His End Game (MMG #1) (30 page)

“I know that and I made sure that he knows too. I would be hurt and angry too, but trust me, you will understand once you hear what he has to say. He will make you understand.”

I looked over at her. “Can’t you just save us some time and tell me?”

Placing her hand on mine, she squeezed. “You know I can’t. He’s the only one who can make sense of it all and he will, I promise. Now, not to change the subject or anything, but Kurt really wants to come over and see you. I made him hold off until we talked. Is it okay if I call him?”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Is Max staying with you?”

She laughed. “You’re thinking about the time that Jennifer tried to break you up and I ambushed you with Max, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I promise that’s not happening again. Max will stay put until you say otherwise.”

Throwing on sweats, I put my hair in a ponytail. By the time we made it to the living room and had a pot of coffee brewing, Kurt had arrived. The first thing he did was hug me.

“Please don’t be mad at me, Ellie. I tried to keep him in the back of the bar but he just
had
to see you.”

“Why didn’t you want him to see me?”

Walking over to the sofa, he sat down. “Because I wanted to talk to you first, but then he saw Dillon serving you shots and that guy asking you to dance. By the time he heard you were outside with another guy, it was all over.”

“Gee, you make me sound so wholesome.”

Finding this highly amusing, he snagged Joss by the waist and pulled her down onto his lap.

Kurt’s reference to dancing stirred my memory. “Oh! I forgot about Gage.”

“Who?” they both asked.

I looked at Joss. “The guy I was attempting to dance with when you so rudely interrupted.”

She looked confused. “I thought you said his name was Garage?”

My face heated in embarrassment and Kurt laughed.

“With a name like that, he would definitely be memorable.” Kurt mused and then added, “I thought Max was going to take apart the office when he saw you walk off with him.”

“Is that the noise I heard in the back?”

Joss motioned her hand for me to continue, “Yes, back to the story. So, who was he?”

“He said his name was Gage and he apparently knew me but I didn’t have a clue as to who he was. He also said something about someone telling him that I was funny. I thought it was an odd thing to say, but I was halfway to drunk and he was so flipping hot. Then you told me about Dillon and I ran out before he got the chance to talk to me.”

Joss smiled, “Hmmm, he was cute, wasn’t he?”

This got her a pinch from Kurt, who asked, “Did you see him outside later with everyone?”

“I didn’t but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t there. I lost sight of everything else in the parking lot the second I saw Dillon kissing Dana.”

“Listen Ellie,” Kurt started.

“I know what you are going to say and the answer is yes. I plan on talking to Max sometime today or tomorrow. You need to know, though, that I’m not sure that will change anything.”

He stared at me for a minute. “Are you into Dillon now? You know that you can tell me.”

“I don’t know think so. I thought maybe it was the beginning of something, but now…after Friday night, I am not so sure….”

“Do me a favor?”

I hesitated for a second. “Maybe.”

“Hold off on anything with D until you hear what Max has to say.”

“Sure,” I shrugged, “I don’t know if I have anything to say to Dillon anyway. I don’t think I can trust him.” Kurt looked relieved.

“Not to change the subject, but I have something that I’ve been wanting to ask you,” Joss chimed in. “I was distracted by Max showing up so before I get sidetracked again…. here goes. Will you be my maid of honor?” I watched her suck in a lungful of air and hold it while nervously waiting for my answer.

As if I would say no
.

“Yes!” I shrieked. Jumping from my chair, I bounded to the sofa and threw my arms around them both.

“What in God’s name are you three doing?” My dad asked. He was standing at the bottom of the stairs.

I laughed at the confused look on his face and told him that I was going to be in their wedding.

He dramatically wiped his forehead. “Phew, I thought I was walking in on the beginnings of a threesome.”

“Daaaad!” I screamed, completely shocked. Kurt and Joss busted into hysterics.

He laughed at my obvious discomfort. “Not to interrupt your fun but do you want to start on the third bedroom today?”

I turned to Joss and Kurt. “That reminds me, Piper called and she says that she is moving back to Charlotte!” I meant to tell you last night, but since you weren’t talking to me….”

Joss groaned. “You are never going to let this go, are you?”

