A Fighting Chance (14 page)

“Yes, I’ve got briefs to read and to get ready for the morning, you kids have a good night. I’ll see you two in the morning,” she says on the way to her room.

She closes her door behind her and Max asks, “How’d it go?”

“Honestly, I deserved so much worse for what I did to her. She was hurt, and rightfully so. But I think we’ll be alright.”

Max takes my hand and leads me to my bedroom. I flick on the light and take a seat on the bed. Max leans against the closed door with a grin. He flicks off the light and walks over to me. Standing in front of me, I can see the outline of his dark frame against the black room. He removes his shirt, and then sends his jeans and boxers to the wood floor with a hard thud from his belt buckle. I feel myself getting wet just looking at the curve of his hips and ass. I can see the shadow of his hardened erection, and I instantly lick my lips in anticipation. Max’s face fills my vision, and then his soft, warm lips slowly start kissing mine. Gently, he pushes my back to the bed.

His lips trail down my throat as his hands lift my shirt. As if the need outweighed the time available, he lifts the cups of my bra up taking a nipple in his mouth. It didn’t seem like he could get close enough to me to satisfy his need. His lips trail down my stomach as he quickly removes my jeans. With the same speed and desire, his lips attack my core as my back arches off the mattress. His lips move in sync with his fingers thrusting in and out, and I quickly have an orgasm. He doesn’t let up and continues lapping and thrusting. Just as the first one ends, I’m thrown into another. He still continues as he moans and finds that sweet spot. He inserts a finger up my ass, and I see stars as I have a third orgasm. In the middle of the orgasm, he pulls away and I instantly want more. He doesn’t disappoint as he quickly fills me and roots himself deep inside as I come down from my orgasm. I cover my mouth and scream at the feeling of pure euphoria.

He removes my hand from my mouth and says, “I want to hear you, Chloe. I want to hear you say my name as you come on my dick.”

I run my nails down his sweaty back as he stills and says, “Now, Chloe.”

“Max,” I breathe as a fourth orgasm rips through me, sending me to a place like no other. Max groans in my ear as he comes right along with me. Never in my life have I had four orgasms in a row. Max plays my body like a finely tuned piano. He knows every right chord to play at the exact right time.

He kisses me on the cheek and turns me in his arm. I lay on his chest as he holds me tight. His chest heaves up and down as I listen to his heart race. His breathing evens out as he plays with a strand of my hair in between his fingers.

“Max?”

“Hmm,” he replies, tucking his chin to his chest to look at me.

“Can I talk to you about something?” I ask, almost dreading the timing and the outcome.

“You can talk to me about anything. What’s on your mind?” he says as he squeezes me closer.

“I’d like to talk about Samuel.” The instant his name is mentioned his grip on me loosens. “I’m so sorry that you missed the funeral because you were with me in the mountains.”

“I didn’t miss the funeral. I went and paid my respects and hurried back up the mountain. I didn’t go to the burial though, there wasn’t enough time for that,” he says in a whisper. His words are laced with emotion, and I heard the crack in his voice as he spoke.

“Did you want to talk about it?” I ask, tracing a tribal tattoo on his upper chest and neck. The silence in the room could break fine china. Several minutes go by, and I’m not quite sure what to do. Do I ignore the question I just asked? Does he want me to leave the room? Just as I’m about to move to get up, he squeezes me tight again.

“Samuel was a hell of a man. He was my father in all aspects of the word when my own failed to be one. He taught me to be the man I am today. For the longest time I didn’t think I knew anything about being a good man, until I met you that is. I may not be the best at hearts and flowers, but the way you light up my world when you walk into a room, is the exact same thing I saw in Samuel when Samantha walked into a room. I learned that from him. The way I feel about Noah when he’s in my arms. I learned that from him too. I never thought I’d be this guy who could love or be loved. I never thought I deserved it. I always thought I never mattered to anyone growing up. But I did every time I was around Samuel, I just never knew it. Through his own subtle ways, without trying to be forceful, he instilled in me what he instilled in his own sons. I can see it as clear as day now.”

“You are a good man. Don’t ever think otherwise,” I say lifting up and looking in his eyes.

“I never thought of myself as a good man, but I can see now because of Samuel, I am.”

