by Max Monroe
“Take your anger out on Milo?” I question. “What are you talking about?”
“I might have punched him.”
“Might have punched him, or you did punch him?”
He shrugs. “Minor details.”
“Jesus, Ev! You’re a lunatic!”
“Calm down, I didn’t punch him that hard. And you’re going to have to cut me a little slack here,” he retorts. “It’s not every day a guy finds out his best friend is in love with his little sister.”
My jaw falls into my lap. “What did you just say?”
“You heard me.”
“No,” I refute. “I’m pretty sure you have the details all wrong, Ev.”
He shakes his head. “How long have you known me?”
I roll my eyes. “As long as I’ve been alive.”
“Do you really think I have the details wrong?”
I start to disagree with him again, even though I know he’s the most detail oriented person I’ve ever met, but he doesn’t give me any time.
“He’s been here all night, you know,” he continues. “Worried sick about you. Practically pacing the linoleum off the waiting room floor.”
Milo is here? At the hospital? Still?
“And just so we’re clear, I got the details, the facts, from him,” he adds with the slightest hint of a smile. “He’s the one who told me how he feels about you. I guess if there’s any friend of mine I’d want to take care of my little sister, it’d be that fucking bastard,” Evan mutters, but I’m too lost in my own thoughts to even hear what he’s saying.
Milo is in love with me?
Milo
At a little after nine, I see Evan and Sadie off in the hospital lobby, wish them a safe flight and happy honeymoon, and head back up to the fifth floor to see Maybe.
While Evan chatted with her in her room, I went down to the cafeteria to grab a coffee and a donut. My neck and back are stiff and I slept like shit last night in the crappy chair beside Maybe’s bed, but if I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a damn thing.
There was no way I was going to leave her side.
By the time I reach her room, I gently push open the closed door and step inside to find a sight that has me both grinning and holding back laughter.
Maybe stands beside her hospital bed, one hand on her IV pole, the other hand reaching across the mattress to grab something off the bedside table. Her hospital gown is pushed forward toward her belly, and her cute little ass is bare and completely visible to my amused eyes.
She turns around and, instantly, her cheeks turn red.
“Shit,” she mutters and tries like hell to grip the hospital gown to hide what’s already been seen.
“It’s too late for that,” I tease and step toward her to offer a helping hand. “Also, I can’t deny I quite enjoyed the view.”
She huffs out a sigh as I hand her the cell phone.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
It takes her a minute to get adjusted back on the bed, her ass firmly and purposefully planted right on the mattress, and I take a seat in the chair beside her bed.
“You good now?”
“About as good and as awkward as I’m going to get.” She snorts, but then her face falls when she looks directly at me. “Oh my God, Milo! Your eye.”
Yeah. It’s red and already bruised around the edges; my buddy Evan definitely delivered with that punch. Directly into my left eye, that is. No doubt, I’ll have this shiner for a good week.
“It’s fine.” I wave it off and focus the conversation on the most important thing—her. “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” she says, and her voice drops to a near whisper. “Thank you for taking care of me last night. For getting me here. For staying here. Just…thank you.”
“I didn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Those chocolate eyes of hers search my gaze, but she doesn’t say anything.
And that’s fine by me. I have enough to say for the both of us.
“We have a lot to talk about.”
“We do?”
Like she doesn’t know we have a lot to talk about…
“You said you loved me,” I say, and her eyes go wide.
“What?”
“Last night. In this very room. You said you loved me.”
“I…uh…” She stumbles over her words, but I willingly let her off the hook.
“I love you too, Maybe.”
She bites her teeth into her bottom lip. “You do?”
“I do.”
A smile kisses her lips, but as fast as it appears, it’s gone. “Oh God.” She groans. “This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.”
“How what’s supposed to go?”
“The big romantic ending,” she explains. “Like in movies. It’s supposed to be this big thing with, like, rain and shit. Not bad appendixes and surgery and IV tubing.”
I want to laugh. “Does it really matter?”
“No. I guess not.” She shrugs one annoyed shoulder. “I mean, I would’ve preferred the rain or like a rainbow or something, but I guess the Jell-O is at least multicolored.”
I actually laugh this time.
But then I lean forward, gently lift her into my lap, and press my lips to hers.
She wraps her arms around my neck, smiles against my mouth, and I don’t hesitate to deepen the kiss a bit, slipping my tongue past her lips and letting her know I mean every fucking word I’ve said.
“I love you, kid,” I say again, staring deep into her eyes and putting a hand to the side of her face. “That night at your apartment, I didn’t stop things because I didn’t want to be with you. I more than wanted to be with you. I am in love with you. I didn’t want to have sex. I wanted to make love, and that couldn’t happen until we both had our feelings for each other sorted out.”
“You handled it terribly,” she says and then adds, “But I did too.”
“We both did.”
“You really love me?”
“I definitely love you.”
