Page 95 of Maxim

“Thanks. You didn’t have to do that. We have food here.”

She slides it across the counter toward me. “It would be rude to get myself one and then not bring you anything.”

“How was your night?” I ask as I unwrap the sandwich.

She grabs two bottles of water from the fridge, handing one to me. “Thank you.”

“No problem.”

As we eat, she tells me about how Alexei took her to an abandoned movie theater and surprised her with a screening ofDazed and Confused. How freaking sweet is that? I’m not quite jealous. Maybe envious is more accurate, but I feel some sort of way over the fact that they can be seen together. My fatherknows that I’m with Maxim, but under the circumstances, it would look weird if he and I were always out on the town.

Maybe someday when this is over. I let myself think of the future for the first time. How it would be with him.

“Hey, ???????, I’m home,” Maxim yells as he comes into the house.

“You’re home early,” I tell him as I slide into his arms.

He leans down and kisses me hard. “Is that okay with you?”

“Of course it is. You know I like spending all my time with you,” I tease.

He growls as he kisses me again. All too soon, he pulls away.

“You need to go get ready.”

“For…”

“Did you forget what today is?” he teases.

My body tenses as I freeze.

Oh god. Did I forget something?

“Relax. It’s just the anniversary of when I saw you for the first time,” he says soothingly.

“Wait, you want to take me out for the anniversary of the first time we met?” I ask, caught completely off guard.

“I mean, yeah, unless you don’t want to.”

“Of course I want to!”

“Good. So go get ready. We have a reservation for six sharp.”

I pull away and start walking backward toward the bedroom.

“Have I told you that I love you today?” I ask.

He tips his head from side to side. “You might have when you woke up with my head between those thighs, but that was hours ago.”

Even after all this time, I can’t help but blush when he says something dirty.

“I hate you.”

“I love you too. Now hurry up. I don’t want to be late.”

“Hey, are you with me?” Thea says as she snaps her fingers in my face.

Guilt settles in as soon as I realize what was missing from my fantasy.