Lead Me Not (33 page)

“What are you thinking about?” Maxx asked. In fact, I was thinking perhaps a little too hard about possible suspension, a ruined career, a derailed academic future, friends pissed at me
for life.

I plastered a smile on my face. “Nothing,” I lied. Maxx frowned, obviously not sure whether to believe me or not. I leaned up on my knees and pressed a kiss on his mouth. He instantly molded his lips to mine.

Pulling away, I laced my fingers with his. “You’ve been hearing all about me. I’d like to know about you.” Maxx stiffened slightly but then gave me a blinding grin.

“What you see is what you get, Aubrey,” he said, yanking me forward. He grabbed the back of my neck rather aggressively and tilted my head to the side, his lips sucking and nipping along the column of my throat.

“I don’t believe that,” I argued, pulling back. I knew there had to be a whole mess of stuff going on with Maxx. A lot more than he had revealed so far.

“I promise you, there’s nothing to know that you don’t know already. I told you about my parents, about Landon and my uncle. That’s more than I’ve ever shared with anyone. Honestly, there’s nothing more to tell,” he said, kissing the tip of my nose.

I opened my mouth to press the point when his phone started ringing.

He checked the screen and scowled but answered it instantly. “Is everything okay, Landon?” he asked.

Maxx’s transformation as he spoke to his brother was fascinating. He literally became someone else. He was soft-spoken and calm, his voice warm.

His eyes flicked toward me. “I don’t think so, buddy. Not today.

“I’ve got plans.

“Yes, Landon, it’s a girl.

“Shut up, will you?”

I snickered. Even though I could hear only Maxx’s end of the
conversation, it was obvious he was getting a ball busting from his younger brother. I didn’t know Landon, but already I liked him.

Maxx grimaced. “That’s probably not a good idea. I can come by during the week.”

I put my hand on his arm, interrupting him. He looked down at my fingers curling around his wrist and then up at me.

“I’ll come with you,” I offered, hoping he’d take me up on it.

Maxx pulled the phone away from his mouth. “I’m not sure that’s cool.” He frowned, clearly not happy with my suggestion.

I squeezed his arm. “Please. I’d like to see Landon again.”

Maxx closed his eyes, as though he was having some sort of internal battle. He opened them and looked at me for a long moment before putting the phone back to his mouth.

“Yeah, we’ll come by. We’ll be there in an hour. And David’s not there, right? Okay, see you then.”

Maxx hung up and got to his feet, holding his hand out. “Come on, let’s go see my baby brother,” he said, and I knew he was glad we were going to see him. And I couldn’t be more excited about having the chance to see the two of them together again, to see once more the side of Maxx that had drawn me in.

The Maxx that I hoped to see more of.

chapter

twenty-two

aubrey

w
e pulled up in front of Maxx’s uncle’s house a little after one in the afternoon. I wondered why Landon wasn’t in school and asked Maxx about it.

“It’s a teacher workshop day. He’s been on me to come by and help him with his car, but I’ve been busy,” Maxx answered, sounding defensive. Something told me being busy wasn’t why he hadn’t been by to see his brother, but I didn’t push it.

Maxx went around to my side of the car and opened the door for me. My heart fluttered at the gesture. I had never pictured Maxx as being the sort of man to open doors for women. I was happy to be wrong.

I went up on my tiptoes and pressed my mouth to his. The kiss was warm and comforting and over far too quickly.

Maxx pulled back slightly and gave me a tender smile. “What was that for?” he asked.

I kissed his chin, then loosened my hands from around his neck. “For surprising me,” I answered. Maxx’s smile became questioning, and he chuckled under his breath. He pulled me tighter into his embrace.

“Remind me to surprise you more often,” he murmured, and it was my turn to laugh.

“Get a room!” a voice called out. Maxx and I broke apart, and he grinned over his shoulder at the young boy who stood on the porch.

“Shut up, Landon,” he called back, rolling his eyes at his brother.

Maxx grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the modest ranch-style house. It was a bit on the shabby side and needed a new coat of paint, but other than that it was being maintained.

Maxx ruffled his brother’s fine, blond hair as he walked up the porch steps. “How’s it going, buddy?” he asked Landon, who ducked out from beneath Maxx’s hand.

Landon smiled when he saw me. “I remember you! You’re that chick from Maxx’s school!”

