"I appreciate this, really I do, but why don't you go home and get some sleep? Surely you must be shattered too." I say, ready to fall asleep myself as he slowly starts to massage my shoulders.
"What and leave you here in this house all alone?"
"I'm a big girl Max, I'm sure I'll be perfectly safe." I feel his body vibrate behind me on a laugh. This right here, right now is my idea of heaven. I could stay like this, warm in his arms with no worries whatsoever, for a very long time.
"How about I show you around my place tomorrow?"
"I'd love that. It will be interesting to see how the elusive Max Wild lives." I joke. Although I can't deny that I'm curious. If I had to guess I'd say he lives in an apartment - one that would be perfect for hosting fun fuelled nights in with the lads. I suppose I won't have to wait too long to find out.
"Tonight you'll sleep; tomorrow we'll be doing nothing but each other angel." Pulling me against him so my back is to his chest, I relish in the promise of those words.
It takes a couple of moments for my mind to register where I am. I open my eyes to find perfect blue ones reflecting back at me. My hearts flutters as I take in the sight of this beautiful creature laid out in front of me.
"Morning. How did you sleep?" I wouldn’t mind his voice waking me up every morning, that’s for sure.
"Umm, hi." I say shyly. "How long have you been watching me?" I don't think I actually want to know the answer to my question. It's not every day you wake up to find someone watching you sleep. I hope I wasn't drooling, that would be pretty embarrassing.
"Not long, you're pretty cute when you sleep."
"Oh god, don't. Should I be worried? I'm getting the feeling that you're actually some weird creep who gets off on watching people sleep." I jokingly tease him. I find it kind of sweet that he's been watching me. It's like it is in the movies. Not a romantic, my arse. I roll over onto my front and lean my head onto my hand so I can get a better view of him. I'm still blown away that I can see the ocean from where I am propped up on the bed. I could really get used to waking up to this every day. I still can't believe I am staying here; it must be costing a fucking fortune.
"If I remember correctly, you promised to show me where you live today." I remind him. I'm quite excited at the prospect of learning more about him. Apparently you can tell a lot about a person through there humble abode as it's where they're most comfortable. I'm thinking he's most definitely going to be a party man.
"I'll show you whenever you want angel."
"Awesome. Can we grab a coffee first? I need my caffeine first thing in a morning otherwise I'm a right grumpy cow."
"Not a problem." He laughs. "How about I make some coffee at mine? I promise it's not too far." Leaning against me I feel his erection pressing into my hips. The contact of his skin against mine does all things kind of crazy to me. "Or... We could always stay here in bed." His voice low and husky has me weakening by the second. His lips trail along my jaw and slowly down my neck in a bid to persuade me to stay here with him.
"As amazing as that sounds lover boy, there'll be plenty of time for that later. I can think of a few things we could do over at yours.
"Baby, I'd love too. In that case, why don't we re-christen this bed?"
Looking at me expectantly, it takes a while for what he has just said to me to sink in. "What?"
"What, what?"
"You live here, in this beast of a house? You own all of this?" I ask, completely gobsmacked.
"Yes, this is where I live Jess. I'm glad you like it." His face is impassive as he answers me.
“Holy fucking shit Max, it's bloody huge."
"So I've been told, angel." Smiling that beautiful smile he pulls me towards him.
"I mean the house." I swat him lightly on his chest, electricity instantly course through my body. I want him so bad, but I won’t let him change my mind. "So Mal really didn't put me up here then?" I say more to myself. Bloody hell Jess, talk about stating the obvious.
"Why would you need to stay in a hotel when you can stay here with me?"
"Because, I need to concentrate on my job. That's the reason that I'm here. Not getting distracted by the boss. You're far too much of a distraction for me Max and you bloody well know it too."
"So let me distract you for a while, I promise you'll enjoy it."
I always seem to give into him far too easily. That’s something that I definitely need to work on otherwise nothing will ever get done. Not to mention that I can feel myself falling more and more for this beautiful, yet soul destroying man. That's what going to happen to me when this comes to an end. I can't deny that it won't happen. Too much stands in our way, especially distance, for us to be together. I should walk away, put a stop too this, but it's hopeless. I wouldn't be able to stay away even if I tried. I just hope it will be worth the pain that I will face later on down the line.
I finally find the strength to prize myself away from him. I'm torn between spending time with this sexy hunk and exploring his home.
"Come on, I want to check this bad boy out properly."
"Knock yourself out and make yourself at home. I'll still be here with a raging hard-on painfully waiting for your return."
"Coffee, a quick look around this beautiful house and then I promise, you'll have my undivided attention. How does that sound?" I can see he is putting a lot of thought into his answer, maybe to see if he can get around me somehow.
"You're not going to give up on this one are you?" He asks. I shake my head at him, happy that I am about to get my own way. "Ahh, I suppose I can't keep you here against your will. Or actually maybe I could."
I jump back as he tries to make a grab for my waist. "Ain't gonna happen lover boy. Come on, come on, let's get moving." Clapping my hands at him, he finally climbs out of bed and stands facing me in all his naked glory. Damn, maybe we should just stay in bed all day.
