He pulls back and beams down at me. “Fuckin’ great to have you here.”
That’s, like, the most words I’ve ever heard Ash use in one sentence. I grin, and being the honorary little sister, I yank his chain. I imitate him as best I can. “Nice to fuckin’ be here.”
He catches me in a headlock and I choke on my laughter. When he lets me go and playfully pushes me away, I turn to see everyone staring at us. They all look shocked. Nat is the only one smiling softly. I suppose there are not a lot of people who can act this way with Ash. But he and I…we get each other. We have a bond, formed even before Nat and Ash were a thing.
“Um…hi,” I say nervously.
The rest of the guys jump into greetings, hugs, and kisses. Tina almost smothers me. I spend a little time holding her belly, getting down on my knees and kissing the current home of my nieces or nephews. Nik simply smiles down at me and kisses my forehead. Lola jumps on me and we squeeze each other a long time. Lola and I are closest in age; we have the most in common. Trick punches my arm a little too hard. Mimi smirks as she pulls me into a hug. Her hands drift down to my ass and I chuckle. Mimi’s always said I have a nice ass. Leti, Maria, and Isa all give me love, hugs, and kisses. Then finally comes Max.
Grinning like the fool he is, he steps forward with open arms, and my heart races. I quickly step away. “You already saw me today.”
Asher’s face turns harsh as he mutters, “The fuck is that meant to mean?”
Max doesn’t even look at Ash; he just keeps grinning at me. “I never got to hug you though.”
I take another step back. “I don’t need another hug. I’m all hugged out. Besides, I feel like we’ve bonded enough with your drool stain on my pillow.”
Ash’s face turns bright red. He moves over to Max and grips the front of his shirt. “You better start talkin’, or I’m gonna start maulin’.”
Max just chuckles. “Relax, Ghost.” His face suddenly turns dreamy. “Her bed smells like vanilla. And she smells like cupcakes.”
My stomach flip-flops. Damn him! Damn him and his words to heck!
But Ash is too busy focusing on the prior remark. “When the fuck were you near her bed?”
Max, having no idea how close he is to being pummeled, shrugs. “Today, when she arrived.”
Ash’s face turns deadly. He lunges for Max, but I quickly step between them. “It’s not what you think! He was asleep on my bed when I first came into the apartment.”
Maria snorts. “My brother—the classiest guy in New York,” she remarks, and then raises her glass in a silent toast before drinking the entire contents in one hit.
Mental note: Don’t ever go drinking with Maria.
Max looks over at his sister then flips her the bird. He quickly defends himself. “It’s not like she was actually living there when I fell asleep.” His eyes narrow at me. “So, really, you owe me an apology for cutting my nap short.”
Is…is he being serious?
His eyes remain narrowed, and I soon realize he isn’t joking. I bark out a shocked, humorless laugh. “In your dreams! I am not apologizing to you. Not now, not ever. For anything. Besides, you were basically squatting!”
Although his narrowed eyes don’t ease, his lips twitch. It’s then I notice how everyone around us is listening in on our non-argument.
They’re all grinning.
All of them.
Nat quickly excuses herself, claiming the need to organize things in the kitchen, and pulls me along with her. She drags me so fast I’m all but running. As soon as we hit the kitchen, she whisper hisses, “What the heck was that about?”
Searching the cupboards, I take out the dinner plates and set them on the counter. I answer quietly, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She moves to stand in front of me. “No. You don’t get to cut me out. Why are you so angry at Max?”
My shoulders lift in a casual it’s-not-a-big-deal shrug. “I just don’t really like him, is all.”
A look of shock settles over her features. “What? Why?”
I move to open the napkins. “He’s a total flirt. I hate that.”
She watches me closely for a moment before responding, “He’s a single guy. A good guy. And an even better dad. He’s allowed to flirt, Lena.”
Folding napkins and placing them on each plate, I mutter, “I bet he’s got a string of women he’s leading on right now.” The more I think about it, the testier I become. I start slapping folded napkins onto plates. Nat makes a choked noise and I look up to see her wide-eyed but tight-lipped. My brows bunch. “He does, doesn’t he?”
Those poor, stupid, defenseless women. Stupid, stupid women.
Her face turns expressionless. “It’s not your business, and not my business to tell.” To me, that automatically confirms my suspicions. But Nat quickly adds, “You think a man like him—the man you’re insinuating he is—could raise a beautiful little girl like Ceecee by being such a jerk?”
I pause mid-step. I hadn’t really thought of Max as a dad in my vendetta against him. And Ceecee is truly a remarkable young woman. Part of me wants to believe he’s a good guy. I mean, I used to think he was a good guy, but I was clearly blinded by my being smitten with him. Now those feelings are gone.
And you’re bitter.
Am not.
Yeah, ya are.
Suddenly, I feel a bit like a hole—of the ass variety.
“I’m not saying he’s not a good dad…”
Nat quickly returns, “Just not a good guy.”
Well, when you put it like that, of course it’s going to sound dickish.
She takes the plates and napkins, and moves to stand directly in front of me. “Listen, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but Max is one my best friends. If you got issues with him, ones that aren’t even issues at all, you got issues with me.” My cheeks heat at her firm telling off. She goes on, “I know he’s a little flirty, but he’s a great guy. He’s generous, and funny, and kind, and thoughtful. He’s one of the good guys.” She looks me in the eye. “Shit, he’d give the shirt off his back for someone who needed it!”
I roll my eyes at the clear over-exaggeration, and she begins to walk away. Leaving the kitchen, she turns back around to me. My heart clenches when I spot disappointment in her eyes. Lowering her voice, she utters, “I’ve seen him do it.”