Chapter Twenty-One
AFTER PICKING UP her rental car and dropping it off at the bungalow, Max and Treat headed into town. They walked hand in hand through the shops she’d spotted yesterday. They picked out toys for Kaylie and Chaz’s twins at a cool kids’ store called Abiyoyo. Treat bought a scarf that he said set off Max’s eyes. When they were waiting in line for the cashier, he squeezed her hand and told her that when they were old and gray he’d still remember the day they’d bought it. Max found hope in the things he did and said so naturally, things that confirmed that she could trust her instincts where Treat was concerned.
They walked around the corner and had lunch at a little restaurant called the Juice, where they shared a bowl of New England clam chowder and a sandwich. Treat rooted himself in her heart more with each passing hour. The simple act of sharing meals together felt exciting and like they’d been doing it forever at the same time. Treat didn’t rush her through the meal, or make her feel hurried later, as they meandered with the crowds through an entire street of art galleries. He showed her pieces he loved and took interest in the ones she swooned over. He told her stories of the galleries he’d seen overseas and how he’d like to take her to see each and every one of them.
She wondered where he called home, and she knew his time in Colorado was only a reprieve. He had come to Colorado to see his family, and though he’d left to attend to business, where would he go once they were done here?
“If you’re not too tired,” he said as he tucked her against his side, “I’d love to go to Provincetown, grab some dinner, and maybe see a show? Or we could just go back to the bungalow and watch a movie and relax. Whatever you want.”
That sounded wonderful, but she was already so vested in them, it suddenly seemed important to know what would happen after this trip. “Treat?”
“Uh-oh. What’s that look?”
“I’m just curious. Where do you live?”
“You mean, like, where do I keep all my belongings?”
“Yes. Where do you call home?”
“It doesn’t matter, because the moment you tell me it’s okay, my home will be wherever you are.” He kissed her, and the sheer delight of it brought her to her toes, and he kissed her longer.
When they finally pulled apart, “Wow,” slipped from her lips. “I love to kiss you.”
He put his hands on her waist, and she could see in his eyes that he was thinking the same thing she was—that he wanted to lift her so she could wrap her legs around him and they could kiss each other senseless.
Oh, wait. Maybe he isn’t thinking that.
Why was he covering his mouth and looking away?
“Did I say something wrong?” Max asked tentatively.
He shook his head. “You just had my mind racing in ways that it shouldn’t be.” He looked down, and the problem was evident by the tent in his pants.
She tried unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh.
“You’re laughing at this? This is not good, Max. I’m not a twentysomething kid. I’m a grown man. I should be able to kiss you without the world knowing that I can barely think past wanting to”—he lowered his voice to a whisper—“be inside of you.”
Max grabbed her side and bent over in a fit of laughter.
“Oh, you think it’s funny, do you?” He took her hand and walked behind two enormous hydrangea bushes, then kissed her until her legs turned to spaghetti and her laughter was replaced with wanton moans. They sank to the ground, where he deepened the kiss, his body crushing hers in all the right places. His hot mouth moved over her chin, her neck, and down the open V of her shirt.
She clutched his head, bringing his mouth back to hers. Every molecule in her body ached for him.
“Max,” he whispered.
Her brain refused to work. She lay beside him panting, wanting, craving more of him as he slicked his tongue along the dip above her collarbone. Then he moved off her. What’re you doing? Where are you going? She tried to blink through her lust-filled fog as he rose to his feet beside where she lay on the grass, and a cocky grin appeared on his face.
“Get over here,” she managed, smacking the grass beside her.
Treat crossed his arms. “Two can play at this game.”
Max groaned. “You are so unfair!”
He took her hand and pulled her to her feet so hard she collided with him. And then he kissed her again, probing her mouth with such delicate care that it made her want him even more. She moaned before she could quell the urge, and that was all he needed to pull away with a victorious smile.
“Provincetown?” he asked.
PROVINCETOWN WAS AN artsy community along a beautiful coastline, with eclectic shops and a multitude of street performers. They caught a comedy show, and Max doubled over with laughter in her chair, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. Watching her laugh had become one of Treat’s biggest delights, and he swore he’d do everything he could to keep her just as happy as she was right then.
After the show, they made their way out of the club, into the cool evening air, and wandered down Commercial Street, the main road through Provincetown.
Treat saw his old friend Marcus heading their way. He was dressed in drag, complete with a wig, high heels, and heavy makeup.
“Hey, buddy. How’s the hottest guy around?” Marcus asked, and kissed Treat on each cheek.
“Marcus, how are you?”
“Maxine tonight,” she said with a wink and a toss of her long brown locks.
“You look beautiful, Maxine.” Treat glanced at Max. “This is my girlfriend, Max.”
Max extended a hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“My man Treat does not do girlfriends. You must be someone very special if you’re up here with him. Get in here and give Maxine some love.” Maxine drew her into a warm embrace and said, “And I can see why. You are gorgeous. I absolutely love your red frames, and your name!”
“Thank you,” Max said, touching her glasses.
“Everything going well?” Treat asked. “How’s Howie?”
“Oh, sugar, he’s just as painful as ever. The man has more mood swings than a pack of PMSing women. But you know I adore him.”
