My heart knows the truth. The truth is that I’m already in love with her.

AS I’M SETTING breakfast on the island, Nicole walks in. “Hey, so I guess I’ll see you a little later,” she says.

“Yeah, I’m going to go to the bar with Max, take a look at what he’ll have me doing. Last night I was helping show him how to better organize the books. I assume that’s what I will be doing for him,” I ramble on.

“Kens, I’m so happy for you. I can see how much you like him and he adores you. It’s cute to watch the two of you.”

“We’re just… I have no damn clue what we are,” I tell her honestly.

“What do you want to be?” she questions.

“I’m not sure. I know he surprises me daily. He’s sweet as hell and he holds me all night long, never asking or pushing for more.”

Nicole smiles. “Girl, he’s got it bad for you. I would say just as bad as you’ve got it for him. Just take it day by day. Learn to trust each other.”

There it is that word—trust. Five letters, one word summing up the existence of my love life, or should I say, non-existence of my love life. I’ve never been able to let myself trust anyone to get as close as I’ve let Max. I trust him. With everything in me I know I can trust him. Justin’s brother, he took that away from me, until now. Dread fills me when I realize Max has no idea. He knows about the scar and I said one day I would tell him about it. I have yet to do that. I can’t. Nicole must see the panic in my eyes.

“Hey. Breathe. It’s okay. Max adores you, take it slow.” She soothingly rubs my back. Nicole has been my rock for the last four years.

“He doesn’t know,” I whisper.

She nods in understanding. “I know that too. I know that when you’re ready to tell us, you will. Just know that you’re not alone. You have people who love you.”

“What’s wrong?” Max strides into the kitchen and stops at my side at the island where I’m sitting. He drops to his knees. He places a gentle hand on my thigh. “Kens, what’s wrong, sweetheart?”

My heart aches at his concern for me. Nicole’s words just minutes ago filter through my mind and I can see it. He cares; Max really cares about me. The thought is humbling and scary and exciting all at the same time. Placing my palm against his cheek, I admit, “I was just thinking about the past.” My other hand goes to my chest, right over the scar. His eyes show recognition.

“No one,” he grits out, “no one is ever going to hurt you again. I don’t know the details, and I don’t need to, not until you’re ready to tell me, but I can promise you no one will ever lay a hand on you again without going through me.”

He scoots in close and wraps his arms around my waist, burying his head in my chest. “Do you hear me, Kens? I mean it. You are safe; with me you will always be safe.” His voice is pleading.

I look up to gauge Nicole’s reaction to the scene before her and tears are streaming down her face. “He loves you,” she mouths.

Her words shock me. I don’t have time to process them before Max is rising to his feet, dropping a kiss to the top of my head, and pulling our plates to the edge of the island. “Eat before it gets cold,” he says. There we are—his arms still around me as he stands beside me on the stool as we eat our breakfast. It’s situations like this one that help push the bad memories away. I don’t even want to think about how bad they will be once Max decides he’s done with whatever this is between us.

“All right, you two, we’re heading out,” Bright says, joining us in the kitchen. He has no idea what just happened. I’m sure Nicole will fill him in.

“I think we’ll head on over to the bar so I can do what I need to do and then head back to the house,” Max tells him.

“You’re not staying all night?” Bright questions.

Max looks down at me, his eyes filled with emotion. “Nope, just going to go over last night’s register, check in with the staff, and head out,” he replies, never taking his eyes off me.

We finish our breakfast, which is now cold, in silence. Max takes our plates, rinses them, and places them in the dishwasher.

“I guess I’ll hop in the shower real quick, if we have time.”

He turns to face me. “We have time. I’ll just finish cleaning up.” He reaches out his long arms and grabs me by the waist, pulling me against him. He hugs me against his chest, kisses my temple, and releases me. Taking that as my cue, I head toward the bedroom.

I close my bedroom door and head to my bathroom, taking off my clothes as I go, dropping them on the floor. I reach in and turn the shower on, letting the water warm up. Getting the temperature where I want it, I step under the hot spray. Tilting my head back, I close my eyes and get my hair wet. When I lift my head and open my eyes, he’s there. Max. He’s standing in the doorway staring though the glass door of the shower.

I watch as he pulls off his shirt and kicks his jeans and underwear off to the side. He’s now standing before me, all of him. My breath catches at the sight of him. His strong muscular body is a work of art. I could stare at him all day. Although right now, I want to do more than stare. I want to touch him… everywhere.

Max doesn’t move closer. He just stands there in all his naked glory. His chest is heaving with each breath he takes. I want to touch him. Hell, the truth is, I want all of him, now. I watch as he takes himself into the palm of his hand and lightly strokes. That image will be with my until the day I die. I need him now.

I slide open the door, which causes him to suck in a sharp breath. If not for the look on his eyes, I might have been offended. I’m not. His eyes tell me he wants me, which is convenient because I plan to hand myself over for the taking.

I hold my hand out to him. I’m dripping water all over the floor and he’s just staring at me. Did I read him wrong? I thought he wanted this, wanted me. “Maxton,” I whisper his name. I’m surprised he heard it over the spray of the water.

He blinks a few times, and with his free hand, reaches out to take my hand. He laces his fingers through mine and walks toward me. He stops right outside the shower door. My gaze trickles down his hard abs and stops. I watch as he slowly pumps himself a few more times then stops. He lifts my chin so he can look into my eyes. “Kensi,” he breathes. Leaning down, his lips assault my neck. “Do you want this? Tell me what we’re doing here. I… I’m sorry I walked in on you, but I came in to grab my shoes and saw your clothes on the floor and…” He swallows hard as his voice trails off.

“I want this; I want you,” I tell him honestly. My words spur him into action. He reaches in and turns the shower off. “What are you—” He shushes me as he helps me step out of the shower and wraps a towel around me. He takes another and runs it over my hair.

“As hot as the idea is, I’m not going to have you in the shower the first time I get to be inside of you. I need you in a bed. I need you under me,” he says as his lips return to my neck. The next thing I know, the towel that’s draped around me drops to the floor and I’m in his arms. He carries me to the bed and releases me. I immediately slide over and make room for him. He climbs in, pulls the cover over us, and gathers me in his arms.

I SLIDE INTO bed beside her and the feel of her skin against mine has me ready to blow. I feel like the fucking fifteen-year-old me. Kensington affects me like no one else ever has. I guess love will do that to you. Looking at her beautiful face, I want to tell her. I want to tell her how much she means to me, how I’ve fallen head over heels in love with her and sink in balls deep. And stay there. I know this is going to be an experience like no other. I’ve never slept with anyone I cared about before, and well… I more than care for her.