Ignoring us both, Kurt asked, “Did she say when?”

“Soon, I think. That’s why we are cleaning out the third bedroom.”

“After I have a cup of coffee I’m going to get started on it,” my dad informed. “You stay down here and hang out for a while. Good seeing you both. Glad to see them here with you, honey,” he winked.

I smiled at him and winked back.

“Why is Piper moving back now?” Kurt asked. “The last time Joss talked to her, she said that she loved living in Texas.”

I settled back into the chair and told them about our phone conversation.

“Wasn’t she seeing that biker guy? She was crazy about him but never really gave us any details.” Joss said.

“Yes,” I agreed. “A month ago, she told me he might be the one for her. I’m worried that something bad happened.”

We agreed that we should watch Piper closely when she arrived in charlotte. Joss wanted her to be a bridesmaid which would make doing that easier as well as hopefully cheer her up. Before they left, they told me that they were going to have to change the wedding date because of Joss’ parents travel schedule. They were still letting me have the engagement party at the bar, though, so I was happy. I promised that I would call Max by tomorrow at the latest. In the meantime, I needed to get things ready for Piper.

If she ever decides to show up
.

I cleaned the upstairs bedroom and decided that mine could use some work as well. It was a good distraction, a good way to stay busy and away from Dragonfly. Dillon, Joss, Kurt, Polly, Lena and, I assumed Max would all be there tonight.

After a while my dad stepped in carrying my cell phone and a set of keys. “Are you feeling better?”

“I will be,” I assured him. “Where are you off to?”

“Can I borrow the extra car for the night to drive to Raleigh? I need to see my boss tomorrow and get more clothes from my place. I’ll be back late tomorrow afternoon. Oh, and I thought that you might want this back.” He handed me my phone.

With all of my emotional crap, I hadn’t even considered that he might want his car. “Do you want me to drive you there so you can pick up your own car?”

Smiling, he jingled my aunt’s keys. “Believe it or not, your aunt drove a better car than I have so I’m good. That is, if you’re okay with me using it?”

I giggled at the image of my dad in the Caddy. “You can drive it as long as you want. Hell, if you pay the taxes on it, you can have it.”

“I might just take you up on that,” he laughed and turned to leave.

“Promise you will be back tomorrow?” I called out.

This stopped him in his tracks. He turned back to me, framed my face between his hands, looked into my eyes and calmly said, “Everyone has left you, haven’t they? Your whole life, all you have
known
is that people leave. I want you to know that I will not leave you again Ellie. Okay? I promise that I am here to stay.”

My eyes filled. “Okay.”

Using his thumbs, he wiped the tears away and hugged me tight. Then he said goodbye and was out the door.

After he left, I finished cleaning my bedroom, watched some television and read part of a book. Finally, sick of sitting around, I made myself a BLT and ate it in the kitchen. I tried to call Piper a couple of times but just got her voicemail. She would flip out about Max being back. I couldn’t wait to tell her. Wondering whether it was too early for bed, I glanced at the clock. Nine p.m.

Everyone is at the bar
.

My reflection in the patio doors made me think of soaking in the hot tub. I opened a bottle of red wine and poured myself a glass.

Screw it
.

Snagging the bottle, I headed out to the hot tub. With my dad gone and everyone at the bar, I had no qualms about hot-tubbing sans clothing. Carefully, I set the glass and bottle down where I could reach them, stripped off my clothes and slipped down into the mind numbing heat.

I so need this right now
.

It was strange not having my dad around. I had gotten used to him and hated to admit it, but he was now under my skin.

I actually miss the old fart
.

My second glass of wine went down better than the first and I was feeling good. Hoisting my rear out of the tub, I padded bare assed through the house to my bedroom to retrieve my iPod. Plugging it in to the dock, I picked a mellow playlist. As soon as I heard Big Head Todd and the Monster’s
Bittersweet
start playing on the outside speakers, I headed toward the kitchen. Max had introduced me to some great music years ago. Big Head Todd was just one of the many bands that had stuck with me.

On my way back out I snagged a second bottle of wine and the opener.

Why make another trip if I don’t have to
?

I padded back out to the tub and stopped dead in my tracks.

