Page 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Summerville Daphne

L ying in Max's arms, Daphne pinches her skin.

“Why do you keep doing that?” Max asks, taking her hand and interlocking his fingers with hers. “Stop it. You're going to hurt yourself.”

Laughing, she looks up at him. “Caught me.”

“Yeah, but doing what?”

“Making sure this isn't some elaborate dream.”

Turning on his side, he touches his nose to hers as he looks into her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“This, here, with you. Everything about this whole thing with us feels like a dream. I keep pinching myself to make sure I'm not asleep.”

“It's all real, baby,” he murmurs, his lips pressing against hers.

Pushing him onto his back, she climbs on top of him, both still naked from earlier, and she smirks as he comes alive while she rubs her body against his. She sinks onto him, both closing their eyes in pleasure, and she grinds against him. “So real.”

“Fuck, you feel good. God, Daph, I don't think I can ever get enough of you.”

His words, the adoration behind them, make her feel like she floats above her body. Just a few months ago, she felt like her world was about to crumble and end, and now she feels like she's living in heaven. Not only does she get to keep her dad's shop as is, she has a man she's madly in love with. She just hasn't figured out the right way to tell him, but tonight will be the night. She decided it when he showed up, showering her with kisses.

Knocking at the door interrupts them, and she stills. “Who is it?”

“Don't do that,” Max hisses, his hips lifting to dive deeper inside her, making her moan.

“Nelson. I need to talk to you and Max.” Both of them freeze. “Please.”

The please comes out through clenched teeth, and his tone tells both of them how serious whatever the situation at hand is. Max made sure to lock the door after the Kingsmen hit two houses earlier tonight, and she worries something happened to someone in the club.

Daphne climbs off of Max and slips into her robe while Max jumps into his boxers and jeans. Once they're both covered, she opens the door to find his skin a ghastly ashen color.

“What's wrong?” she asks, her pulse quickening.

Max stands in a stance that shows he's ready to fight if need be, but his face wears a similar look of confusion when he catches sight of his brother. “Nelson?”

“I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to someone who... knows me,” Nelson says, and if Daphne didn't know him better, she'd think this conversation pained him. Instead, she suspects something happened, and she feels uneasy. “Can I sit?”

“Yes,” Daphne says, her eyes staring into his. “You're scaring me, Nelson. What happened?”

“Sutton and I are on the outs, right?”

Nodding, she swallows. “Yeah.”

“Part of the reason for that is because I snapped at her when she got after me for being pissed about the two of you together. I told her to talk to me when she stops fucking me as a distraction. It pushed her to meet her real dad, and he's a piece of shit.”

“Oh, Nelson,” she mutters. “You didn't.”

“That's not the worst of it. I was at the clubhouse when Cannon got a call from Sutton. She was screaming and crying. That asshole basically broke into her apartment, and she had to lock herself in her bathroom while he stabbed the bathroom door with a goddamned knife. He trashed the entire place, and Cannon, Venom, and I had to break down the door to get into the apartment.”

Max grabs his shirt and kutte, slipping them both on. “Where's the fucker? You need help burying the body?”

Daphne looks at Max, and she knows without a doubt she can't hold back how she feels about him now. She loves this man because of his unwavering loyalty. Even though he decided to hook up with his brother's ex, he's still ready to jump into action when his brother needs help. Their being at odds doesn't mean a thing in a situation like this.

“No, Venom and I took care of him while Cannon stayed with Sutton to calm her down.”

“She okay?”

“I've never seen someone that scared before. She should never be that scared, and I can't get it out of my head. It's like it's playing on a loop, and I wish the asshole hadn't gone so quick. I liked Venom's idea better than how Cannon took care of him, even if it was bloody as hell.”

The look on his face tells Daphne everything she needs to know. “Go to her, Nelson.”

Shaking his head, he looks at the ground. “She told me she's done with me. That we don't fit because I'm a fucking asshole, my words, not hers, and she's probably right.”

Her eyes look at Max, who looks just as surprised at Nelson's accountability. This man will use anything and everything to get out of owning up to his mistakes.

“What do you need from us?” Max asks him.

“I need... I need to know what to do,” Nelson admits. His eyes stay looking at the ground, and he just shakes his head. “I know I've been a jerk, but you both know me. One of you a little more intimately than the other, but you know me.”

The growl from Max makes Daphne chuckle as she takes Nelson's hand, forcing him to look up. “You know why it bothers you, don't you?”

“That you two are screwing each other's brains out? Yeah, kind of.”

She levels him with a stare. “First of all, you know it's more than that with Max and me. But I'm talking about Sutton. About why her being so scared bothers you so much.”

“If I knew that, I probably wouldn't be here interrupting the sex I know you were having.”