The room fills with silence once more. I think Max’s mind is reeling with the thoughts of Samuel. Every thirty seconds or so, he’d pull me closer to his chest with a squeeze. But I knew for sure he was thinking about Samuel when I felt the wetness of his tears in my hair.

Max

I’ve only ever thought about everything that has gone on as being for Chloe. But the truth of the matter is, I feel like I’ve been given a new life too. I never knew what happiness felt like. I didn’t think I knew what love felt like until I fell in love with Chloe. But the ache in my heart tells me otherwise. I loved Samuel. He’s the only father figure I had, and I never got the chance to tell him that while he was alive. I know it’s dumb, but I hope he can hear me right now
. Samuel, if you can hear me right now, I just want you to know that I love you. Thank you for treating me like one of your own sons and showing me how to be a good man, despite my upbringing. Thank you for showing me how to open my heart and love the woman in my arms, right now. I always said I never wanted kids, because I was afraid I’d be just like my dad. But I know for a fact that I’m not. And if I can someday be half the dad that you were, I’d still be an incredible father.

I must have drifted off to sleep talking to Samuel, because the next morning I woke with a smile on my face and the love of my life wrapped in my arms. Looking at the clock on her nightstand it’s 5 A.M. I kiss the top of Chloe’s head and give her a squeeze.

“You need to get ready for work, sleepyhead.” She inhales deep and laces her leg between mine. She starts again with those soft circles she does on my chest. Every full revolution of her finger she takes it down an inch and does another, until she reaches my, oh so happy, good morning wood. Diving under the covers she takes me in her mouth.

“Chloe,” I whisper.

Still in her mouth, she lets go with her hands and rakes her fingernails down my thighs sending wild chills up my arms. Her pace is slow, and firm, and deep. I peel the covers off her head as she makes her way to my tip. Letting go, she smiles at me as her hair frames her face. Grabbing it in a ponytail in my hand, I clear it out of her face. With her face so close to my dick, she ever so softly touches the tip with her tongue, drags it down to the base and between my balls. God, what this woman can do to me. She takes me back in her mouth sucking hard, up and down. I feel it as I tell her, “I’m coming.”

She kisses just above my belly button, gets up from bed and heads to the shower. The sight of her naked ass sashaying away makes my dick hard again. She turns on the shower and glances at me over her shoulder with a smile. Stepping in, she again glances at me with a wicked grin. I’m no fool. I jump out of bed at her sly invitation. I open the shower curtain to see her standing under the water with her feet spread wide, and her hands on the tiled wall in front of her.

I squeeze some soap in my hand, rub them together and gently massage her shoulders. I wash her back, and then slide my hands to her breasts. Taking one in each hand, I knead them in my fingers. Her head falls back on my shoulder as my hands trail down her stomach. But I don’t stop there. Bending my knees, I wash her legs which put her ass right at face level. Bringing my hand to the back of her calves, I move up and firmly grab the back of her thighs while I kiss her right ass cheek. Licking over to her other cheek, I kiss my way over every inch of her perfect ass. Her legs tremble with anticipation, and I don’t know how much more I can take of this.

I stand and rub my dick on the crack of her ass as she pants, and her hands turn into fists on the wall. I place one foot on the side of the tub and enter her in one slick thrust. She screams my name and slaps the tile with her hand. I lace my right hand in her fingers over hers to hold it firm on the wall, and my left low around her hips and pull her into me, hard. I splay my hand on her core and with one finger, I hit my target. Meeting me thrust for thrust she comes with my name on her lips. As she finishes, I pull out and come on her ass.

She turns around with a smile and kisses me. I wrap her wet hair around my hand and pull her to my lips, thrusting my tongue in her mouth. She rises up on her tip toes to deepen the kiss.

“Chloe, I love you,” I say on her lips.

She backs away and searches my eyes. This woman has the power to bring me to my knees and see straight to my soul. She smiles and brushes water from my cheek and says, “I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you, Max ‘Slick’ Jones.”

I’ve been out of the office for way too long and have a briefing scheduled with Levi and Chase at seven. Chloe and I walk out of her room hand in hand to the kitchen to a bright eyed and bushy tailed Ava, dressed in an expensive suit, shoving a piece of toast in her mouth and then proceeds to guzzle a huge cup of coffee.

