Chapter Nineteen
I feel breathless,giddy with excitement; the thought that someone could have walked in on us is shockingly thrilling. Hudson pulls me to his feet, a wicked smile on his face, and he starts to button up myshirt.
“Whatever you want, we got you,okay?”
We walk from the room. I am feeling more than a little aroused at the thought of what is to come. Max settles the phone back in the cradle and holds out his hand to me. I take it as we walk towards thelift.
“I put a call through to Cal as well. He’s taking Nisha out for the evening. I thought we could do with some timealone.”
“Really? I don’t want Calum to feel like he has to. Nisha wouldn’t want that either. She’d feel pretty crap if she thought he was made to take her out, rather than actually wanting to,” Isay.
“Don’t worry about Calum,” Hudson says as we wait for the lift. “He’ll be the perfectgentleman.”
“I know, he has been. But after last week when we all thought he was interested, he seems to have cooled off. Nisha has been through a lot in her life. More than me, and that’s saying something. She can’t be fooled around. Calum shouldn’t take her out unless he wants to. Unless he’scertain.”
Max puts his arm around my shoulder. “Cal is a great guy, he does a lot for us. We’ve known him for a really long time. If he didn’t want to take her out, he would have said so. Don’t worry about Nisha. Tonight, the only thoughts we want running through your head are how fucking adored you are,okay?”
Well, that shuts me up. Max’s words have the desired effect, so too does the closeness of them all. Max holds me against his side, Hudson takes my hand on my left and Bryce places his arms around my waist. I look at us all in the mirrored doors of the lift. All three of them are staring intently at me. I am in the middle of a Freed sandwich. A slow smile spills across myface.
“What are you grinning at, baby?” Hudsonasks.
“I guess I’m just happy.” I don’t get to see their answering expression because the doors to the lift ping open. We step out into thefoyer.
“Your car is waiting outside, Sir,” a security guard says as we walk towards theexit.
“Thanks, Noah. Time to shut up shop and get off home. Have a good evening,” Max says. Noah waves us out, locking the door behindus.
Outside on the street, our cab is waiting. We climb inside and a delicious nervousness fills my belly at the thought of what is tocome.
* * *
We are standingin my bedroom. The blinds are drawn and the lights dimmed. Hudson, Max and Bryce are all staring at me. Strangely tonight I feel inexplicably shy, despite having shared my bed with all of them. Something is shifting between us. I can feel it in the air, it ignites a tension, a longing that draws us to eachother.
Max is the first to make a move. Of the three he is the most open, the most willing to share his thoughts about his past, his life growing up. I have an easy relationship with him and I am always relaxed in his presence. He stands in front of me, blocking my view from Hudson and Bryce. There is no cheeky smile on his face this time as he leans down and brushes his lips against mine. When he pulls back his expression is serious,worried.
“Icy, there’s something that has been playing on mymind.”
“What is it?” I ask, trying to hide the tremor in my voice at his apparentunease.
He sits down on the bed and takes my hands in his. I sit down withhim.
“I partied hard when you left. One night I even pursued a woman, but when it came down to it, I couldn’t go through with it. I didn’t want her. I only wanted you. I stilldo.”
A frown creases on my forehead. I can’t pretend his words don’t sting. The thought of Max even being near another woman has my heart squeezing painfully in my chest and an ugly jealousy rearing its head. I drop my eyes, not certain about how I feel. Why tell me now, like this? I feel hurt, but I have no right to. I had left them, after all. Max lifts my chin with his finger, making me look athim.
“I’m telling you this now because I want to be completely honest with you. I should have told you earlier… Louisa, I’ve fucked many women, but I’ve only ever loved two. One was my mum, and the other is…you,” he sayssoftly.
“Youloveme?” I whisper, his words taking me by surprise. Hudson and Bryce appear to be as surprised as I am. I see them glancing at each other. Bryce looks happy, Hudson is unreadable. Max presses his forehead against mine and for a moment it is just us in the room as we regard each other. He brings his hands upwards, cupping my face, and kisses me with such tenderness it brings tears to myeyes.
“Yes, I love you,” he whispers against my mouth. “I don’t say these words lightly. From the moment you left I’ve thought of nothing else. Since you’ve been here I am the happiest I’ve ever been. I don’t want any one else. Fuck, you make me so happy.” Then he gets up, as if toleave.
“Where are you going?” I ask gently, grabbing hold of his arm. Apart from Nisha, he is the only person in the entire world to have said those three words to me. I am overwhelmed and dumbstruck. He looks down at me, hope in his chocolate browneyes.
“You don’t tell me you love me then leave. Stay. Iwantyou to stay, Max.” I stand, pulling him into a hug, burying my face into his neck. He wraps his arms around me and we hold onto one another. I am a mess of feelings that I can’t quiteunravel.
Eventually he pulls back, a beautiful smile lighting hisface.
“Get undressed,” I sayplayfully.