Ryan nodded politely then turned back to Maxine. She stood beside the swing, her fingers twisting together, her bottom lip tight between her teeth. Her hair jumbled around her shoulders, all the gentle curves of her body calling to him as his cock throbbed. “You want to—”
“Come on, I’ll take you home,” Maxwell announced.
She sighed and shook her head. “This is my home. I’m staying here, you know I’ve moved back in.”
“It’s not ready yet.”
“I’m not having this conversation with you again. The house is fine and I live here. What are you doing anyway? Shouldn’t you be with Natasha and the baby?”
“I had to drop off some boxes with Uncle Maxum, and when I called home, Tasha said you weren’t there. So I thought I’d stop by on my way and check to see you were all right.”
“I’m fine. So…good night.”
The air crackled with tension. Maxine’s eyes shone brightly, her skin flushed with embarrassment. While both embarrassment and arousal suited her, personally he enjoyed the arousal better.
Maxwell looked pointedly at Ryan, his gaze steady. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Junior. What are you doing?” Maxine demanded. She stepped closer to Ryan, taking him by the hand.
Ryan laughed as he heard a growl rise from her brother. There was no way on earth Junior would leave his sister alone with Ryan tonight. Protective mode was written all over the man.
Maxine tugged his fingers. “I need to…” She glared at Maxwell, who stood like a bump on a log, eyeing them both. She gave a frustrated groan before pulling Ryan around the corner, away from Maxwell’s view.
Ryan caught her against him and kissed her thoroughly, his hands holding her close as their lips and tongues tangled together. She twisted, her body rubbing desperately against his. Already aching, he separated them. Things were going no further tonight, and he’d reached the limit of his tolerance.
She rested her head against his chest and let out a huge sigh. “I’m so embarrassed. You must think I’m sixteen.”
He laughed again. “You’ve got a brother who cares for you. That’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” He breathed out, low and slow, to try to force his dick to relax enough he could walk back to his car without pain.
The window behind them cranked open an inch and Maxine jerked. “I’m going to have a beer. You want one, Ryan?” Maxwell asked from within the house.
Ryan snorted. The man was unbelievable. “No thanks, I think I’ll be going.” He lifted Maxine’s chin to gaze into her eyes. Maybe it was for the best. His body thought it sucked big time, but there would be another night. The chemistry between them wasn’t going away anytime soon. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
She nodded, the rosy hue of her skin muted in the porch light’s dusky illumination. He dropped a kiss on her nose before walking her to the front door.
He was still chuckling when he pulled away. Maxine stood in the open doorway, while a grinning Maxwell waved from behind the living room window.
Chapter Six
Maxine peered over her brother’s shoulder into the pantry area. “Are you sure you don’t need any help replacing the shelves?”
He growled, and bright laughter sounded from the kitchen behind her. She turned to face her sister-in-law where she sat at the island cuddling the baby.
“Maxine, this is your brother we’re talking about. Offering to help him with home repairs is taking your very life into your hands. Don’t insult his manhood like that.” Natasha held Samantha out to her and Max accepted the newborn greedily.
“He’s not very good at taking advice, is he?” Max kissed the peach fuzz on her niece’s head, cradling her tenderly.
“Your brother? Bossiest man on the planet, as far as I’m concerned.” Natasha leaned back on the island and winked at Maxine as she raised her voice to make sure Junior could hear her over his fidgeting on the shelving. “Nags until he gets his way…but he’s great in bed, so I’ll forgive him.”
“TMI, Tasha.” Maxine wrinkled her nose. Okay, talking about sex in a generic manner with her sister-in-law was one thing, getting specifics—she wasn’t going there.
“What’s this I hear about you and a certain ex-military man? You’ve got a new sweetheart?”
Maxine’s cheeks heated and she cast a dirty look in the direction of the pantry. “Nice to know Junior can keep a secret.”
He stepped out and dumped a handful of screws onto the countertop. “Hey, I didn’t think it was a secret. I mean, you were making out with the man on the porch, so you couldn’t have been too worried about people finding out.”
Natasha hummed for a second. “Making out on the porch, were you? That porch swing comes in handy, doesn’t it?”
“Tasha…” Junior warned.
She shrugged. “I’m just saying I’ve got some good memories of the place, that’s all.” She plunked down on the closest stool and rested her chin in her hands. “So tell me about him. Tall? Dark? Handsome?”
Junior snorted and left the room, and Maxine breathed a sigh of relief. “Look, Tasha, it’s bad enough he pulled Overprotective Brother From Hell on me the other day. You want me to dish about Ryan, at least wait until he’s out of earshot.”
“So…”
Maxine couldn’t stop the smile. “Yes, yes and oh my God, yes.”
Natasha laughed. “You going out with him again?”
“I think so. He left a message on my cell phone, but I haven’t reached him yet. Coffee tomorrow, if the time works for him.” Maxine paused. “He’s incredible, although I’m not sure what the family will think. He’s older than me.”
“Crap, girl, don’t you start that. Don’t push those buttons with me. How much older? Twenty years? Thirty? Because if not, there’s no problem and I don’t want to hear about it, capiche?”
Maxine smiled. “So speaks the older woman, right? It’s not an issue for me, really. There’s something amazing about being with a man who actually knows what he wants in life.”
“Which your ex had major issues with.” Natasha wandered the kitchen to the fridge and started pulling out lunch supplies. “Right on. You get to date a grown-up for a change. Make sure you have lots of fun, and practice safe sex.”
Maxine buried her face in the baby’s neck to hide her flushed skin. Safe sex had been the farthest thing from her mind. She wanted hot, steamy and invigorating. Not safe.
Natasha continued piling food on the counter. “You’re old enough, and now that you’ve got the house, it’s not like you’ll have hide out from the cousins anymore.” She shivered from head to toe in an exaggerated fashion. “You know I love your brother, and you. But at times the whole mess of Turners is too much to bear. Give me a small intimate gathering of…oh…twenty of you, and I can handle it. Having to live with the mob for years—unbearable. You’re a saint to have survived this long.”
Sainthood felt achievable at times. Maxine nestled Samantha back into her car seat and carefully placed the whole contraption on top of the kitchen island. The baby had fallen asleep and her soft curls were damp from where she’d been snuggled against Maxine’s body. “I love the family, but I hear what you’re saying. There are times I think about moving away. Then I see another miracle like Samantha added to the clan, and I can’t bear the thought of missing a single moment. I’ll accept the bad to enjoy the good. But yes, I plan to take advantage the opportunity of having a place to myself for the first time.”
Guilt rocked her again. “Are you and Junior sure you’re okay with me living here? I love the place so much, but I’m keeping you from getting your share of the money from the sale.”