Page 42 of Maximus (Gold Team #4)
“Nope, we can’t.” The heaviness of our exchange lifted and back was Eva’s bright smile. Her tiny hands grasped my face and she leaned forward, smacking her lips against mine in a playful kiss that had my heart thundering. “But we have the future.”
“That we do.” I returned her smile because there was no way I couldn’t. It was infectious—a beacon of hope I wanted to get lost in .
“One last thing before I show you how much it means to me that you love me.”
“Show me?” Her lips twitched and she wiggled her ass on my already semi-hard cock.
“Yeah, honey, show you. And fair warning, you’re gonna be boneless when I’m done, so I’m gonna need to carry you out of here.”
I flexed my ass, pushing my hard-on against her center, cursing the layers of clothes between us.
“Hm… you think you have it in you to render me unable to walk?”
I didn’t bother to answer her ridiculous taunt—she knew I was more than capable of leaving her a quivering mess.
“So what’s this about a job?”
“What about it?”
Eva’s hands moved down my neck as she sat straight, grazing my throat. And when her palms rested on my chest, I had to summon all my concentration in order to finish this conversation that at the moment seemed seriously fucking unimportant.
“You’re looking for a job?”
“Of course I am. I need to work.”
“What about the boys?”
Eva’s brows knitted together, clearly perplexed.
“Liam will be in school and Elijah will go to daycare. I managed to save some money, but only enough to float me for a month or two, depending on what the rent is on this place.”
“You’re not paying rent.”
As she stared down at me, her features sharpened even more and I braced for her response. Gauging her new look, it was going to piss me off.
“Yeah, Max, I am. I pay my way.”
“Not anymore. ”
Jesus Christ, Eva transformed right in front of my eyes. Her entire body stiffened—her once-lax thighs resting near mine had gone solid and she looked like she was ready to come out of her skin.
“Don’t do this,” she muttered.
“Do what?”
“Force me to rely on you.”
“What the fuck?” Every good feeling I’d had minutes ago fled in a rush of fury. “I hope to Christ, you’re not comparing me to your asshole ex.”
“I’m not. I know you are nothing like him.
You’re the best man I’ve ever known. You’re the only person that has ever made me feel cared for.
You make me feel protected in every way.
Not just physically safe from harm, but I know you’ll guard my heart, you won’t let anything hurt me—or the boys.
But that doesn’t mean that you telling me that I can’t work isn’t a huge trigger for me.
I have to know I can support myself. I have to know I can contribute in some way—even if it’s only paying half the rent and buying groceries.
But I have to do it. This is important to me, Max.
Please don’t do this to us. Don’t strip me of my self-worth and make me beholden to you. ”
Fucking shit , if the panic in her eyes hadn’t already gutted me, the tears would’ve.
“That’s not what I’m trying to do. I want to take care of you. If it’s about money, I have—”
“It is, but it isn’t. Yes, I want to make my own money, but it’s more than that. I need to feel like I have value, like I’m important, like I’m worth something.”
“Christ, honey, you’re worth everything.”
“Then prove you feel that way and don’t ask me to sit around while you pay for everything.”
My stomach clenched as I tried to find a way to navigate the minefield she’d laid .
“Can we compromise?”
“Honestly, it depends.”
“Fair enough. What if I cover the rent until you get on your feet? I don’t want you draining your savings.
And this house is expensive, half the rent would be more than you were paying in Florida.
Can we agree on a quarter? I’ll cover utilities and kick in for food.
And before you argue, remember you’re used to only feeding yourself and two small children.
You want to contribute, I get it, but I don’t want you taking a financial hit because of me. ”
“But you get to take the hit for me?”
Goddamn, I was mucking this up despite my best efforts.
“Straight up, Eva, I make a lot of money. I’ve had no overhead for a lot of years, so I’ve got a sizeable amount sitting in the bank.
I could easily carry our family and not feel it.
You don’t want that and as much as I hate to admit it, I understand why you need to feel useful.
Hell, honey, I admire and respect it. But the truth is, I want to stay in this house even if it’s more than we need.
I want this. I need this. I’ve never had a home.
I feel at peace here with you and the boys.
I like knowing they have something nice.
And this is gonna make me sound like a dick, but, Eva, you gotta know.
I suck at cooking. That means you’re gonna be saddled with that or we’re eating takeout.
I can do all of the laundry, but I have no interest in dusting, sweeping, and vacuuming.
I’ll kick in when you ask, but please, honey, do not think you’re gonna come home to find me with a dust thing in my hand.
That means I’m hiring someone to clean our house, or you’re gonna be taking on the brunt of that, too.
You’re looking at this arrangement as me taking care of you because I’ll be paying more.
But the truth is, you’ll be the one taking care of me and our family in all of the important ways. ”
“Our family?” she whispered, tears now streaming faster down her pretty face .
“Baby, again, what do you think we’re doing here?
Yes, absolutely our family. What you add daily is more valuable than anything I could ever contribute.
Without you I have nothing, Eva. If you leave, I go back to being the cynical, lonely asshole who’s walking through life in a pitiful daze.
You and the boys will still have each other.
The three of you would be just fine. But me? I’d be fucking wrecked.”
“I love you.”
Christ, how was it possible three words could catch my soul on fire?
“Love hearing you say that. But I need to know, can we compromise on this?”
“Yeah, baby, we can.”
“Great.”
Then before she could utter another word, I had her flipped over, her shirt was sailing through the air, and my lips latched on to her nipple over the lace of her bra.
“Time to prove how much I love you.”