“JUST IN TIME,” Nicole says as we walk into Max’s house. “We’re getting ready to watch a movie.”

“Kens?” Max questions. He’s leaving the decision up to me. It’s only six o’clock, so I nod in agreement.

Max plops down in the recliner and pulls me onto his lap, wrapping me in his arms. My legs are hanging over the side of the chair. “Right where I want you,” he whispers.

Bright gets up to turn off the lights and the room is lit from the glow of the television—the very large television, which looks a hell of a lot bigger in the dark.

I settle against Max, resting my head on his shoulder. He sighs and kisses the top of my head and I feel… content. It’s not a feeling I’m used to, at least not when a guy is involved. Max changes… everything.

Warm in his embrace, I find myself dozing off not ten minutes into the movie. I couldn’t resist.

I wake to Max setting me on his bed. “Hey.” My voice is thick with sleep. “Sorry I fell asleep on you.”

Max bends down so he’s looking up at me. “I loved every minute of it. You were in my arms, Kens. That’s all I want.”

He stands to his full height, walks back to the door, shuts it and turns the lock. He turns off the light and walks back to the bed. The bathroom light is on, which cast a glow across the room. “Your bag is in the closet.”

“Thank you.” I slide off the bed and walk toward the bathroom. Going through the motions of brushing my teeth and washing my face, I stare in the mirror at my reflection. My thoughts go back to earlier today lying in bed with him. Skin to skin. That’s what I want. I strip out of my clothes and fold them into a neat pile, placing them on the floor in the closet. I turn off the light before opening the door. I need the courage of the dark.

“Kens,” Maxton says into the darkness.

I stop beside the bed and crawl in. He reaches for me and sucks in a breath when he feels nothing but bare skin. “I wanted that feeling back. The one from earlier when we were skin to skin. If you’d rather—” My words are cut off from Maxton literally hopping out of bed and stripping off his boxer briefs and t-shirt. He quickly slides underneath the covers and reaches for me again. This time, I’m the one who sighs at the contact. “Thank you.” My voice is soft.

He chuckles. “Sweetheart, any damn time you want to feel my skin next to yours, just say the word.”

I nuzzle in closer, working myself deeper into his embrace. This is perfect. No expectations, no worry of an awkward walk of shame. I know when I close my eyes, when they open again, he will be there.

“My dad… he loved my mom. I always wondered why he put up with her shit. She would constantly nag at him and nothing was ever good enough. He worked his ass off to give her everything she could ever want. She didn’t even work.” He pauses and I wait patiently, letting him process his thoughts. “She cheated on him. It crushed his world. Even then, he was willing to forgive her. He said she was the light of his life. He used to tell me one day I would find the one and I would understand where he was coming from.” He pauses again. My fingers trace patters on his chest. I remain silent, not wanting to interrupt his thoughts. “She refused to take him back and made him feel like her cheating was his fault. Six months later, he took his own life.”

I wrap my arms around him and hold tight. I don’t have the words. “I worked construction at the time, me and Bright. I was driving home one day and decided to take a different route than I normally would. I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but something in my gut was telling me to, so I did. Just as I was crossing the Marathon Bridge, I spotted a truck that looked like his. I slowed down as I passed. I noticed the Cooper’s lanyard hanging from the rear-view mirror. I immediately slammed on my brakes and pulled off to the side of the bridge. Cars were honking; I’m sure I was flipped off a time or two. I didn’t care. I knew, deep in my gut, I knew something was wrong. As I walked toward his truck, I pulled out my cell to call him; it went straight to voicemail. I tried to convince myself that he just had car trouble and a friend picked him up. I almost had myself believing it, until I reached the truck. There was a note on the dash.”

The last words are choked out. “You don’t have to tell me,” I murmur into the darkness. He tightens his arms around me almost painfully.

“I want to. I want you to know all of me, Kens. This is a huge part of who I am. Why I always believed what I did. There was a note on the dash addressed to the police. It was written to the effect for them to call me when they found the truck and to tell me and my mom that he would always love us. He jumped.” I can hear the pain in his voice.

“Oh, Max, I’m so sorry,” I say the words even though I know they won’t help. Nothing can help. I know from personal experience. I’ve had so many people say the exact same thing to me and it never helps. Never.

“He loved her. She was his world and I never understood. I couldn’t begin to understand why he would put up with it all.” He’s quiet for several minutes. “I see it now. I see how you can care so much for one person that nothing in your world matters without them in it.”

Max pulls me onto his chest, holding my face in the palm of his hands. “I can see it because of you. I’m falling… so hard. I’m falling and you are quickly becoming all that matters.” His lips caress mine.

I mold my lips to his, hoping he can tell I feel the same way. I want to tell him, but I… can’t. It’s too soon. My heart feels it. With every touch, every look, every word we share, I feel it deep inside me. I’m just not brave enough to tell him. It’s a big step for me and I just… can’t.

Instead, I deepen our kiss, putting my feelings into actions. Placing my hands on his waist, I slowly glide them over his muscled back. It’s only been a few hours, but I want him again. It’s usually once for me and then not again for months. I’m taking full advantage of having Max and his body at my disposal. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I pull him into me. I can feel him at my entrance, I squeeze my legs tighter, but he fights it, holding himself back.

“Kens, we don’t have to. I just want you here,” he kisses my nose, “in my bed. I didn’t ask you to stay for this,” he tells me.

“I know that. That makes me want to even more. I can’t seem to get enough of you.” My voice is soft at my admission.

“Kensi—” I place my index finger over his lips.

“Kiss me.”

Max does as he’s told, and as he deepens the kiss, I tug him with my legs while lifting my hips. He slides into me. Finally.

“You feel so fucking good,” he rasps. He begins to thrust slowly at first, but with each push into me, he picks up rhythm. “You okay?” he pants.

Is he serious right now? Am I okay? “Harder.” I bury my nails into his back and hold on tight.

AT HER REQUEST, I don’t hold back. I get lost in her. All too soon, I’ve worked myself to barely hanging on. “Kensi, sweetheart, are you with me?” I pant.

God, I hope she’s close. Talk about embarrassing, our second time together and I blow without her. I feel her tighten around me and cry out my name. I follow right behind her. Slumping against her, I try to get my breathing under control. After several minutes, I move behind her and wrap my arms around her. I bury my face in her neck and simply breathe her in.

It still amazes me how every moment with her is different. She makes me want to be better. She makes me better. I’m man enough to admit that. This, what I have with her, was not what I ever would have signed up for willingly. However, Kensington, she got to me and now she has me. Every fractured piece of my heart, my soul, she owns. Someday I’ll get the nerve to tell her. Not yet, I don’t want this to end.