Page 112 of Maximus

But for now, I didn’t have time to freak out about the call I would be making later. Max had invited his team over this afternoon for a barbeque so I had bigger things to freak the fuck out about. I’d met the team, of course, and over the last few days I’d gotten used to them coming over to have a word with Max. Sometimes they’d stay a while and work at the dining room table. I heard words like: mission strategy, SITREP, tango, Omni. I’d also heard things that scared the hell out of me like: take out, put to ground, and, kill the fucker.

My list of things I needed to do was long, but I moved talking to Max to the top of the list when Declan said they were close to closing in on Omni and the team would be deploying soon. However, after Declan left, the boys needed my help, and now we were T-minus five minutes until everyone arrived and there’d been no time to ask Max if he was leaving.

Besides, my freak-out had commenced. Tatiana and Emerson were coming over with Brooks and Thad.

Max had declared that today was about relaxing and family, but I felt anything but relaxed. This was a big deal. These were the people closest to him. I’d been around the men dozens of times, I should have been comfortable, but for some reason, this just felt different. And I’d never met Emerson and Tatiana.

“Babe?”

“Huh?” I turned from the iced tea I was making and found Max watching me.

“What are you thinking about?”

“All the things I…” I started to lie but quickly changed my mind. This was Max I was talking to and we didn’t hide things from each other. “I’m nervous.”

“Why? You know everyone coming over.”

“I don’t know Tatiana and Emerson. And this feels different.”

“Different how?” he asked but made no move to come closer.

“I don’t know. Just different. These are your people, your family; I feel like I need to impress them or something. Or maybe I need their approval.”

Max’s expression softened, and just like every time he looked at me that way, my insides melted. He was the sexiest man I’d ever seen, but when he stared at me like that, I swear I saw love in his eyes. It was something he did a lot with the boys, too.

“First, you don’t need anyone’s approval, but just so you know, you already have it. My team’s not stupid, Eva, they know who you are to me. And even if they hadn’t seen it for themselves, they trust my judgement. They know you’re a good person. Brooks and Thad both told me that Emmy and Tatiana can’t wait to meet you.”

“Why?”

“Because Anaya loves spending time with you. She brags about the boys all the time. And they’re jealous she’s gotten to know you and they haven’t. I’m gonna warn you now, when they get here, they’re gonna whisk you away and talk your ear off. They’re gonna ask you all sorts of questions, and it’s not because they’re being nosy, it’s just who they are. It’s what they do—they’ll want to pull you into their tribe and make sure you’re comfortable.”

“I’ve never really had friends, Max. I don’t know how to do the whole sisterhood thing.”

His lips curved up into a smile that made him look deliciously sexy. He pushed off the cabinet he’d been leaning against and moved to me. Once he got close, he pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head.

“Sisterhood?” He chuckled.

“You know what I mean. Anaya tells me they’re all as close as sisters. Hell, they all live in the same house.”

“They are close,” Max confirmed. “Though Brooks and Tatiana found a house, so they’re moving into their own place soon so they can get everything ready for the baby.”

We stood in silence for a long moment. Now that his arms were wrapped around me and working their magic I was starting to relax.

“I want you to enjoy today,” he muttered. “I want the boys to have a good time. Since we’ve been home from Alaska, they seem to be settling in, especially Eli. But I’d like for them both to feel comfortable around my family.”

“Okay,” I agreed.

How could I not? These people were the only family Max had, and if he wanted me and the boys to get to know them, then that’s what we’d do. I’d shove all my insecurities aside and gratefully take the boon Max gave us.

* * *

“Wow, Eva. I don’t know what to say. The boys are adjusting okay?” That was Tatiana’s response to me filling in all the details of my ordeal.

“They are. When we were in Florida, they saw a counselor. She was great with them and me. She taught me how to ask questions without the boys knowing I was asking—if that makes sense. It really helped me learn how to communicate with the boys and how to get them to open up to me. I think the move up here caused a setback with Elijah, but he’s certainly coming around. It helps that Max is great with him. And Liam had an outburst, but Max handled that like a pro and since then, Liam is glued to Max.”

All the women smiled and suddenly I felt like I was under a microscope.

“What’d I say?” I blurted out. “You all are looking at me strange.”