Whippingthrough the streets of Kroydon Hills with the top down on Max’s Corvette and the warm wind in my hair isn’t exactly the way I imagined spending my Sunday morning. But there are worse places to be. Last night was... unexpected.
Not that I regret it.
We swing through the drive-thru of my favorite bakery and get two coffees from a young girl who might as well have hearts in her eyes when she lays them on Max. She thanks him by name, and I swear her squeal follows us as we pull away.
“Come here a lot?” I tease.
His lips tip up into a crooked, carefree grin. Definitely not a look I’ve seen on his face in the office before but one I could get used to in a heartbeat. “Yeah. My sister Amelia owns the shop. She recently added the drive-thru to the building and some new teenagers to the staff for the summer break. I guess they know me by now. I come through most mornings on my way into the office.”
“What’s it like?” I sip my salty caramel latte and soak in the warm sun on my face.
Max raises his brow and waits for clarification.
“Growing up with so many siblings? You’re the oldest of like, ten, right?”
He turns down a familiar street. Relaxed, his left arm rests on the open window frame. “Not quite. There’s nine of us. We didn’t even find out about Amelia until a few years ago, and I was in my late twenties when Madeline was born. So growing up, it was just the seven of us. Hudson, Lenny, and Jace are a lot younger than me. But Scarlet, Becks, Sawyer, and I are closer together in age. I guess we’re a bit of a handful. There was always someone around to get into trouble with. We were never alone. But being a Kingston meant a lot was expected of us at an early age. I remember I couldn’t wait to get as far away as I could for college, just to see what life was like without constantly feeling smothered.”
“You went to college in California, right?” I prod. I can’t help it. He’s opening up, and I want to know it all.
“You’ve been doing your research.” His smile is beautiful when he teases me like this.
“It’s where I played football for Joe Sinclair. And why I brought him onboard as the head coach for the Philadelphia Kings. I wasn’t a Kingston there.” He makes another turn and pulls down a winding tree-lined driveway, leading to a whitewashed brick colonial with a high-pitched black roof and black shutters. Lush green ivy is growing up one side of the massive estate, curling around the shutters, and a beautiful sunroom, covered in floor-to-ceiling windows, runs the length of the other.
Max parks the car behind a familiar BMW before getting out and rounding the front to open my door.
I’m excited to see the inside once Holly opens the front door. She’s dressed in a pristine red skirt suit with a tight black tank underneath that dips deep down into her abundant cleavage. Her greedy eyes drink in the sight of Max, who’s next to me in dark jeans and a relaxed green Crucible t-shirt. The short sleeves showcase the tattoos on his forearm, and his hair is messy from the drive over... and from the way my fingers gripped it all night while he fucked me. Not that I’ll be sharing that with her.
Her face transforms instantly from a gorgeous smile to an annoyed glare when her eyes slow their perusal of Max and she realizes I’m standing next to him. She zeroes in on his hand at my back, and if she could incinerate me with her eyes alone, my ashes would be blowing down the driveway. She is not happy to see me.
Oh, game on, honey.
Game. Freaking. On.
We might not be anything more than a fun distraction to each other, but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to let him go just yet. And definitely not to her.
“Max.” Holly forces a smile back on her overly made-up face and steps aside to let him in. He simply nods in return. The man of few words from the office is back in play. Undeterred, she begins telling him the highlights and rundown of the house.
Over five thousand square feet of living space.
Six bedrooms.
Nine bathrooms.
Five acres, so there’s plenty of room for security.
The house was recently decorated by the top company on the East Coast, and the owners are willing to sell with or without the furniture. I’ve only known Max for a short amount of time, but I’m betting that the idea of buying it as-is without the hassle of having to furnish it after is appealing to him.
But when she gets to the outdoor swimming pool and then mentions the indoor lap pool, Max’s handsome face turns toward me, a cocky smirk playing on his lips. I swear to God, if I had panties on, they’d be incinerated from how sinfully sexy that look is. I have no doubt we’re both thinking back to last night in his pool, and now I desperately want a repeat. “Hear that, Daphne? Two pools. Double the fun.”
I bite down on my lower lip, trying to hold back my snicker. “Imagine that.”
He quickly reverts to work mode and reaches out, pointing to the tablet in Holly’s hand. “If it’s all right with you, can I take that? I’d rather we just walk around than be sold to.”
Holly looks like she swallowed a lemon, but she hands Max the device and tells him she’ll be waiting in the kitchen when he’s ready.
Oh, I can bet I know what she’s hoping he’ll be ready for.
Max and I walk through all three levels of the house. Each room is more stunning than the last. Original dark hardwood flooring. Custom built-ins. High ceilings. The bedrooms are all gorgeous, and the master is absolute perfection. It sits at the back of the house with a balcony overlooking a stunning garden and an even more beautiful pool. A double-sided fireplace opening to both the room and the en suite is to die for. There’s a gorgeous canopy bed in the center of the room with fluffy white linens just waiting to be spoiled.