Maxed Steel by M.J. Fields
Pain In The Ass
Mila
“So, you and—”
“No. Just no,” I cut Lindsey off.
“Okay, fine, but what if he gets tetanus from Becky?”
“I’m sure he’s up to date on his shots. They are probably given with gold needles.”
“Well, what if he does, and then they come after you for serving a minor and knowing he got hurt in your truck and did nothing about it, and then they sue—”
“Dammit, Linds.” I roll over and push myself up.
She sits up all too eagerly and asks, “You want me to go talk to him?”
“No.” I grab the cardigan I wore earlier and head toward the door.
“Okay,” she calls after me.
I walk up the two flights of stairs to the fourth floor and push the door open. I don’t even have to search for his room; the door is open and a group of thirsties are gathered around it.
I stalk toward the door and push through the crowd. One of the girls has her foot in the door, holding it open. I push past her only to see Max’s bare ass and Boone holding his phone out, shining the light on it.
“Seriously?” I huff, and Max, who was just attempting to stare at his own ass over his shoulder, looks up and grins at me.
“What do you think, Blue?”
You’re perfect, stunning, a complete asshole. My freaking nipples are getting hard. Oh, and I hate you … all come to mind, but whatever.“I think you’ll live.”
“Can’t see if there’s anything else in there, bro man.”
“I volunteer to get a closer look,” someone purrs, like legit purrs after she says it.
“You can all go back to your damn rooms,” I snap.
“And who the hell do you think you are?” someone else huffs.
“She’s Mila.” Max grins. “She’s the only woman that will be seeing my ass.”
“God, you’re freaking annoying.” I step in, turn, and then shut the door in their faces.
* * *
Facedown,ass up, and of course the gown is open in the back, exposing his perfect backside. I stand beside one Max Steel in the damn ER because, as he said, he’s got a nice size “slice in his peach” and upon referring to WebMD, the decision was made that he needed to get a couple stitches and a shot, and I, ever the responsible one, was the only one sober and with wheels.
“Promise me something, Blue?” he says on a yawn.
“I was nice enough to bring you here.”
“I could have Ubered.”
“And if Boone didn’t make me feel like shit about Becky, I—”
“Wait,” he cuts me off. “Who’s Becky and what did you do to her?”
“My truck, but that’s not the point.”
“Wait—you named your truck?” he asks, amused.
“You are incredibly annoying and problematic.”
“Looks like she knows you well.”
I look behind me and see a familiar face. Then I quickly look back at him and whisper, “You called your sister?”
He sighs. “Bell, what the hell are you doing here?”
Bella, his sister, is even more beautiful in real life than on her reality show.
“It was either me or the parents. You’re welcome.” She walks around me and sits on the side of the bed, staring at his ass and trying hard not to laugh.
“I didn’t call anyone, Blue.” He rolls his eyes. “They just have me low-jacked.”
“Momma Carly worries—bad heart. We try to avoid any stressors. By we, I mean me and my sister, Kiki.”
“Mila knows Kiki. We all went to Seashore together,” Max tells her.
“Wait—is Mila Miller, the chick you called Amias about the other day?” Bella looks away from him and looks me over. “Hot.”
Okay, they’re all insane, and I am out.“Look, I’m going to head out. Hope your ass—”
“Sorry, Mila, I’ve got a … thing in the morning and have to head back.”
“But—”
She smacks his ass as she walks past him.
“The hell, Bell?” he grumbles.
“Be good to Maxie. Mila, I’m sure we’ll see you around.”
“I think you’ve got the wrong idea about me and your brother.”
She looks at him, holds out her phone, and takes a picture of his ass. “For Momma C.” Then she looks at me, smiles genuinely, and then looks back at him. “You better step up your game, Maximus. That smile alone isn’t gonna win this one over.”
She squeezes my shoulder. “He’s my favorite. Do him right, and he’ll do you the same.”
“Again, I think—”
“Some advice? Don’t think, just go with it,” she says as she walks out the door.
“Max, I am not—”
“Mr. Steel, I’m Dr. Lattimore, and we’re going to give you something for pain and—”
“I’m good, Doc. Just do what you have to do.”
“It’s going to be extremely uncomfortable,” she insists.
“It’s stitches, yeah?”
“Yes, five minimum.”
“I have tattoos and two piercings in my dick, I think I can handle five stitches in my ass.”
I cover my face and whisper, “Dear God, strike me down.”
“Not yet, Blue.” Max reaches out his hand. “I’m not done with you yet.”
I scowl down at it.
“Come on, Miller; be a friend and hold my hand.”
“What happened to I’m so cool, I don’t need anything for pain?”
He smiles with his eyes now. “Trying to get a girl to give me a second chance might make me make some stupid choices.”
“Would you like some pain meds, Mr. Steel,” the doctor asks again.
He says no, and I say yes.
