and kiss him as he lowers his head and I feel his lips at my neck then behind my ear. When his tongue softly touches me there, I shiver and he brings his lips back to mine and we start softly kissing, our tongues teasing each other. His hands move up my back, to my neck and into my hair and then he gently fists the strands and pulls my head back. His lips and tongue travel from one side of my neck to the other. I dig my nails into his back and try not to fall over.
He starts walking me backwards until I hit the wall and then he leans down and deepens the kiss. I reach up and put my hands to his shoulders, pulling him even closer if that’s possible. He lowers his hands to my butt and lifts me until my legs are wrapped around his waist. As he leans into me, I feel him against me and I lift my hips to him and we start moving in sync. I drop my head back against the wall and just let myself feel as his hand makes its way to the inside of my shirt and up and when he reaches my bra, he pulls it down and starts rubbing the palm of his hand across me and I harden and moan. He pulls his hand out and lifts me. “Hold on, Jaycee,” he says, and I wrap my hands around his neck as he pulls back and walks the few feet to the bed and lays me down. He stands back up and grabs my leg and starts unbuckling my bo
ot and then pulls it off and drops it to the floor, then does the same with my other boot. He pulls down my leggings and then pulls me up to sit and reaches down to pull off my shirt. I’m wearing a pair of black lacy boy short panties and a simple black lace bra that I grabbed when we stopped at Target on the way here. It’s not Victoria’s Secret but it seems to be okay with Max, because he’s staring down at me.
He brings his fingertips to my collarbone and then lightly traces a path down and around my breasts, down across my tummy and to my hips where his thumbs graze me and he continues to my legs. He pulls my legs up and around his waist as he comes down on top of me and we start kissing. We finally break for air as his lips start traveling down my neck, then to each breast and towards my tummy. His hand is caressing me up and down on top of my panties and it’s driving me crazy. I keep trying to push myself into him and then he stops. He pulls back and quickly pulls my panties down my legs. Keeping his eyes to me, he kneels beside the bed and pulls me towards him and drapes my legs over his shoulder and then I feel him there, tasting me. He has me there in no time and when one hand reaches up and pulls the cup of my bra down and then pinches me while his other hand reaches down and two of his fingers find their way inside of me, I explode. I’m pretty sure I lose consciousness. I feel Max adjusting my body and then reaching behind me to unsnap my bra and pull it down my arms. I open my eyes to see him standing looking down at me as he unbuckles his belt and then unbuttons his jeans.
“Fuck, Jayc, that was beautiful. I need you to do it again,” and he unzips his pants and sits on the edge of the bed and starts pulling off his boots. I lazily reach over and start rubbing him and when he gets his boots off he leans back on his elbows and gives me access. I turn over and lift up on my hands and knees and then crawl over to him and kiss his chest, then I lick my way down as I take one of my hands and slide it under his jeans and briefs and find him hard but soft as velvet. When my mouth gets closer I pull my hand out and start pushing his pants down so he lifts his hips to help me. I don’t pull them all the way off, just enough to get my mouth on him. He falls back to the bed and brings one hand to the back of my head to hold it steady and he starts to softly thrust into my mouth. I get the message and I start taking him deeper and I pick up my pace. I reach down and caress him as I do this and his hips jolt off the bed. I can feel his taste getting strong. “Jayc.” It’s a warning, but I don’t stop because this is turning me on too. The hand on my head pushes down a little and I try to take him deeper. “Jaycee, if you don’t stop I’m going to come in your mouth and not you,” and he picks up his thrusting. “If you want me inside you then you need to stop right now.” Yes, I want that, so I stop and sit up on my knees. He sits up and grabs me behind my neck, pulling my lips to his. With his other hand, he’s pushing his jeans off. When he gets them off, he pulls back from my lips.
“On your belly, Jayc.” I’ve never done this, but I turn and roll onto my belly and I feel him pull me up by my hips so I’m on my knees. Then he slides his hand up my back, pushing my upper body down flush with the mattress. “If you don’t like this, tell me, okay?” he says, and he’s rubbing his finger up and down me, getting me even more turned on. Oh, I like this. When he thinks I’m ready he shifts behind me and slowly enters me. Once he’s in, he grabs me by the hips and pulls me back as he goes forward. Yes, I really like this. Oh. My. God, this feels too good. I can’t help but pant and moan. He reaches down and pulls me up so my back is to his front and he’s resting on his knees and he puts his hand to my cheek and turns my lips to his and we kiss. He holds me to him with one arm wrapped tightly around my belly as I bring one arm to rest on top of his and then another to reach back around his neck and hold on. He starts moving and we do this until I can’t take it anymore and drop forward and beg for more. “Please, Max. Please,” and I push back into him.
“Okay Jaycee. Hang on,” he says, and he grabs my hips and starts thrusting into me hard and his fingers are digging into my hips and mine are digging into the bed covers. Like this, I feel him more and I can’t help but push back into him. “Touch yourself Jayc, hurry,” and I do as he says. It takes less than a minute before I explode again and I feel him pick up his pace and then he’s in me hard and explodes then stills. He pulls back a few seconds later and does it again, and then one more time and I collapse onto my belly and he follows on top of me. We lay like that for a couple of seconds and when he realizes I probably can’t breathe, he pulls up onto his elbows and kisses my neck and pulls out. He falls to his back and we both just lay there for a few minutes. He finally sits up and walks over to the kitchen chair and grabs the towel. He comes back over to me and tenderly wipes me clean, and then himself, and lays back down next to me and pulls me into his arms. We stay like that for a long while, listening to the storm. After a while it moves away into the distance and the sounds of the thunder fade. “I love you, Jaycee,” and he pulls in even tighter. “I love you, too, Max,” I say, and I relax into him. “Forever and a day. Because forever will never be long enough.”
