“Somehow you’ve talked me into it. So tell me about the guy who brought you home.” Though Max was smiling, the look in his eyes told me he needed to know.
It was weird to imagine him feeling insecure over me when he was so good with women. But maybe that was the key difference, plural. To the best of my recollection, he’d never settled into a relationship, never dedicated himself to one person. Considered in that light, his vulnerability seemed more understandable; he’d never been in this position before.
“I have some news, actually.” From there I told him all about the band, starting with Evan and continuing with Dana and Ji Hoo. While his expression lightened, I filled him in on the musical style and ended with the no-dating-other-members rule.
“I’m speechless.”
“In a good way?”
“Obviously. This is hella cool. My girlfriend’s a rock star!”
My breath caught as a shiver of pleasure rolled through me. Girlfriend. “Please. I just had one rehearsal and they’re busy teaching me not to suck.”
“Promise you’ll tell me about your first show. I won’t forgive you if I miss it.”
“Okay, I swear. It could take a while, though.”
“Understood. What made you...” He trailed off, probably unable to think of a way to phrase the question that didn’t make me sound like an ambitionless potato.
“Try something new?” I offered.
“Exactly.” Relief colored his voice.
I smacked his arm gently. There was no way I’d tell him that it was because I needed a non-Max-centric hobby. “In high school I was really into music. Eli and I went to concerts all the time and we talked about starting up an indie music label together.”
“You never told me that.” His eyes took on that deep, haunted look I’d noticed anytime I mentioned Eli.
“For the longest time I didn’t see any point in talking about dead dreams. But lately I’ve been wondering if they could be brought back to life.”
“What could?” he asked warily.
“My old plans. Eli’s gone, but it doesn’t mean I can’t do things that used to make me happy. I never loved the classical stuff my parents prefer but I might have a lot of fun with the music Racing Sorrow plays. I figured it didn’t hurt to try.”
“That’s your band?”
“Yeah.” I repeated what Evan had said about the reason behind the name.
“I like it. And from what you said about the set list, I think I’ll enjoy the sound, too. But even if you were playing death metal I’d come cheer you on.”
I grinned. “But you’d bring earplugs.”
“Probably.” Sheepish tone.
“Maybe I’ll write you a song,” I mused.
“If you do, make sure to praise me as a sex god.”
“Hmm. I suspect I’ll need more empirical evidence before inspiration strikes.”
Max rolled onto his side and draped his right arm and leg across my body. “Are you challenging me?”
“Possibly.”
“Am I allowed an intermission?”
Smiling, I stretched lazily and kissed his jaw. “You can’t go again? See, this is where being female comes in handy.”
“Give me ten minutes.” He ran his fingers through my hair and each time he brushed the nape of my neck, it sent fresh shivers through me. I let out a little moan. “Okay, five.”
“I can’t believe I’m in your bed.”
Hesitating, he cupped the back of my head in his hands. “Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but there probably haven’t been as many women as you think.”
“In your bed? I know, you never bring them home.”
“That’s not what I mean. Just because I leave with somebody, it doesn’t automatically mean we hooked up.”
“Hey, your past is—”
“I’m being sincere here. Nadia seems to think I’ve banged hundreds of women. I don’t care about correcting her, but you’re different.”
“I hope so. If you ever had a thing for Nadia, then you’re completing the roommate trifecta, and I’m pretty sure all a woman has to do is move in and feed you a few times.” I smirked to show I was teasing. “Don’t they call that stray puppy syndrome?”
“Funny.”
“Any stirrings toward Kia yet? Wait, I don’t think she cooks—”
He shut me up with a kiss. Normally that move would make me want to kick a guy in the junk, but this was Max. I forgot about teasing him for endlessly delicious moments. When we broke apart, I was breathing hard and he had that look in his eyes again.
“Are you going to let me finish?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether you mean talking or sex.”
“Both,” he said. “Eventually.”
“Okay, I promise I won’t mess with you anymore.” I hesitated long enough for him to wonder what I meant, then added, “Verbally.”
“Thank God. In my defense, I liked Lauren before we moved in together. And no, I’ve never seen Nadia and Kia as anything more than friends.”
“I was joking. But your earnest look is adorable, so carry on.”
He kissed my nose in response. “Anyway, I just want to make sure you know you’re...special to me. I won’t fuck around on you.”
“Wait, so this is relationship-y nakedness? Damn. I don’t know if this is going to work, Max. After all, I did just join a band. I’ll eventually have groupies and—”
“Really? I bare my heart and you eat it?”
I smacked my lips. “It was delicious, I regret nothing.”
“You’re an awful human being.”
“I know.”
Pulling away, he pretended to pout, so I followed him to the other side of the bed and tickled him until he grabbed my hands and stilled them on his chest. “You were kidding, right? I already called you my girlfriend and you didn’t protest. It’s too late to back out.”
“Obviously. I’m sure you weren’t really worried, but I can do monogamous. You can trust me,” I added quietly.
This seemed like a big deal to him, though I wasn’t entirely sure why. I knew about Max’s propensity for hooking up, for no-strings sex, but he’d never told me about getting his heart broken. There was the whole Lauren thing, of course, but that didn’t count as a failed relationship. I studied his face in the glow from the streetlights in the parking lot, wondering why he seemed so serious. My happiness at being with him left me giddy and slightly silly, but he radiated a different vibe entirely.