He chuckled into Max’s hair. “If I don’t move, we’re going to have a very big mess.”
Another pleased noise left Max, and he wiggled his ass like he was trying to get even closer to Ed. “I’m already a big mess and I love it. Don’t care. I want to be covered with you, filled with you, and fucked by you all the time. Don’t let me go. Not yet.”
Ed closed his eyes and smiled as he nuzzled Max’s sweaty hair. He had no intention of letting Max go anytime soon. Bring on all the fucking messes. They’d tackle them together.
14
MAX SUTTON
Max rubbed his forehead with his left hand as he stumbled down to the kitchen for a bottle of water. If he filled out one more government form or dealt with one more email, he was going to scream. All the letters were starting to blur together on his laptop screen. His brain was switching from one language to the next so frequently that his sentences were turning into a mishmash of nonsense that no one could read.
He nearly had everything he needed submitted to the Egyptian government to get his permit to work in the Valley of the Queens. The only thing that was left was possibly greasing the wheels to get things moving along a touch faster. All the more important since lives were now on the line.
As he passed the dining room, he offered a small wave to Kairo as he frantically typed away at his computer. A number of the guys were out conducting some reconnaissance—including Ed. He didn’t want his brain preoccupied with that. No, it was better to think about mind-melting government forms than the fact that his former family was out trying to potentially harm his…his…fuck there was another thing he didn’t want to think about.
What was Ed to him?
Was this just some fun? Friends with some very excellent benefits?
Did they need to put a label on things?
His brain certainly wanted to simply because labels told him how he was supposed to act. If they were only friends, he had to play it cool and be a little aloof. They were just bros. Who liked to fuck. Uh-huh.
But if they were more, if this was dating, Max could be a little clingier. He could possibly get away with demanding more cuddles. He would be within his rights to demand Ed not get killed as he chased after Max’s family.
Max dropped his head back and groaned out loud as he shuffled to the kitchen. Kairo didn’t even look up at him, and that was fine. He needed all of his attention on making sure the guys didn’t get shot or caught.
He’d stopped just over the threshold of the kitchen when he spotted Alexei and Izzie standing close, both of them leaning against the sink, appearing to be in deep conversation. The second they spotted him they fell silent and stared for a heartbeat. It was a creepy, got-caught-plotting stare. In the next heartbeat, they both broke into broad smiles that were even creepier than the stare.
He tried to backpedal.
He should have run.
But it was already too late.
“Max!” they cried in unison.
“Come in! What can we get you?” Alexei asked as he sidled up to Max’s right.
Izzie appeared on his left and slipped his arm through Max’s. “Are you done with your work? Or are you just taking a break? Come chat with us.”
“You guys are scaring me,” Max admitted, which only made Alexei laugh. Izzie’s expression softened.
“You shouldn’t be scared of us. We’re your friends. We’re only watching out for you. Besides, we have so much in common.”
“Do we?” Max’s voice cracked and he winced. It probably wasn’t a good idea to show weakness in front of these lunatics.
“Definitely,” Alexei declared. At the same time, he pushed Max down into a chair at a table in the corner of the kitchen. “You have a really shitty family like Izzie and me.”
Izzie dropped into one of the other chairs next to Max and placed his hand over Max’s wrist. “You are also dating one of the guys on the team.”
“A guy you met while on a job,” Alexei interjected.
“I will agree with you on the first part, but not so much on the second,” Max tried to argue, but it only earned him shocked and questioning looks. That might have been the wrong thing to say.
Alexei folded his arms across his chest and frowned. “Well, I was going to make some coffee, but this has been upgraded to a hard-alcohol conversation. I wonder if Charlie’s got some whiskey hidden around here somewhere.”
“Under the sink! Behind the bleach!” Kairo called out from the next room, proving that not only was he overseeing the current mission, but he was listening to their conversation.
“Thank you, baby!” Izzie replied.