Neighborly Complications (Stories of Serendipity #1) (18 page)

Max carried her to the other side of her yard, away from the revelers and the music in his own backyard, to a dark patch of lawn. He laid her down gently in the soft grass, and lowered his body on top of hers. He kissed her again, cupping her face in his hands and making love to her mouth, to which Claire responded with abandon. Her insides were on fire, and she wrapped her legs around his waist again, pressing him against her in an attempt to relieve some pressure that was building up inside of her. One hand moved to cup her breast, while the other stroked her neck as his kisses devoured her.

She arched under him, pressing her breast more fully into his hand, which responded by squeezing gently before letting go.

“Oh god…” Claire was gasping, there just wasn’t enough air. She couldn’t get enough of his hands on her, and suddenly she had to feel him against her skin.

As if reading her mind, his hands tugged her sundress down to her waist, and Max began kissing down her neck. The goose bumps rose on Claire’s skin as she felt his hot mouth sear a trail to her breasts, where he gently suckled on one through her bra, while his fingers pulled her other cup down revealing the other breast to his questing hand.

He kneaded and suckled, bringing Claire to dizzying heights with his tongue and fingers, as he lay between her legs, which had gone limp on either side of him. Claire was gasping and needy, threading her fingers through his hair and tugging him closer to her, not wanting him to ever stop.

The hand not playing with her breast, spanned her throat, and wanting to deliver some semblance of the teasing pleasure he was giving her, she pulled his thumb up to her mouth and sucked, swirling her tongue around the digit. She giggled, briefly remembering the other time she’d done that, and his reaction then, before working it over in earnest, between breathless gasps at his handiwork on her breasts.

Claire was on a precipice, she’d never been on before. She’d never in her life been this turned on, but she wanted more. She wanted to make love to Max.

“…Max…” She breathed his name. It was either that, or screaming, and what little conscious thought she had was that for some reason screaming wasn’t an option right now.

His mouth stopped on her breast, and his wet thumb moved to graze the stiff peak of her nipple, removing that breast from the confines of her bra. He looked at her, and the need in his eyes took her breath away.

“What, Claire?”

“I want…” His hand moved down to her thigh to raise up her skirt and traced the edge of her panties. She bucked her hips.

“Yes?” A mischievous grin stole across his face.

As his fingers slipped inside her panties, Claire could feel them maddeningly trace around her folds, and her hips writhed at his touch, trying to get his fingers where she wanted them.

“Touch me, Max.”

He chuckled before his mouth claimed her other breast, his fingers still not being exactly where she needed them.

“Please…”

He stilled, and brought himself up to her face, smirking the entire time. Claire felt an intense let down that she couldn’t describe, except that right now, she needed Max. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anyone before.

“I have a proposition for you.”

His eyes on hers were still filled with desire, but there was a determination behind them that she couldn’t figure out. What was he doing?

Confused, she asked, “What?”

He kissed her again, long and hard, distracting her to a degree that she’d forgotten what they were talking about. Her hands entwined in his hair, and she wrapped her legs around his waist again, pressing against his erection, trying to get him to snap and make love to her.

He pulled back a little, and mumbled against her lips, “Let me buy your house.”

“Okay.” She gasped before pulling his head back to hers for more kisses. She thrust her tongue inside his mouth and ran it along his teeth, sucking on his bottom lip as he pulled away again.

“You keep living in it, and use the money from the sale to fix it up the way you want.”

She was a little shocked, but the words hadn’t completely sunk in, before she pulled him back. Hooking one leg around his, she pushed off with the other leg, and managed to roll him over until she was on top. She pulled off his tee shirt and began kissing down his chest. God he was smooth and hard in all the right places. She ground her hips against him, listening to him groan as his hands came up to her hips.

“Did you hear me?” He ground out through clenched teeth.

She looked up at him and nodded. “It still doesn’t solve all the problems.” She kissed him down the long expanse of his chest and abdomen. “I won’t stay here just because you buy the house.”

“I’ll help you fix it. I’ll help you find the gold. I’ll put in an alarm system. Aahhh…Shit Claire. What are you doing?”

