Beyond Eighteen (8 page)

I was taking inventory of the room when my
eyes met Calvin’s. I nervously tucked my hair behind my ear and
tried to hide the fact that I wasn’t really ready to see him.

Calvin was leaning against the granite
counter across from Max. His sheepish expression begged for
forgiveness while his strong body language told me that Nancy and I
were interrupting something important between him and Max.

“Wilson,” Calvin attempted as he looked down
at the stack of papers in front of him and began to straighten them
into a pile.

I didn’t want to answer him. Even though
there was this tiny part of me that had already forgiven him for
what he did, the rest of me really wanted to kick his ass. I wanted
him to feel the pain he’d created in my life with his actions. But
instead I played the bigger person and answered back.

“Calvin.”

Max noticed the tension between his brother
and me and hurried to intercede.

“Sweetheart, it’s been a long day. Why don’t
you head upstairs? I’ll grab your bag from the car.” Max strode
toward me before bending down to take off my boots. I felt the heat
of his hand against my thigh and the weight of my leg become light
as he slipped off my Uggs one foot at a time.

“Let me fix something to eat for everyone,”
Nancy piped up, looking at Max before nodding her head and heading
around the island and into the kitchen.

“Okay, Ma, that sounds good. You hungry,
Wilson?” Max said delicately, knowing that is exactly what his mom
needed to do.

I nodded my head. I was a little hungry, and
even though I wanted to go upstairs and be alone with Max, there
was something making me stay down here and be a part of his
family.

“It’s settled, then. Maxi, go out and get
Wilson’s bags, then come back and be with us. Where’s Camille?” The
Nancy that I remembered before Frank’s death began to shine through
the Nancy who was grieving her losses.

“Who the hell knows? She’s just like Dan,”
Calvin sneered.

I caught Nancy as she shot Calvin a look. He
glanced over at me, cleared his throat, and agreed to go look for
his sister. Max pushed his lips to my temple. His kiss was so warm,
so inviting, I felt my body regret not following him. He exhaled as
he pulled away, taking my breath with him.

“I’ll be right back. I love you,” he growled
breathily before he exited into the garage.

“Wilson, come on over and help me,” Nancy
said, snapping me out of the trance Max set me under. Her hands
were filled with ingredients I couldn’t even begin to understand
how to mix let alone make into something edible.

“Are you sure you want my help? I have
burned water you know,” I answered sarcastically.

“Well, lucky for me, we aren’t fixing water
tonight. Bend down to that cabinet and grab me the black-handled
fry pan. I’m going to teach you how to make one of Frank and Maxi’s
favorites: blackened sea bass,” she stated as she freed her hands
from the garlic, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and olive
oil—all the ingredients that must make cooking sea bass edible.
“Oh, and grab me a couple of lemons out the fruit bowl,” she
pitched her hand in the air, pointing toward the dining room table
as she turned and grabbed a small container of paprika.

“Okay,” I answered, unsure as I set the fry
pan on the front burner of the huge Viking stove and left to fetch
the two lemons we needed for the sea bass.

I heard the door stretch open with its
off-key song as it stopped and started again. Nancy’s voice filled
the room with the pleasure of having a new pupil in the
kitchen.

“Oh, honey, I am so excited…I’m teaching
Wilson how to make you and your father’s—favorite,” her voice
cracked.

“Macaroni and cheese?” Max teased.

I grabbed the lemons and was turning to
enter the kitchen when I decided to lean against the doorway and
watched them.

“No, guess again.”

“Frozen pizza?” Max asked sarcastically.

Nancy took a dish towel from the counter,
wound it tight, and snapped it at his butt. “Wrong again, smarty,”
she barked as I noticed tears starting to swell in her eyes.

“Hey, fine, Chinese chicken salad, but
that’s my last guess,” he teased as he grabbed the dish towel. “Ha,
what are you gonna do now?” Max was trying to make light of it the
moment he realized she was starting to cry.

“I can’t believe you didn’t say—”

“Blackened sea bass?” Max interrupted
her.

“Your dad’s favorite,” Nancy choked as she
looked at him, tears streaming down her cheeks while her delicate
hands tapped his chest. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed the
top of her head. I watched as a moment of sadness radiated through
her expression.

