Page 72 of Invisible String (The Underground #1)

MAX

T he city’s light rain is a hue of colors as we weave through the empty streets.

It is a little after midnight now. We spent the afternoon with Carlos and Vanessa.

They had invited us over for a cookout. Nessa loved Rainey like I thought she would.

Rainey is easy to fall for. She’s kind, smart, humble, and beautiful, of course.

I run a hand up and down her bare thighs while the other takes the wheel.

“I had a great time.” She yawns, leaning her head on the window.

“So did I. They love you.”

“I feel the same way. Vanessa is the sweetest.” Rainey’s fingers tangle in mine. Neither of us can keep our hands to ourselves. Even during the night, we keep them joined.

“Sleep, baby. I’ll carry you inside when we get home.

” I crank up the heater as she peacefully rests.

The word “home” always felt strange coming from my lips because I never had that.

Home is Rainey. Wherever she goes, I go, but I want us to stop hopping between our houses and to consider my place ours.

We haven’t been apart since we got back together, other than the time I left for training in the mountains.

That was only for a few days, and it drove me crazy to be away from her.

I leave for Utah in three days to train again.

Carlos thinks it would be a great idea since the altitude will be higher.

I’m only going to be three hours away. It still hurts being away from her.

Not seeing her for that long will kill me.

The car comes to a halt at the stoplight.

A black truck has been following us for some time, and I’m not sure how long.

My mind has been elsewhere. I haven’t seen or heard from Daniel and his men, which is odd because he’s not the type of man to stay quiet.

Xander hasn’t heard from him since he quit the Underground. Daniel must be planning something.

Johnny thinks the same thing, and that drives me crazy.

Rainey has been so patient, thankfully. The light changes to green, and the truck continues to follow.

I accelerate and turn left into a residential area.

The car matches my speed. The windows are too dark to identify the driver, but it’s certainly one of Daniel’s men.

It passes me, leaving a trail of dust in its wake.

Fuck, I’m going to tell Johnny and Gary to keep her safe while I’m gone or I can take her with me.

We pull up in front of Rainey’s quaint, ivy-covered house as the moonlight bathes the porch in a gentle glow.

Inside the car, she sleeps soundly, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, her face relaxed and serene.

I gently unlock her seatbelt, careful not to disturb her, and lift her into my arms. Her warmth seeps into me, and the faint scent of vanilla fills the air. I place a kiss on her soft lips.

She moans. “Are we home?”

“Yeah, it’s okay, baby. Sleep. I got you.”

“I know you always do.” Her arms wrap around my neck, and her head falls safely on my chest. My hands are under her dress against goose bumps on her soft skin.

Pride filled me when she was waiting for me at the gym.

I didn’t care who saw me with my girl. It’s unlike me to let my guard down in front of the guys.

They’ve never seen me show PDA. I could tell Carlos liked Rainey from the second I saw her when I walked in.

He had the look of a proud father with his smug smile.

He’s been wanting to meet her for so long.

I knew she would fit into our little family.

Once I shut the door, I double secure both locks. Daisy wags her tail, jumping off the sofa. Kissing Rainey repeatedly with soft presses on her lips, I climb up the stairs with her.

She hums into my neck, then sucks. Fuck me. “You always smell so good.”

“And here I thought you were asleep.” I was tempted several times to take her into the bathroom for a quick fuck, but then Xander and Leo showed up, arguing like an old couple.

“It’s hard to sleep when I’m pressed on your hard body and your bear’s claws are squeezing my butt.”

I guess I do have a good grasp of them. “I can’t help it; you have the perfect ass.”

Her head lifts to peer at me. Like always, I can’t help but smile at her beautiful face.

“You truly are a ray of sunshine. You’re my peace.”

I lay her on the bed, but before I step back, Rainey pulls me in for a fireworks show of kisses. Her lips taste like a ripe strawberry—her body molds to mine. We kiss as if we haven’t kissed for months.

I slide off her. “We better stop. If I keep kissing those lips, you know where it leads to. You’re tired.

” I take off my shirt, tossing it into the hamper.

“I’m going to take a quick shower, amor .

Would you like me to grab your pajamas, or would you prefer to sleep naked?

I’ll take the latter. It will benefit us when we wake,” I tell her over my shoulder, taking out a pair of boxers she had folded nicely in my drawer next to hers.