Sitting with his back to me, in my hot tub, was the last person I expected to see tonight.

Max
.

With his hair pulled back, I had an unobstructed view of his bare shoulders.

“Great song,” he drawled, “I especially like this version.”

My breath hitched at the sound of his voice. “Max, what are you doing here?”

“What does it look like I am doing, Ellison? You’ve been avoiding me since Friday night so it was time to pay you a visit.” He still hadn’t turned around but I could hear the smile in his voice.

If he were standing up, I would kick him right now
.

“Well, it sure looks to me like you are breaking and entering.” His arm lifted and I could see my wine glass in his hand. “And, you’ve stolen my glass of wine!”

The nerve
.

He chuckled and then challenged, “Whatcha gonna do about it?” His head turned and his piercing blue eyes hit me.

God, did you have to make him so damned irresistible
?

His eyes feasted on my naked body and I felt the urge to squirm. Trying not to be too obvious, I placed a hand over my chest and moved the bottle in front of my crotch. “Couldn’t you have called first or something?”

“And I thought you were beautiful five years ago,” he softly said.

I had to break away from his blue eyed stare because, if I didn’t, I was likely to do something really stupid. Dropping both hands, I bolted across the patio and flung myself into the hot tub. I managed to save the bottle of wine but dunked both myself and Max with my acrobatics. I came up for air both spluttering and laughing. “I didn’t really think that through,” I coughed. He laughed hard and my heart hitched. The sound of his laughter was so sweet. I had missed it every single day.

The pain on my face must have registered because he immediately stopped laughing and stated, “You know we have to talk.”

I nodded. “I know, but it is nice being here with you like this. For a minute, before everything changes, can’t we just sit, drink and enjoy? Just for a minute?”

His jaw clinched. “Baby, you are killing me here. I can feel your pain. Give me the chance to take it away, please?”

Instead, I opened the second bottle of wine and since I hadn’t brought out any glasses, handed it to him. I snagged the half empty bottle, clinked it against his, said “Cheers” and drank. After we drained both bottles, I was back to feeling good. In fact, I was feeling great. We sat there, for what seemed like forever, just staring at each other. Finally, not be able to stand it any longer, I broke. “How can you be ten times hotter than you were back then? ‘Cause, five years ago, you were the hottest boy I had ever laid eyes on.”

His beautiful eyes danced with humor and I wanted to eat him up. “See, baby doll, I was just wondering the very same thing about you.”

“You were thinking about how hot you were… are….were?” I giggled, finding myself super funny.

Laughing at me laughing, he said, “No, I was wondering how you managed to turn into an absolute goddess. I thought you were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen then, but now….. you steal my breath.”

Trying not to let him see how much his words affected me, I focused on my toes floating in the bubbles and sang along to The Lumineers
Stubborn Love
.

“I haven’t heard this one before. Then again, I haven’t had a lot of time to listen to much music lately.”

“I want to ask you why, but I can’t….not yet. I am still pretending.” I giggled, now really feeling the effects of the wine.

His eyebrow raised in question. “What exactly are you pretending, Ellison or do I really want to know?”

“That you never left me and that I haven’t spent the past five years broken.” Gasping, I threw my hand over my mouth. “I can’t believe I actually said that out loud,” I mumbled through my fingers.

“Jesus, Ellison.” Before I could respond, he glided over to me, grasped the back of my neck, lifted my chin and forced me to look him in the eyes. “Please believe me when I tell you that I would never have left you in a million years if I did not have to.”

Once again, I found myself trapped in all that was Max. I had been starving for him before. But now, with him sitting here in front of me, felt completely overwhelmed. His eyes, lips, body and scent were all consuming. If I had been standing, the raw emotion would have taken me to my knees. Completely caught in the moment, I leaned up and pressed my lips to his.

He pulled back and searched my eyes. “We need to talk.”

Placing my fingers over his lips, I shushed him. Using my other hand, I reached for him under the water. When I had him, literally, in the palm of my hand, I looked up into his eyes. “I need this, Max, please?” We were so close that I could feel every hard inch of him pressing up against me. His eyes heated in surprise and his hand flexed on the back of my neck. Tightening my grasp, I began stroking.