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The line went quiet

I heard the srowled, "For a bed?"

"Yeah" My hands were shaking Hell, everything had changed last night The idea of being with Max in a bed felt like the wildest adventure yet I alht? I have a late call with the west coast"

"Perfect"

I changed ht--casual? sexy? casual? sexy?--before finally changing back into the outfit I’d worn to work I straightened my bed, dusted my entire apartment, and brushedand was pretty sure I hadn’t been this nervous on the night I’d actually lostwhen he knocked at my door He’d never seen my place, but when he walked in, he barely looked around His hands went to ainst the wall, ue There was nothing gentle about the way he kissedshoulders and pulling ineffectually at clothes that just seemed to be in the way, lips that aler bag slung across his chest and it slid forward, hitting the ith a heavy thubrain, Sara Where’s your bedroo him and his wild kisses down the short hall with me I only had my bedside laht around the space White walls, big bed, giant s--all within ahis hands drop fro over his head, he dropped it onto ed, mesmerized by the way his pulse ha about the size ofHe only ever carried his wallet, phone, and a house key "I don’t need ht now"

His eyesin a half smile "You’re a complicated wo run, I was so high afterward that I couldn’t do anything but go back out and run soy in my blood, I couldn’t stand to be still I felt like that now

"Max, I’ "I don’t knohat to do right now"

"Undress for e, fancy ca at h the lens The sound of the shutter set htheaded

"Including our faces," I said quietly

"Yeah," he said, voice hoarse "Exactly"

I looked down at my clothes: ivory silk shirt with sht, black skirt

Undress for ht of last night still pressed on ht of him in my bedroom almost broke me

I lifted ers still shook

It was different like this, in my apart hi beneathfor him?

I heard the click of the shutter followed by Max’s deep voice "The way you seem nervous makes me think you don’t know that I’m in love with you"

I looked up at him, eyes wide and hands frozen

Click

"I love you, Petal I’ve known it for a while now, but everything changed fordizzy "Okay"

He bit his lip and then released it to give rin "Okay?"

"Yeah" I returned to ht the world’sto say but ‘okay’?" he asked, looking up from behind the caet a ‘thanks’ or ‘how lovely’?"

I let the shirt fall to the floor and turnedbehindit

Click Click

I unzipped my skirt, and it joined the other items on the floor as I turned back to face him

"I love you, too" Click "But I’m terrified"

He lowered the camera, eyes on me

"I didn’t want to fall in love with you," I said

He took a step closer "If it ht"

He didn’t put the caain to kiss me He just moved his hand to the side and cuppedhis mouth to mine

"I’m scared, too, Sara I’m scared I’m your rebound I’m scared we’ll ck it up so is," he said, s, "I don’t want anyone else You’ve rather ruined me for other women"

He must have taken hundreds of pictures of , climbed back on the bed, watched him prowl over me and tell me more of how he felt: distracted, insatiable, like he could thank Andy then kill hiet enough of me Every reaction I had, he captured, obsessed over

Hovering above me, he trained the caainst mine I closed my eyes, lost in the way he felt and in the soft sounds of the caain,the ca her still He looked at h the lens

His hands shook as he adjusted the focus, taking shot after shot of

And then everything in theof his uewords into my skin I felt every breath he took and every srier and ent as he ers insideme to come I stayed quiet I didn’t want to hear my voice in my head I wanted to only feel him