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His hot mouth closes over mine. And when he bites down on my bottom lip, my back arches and my world explodes, pleasure racing through my blood.
Max thrusts up again, and again, and again as I let him take all my weight, my body draped against him. “All fucking mine, siren.” His hands on my hips hold me tightly as his powerful body meets mine, and he comes on a beautiful roar. My name is a beautiful plea on his lips.
“No one will ever hurt you again, Daphne. Not while I have a breath in my body.”
I may not have wanted this man in my life when I met him, but I’m never letting him go.
* * *
When I wake up the next morning, my hand reaches for Max, but his side of the bed is cold. I roll over, and the sheets are rumpled. A quick check of the time, and I know I need to get up and get showered. It’s time to function, and I promised the girls we’d meet for brunch so I could fill them in on why Becket Kingston had a black eye last night. But I’m really wishing I could cancel and spend the day in this bed.
I don’t even want sex.
I’m too damn tired.
I just want Max.
But when I step into the shower and find my favorite pear soap and bodywash sitting on his shelf, I reconsider. Sleepy sex would be a great way to thank him for being so thoughtful. By the time I get dressed, throw a little makeup on, and braid my hair, I smell the coffee brewing downstairs and hear more than one voice.
These Kingston siblings take codependence to an entirely new level.
I wonder which one it’s going to be this weekend.
When I walk into the kitchen, I realize that I managed to underestimate them. Because it’s not just one Kingston. It’s four. Well, four, including Max. Hudson, Sawyer, and asshole are all standing in Max’s kitchen. Mugs of steaming hot coffee are in their hands with an assortment of breakfast sandwiches laid out on the kitchen counter. Acting like what Becket said last night didn’t hurt should have won me an Oscar. There was no way I was going to let him know how much his words stung. But that doesn’t mean I want to see him here this morning.
I ignore all of them, not quite ready to give a fuck until I’ve poured a cup of coffee, and say good morning to Max. “Why are you having a party this morning?” my tired voice cracks.
He drops a kiss to my head and looks across the island at asshole.
Asshole clears his throat. “My generous brother is giving me the chance to apologize to you, Daphne. And Tweedledee and Tweedledum over there are here to make sure we don’t kill each other before that happens.” He points to Hudson and Sawyer. “Max and me. Not you and me. But I do owe you an apology. I know Max has been hurt before. So have I, and I let that color my judgment of you before I ever got the chance to know you. It wasn’t fair. And it wasn’t right. Max told me that, and I wasn’t listening. I guess I’m more of a talker.”
“Bullshitter,” Hudson coughs.
“Yeah. I guess. But I am sorry.” He offers me a breakfast sandwich. “In our family, we say sorry with food. Not food we cooked because none of us are very good at that. Doesn’t really work if the apology makes you sick. But it is a peace offering.”
“I appreciate it. And I accept your apology, but I’m going to pass on the food. I’m meeting my friends for brunch and have to leave in a minute.”
Max squeezes me to him. “Want me to drive you?”
“No. Maddie’s going to pick me up. I’ll grab some clothes and my car afterward and come back. Sound good?”
Max places a chaste kiss on my lips and squeezes my ass. “Yeah. Sounds good.”
“It was good seeing you guys again,” I tell Hudson and Sawyer, then turn to asshole and eye him.
“You really gonna let me off that easily?”
“I’m not one for holding a grudge. But just so you know, I’ll be calling you ‘asshole’ instead of Becket for years to come. I might just have your brother’s babies, so they can call you ‘Uncle Asshole.’” I wave at the group of them as the brothers laugh at the asshole. “Bye, guys.”
* * *
“Holy shit. Seriously?” I’ve just blown the girls’ minds. But Carys seems to be the most surprised. “Am I the only one who thinks that’s kinda hot?”
I laugh as I sip my sweet tea. “I don’t think I was really in the right frame of mind to appreciate that aspect of the whole thing. But I always think Max is hot. So there’s that.”
“So, Chloe...” She waits dramatically for Chloe to look over at her. “Did D tell you Watkins asked for your number?”
“Um, no.” Chloe eyes me with a smile. “But I’m pretty sure that’s a big old no. Our inner circles are already a little too incestuous, if you ask me. I will not be dating your brother’s work wife, Mads.”
