New Forever (16 page)

I can hear Max through the bathroom door and while I stay cuddled under my covers in bed, I can’t help but wonder what has him up so early. He’s not just up earlier than usual, but also loud. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was throwing a party or going to war in there. I don’t think the shower handle or the shower walls stand a chance at survival.

I burrow deeper into my covers when I hear him shut off the water with a loud swear and march through the door. I peek my eyes open and am disappointed to find his lower half wrapped in a towel, but my eyes widen when I see his torso is still wet. What I wouldn’t give to run my tongue over his chest and drink him in.

Janus leaves the comfort of our bed and follows Max to the couch where I hear Max quickly dress and slip on Janus’ leash. It’s not even five in the morning and the two idiots are going for a walk?

Whatever. At least it’ll be quiet again and I can get some more sleep. Not that I got much sleep last night because of Idiot #1, who was isolating me and slept on the couch. Every attempt I made at talking to him, to bring him out of his thoughts were rejected. I can’t understand why he’d rather shut me out and sleep on the couch, but hell, men are stupid. Like nailing jello to the wall type of stupid. The only reason I even thought about getting a male dog is because his balls were cut off, leaving him with more room for intelligence and common sense.

Dee tried to convince me to not get Janus because of all the muscular or bone problems a large dog with three legs might potentially have. Yeah, I get it. He has an uneven weight distribution, but that doesn’t mean he’s not loveable. His past might potentially come back and hurt all of us, but it’s the time in between the tragedies that makes life worth living.

I took one look into his big brown soulful eyes and I wouldn’t have cared if he had six legs or three tails. He was mine.

The girls at the shelter told me his previous owner said he loved the water so Dee and I immediately made plans to take him to Dee’s house so he can try out their swimming pool. Hopefully Adam won’t mind barbecuing us some burgers or the extra hair that he’ll find in the pool’s filter.

But, hey, I’ve happily dealt with Josie’s spit up and diarrhea diapers. Not that I’m comparing Josie to a dog or anything.

By six, I come to terms with the simple fact that I won’t be going back to sleep, so I throw off the covers and stalk into the kitchen. With a stiff posture and corded neck from either frustration or lack of sleep, I try out a new cake pops recipe I want to make for one of my customers. Once I put them in the oven for a preset amount of time, I head into the shower, which still smells like Max.

I don’t know how he does it, but every inch of the bathroom smells like him. It’s like his scent is ingrained into the walls and the shower. I catch myself before I cling to the walls just to smell him in. Desperation is not a good look for anyone.

But I do allow my hand to linger on the shower handle a bit longer than necessary, and pretend that I am touching his hand. Or better yet, that his hands are touching me. Slowly, he takes my hand and brings it to his lips before they trace a line up my arm and down my back. A soft moan escapes my lips as I imagine the water trickling down my body are his hands all over me. Everywhere at once. I open my mouth to welcome him in and touch my breasts with my own hands.

With the water falling over my face like warm kisses, I move my hand down and draw circles around my stomach like he would do. My lips part again when my hands reach my inner thigh and I…

On a frustrated sigh, I lean my head onto the cold shower walls. Fuck me. Fuck him. I was two seconds away from masturbating. Me, masturbating. When I have a man that is more than capable of pleasing me living under the same roof as me, but still manages to be far out of reach. This is his job, the bastard.

Clenching my jaw, I wash myself quickly and make sure to keep my fingers far away from any pleasure points. I pat myself dry and lather my body in lotion while swearing and cursing Max’s very existence. I will not masturbate. Not because there’s anything wrong with masturbating, but out of principle. The principle being the dickhead I once lovingly called my boyfriend.

