“Is everything okay?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I have no idea. The chief is on his way. It didn’t sound like anything was happening, though. Maybe he just wanted to check that we weren’t out gallivanting again; who knows. But I’m glad he called and didn’t just arrive without telling us.”
“So, he’ll be here soon?” she asked. She seemed disappointed, which made me glad.
“Yeah. I think so. He didn’t say.”
“Okay,” she said and looked down at her hand.
We sat in silence for a while, neither of us knowing what to do. For the first time since we had arrived, I felt uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I desperately wanted to go back to what was happening before the chief had called. I reached out for her hand, and she jumped.
“Sorry,” I said. “I just wanted to hold your hand. It was nice when you were holding it before.”
She smiled. “Yeah, it was. I don’t know why I jumped there.”
“It must be because you find me so sexy,” I teased.
“It must be.”
“What? You’re actually agreeing with me for a change? This is not something I’m used to you saying.”
She laughed. “Oh, I’m definitely agreeing with you. Max, kiss me,” she said.
Just hearing her say the words turned me on and I leaned in and kissed her. Her mouth was soft, and her tongue was eager, and as we kissed, she rubbed her hands up and down my jeans. I let out a long, low growl—a primal sound expressing a primal need—as her hand reached in between my legs. I quickly pulled away.
“No, wait, we can’t do this,” I said.
“Why not? Don’t you want to?” she asked. She seemed hurt that I had stopped it.
I chuckled. “Oh, trust me, Madi. There’s nothing I want more in the world than to be with you right now. But the last thing I want is the chief walking in on us.”
“What if he’s still an hour away?” she said. “I mean, I can think of a whole bunch of things that we can do in an hour.”
“Oh, Madi, don’t tempt me. What if he’s a minute away?” I couldn’t imagine anything worse than starting something with Madison and having to stop because of the chief. That would be torture. I’d much rather wait and have all the time in the world with her.
She laughed. “You have a point. That could be super embarrassing. I really don’t need the chief to see me naked. Why do you have to be so right all the time?”
“It’s one of my greatest talents,” I said. I leaned in and kissed her quickly on the mouth. I almost gave in all over again but quickly pulled away. “Okay, I need to stand up and calm down. I am in no state to see the chief right now. No state at all.”
She chuckled as I paced the room up and down. I looked at her and shook my head. “You’re such a tease,” I said. “How did I stay away from you all this time?”
But before she had a chance to answer, the chief arrived. I looked at her and chuckled. “Thank goodness we stopped in time,” I said, and we both tried to stop ourselves from laughing. “We were very close to the chief seeing much more of us than we would’ve liked.”
“Okay, I’m going to listen to you from now on. I would’ve died. It’s taken me years to be seen as just one of the guys. But I think my breasts would give me away,” she said, and I tried not to think about her breasts while I went to open the door for the chief.
“Come in, come in,” I said to the chief. “Checking up on us, are you?” I teased. I wouldn’t be surprised after what we had already put him through. If the roles were reversed, I would definitely do impromptu visits. I wouldn’t have even called. It’s not like he would ever think that he would be interrupting anything. In his eyes, we were nothing more than partners who got along well as friends.
He laughed. “No, I trust the two of you. I just thought it would be better to talk in person. And anyway, I needed to be in the area today. It’s nothing serious. I just thought we could touch base.”
“Coffee?” Madison asked. “I’m making anyway.”
“Yes please, that would be great,” the chief said and smiled gratefully at her. I noticed how harried he looked. He was pale, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. Even his clothes looked creased. I quickly looked away in case he saw me looking. We were obviously getting a lot more sleep than he was, and a part of me felt guilty for that. I was the one that had caused all the stress in the first place. I knew I should be the one with dark bags under my eyes, not him. But the chief had always taken his job very seriously. It was something I remembered clearly, and which Madison had confirmed for me. She said it was one of the reasons why we all got along so well.
“Max?” Madison asked.
“Yes please.”
Madison brought a tray of coffee and cookies to the living room, and we all sat together to discuss what had transpired. According to the chief, they were trying to fast-track the court case so that they could get the boss in jail before he had the chance to do any damage.
“That’s just what Madi and I were talking about today. We were both saying how the longer he was out, the more nervous we were getting. We’re just worried that he’s going to get away with it.”
The chief shook his head. “No, we can’t let that happen. I’ve got my best men on the case. And we’re stacking up as much evidence as we can. We’re going to get him. I won’t let him walk away from this. I just won’t.”
“How sure are you though? Honestly?” I asked.
The chief looked at us both and sighed. “Honestly? I have no idea. He’s very influential. So, who knows what he has up his sleeve. He might have already planned for his release way before we caught him. He might be two steps ahead of us. Or maybe we’re two steps ahead of him. I’m not sure. Right now, all I can do is gather information. Tell me, Max, do you remember anything else?”
“Bits here and there but nothing too fluid.”
“I’d like to know. Even if you’re unsure. I think it’s important.”
I took the chief through my memories. They were disjointed, and many parts were hazy, but I decided it was better to tell him everything.