"What am I going to do with you, hey angel?" Oh I could think of a few things, but that would be defeating my argument.
I wait patiently, or as patiently as I can by the door as Max takes his sweet arse time getting dressed. I know he's doing it deliberately. I was in and out of the shower in five minutes flat. Max however, decided that he'd have a more leisurely one.
"You don't have to wait for me you know. There's no one else around."
"I know, but knowing my luck, I’ll probably break something that would take my whole life slaving away to pay for a replacement. Plus I need you to show me where the kitchen is." I'm quite enjoying watching him get dressed, but he doesn't need to know that's one of the reasons why I'm still stood here. Finally, after taking the royal piss getting dressed, he is by my side.
"After you angel." Seriously, he's worse than Jen when it comes to getting ready.
The house is more breath taking than I remember it being last night. It's very modern on the inside, exceptionally neat and presentable. Everything in here seems to have its own place. Maybe he has a little bit of O.C.D. I'm carried down the stairs and then through to the open foyer which centralises the whole house. We turn right into another room that can only be the kitchen. A huge island takes centre place in the room. Flowers are placed here and there which give off a warm and cosy feel to the otherwise grey and white room. The house definitely has a masculine feel to it. I was obviously too jet lagged to notice last night or my mind has only just registered it because I am now aware that this is Max's home.
"Wow.” I say. “Max it really is beautiful." I would love to be able to live in a house like this. I don't even want to know how much this would have cost him.
"Thanks. I'm glad you like it." His voice is soft and gentle as he wanders around his home.
"So I'm guessing this is where all the parties happen?" I can imagine Max hosting some of the most rowdiest parties, similar to the hangover. How I would hate to have to clean up the mess the next day.
"I don't have parties here. I'm extremely private when it comes to my personal life. Only clos
e friends and family come around here."
He's got to be joking. No fucking way does he not host monthly or bi-monthly piss ups here. If I lived here, Jen would be inviting the whole of London around every week.
"You're the only woman who I have been involved with that has ever come back here. I like to have fun, I don't deny that but I don't believe in shitting where you eat, if you know what I mean?"
Wow. That shocks me. How can I be the only woman who has been back here when Max lives here? He's told me about his womanising ways, I guess that counts for something. Will he ever stop surprising me?
"So, the lady wants a coffee?"
"Yes sir. Now snap too it, while I take in these amazing views.”
I leave Max in the kitchen and head back to the patio area. It's quite hot outside and it's not even past ten in the morning. I look out to the ocean, welcoming the heat on my face as I wonder how long he has lived here. Does he get lonely living here all by himself? From what he has told me so far, he's quite reserved, but what does he do for fun apart from women?
"Cappuccino for the lady." His voice pulls me from my thoughts. I have to quint my eyes to see him as its so bright outside.
"Thank you. How long have you lived here?" I ask.
My mouth is once again working before my mind has a chance to think. I hope he doesn't think I'm rude asking all of these questions as I'm invading his personal space already. I just want to know as much about him as possible.
"Such and inquisitive little thing aren't you?" He teases and knocks his knee against mine before giving it a slight squeeze. "I've only been here for six months. I wanted to make sure it was perfect before I finally moved in. Surely you of all people understand the art of perfection?"
"All of this was you?" I point to the building around me. "You designed it didn't you? It's pretty amazing Max, I'd say it was by far more than perfect."
"Thanks. I personally can't take all the credit for it though, as much as I would love too. It was always my plan to design and build my own home, there's something about being able to make it the way you want it. I owe Mal most of the credit for this little beauty. God, we started the designs on this when I was about twelve. After watching his work at Stanton's and building it up to where it is today, I knew whole heartedly that I wanted to be in the property development industry."
"Wow." Is all I can say. I'm quiet for a moment while I take in everything he has just said and process it through my mind.
"How do you know Mal? You seem to have a bit of history behind the two of you. The way he was when you came to Stanton's, it was like he'd gotten his son back."
"We have more than history angel. It goes a little bit deeper than that." He laughs at me while pulling me towards him for a kiss. "We're family."
"What? How?" If I thought I was confused before, I can't explain what I feel right now. How can they be family? Mal has never discussed any relatives living in Australia that I can remember. I suppose he doesn't have to tell his work colleagues everything. It would have been nice to have a little bit of a heads up though.
"Mal's my uncle, on my mother’s side. When my mum died, he was the only family that I had left so he took me in and made sure I was okay and made sure I didn't go without." He pauses and takes a deep breath. "For that I will always owe him everything."
I sense the sudden change in his mood, shit this is starting to get a bit deep. I can feel the tension rolling of him in waves. I need to turn this around. I didn't mean to get him upset. Note to self, family and the past can be put on the back burner for now. I stand up turn to face him and wait until I have his full attention before slowly pulling off my shorts and t-shirt.
"Fancy a swim?" I don't wait for him to answer as I walk backwards and begin to lower myself into the pool.