“I love you too.” She presses a kiss to my mouth. “I just have one final question.”
I smirk. “And what’s that?”
“Deflower me, please?”
A cheeky little smirk lifts the corners of her mouth, and I laugh.
I’m going to do more than that. One day, I’m going to marry you, kid.
Maybe
Four weeks later…
Between my mom and Milo fussing over me after my surgery, my first official day at Beacon House, and more of Milo and Betty fussing, four weeks have flown by like the damn wind.
But stitches and pain meds and an appendectomy aside, it’s been the best month of my life.
Milo and I are official. An us. A we. A sure-fucking-thing.
And my first day at Beacon House was more than I could have imagined.
I am Maybe Willis, junior editor at one of the biggest publishing houses in the industry.
I have my own office. My own desk. My own flipping stapler.
Hell, I even have a sign on my door with my freaking name on it.
I am legit. The real deal.
And Bruce was worried my degree in books wouldn’t get me anywhere. As if.
I spot an open seat on the subway and plop my ass down. Eight hours in these brand-new heels proved to be a test in real strength and my feet complained the whole damn day, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
There was no way I was going to show up for my first official day on the job and look anything but fabulous. I’ll deal with the blisters later.
The subway jolts and whines as it heads up the tracks, and I pull my phone out of my purse to find a text message from Milo.
Instantly, I smile like the lovesick idiot I am.
Goddamn, everything really came up roses.
Milo: Where in the hell are you, kid? I have three bags of Mexican takeout sitting here waiting for you.
When I left his apartm
ent this morning, he made me promise to come back home—yes, he said home—to his place after work so I could tell him all about my day and he could feed me takeout from my favorite restaurant.
Me: If there aren’t crunchy tacos and chips and salsa, I’m not coming.
Milo: That’s cute, smartass. What’s your ETA?
I glance up to see his apartment is now only one stop away.
Me: Ten minutes, tops. Your stop is the next stop.
Milo: Pretty sure you mean YOUR stop is the next stop.
I furrow my brow in confusion.
Me: But I’m coming to YOUR place…
Milo: Exactly. And by the end of the night, I’m going to convince you to move out of Evan’s old apartment and become my permanent roommate.
Me: Is this your clever way of asking me to move in with you?
Milo: If I say yes, is it working?
The subway begins to slow down, and I glance up to see we’ve arrived at my stop.
Me: Hold that thought. I’m getting off the subway now.
Off the train, through the evening rush of people, I head up the stairs and onto the sidewalk.
And when I catch my reflection in the window of an expensive chocolate shop, I don’t miss the stupid grin that is apparently permanently tattooed on my face now.
Holy moly. I’m a loon. A happy, in-love, fucking loon.
I wave to Gill when he opens the lobby door of Milo’s building and briefly chat with him about his wife and kids while I wait for the elevator.
“Have a good night, Ms. Willis,” he says as I step onto the waiting cart.
“You too, Gill.” I smile, and he taps in the code for the penthouse level. “Oh, and next time you see Milo, don’t forget to give him shit for the Yankees losing last night.”
“Will do.” His responding chuckles follow me several floors up.
When the doors open, Milo is standing there, bare feet, jeans, and a simple white T-shirt.
God, he’s handsome.
“Took you long enough, kid,” he teases, and I drop my bags and stride right out of the elevator and jump up into his arms.
“Well, hello there,” he says through a shocked laugh as I wrap my legs around his waist. “What do I—”
With my mouth to his, I cut him off completely.
It takes a second or two for him to understand what I’m putting down here, but eventually, he does. He deepens the kiss, slipping his tongue into my mouth, and before I know it, he turns on his bare feet and has my back pressed up against the wall.
Oh yes, please.
I moan against his lips, and he doesn’t disappoint.
His hands grip my ass, and I can feel his growing arousal against me.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
I’m desperate for him. My body damn near shaking with need. And I try like hell to convince him we need to relocate so I can remove all of his stupid clothes.
“To the bedroom,” I say through a moan. “Take us to the bedroom.”
“Always in such a rush.” He smiles against my mouth. “And I think you’ve forgotten about the food.”
“Fuck the food.”
He laughs. “Fuck the food?”
“Yes.” The impatience in my voice is more than obvious. “Forget about the food and take me to your bedroom.”
He presses his arousal against me. “And what exactly are we going to do in our bedroom?”
“Get naked. Get…” I pause and lean back to meet his eyes. “Hold up. Did you just say our bedroom?”
“That’s exactly what I said.”
“So, you were serious?” I question. “You really want me to move in with you?”
“Maybe…” His blue eyes search mine. “I’m in love with you, kid. And when I see my future, I see you and me, together. I see us waking up together. And I see us going to bed together at night. I want and need you to move in with me.”
If my heart grew any bigger inside my chest, it might start cracking ribs.
“I’m in love with you too,” I whisper, and emotion starts to clog my throat. “And I want that future too.”