“It bothers you because seeing someone you care about in pain hurts you. You love her, Nelson.”

“No, I don't,” he says, his head snapping up to look into her eyes now. “No, I don't.”

“Don't fucking lie to me. But more importantly, don't lie to yourself. You love Sutton.”

He shakes his head and stands. “I knew this was a mistake.”

“Then why'd you show up?” Max asks.

“Because... because, I don't know.”

“Because you know deep down that you care about her, and you're scared. You're scared because letting someone in means you can get hurt. Just like Mom always did. But you know what? Having someone to care about who cares about you, too, is fucking amazing.”

Sighing, Nelson looks Max in the eyes. “You really care about Daphne? It's not just sex for you?”

“I do. It's more than sex. Always has been with her.”

The words make Daphne blush, but she focuses on Nelson. “You want to know how I know you love Sutton?”

“Sure, why not,” he says, shrugging and slapping his hands on the sides of his legs.

“After we broke up, I showed up at the bar to see if Marnie was working. I saw you sitting there with Sutton, drinking and talking and laughing. I don’t think you were officially together yet, and I don't think you'd slept together, but I saw the way you looked at her. That's what makes it different. You started as friends before you became lovers, and you have a solid foundation to build off of. I also know you never looked at me the way you look at Sutton.”

He gapes. “You saw us?”

“I did. I also knew you needed space, so I left. But I meant it when I said she's good for you. You were friends first, and I'm willing to bet she loves you, too. You hurt her, though, so she's pulling away. What you need to do is prove to her that she doesn't have to. That you can love her the way she needs to be loved. The way you need to be loved.”

“We didn't love each other, did we?”

Shaking her head, she gives him a sad chuckle. “No, we didn't. I don't think we really liked each other all that much. This is honestly the deepest conversation we've ever had. Well, you've ever had. I talked to you a lot, but you never listened.”

“I listen to Sutton. I want to know what she thinks and how she feels. That was never how I was with you, and I'm sorry, Daphne.”

“Hey, it worked out for the best. In my opinion, anyway.”

He sighs. “We never fit. You two do, and I see it now. I think I might've always known deep down, but I didn't want to admit it. I'm an ass.”

“Holy shit, you've admitted it twice now,” Daphne says, clutching her heart dramatically.

Smirking, Nelson pushes her slightly. “Do you think we can be friends? Just friends?”

“I'd like to try. But I'm more concerned about your relationship with Max. Neither of us meant to hurt you, Nelson. I hope you know that. It just... it just happened, but I'm not sorry it did. Other than the fact it upset you.”

He turns to Max. “You did a shitty fucking thing.”

“I know,” Max says.

“But, apparently, everyone and their dog saw how you felt about Daphne except for me, so that's also on me. And as much as you hate me, you were ready to jump in and help me take care of the asshole who hurt my girl,” Nelson says. “I'm still a little upset about the betrayal of... it all, but I don't hate you.”

“I never hated you, little brother,” Max says, earning an annoyed grin from Nelson. “I just wasn't going to let you disrespect my girl. Now, you need to go to yours. She needs someone, and she needs to hear you tell her that you love her. And that you're an ass. That'll probably make it a little better, too.”

Nodding, Nelson lets out a determined sigh and walks out, shutting the door behind him.

Daphne locks it and turns to Max with a smile on her face. “Did we just start rebuilding the bridge with your brother?”

“I think we did,” he says and smiles back at her.

“Want to hear a secret?”

“Always,” he says, pulling her to him.

Her arms wrap around his neck and play with his hair. “I knew Nelson was in love with Sutton because he looks at her the same way I look at you. The way you look at me.”

“Did you just say...”

“I'm madly in love with you, Maxwell Parks.”

His lips crush hers, and he picks her up off the ground. Her legs wrap around his waist, and he carries her over to the bed. “I was scared it was too soon to say it, so I was waiting for you.”

“Max, we tattooed our names on the other's body. Right above our fun zones. Plus, I've tried things with you in and out of bed that I never thought I would because I trust you with my life. I think admitting you were in love with me too early was a little silly to worry about, don't you think?”

He smirks, and she knows he's remembering the sex act in particular that she was hesitant to try. There was no pressure to do it, and she hadn't hated it. Hell, she's willing to try it again now that she's experienced the initial shock to see if maybe she likes it more.

His hands untie her robe, sliding it open before kissing down her body until he's settled between her legs. “I've been in love with you since the moment I saw you, Daphne Knight. I plan to be madly in love with you forever.”

“Show me how much you love me, Max,” she pants, his mouth on her as his fingers work along her slick heat. “Oh, love me.”

Goosebumps spread over her as he whispers always against her skin.