When I turn to face her, her eyes are already dancing with mischief, caressing me. “I’ll join you.”

Running my hand over my jaw, I smirk. “Showers together only end up getting you dirtier, then cleaning up. It’s a repetitive cycle, sunshine.”

“I like the sound of that.” She grins with a small yawn she tries to hide.

“No, you’re tired.”

Rainey shakes her head stubbornly. “I’m fine. I missed you all day. I need to shower anyway.” She stands and walks toward the drawer. She pulls out a pair of underwear. Like she’s going to need them after. “Oh, my gosh, Max. I forgot. I… keep forgetting.”

“What is it?”

She reaches into her underwear drawer, her fingers brushing against the fabric, and retrieves a small, covered box nestled in the far corner. “This is the gift I bought you for our Christmas in July,” she says, her voice tinged with nostalgia as she attempts a fragile smile.

My chest tightens; the memories of our shared struggles pierce through me. I lift the lid of the box, revealing a delicate sterling silver necklace that glimmers softly in the dim light—attached silver boxing gloves with champ on it.

“This is a good luck charm.” She smiles. “I hope you like it.”

Receiving gifts isn’t something I’m accustomed to. Over the years, during my time in various homes, I’ve only received a handful, if that.

I’m not a crier, but this woman does something to me.

I swallow the emotions of her kindness. “ Gracias, corazón . It’s beautiful.

I appreciate the thought you put into it.

You’re my good luck charm, and now, whenever we are apart, I’ll have it around my neck.

Good thinking, baby.” I kiss her lips passionately until she pulls back.

“Oh, one more thing. I hope this doesn’t upset you.

” She fidgets with her fingers. “The day when my mom had dinner with us, I saw you at the pawn shop. The following day, when you left, I went to the pawn shop. I asked them what you pawned. They said it was a loan until you picked it up. They gave you thirty days, and you only had two days left. Since I didn’t have proof, they showed it to me, then said I would have to buy it. So I did.”

My breath catches as she gives me the box containing my mom’s wedding ring.

I was torn apart, thinking I had lost it forever.

That ring held immense sentimental value for me.

It was the one thing I had hoped to pass down to Rainey when the time came for me to propose.

I had envisioned sizing it for her and perhaps adding more stones.

After I left Tahoe, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of loss and called the pawn shop a week later, desperately clinging to hope.

My heart shattered when they said it was sold.

“I thought I lost my mom’s wedding ring. I took it from my dad those summers ago before Tahoe. It was something I wanted to keep of hers. I knew my dad would never notice.” The words are stuck in my throat, unable to fully express my gratitude. “I needed money, so I pawned it.”

Rainey’s eyes water. “Oh, baby, I know. You didn’t have to do that to take my mom and me to dinner.”

She’s always been good at putting two and two together.

“What kind of man would that make me, tesoro , if I can’t pay for two beautiful women’s meals?

My mom would have scolded me. I would do it again if I had to.

” I swallow, holding the ring in the palm of my hand.

“Thank you so much, baby. I think about this all the time. How did I get so lucky to have a woman like you in my life?” My finger tangles in a strand of her hair. My words of gratitude grip in my chest.

“It’s okay, Max. You don’t have to thank me. I don’t need more words. I’m just happy it’s back to you. I’m just glad I bought it before it was sold to someone else.”

My God, she’s perfect. I grip her by the waist, pulling her to me, not leaving space between us. “I’m going to show you my gratitude in other ways.” My breath fans her neck, causing her goosebumps. “Tell me what you want.”

Rainey’s eyes glimmer with lust. “I want you to undress me, then take me into the shower with you. Get me on my knees to suck you off. Call me your good girl. After that, I want you to lay me down. I want to feel your thick tongue on me. After I come on that pretty pink tongue, I want you to screw me against the shower wall. Fuck me, amor mío , until I’ve lost the ability to walk. Is that understood?”

Well, damn.

My heart bulges out of my chest. I nod, my lips curving. “Understood, amor mío . I like it when you talk dirty. Anything else?”

“Yes, now stop looking at me like you want to eat me and actually do it.” She laughs.

My smirk is swallowed when I slip her dress over her head.

Once I’m completely naked and have the sprayer on in the shower, soap lathers on our skin. Rainey always looks incredibly sexy, which is why I can’t ever have her naked before me without having her underneath me.