by Anya Nowlan
Addison took her place on one edge of the couch, so that there was no other option that to have Max and Riley sit next to each other. They got comfortable, with Riley grabbing a blanket and pulling her legs up onto the sofa.
Settling in next to her, Max could feel the warmth radiating from her body, as she balanced her glass of wine on her knee. With one last look at the baby monitor, which showed Olivia fast asleep, he set the thing aside close by so he could easily glance at it.
Addison grabbed the remote, pressing play.
“Let’s get this party started,” she said, exchanging smiles with Riley. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she added as the logo of the production company came up on the screen in front of them.
Addison rushed to turn off the lights and then settled back onto the couch, the room now only illuminated by the glow of the TV. Max could hear Riley’s heart start to beat a little faster, and he chalked it up to the fact they were about to watch a scary movie.
But his own heartbeat quickened too, and it had nothing to do with the film. Riley was close enough to touch, and in the dark, he was even more acutely aware of her presence. Her blanket rustled every time she moved, a soft sound that reminded him of clothes falling to the floor, for some reason.
Taking a sip of his beer, he leaned back on the couch, stealing glances at Riley. He could still see her perfectly well in the dark, and he watched the light from the TV flicker across her beautiful face.
A deep need to reach out, maybe hold her hand took over, but he ignored it as best he could.
This is going to be one long movie.
Max found the group of college kids trapped in an old haunted mansion entirely unreasonable. Why on earth would they split up? Didn’t they know there was strength in numbers?
On the other end of the couch, Addison yawned. Next to him, Riley was snuggled into her blanket, and looked like she was about ready to start watching the movie from between her fingers.
“Guys,” Addison whispered, making Riley jump.
“Jesus, what?” she asked.
Hitting pause, Addison let out another yawn and rolled her shoulders.
“I think I’m going to call it a night,” Addison replied. “You two finish the movie without me.”
As Riley turned toward Addison, her face was hidden from Max, but he was pretty sure she was mouthing something to her friend. For a moment, the corner of Addison’s mouth tugged upward.
“Are you sure?” Riley asked, her voice just a tad too high.
“I’m going to doze off on this couch pretty soon, so yes, I’m sure,” Addison assured her, throwing Riley the remote as she got up from the couch.
Riley looked like she wanted to say more, but Addison all but ran away from the room. Max could hear her steps bound up the stairs to the second floor. The air in the room changed as soon as Addison was gone.
There was no more buffer. It was just him and Riley, and suddenly all the could think about were her lips. At least when the movie had been playing, he had been able to force himself to focus on what was happening on the screen.
Now, together in the dark, the situation felt more intimate than ever.
“Shall I…?” Riley trailed off, holding up the remote. “Or do you want to go to sleep, too?”
“And not find out why the creepy mansion with the very impractical maze-like layout is being haunted by a ghost who likes moving curtains around and standing ominously in the shadows?” he asked. “I don’t think I could live with such a mystery unsolved.”
Riley chuckled, rolling her eyes at him.
“Not the greatest fan of horror films, are you?” she countered.
“I like the company, though,” he replied.
She might have blushed at that, but it was too dark to be sure. Either way, she pressed play, and the movie started again. But it didn’t escape Max’s attention that Riley had scooted a little closer to him.
He almost moved to put his arm around her, but thought better of it. They were still practically strangers, even though it didn’t feel like it. And the last thing he wanted was to make Riley uncomfortable.
But as the movie progressed, Riley sank deeper into the couch, as if trying to get farther away from the TV.
“You know, you don’t seem like a big horror fan either,” he commented, keeping his voice low.
“It’s more Addison’s thing, but it kind of became our tradition. I’m more of a scaredy-cat, but I still enjoy the adrenaline rush,” she replied.
They fell into a comfortable silence for a moment after that, as the main character of the movie, an attractive young blonde, ventured into a dark, dank basement for some reason. As the steps creaked beneath her feet, something leapt out of the darkness, making both the character and Riley yelp and jump.
Max couldn’t help but laugh as Riley huddled on the couch. In the movie, a large black cat skidded out of the basement, running up the stairs and past the terrified heroine. Riley’s hand flew to her heart, as she caught her breath, before laughing as well.
“So, what do you think?” Max asked. “Normal cat or ghost cat?”
Without even really realizing he was doing it, he was also moving closer to Riley, as she gulped down the last of her wine.
“Well, it didn’t float or anything, so I’m going to go with normal,” she replied. “These damn jump scares always get me,” she added, shaking her head.
They were now all but pressed together on the couch, with Riley’s heartbeat thudding in his ears, and Max couldn’t hold back any longer. Reaching out, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
For a moment, he was in limbo – had it been the right thing to do? But as she snuggled up against him, his doubts disappeared. It felt right to have her close. As she let out a little sigh, he pulled her even closer.
His bear was purring beneath his skin, clearly pleased with this development.
The movie was no longer adequate distraction as Max breathed in Riley’s scent, feeling his every cell be drawn to her. And he noticed she didn’t seem to be that invested in the movie, either.
