CHAPTER SIX
MILO
“Remember what I said,” Max coached as we walked down the stairs holding hands. “If I kiss you, you can’t push me away . . . and don’t do the laugh.”
“The laugh?” I squeezed his hand harder. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“When you get super nervous and awkward you giggle like a toddler. It’s cute as hell, but he knows you really well—he’ll see right through it. Besides, it kind of hurts a guy’s feelings when a girl giggles after he has his tongue down her throat.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re so romantic, Max.”
“So, we clear on the whole laughing thing?”
“Yeah,” I grumbled. “Clear as—”
Max’s mouth covered mine in an instant. I fought the urge to push him away. It had to be for a reason, right? Like Colton was around the corner, and—
Holy mother of sin. What was he doing with his tongue?
Max stepped back, his full lips curved into a smile. “That’ll do, pig, that’ll do.”
“Please tell me you’re movie quoting and not calling me fat.”
“The only fat you have on your body is that of your inflated head whenever you play competitive sports.”
“Nice.”
“Good kiss.” Max squeezed my hand.
“Wait!” I turned around, then smacked him on the shoulder. “What was that for?”
“I had to test you before the real thing.”
“That was a test?”
“Yup.” He dragged me toward the kitchen.
I dug my heels in the carpeting. “Well, did I pass?”
Max turned around, his steel-gray eyes looking me up and down. “I may have to do another test run.”
My mouth dropped open as my best friend turned into the player every single girl on campus wrote home about. My heart started racing as every inch of my skin tingled from the expression on Max’s face. Even the way he walked made me want to actually kiss him again.
He strutted into the kitchen, pulling me against his body as he did so, and then kissed me again.
Right in front of Colton and Jason.
With a grunt he pushed me up against the same fridge I’d nearly cried into last night and then released me. “You taste sweet,” he murmured, his lips meeting mine again.
“And . . . appetite gone.” Jason swore. “Mind introducing us to your—” He shook his head. “Friend?”
Max turned around, his eyes sizing up both my brother and Colton, who had fallen completely silent during the exchange.
Too bad I’d never really gotten into Instagram—the picture of the three of them glaring at one another was enough to go viral in seconds.
I’d never noticed how tall Max was. Same height as Jason, about an inch shorter than Colton.
“Boyfriend.” Max held out his hand. “And you must be . . . Jason?”
“Right.” Jason held out his hand.
Max angled a perplexed stare at Colton as though struggling to figure something out. I had to hide my laugh. He knew exactly who Colton was. “And . . . Carlton?”
“Colton,” he said through clenched teeth. “So glad you could make it.”
“Well,” Max pulled me to his side. “What kind of boyfriend would I be if I abandoned the love of my life during her time of need?” He squeezed my shoulder, while I pinched his side.
With a wince he released me. “So what’s on the agenda today?”
“Oh, thank God you’re up!” Mom came shuffling into the kitchen looking like she hadn’t slept in weeks.
With a flourish she dropped the giant binder back onto the table and started pointing at things.
“Jason, I need you to start setting up the tables in the backyard. Colton, get the chairs. Max, I put you with Milo on the centerpieces for the reception. The tents have heaters but they haven’t been delivered yet, and we’ll be using the same tent for both the ceremony and the reception so you’ll need to break everything down tonight and help the coordinators set everything up tomorrow morning. The bachelor party will be directly after the rehearsal and the bachelorette party is being held off-site at an undisclosed location. I’ve packed the fridge with water bottles and purchased two boxes of protein bars. If for any reason you start to feel light-headed, sit down on the grass and keep working. Any questions?”
I raised my hand.
“Milo?”
“Where’s the bride?”
“Jayne?” Mom nodded. “She’s getting ready for this evening. Besides, I told her it was her weekend and her parents agreed. The bride shouldn’t have to lift a finger. They pay, we set everything up.”
“I knew a Jayne once,” Max said wistfully.
I elbowed him in the ribs.
“Any more questions?”
Jason raised his hand.
“Yes.” Mom sounded annoyed.
“What’s Dad doing?”
“Dad,” my dad said upon entering the kitchen, “is going to a bar.”
“Dibs!” all three guys yelled at the same time.
Insert facepalm here.
“He’s kidding.” Mom threw him an irritated glance. “He’s helping set up the tent.” She cleared her throat. “Now, any more questions?”
Max raised his hand even though I tried like the fires of hell to keep it firmly planted at his side.
“Max?”
“Well, it’s not really a question, more of a compliment.”
“Oh?”
“Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are when you give orders? Reminds me a lot of Milo. I can see where she gets what I like to call her terror-inflicting skills.”
I groaned into my hands while Mom and Dad laughed.
“You know it’s true, baby.” Max wrapped his arm around me. “Come on, you made a professor cry last semester.”
“That’s enough.” I laughed dryly.
Colton snorted. “You made a professor cry?”
“To be fair he was an adjunct professor and he had a very . . . tender heart,” I muttered. I was going to kill Max. Kill him!
“Makes a guy proud.” Max nodded. “At any rate, I’m here to help as much as I can.”
Mom beamed.
Dad grunted.
And Colton looked like he was ready to shoot fire out of his mouth and singe Max where he stood.
“So . . .” Mom closed the book with a resounding slam that echoed around the kitchen. “Eat some cereal, take some protein bars, and . . .” She checked her watch. “The event planners should be here any minute! Places, everyone! Oops, maybe you guys can eat and walk at the same time?”
“It’s like we’re in a musical,” Max whispered under his breath.
I opened my mouth.
He slammed his hand over it. “Break out in song, and I’m going to make you wish I really had gotten you an aloe vera plant.”
“Something wrong?” Colton approached us, hands stuffed in his pockets, jaw clenched.
I bit Max’s hand.
With a yelp he pulled back.
“Nope!” I beamed just as Max said, “She likes biting me.”
Holy hell.
Colton’s nostrils flared before he chuckled and looked away. “I see what’s happening here.”
“You do?” Max and I said in unison.
“Yup.” Colton started laughing so hard he had to grip the tabletop. “Milo, why didn’t you just say something?”
“Say something?” I was seriously lost. Was he high?
“Yeah, Milo.”
Max turned on me and mouthed, “What the hell?”
“You’re lying about something.” Colton’s eyes narrowed in amusement. “You always flush when you lie, Milo, and you keep scratching your face. It’s a nervous tic thing. What’s going on here?”
“Nothing,” Max and I said in unison.
Jason came up behind Colton. “You done interrogating my sister’s boyfriend?”
“Uh, yeah.” Colton stepped back, but not before pointing at Max, then me, and saying, “I’m watching you.” Aw, awesome, we were both just given the De Niro.
Once the two of them left the room we exhaled in relief.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Max gave me a tender shove. “We were fine until you started stepping on my foot and elbowing me!”
“You were hitting on my mom!”
“She’s a beautiful lady!” he argued.
“Oh, my gosh.” I fell into one of the chairs and moaned. “This is a catastrophe.”
“Not true.” Max shook his head. “You just have to be more believable. I mean, would it kill you to find me screw-worthy?”
“Screw-worthy? What does that even mean?”
“That’s it.” Max grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hall. “Where’s the bathroom?”
“Uh . . .” I pointed.
With a jerk he had me in the bathroom under the stairs and closed the door. Words and sounds were coming out of his mouth but I couldn’t make anything out. Max pushed me against the door and pointed his finger in my face. “I’m going to kiss you, damn it, and you’re going to like it. And I’m going to take off my shirt and you’re going to manhandle me, and you’re going to stop being so damn nervous or so help me God I’m going to bend you over that sofa in the living room and spank your sexy ass.”
Shocked, I was paralyzed in place. “Where did that come from?”
“Inside.” Max looked at me and smirked. “I have lots of feelings and I’m sick and tired of you looking at me like I don’t have a penis. I may be used to your innocence, but for my own pride, at least try to be attracted to me. Now close your damn eyes.”
“Stop cursing at me.”
“Stop being difficult! I’m trying to help you. And stop squirming. Shit, take a Xanax or something.”
“Max.” I closed my eyes and huffed. “This isn’t going to—”
My hand was on something hard.
I blinked my eyes open.
Since when did he have a six-pack?
I tilted my head, you know, to get a better look. His skin was really smooth but bumpy, each muscle defined so much that there was enough of a ridge for my hands to play with.
“Oh, look, he’s a man after all,” Max said, sounding bored. “I’m not your sexless friend. I’m not your damn brother. I’m not your gay friend. And I sure as hell am not thinking about anything right now except that your hands feel really good against my skin. So I’m going to kiss you, and you’re going to respond like the idea of my mouth on yours doesn’t make you want to cry—and you’ll like it.”
“I’ll like it,” I repeated.
“There’s my girl.” His eyes flashed, and then he was kissing me again, only this time his body was on fire as it pressed against me. I felt every ridge of his abs; the length of his body was beyond devastating.
Slowly I wrapped my hands around his neck and pulled him closer.