Maxx smacked the back of his head, then put his arm back around my waist. “This is most definitely not a
chick
, Landon. Show some respect,” he reprimanded, and I could only laugh.

“Well, she’s a hot chick. Is that better?” Landon asked, wearing a smirk almost identical to his brother’s.

“That’s it. You’re overdue for an ass kicking,” Maxx teased, feigning a lunge in the younger boy’s direction.

Landon jumped off the porch and sprinted around the yard, Maxx not far behind him. The two ended up on the ground, wrestling good-naturedly. I couldn’t stop laughing as I watched them roughhouse.

When Landon finally freed himself, he punched Maxx in the back, and the two carried on with their antics until we were inside the house.

Maxx put an arm around my shoulders and grinned. He was relaxed and comfortable. It was obvious he was happy being with his brother. He kissed the top of my head, and I placed my hand on his chest as he pressed me to his side.

Maxx turned to his brother, who was pulling grass out of his hair. “Landon, I want to introduce you to my girlfriend, Aubrey Duncan. Aubrey, this is my little brother, Landon,” Maxx said, beaming at the two of us.

Landon’s eyes widened. “Girlfriend? Really? I don’t think you’ve ever had one of those before,” he joked. I felt my face get hot. Had he really called me his girlfriend?

Shit, I was Maxx Demelo’s girlfriend!

I couldn’t stop myself from grinning like an idiot.

Maxx reached around me to smack Landon on the back of the head. “You really need to disengage your mouth from your brain before I kick your ass again,” he warned, though there was no threat in his tone. I had never seen Maxx like this before. He was laughing and smiling. His entire demeanor had changed drastically. Gone was the tortured man I had grown accustomed to. This person was someone who was content with his life.

Landon kicked off his shoes and led Maxx and me into the house. It was very apparent that guys lived here. It wasn’t filthy or dirty, but any former tidiness had been replaced with clutter and mismatched furniture. I was in eye-twitching hell.

“Thanks for coming over. David shouldn’t be home until later, so I thought we could work on the car.” Landon darted a look at me. “But we don’t have to. We can just hang out or something.”

I held up my hands. “No way, I want to watch your super-mechanic skills in action. Don’t let me stop you.”

Maxx, who hadn’t let go of me, rubbed my arm. “You just want to see me all sweaty and dirty, don’t you?” he murmured in my ear. I flushed and cleared my throat, shooting a look at Landon, who thankfully wasn’t paying us any attention.

I smacked Maxx’s chest weakly, and he chuckled into the side of my neck before placing a soft kiss on my skin. I tried not to shiver at the innocent touch.

We headed into the kitchen. It was small and cramped, with a table and chairs pushed against the wall and dishes piled up in the sink. I had to suppress the urge to start washing them.

Maxx headed over to the refrigerator. “You got anything to drink?” he asked, pulling it open.

“No, uh, why don’t you have some water,” Landon replied hurriedly, trying to shove the fridge door closed.

Maxx frowned and gently pushed his brother aside. He opened the door and let out a growl.

“When was the last time you went to the store?” Maxx asked, clearly unhappy, his mood changing instantly.

Landon hung his head, his shoulders slouched. “I don’t know,” he mumbled.

I peered around Maxx into the open refrigerator and saw that it was empty save for a few cartons of beer.

Maxx slammed it shut and hit it hard with his fist. I jumped, his violence catching me by surprise. He had been happy only moments earlier, but now he was fuming. Landon, however, didn’t so much as blink an eye. Clearly, Maxx’s fits weren’t unusual.

Maxx pulled his keys out of his pocket and marched to the front door. “Get your jacket; we’re going to the store,” he announced.

Landon and I followed behind him. “You don’t have to do that, Maxx. I can go during the week,” Landon protested.

Maxx whirled around to face his little brother. “This is bullshit, Landon! The money you get every month is for
you
! Not so David can fuck off and piss it away on hookers and poker!” Maxx’s hands clenched into fists. “I’ll start coming by once a week and taking you to the store. That way I’ll
know
you have something to eat.” He took a deep breath and leveled his brother with a look that brooked no argument.

Landon glanced at me, and I could tell he was embarrassed. “Sure,” he muttered, walking past his big brother and back out
onto the porch.

Maxx rubbed his temples, closing his eyes and letting out a frustrated breath. When he had collected himself, he looked at me and gave me a sheepish smile. “Sorry about all this,” he apologized.