She made it to the zipper of his pants, and loosed his erection, letting it spring into her hands, a velvety smooth shaft of goodness that she was fixing to devour. Licking her lips, she looked back up at Max. “Isn’t it obvious? He’s been wanting to be freed for awhile now, I’m just abiding by his wishes.” She lowered her head, and Max grabbed her hands.

“Wait. Stop. Claire!” The urgency in his voice almost stopped her, but she had a self-appointed task of having sex with Max. He made her want him so badly, she was willing to do anything.

Claire knew she had taken the control away from him, and it was pissing him off, but if she could just get started, he would get over it. His massive hands on hers didn’t deter her in the slightest, as she bent down and licked him from base to tip. His hands loosened immediately, and she took him in her mouth and giggled at his total male predictability. He hissed in through his teeth, and Claire pulled back, slowly, sucking tightly the entire way. If this didn’t get him inside her, she had no idea what would. She lowered her mouth again, sucking deeply, Max’s accompanying grown building more heat inside her. She brought a hand around to play with his balls and his body shuddered.

“Christ, Claire…” He breathed.

She pulled up and sucked his tip hard, until a cry came from him. “Have sex with me, Max?” She opened her mouth and started down again.

Max grabbed her hair and halted her decent, pulling on it painfully.

“Why?” He growled at her through clenched teeth.

“Because I want you to Max. You’ve got the teasing thing down pat. I’ll grant you that. You can turn me on better than anybody’s ever been able to. But I’m tired of the teasing. I want this cock. Inside me. Tonight.”

“What about what I said? About your house?”

“I’ll sell it to you, but I won’t stay here to be your kept woman in your house.”

Max let go of her hair and sat up, running his hands through his own hair desperately. “Jesus, Claire, that’s not what I meant at all.”

“So you won’t have sex with me?” Claire sat up as well, suddenly embarrassed and pulled her dress up over her breasts.

“No. Not like this. On the grass in your backyard? Are you crazy?” His own hands went to his zipper, tucking himself away, while his words tore down her last shreds of self-esteem. “I would never disrespect you by making love to you in the dirt, Claire.”

“So what is this all about? What were you trying to do here? You’re the one who drug me over here, away from the party, with all of your ‘I can’t wait’ crap. What the hell is going on, Max?” She stood, and straightened her dress, anger giving way to shame as the tears pricked her eyelids.

Max stood too, and took a step towards her. “Wait, you don’t understand. Let me explain my stupid train of thought.”

“No thanks, Max. You’ve just sealed the deal.” She turned to go inside her house, swiping at a tear. When she got to her door, she stomped her foot in aggravation. Her keys were in her purse at his house. It was too much. The tears came.

Max tore through the bushes to the other yard, and Claire sunk to the ground, cradling her head between her knees, taking in huge gulps of air between ragged sobs. Her purse clunked at her feet before Max sank down next to her.

“I’m sorry, Claire. I meant to make you want to stay, not get mad again.” He lifted her chin with his fingers, and the look in his eyes told her he was truly sorry.

“You were trying to get me all hot and bothered so much I’d agree to anything just to have sex with you?”

“When you put it that way…It sounds so awful.” She grabbed her purse, and stood to go inside. “Wait. I don’t want you to leave Claire. Please, just hear me out.”

“No thanks, Max.” She finally got her door open.

“Wait! Who’s going to stay the night with you?”

“Send over Michael, or Ty. They seemed willing enough. At this point, I don’t even care if the bad guys come back, just so long as it’s not you.” She slammed the door in his face and leaned heavily against it, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

Thirty minutes later, she was showered and in pajamas, when a knock sounded at her door.

It was Summer and Brent.

“He put you guys on babysitting duty? I really don’t think it’s necessary.”

Brent held up his hands. “You’ll have to go tell him that. He won’t listen to anybody. He’s just kicked everybody out, and now he’s fit to be tied.” His East Texas twang made Claire smile in spite of herself.

“Fine. But I’m not going to play hostess.”

Summer shrugged. “It’s okay. I know my way around.”

“I’m going to bed.” Claire turned to trudge up the stairs, when Summer called out. Trying to suppress a groan of agitation, Claire turned.

“He really does mean well. It’s been awhile since he’s been around women.”

“Yeah, I told him it was a stupid plan.” Brent added for effect.

