Page 62 of Invisible String (The Underground #1)

RAINEY

T his is one of the most amazing nights I’ve had in so long. Spending every second with Max only increases my craving for him. My obsession is Max. I wonder if he feels the same.

A part of me feels Max shares the same feelings as I do, but then there’s the other part that screams it’s temporary. I do want to become a psychologist and I’ve always wanted to help children, but I hate but love that he can see through me.

The café is a part of my mom, but also a part of me because I built it on my own with love.

I named it Sunshine Café because of Max’s nickname for me and because he’s always loved my baking.

As much as I didn’t want to admit, it was a fitting name because of him.

I’m speechless that he wants to pay for my schooling and be part of the café, that he wants to take care of me.

Although, there’s a big but in it because I can’t depend on Max and we are not in a relationship.

He may not stick around long. And that hurts so much.

Right now, I’m going to ride these waves with Max and see where they take us.

“You smell so good.” His nose skims my neck.

The second we get in the car, he kisses me so passionately that I’m breathless and my body is on fire. Hot lava seeping into my bones.

“This dress looks so good on you.”

I wore it for him. Then, I second-guessed myself, worried he would be upset it’s too short, but Max is as turned on as I am. Resisting sex with him is growing difficult. His hands have been on me the whole night. I love how touchy he is.

“Sexy. Always so damn sexy.”

He starts the car, and my mind has been on the blowjob. I had one glass of wine, enough to give me the liquid courage to loosen my seatbelt and unbutton his pants.

“ Tesoro ,” he groans, gripping the steering wheel.

I moisten my lips and bob my head. He’s so thick and warm and tastes so much of the man I desire. My skirt rides all the way up, revealing the lacey underwear I wore for him. He slaps my butt, and that does things to me. The pulsing underneath the flattening of my tongue has Max cursing.

The car comes to a stop; I lift my head. “Don’t stop. I’m parking somewhere secluded.”

I unbuckle my seatbelt, knowing he’s close, so damned close I can taste him dripping. Max’s thick fingers tangle in my hair, pushing deeper until it hits the back of my throat.

“Rain.” His husky voice strains.

Through my eyelashes, I look at him. “Then come in my mouth.”

“Damn.”

He comes with a shuddering moan. It’s freeing. I’m the one who has this effect on him. Max wipes my lips with his thumb. The way he’s looking at me is different, something other than lust. Max tucks himself back in and moves the steering wheel up. “Come here.”

Leaning forward awkwardly, my back curved over the shift gear, I gingerly perch on his lap.

My dress inches upward, exposing more skin to the cool air of the car.

With gentle fingers, he tucks loose strands of my hair behind each ear.

His touch lingers softly as he swipes his thumb across my cheeks, creating a warm, tingling sensation.

“I’m not good at expressing myself, especially with words. You’re all I think about. Spending these past few weeks with you has been everything I dreamed of. We’ve always shared such amazing chemistry that, even after years apart, we reconnect effortlessly.”

He’s right. We connect as if time never left us. God, he’s so handsome. This moment reminds me of us in high school, so young, and how we fell into place even then. When we kissed, my world shook, and I knew I could never be without Max.

“You know what I think?” I run my fingers through his hair, and his eyes close slightly.

“What?” he replies, opening his eyes.

“You’re good at expressing yourself. Even if it isn’t with words, I feel it with your touch.”

“I like touching you.” His hands have been caressing from my ass back upward. Max’s green eyes hover over me in a delicious eye-fucking-me kinda way.

“I love you touching me. I want your hands all over me all the damn time.”

He smirks. “Is that so?”

“Very much so.”

He smacks my ass. “Then get in the backseat. Let me show you how touchy I can be.”

Max does just that like he did four years ago in the backseat of his car. His eyes tell me something, and it confuses me. Maybe it’s me who’s searching for something within him. Love, maybe love.

“I had a good time tonight,” I tell him, driving back to my place just like years ago. It felt like we were young teens.

He offered to take us to his place, but I couldn’t leave Daisy alone. I’m too attached to her. Also, I am relieved my so-called bodyguard didn’t follow us. Max sends him off when he’s around.

“Me too, baby.”

We exchange foolish, lustful smiles. As he drives, his hand gently lies on my thigh. His attractiveness is almost overwhelming. This evening, like every other night with Max, has brought me a sense of tranquility I hadn’t realized I was lacking.

