Page 57 of Hate To Want You
Max’s lips cover mine, interrupting my rant. “Sweetheart, I love you and your anger on my behalf, but it’s not worth it. It’s in the past.”
“But it’s not, is it?” I whisper. “Not really. She’s the reason you don’t let people get close to you. She’s why you’re so afraid to be vulnerable.”
His deep sigh is layered. Relief, acceptance, and love all in one. “Yeah. She is. But you’re changing all of that for me, Heidi.”
I twist and shift until I’m straddling him, my knees resting on either side of his legs. I cup his face in my hands, draw him in and kiss his forehead, letting my lips rest there for a moment.
“I’m not changing anything. You’re doing that, just by being willing to trust.”
His fingers thread through my hair, crashing me into him. “I love you.”
The energy turns explosive in a heartbeat. Gasps and moans fill the air, and I don’t know if they’re mine or his. All I know is that soon, he’s lifting my hips, lining us up so that all I have to do is sink down, and then I’m being stretched and filled in the most delicious way.
“Yes. Don’t stop.”
His grunt is matched with a perfectly timed thrust, the angle making his cock hit all my walls with every single movement. My head falls back and the only thing holding me up is my grip on his biceps. When I feel his mouth close over my nipple, I almost fall, my hands letting go, but he’s there. His large hands span my back, supporting me, lifting me up. The parallel between the physical action and the deep-seated knowledge I have in my heart settles around me.
He will support me.
He will hold me.
He will lift me up.
He loves me.
I wish I could say riding the float plane home to the island was as magical an experience as it was coming over just yesterday. But it was vastly overshadowed by the magic of knowing that the man sitting next to me — solid, warm, and strong — loves me.
I’m still floating on that cloud when I walk into the hospital the next day. We didn’t spend last night together, not for lack of wanting, but for the practical reason that I needed to do laundry and prepare for a week of shifts, and my car was at my apartment.
It feels incredibly unfair that we still have to keep everything a secret. I want to shout from the rooftops that Max Donnelly has healed my heart and shown me that a partner can walk beside you and not in front.
My first glimpse of him standing at the nursing station fills me with resolve. It’s not against the rules for us to be together, but my career comes first. The fact Max understands that and is willing to fight for it only serves to strengthen my commitment.
He’s worth waiting for.
“Dr. Morgan, I hope you had an enjoyable weekend off?” he asks, perfectly poised and cordial in his delivery. If I weren’t staring at his deep blue eyes, I would have missed the twinkle in them, the slight smirk of his lips, and the rapid perusal of my entire body. Then again, I probably wouldn’t have missed it, given how strong my visceral reaction is to his voice and attention.
“It was verypleasurable,” I reply, biting my lips at the flare of his nostrils to the word “pleasurable.” “And you?”
“Yes. Same. It was quitesatisfying.”
I fight back the smile threatening to break free. Thankfully, Ginny starts her morning report at that moment, giving us both the distraction we need to focus our attention back where it needs to be.
After report, Max gestures to the patient rooms. “You’ll be taking the lead today, Dr. Morgan. I’m here to consult, but you’re in charge.”
His open statement of his trust in me and my work feels amazing, like one more piece of proof that Max is the partner I need. I want to show him how much that means to me, but I can’t. I also want so badly to make a flippant remark about him getting off easy and having a lazy day, but we haven’t reached that level of teasing at work. It would raise questions from our coworkers, who seem to have just barely accepted Max is no longer biting my head off.
If only they knew the other parts of my body he’s been biting. Sucking. Licking.
I trip over my own feet as images of Max devouring my body flash in my mind.
“Everything alright?” he murmurs, his hand coming briefly to rest on my lower back.
“Mm-hmm. Fine, just thinking about something and not watching where I’m going.” My voice is far too chipper, and he knows. Oh that man, he knows I’m lying. I hear the barest huff of a chuckle and then we’re at the first patient’s room. It’s time to work. But not before one parting shot from Max, delivered in a low, husky tone that sends shivers down my spine.
“Something tells me you were thinking something dirty, Morgan. I look forward to hearing about it later.”
Chapter twenty-six