I knew telling him I wanted to meet his parents would be difficult for him to come to terms with, but I didn’t expect him to completely shut me out. I have a right to meet them, to ask them questions and confront them. Even if it means hurting Max.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to hurt him. I just want the closure only his parents can bring. I know Hannah was sick, but maybe her affair with his father was the final nail in her coffin. I just need to get some answers, not just about her death though, but also her life. At the time of Hannah’s death, I was so wrapped up in my own life that I never took the time to see her. Now, I need to see all of her, all of the pieces I missed because I thought my life was so much more important than hers. I don’t know if they’ll have any answers, or if they’ll even be able to provide me with any insight, but I owe it to both her and me to try.

With barely anything more than a grunt, Max lets himself into our apartment and hurries back into the bathroom where he showers in the same place I envisioned him touching me. I could just go in there, undress and join him under the spray. He wouldn’t deny me. But he wouldn’t offer me more and I want more.

I want Max, all of him.

I get Janus ready to go to Dee’s house as Max comes out of the shower, again without a shirt. Janus grumbles when Max pets his head in passing and Max flips him off playfully.

“Yeah, buddy, I know,” I tell Janus while Max looks back at me curiously so I clear my throat and smile at him. “I’m taking Janus to Dee’s so he can try out their swimming pool. The girls at the shelter said he likes to swim and I figure it’s good exercise for him,” I explain under his watchful gaze.

“I’ll go with you,” he says uncertainly. “If you want me to.”

“Duh,” I tell him cheerfully and smack his ass. His very nice, firm, ass.

Get a grip, Hayley!

I scrunch up my face and then purposely release the tension as I take the cake pops out of the oven and prepare them for our drive to Dee and Adam’s house. Once we are in the car, I scrub my hands over my tired face, and suddenly remember I haven’t bothered to put make up on. Opening the mirror in Max’s car, I take out my emergency pack and quickly put foundation over my harried face. After a few strokes with the mascara, I apply lip gloss and again release the tension in my pinched face. I have to relax, I remind myself.
Things will get better
, I repeat to myself, but even my mind is groaning theatrically at my pep talk.

Within minutes, we’re at Dee and Adam’s house with Josie napping on my lap while Dee and I watch a very over protective Max pace the side of the pool as Janus swims happily.

“Relax, poppa bear,” Dee calls out and I chuckle.

“He only has three legs,” Max rationalizes, ready to jump in and save the dog that’s supposed to gut him if he guts me.

“He doesn’t know that!” Adam laughs. “All he knows is that he’s having a good time.”

Adam hands Max a beer while our boy swims laps in the pool with his tail flying inches above the surface.

“Does he like balls?” Dee asks and I shrug.

Max obediently takes the ball from Dee’s outstretched hand and throws it for Janus who picks up speed to retrieve it. When he reaches the ball, he hits it with his paw, sending it under the water. Without missing a beat, Janus sticks his head under the water and not only misses the ball but continues to send it deeper underwater.

Much to everyone’s surprise, Max jumps into the pool and grabs Janus by the collar. My heart flutters in my stomach as I watch on baffled when Max then paddles Janus to the shallow end where he sets him on the steps and pats his neck.

“What was that?” Dee asks with tears in her eyes from laughing so hard.

“He was drowning,” Max huffs out, clearly out of breath from the adrenaline rush that propelled him into the water.

“Drowning?” I’m doubled over in laughter and am barely able to get the word out. I’m not completely sure he’s found the right word.

“His head was underwater,” Max defends his actions.

This man, this strange, wonderful man will definitely be my undoing. I feel my heart expand until I’m sure it will explode but somehow it manages to grow even larger.

“He was fetching the ball,” Adam explains and much to Max’s embarrassment, Dee and I burst into another fit of laughter.

“He was drowning,” Max says slowly.

“That’s right,” I say, finally coming to Max’s defense. “And you saved him,” I say proudly, getting a smile out of the big hero.

“Out of the pool, Sir Knight,” Adam tells him. “I have a surprise for everyone.”

“Oh my God! You’re pregnant!” I shout excitedly. “I thought you had gained some weight but didn’t want to mention anything in case-” I stop midsentence when I see Dee’s face fall, but it’s already too late. Shit, she’s not pregnant. Open mouth, insert foot. “Not a lot of weight. Just a tiny bit. It’s not even noticeable.”