Treat put his arm around Maxine and lowered his voice. “And his cancer?”
Maxine’s excitement waned for a second, and then she righted her smile and said, “He’s hanging in there. He really appreciates—we truly appreciate—you pulling those strings with the hospital.” Her eyes welled with tears, and she wiped them away and fanned the air. “Whew. I can’t go there right now, sugar. I have to perform tonight.”
Treat hugged her again, longer this time, as his father had embraced Max. “I’m here, okay? If you need me, call me anytime. You know that. Give Howie my love, please.”
“Will do, Treat.” Maxine leaned in closer to Max and said, “The man is a saint.”
Treat could feel a million unasked questions from Max as they continued walking along the sidewalk, passing a street performer who looked as though he’d been dunked in thick gold paint, standing still as a statue while tourists threw money into a hat at his feet and took pictures standing beside him. Treat waited for her to ask about Howie and Marcus, and when she didn’t, he fed her unspoken curiosity.
“Howie lost his health insurance a while ago,” he said as they walked into Shop Therapy, a small retail store that specialized in retro clothing. “I made a deal with the hospital and medical providers here so when he needed care, they’d bill me directly.”
“That’s so generous of you. Who is Marcus…Maxine? I mean, how do you know him, her?”
“He’s a friend. I’ve gotten to know many of the year-round residents over the years.”
“So many people would have trouble embracing a man in drag, and you had no hesitation.”
“You didn’t seem to have trouble,” he said with a question in his eyes.
“No, but some guys are weird about that stuff. I don’t know. I guess I’m wrong.”
“I’m not most guys.”
“You can say that again. I actually fell for you a little harder when I saw you hug him,” she admitted.
“I’ll have to remember that,” he teased. They walked toward the back of the shop, and Treat said, “You know, dressing in drag isn’t who he is. It’s what he does for a living.”
“Oh. No, I didn’t know. I assumed that drag was a way of life.”
“No, at least not for him,” he said as they looked through a rack of shirts. “He’s a fantastic performer. If you’d like, I’ll take you to a show sometime.”
She slipped into the space between the clothing rack and his body. “I would really like that. Love is beautiful, and it should be praised, not picked apart. I’m glad we share the same view where that’s concerned.”
“The more I learn about you, the more I love you.” Love slipped so easily from his lips. He liked the way it felt. He lowered his lips to hers, intending a chaste kiss, but once he tasted her, he didn’t want to stop there. Max leaned into him, putting pressure on all his greediest places. He reluctantly pulled away, knowing if he didn’t, he’d be walking around aroused all night.
Max laced her fingers with his and flashed a rascally smile. “Paybacks are so fun.”
He groaned.
She looked at the staircase where a sign with colorful arrows pointed up and asked, “What’s up there?”
He guided her away from the steps, which led to an adult toy shop. “Nothing, babe. Let’s go get some gelato.”
They walked to the Purple Feather Café for gelato and then headed to the beach to eat it. It was chilly, but they cuddled and fed each other tastes.
“What was upstairs in that shop?” Max asked as she held up a spoonful of tiramisu gelato for him to eat.
“It was an adult toy shop,” he said uneasily.
“Oh.” She gazed out at the water. “Do you like to use those?”
“No, Max.” He set his gelato down and pulled her onto his lap. She smiled, but it was the shy smile that told him she had many more questions in that brilliant mind of hers. “I don’t need toys, or anything besides you. But if you ever want to explore, we can do it together.”
“It’s a little embarrassing to talk about this,” she whispered.
“Then we won’t,” he reassured her.
“No, it’s embarrassing but it’s good. I like knowing that I don’t have to hide my past with you. That you accept me with my insecurities and they don’t make you run away.”
“Baby, nothing will make me run from you.” That earned a bigger smile. “You can count on me, Max. Always.”
“What if I never want to explore?” she asked carefully.
“Then we won’t. I want to help you heal.”
“You’ve already helped. Just being able to accept and trust you in my life is a healing step for me.” Her expression turned serious. “But what if you want to explore one day? I don’t want to hold you back.”
“Max, I’m thirty-seven. I’ve explored. I’ve sowed my wild oats. Any further exploration will be because we want to do it together. You can trust me when I tell you that beyond sharing you, there’s nothing sexual I wouldn’t do for you or with you if you wanted me to. On that same note, though, all I need is right here on my lap. When we’re close, it’s not about toys or pushing limits; it’s about intimacy.”
She lowered her face toward his, and her glasses slid down her nose. Treat righted them for her, and she said, just above a whisper, “But guys need excitement.”
“My excitement is drawn from the pleasure I bring you, not whether you’re willing to get off on sex toys.”
“Will it be enough? In the long run?”
“Max, you’re enough. You’ll always be enough. I’m not your ex, and I’ve never been someone who needed to dominate a woman. That’s not me, and honestly, most of the guys I know aren’t like that either. Real men don’t dominate. They cherish, they love, they pleasure, but it’s mutual, not an ego trip.”
“I hope you’re right, because I want to believe you.”
He sealed his promise with a kiss. “It’s cold out here. Let’s go home.”
Max had asked him about his home, and as they walked back to the car, he knew his answer had been completely honest. His home would be anywhere Max was.