TAMING MAX (Completed)

CHAPTER 32 - THE CONFESSION

Max's face shown a frightening mixture of rage and fear. He was so angry he wasn't even speaking and his face was a peculiar shade of red.

Chase put his hand on my shoulder asking if I was okay. Max never said a word, he just stared straight ahead laser-focused on his thoughts.

When we pulled up at the mansion he headed straight for the gym. I gave him a few minutes and then joined him there hoping to calm him down.

He had taken off his jacket and tie, rolled up his sleeves and unbuttoned his shirt. His fists slammed into the punching bag with so much force I thought it might burst open.

All of his anger was being taken out on that bag and he didn't even notice that I had entered the room. I just stood back and let him get it out. He hit it over and over again until sweat began to bead down his brow.

His rage began to scare me. It was like something he was unable to contain and releasing it on the bag was not bringing him any relief. After ten minutes I thought he would have been exhausted but there were no signs of him stopping.

I decided that enough was enough and walked toward him. Knowing better than to touch him, I decided to walk behind the bag, and grab a hold of it.

"Haven't you had enough?" I asked him.

"Not even close," he said.

"Max, stop," I pleaded.

He just continued punching.

"Max, let's talk about this, please."

I was finally getting his attention. He walked away from the bag and began pacing, trying to control himself. When he stopped and punched the wall, I flinched not expecting it.

Walking up behind him, I put my hand on his shoulder and kissed it.

"Please Max," I begged him.

He grabbed my hands and spun me around until my back was against the wall.

"Don't you understand? They are threatening to kill you, Lillie. It's not happening, not on my watch."

"I know," I whispered as I leaned forward and let my lips gently kiss his. It caught him off guard and the look on his face instantly changed as he leaned in and tilted his head smashing his lips into mine.

He kissed me with so much passion that I didn't think he was going to be able to stop. The truth was, I didn't want him to. I knew on some level I had been wanting it for so long and it was even better than I imagined.

With the same intensity he used to punch the bag he was now using to kiss me until my knees were becoming weak. I didn't pull away I kissed him back and as his mouth melted into mine, I felt him pull away.

"Shit Lillie, I'm sorry. I was out of line."

"Is that what you think? That I didn't want it?"

"We have never really taken it that far, I wasn't sure, I just couldn't hold back any longer" he admitted.

I took a step closer until my mouth hovered just over his. I stared into his eyes as I whispered, "I didn't want you to stop." Softly and gently, I pressed my lips to his and kissed him slowly until I felt his body begin to relax. When I was done both of our heads were spinning. He leaned his forehead against mine, closing his eyes.

"You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that. I have to force myself not to stare at your lips.  I have been dying to know how they taste," he whispered. That was the sexiest thing anyone had ever said to me.

"And was it everything you thought it would be?" I asked.

"Better."

He brought a smile to my face with one single word.

Chase walked in about that time and I could have sworn I saw a little jealousy on his face when he saw us like that. My how the tables had turned.

"I came to check on you two but you are clearly doing fine," he said as he turned and walked away.

"So, are we gonna talk about whatever is going on between the two of you?" Max asked.

"Nothing," I assured him.

"Lillie, I have seen the way you look at each other. Sometimes I feel like he knows you better than I do."

I knew this conversation was coming sooner or later. My time was up and I wasn't going to be able to avoid it any longer.

There was a bench nearby so I took a seat and patted the space next to me. Drawing my legs up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them.

"Do you know what I was doing the night before your father made me that proposition?"

He didn't respond, just shook his head while looking straight into my eyes. It wasn't lost on me that I suddenly had the undivided attention of a man that was completely out of control just moments before.

"I was sitting in the middle of my bed all night, crying my eyes out."

He gave me a curious look so I continued.

"My scum bag of a boyfriend told me that he had been cheating on me for months. He had fallen in love with someone else.

"He sounds like a real douche bag," Max said.

"That's just it, he wasn't, not always. My dad took off when he found out my mom was pregnant with me. She raised me by herself and tried to be a good mom but wound up chasing one man after another my entire life. She married four different men and ran off with the last one when I was seventeen."

He grabbed my hand and started rubbing it. "I'm sorry Lillie, you didn't deserve that."

"I had been dating this guy, Luke was his name, since I was fifteen. When he found out what happened he told me we could run off together and make a life of our own. We had been dating each other for two years by that time and I believed everything he told me."

"Do I need to find him and kick his ass?" Max asked.

"No, nothing like that. The night he told me about the other woman I felt like someone had ripped my heart out. I had been suspecting for a while but hearing him say it was just too much. I literally cried until I had no more tears. He knew that I couldn't afford that apartment without him. He didn't care though, he just packed a bag and left me there alone." It was making me angry just recounting the story.

"Yeah, I think I do need to kick his ass but what does that have to do with you and Chase?"

"Every time I would show up at your apartment worried out of my mind about Luke, it was Chase's smiling face that always greeted me. He was so kind to and that was what I needed more than anything. I don't know what it is but he always feels so warm and comfortable to me. He feels like home somehow."

I could see the concern on Max's face as he pulled me toward him and into his lap.

"And what do I feel like to you?"

"Well, at first I thought you were a pompous ass. Now, I know you have a good heart but you scare me a little too."

He was so shocked by that statement and I knew I needed to clarify.

"You make me feel things I have never felt before and I don't know how to deal with that."

Our faces were mere inches from each other and it felt so intimate.

"I know he means a lot to you Lillie but I want to be the one who feels like home to you."

"You feel like so much more but I can't stop feeling the way I do about him."

A sexy smirk appeared on his face.

"Then I will just have to change that."

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A/N

It looks like things are heating up between Max and Lillie.