Biting her lip, her gaze kept darting away from the screen. When she craned her neck to look up at him, something about the look in her eyes caught him off guard. There was hesitation and craving there, mirroring the war going on inside him.
Reaching out, he brushed his fingers across her cheek, holding her gaze. Words didn’t seem necessary. He was sure they were on the same page. Anticipation and desire pounded in his veins as he bent his head, softly brushing his lips against hers.
Riley responded immediately, her eyes fluttering shut and her lips parting. Their kiss was slow and lingering at first, with Max taking his time to enjoy the moment. But before long, they were making out like teenagers, with her hands locked behind his neck and his squeezing her closer to his chest.
Breathing growing ragged, their bodies rubbed together in the dark. Max was entirely consumed by the sensations flowing over him, yet little by little, something was starting to grab his attention.
The sound was soft at first, barely audible, but as it grew louder, something in Max’s brain sparked. Riley seemed to be hearing it too, as her eyes suddenly snapped open. Pulling apart, they both immediately looked over at the baby monitor.
Olivia was awake and fussy, not quite crying yet, but getting there.
“I’m sorry,” Max whispered to Riley. “I have to go.”
“Of course, of course,” she quickly said, moving further away from him.
He wanted to say something else, but couldn’t find the words.
Thanks, kissing you has been amazing didn’t really seem appropriate.
So he ended up muttering another apology as he grabbed the monitor and rushed toward the door. As he stepped into the balmy summer evening, he had no idea what he was going to do next.
Riley was his mate, he was more than sure of it now. But did that really change anything?
Nine
Riley
Riley couldn’t hid
e her smile when Max showed up at the door the next morning, Olivia strapped to his chest and a picnic basket in his hand. After he had left so abruptly, without them even having a chance to talk about what had happened between them, Riley thought things might become awkward.
It had been a pretty fantastic make-out session, though, that much Riley had to admit. It was as if they both had been so hungry for each other, nothing else mattered anymore. To say that it had been difficult to maintain self-control would be an understatement.
Even now, as Max easily filled the doorframe, an easy smile on his face, she was having a hard time not letting her imagination get away from her. Now that she had gotten a taste of him, her body throbbed with the need for more.
“Hey,” Max said. “I thought you might want to join us,” he added, holding up the basket.
Olivia was strapped into a carrier, facing Riley. She had a sippy cup clutched in her little fingers, and seemed to be carrying on a conversation with it that only she could understand.
“You did, huh?” Riley asked, leaning on the doorframe.
“Well, it was more Olivia’s idea,” Max shrugged. “She seems to like you.”
“And how exactly did Olivia communicate this idea of hers to you?” Riley grinned.
“Oh, did I forget to mention I speak baby? One of my many talents,” he replied.
“Right,” Riley drew out. “I can’t say no to Olivia now, can I?” she said.
“I haven’t met anyone who can,” Max smiled.
Slipping on a pair of tennis shoes and grabbing her sunglasses, Riley stepped outside, where the sun was shining as brightly as ever. She was slowly getting used to that. It was the spotty cell reception and unreliable internet connection that was giving her more trouble.
Having gotten used to always being connected, it was weird not having the world at her fingertips all the time. It also gave her too much time to think about other things, like what she pictured her life like in the future, and a certain bear-man who was charming the pants off her.
“And where exactly are we going?” she asked, looping her arm in his.
“You’ll see,” he replied.
Max had led her to the edge of Gage’s property, where huge willows swayed peacefully in the breeze. Secluded and out of sight of the main house, it was the perfect spot for them to have some alone time, not to even mention the beauty of it.
They had spent the first half an hour chasing around Olivia, who had been as curious as ever. After the little girl had tired herself out, Max had set out the blanket he had brought along, and took out some sandwiches and snacks for Olivia.
Surprisingly, Olivia had crawled onto Riley’s lap after that, and was currently fast asleep. Riley could hear her deep breathing as she cradled the baby girl in her arms. It was odd – she had never really thought herself particularly motherly, but Olivia was very quickly taking up a place in her heart.
It made her think about what Max had said about Olivia’s mother not being in the picture. The choice of words was important – he hadn’t said the woman had passed away or anything like that, and it was clear the topic itself brought out something angry in him.
“I can’t believe someone wouldn’t want to…” she found herself saying aloud.
Biting her lip, she stopped herself before she could finish that sentence. Max gave her an unreadable look. Spread out on the blanket, he looked powerful even when he was at ease, his inner confidence showing through in the way he carried himself.
“It’s okay, you can say what you want to say,” he said.
“It’s not my place to judge someone I don’t know,” Riley shook her head.
“You mean Olivia’s mother?” he asked. “You can judge her all you want for all I care.”
There was a moment of silence after that, and Max let out a sigh.
“Sorry, that came out more bitter than I wanted,” he said. “It’s just that I’ve wondered the same thing you almost said so many times. How could Eve not want to be a part of her daughter’s life?”