“So, do you have any idea when the court case is going to be?” Madison asked once I had finished talking. I was just about to ask the same thing. I wasn’t sure what he meant by wanting to fast-track the whole thing.
“I’m hoping it’s going to be next week, maybe Tuesday or Wednesday. I’m not sure. As far as I’m concerned, this is all going to be over with soon. I’ll let you know what happens but that’s the date I’m pushing for. Anyway, I just wanted to check up on the two of you and to see that you’re doing okay. You’re not driving each other crazy, are you?”
I laughed and tried not to look at Madison. If I looked at her, I wasn’t sure if we’d be able to hide what was happening between us. The chief knew us well and might suspect something. We didn’t really have anything to hide, but we still hadn’t figured out what was going on ourselves. The last thing we needed was to complicate matters by telling other people.
“We’re fine,” I said instead. “To be honest, we pretty much do our own thing. I’m getting through a stack of books while I’m here. I haven’t read this much in a very long time.”
The chief smiled. “Oh yeah? I’m glad that I put so many books out. I didn’t know you were such a big reader. That’s good to hear, Max. You deserve the rest. You went through a serious ordeal recently. Okay, I better get going. I still have lots to do today. Call me if you need anything, and I’ll call you if I find out anything more.”
The moment the chief left, I heard laughter coming from behind me, and turned to see Madison chuckling to herself.
“What’s so funny?” I asked her.
“You haven’t picked up one book since you’ve been here.”
“I have,” I said.
“Picking them up and actually reading them are two very different things.”
I laughed. “Well, I couldn’t very well tell him that I was fine be
ing here with you because I’m constantly thinking of kissing you.”
“You are?”
I raised my eyebrows at her. “Oh, I am. And you know it. I mean, I’m always looking at you.”
“Yeah, but that’s because you’re a pervert,” she said and laughed.
“Only when it comes to you. You know, I have no idea what’s going to happen when we have to go back to reality. I thought I wanted out of here, but to be honest, I’m really enjoying myself. I like being around you. You calm me down.”
Madison smiled. “You calm me down too.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“Aren’t you also going to tell me that you’re constantly thinking of kissing me?”
She laughed. “I’m thinking about it right now.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Madison
I thought about being with Max throughout the chief’s entire visit.
“I’m so glad we’re alone again,” I said as I moved my way closer toward Max. We were sitting on the sofa, and I couldn’t stop myself from wanting him. How had I managed to stay away from him for all these years? I must’ve known that just one kiss would’ve resulted in something like this. I had never wanted anyone more in my entire life.
“Same here. I swear, if the chief had stayed even just half an hour more, I would’ve just kissed you regardless,” he said. He reached out and stroked my arm, and I felt a shiver run up and down.
“Dammit, Max, if you don’t kiss me now, I’m going to go insane,” I said.
He smiled. “Is that so? I had no idea you wanted to kiss me so badly. I thought it was just me who wanted to be with you.”
I shook my head. “Trust me, Max. You thought wrong.”
Max put his hand behind my head and pulled me towards him. The moment our lips touched, I felt my body soften. Whoever said going for a massage was good for stress obviously hadn’t kissed Max before. Max was my new stress reliever, the one person that knew how to take it all away within seconds. I inched closer.
“You have too many clothes on,” he murmured into my neck, kissing it in between his words so that I felt his hot breath against me.
“That can be changed very quickly,” I said and pulled off my shirt. I reached behind my back and unclipped my bra and threw it dramatically across the room. He chuckled and told me that my skills were impressive.
I pushed him gently against the sofa and wrapped my leg around him so that he was locked in firmly in front of me. Then I moved up slightly so that my breasts were by his lips, and I held onto the back of the sofa as he sucked them. His hands were on my waist, and his lips were around my nipples, and my body ached for more. I got off and took the rest of my clothes off while he sat on the sofa watching me. I made sure to do it on the other side of the room so that I could walk up to him without any clothes on. I wanted to be his personal movie for the night. When I got back to him, I took off his shirt and pulled down his jeans, happy to see that he was already hard for me. I knelt down on the floor, fully prepared to receive more carpet burn, and took him into my mouth. This time it was my turn to make him come. He tried to stop me as he got close, but I told him to sit back and relax, and I was glad when he listened. I continued to suck, my mouth working its way up and down his shaft, and I felt happy when I felt him release. I’d never enjoyed doing that with other guys. In fact, it was something I used to feel bad about. So bad that I would often just pretend to like it so that I didn’t have to admit to the guy how much I hated it. But it was different with Max. I wanted to do it to him, and I liked that I was able to make him so happy. I wasn’t sure why it was so different with him, or what it meant, but I knew without a doubt that I would want to do it again.
“Holy shit, Madi. That was amazing. What are you doing to me?” he said when I made my way back to him. He pulled me up so that I was sitting on his lap again. I kissed him softly.
“I’m helping you to relax. Isn’t that what the doctor said you need to do?”
