Page 53 of Maxim

Turning over, I’m surprised to find myself alone in the room. Usually he stays in the room with me until I wake up. If he has to leave, Thea is usually in here with me reading a book.

Sitting up, I wonder if this means he is trusting me more. After the conversation we had last night, I feel like we have taken a step in the right direction. I feel closer to him now. I may even like him.

A knock at the door startles me, and the door opens slowly.

“Hey, breakfast is ready if you want to come eat.”

I nod. “Let me freshen up, and I’ll be right out.”

“Take your time.” He shuts the door behind him.

I’m shocked. He is usually standing by the bathroom door waiting for me to come out. Especially the master bath because of what I did in there.

Sliding from bed, I head into the bathroom and quickly clean up. Once I feel I’m put together, I head out into the kitchen. At the bar, Maxim sits with a plate in front of him. There’s another plate next to him in front of an empty chair.

I take my seat, looking down at the omelet and hash browns with a piece of toast. “Thank you for breakfast,” I murmur.

“Of course. Dig in.”

I notice that he hasn’t touched his food. As soon as I begin to eat, he does as well. I don’t know why, but I find that little detail charming. He is a gentleman.

“So what are you doing today?” I ask, feeling like I can, now that everything is out in the open.

“Your father is supposed to make me an offer by this evening, so until then, I’m not doing anything. Did you have something in mind?”

I shrug. “You could watch a movie with me?”

He smirks. “You don’t want to watch your little vampire show?”

My cheeks heat. I guess he figured out my Damon comment from the night before.

“Thea advised me that as her binge partner, I am not allowed to watch episodes without her. I guess it’s a serious thing,” I inform him.

He chuckles. “It is impolite, but how would she know?”

I shake my head. “She’s my friend. I don’t want to upset her. I’ll wait for her.”

He smiles. “How about we start our own show then? I like the idea of you being loyal to me like that.”

My heart races at his words. I don’t know why, but I like the idea of that too.

“What would we watch?” I ask, slowly eating my food between responses.

“Anything you want.”

I’m not used to making decisions. I feel like I’ve been a prisoner so long that this new freedom he is showing me is making me anxious.

“Hey, it’s not a big deal. How about we pick together?” Maxim asks, his hand on my forearm.

Taking a deep breath, I center myself. “I would like that.”

We each finish eating, doing the dishes side by side because neither would concede toward the other. Once we are finished, we make our way toward the couch. Maxim sits on one end. I consider sitting on the other, but I follow my gut and take the seat next to him. He smiles at me, helping ease some of my nervousness.

He picks up the remote and starts flipping through the different options. “What do you like to watch?” he asks.

I sigh. I had this same conversation with Thea too.

“I don’t know. I was never allowed to watch television.”