Hold Me Forever: a feel-good romance (The Maxwell Brothers)

I was restless, even after I took a shower. Honestly, I was more than nervous. I was shaken.

Dressing in shorts and a tank top, I put my hair up in a ponytail, and tried to get the evening’s events out of my mind. My slimy ex-boss, Jared, had answered my email, telling me that if I wanted the paychecks, I should come to the diner and get them myself. So tonight, I did just that, only for him to not be there. The bastard. He did it on purpose. I was sure of that. We hadn’t parted on good terms at all. The last thing he told me before I stormed off was that I’d come back begging for the job.

As soon as I recovered from tonight’s incident, I’d deal with him. I wasn’t going to let that moron push me around.

I threw on a robe when the doorbell rang and went to answer it. My pasta alfredo was here. I only ordered one, but the serving size was huge, so it would be enough for Tyler and me. And just like that, I had a big smile on my face. That man sure knew how to distract me and even make me swoon. The night was looking to be a whole lot better already.

I glanced outside the window at the huge trees on the sidewalk. Most of the time, the view relaxed me, but I was too wound up tonight.

Five minutes later, my doorbell rang again.

Looking through the peephole, I nearly swallowed my tongue when I saw Tyler. He was unbelievably handsome. I opened the door, smiling widely.

“Mr. Delivery Guy, you were quick.”

He leaned against the door with that muscular frame of his, flashing me a cheeky smile. Instantly, I felt my body relax.

I stared at the bottle of wine he was holding, trying not to look at those perfect biceps or his impossibly strong shoulders. My willpower completely disappeared when I caught him staring at my lips.

I pointed at him, looking him straight in the eyes, so he knew I meant every word. “We’re not bringing up what happened yesterday.”

That cheeky smile was even more pronounced.

“Let’s open the wine bottle, Kendra,” he said.

Okay, so clearly he didn’t agree with me, and I didn’t insist because I suspected that, far from agreeing with me, he’d make me agree with him. Maybe he’d even kiss me again.

Hmm… that wouldn’t be so bad.

Oh Jesus. Who am I kidding? Of course it would be bad.

Shake yourself out of it, Kendra. Don’t be greedy. One smoking-hot kiss was more than enough.

Leading him to the kitchen, I pointed at the boxes of food and said, “We can eat at the kitchen counter.”

“Sure.”

I took out plates, dishing out the food; it smelled delicious. He was looking at me intently, making me conscious of every move I made.

“Kendra, do you want to talk about tonight?”

“Honestly, it was just a bit rougher than I expected.” I hoped I sounded convincing.

He stepped closer. “What are you not telling me?”

Okay, so I’d been transparent. I turned around slowly, training my eyes somewhere on his chest. I knew if I made eye contact, I wouldn’t be able to act as if nothing happened.

But the next second, he put a hand on my chin, tilting my head slightly up, and his brown eyes looked straight into my soul. “Kendra… what happened?”

“I had some business to solve at my old workplace. I waitressed at a diner on weekends until last year. Anyway, it’s not in the best part of town. Tonight, after I left the diner, a few guys followed me. I parked a few blocks away. They asked me to give them my wallet and all my belongings.” My voice was shaking. I’d been so scared and operating on adrenaline the whole time. “I broke into a run and went into a store and stayed there for a while. And then I ran to my car.”

I didn’t want to tell him I’d gone to get my paychecks. For some reason, I felt too proud for him to know I was in financial troubles.

“Kendra, fuck, why didn’t you call someone? Why didn’t you call me?”

“Why would I call you?” I asked, totally bewildered.

“Because I would have come and picked you up.”

My insides went completely soft, and it wasn’t just because he was stroking my cheek with his thumb. I couldn’t believe he would have come across town to help me.

I realized I was shivering. He touched my arm with his hand, rubbing my shoulder lightly.

“Thanks.”

“Next time you’re in a messy situation, call me, Kendra. Tell me, and I’ll come get you. No matter when or where it is.”

“But why—”

“Just agree with me, woman.”

“Okay,” I whispered. “I’ll call you. Thanks for the offer.”

I didn’t remember how it felt to be looked after, protected in this way, treasured. It made me feel important.

He tilted closer, looking at my lips again, curling his fingers into my sides. Then I realized he was barely restraining himself from coming even closer.

Clearing my throat, I pointed to the plates. “Let’s eat this before it gets cold. It’s best warm.”

“Afraid to be too close to me?” he teased.

“Hell yes. My body is still burning up from that kiss at the pool. I don’t think I can handle any more heat, Mr. Goalie. I’m particularly susceptible tonight.” My voice was playful, but I kind of meant it.

“Good to know,” he answered in a low voice but took a step back.

We headed to my small table, which somehow looked even smaller with Tyler sitting at it. The man was huge.

“So, your evening sucked too, huh?” I asked.

“Mine was unpleasant. There’s a difference.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to talk about mine anymore. How about yours?”

“I probably should have listened to my family and not gone there. Or taken them up on the offer to join me.”

“They offered that?”

“Yeah. We’re very supportive of each other. Want me to open the bottle of wine?”

I nodded. “Yes, please. The bottle opener is in the middle drawer.”

He immediately found it and uncorked the bottle. This was something I loved about Maxwell wines: they were all corked, no matter the price. It made me feel fancy whenever I uncorked a bottle as opposed to just opening a twist cap.

I took out wineglasses, and we both sat down at the table again. Having him here was nerve-racking and reassuring at the same time. I had no idea how that was possible.

“Which brother owns Maxwell Wineries? Is it Travis? I remember reading an article about your family, but I got the names mixed up.”

“No, Tate.”

“Travis, Tyler, Tate. Your family must like the letter T, huh?”

