Baring It All

by Rebecca Hunter

  His father looked at him with...pride? The ground was shifting under Max’s feet. He glanced across the room, at Natasha, who was still chatting with TJ. Damn, he wanted to be next to her right now.

  His father put his hand on Max’s shoulder. “I’m telling you this because I see the way you look at this woman, and I see the way she looks at you. This is your route to happiness. What are you waiting for?”

  Natasha’s head turned, and she met his gaze. Her smile was warm and full. Was there love in that expression, too? Time to find out.

  “Nothing,” he said. “I’m not waiting for anything.”

  His father chuckled. “Good. Just watch your temper with your brother.”

  * * *

  “Your father let Max spend the night in jail?” Natasha gaped at TJ.

  TJ laughed. “The police were all friends with my father, and Max was too drunk to know the difference that night. My father thought Max might learn something from the experience.”

  Natasha rolled her eyes. “I doubt that.”

  “Me, too. He—” TJ stopped midsentence, just as Max’s hand slipped possessively around her waist.

  “She’s my date, TJ,” Max grumbled.

  TJ gave his brother a good-natured shrug. “You’re the one who left her alone.” He kissed Natasha on the cheek. “Let me know if you want to hear more stories.”

  She smiled. “Thanks. I’ll be in touch.”

  TJ walked away, leaving her with a surly looking Max.

  “You trying to make me jealous?” he said. His tone was only half-joking.

  Natasha rolled her eyes. “I’m trying to be friendly to your brother. He had some interesting stories about your teenage years.”

  Max snorted. “I’ll bet.”

  The whole night he had been a little on edge, and from across the room, the conversation with his father had looked tense. She turned to face him. “How are things with your father?”

  He brushed his lips over hers. His hand moved lower, over the top of her ass, as he pulled her closer. “Better than expected.”

  She slipped her hands under his jacket and rested her cheek on his chest, letting her mind drift. No what-ifs, no rules, no pressure, just the sizzling warmth of his body against hers. The evening sun was long gone, and the candlelight glowed and flickered against the glass of the windows. Over the din of conversation, the band was now playing, a slow, seductive number.

  “Want to dance?” she asked.

  “With you? Always.” He smiled and settled his hand on the curve of her waist. Their bodies pressed together, moving, teasing.

  Natasha glanced across the room at the dance floor. “Here?”

  Max nodded, and a slow smile spread across his lips. “No one’s paying attention to us. Which means no one will notice when I slip my hand under your dress.”

  She laughed. “Classy, Max.”

  She laid her head on his chest again, and he pressed a kiss into her hair.

  “You seem to be handling this scene well,” he said.

  “You were right,” she said. “I don’t feel exposed here when I’m with you.”

  He squeezed her against his chest, and her heart thumped harder.

  “Have I told you how much I’ve missed you this week?” he whispered. “So much.”

  Such simple words, but they filled her with a bright burst of happiness. Oh, this man. She was falling in love with Max Jensen, a notorious heartbreaker, right in the middle of a public event, for everyone to see. The idea should’ve been frightening, but it wasn’t. But this didn’t have to mean she was following in her mother’s footsteps. She trusted Max would protect her privacy, no matter where their relationship went. That was what made the difference.

  “I’ve missed you, too,” she said.

  He sighed, and then his chest rumbled, pleasure dancing in his eyes. “All of me? Or just certain parts?”

  She pulled back a little and met his gaze. “The whole package.”

  Slowly, all traces of amusement faded, and what was left was a burning intensity, the side of him he so reluctantly let show. The raw ache in his eyes was almost unbearable, but she didn’t look away.

  “You sure about that?” he asked, his voice rough.

  Natasha nodded. “I’m scared of what being a part of your life might mean for me.”

  His jaw tightened, and he looked away. “I know that, sweetheart.”

  She took a deep breath. “But I’m not going to let that stop me from falling in love with you.”

  Their slow sway came to a stop. The words were out in the world, floating in the air around them, coloring everything. He still wasn’t looking at her. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, and the pulse at the base of his neck ticked fast.

  Natasha straightened up. She was going to handle this with dignity, however it went. “I want to be with you. I want more.”

  She didn’t get any more words out before his hands cupped her cheeks. His eyes were on hers, searing her, stopping the words. His gaze flicked down to her mouth, still parted, midsentence.

  “Natasha Petrova, I want everything. All the parts of you you’re offering. Especially if it involves more of those sex-filled days on tiny tropical islands.”

  She smiled, but then his lips met hers with an aching hunger that rushed through her. They were kissing. Thank God they were kissing again. She slid her hands into his hair and pulled him closer. Yes, she was drowning in this all-consuming desire, so familiar now, and so achingly good.