The rest of the day we talk about everything and explore each other. Always touching. Trying to memorize each other. We only get up to eat and Max goes outside after the storm to check on things. Later that night the power kicks back on but Max just gets up, blows out the couple of candles that are still burning, turns out the lights, and comes back to bed. I turn on my side as he comes up behind me. We’re touching from head to toe and his arm is draped over me and mine over his with our fingers laced. We fall asleep like that and when we wake in the morning to a car pulling up next to the cabin, we’re still in the same position, fingers still laced.
Chapter 27
When we hear the car pulling up, Max pulls away from me and gets out of bed to go to the window and looks out. “Jayc, Bradley and Connor are here and they are grabbing a bunch of bags out of the trunk.”
This gets my attention and I jump out of bed, excited to see what Aunt Paige got me and what Aunt Savannah cooked. I rush to find clothes and grab a pair of shorts and my hoodie and throw them on as Max walks over and grabs his jeans and puts them on as they’re knocking on the door. Max walks over and opens it and after a quick hello, he takes the bags from them and sets them on one of the beds as I rush past him and hug Bradley and then Connor.
After hugs and starting coffee, Bradley opens a bag containing a dozen homemade sausage kolache. I love these. The sausage my aunt Savannah uses isn’t as strong as some people use, and the bread is flakey and still warm. I shove one in my mouth as I grab another and start to shove that one in my mouth when I notice no one else is eating because they’re watching me be a pig. But they’re smiling. I guess they’re happy to see me eating and excited about something. I shrug my shoulders and keep going.
“Keep going, but be careful you don’t lose a finger shoving those in your face,” Bradley jokes and winks as Connor pulls out a bottle of strawberry milk and hands it to me and when my eyes bug out Bradley starts laughing. I open it and start chugging it down and then smile at Bradley. “Thanks Bradley!” I exclaim, and he starts laughing.
“Boy, you weren’t lying. She loves that stuff!” Connor says to Bradley. “May want to note that Maximillian,” and he winks at Max. “She also like pancakes shaped as Mickey Mouse,” Bradley adds, blowing me a kiss. “Who doesn’t?” Connor adds.
Max is grinning at us but then turns to Connor. “It’s just Max, short for Maxwell, but you can call me Blue like everyone else,” he says, and he looks over to me and smiles. He’s telling me Max is still just mine.
“Blue, huh?” and Connor shakes his head, relaying he likes it. “Blue it is,” he says, and he walks over and takes one of the coffee mugs Bradley has pulled down from the cabinet and makes himself a cup and we all follow doing the same.
We sit eating and chatting as Connor talks about the few plans they’ve made for their upcoming wedding. Looks like they want to have it down by the San Antonio River and fell in love w
ith pictures they saw of the Guenther House online, so they’re hoping to have it there. They also made arrangements to look at a couple of apartments at the Vistana. Connor is a surgical nurse and it’s close to Santa Rosa Hospital, where he’s taken a job. Bradley has decided to make the commute into work with my dad at his construction company. Bradley, like all the men in my family, have worked with my dad on projects through the years.
After we eat, Bradley walks back out to his Crossfire and grabs a couple of cases and a bag from the trunk and comes back in. I know right off what they are, guns and ammo. Shit.
When he walks back in, he sets them down and points to the bags Max had taken from them and set on the bed. “Go take your shower or whatever you need to do and there’s your clothes. You got it all and then some. Aunt Paige threw in jewelry too,” he says and shakes his head like it’s silly. Then Connor chimes in, “Bradley, girls need glitter and shine all the time. There’s nothing wrong with that,” and I jerk my head to Connor and smile. I just met my true soul mate. “Okay, whatever,” he says, and points at me and Max and then the back room where the shower is. “While y’all do what y’all need to do, I’m going to show Connor around the property and then we’re going to set up some targets in the field. It sucks that all the blue bonnets are gone. That would have been a sight. A sea of blue blowing in the wind. Always breathtaking.” He’s looking off in the distance, remembering. With that, he walks out the door with Connor following and they go in the garage to look for things to shoot.
Max and I shower together, but other than some kissing and light petting because we can’t help it, we hurry to get out and get dressed. Max grabs his bag and pulls out another pair of jeans, socks, and a Wounded Warrior Dri-fit shirt that’s snug across his chest and arms. Holy heck, he’s hot. I shake my head and pull out a pair of Rock and Republic faded blue jeans with studded back pocket and flared legs, a green, wide boat neck, off-the-shoulder top that’s fitted at the waist and a black leather belt with silver studs. Aunt Paige knows me so well. There are a couple more outfits, but I go with this. I grab a green strapless lacy bra—again, she’s thought of everything—and the lacy brief-style panties that match and I get dressed. Same makeup routine, only this time I throw on a little of my favorite Shiseido face moisturizer and then blush, eyeliner, mascara, and a little bit of peach lip gloss. I brush out my hair, run the blow dryer over it and then pull it back in a clip. I grab a pair of silver hoops and a butterfly ring from James Avery.
Falling Into Blue Page 17