He grinned. “Yeah. We bug Mom and Dad about it pretty often.”

“Does everyone’s name start with T?”

“No, the others are Declan, Sam, and Luke.”

“What do they do?”

“Declan’s a lawyer. Sam is a doctor. He’s on a stint abroad with Doctors Without Borders. And Luke has an architecture company.”

“And Travis?” I liked hearing him talk about his brothers. It relaxed me. If I was honest, his mere presence was comforting.

“Travis is the one who just sold his company. He’s partying like never before.” He frowned.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing. Just wondering if Declan has a point when he says Travis is partying too much.” He rolled his eyes. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, I’m turning into Declan.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Why is that so bad?”

“Guy’s a lawyer, has a permanent stick up his ass.” Thankfully, I hadn’t taken a sip of wine, because I would have spit it out over the table. Tyler had a way with words.

“I think that comes with the territory for some reason. Lawyers are serious.”

“I wouldn’t know. I’m just the one who shakes things up.”

I laughed between forkfuls of pasta alfredo. The sauce was rich and creamy, and it was just divine.

After we both finished eating, I put the plates in the dishwasher. I felt Tyler’s eyes on me the whole time. Turning around, I double-checked, and I was right. He was serious again.

“Kendra, all jokes aside, I meant what I said earlier. Tell me when you’re in trouble.”

I rolled my shoulders. “Trouble happens. It’s not like I’m helpless or a damsel in distress.”

He groaned. “Stubborn woman. If you have someone to watch your back, it doesn’t mean you’re a damsel in distress. It means you’re taking precautions. ”

“I usually have pepper spray with me, but I also have one of those small devices that looks like a car key, but when you press on it, it sounds like a police siren. It scares everyone off, trust me.”

His eyes bulged. “That’s your defense mechanism?”

“Yes. It’s not like I can physically fight someone off. Look at the size of me.” I was five foot eight, but I wasn’t exactly agile or strong. I wasn’t one for gyms and workouts.

“Why are you so stubborn?”

“I’m not. I’m just explaining that I’m not helpless.”

“I know that. Still, if you’re in trouble, call me. Promise you’ll tell me.”

“What if you’re gone?” I asked.

“I’ll find a solution.”

I sighed. “Are you always like this, so determined to get your way?”

“Only when I think I’m right.”

His eyes were trained on me, hot and relentless. The tension between us thickened. I stepped backward and felt the fridge door against my back.

At the same time, the belt on my robe loosened and came undone. Tyler dropped his gaze. He was looking at my perky nipples, peeking straight through my pink T-shirt.

Crap. How did I get in this situation again?

Tyler growled, and when he snapped his gaze back up to me, I noticed his pupils had dilated. His mouth was on mine the next second. It was even more desperate than our first kiss. More passionate, more everything. He cupped my face with both hands, planting his feet on the outside of mine, trapping me with his body. I felt his arms against my chest, and his pelvis was pressing into my waist.

We kissed, and kissed, and kissed until I forgot everything except him: the taste of him, the way his muscles felt under my palms. All the fears and uncertainty I had tonight just melted away. I felt alive, and safe, and wanted.

He groaned against my mouth, and it reverberated through my whole body. It turned me on to no end.

“Kendra,” he whispered, pulling his mouth away from mine.

He took in a few deep breaths, stepping back, leaning his backside on the edge of the counter. His gorgeous eyes were just as hot and intense as ever. Taking my hand, he pulled me flush against him.

“Tyler…” I tugged my lower lip between my teeth, unsure what to say.

He pressed his thumb on the spot just a bit, zeroing in on my mouth.

“Your taste is addictive.”

I shivered, and he didn’t miss it. He rested his eyes on my shoulder, where the robe slipped a bit, and then on my neck. I waited with bated breath for his next move. To my astonishment, he closed my robe, fastening the belt. He lingered with two fingers on the knot as if it was all he could do not to undo it again.

Clearing my throat, I tried again. “Tyler, what are we doing?”

As soon as I said the words, my heart shriveled to the size of a pea.

He didn’t miss one beat. “Discovering each other. Exploring. And you’re fascinating.”

“You keep saying that…,” I murmured, unable to voice the rest of my fears and doubts. What could I say, anyway, without sounding ridiculous?

“Because it’s true. You’re fierce and strong, and you care so damn much. I’ve never met anyone like you.”

I licked my lower lip. He groaned.

“Don’t do that, or I’ll kiss you again.”

Heat lit up my nerve endings. “Why not do it? Since we’re on this slippery slope already.”

“Because you’ve had a rough evening, and you’re still processing it. I don’t want to take advantage of that.”

I blinked, seeing him in a whole new light.

“So, you came here tonight to…”

“Check on you. The kiss was a blip in my self-control.”

My heart rate sped up. I couldn’t think straight, looking in those molten eyes. But… maybe I didn’t need to. I had this sexy and totally surprising guy here in my kitchen. For once, I could stop playing safe and simply enjoy the moment. I wanted to.

“Your hand is on my shoulder. Are you about to have another blip in your self-control? Because I fully approve.”

He flashed me a half smile, cupping the side of my face. “Kendra, don’t tempt me. Not tonight. But starting tomorrow, you can tempt me all you want.”

“Shucks, I can’t fit that into my schedule,” I teased. “I’m flying to Seattle tomorrow evening for work. I’m attending a seminar.”

He groaned. “Cancel it.”

I burst out laughing because he didn’t only sound serious but also domineering.

“No, I won’t. Besides, I don’t even know how to do that.”

“What?”

“Tempt you.”

His smile widened. It was confident and sexy and made me weak in the knees. “In that case, I’m more than happy to tempt you.”

“Oooh… should I brace myself?”

“Fuck yes.”