Last on the List (Wait With Me #5)(111)

Panic sets in, and I feel myself clawing at the table desperately. “Max, this is all I have. I want to do nothing with you. Or fight about doing more. And I promise you that I’ll voice my fears from now on instead of using them as an excuse to run away. In fact, no more secrets at all! Because I don’t just want eyes on you in the bedroom but in life. My eyes will be on you every day because I love you.”

His eyes widen imperceptibly. “Say that last part again?”

“The eyes on you part?” I hold my breath as goose bumps erupt all over my body.

He shakes his head. “After that.”

My chin trembles nervously as I realize with complete certainty that I have never loved anyone the way I love this man. Truthfully, I didn’t know love was supposed to feel like this. It’s why I was so alarmed by it. But now that I recognize it, I can’t hold it in anymore.

“I love you, Max. I’ve loved you for longer than I even realized. I was just too scared to admit it because I didn’t want to risk losing myself again. But if I’m lost with you, Max, I won’t be afraid.” I stare down at the résumé, frustrated that I thought this would work. Since he was a businessman, I thought this would be his kinky love language. For once, I didn’t unlock a damn kink! Damn you, Mercedes Lee Loveletter!

“Eyes on me, sweet cheeks,” Max commands, lifting my attention to him. A smirk ghosts his lips as he rasps, “I love you, too.”

With that perfect reply, we both stand and eliminate the distance between us to collide in front of the pool. He crushes his lips to mine as I grip his tie like a lifeline I need to swim in this feeling. God, do I want to swim with him.

He pulls away, breathless and staring hungrily at my mouth. “You’re hired.”

I laugh and bite my lip. “Is that a proposal?”

His eyes widen with terror, and I laugh and pat his chest. “Easy there, Zaddy…that was just a joke. No one’s ready to walk down the aisle yet.”

He growls a deep, sexy sound into my neck. “No wedding talk yet, but I think in order to conduct a thorough performance review, I’m going to need you to move in.”

Now my eyes widen with terror. “But my she-shed!”

“I’ll build you a better she-shed. You can turn the tiny house into your she-shed or have the whole garage. Whatever you want, Cozy. Just don’t leave.”

A squeaking noise has both Max and I turning back to the house where we find Everly and her three uncles pressed up against the window staring at us. As soon as we make eye contact, they all sprint off in different directions, Wyatt nearly knocking Everly over as they attempt to conceal themselves.

I laugh and turn back to Max, running my finger over his sexy brow line. “If you want me to move into the Fletchpad, you’re going to have to fire me as the nanny first.”

He arches a perfect brow and states happily, “You’re fired.” He presses his lips to mine and murmurs against them, “Pack your bags.” He pulls back and gazes down at me to add, “I love you.”

Is firing a kink? If so…sign me up.





“She’s asleep,” Cassandra whispers, glancing down at Everly’s head resting on her lap as her fingers run through my daughter’s blond strands, making me jealous of my own kid.

I’ve missed Cassandra’s hands.

“Should we wake her to go to bed?”

“I can carry her,” I murmur, shifting off the couch and bending over to pick her up. After my brothers left, the three of us got into our pajamas and sacked out on the couch for a movie. Cassandra made popcorn, Everly talked through most of the film, and I made a couple of dad jokes. All in all, it was a pretty boring night.

It was fucking perfect.

I stand with Everly in my arms, and she mumbles something about Uncle Calder. My shoulders shake as I turn and walk around the sofa toward the winding staircase.

Cassandra follows as I make my way up the stairs, careful not to bump Everly’s head. When I reach her darkened room, Cassandra hurries around and pulls the blankets back for me to lay her in her bed.

Our hands touch as we both grab her blanket to tuck her in. I lace our fingers, staring at her in the dark for a moment, both of us absorbing the peaceful sound of Everly’s heavy breaths.

We walk out of her room hand in hand, and before Cassandra can say another word, I turn and press her against the wall, my lips crashing down on hers for a desperate, needy kiss. I barely heard a word my daughter said tonight because all I could think about was that this woman loves me. The real kind of love. The kind of love I don’t doubt.

We break apart, foreheads pressed together as I say, “I’ve been wanting to do that all night.”

Cassandra breathes heavily, her hands folded behind my neck. “Pretty sure we did that by the pool in front of a captivated audience of Everly and your brothers.”

“That was hours ago,” I moan, dipping my head to steal another kiss. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”

She sighs deeply. “Likewise.”

“It was hell being mad at you these past two weeks,” I admit honestly. “Every morning you came in the house, I wanted to grab you and pull you into my room to see if I could fuck you into loving me back.”

Cassandra inhales sharply at my raw confession. She grabs my jaw and forces my eyes to meet hers. “It wasn’t that I didn’t love you, Max. I just needed time to trust that loving you wouldn’t lose me. I was getting there on my own, but honestly, that conversation with Paisley was healing for me on so many levels.”