“Mine too, but only the way you make it,”
Max mumbled as he squeezed her tighter.

My heart melted down into my toes watching
the love he had for his mother. The moments of warm banter they
shared in a time of cold loss. They were the home I was glad to
have. The comfortable place I was going to land and hopefully be
with forever.

Max leaned his cheek against the top of his
mom’s head. He noticed I was standing in the doorway watching them
together and reached out to me. I meandered over to their embrace
and they both wrapped their arms around me. It was just the three
of us, in a moment of pure love for each other. Yeah, I’d found the
mother I never had.

“Alright, you guys, break it up,” Calvin
scoffed. “I found
your
sister,” he continued, pointing to
Max.

“Well she’s yours too,” Max countered as he
pulled away from his mom and me.

“No, I signed all the papers giving you full
ownership of that title when I was nine,” Calvin teased.

“Oh, quit flappin’ your lips. I think they’d
be better used for kissing my ass,” Camille said as she came into
the kitchen and rack-a-popped Calvin in the back of the head.

“Oh, Camille, now come on, that’s not very
lady like,” Nancy lectured as she wiped the tears from her
cheeks.

“Tell him,” Camille countered.

Max ignored the jousting that continued
between his siblings as he crept up behind me and wrapped me in his
arms. His firm, warm body pressed against my entire backside.

“You really want to stay down here and cook?
Mmmm, I could think of so many more things I’d like to do with
you,” he whispered, his words tickling every tingling space in my
body.

I pushed my rear against him and felt the
blood flow that filled him.

“Max, I told your mom I was going to cook
with her.”

“She’ll understand. I’ll get Camille to help
her,” he tried to convince me. “I need a moment alone with you,” he
asserted in a low rumble.

“I don’t want to hurt her feelings.”

I could feel my body begin to tingle as he
ran his hands down to my hips and pulled me back again to feel his
excitement.

“Ma, I need to borrow Wilson for a moment.
Do you mind?” Max asked from behind me. He kissed my neck before
even waiting for an answer from Nancy.

“Oh, heck, you two. I’ll just call you when
dinner is ready.”

“Are you sure, Nancy? I feel bad. I told you
I’d help,” I asked, embarrassed.

“Oh, sweetheart, I’m sure Camille won’t mind
helping me. Where’s Dan?” Nancy’s attention shifted to Camille.

“He’s on his way,” Camille said.

“I don’t know why Dan’s parents didn’t just
stay here,” Nancy offered.

“Oh no, Mom, they are perfectly fine in a
hotel. Dan just texted me,” Camille said after she cleared her
throat.

Suddenly the thought that Joanie hadn’t
called or texted me yet flashed across my mind.

“I haven’t heard from Joanie,” I whispered
to Max. In all the things I was dealing with, it hadn’t crossed my
mind that she was still over at the Browlers’ with Nick.

“Well, why don’t I take your bag upstairs
and you can have some privacy to call Joanie,” Max said loudly.

I looked over at Nancy. She was preoccupied
with plopping fish into the power-marinade concoction that was
supposed to make it desirable. Camille had her head buried in the
fridge, and Calvin was standing glued to his iPhone. Nobody would
even notice if we left.

“See, they want us to be alone,” Max
breathed as he retrieved my suitcase and snatched my hand before
dragging me through the dining room and up the stairs.

“Damn, I feel like I’ve done this before,”
he teased as he hoisted my suitcase in front of him. I watched in
reverence as his shoulder blades and biceps flexed.

“That’s because you have. But the second
time…is a charm,” I answered as I slipped my hands low on his waist
and felt the muscles of his butt as we climbed the stairs
together…again.
God, I love to watch his body move and feel his
ass flex.

When we reached the landing I tugged at his
crisp white dress shirt, pulling it loose from his black pants. He
stopped, inviting me to slide my hands across his lats and up to
the first button on his shirt.

Without warning, Max twisted and bent down
in front of his door, dropping my suitcase. He stayed crouched
longer than expected.