  “I want you, Natasha,” he said. “I’ve been after you since the first time you told me off, three years ago, and after those days together on Green Island, I only want more.”

  “Me, too,” she said, standing on her toes for another kiss.

  They stared at each other, moving slowly to the music.

  He brushed a hand over her cheek. “But I’m not a fun ride all day, every day. I can be a hardheaded asshole, as you might have noticed with my father tonight. I spent a lot of my teenage years that way.”

  She wrinkled her brow at him. “That’s part of what makes you you, Max. You really think I still want the à la carte menu, not the whole package?”

  He smirked at her word choice. “I know you like the whole package, baby.”

  Natasha rolled her eyes, trying to hold back her smile. “Terrible line, Max.”

  Natasha rested her cheek on his chest again, letting it all sink in. This man had given his heart to her long ago, and she was pretty sure she had done the same on Green Island. Yes, he did have the power to drive her crazy, but she trusted him not to abuse that power. Besides, she was starting to believe the feeling was mutual.

  Natasha closed her eyes. He pulled her closer, his body pressed against hers as the slow, sexy jazz played.

  “I like this place, too,” he murmured in her ear. “Far away from the city with an amazing view of the ocean.”

  She nodded. It was perfect. In fact, everything about this moment was perfect, really.

  “When we get married, I think we should do it here.” The words came out in the same easy tone, as if this were the most natural thing to talk about, five minutes into a relationship.

  Natasha’s eyes snapped open. She came to a full stop and pulled away, gaping up at him.

  “What?” she choked out.

  Max’s eyes glittered with warmth and humor, and his lips curved up in a mischievous grin. “What’s the matter? You afraid of the M word?”

  “No, but...” She bit her lip and frowned. “You can’t just throw it out at the beginning.”

  His eyes glimmered, and then his smile grew wider and he shrugged. “I figured I’d get it out there right away. Three years of lust and fantasies about you is doing crazy things to my brain.”

  Natasha smiled a little. “Okay, maybe I’ve been lusting after you for just as
long.”

  “Good to know.” He coaxed her head back down, so her cheek pressed against his chest. They swayed to the music for a bit. God, he smelled heavenly.

  “I’ve been thinking,” he said after a while. “Are there any fish species that are monogamous?”

  She nodded against him. “Sure. Some butterflyfish form lifelong pairs, for example.”

  “I would love to hear more about those butterflyfish, Natasha,” he said.

  Natasha lifted her head to study his expression, checking for signs of interest. His smile was warm and genuine, and his eyes weren’t glazing over. In fact, he looked like he was waiting for her to continue. Well, he was asking for fish talk, so it was time to take him at his word.

  “Actually, I find monogamous basslets even more fascinating,” she said, grinning up at him. “They pair bond, but they’re simultaneous hermaphrodites.”

  Max drew his eyebrows together. “Really?”

  She nodded. “Really.”

  He was quiet for a moment, and he looked deep in thought. Finally, he grinned. “I don’t think those videos would be very sexy.”

  Natasha laughed and shook her head. “Me, neither.”

  “But, please, go on,” he said, stroking her back. “Tell me more about monogamous basslets.”

  And so she did.

  EPILOGUE

  Two months later

  “I THOUGHT YOU said we were going someplace special,” said Natasha as Max put his car into Park.

  “We are.”

  She looked up at the facade of her and Alya’s downtown apartment building. “My place?”

  “There are plenty of special things that have happened there.” Max winked at her, and there was a spark of desire in his eyes. “I can give you details if you need help remembering.”

  “Are we going to reenact that first night when I stripped for you?” she asked, laughing.

  “I really like that idea, Natasha.” His voice got a little husky when he whispered her name. “But I had something else in mind first.”

  All evening Max had been quiet. Odd, especially for him. He seemed almost...nervous. Which was completely out of character. But the way he kissed her so gently, the way he held her hand—he hadn’t stopped touching her since he’d picked her up from work. She was almost sure this special thing wasn’t bad, at least, it didn’t feel that way. But what the hell were they doing here?

  Max came around the car and opened the door for her. “Let’s go up.”

  They walked in and crossed the lobby, heading for the elevator.

  “I forgot to ask—how was the meeting with your father?”

  Max shrugged. “Decent. I half-expected him to still try to steer things, but he was surprisingly hands-off about the decisions I’d made when it came to funding priorities.”

  Natasha searched his face for the tell-tale hardening of his jaw when he spoke about his father, but it wasn’t there. Things were definitely improving.

  “And did you finish up your schedule?” he asked.

