His End Game (MMG #1) (41 page)

What did this guy do to her
?

“He didn’t make me do anything. I did it all on my own. I want you to know that I am sorry Ellie, truly sorry and I am so happy for you, that Max is back.” She stood up. “I have to get to bed now. I have a couple of job interviews first thing in the morning. This conversation is over okay? I am moving on and won’t be talking about it with you again….ever. Please just allow me to forget,” she begged.

I wanted to tell her that she would never be able to forget. That is, if she loved this guy the way that I loved Max. I wanted to track him down and hurt him the way that he had hurt her. I wanted to shout the house down because some monster had broken something deep inside of my beautiful best friend. But, of course, I did none of these things. Instead, I let her go to bed and said good night to my dad. After getting myself ready for bed, I curled up with a new romance novel. I fell asleep before finishing the first chapter.

I was sleeping so soundly that I barely registered Max moving the book off of my chest, turning off the light and crawling in bed behind me.

“Hmmmm,” I moaned, snuggling down into his warm body.

His low husky voice roused me from my slumber. “Is my girl too tired to play?”

“Never,” I smiled sleepily, glancing over my shoulder to make sure that he was really there. The look of complete and total lust on his face stopped my breath.

“I missed you terribly. All I could think about was getting back to you and now…. finding you like this… I couldn’t have dreamed it better than this, right here, right now. You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”

The joy at hearing these words from this man was indescribable. The fact that he felt this way about
me
filled up the holes that were left empty when he went away.

His fingers skimmed down between our bodies and halted right below my nightie. “I like this,” he murmured, thumbing the material. “But I like this better,” he grinned, cupping me between my legs. Sliding his hand under my panties, he dipped a finger inside and I let out a throaty sound of need.

After four days of not being with him, I was strung so tight that I almost came the second he touched me. “Max,” I uttered.

“Hmmmmm?”

“More.”

“What do you want Ellison? What can I do for you?”

I dropped my head back against the headboard when I felt a second finger slide in. After torturing me with this for a minute or so, he withdrew and pulled away.

“No,” I gasped, not wanting him to stop.

His eyes danced with lust and humor. “Hang on greedy girl. I’m just getting started here.” He pulled his shirt off and tossed it on the floor. I was admiring his ripped upper body when he stripped off his jeans.

Gee, does the man ever wear underwear
?

“Do you see what you do to me?”

I giggled. “I think the neighbors a block over can see what I do to you,” I teased, loving every second of it.

He gave me a heated look that scorched me from the inside out. “I need you, Ellison,” he seductively whispered.

I reached up, pulled him down on top of me and whispered back, “I am yours Max, always.”

His blue eyes held me captive as he pinned me to the bed and slowly eased inside. Thrust after thrust he took me higher and higher, his eyes never leaving mine and I cried out as I came apart around him. Two strokes later he threw back his head and moaned through his release.

He woke me early the next morning to tell me he was going to the garage. I was terribly disappointed because we didn’t get a chance to talk last night. After four days of bad moods and tense conversations, I needed some serious alone time with him.

I couldn’t help but pout. “Will I ever see you again?”

“Babe, it’s always hell getting a new garage off the ground, but I promise as soon as we’re up and running you will be begging me to leave you alone.”

“I doubt that,” I muttered.

“I’m happy that my girl wants me around.” He kissed the top of my head and headed out the door.

I shouted after him, “Will I see you tonight?”

“Hopefully!” he shouted back.

I pouted myself to the bathroom and then to the kitchen for coffee where I found my dad and Piper.

My dad gave me a knowing smirk. “What’s got your panties all ruffled, Ellie dear?”

“Samuel, you are really showing all of your sixty-five years with that question,” Piper teased. “In 2013 we ask, what crawled up your ass, girl?”

He narrowed his eyes at Piper. “If you weren’t my daughter’s best friend, I would bend you over my knee and spank
your ass
for missing my age by twenty-three years. I won’t though, but only because I don’t want to risk getting kicked out of here before my condo is ready.”

“Now we’re talking,” she laughed. “I like a good spanking every now and then.”

Scrunching my nose in disgust, I made a gagging noise. “God, would you quit flirting with each other, especially in front of me. It’s gross and inappropriate.” Finding my highly entertaining, they both started laughing.

Still laughing, Piper announced, “As entertaining as this is, I’m off for my first interview. Wish me luck!”

Max hadn’t called or texted by the time I needed to leave for work that night. I figured he had a lot to do and was probably running behind on the Charlotte garage because of his trip to Kentucky. He showed up at Dragonfly around ten, ordered a beer and barely spoke a word to me. I knew something was wrong by the way that he stared at his phone the whole time and ignored Dillon’s taunts. When I finally had time to talk to him, he told me he was tired, would see me at home and left. We were slammed so I didn’t have much time to process his mood. I was a little surprised and disappointed that he didn’t stay and follow me home. After all, he was the one who had made a big deal about me working until all hours of the morning and leaving the bar alone.

When I got home, the lights were out and Max was already in bed asleep. As it was after two in the morning, I expected this. Still, I was a little disappointed. Feeling tired but frisky, I wanted more of what he gave me last night. So, crawling into bed, I pressed my body against his back while running my tongue down his neck. His normal reaction would be to moan or say something enticingly sexy. Instead, he flinched and pulled away.