Claire turned without a word, afraid if she opened her mouth, vitriol would spew, and these were Max’s friends first. They would surely take his side. She decided to just go upstairs and lick her wounds in private.

C
laire woke up disoriented and slightly hung-over. She didn’t realize how much she had drunk last night, and wondered if it affected her reaction to Max’s proposition last night. He had told her he would buy the house, if she stayed in it. For what? What did he want from her? That was the million dollar question, wasn’t it?

As she walked down her stairs, she heard a heated argument coming from the kitchen.

“Go home, this isn’t a good time.” It was Summer talking to…who?

“Come on, I just want to apologize.” Max. Of course.

“It seems like you’ve been doing plenty apologizing and it doesn’t seem to be working. Just give her some time. Let her wake up, for one.” Summer’s tone was placating, and Claire could just imagine the tiny woman trying to push Max’s hulking form out the door. She smiled at the thought.

Brent was there, and Max must have looked to him for help. “Dude. Don’t look at me. If I had a clue, I’d be married to Casey with two point three kids.”

A muttered “Fine” and a slamming door released Claire to walk the rest of the way into the kitchen to find Summer and Brent huddled over coffee at the kitchen table.

Summer looked at Claire as she entered and raised her eyebrows over her coffee mug. “Your ghost was restless last night. Kept tucking me in and stuff.”

“Yeah, she does that to me too. Especially when things…aren’t right.” Claire grabbed a cup and filled it with coffee before sinking into a chair at the table. “Thanks for making him leave.”

Summer shrugged, but Brent turned toward her more fully. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.” She took a sip of coffee, blowing across the top of it first.

“I know we don’t know each other, but you’re my sister’s friend, so I’m giving you a lot of leeway here. But Max is my best friend, and has been my entire life. I’ve never seen him so twisted about a woman before. Not even Katherine.’

“What’s the question?”

Brent looked frustrated. “What’s your problem?”

Shocked, Summer cried, “Brent!”

“No, it’s okay, Summer. It’s a valid question.” She turned to Brent. “Max and I are complicated. I don’t do relationships well at all, and I can’t stay in this house. I have no reason to stay, and his feelings are hurt.”

“I’m not buying it. I saw the looks you guys were tossing around last night. I’m pretty sure everybody saw them. You like him, just as much as he likes you. I think you’re scared.”

She didn’t want to talk anymore. This was getting ridiculous, and she decided to shut him up. “Who’s Casey?” Her eyebrow lifted and she took another sip of her coffee.

“Forget it.” He stood. “I’m going to go on over to the house, Summer. You gonna stay here and let her keep deluding herself?”

“Who in the hell do you think you are?” Suddenly furious, Claire stood even with him. “You come into my house, uninvited, and start throwing around accusations and insinuations about my personal life which has absolutely nothing to do with you, and you call me delusional?”

He turned to her, an ugly vein popping out on his forehead. It was as if his control was gone, and he started yelling back at her, poking her in the chest with his finger, causing her to retreat a step with each poke. “Max is my best friend. His business is my business. If you shatter him and then leave a million broken pieces for everybody else to pick up, he might not ever be whole again. Nobody’s seen him as happy as he was yesterday afternoon in years.
Years
, and it’s because of you, Claire. He likes you. A lot. And nobody wants to see him fall apart again.” He took two steps away, then turned and came back, his finger continuing its relentless poke fest. “And let me tell you something else. If you do hurt him, you’d better fucking leave this place. Because Max has a lot of friends, and nobody wants to see him the way he was again. Nobody.” He turned and stomped out of the house, slamming the back door.

Claire sank back into her chair, head in her hands. “Geez, Summer. What am I going to do?”

Summer grabbed her hand reassuringly and squeezed. “What happened last night?”

Claire told her everything. She told Summer about the making out, about how turned on she was, and about how Max told her to sell him the house and his offer for her to stay there and fix it up the way she wanted to. She told Claire about the night before, about his nightmare, and how she snuck into his room and held him until the dawn broke before sneaking back into her own room. She told her about the day they met, the peep show through her window, their date, his breakdown, everything. She told Summer of every feeling about Max she’d ever had. And then she cried.