I had moments when my better sense tried to take over, moments of wondering what it would really mean to open myself up to him. And then I thought about what waited for me when I left the safety of Maxx’s apartment. I felt paralyzed with uncertainty.

“What are you thinking about?” Maxx asked. In fact, I was thinking perhaps a little too hard about possible suspension, a ruined career, a derailed academic future, friends pissed at me for life.

I plastered a smile on my face. “Nothing,” I lied. Maxx frowned, obviously not sure whether to believe me or not. I leaned up on my knees and pressed a kiss on his mouth. He instantly molded his lips to mine.

Pulling away, I laced my fingers with his. “You’ve been hearing all about me. I’d like to know about you.” Maxx stiffened slightly but then gave me a blinding grin.

“What you see is what you get, Aubrey,” he said, yanking me forward. He grabbed the back of my neck rather aggressively and tilted my head to the side, his lips sucking and nipping along the column of my throat.

“I don’t believe that,” I argued, pulling back. I knew there had to be a whole mess of stuff going on with Maxx. A lot more than he had revealed so far.

“I promise you, there’s nothing to know that you don’t know already. I told you about my parents, about Landon and my uncle. That’s more than I’ve ever shared with anyone. Honestly, there’s nothing more to tell,” he said, kissing the tip of my nose.

I opened my mouth to press the point when his phone started ringing.

He checked the screen and scowled but answered it instantly. “Is everything okay, Landon?” he asked.

Maxx’s transformation as he spoke to his brother was fascinating. He literally became someone else. He was soft-spoken and calm, his voice warm.

His eyes flicked toward me. “I don’t think so, buddy. Not today.

“I’ve got plans.

“Yes, Landon, it’s a girl.

“Shut up, will you?”

I snickered. Even though I could hear only Maxx’s end of the conversation, it was obvious he was getting a ball busting from his younger brother. I didn’t know Landon, but already I liked him.

Maxx grimaced. “That’s probably not a good idea. I can come by during the week.”

I put my hand on his arm, interrupting him. He looked down at my fingers curling around his wrist and then up at me.

“I’ll come with you,” I offered, hoping he’d take me up on it.

Maxx pulled the phone away from his mouth. “I’m not sure that’s cool.” He frowned, clearly not happy with my suggestion.

I squeezed his arm. “Please. I’d like to see Landon again.”

Maxx closed his eyes, as though he was having some sort of internal battle. He opened them and looked at me for a long moment before putting the phone back to his mouth.

“Yeah, we’ll come by. We’ll be there in an hour. And David’s not there, right? Okay, see you then.”

Maxx hung up and got to his feet, holding his hand out. “Come on, let’s go see my baby brother,” he said, and I knew he was glad we were going to see him. And I couldn’t be more excited about having the chance to see the two of them together again, to see once more the side of Maxx that had drawn me in.

The Maxx that I hoped to see more of.

aubrey

we pulled up in front of Maxx’s uncle’s house a little after one in the afternoon. I wondered why Landon wasn’t in school and asked Maxx about it.

“It’s a teacher workshop day. He’s been on me to come by and help him with his car, but I’ve been busy,” Maxx answered, sounding defensive. Something told me being busy wasn’t why he hadn’t been by to see his brother, but I didn’t push it.

Maxx went around to my side of the car and opened the door for me. My heart fluttered at the gesture. I had never pictured Maxx as being the sort of man to open doors for women. I was happy to be wrong.

I went up on my tiptoes and pressed my mouth to his. The kiss was warm and comforting and over far too quickly.

Maxx pulled back slightly and gave me a tender smile. “What was that for?” he asked.

I kissed his chin, then loosened my hands from around his neck. “For surprising me,” I answered. Maxx’s smile became questioning, and he chuckled under his breath. He pulled me tighter into his embrace.

“Remind me to surprise you more often,” he murmured, and it was my turn to laugh.

“Get a room!” a voice called out. Maxx and I broke apart, and he grinned over his shoulder at the young boy who stood on the porch.

“Shut up, Landon,” he called back, rolling his eyes at his brother.

Maxx grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the modest ranch-style house. It was a bit on the shabby side and needed a new coat of paint, but other than that it was being maintained.

Maxx ruffled his brother’s fine, blond hair as he walked up the porch steps. “How’s it going, buddy?” he asked Landon, who ducked out from beneath Maxx’s hand.

Landon smiled when he saw me. “I remember you! You’re that chick from Maxx’s school!”

Maxx smacked the back of his head, then put his arm back around my waist. “This is most definitely not a chick, Landon. Show some respect,” he reprimanded, and I could only laugh.

“Well, she’s a hot chick. Is that better?” Landon asked, wearing a smirk almost identical to his brother’s.

“That’s it. You’re overdue for an ass kicking,” Maxx teased, feigning a lunge in the younger boy’s direction.

Landon jumped off the porch and sprinted around the yard, Maxx not far behind him. The two ended up on the ground, wrestling good-naturedly. I couldn’t stop laughing as I watched them roughhouse.

When Landon finally freed himself, he punched Maxx in the back, and the two carried on with their antics until we were inside the house.

Maxx put an arm around my shoulders and grinned. He was relaxed and comfortable. It was obvious he was happy being with his brother. He kissed the top of my head, and I placed my hand on his chest as he pressed me to his side.

Maxx turned to his brother, who was pulling grass out of his hair. “Landon, I want to introduce you to my girlfriend, Aubrey Duncan. Aubrey, this is my little brother, Landon,” Maxx said, beaming at the two of us.

Landon’s eyes widened. “Girlfriend? Really? I don’t think you’ve ever had one of those before,” he joked. I felt my face get hot. Had he really called me his girlfriend?

Shit, I was Maxx Demelo’s girlfriend!

I couldn’t stop myself from grinning like an idiot.

Maxx reached around me to smack Landon on the back of the head. “You really need to disengage your mouth from your brain before I kick your ass again,” he warned, though there was no threat in his tone. I had never seen Maxx like this before. He was laughing and smiling. His entire demeanor had changed drastically. Gone was the tortured man I had grown accustomed to. This person was someone who was content with his life.

Landon kicked off his shoes and led Maxx and me into the house. It was very apparent that guys lived here. It wasn’t filthy or dirty, but any former tidiness had been replaced with clutter and mismatched furniture. I was in eye-twitching hell.

“Thanks for coming over. David shouldn’t be home until later, so I thought we could work on the car.” Landon darted a look at me. “But we don’t have to. We can just hang out or something.”

I held up my hands. “No way, I want to watch your super-mechanic skills in action. Don’t let me stop you.”

Maxx, who hadn’t let go of me, rubbed my arm. “You just want to see me all sweaty and dirty, don’t you?” he murmured in my ear. I flushed and cleared my throat, shooting a look at Landon, who thankfully wasn’t paying us any attention.

I smacked Maxx’s chest weakly, and he chuckled into the side of my neck before placing a soft kiss on my skin. I tried not to shiver at the innocent touch.