“Are you okay?” I asked, bending down low to
talk to him. He raced his hands up the outsides of my legs. Quickly
he caught my hips, lifting me up and causing my feet to leave the
floor. I felt my body begin to sway back as he pinned me to his
bedroom door. His lips were automatic and hot against the bend of
my neck as he mapped his way around my skin. My phone fell to the
floor as my hands tangled in his hair. My breath soared above me as
I lifted my face to the ceiling, exposing more places for him to
explore.

His breath scorched my skin as he growled my
name, the suggestive motion of his hips converging with mine as my
body slid down between the door and
every bit
of evidence
that he wanted me. Max ran his hands across my arms and down to my
fingers before he pushed them up and over my head, trapping them
there. My shirt lifted, exposing the space between my navel and my
jeans. Chills licked at my waist as my lower body steamed.

“I’ve missed you,” Max said breathily. His
lips caressed my ear before he traced a line down to my mouth. He
kissed me like never before, biting and pulling my bottom lip
between his teeth before he tangled his tongue with mine, kissing
me with such passion that the apex between my legs dampened and my
knees buckled.

Max skimmed his hands down my arms, around
my body, and toward my waist. He dragged his fingertips across my
exposed stomach, causing goose bumps to ripple across my body. I
shivered.

“You cold or just turned on?” he asked
before floating his hands up under my thin shirt, stopping at the
front clasp on my bra.

Ohhhh my God, let’s pray nobody decides
to come upstairs and look for us. Wait, don’t stop! Please touch my
breasts
. My nipples instinctively surged in anticipation of my
appeal. I wanted to feel the warmth of his mouth devour my body. I
just needed him to take me out of that hallway and into his room to
make love to me. I didn’t even realize my hands were still against
the door above my head. I dropped them and tangled my fingers into
his hair as I moaned in a low, bawdy tone.

“Maaxxx, God, I want you,” I exhaled
achingly.

“Tell me how
much
you want me,” he
growled in a visceral breath against my neck.

“I want you so bad; in the worst way.”

“In
what
way? Against this door or in
my room?”

“I want you to take me—in your room. Please,
Max, let me in. I need you right now,” I urged, nibbling on his
earlobe.

He had me so frickin’ turned on, I was about
to explode with him just whispering to me. I couldn’t take it any
more. His hands grazed low on my waist as I felt his fingers creep
behind the button on my pants.
Please just unbutton my pants and
let me feel your fingers between my legs. Just read my mind and
take me into your room now. I want to feel your mouth discover me.
I want to feel you inside me.

My button unsnapped and my zipper gave as I
felt Max’s hand push behind my panties and his fingers found me.
Please God, don’t let anyone find me here with Max’s hand down
my pants!

“Damn, Wilson, you’re so excited. Mmmm, I
want that,” Max demanded in a sexy tone as his kiss became hurried
and urgent.

I reached for the door knob, knowing the
door would open under our weight.

“Dan? Is that you?” I heard Camille shout
from downstairs.

“Hey, Cam, yeah, it’s me. Is Cal or Max
around?” I heard Dan’s voice carry upstairs.

Suddenly Max stopped kissing me and dropped
his hands to his sides. His whole intention changed instantly from
getting me into his bedroom to slamming on the brakes. It was like
someone had thrown a huge bucket of ice water on a raging fire.

“What’s wrong? Why is Dan looking for you?”
I murmured.

“Aaahhhh, son of a bitch,” Max snarled as he
pounded his fist on the door. “Wilson, I’m so sorry, babe, but I
need to talk to Dan,” Max apologized.

“Really? Right now? It can’t wait?” I
groaned as I tried to convince him to stay with me by rubbing my
hand across the front of his black dress pants. He was so ready to
go.

“Yeah, sweetheart, as much as want to stay
right here with you I need to talk to Dan.” Max caught my hand
before he pushed his fingers under my chin, pulling my face up to
his and kissing the tip of my nose.

“Does this have something to do with the
conversation your mom and I walked in on between you and Calvin?” I
asked before I swallowed, trying to wash down the disappointment
building in my throat.

“Yeah, I’m hoping Dan can help me with some
paperwork my dad signed before he—died. Hell, I don’t know, maybe
I’m just grasping at straws here,” Max tried to explain as best he
could while being preoccupied in thought.