Since she was taking her own car, anyway, Tori took a few minutes to shower and change into non-diner clothes before heading over to Max’s house. She probably should have declined the invitation, she thought as she drove, a country singer belting out a song about moonlight, sex and tailgates on the radio. It was a problem, her inability to hold Max at arm’s length. Or, more accurately, her lack of desire to keep him at a slight distance.
She’d been excusing it to herself with the friends-with-benefits line. They hung out together a lot because they were friends. They had sex because that was the benefit. The truth—that they were together whenever possible because they liked being together and pretty much met the definition of a real couple—was like a sore tooth. Occasionally she’d gingerly poke at it until it hurt, and then she had to stop. But, also like a sore tooth, she was going to have to face it eventually.
But not tonight. She cranked the volume knob on her radio, letting the song drown out her thoughts. She’d already accepted his invitation and she didn’t want to disappoint him. Plus, there would be tacos. As long as she kept telling herself she was in it for the food and the orgasms, she would be fine.
When she arrived, he took her down in the basement to show off an engine he’d just finished painting. She loved the way his eyes lit up when he talked about the train’s history and she didn’t have to feign interest when he pulled a huge, obviously old book off a shelf and showed her the picture of the real-life version he’d worked from.
They lingered in the basement for a while and then she sat at the kitchen island to watch him start prepping for dinner. She knew he preferred to eat at six, but he was making the tacos earlier than usual.
“I know you don’t want to stay late,” he said, pulling a variety of vegetables out of the fridge.
“Mmm-hmm.” She’d told him she wanted tacos before sex, so he was trying to get them out of the way as quickly as he could get away with.
He talked about his family while he cooked. His mother had called earlier, so he had a lot of news from Connecticut. Though Tori didn’t know any of them, she liked hearing him talk about his parents, his brothers and their families. Love and amused affection was strong in his voice and he was animated in a way he usually reserved for sports and trains.
“Did you tell your mom about me?” she asked when he paused for a moment.
He stopped chopping a strip of green pepper and looked at her, but his gaze returned to the pepper without really making eye contact. “I told her about you. I...I told her we’re friends.”
But not friends with benefits. It hurt somehow, that his family didn’t know she was more than just a buddy who stopped by to watch ball games, but she was the one who’d made the rules. Throwing around cute phrases with his mom that were meant to elevate casual sex between friends wasn’t anybody’s style, really, but especially not Max’s.
“Your mom sounds really awesome,” she said. “Your whole family does, actually.”
“Like any family, there are rough spots, but yes, I think they’re pretty awesome.”
Lucky guy, she thought.
An hour later, she’d had her fill of tacos and was ready to work them off. Because it was habit, Max went into the living room after they’d cleaned up and started looking for a movie for them to watch. She liked cuddling on the couch with him, but she’d been poking at that emotional sore tooth too much and she needed sex, not affection.
She went into his bedroom and stripped off her clothes. Then she took one of his crisp, white button shirts and pulled it on. It came almost to her knees and she had to roll the sleeves several times, but she liked the way it looked and she thought Max would, too.
Standing in front of the TV, he was flipping through the channels, so she leaned against the doorjamb. “Hey, Max.”
“There’s nothing worth watching on tonight. We might have to break out a DVD.”
“Max.”
He turned, his brow furrowed in annoyance. “I—”
The remote fell out of his hand as the annoyance magically disappeared from his features. She waited, but he didn’t say anything. That intense gaze raked over her body and she felt the thrill of victory. There would be no cuddling in front of the television tonight.
“Now I know why I love long-sleeve button shirts so much,” he said in a low voice. “I’ve been waiting to see you in one.”
“Enjoy the view, because it won’t be on long.”
Giving her a naughty grin, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “We should update your contact photo.”
“Max!” She turned to retreat back to his room, but his legs were a lot longer than hers, so she actually had to run.
She didn’t get the door closed in time and it hit the palm of his hand with a thud. “You are not taking pictures, Max.”
His cell phone appeared in the gap and she plucked it out of his fingers. As soon as she had it, she backed up and he pushed the door open. “It’s good to keep contact photos updated, you know.”
She dropped the phone onto the thick braided rug and kicked it under the bed. “Nice try. There is no way in hell you’re taking a picture of me wearing nothing but your shirt.”
“I don’t need a picture.” He lifted her and set her on the edge of the bed, his thighs holding her knees apart. “I’ll never forget the way you look right now.”