I shook my head. “Don’t. He’s your brother. I understand wanting to take care of him. Let’s go to the store,” I said, tucking my hand in his.

He wrapped his fingers around mine, pulled me in, and gently kissed my lips.

The three of us went to the store and loaded Landon up with enough food to feed an army. Landon argued every time we put something in the cart, but Maxx wouldn’t hear any objections.

It took us half an hour once we got back to the house to bring in the bags and unload everything. Maxx had Landon put several boxes of Pop-Tarts, crackers, and cereal bars in his room.

“So
he
can’t take it all,” Maxx told him as he stuffed the boxes in the younger boy’s closet.

Slowly, Maxx’s anger disappeared, replaced by the easy companionship I had witnessed earlier. Watching the brothers together, my heart felt heavy, and I couldn’t help but miss Jayme.

My story had ended badly. I just hoped this one had a better ending.

“Come out to the garage! I want to show you what I worked on this week,” Landon enthused once we were finished putting everything away. Maxx grinned at his brother, slinging an arm around his narrow shoulders.

Seeing Maxx with Landon made it impossible to ignore the feelings I was developing for him. The caring nurturer that Maxx became around his brother made it easy to forget the parts of him that scared me.

I went with the boys out to the garage. The air was thick with
paint fumes, and Maxx immediately hit the button to roll back the bay. “I hope you’re leaving the place open if you’re painting in here. You’ll catch stupid if you’re not careful. And you don’t have a whole lot of brain cells to lose,” Maxx joked, giving Landon a playful nudge.

Landon grinned at his big brother. He clearly loved being the focus of Maxx’s attention. He soaked up everything Maxx said, hanging on his every word. Landon had a major case of hero worship.

“I only did some touching up in here. Don’t worry,” Landon explained as he pulled the drop cloth off the large object in the middle of the room. The old Mustang had been painted recently, a bright, cherry red, with long flames down the back end.

Maxx was grinning as he walked around the body of the car. “Who did the paint job?” he asked, running a finger along the glossy exterior.

Landon’s grin was huge as he watched Maxx appreciate the car. “My buddy Tate has a cousin who owns his own body shop. He came and towed it over there earlier in the week. He did the paint job in exchange for me doing a bunch of odd jobs for him. Looks pretty sweet, right?” he asked, bouncing on his feet in excitement.

Maxx nodded, coming over to clasp Landon’s shoulder. “It looks awesome. Did you paint the flames?” he asked.

“Yep! I’d never used an airbrush before, and I thought I’d screw it up. But I think it turned out pretty cool! I designed the flames and did everything,” Landon said modestly.

Landon’s talent blew me away. The flames were done in varying shades of red, orange, and yellow, with shadings of black and gray. They had texture and depth, and it looked as though fire was literally licking up the side of the car.

“It’s amazing, Landon. This looks professional,” I piped up, walking closer to the car to have a look. I knelt down and ran my
fingers along the paint job.

“You really think so?” Landon asked, coming to stand next to me. I straightened up and gave him a wide, genuine smile.

“Definitely! Maxx said you were an artist, I just had no idea you were so good,” I commented. Landon flushed with pride, puffing his chest out.

“Thanks, Aubrey! I’m hoping to go to art school when I graduate. Get into graphic design or something.” Landon glanced at Maxx, who still wore a smile, though it was now decidedly strained.

Landon turned back to me and shrugged. “We’ll see what happens, I guess,” he said, picking up on Maxx’s pointed silence.

I gave Maxx a tiny frown, but he wasn’t looking at me. His eyes were on his brother, his expression sad.

I cleared my throat, feeling the sudden tension. “So what’s left to get this thing road ready?” I asked, slapping my hand on the hood.

Landon’s face brightened. “We just need to swap out the alternator, put in new brake pads, and replace the fuel line.”

I turned to Maxx, who was digging around in the toolbox. “You do the work yourselves?” I asked. Maxx nodded.

“Where did you learn how to do this stuff?” I asked. Landon chewed on his bottom lip before answering.

“Actually from Uncle David. He’s really into cars, and when we first came to live with him, he’d work out here for days. If we wanted to spend any time with him then, we had to learn how to help. It’s a pretty good skill to have in the long run, though. It saves us a fortune in mechanic’s bills,” Landon said, popping the hood of the car and peering down.