He flinched at my touch
.

He might as well have slapped me. It would have had the same effect. Quickly, I withdrew as if I’d just been burned.
Sucking in a breath, I had to fight to keep from crying. Finally, after what seemed like hours, I drifted into a restless sleep. He was already gone when I woke in the morning. Neither Piper nor my dad had seen or heard him before he left.

What the hell
?

Like yesterday, Piper had interviews and my dad had to work. I, however, had an appointment with my Obstetrician, Dr. Cooper, as I was already about two months overdue for my yearly exam and needed her to write me another script for birth control. I waited around the house for as long as I could before heading to my appointment. I thought that maybe Max would show up and we could talk about what was going on. From the way he acted last night, I knew that something was bothering him. How could I help him if he wouldn’t talk to me? By the time I arrived at the doctor’s office, I was worried. Max had still not texted or called so I contemplated whether or not to call him. Before I could decide, they called my name.

After the usual weight check, blood pressure and get changed routine, Dr. Cooper flitted in. We played catch up for a few minutes and then she launched into the same questions she asks every year.

“Are you still using the birth control pill?”

“Yes.”

“Do you take it every day, as instructed?”

“Yes, in fact, I need a new script.”

“When was your last period?”

“Uhhhhh….” This one stumped me.

When was my last period
?

“Do you need to see a calendar?”

“Yes, please.” She handed me the calendar and my heart sank. I hadn’t had a period this month and I was due to have one over a week ago.

Reading the look of concern on my face, she said, “No need to panic, Ellie. We will start with a routine urine test.”

“Okay,” I squeaked out.

Please don’t let me be pregnant. Please don’t let me be pregnant
.

Her nurse swooped in and led me to the restroom. She handed me a cup and instructed me to bring it back to room six when I was done.

I can’t be pregnant. I don’t even know if Max likes kids. Hell, I don’t even know if Max likes me right now
.

When I got back to the room, Dr. Cooper was waiting. I watched her dip something in the cup and then check her watch.

I haven’t told him I love him yet. How in God’s name can I be pregnant
?

“Well, it looks like it’s a positive. Now, I want to follow up right now with a blood test just to be sure. I can have the results to you tomorrow after lunch. Let’s reschedule the pelvic exam. I really don’t like to do them during the first trimester if I don’t have to.”

Holy shit!

I was completely floored by this. In fact, I wasn’t sure if I believed her. “How?” I asked.

Her eyes bugged. “Ummmm.”

I clarified. “No, not how did I get pregnant. How did I get pregnant when I’m on the pill and take it religiously?”

“Oh,” she sighed, probably relieved that she wasn’t going to have to explain the birds and the bees to an already pregnant woman. “Let’s see, if you haven’t missed any pills, then have you been on any antibiotics during the past month? Those definitely will weaken the effects of birth control pills and even sometimes render them ineffective.”

Placing my hands over my eyes, I sat down. “Holy shit I am in so much fucking trouble,” I blurted, finally losing all semblance of propriety.

Stepping up beside me, she rubbed her hand over my back, trying to soothe me. “Sometimes these tests aren’t accurate, Ellie. Let my nurse take your blood and then give me a call after lunch tomorrow. Until then, try not to worry.”

Yeah right
.

Within ten minutes I had given blood and was racing out the door.

I didn’t want to go to work that night. I wanted to stay home and wait for Max. All kinds of crazy things were running through my head and I was making myself sick with worry.

I may have his baby growing inside me and can’t tell him because he’s avoiding me, but why
?

I wanted to confess everything to Joss and Piper, but felt I shouldn’t until both a blood test confirmed it and I had spoken to Max. So I did the only thing I could. I got myself dressed and went to work. I left a note for Piper telling her to come hang out. Then I texted Max and told him he could find me at work.

If he even cares
.

Dillon sensed that something was wrong the second I walked through the door. He rode me about it most of the night. Neither Piper nor Max showed up and, if that wasn’t enough, it turned out to be a really slow night.

Around ten Harry rolled in. Directly behind him were Gage, Zippo and Ax. I was thrilled to see them and hoped they would be able to take my mind off of my worries. Ax was in the middle of telling a story about a chick with three nipples when the front door opened. Every time someone walked through the door I expected it to be Max. This time, instead of Max, in walked one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. A mane of black
hair fell past her shoulders and cascaded down her back. She was short, but had a perfect figure, just the right amount of…. everything.

Of course Dillon noticed her, as did every other man in the bar. Flashing his me-so-sexy smile he asked, “What can I get for you, darlin’?”

Up close I could see that her eyes were a cobalt shade of blue. Flashing Dillon an equally sexy smile, she said, “I’m looking for Jack Barnett.”

My gut clinched.

What does she want with Max
?

Dillon’s brow furrowed. “Who?”

“Jaaaack Barrrrnett,” she repeated, slowly enunciating his name as if Dillon was a little slow in the head. Normally, I would find this incredibly funny, but since she was looking for my Max…
not so much
.