“Morning you two. There’s plenty of coffee left, I’ll see you later tonight?” she asks Chloe. Chloe nods her head as Ava hands her a cup, kisses her on the cheek, grabs her briefcase, and heads out the door. What the fuck just happened here? It’s twenty to six and she’s heading out to work already. That girl works too much.

Seeing Chloe in her scrubs with a smile on her face just plain makes me happy. I drop Chloe off at work with a promise to pick her up tonight. I head to my office where a waiting Levi and Chase are ready to brief me on the open cases and discuss the new ones that have come in.

I have a million other things that I should be doing, like payroll and my actual job of investigation, but I can only think of one thing. Again, I don’t even know if this is something I should do. But like before, it’s weighing on me like a Mac truck. It could really turn around and bite me in the ass. I make a phone call to see if it’s even an option.

Chapter 11

Chloe

I loved getting dropped off at work by my hunk of a man. I love the smile on his face and his warm kiss with promises of more tonight. I love getting to work and seeing my brother’s happy face and the way we work so well together. I think until I came to the realization that it’s not a contest, we were just off. But today we click and kick ass as a team.

Sitting in the doctor’s lounge, I plop up my aching feet and scarf down a vending machine sandwich and a Dr. Pepper before I have to make afternoon rounds.  Kyle walks in with the exact same lunch, and we both chuckle. Yep, back in sync with each other.

“Don’t tell Amelia what I’m eating. She thinks I should eat rabbit food and packs my lunch, but a man’s got to eat man food,” he says patting his flat stomach. I know just how much Amelia loves my brother, because I feel the same way about Max. “Things are good today, yeah?” he asks.

“Things are more than good,” I say playing with the bottle cap. “Kyle, we’re good too, right? I mean, I owe you such a big apology…”

“You don’t owe me anything. If you’re good, I’m good. Got it?” he says patting my hand on the table.

“But…” I start to say as my cell phone buzzes in my pocket. Looking at the display it says ‘Savvy calling’. “I should take this. You’re sure we’re good?”

“Positive,” he says taking the bottle cap from me. “Take your call, I’ll see you for rounds in just a few minutes,” he says getting up then heads to the door. Just when he’s at the door he turns around and flicks the bottle cap at my head. Yeah, we’re good.

“Savvy, what’s up?” I answer my buzzing phone.

“I’m freaking out. I’m sitting in the parking lot at school. Today is my first day of class and I can’t get out of my car. I don’t think I can do this. All the people in these classes are going to be young kid’s just graduated from high school. I’m old. I don’t belong here. Oh God, I need a paper bag. I’m hyperventilating.”

“Calm down, girl. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Sit tight, I’m on my way,” I say and hang up. Not exactly what I intended on doing on my first day back to work, but Savvy has to do this. I know what an amazing hospice nurse she’ll be.

I find Kyle at the nurses’ station and ask if I can borrow his car. He gives me a worried look. “It’s Savvy, I’ll be right back, I just need to give a quick pep talk,” I say with a smile. He hands over his keys with a promise to cover for me for thirty minutes, and thirty minutes only, or he’ll send out the lynch mob, AKA he’ll make a call to Max. I guess I can’t complain at the overprotectiveness.

It’s a quick ten minute drive, and I find Savvy parked in a parking space with the engine running and a white knuckled grip on the steering wheel. I knock softly on the window. She jumps out of her skin, and then looks at me with a deer in the headlights look. I motion for her to roll down the window. She peels one hand from the steering wheel and pushes the button to lower the window.

“Turn off the car, sweetheart.”

She looks at me like I just spoke a foreign language to her. I reach in and turn the key to the off position. I press the unlock button and walk around the car and get in the passenger seat. Her jaw is chewing her gum a mile a minute as she stares blankly at the building in front of her.

“See that building?” I ask. She nods her head but says nothing. “That building right there is where you’ll make your dreams come true. But you have to take the first step and get out of the car. You want to know what I know? I know for a fact that your mom is looking down on you with a smile.” That got her attention. Her face turns to me and a slow smile creeps on her lips.