“I can definitely fuck you against a wall.” I mutter against her lips. “Standing in the middle of the room, we’ll have to try out, but I’m game if you are.” I grin before turning and leaving her there as I go to the ledge and hop back over to my deck. When I turn around, her eyes are glossy and a small smile is playing on her lips.
“Have a good day, Sheriff,” she says, before disappearing and sliding her door closed.
Going back into my room, I don’t even bother getting back into bed. Instead, I head right for the shower. The very shower where I plan to fuck her tonight.
Chapter 10
Shelby
“Hey, kiddo. How was camp?” I ask, walking into the kitchen while taking off my jacket, stopping in my tracks when I see Max in front of the stove, stirring something in a large pot, and Hunter nowhere to be found.
“He’s upstairs. I got him a telescope today, so he’s been up there setting it up since he came in from camp.”
Hanging my coat on the back of one of the chairs, I drop my bag to the top of the table and cross my arms under my chest. “I was going to get him a telescope for Christmas. I think I told you that,” I say, trying to keep the annoyance I’m feeling out of my voice, even though I’m irritated with him for not listening to me. I told him over three months ago on the phone, when Hunter mentioned wanting a telescope, that I planned on getting him one for Christmas, because I knew he would jump at buying it for him.
“Christmas is months away.” He shrugs then goes back to stirring what looks like pasta sauce. When he learned to cook, I have no idea, since he never cooked when we lived together. I think the only thing he knew how to make that tasted halfway decent was mac and cheese from a box. And even that was hit or miss.
“Max”—I pause, running my hand through my hair—“you know what? Never mind.” I shake my head, knowing it’s pointless to even try to explain to him why what he did is messed up. Going to the fridge, I grab the pitcher of water then get a glass from the cupboard.
“Where did you sleep last night?” he asks, and my back goes straight as his eyes come to me over his shoulder.
“Pardon?”
“I went to talk to you last night, after Hunter fell asleep, and you weren’t in your room or anywhere in the house.”
“I stayed with Zach last night,” I answer honestly, seeing no reason to lie about it. Besides, if he did search the house, he would’ve known I was lying if I said I was here.
“You left our son at home to go sleep with your boyfriend?”
“No, I left our son with his father in the house so I could go sleep with my boyfriend,” I say calmly, as his eyes flash.
“Do you do that often, leave him alone so you can stay out all night?”
“Excuse me?”
“Just answer the question,” he barks, slamming the spoon down on the counter, causing red to splash all over the surface and me to jump slightly.
“One, I’m not on the witness stand, so do not treat me like I am, and two, no, I have never stayed the night over at Zach’s house. Not once. But since I knew you were sleeping a few feet from Hunter, I didn’t think it was a big deal,” I reply, setting my glass of water down on the counter and turning toward him.
“What if Hunter needed you?”
“You had obviously put two and two together. You could have called or walked next door to get me. If he needed me.”
“This isn’t working for me,” he states, resting his hands on his hips.
“That didn’t take long.” I sigh, rubbing my forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
“You’re sleeping with another man, Shelby. How the fuck do you expect me to feel?”
“You’ve had one girlfriend after another since the moment I told you I wanted a separation!” I cry. Then he’s on me, and his mouth is covering mine. It takes one second to realize he’s trying to kiss me, and the second I do, I shove his chest and turn my head to the side, and his arms around me hold me tighter.
“Stop, right now. Stop!” I hiss, pushing him away, taking a step back once I’m free from his hold, and then point a finger at him. “You are not going to manipulate me. You are not going to manipulate this situation and make me feel like shit because your ego can’t handle the fact that I’ve moved on too. You let me go long before I gave up fighting for us, so do not try to act like you have been pining over me. I’m not the person you want. I will never be the person you want me to be. We don’t fit, Max.”
“I don’t care if you want to work. I’ve had time to think about it, and I see now that you weren’t happy. Work. Have ten jobs. I don’t care. I just want my family back.”
“God, can you stop for one second, stop making everything about you, and listen to me? I’m not in love with you. I care about you as the father of our son, but that’s all you get. That’s all I have to give you. I tried for years to make you happy while suffering in silence, and you let that happen. You let me suffer so that you could have your way. So that you could be happy. We are not meant to be. You and I are not meant to be together. We tried and it didn’t work.”
“And he makes you happy?” He laughs an ugly, evil laugh, and I nod, dropping my voice.
“He makes me happy. He makes me feel full, like I’ve just had the best meal of my life. He makes me just feel, and I know I do the same for him. I don’t want to hurt you, Max. I want you to be happy too. I want you to find the person who gives you everything you need, but that person isn’t me, and if you’re honest with yourself, you know I’m right.”