He chuckled. “Well, if the doctor told you to do that, then who am I to complain? Now, I remember the chief saying something about you needing to relax too,” he said and grinned at me. He reached down so that his fingers were in between my legs. I moaned ever so slightly at his touch.
“No, tonight was about you. I wanted to make you happy.”
“Oh, and you did. You made me very, very happy,” he said. He didn’t pull his fingers away. Instead, he pushed them inside me, and worked them deeper.
I cried out. “No, you don’t have to,” I said. “I just wanted to do that for you,” I said, but I didn’t pull away. Max smiled at me, moving his fingers inside me. “Oh hell, Max, that’s so good.”
I sat on top of him while he moved his fingers inside me, going deeper and deeper until I could no longer stop myself from coming. I leaned in to kiss him, and almost bit his lip as my body shuddered over and over again. When it was over, I fell back into him, my body no longer tense. I liked that I was still sitting on his lap and that neither one of us wanted to let go.
“And here we have two very relaxed humans,” Max said in his best David Attenborough voice. “This is what happens when they listen to the orders of their boss and their doctor.”
I chuckled. “What can I say? We’re very good at taking orders.”
“Well, only some.”
“Only some,” I agreed.
I climbed off him and grabbed a blanket to wrap around us. We switched the TV on and settled in to watch a movie. Every now and again, Max’s hand would reach for mine, or he’d bend over and kiss me on the cheek. They were small gestures that meant the world to me. The movie was a romantic oldie, and even though I hadn’t seen it, I knew exactly how it was going to end. It was predictable in all the best ways.
But it made me think about my own story with Max. Was it a love story? Was it predictable? We’d gone from partners to sleeping with each other very quickly, but neither one of us had yet spoken about what it meant to us. I thought about asking him every day, but I was too nervous to find out his answers. Max was starting to remember more and more about his life, and the night of the shooting was becoming clearer to him. I was almost certain that Max would remember how he had felt about me before the incident—as his partner whom he saw nothing more as than a good friend. The thought filled me with more dread than I cared to admit. Knowing how hurt I would be would mean admitting to the fact that I was clearly falling for him. Every night, I went to bed and wondered if he’d wake up regretting his decision to sleep with me.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Max
Today felt different from all the other days that we’d been at the safe house. The chief had called the night before to say that the court case was finally happening, and was scheduled for the following morning. We were excited that he had managed to pull it off so quickly, although not that surprised. The chief always got what he wanted when he put his mind to it, and he clearly wanted to see this guy behind bars. He’d even told us that we could go out for a bit if we wanted to, but we told him that we were happy to stay in the safe house until it was time to go to court. We’d already stuffed things up once before, and anyway, we were having a better time in the safe house than we cared to share with the boss.
I woke up late that morning, and when I turned to face Madison, I saw that she was awake. She was staring at the ceiling, completely lost in thought. I couldn’t help but smile at her. Madison was not one for makeup, which meant that she was just as beautiful when she woke up in the morning as she was during the day. I liked that she didn’t try too hard. I liked that everything about her was so natural.
“You’re beautiful,” I said.
She turned to look at me and smiled. “Good morning.”
“Good morning to you. You seemed deep in thought there.”
“I guess I was.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything is fine. This whole thing has really been something else, hasn’
t it? From a year of working undercover to catch a big drug dealer, to you getting shot, to us hiding out in a safe house. It’s all a little surreal sometimes. And tomorrow it all comes to a close.”
I reached out for her hand, and together we both looked up at the ceiling as if it had all the answers. If we were outside, I was sure we would’ve been pointing at the clouds. Instead, we focused on the cracks in the paint.
“I think we make this day memorable,” I said and turned to look at her.
“Oh yeah? What did you have in mind?”
“How about a Scrabble revenge?” I said.
She laughed. “Scrabble? Wow, we sound like we’re retired now.”
“Please, you’re just too scared to play with me. The last time was just beginner’s luck, and now you’re too afraid to play it again. You know I’m going to win.”
She chuckled. “Is that so? Okay then, it’s a deal. Loser makes dinner.”
“I’d like another spaghetti bolognese please,” I said.
“No problem at all. You know how to make it.”
I laughed. “Okay, okay, it’s game on for sure. Now, let me get us some breakfast. Coffee first?”
“Yes, please. I’ll come down and get it,” she said.
“Nah, I have a better idea. Why don’t you wait here? I’ll make us breakfast, and we can eat in bed for a change. Let’s be honest; we’re not going to get this opportunity again for a long time. Things are going to be a bit crazy with the court case, and who knows what’s going to happen afterward. Let’s view this as our final day of holiday.”
“Breakfast in bed, huh? Yeah, I could get used to that. But are you sure I can’t help you?”
“I’m sure. I want to make it for you,” I said and reached over to kiss her on the mouth. “You know, Madi, I’m sure going to miss this,” I said.
“Really? You haven’t gotten sick of me yet?”
“Are you kidding me? How could I get sick of such a pretty face?”
Dirty Maverick (The Maxwell Family) Page 14