“Noticeable enough,” she complains, putting her hand protectively over her stomach. “Bitch.”

“You’re beautiful,” Adam tells her after shooting me a meaningful look. “You’re perfect.” He cups her face in his hands and kisses her hard on the lips, making me swoon and jealous at the same time.

“Whatever. You’re fat and I’m sexually deprived,” I say under my breath, making Dee laugh.

“Adam can give you guys some pointers if you need.” Dee grins and I flip her off.

“Pointers for what?” Max asks once he gets out of the pool.

“Nothing,” Dee and I sing in unison.

“So, your surprise?” I ask.

“Neither one of you deserves it,” he tells us, making me smile even wider. This is gonna be good. Like, Adam-is-the-best-at-surprises type of good.

“Really, I don’t think I’ll take either of you. It’ll be a boy’s outing, with just me and Max.”

“Brokeback Mountain style?” I ask, licking my lips at the suggestion and Dee laughs.

Adam runs his fingers through his hair and sighs at me dramatically. “I’m just glad my daughter’s sleeping so she can’t hear her Auntie.”

“Spill, Pena,” I say, using Adam’s last name.

“I got us all tickets to go to Nassau in two weeks.”

“Nassau?” I ask. “As in The Bahamas?”

He nods, obviously delighted with his surprise. “And we’re gonna stay at the Atlantis on Paradise Island for five days.”

“Atlantis?” I ask, sucking in a breath. I don’t even care that I’m repeating everything Adam says like a parrot. “That place is gorgeous!” I’d get up and hug him if I didn’t have Josie snuggled on my lap. Thankfully, Dee takes the lead and kisses him for both of us.

I’ve only ever seen Atlantis in photographs and over the internet, but the place looks like a fairy tale, complete with towers. My eyes widen as I imagine myself on the pristine colored beaches. The beaches in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale are great, but they’re not Bahamas great. My face breaks into a spontaneous smile while I momentarily forget about everything else going on in my life.

I’m going to The Bahamas!

After a few beers and an hour of Janus swimming, Max is able to relax with the rest of us when Janus gets out of the pool to lie out in the sun. To be honest, I would never have pegged Max to be the overprotective type. Especially over a dog. It’s cute and endearing and just one more reason why I can’t live without him.

“What are we going to do with Janus?” Max asks me, leaning in close enough that I can feel his breath on my skin.

“What do you mean?”

“When we’re in Atlantis, who’s gonna watch him?”

“Put him in a kennel,” Dee offers and Max and I gape at her.

“Don’t say that!” I shush her. “He just left the shelter and you want to put him back in a cage?” I’d cover Janus’ ears if he were close enough, but as it is, he’s rolling around in the dirt and doing some sort of weird dance on his back. He’s definitely gonna need a bath.

“They have those dog daycares,” Dee defends. “Some of them are cage-less.”

Unconvinced, I shake my head at her. “What if he doesn’t get along with the other dogs? What if they pick on him?”

“A big dog like him wouldn’t get picked on,” Dee laughs my concerns away, but she can’t know for sure.

He’s already been hit by a car, had his right hind leg chopped off, been abandoned by his family, and left at a shelter to fend for himself. I’m not putting him through one more traumatic event.

“We’ll find him a dog sitter,” Max says taking my hand.

“Okay.” I nod. “But we have to do background checks first. I don’t want just anyone watching our dog.”

“What about your parents?”

“Good idea! They need some bonding time with their first grandbaby.”

Max agrees and while he bathes Janus, I take the opportunity to ask Adam to take Dee and me to an open house in the neighborhood Dee and I went through the day before. While he’s reluctant, he’s not one to turn Dee down, especially when she bites her bottom lip or opens her already big eyes even larger. I clap my hands when he offers to take us this weekend and wake Josie up in the process. Unfortunately, Josie isn’t as pleased to see me as she usually is, so I grab Max and Janus and make a quick retreat while her parents try to calm her.