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I cock my head to the side, wondering how he knows it’s in Dallas. “You’ve already looked it up, haven’t you?”
He finds me humorous. “Babe, I already have a security plan in place. And Stone is putting your new security team together.”
“Please tell me you weren’t texting while I was riding you,” I tease, wondering when he found time to do all that. The nap I took wasn’t that long. And when I woke, Max was passed out.
He hops off the bed, slapping my ass on the way up. “I’m great at multitasking, but my head up here” —he taps his forehead— “is useless when your hot pussy is milking my dick.”
My cheeks flush from his dirty words. He pulls up his shorts and comes back to sit down next to me. “So, beautiful, when do you want to get married?”
“As soon as possible.” The words fly out of my mouth, surprising even me.
His smile is disarming, and I’m glad he saves them for me. “I can arrange a wedding before we leave.”
It’s crazy that I’m tempted to say yes. Could I get married without Addison here? I’m sure she’d get over it. My shoulders slump into the bed. What am I thinking? She’d kill me.
“Getting married to you, here, would be amazing. But our friends should be here. I don’t need a huge wedding,” I slip in so he doesn’t think I plan to go bridezilla on him.
His lips twist as he thinks and then his smile returns, reaching his eyes. “I have a plan.” His plan intrigues me. So far, his plans have been perfect. “But first, I want to take you to my house.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Max
When your woman has been staring at her engagement ring for at least twenty minutes and then she looks over at you and says, “I’ve been thinking,” you brace for the worst. Conflict swirls in her eyes and my chest tightens, readying for war. She’s not getting away from me that easy.
“Okay,” I drawl, reading into every move she makes. She swirls the ring around her finger, the very thing causing her distress. I don’t get it. We had an amazing week in Hawaii.
She licks her lips and says, “I don’t want to tell Addie and Aiden, yet.”
Fuck. This again?
“Not because I don’t want them to know.” Her hand covers mine and she squeezes. “This is our first time at your house and I want… I need more time to learn about you without distractions from our friends. We can tell them after the concert.” I release a heavy sigh filled with relief, looking out the window. The foreign feeling of insecurity is a bitch. The town car pulls off the main highway, headed toward my house. “Am I being too selfish asking this?” She turns in her seat toward me, worry etched into her features.
“No.” I shake my head. “I just thought you were going to say…” I stop myself, not wanting to throw my doubts out in the open. Cupping her neck, I brush my thumb across her pouty lip. “Never mind. Selfish be damned, I’m happy to have you all to myself for a little longer.”
Pulling her to me, her lips melt into mine and I get lost in the taste of her. She’s a drug, the euphoric vibe when I’m with her is more intense than any adrenaline rush I’ve experienced. It’s a constant craving and I hope, for the sake of my sanity, I’m able to control it someday. She breaks away from the kiss when the car stops and the craving spikes again.
Damn, I’m in trouble.
“Wow,” she says, looking out the window. “I forgot how big this place is.”
Dirty thoughts come to mind, but I keep those to myself. I want this to be our home base so I need her to like it here. “And I want to show you every square inch of it.” I laugh to myself. This conversation is much different in my head.
The driver opens the door and I reach for Sydney’s hand, pulling her out behind me. “Addie will be so jealous,” she snickers. I glance down and her smile matches the gleam in her eye as she stares at the house.
“Of what?”
“I’m about to learn what’s in the mysterious house of Max Shaw.” I bust out with a laugh, swinging her up into my arms, carrying her toward the front door. She wraps her arms around my neck and holds on. “Well… unless she already knows.” Her voice turns down.
I stop walking right before I hit the first step. “Tink, you are the only woman I’ve ever brought into this house that will see everything. I don’t want there to be any secrets between us other than the ones I can’t tell you for your safety.” She pulls her head back a bit and raises her brows. “I’m in the security business and that means there are things I can’t share. But this house isn’t one of them.” My dad’s secrets in this house passed onto me when he died. Only my team and Aiden know about them. And now she will.
“I’m not afraid. You are.” Syd’s voice trembles behind me. My laugh echoes all the way down the dim-lit stone spiral staircase leading to the underground tunnel. We just finished touring the half of the house where I run my operations. The weapon room, the command center with all the monitors, the boardroom, each of the guys have a bedroom so if we have a late night, they can crash here. But last of all is the underground rooms. We slipped through a secret door, masked as a wine cellar, right off the kitchen.
I stop and turn on a step; her eyes almost level with mine as she stands on the next step higher. “There’s nothing down here that’s scary, babe.”
“That’s what the guy says in every horror movie out there.” She runs her hands through her hair. “I’m thinking I would be okay to skip this house secret.”
The last thing I want is for this place to scare her. “Listen, just think of it as the magical castle from Beauty and the Beast instead of an Amityville Horror house.” She stares at me through round eyes, making me chuckle.