“Which is it?” She seems to be getting a bit annoyed.
“Lady’s choice.” Max winks at me.
“Give him something.”
* * *
Leaningagainst the truck in the ER parking lot, he leans down and whispers, “I got high once on brownies and said some stupid shit, so forgive me if—”
“Once?” I half-laugh as I walk around to the driver’s side and get in.
He opens the passenger side. “Straight-up didn’t know they were of the special variety.”
I notice him wince as he sits down. “Hurt?”
He shakes his head. “Karma was getting at me for not opening the door for you. When you meet my mom, do me a favor and don’t mention that, yeah?”
“I’m not meeting your family, Max. I have my—”
“You did hear what Bell said, right?”
I start up Becky and shoot up prayers that she roars to life, totally ignoring his question.
“I know what I want, Mila, and I want you. Not afraid to do the work.”
“I know what I don’t want, and—”
“After the accident, I was messed up in a bad way. Everyone at Suckshore thought I was drinking. Everyone thought I ruined Amias’s pro career. I knew I didn’t drink anything. My family knew but didn’t buy that I wasn’t using shit to get big like all of them. Things went kind of dark, Miller. I fucked up by not messaging you back, but I didn’t touch the phone except to message My and beg for fucking forgiveness, and he wasn’t messaging back.”
“I’m sorry that happened to you, Max, and I believe you, but—”
“After My forgave me, trusted me again, my Forever Steel kicked in hard. I wasn’t thinking about that girl who blocked me online, the one who moved her seat in our classes where I sat behind her and stared at that heart, legit whispered stupid shit in her ear just to smell her ’cause she smelled so fucking good. The girl who after I laid down with on a boat that wasn’t mine, knew straight-up I wanted more and had to beg her to go to that dance with me.”
Realizing I am getting lost in his words—always his words—and I haven’t even put the truck in drive, I finally do so.
“Blue, hold up.” He reaches in front of me, and I don’t tell him no. Hell, I don’t even try to stop him from whatever he is about to do. All I can manage is to close my eyes.
When I feel his arm brush across my chest, my back arches of its own accord, and then I feel the seat belt stretch across my body and hear the click.
He buckled my seat belt.
I rest my head against the back of the seat.
“You gonna buckle up so I can drive?” I ask, feeling stupid.
“Thanks for the reminder and the realization I’m on the right path to get where I wanna be with you.”
I put the truck in drive and mumble, “I’m not even gonna ask.”
“Don’t have to.” He winces and shifts in the seat. “As pissed off as you seem to be at me, you still have my back.”
“Seem to be?”
“I get you think I was into those girls, but what you don’t get is Marc Effisto fucked my cousin, Tris, up real bad, most of those girls were either hot for him, or he was hot for them. I wasn’t letting that shit happen to anyone else.”
“Very noble of you to ride in on your Steel horse and—”
“You wanted nothing to do with me, and straight-up, I was a bit beat to shit at that point and was going into unfriendly territory. But I’m not a boy anymore. My confidence is back. I’ve grown, changed, and damn, Miller, you have, too. I loved your sweetness and the way you didn’t give a shit about fitting in with any of those assholes back in high school. Add that to your confidence now and just … damn, babe. I am catching feels again about as quick as a stray dog catches fleas. And just so you’re aware, I know what I want in my life now.”
I roll up at a stoplight and consider blowing through it just to get back to school and get him the hell out of my truck before I do something stupid … again, I ask, “And what’s that?”
Shit, shit, shit.
“You, Blue. You.”
The light changes as I feel my stupid heart, the one I have kept in a deep freeze when it came to Max Steel, to ensure that, if we ever met again, I would not get caught up in all that he is and lose sight of the only thing important, begins to thaw.
When I press the accelerator, Max reaches over and jerks the steering wheel. I stomp on the brake, ready to rip him a new asshole, when a car that didn’t stop at the intersection flies by.
Heart hammering in my chest, my whole body shaking, unexpected emotions boil over and I begin crying.
He envelopes me in his arms and, as much as I want to stop him from hugging me, I miss hugs. I miss them, and I want them. So, right now, I’m allowing myself to be weak.
His body heat surrounding me, his scent its own kind of aphrodisiac, I look up at him, his blue eyes looking down at mine with concern, and then to my lips with lust, and back to my eyes with knowing and wanting. An unspoken promise, one of pleasure, one of escape from reality, one assuring just one more moment until we go back to hating each other … forever.
I close my eyes and tip my head back, giving him the unspoken permission to kiss me like he did before.
I feel his thumb run across my lower lip. “Already kicking myself in the ass for this, but we need to get out of the intersection, Blue.”
I pull away from him quickly. “I was freaked out. That meant nothing.”
“Not true. But you need to ditch this guy from home, this Sal, because I’m not gonna share a minute of your attention with any guy. I’m gonna be demanding as hell.”
What. The. Hell.