I haven’t seen Max in five long days, during which we texted and sent photos. He’s been at Mt. Charleston because boxers training at high altitudes improves their skills in the ring It increases red blood cell production.

He’s back today and said he would see me tonight.

I honestly thought he would drop by to see me at the café.

I know I’m being petty. He seemed off today, like something was on his mind, maybe the training.

He has to head back to Mt. Charleston in a fortnight for two more weeks.

I missed him so much that my stomach twists to think of him leaving me for good again.

It’s like we’re back to being a couple, but we aren’t.

We have never been a couple. I’m the one who pushed him away this time, telling him a little at a time, and now I’m ready for more.

I want all of him. I’m too chicken shit to ask him what we are.

“Hello?” I answer an unknown number.

“Ney. It’s me. My phone broke, and I got a different number.”

Oh, it’s Andrew.

“Hey, how’s it going?” It’s been so long since I’ve heard from Andrew, and I’m glad.

“I wanted to see if you could come over to my office. I wanted to talk to you about something.”

My brows bunch up. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I just wanted to see you. I thought we could talk about your friend Max.”

My blood boils. I don’t understand why in the hell he always has something to say about Max. And Max hates his guts, too. I don’t mind when Max criticizes Andrew, but the reverse makes me seethe.

“Okay, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” I hang up the phone. I’m going to put this asshole in his place.

“Hey,” some guy I don’t know says and waves at my dad’s law firm. “Your dad’s not in. He’s at court.”

I nod. “Thanks.” I don’t bother telling him I didn’t plan on seeing him.

The elevator doors slide open with a soft ding as I step onto the fourth floor.

The air hums with the clatter of keyboards and the murmur of phone conversations.

Men and women in sharp suits stride purposefully past glass-walled offices while others gather in small clusters, animatedly reviewing case files.

The scent of freshly brewed coffee wafts through the corridor, mingling with the faint rustle of paper.

“Hi, can I help you?” a woman at the front desk asks. Receptionist, I guess. It makes me wonder if he’s seeing her.

“Nope, I’m here to see Andrew.”

She reaches for her phone.

“No need for that. I know where his office is.”

“Ma’am, you can’t just walk in.”

“I’m Rainey Collins. I’m sure my father won’t mind.”

She goes pale and then nods. I spin on my heels and head to Andrew’s office. It happens to be next to my brother’s.

Andrew leans in his chair, engaged on his phone. I knock on the door. His gaze catches mine. “Hey, sweetie,” he says, standing to run to me.

God, he sounds like a granny.

I give him a tight smile, and he brings me in for a hug. It’s an awkward one. The last time I saw him was at the café.

“How are you doing, Andrew? Are you keeping busy?”

He gestures for me to sit. “Yeah, we have all been crazy busy, working long hours. Maybe we can meet up for coffee or dinner.”

I notice the smile on his face doesn’t reach his eyes. It’s a bitter smile, forced. “So, why did you ask me to come here, and didn’t come to the café if you needed to speak with me?” I get right to business. I don’t have time for his tea-time talk.

He swallows hard. “Umm, well, I wanted to talk to you about Max.”

I fold my arms to my chest. “What about Max?”

“He’s not what you think, Rainey. Did he tell you why he left you?”

“What are you talking about?” I shout.

His thumb swipes his cheek. “I heard your dad paid him to leave the night at the cabin. He wrote him a check, Rainey.”

I frown. That can’t be true.

“You think he cares about you, Rainey? Money was more important to him than you. He took the check and left.”

“That’s not true.” My heart races a million miles per hour. No. Max would never do that. I shake my head at him.

“He didn’t tell you, did he?” He reaches for his pen and writes something down. Then, clicks the top of the pen up and down. “He didn’t care for you then, and he won’t give a shit about you now. He’s going to leave you, Rainey. God, you are so gullible.”

Unable to hold my anger, I lash out. “Fuck you, Andrew. You don’t know shit about him.”

His wicked chuckle sends shivers down my back.

“The person who doesn’t know shit is you.

He’s not good for you.” He lifts off his desk and steps in front of me.

“I’m good for you, Rainey, not that low-life delinquent with nothing.

He took the money to start his own business, started his life, and left you behind.

He took you from me.” A deep-seated hatred surges from him.

“I was never yours.” My voice rasps, the anger in me trembling.

“You were going to be!” he shouts. “I love you. But you fell for a low grade?—”

Slap.