Literally the future I’ve always dreamed of…
“Well then, what are we waiting for?” he questions and leans forward to kiss my lips softly. “Let’s start our future right now. Tonight.”
“Wait…does this mean you’re finally going to deflower me?”
“No, kid.” His lips crest up into a giant fucking smile. “This means I’m going to marry you.”
He’s going to marry me? Holy wedding bells, I’m so in.
“You are?”
He nods. “I am.”
I tilt my head to the side, narrowing my eyes and using the opportunity to tease him a bit. “Don’t I get a say in this? It’s not the eighteenth century, you know,” I say and rub my nose against his. “Arranged marriages aren’t a thing anymore. Ole Bruce isn’t going to sell me off for some kind of bridal dowry. And I sure as shit don’t want to lose my virginity on my wedding night.”
He quirks a teasing brow. “Is that right?”
“That’s a certainty.”
“Well, then I guess we have some things to accomplish before I get down on one knee, huh?”
I snort. “You bet your tight ass, we do.”
He laughs the whole way toward the bedroom, and once we step inside the master, he tosses me onto the mattress. My ass bounces softly against the plush material, and Milo stares down at me like I’m his favorite fucking meal.
Oh, hell yes.
“Before I have my wicked way with you,” he says and takes off his T-shirt. “You’re moving in with me?”
“Yes.”
He grins and removes his jeans and boxer briefs.
Then it’s my turn to grin. I also lick my lips because…Milo’s cock is right there. Bared for my greedy eyes.
“And you’re going to deflower me,” I state.
“Uh-huh.” He crawls onto the bed, and I watch in rapt fascination as he removes my stilettos and my skirt and my panties.
By the time he starts to unbutton my blouse, my nipples are hard and I’m clenching my thighs.
“But not right now,” he adds, moving the rest of the way up my body.
Wait…what?
“Not right now?” I question. “What in the hell does that mean?”
He smirks and leans forward to suck one pert nipple into his mouth. I moan when he circles his tongue around it. Boy oh boy, can this man play me like I’m his own personal instrument.
He releases it with a soft pop and moves the rest of the way up my body until we’re completely skin-on-skin, our eyes locked and our lips just inches from each other. “It means soon. But not right now.”
I frown. I can’t help it. I’m ready for the deflowering.
Milo, put your P in my V kind of all in.
“There’s no need to pout, kid. I can guarantee you’re going to love what’s in store for you.”
I start to ask him what that means, but by the time the words are on the tip of my tongue, Milo’s moved down my body until his face is between my now-spread thighs.
Oh. So, that’s what he means…
“Double pleasure?” he asks with a cheeky grin, and I roll my eyes.
“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
He shakes his head and reaches out to place one long lick against me.
Holy moly.
“But I’m sure you don’t mind since I’m planning on spending a lot of time down here. Taking my time. Tasting and savoring this perfect pussy.”
Well, who can get upset after that?
Not this girl.
“By all means, proceed.”
And he does. Milo pro-fucking-ceeds to give me all the damn pleasure I can handle.
Milo
After I played with Maybe all night, making her moan and tremble and come against my tongue and around my fingers, she fell into a deep sleep on our bed. Naked, a teeny smile on her lips, and her chest softly rising
and falling as cute little snores escaped her nose. I watched for a good hour before I finally left her to sleep in peace and headed into my home office to finish up some work that was too important to let go another day.
And I’m not talking Fuse kind of work.
But something else. Something even more important.
Something that is one-hundred-percent related to that beautiful sleeping goddess in my bed.
Well, our bed, actually. Mine and Maybe’s.
As of tonight, I’ve convinced her to move in with me.
And next month, I’m going to take it one step further.
I’m going to ask her to marry me.
It might seem a little fast to some, but to me, it’s not fast enough.
That woman is my world, the rest of my life, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to waste any more time diving straight into our forever. Marriage. Babies. The whole-fucking-shebang. I want it all, and I want it with Maybe.
Hell, I’ll even move to the suburbs, get the white picket fence, and strap our future kid in one of those Baby Bjorns around my chest if that’s what will make her happy.
I grin at the mental image that conjures as I click to open the one email I’ve been waiting on.
To: Milo Ives
From: Dave Wilson
Milo,
The ring will be ready by Monday.
Your design turned out damned beautiful.
I’ve attached a photo below for you to see for yourself.
Don’t hesitate to call my cell if you need anything.
Sincerely,
Dave Wilson
Infinity Diamonds
New York, New York
I click to open the photo, and the sight of it has me mentally patting myself on the back and grinning like a lovesick son of a bitch.
In the center of the photo sits a twisted pavé rose-gold band with the most exquisite pale pink diamond in the center. Goddamn. Dave was right. It’s beautiful.
That pink is Maybe’s favorite color, and per Lena’s discreet advice, it’s the exact color of my girl’s aura—whatever the fuck that means.