  She nodded. “I think so. I figured out a way to fit in both the research trip and the conference I’m presenting at and still be at the foundation’s gala.”

  Max found her hand and squeezed it. “You don’t have to go to the gala.”

  “I want to,” she said, returning the squeeze. “I want to be there for you.”

  They stopped at the elevators. Max punched her floor number then turned to her. He pressed his hands to her cheeks and kissed her softly. “I really hope you like this.”

  “Should I be nervous?”

  He shook his head slowly. “No. But I’m nervous as hell.”

  “You’re killing me, Max,” she said. “Does Alya know?”

  He nodded.

  “Before me?”

  He soothed her, his hands moving up and down her arms. “You’ll see. I wanted to make it a surprise.”

  It couldn’t be an engagement. They hadn’t been together very long, and he knew she wanted to take it slow. So what could he surprise her with in her own apartment? If it were something small, like jewelry, he’d more likely have given it to her at dinner. None of this made sense.

  “I’m completely stumped,” she said, frowning. “Just a clue?”

  Max nuzzled her cheek with his whiskery one. “This is fun. I should keep secrets from you more often. I didn’t realize how much it got under your skin.”

  “Maybe I just need to rethink my waiting strategy,” she said. “Maybe I just need to distract myself.”

  She coaxed him closer and pressed her lips to his, but before she got further, the elevator came to a stop and opened at her floor.

  “We’ll get to that soon, too,” he said, amusement in his voice. They stepped out of the elevator, and she turned toward her apartment, but he caught her hand and shook his head. “This way.” He nodded in the other direction, down the hall.

  Now she was really confused. They were in her building but not going to her apartment? But she followed him. He led her to the last door, then he turned to her.

  “This is the surprise,” he said, and stuck a key in the lock.

  Natasha blinked, trying to register what was going on.

  “Still haven’t figured it out?” he asked, his voice serious.

  Natasha shook her head slowly.

  “I bought this apartment,” he said quietly. “Here, down the hall from you and Alya.”

  “You...bought it?”

  He studied her face for an extra beat, his forehead creasing. “I’ve been looking for one anywhere in the building for a while. So I was really excited when something on your floor came on the market.”

  She was still having a hard time registering this information, but she wanted to ease the worry in his eyes. She reached for his hand and squeezed. Slowly, his uncertainty disappeared.

  “So I can sneak over in the middle of the night?” she asked, smiling a little. “In my pajamas?”

  Max shook his head. “I’m hoping there will be no sneaking. I’m hoping this means we’ll be spending a lot more time together.”

  “You bought this apartment just to be closer to me?” she whispered.

  He nodded, squeezing her hand in return. “I know your career is a priority, and I have a lot going on. I thought this would be a way for us to spend more time together. I mentioned the idea to Alya when I saw the listing, and she thought you’d be thrilled. But let me know if you’re not ready for this. I don’t have to move in and can easily rent it out.”

  Natasha blinked at him, still trying to get her head around it. He had bought an apartment down the hall, so they could be together.

  “Of course, your sister was thrilled to have this fine specimen of a bodyguard down the hall from her.” He gestured to himself with a cocky smile. Then he leaned over and pressed his lips into her hair. “But, more importantly, I didn’t want you to have to choose between your career and us, or your sister and us.”

  Her mind had come to a full stop. She looked up at this amazing man staring at her. How had she ever doubted that they could make it together? She shifted to face him and ran her hands over the hard muscles of his chest. She cupped his jaw, coaxing him down for a kiss, whisky warm and seductive.

  “I’m hoping these last few months have shown you that we can carve out our own life. And I’m ready to start that life now,” he whispered.

  “Me, too, Max,” she said. “I’m ready.”

  She rested her hand on top of his, her fingers around the key to the apartment, too. She turned it, and the door swung open, the afternoon light shining across the bare floors. The place was gorgeous. While Alya and her apartment faced other high-rises, Max’s new place had a view of the Sydney Harbour. But the part she liked best ran along the far wall: a newly installed aquarium, still empty. She was almost sure he had put it there
for her. Natasha walked over to it and touched the glass.

  Max followed close behind. His lips pressed against her hair. “I didn’t want to fill it with fish until I consulted you.”

  “Thank you, Max,” she said quietly, her words catching in her throat.

  She turned to him, and she couldn’t stop smiling. He kissed her and then winked suggestively. “If you feel like you need to keep the fish under close watch, you could even move down the hall. Just to make sure they’re well cared for.”

  She smiled, letting the surge of love flow through her. Oh, Max. This was more than she had ever expected. And she was happier than she had ever thought she could be.

  “One step at a time,” she said, kissing him back. “Let’s start by christening the rooms.”

  * * *

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