Chapter Twenty-Two

Max

Even though it was a very busy Saturday, my assistant manager, Arlene, kicked me out, which gave me the afternoon off for my birthday.

Truth was I was running myself ragged trying to juggle all the balls of my life without any of them hitting the ground. Despite how stretched thin I was, spending time with Jade seemed to be a magic elixir for my stress. Being with her for the rest of the afternoon and night would miraculously erase my tensions. We hadn’t had that much time together in weeks. In fact, the last time we were together was at her sonogram appointment, to which I was late and then took her for a quick lunch before she had to be back at work, and I had to get to the gym.

Jade left it up to me what we would do today for my birthday. It was a spectacular day for early November, and I decided to enjoy the mild weather. When I emerged from the elevator, there she stood in her doorway, looking all sorts of adorable in jeans, an oversized Rutgers T-shirt, and sneakers.

“Hey, beautiful,” I said, giving her my dimpled smile.

“Hi. Happy birthday.”

“Thank you.”

I wrapped my fingers around her ponytail and pressed my lips to hers before she asked, “Did you decide on where you’d like to go?”

“Part of me considered going down the shore, but I don’t want to waste time in a car. So how does the Central Park Zoo sound?”

“Sounds fun!” Her whole demeanor brightened. “I haven’t been there in ages.”

“Let’s remedy that,” I said before giving her another soft kiss.

Twenty or so minutes later, I held her hand as we wandered into the Central Park Zoo. It was jammed with New Yorkers wanting to swallow up every minute of the gorgeous day before winter kicked in.

And I wasn’t sure if it was because she was pregnant and I was more observant of children now, but it felt like every young parent in the city was out in full force. Everywhere we looked, there were men and women pushing carriages or holding toddlers’ hands.

“I love it here,” I said as we approached the sea lion exhibit.

“Do you come here often?”

“I used to. For some reason, this place grounds me, reminds me there is so much more to life than profits and expense sheets.” We found an opening along the glass railing surrounding the exhibit and leaned on it side by side. “This is one of the best gems in our city. We need to bring the baby here.” The way I casually threw that out surprised me. We really never discussed the future.

Jade simply smiled at my comment, just as one of the sea lions started barking. Before we knew it, the rest of them followed suit. Children watching in awe began squealing and clapping for the impromptu serenade. I couldn’t help but laugh as the cacophony grew around us. At the sound of my laughter, Jade joined me.

“You’re so beautiful,” I voiced over the noise. The smile fell from her face as she stared at my mouth, almost willing me to kiss her. I moved closer to encircle my arms around her and fused our lips. Instantly, warmth spread through my body, and along with it came desire only she could spark.

Everything around us disappeared—the barking seals, the children. All of it vanished, and the only thing that felt real was the insane connection we had as our gazes remained locked in a trance.

Right then and there, I knew I wanted this woman in every way. I wanted her heart, her devotion, her body, and her love. Right there in the middle of the zoo, on my birthday, I no longer wondered if I was falling for her…I knew I already had.

After the park, we headed back to her place to have dinner and properly celebrate my birthday. Jade made me a delicious meal of pistachio-crusted salmon and braised vegetables. She even got a small carrot cake from my favorite bakery.

“How did you know?” I asked, not remembering ever discussing it.

“Brad,” she said with a shrug. “He explained every year your mom had to have three entirely different cakes because you all had a favorite.”

“That is true. What’s your favorite?”

“Chocolate, with chocolate, and more chocolate. Don’t move.” Adorably, she hustled into her bedroom and returned a few minutes later, holding a big box. “Happy birthday.”

I unwrapped the present and removed the lid. Inside was a baby carrier with “MAXimum Daddy” embroidered across the front of it. “This is awesome, Jade. I love it.”

“There’s more.”

Beneath that lay a dual picture frame. “That’s for your desk. It could hold both baby photos.” She pointed to the box. “There’s something else in there.”

Buried under the last layer of tissue was a white envelope. My eyes connected with hers when I pulled out a certificate for lessons to learn my favorite Olympic sport, curling. “That’s awesome! These are by far the best gifts ever,” I said before placing a long hard kiss on her lips. When I pulled away, her smile lit me up inside.

“You like them?”

“I love them.”

Touched by how much thought she put into my present, she surprised me further by saying, “I have one more last surprise.”

The wide-eyed look she gave me forced me to ask, “What is it?”

“I would like to go to Miami with you.” Before I could reply, she rushed on, “I already checked with Dr. Laramie and got the okay. I thought if I came when Tracey gives birth, I could meet her and the baby…see your gym.”

That was the last thing I expected her to say. So many times, I had envisioned Jade beside me when I visited my gym but worried it wouldn’t happen anytime soon. And now she would be, and I couldn’t wait to get her there.

At my stunned silence, she began rambling nonsense. “If you would rather be there alone, I understand. I just thought that maybe it would be great to be there for you in support. But you know what? As I’m hearing myself, it sounds intrusive and—”

I gently placed a hand over her mouth. “Jade. I’m shocked in a great way. You have no idea how badly I want you there with me.”

Muffled words came from behind my hand. With a chuckle, I removed it for her to clarify, “Are you just saying that?”

“It’s the absolute truth.”

A brilliant smile spread on her face. God, this woman was throwing my world off its axis.

