Page 81 of Maximus

He was searching for something. Not that he verbalized what he was looking for, but I could tell he was examining me all the same.

I allowed this to go on for a long time. Us standing in the kitchen just staring at each other. For me it was about disbelief. I’d agreed to something I didn’t fully understand but I did recognize the significance. Max was offering me himself and a chance to see if our attraction to one another was more than just that—attraction. Which if I was being honest with myself, I already knew it was more, my heart had fully engaged and that scared the hell out of me.

I’d been down this road twice before. Two times I’d rolled the dice and came up a loser.

Either the third time was the charm or it would be the third strike and I’d be out.

I was absolutely crazy and I knew it.

But Max was unlike anyone I’d ever met. His sometimes brutal honesty was refreshing—it was comforting. I knew where I stood with him. He didn’t pull punches or have time for bullshit. Max Brown was who he was—through and through.

I liked that.

So last night, Max had kissed me sweetly then sent me to bed—alone.

Well, not alone, the boys were in bed with me and that was where I lay for hours wide awake. Our conversation replayed, the taste of him still on my tongue, and confusion about what I’d agreed to plagued my mind.

Now it was morning and I was sitting on the couch, my boys on either side of me and the TV was on but the volume was low because Max was still sleeping and I didn’t want to wake him.

That, and I was enjoying some alone time with the kids. It felt like forever since we’d just lounged around, even though it had only been days since we left Florida.

There was so much to think about yet I didn’t want to. I wanted a day where no one mentioned contract killers, explosions, or attempted murder. I also wanted a day where I wasn’t worried about moving, buying a car, finding a job, or figuring out what I needed to do to enroll Liam in school when summer was over.

And then there was the issue that Eva Dawson no longer existed, so what happened to the small amount of money I’d managed to save—it was in a bank account that now belonged to no one. Was that all gone?

No, I didn’t need a day, I needed a whole year.

“Babe?”

My head swung toward the sound of Max’s voice. “Jeez, you scared me.”

“Sorry, I thought you heard me.” Damn, the man’s voice was sexy.

Deep. Rumbly. Sleep rough.

Nice.

“No, I was woolgathering.”

“I guessed that. You looked a million miles away.”

“Not a million—just down in Florida.”

Max’s expression went from lazy and sleepy to high-alert.

“What about Florida?”

I gave Max a quick shake of my head and hoped he’d understand I didn’t want to have that conversation in front of the boys.

When he clenched his jaw but remained silent, I turned to Elijah. “You ready for breakfast?”

“Scrambled eggs?”

“If that’s what you want.” Eli nodded and looked over at Liam. “That cool with you, bud?”

“Bacon, too?” he asked, smiling.

“Sure thing,” I said and returned the grin.