Page 81 of Maxim

He walks straight over to me, wrapping his arms around me. “What are you doing up?”

“I was worried. I couldn’t sleep without you next to me.”

He kisses the side of my face, then my cheek, before finally my lips.

“Let’s get you back to bed,” he tells me.

“I don’t think I can sleep quite yet. Can we watch TV?” After seeing how tired he looks, I add, “Or if you’re tired, we can go to bed.”

“No, I’m too keyed up to sleep. Let me go change, and I’ll meet you at the couch.”

I watch as he takes off toward the room, his shoulders sunken in. Quickly, I turn the TV onto the comedy show we had started before running into the kitchen and getting us each a drink. By the time I make it back to the living room, Maxim is there waiting for me.

He opens his arms, and I go willingly into them, only he pulls me into his lap instead of letting me sit next to him.

“I need you close tonight. Is this okay?” he asks.

“It’s perfect. Are you okay?”

He nods. “I will be.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask.

“Honestly, I will tell you anything you want to know, but I hope you never make me tell you the things I had to do to get us to our future.”

My heart hurts for him. This undercover stuff is causing him so much pain. I want to take it away.

Leaning forward, I press my lips to his softly. He kisses me back, matching my energy. Taking the lead, I kiss him a little harder, slipping my tongue into his mouth. His hand comes up to cup my face and neck as he deepens the kiss. He presses me into him as he takes what he needs from me. I willingly give it all.

Shifting in his arms, I straddle him as I wrap my arms around his neck. His hands fall to my hips, squeezing them the way I’ve learned I love. My pussy tingles as I continue to kiss him. I let my body take control, gyrating lightly over his lap.

When his hand slides up the front of my shirt, I freeze. He feels it, instantly dropping his hand as he drops one last chaste kiss to my lips.

“Sorry, I got carried away,” he tells me.

I don’t want him to be sorry, though. I don’t even know why I froze. I think it’s because I don’t know what to do.

I can’t tell him that, though. I should, but I’m embarrassed.

“It’s okay. I did too. It felt good,” I tell him instead.

“Good.” He drops a kiss to my nose before moving me to sit on his lap sideways. “Let’s see what the Dunphys got going on tonight.”

“Probably more misunderstandings that will cause loads of laughter,” I tell him.

“They do seem to excel at that, don’t they? They all mean well, though. That’s how I imagine our family. Us being the parents who try their very best for their children while our children think we are annoying.”

I smile. “We are having a family now?”

“Well, I was hoping since you already have one with Daryna and Alek, that you would let me be part of that.”

My breath catches in my throat. “You don’t have to do that,” I whisper.

He turns my face toward him so he can look at me. “I know, but you are already their mother figure. I think they could use a better father figure too. If you’ll have me.”

This man is too good to be true.

“I’ll think about it,” I tease.