Eve. Riley committed that name to memory as she listened to Max talk. She tried to conjure up a face to go with it, but had little luck. From the tension in Max’s shoulders, she had the feeling theirs had not been a great love story.
“I don’t think that’s bitter,” Riley replied. “Can I ask what happened?”
Maybe it was too personal of a question, and if it had been anyone else she probably wouldn’t have asked it. But when it came to Max and Olivia, she couldn’t help but be invested, and want to know more.
Max looked down at the little girl in Riley’s lap, a faint smile hovering over his lips. His gaze grew more distant as he seemed to be recalling something, and Riley waited, giving him time to think about what he wanted and didn’t want to share.
“Eve and I had more of an on-again, off-again relationship,” he started. “I met her at a diner. She was my waitress. We flirted a bit, but I was surprised when she slipped me her number along with the check. That’s how it started.
“Eve was never the most stable person, and that became more and more evident as time went by. She always liked to party, have a good time, but it got to a point where I was beginning to see she might have a problem. I started distancing myself from her after that,” he said.
So, a romantic story it was not, but that wasn’t really what Riley had been expecting, anyway. Still, just thinking of Max and this Eve person brought out an unexpected jealous streak in her. She recognized how stupid that was, not only because Max’s disdain for Olivia’s mother could be heard in the way he spoke about her, but also because Riley knew she had no claim on him.
One kiss didn’t mean anything. Or at least that was what she told herself.
“I hadn’t seen Eve for over a year when she showed up at my door one night,” Max continued. “She had a baby in her arms, and she didn’t look so great. Maybe it was just due to sleepless nights with a baby, maybe it was more than that… I can’t be sure.
“Anyway, Eve told me the baby’s name was Olivia, and that she was mine. I had hardly had time to process that when she handed Olivia over to me, talking about how she couldn’t handle it, and didn’t want to be a mother. I don’t really remember the exact words, I was too stunned. I was suddenly a father.”
Riley was pretty stunned, as well. Eyes wide, with Olivia softly stirring on her lap, she blurted out the first question that came to mind.
“You didn’t know?” she asked.
“Didn’t have a clue,” Max replied. “She must have found out she was pregnant after I stopped contacting her. But it wasn’t as if I dropped off the face of the earth. Eve still had my number, knew where I lived and worked. She just never bothered to contact me.
“I later heard she had been seeing someone new, so that might have been the reason, or she was just too proud to come to me after I had distanced myself.”
Riley couldn’t even begin to imagine what Max must have felt like when Eve dropped that bomb on him. Yet clearly, he had taken to fatherhood quickly. Planned or not, Olivia was now the most important part of his life.
Him adapting to the situation, leaving his former life behind to give Olivia the best life possible – it spoke volumes about Max’s character. Riley couldn’t help but admire him immensely.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through all that,” she said. “I can’t imagine how I would react if someone kept such a secret from me.”
“It was tough, not going to lie,” Max replied. “I got Olivia to a doctor as soon as possible, to make sure there weren’t any health problems I should be aware of. The nurses there gave me a crash course and recommended some books for me to read. It was a steep learning curve, but I knew my daughter deserved the best I could possibly offer.”
“Well, you look like a natural to me,” Riley gave him a smile.
“Thank you,” he grinned back. “You look pretty comfortable yourself,” he added, looking down at Olivia.
“She’s a charmer,�
�� Riley replied, as the little girl stirred in her lap. “Just like her daddy.”
They looked at each other, that tension from last night reappearing to sizzle between them. So far it had been a perfect day, and Riley felt lighter than she had in a long time. Max was just the kind of down-to-earth guy that managed to keep her grounded as well.
But how far was she really going to take this? She knew that the more time she spent with Max, the harder it would be to resist temptation. Did she want to resist? Or was Addison right, and should she just go with the flow?
Or maybe I’m already swept up in it and just can’t see it yet…
Ten
Max
After his picnic with Riley, Max felt as if a weight had been lifted. He hadn’t told many people what happened between Eve and him. Only Gage knew the details, and Addison had pretty much made it a point to not ask any questions.
He didn’t even really know why he had told Riley. She had asked, and he hadn’t felt like hiding his past from her. Actually, he wanted her to know as much about him as possible.
They had talked all the way through Olivia’s nap, and after that, Riley had taken off to have lunch in town with Addison. Max had spent the rest of the day goofing off with Olivia, chasing her around in between attempting to get some food in her stomach, and not just on her clothes.
At the end of the day, he was pretty sure he was more tired than her. It was nearly dark out when he finally got her in her crib without protest. Max stood at the door of the small bedroom that now worked as a nursery, watching Olivia clutch her little elephant tightly to her chest.
When he was sure the little girl was fast asleep, he closed the door, but made sure to take the baby monitor with him. Tired, he grabbed a beer from the fridge and plopped down on the couch, taking a moment to himself.
Being a parent was not easy, and being a single parent had hurdles all of its own, but each day with Olivia ended with a profound sense of accomplishment. He had promised to do his best for his daughter from the moment she had been placed on his arms, and that was exactly what he had done.