Max
For fucks sake. I've only been gone a week and I have more mail to get through than the fucking post office. What has Stella been doing while I've been away? I know she's probably been busy arranging everything at the site, but I pay her to ensure the paperwork is looked after, not sat around collecting dust. I'll drop it by the office later for her to sort out. Not that I'm happy about doing that, I had plans to stay here with Jess today, let her settle in before the chaos begins, but it doesn't look like that going to happen.
I left her asleep upstairs. She looked far too peaceful to wake her up. I can't tell you how fucking perfect she looks, splayed out, naked in my bed with only a loose satin sheet covering that beautiful body. It's like some mother fucking dream. If I could stay buried deep inside her all day long, it wouldn't be long enough.
The way she makes me feel throws me completely out of my comfort zone. Shit. I've never brought anyone back here. This is my home. Somewhere for me to relax and wind down. Yet, here she is. I could have put her up in a hotel like she'd said, in fact that was the initial plan. The need to have her with me, to know that she will be there when I wake up is something that I never thought I would feel, let alone want.
What is it that makes her so fucking special? I'll be damned if I know. One thing I do know is that Mal's going to kick my arse when he finds out. One way or another, my balls will well and truly be on the line. Mal knows me, knows my history, especially with women better than anyone else. He knows I don't do commitment. He knows that I use women for my own pleasure and don't give a toss about how they feel. He doesn't approve, but he has never had a reason to question me before. Looking back, I'm not proud of my actions but that's who I am. No, that's who I was, before Jess paraded into my life with her raw beauty.
When it comes to Jess, I already know I would give her anything she wanted. Drop everything for her if I needed to. Just so I could see that beautiful smile light up her perfect face. All these emotions are messing with my head. I think it's definitely time for a surf while Jess is asleep. That way I can hopefully clear my head and get some adrenaline pumping through my veins. I'm turning into one of those pussy whipped mother fuckers. Fuck why did my life decide to get so complicated?
I pull up and jump out of my Cadillac, grabbing my board from the rear. It's feels amazing to be back. I love London. It's the only place I will ever call home, the first place that I actually had a home, but give me the sand and sea any day. It's some form of magic dust that erases all of your stresses and worries. When life throws you a shit day, a quick surf in the waves should do the trick. I look out at the ocean, happy that waves look promising.
"Hey Max." I turn instantly at the sound of that voice. So much for a relaxing fucking day. I watch the girl approach me, surf board in hand and dripping wet from the sea.
"You gonna talk to me or what?" Big brown sad eyes reflect back at me and a pissed off expression that I know far too well.
"Jeez, give me a break will ya? Can't a guy fucking breathe around here anymore?"
"What's up your arse? You've been acting strange all week."
Shit, I'll never get away if I don't co-operate. I hate it when she's pissed but we can both be as stubborn as each other. All I seem to getting is a bunch of moaning women constantly hounding my every move. She tries to look angry but I can tell she's more upset with me.
"Liss I'm sorry okay. My heads up my arse and I haven't been thinking straight this past week. Surly you're not gonna be a bitch about it now that I'm back?"
"No worries. Hey I'm sorry but all you need to do is let me know that you're okay. I've got to admit, I thought you'd want to stay in London when you arrived."
"Seriously, I'm good. More than good actually which is why I'm pretty head fucked right now." Ah shit, now she's going to start asking questions.
"Just make sure you don't ever leave me here to deal with that bitch again and everything else will be fine okay?"
"Stella? Come on, she's not all bad. Her hearts in the right place."
"She's a fucking dragon Max. The sooner you're rid of her the better. Hey, don't look at me like that; I'm just stating the obvious. How about I come over for dinner later and you can t
ell me all about your dramas?" Her eyes light up, filled with hope that I'll say yes. How can I not when I have been nothing but a shit to her this past week.
"Yeh, sure. How about seven?" I say as she throws her board down and jumps straight on me. Damn she can be a right crazy arse at times.
"Awesome. I'll bring Heath, will that be okay?
"The more the merrier." I suddenly realise that this is going to impact on my time with Jess. I'm sure she'll understand. Hopefully they won't stay too long and then I can spend some time with Jess.
"I've missed you while you've been gone. No one to wind up, you know?"
"Me too kiddo, me too. I'll catch you later then."
I start the car, today had been something else. Maybe I should have stayed with Jess in our little hideaway. One thing today has taught me, I'm far from ready for reality come and bite me on the arse.
JESS
A cool breeze tickles my bare skin as I stretch out my tired muscles. I can hear the calming sound of the ocean and contemplate resting my eyes some more when I sit up with a jolt remembering where I am.
Paradise...
I'm not sure of the time, but I'm guessing that I have slept for a fair few hours. I must have needed it; my body at least feels nice and relaxed. I think Max must have shagged me into a mini-coma. Speaking of Max, I wonder where he's got too. I vaguely remember him lay next to me as I drifted off to sleep. I slowly lift myself up as I try to get out of bed. I'm still quite tender down below from earlier and a lick of desire begins to build low in my core at the memories, the pain a reminder of the pleasure.
How can I still be horny? I've had more sex this week than I have in the past two years. My mind flickers back to this morning and our little antics under the waterfall in the pool. Damn, that man is bloody addictive. I have to wiggle slightly to dampen the pressure between my legs. Where is he when I need him?
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