I wanted to admit how much that meant to me. How my feeling for her scared me because I didn’t know if she felt the same. How with a simple smile she could have me confessing all I felt about her or that any physical affection between us could have my dick aching for her like a motherfucker. I wanted to admit I’d fallen for her.

Instead, I held her face between my hands and kissed her lips like I hadn’t had them in years.

She straddled my hips, reminding me of our first night together. When she shimmied closer, feeling our baby press against my torso did something to my ego. Automatically, my hands protectively molded over her belly.

She trailed kisses down my neck. Her lips traveled across my over-sensitive flesh, settling right below my ear where she sucked on my skin and set me on fire in the process.

Having her pushing against me, as her hands roamed and her lips teased, was the best kind of torment. But when one hand suddenly pressed against my straining hard-on and squeezed, I bucked embarrassingly in response.

“Christ,” I said on a visceral groan. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“Actually, I’m trying to seduce you.”

Alrighty, then. “Are you, now?”

“Is it working?” she whispered before latching those luscious lips onto mine.

Releasing her ponytail and burrowing my fingers into her hair to tilt her head back, I was able to devour and plunder her mouth. And when that sexy moan of hers traveled right through me—well…game on.

Her body responded as quickly as mine had. I could feel her nipples harden as if there weren’t any clothing between us. My hand slipped beneath her shirt to feel the weight of her breast in my palm. The hardened peak pressed firmly against the fabric and into my skin, forcing another groan to escape from my mouth into hers.

Wild wide eyes stared at me when I pulled away from her.

With her gaze pinned to mine, she gripped the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. Mesmerized by the way her beautiful breasts continued to rise and fall with each breath she took, it was when she added, “I need you,” that I lost my resolve.

Need. Fuck, I needed her, too.

Like a man possessed, my hands framed her satin-covered breasts. I loved how they already felt fuller, heavier in my hands. I loved how her nipples felt under the pads of my thumbs. I loved getting lost in her lust-filled eyes.

While still holding a breast in each hand, I kissed one of my favorite spots below her ear—I had many—and then made my way to her mouth. As we devoured each other, she reached behind her back to undo her bra and in a saucy move dropped it to the floor.

Déjà vu of the night we first came together slammed into my libido. Every detail I remembered as if it were yesterday spurred the need to take her, and soon. But that wasn’t where I wanted to have her, not after weeks had gone by since the last time we had sex. With my decision made, I lifted her, barely breaking our kiss, and carried her into her bedroom.

Once she was on the bed, I pulled away to take off my T-shirt, shoes, and socks. I then removed the remaining clothes she still wore until she was left in only a pair of sweet white panties. She never looked away from me as I lowered myself beside her on the bed.

While my gaze roamed over her, my mouth didn’t know where to go to first. I started at the silky skin beneath her ear and took time to navigate her body with my lips, pausing at her breast to pull a nipple into my mouth. Jade moaned as I unashamedly sucked on her. The more I tasted, the more I wanted.

“You’re so beautiful,” I said, skimming my hand over her rounded stomach. The swell that had been there the last time I saw her naked was even more defined now, and I couldn’t wait to see her body change over the upcoming weeks.

I wanted to memorize every phase of pregnancy she would experience. Relishing in the way my hands explored her changing torso was something I wouldn’t ever forget. I planned to take my time, but my girl wouldn’t have it.

She wiggled out of her panties. Her eyes met mine before they raked over my bare chest, her hands then following the line of her sight. Tracing every inch of my abs, she didn’t stop until her fingertips reached the waistband of my jeans. Her touch caused my cock to painfully push against the zipper and my body to plead for more.

By cupping my denim-covered erection, she forced another carnal moan. That was how we got there to begin with, and being as horny as I was, I feared by just having her hand on my hard-on could cause me to come.

Maintaining eye contact the entire time, I moved away just enough to peel off my jeans and boxers. No more than three seconds had passed when I stretched beside her on the bed. I skimmed a path from her neck to her breast. I trailed my lips to follow while lifting her thigh and moving it a few inches to better expose her for what I had planned. After one quick glance at her face, I repositioned myself until my breath caressed her bare pussy.

Not wanting to wait another second, I took her clit into my mouth. Her fingers found my hair and tightened as she mewled. I indulged in her, nibbling, licking, sucking, and probing with my tongue and fingers. When I reached my free hand out, she linked her fingers with mine while twitching from my attentions. Her orgasm rolled on, consuming her from head to toe, and then she finally relaxed with a sated sigh.

“Are you tired?” I asked, wanting to be sure she was okay before I sunk into her warmth.

“Definitely not.” She tugged on my hand, prompting me to reposition until my cock rested on her pussy. With her free hand, she reached for me and placed my tip at her entrance. That was all I needed to slide in, groaning as she swallowed me up one inch at a time.

Her pussy gripped my steely shaft as if it was meant to be part of her. The ride we took toward our summit felt more like a journey than an act. We said nothing during each push and pull between our bodies, yet so many unspoken words somehow manifested themselves through our heated stares.

She came first, and I followed shortly after. With my cock buried deep inside her, I continued to stare into her eyes. It felt too good to move, to shift, to break this intense connection we had both physically and emotionally. Whenever we were together, things were fantastic. When apart, I couldn’t help but wonder how this thing between us would survive outside of our little bubble.