I shook my head. “I’m not. I…” I hesitated. How did I tell him I wanted him to sleep beside me all night? I felt the safest when he was right next to me. The fear that Uncle Tony would find me had vanished, and all I felt was the kind of peace that had been missing from my life for the past eight years.
Max brushed my hair away from my face, something he’d done several times earlier. The soft sweep of his fingers across my cheek made my entire body heat as an ache throbbed between my legs. It was uncomfortable, and I pressed my legs together, trying to relieve it, only to feel a dampness on my inner thighs.
He lowered his eyes to where I was squirming, and his nostrils flared. One of his hands rubbed over his mouth as hunger filled his gaze. That only made the throb intensify, which caused me to squirm even more.
Dropping to his knees beside the bed, he cupped the side of my face, his thumb brushing over my bottom lip for several excruciating moments. “Do you ache, little one?” he signed, and I quickly nodded. “Me too, baby. But I don’t think you are ready for that. I want nothing more than to crawl into this bed beside you and kiss every inch of your sweet body. I would spend the entire night easing that ache deep between your legs. And one day, I pray you’ll let me. When you’re ready.”
“Max.” My lips formed his name, but I didn’t feel the vibrations in my throat that told me any sound had escaped. Still, his eyes were glued to my mouth, so I knew he understood the plea of my speaking his name.
He leaned in close, lightly touching his lips to my temple, then down to the corner of my mouth. The heat of his breath on my skin made me shiver, and I clenched my legs closed as the throb pulsed to the out-of-control beat of my heart. “Sleep,” he signed. “I don’t want you to have any regrets. When you’re ready, I’ll give you everything you want and need. I promise.”
I liked that he wasn’t rushing me, that he was giving me time to trust him. But for some reason, I already trusted him. More so than any other person in years. I couldn’t put it into words, but there was just something in Max’s eyes that told me every part of myself was safe with this guy.
Including my heart.
But even though my entire body was one achy throb, I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that kind of intimacy. I was a virgin. Did guys even want a virgin these days? One of the girls at school had been telling her friends that she’d had sex with her boyfriend. He’d gotten so pissed because it was her first time and he’d thought she was more experienced, that he’d actually broken up with her over it.
I’d thought the guy was a douchebag, that he’d only been after sex and once he’d gotten it, he’d come up with whatever dumb reason to break up with her. But now, I wondered if Max would get upset that I had no experience. Would he still want me if he knew? Would it turn him off?
He tapped me on the nose, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Sleep,” he encouraged. “I’ll be on the couch.”
Quickly, I sat up, shaking my head. If anyone should be on the couch, it was me. He’d already given me so much. A delicious meal. A hot shower. Fresh clothes. A roof over my head. And now I was taking up his bed? It wasn’t right to steal his big comfy bed as well.
He gently pushed me back down until my head was resting on the pillows. “You are going to sleep in here,” he signed while glaring down at me. “I need you to sleep in my bed, little one.”
“But—”
He captured my hands before I could sign more and kissed each palm before tucking them under the blanket. “Don’t argue. I won’t sleep if you don’t take the bed, and I have to work in the morning.”
“Where do you work?” I asked curiously.
“Downstairs,” he informed me with a shrug. “My dad owns half of the garage. I’ll inherit it one day, which was why he didn’t argue when I told him I was moving out and into this place.” He tucked the covers around me again, then leaned forward and rubbed my nose with his. “Sweet dreams, little treasure.”
Despite the lingering ache between my legs, I was almost asleep before he even closed the bedroom door on his way out. The bed was just too comfy and warm. With his scent surrounding me, and knowing he was just a room away, my brain shut down and sleep pulled me under.
The next time I opened my eyes, the sun was shining through the window. A glance at the clock told me it was 11:32. Gasping, I sat upright in bed. I hadn’t slept so late since leaving Uncle Tony’s house, and even then, it was a rare occurrence. Marta usually woke me up with breakfast, no matter what day of the week it was.
As I leaned back against the headboard, my fingers brushed over a sheet of paper. Picking it up, I saw it was a note from Max. Seeing his somewhat messy, masculine handwriting made me smile.
Delaney,
I didn’t want to leave for work without letting you know, but you were sleeping so peacefully I didn’t have the heart to wake you. I’ll come up for lunch, and we can eat together. Make yourself at home, because that is exactly what it is for you now.
There is cereal and other breakfast food in the pantry. The coffeepot is ready to go. Just turn it on when you get up.
See you soon, little one.
Max
I traced a fingertip over his name, a smile
