“There is nothing you could do that will scare me,” I promised.
The bathroom was starting to fill with steam, and he scooped me up, carrying me into the shower with him. “Everything I do is to protect you. Even if it’s me I have to protect you from.”
My nails bit into his shoulders hard, and I shook my head at him. “No,” I voiced. “Never you.”
“Yes,” he signed after placing me on my feet. “Even me. There was so much blood when I cleaned you up after our first time. I spread your thighs and saw how torn you are. We will make love again, but not until you recover from how rough I was earlier.”
The self-loathing I saw in his eyes kept me from arguing with him further. I could see that he was mad at himself, but there was no reason for him to be. I’d asked—begged, actually—for everything he’d done to me. He’d even tried to stop at one point, but I’d wanted him too much. Needed him so desperately, I knew I wouldn’t be able to go another minute without him becoming a physical part of my body.
The water rained down on us, but he didn’t even seem to notice. “There’s something else…”
I frowned when he paused, his hands lifted but not forming words. “What?”
“I didn’t use protection.” His jaw clenched so hard I feared he was going to break something, but he seemed to force himself to relax. “I need you to know that I’ve never done that before. I have always worn a condom—”
Something painful filled my chest, and I turned away from him before he could finish signing. I didn’t want to think about Max doing to someone else what we’d done. As sweet and gentle as he was, as incredibly beautiful as he was inside and out—of course, he would have been with other girls. Heck, I was surprised he wasn’t already in a committed relationship with someone. But it hurt to think about him with anyone but me.
He gripped my waist and turned me to face him, but I couldn’t look at him. He said I was his, and more than anything, I wanted him to be mine too. I wanted that even more than I wanted to hear his voice.
“I’m sorry,” he signed, his lips forming the words. “I lost my head, and I didn’t think about protecting you. I swear, it’s the first time it has ever happened, and I will make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
I gave a stiff nod, unable to fully meet his gaze.
“You have every right to be angry,” he continued. “Just understand that, no matter what happens, I’m in this one hundred percent.”
I didn’t even know how to respond to that, so I only nodded again. I wasn’t worried about the no-protection thing. Even though no one had ever sat me down and had the whole birds and bees talk with me, I’d taken health and science classes in school. I knew I was at a safe point in my cycle when I didn’t have to worry about getting pregnant.
“Treasure, tell me you don’t hate me.”
“I don’t,” I signed, keeping my eyes on his hands and not his face, trying to hide my pain from him.
But stupidly, a tear spilled down my cheek.
“There’s no need to be scared…” he began.
“I’m not scared,” I replied before turning my back on him again. I reached for my shampoo and started to lather my hair, trying desperately to get my emotions under control. I should have felt shy, standing in the shower with him, naked and wet. But there was none of that. All I could think about was him with a long line of other girls. Maybe in this same shower, in that same bed where he’d claimed me.
The pain made it impossible to breathe, and I dropped my hands from my hair, wrapping my arms around my middle in an attempt to keep the hurt away.
Max jerked me around to face him. “Tell me what’s wrong,” he commanded, his eyes wild. “What did I do?”
“Nothing.” I tried to evade, but he wasn’t having it.
“Delaney.” I flinched when he signed my name. I didn’t want to be “Delaney” to him. I only wanted to be his “treasure.” “Baby, tell me so I can fix it.”
“I want to be the only one,” I finally explained, but he pulled his brows together in confusion.
“Only what?”
“Everything,” I told him honestly. “The only one you’ve kissed, touched, held… Been inside of.”
Understanding filled his metallic-blue eyes, and his chest expanded as he inhaled deeply. “I want that too, treasure. I’m so sorry that I didn’t wait for you. If I had known I would find you one day, I swear to you, I would have waited.”
His answer surprised me. “Really?”
Max cupped my chin in his hand, forcing me to focus on his mouth. “Really,” he spoke the word before signing, “In my heart, you are the only one. Because this is the first time I’ve ever felt like this.”
The pain that had made it nearly impossible to breathe only moments before eased, and I melted against him. “Max…”
“You need to understand that there is nothing to be jealous of,” he signed, his eyes dancing over my face. “I’m yours, treasure.”
12
Max
After spending the entire weekend locked in the apartment with Delaney cuddled on top of me, I was not in the mood to get up for work Monday. But I knew if I didn’t get my ass out the door, one of my parents would come looking for me.
Promising myself I would introduce my treasure to both of them soon, I kissed my girl goodbye, tucked the covers up around her, and then forced myself out the door. Thankfully, the day was busy, with one customer after another, and I only
