Maxed Steel by M.J. Fields

Old Trucks, Hot girls

Max

“Lemme get this straight.”Beau chuckles. “She threatened to slap you with a restraining order, and you think this is a good idea?”

“At least, tonight, I didn’t have to pretend my ankle was dicked up to catch a ride.”

“You get that we’re lying in the back of a truck, without the driver’s knowledge, and I’m pretty sure, in these parts, we could catch a felony because of this shit, right?” he asks.

“She’s all bark, no bite.”

“You better be pretty damn sure about that, man.”

I look over at him. “You’re a good-looking guy. I—”

“Look, man, I said I wanted to see it, not play with it.”

I can’t help but laugh. “You still tripping over my dick?”

“Fuck no,” he huffs.

“Easy, Boone.” I try like hell to stop laughing, but it’s really damn hard. “What I was trying to say, before you took it in a different direction, is you know when a girl wants you. I know damn well Mila wants me.”

“Fuck …” he sighs.

“What?”

“As if living in the dorms wasn’t punishment enough, they knew about your mental health issues and stuck you with me on purpose.”

I laugh my ass off, and so does Boone. Then, when the tires squeal and the truck jerks left, taking a turn at an alarming speed, the realization that I fucked up kicks me in the ass … Nope, not a kick, but I’m pretty sure my ass just got cut on some rusty metal. Then the truck comes to an abrupt halt, the engine dies—well, sputters until it dies—the door flies open, and Mila says, “I know you’re not dumb enough to hide like a little bitch in the back of my truck when I told you that you haven’t a shot in hell, Steel.”

“Mila,” I say as I vault myself over the side of her ride. “I think your ride bit me in the ass.”

“Saves me from kicking you in it,” she says, hurrying toward the quad.

“Bro man, your ass is bleeding. Either you got your monthly or Mila has a voodoo doll.” Beau chuckles.

I don’t stop to check out my ass, in fear she will hightail it out of there and we won’t be able to clear up our mess.

“Wasn’t ready for that turn; got caught up on something.”

Mila stops, and I watch her shoulders rise and fall in an exaggerated huff. Then she asks, “When was the last time you got a tetanus shot?”

“You wanna give me one?” I ask, jogging up to her.

“As much as I’d like to never hear your voice again, lockjaw would be a slow and painful death.”

I look over her head at Boone, who throws his arm around Red. “Told you she’s into me.”

“Must be the pierced dick.” He laughs.

“Wait—what?” Red asks.

“Did it himself, too.” Boone chuckles.

“You what!” Mila yells.

I wink at her. “Trust me, Blue; it’s still epic.”

“Wait—what!” Red yells, but this time at Mila, who is glaring at me.

“Sorry, Blue,” I say only halfheartedly because, at the present moment, I’m a bit buzzed and a bit confused, but a lot pretty damn sure I want people to know we have a past.

She looks at Red. “It was, like, two minutes.”

“But you—”

“A story not worth sharing. Slipped my memory.” She looks back at me. “And definitely not something I’d want to live through again.”

I can’t help but laugh at that. “It was a lot longer than two minutes, and I promise you, when we get to round two, I’m gonna make damn sure it’s a story you’ll want to shout from the rooftops.”

“That’s never going to be me, Max. Never. So, again, leave me alone and live your life the way only Max Steel can. One without regard for anyone else but himself.”

When I hasten my steps, Boone grabs the back of my shirt like he’s got it like that.

I turn on him and snap, “Put your hands on me like that again—”

“And you’ll be thanking me in the morning, again.”

“The fuck are you talking about?” I snap.

“Bro man, you just blew her spot. She and Freckles are gonna go talk like girls do. Mila’s going to talk about what an asshole you were, and Lindsey is gonna get all those fucked-up romantic notions swimming around in her head about second chances and how she should give you one. Mila’s gonna be all like fuck him.”

“No shit, so I need to—”

“Then she’s gonna go to bed and think about what it was like fucking you, and if you were any good, she’s gonna want it again. I’m sure this Sal guy she has back home isn’t doing it that good if she’s getting this worked up over you. I mean … fuck, Steel, I’ve been a dick, like fucked sisters dick, but they didn’t act like I ran over their dog or some shit. Mila, she’s real fucking pissed, so something deeper is going on. Step the fuck back, let her come to you. If she doesn’t, then you make a plan. But tonight, you’re done.”

Pissed at him, but not because he’s wrong—hell, he’s probably right—I walk toward our building.

“And look around, there are hundreds of girls who are just as hot as Mila, who are just waiting for you to give them the time of day.”

He’s wrong. Seeing her again, it’s as clear as the sky is blue that she’s everything I never thought I would find. But he’s also right; I’m not real good at playing hard to get, and maybe Miller needs a bit of a challenge.

“One week, bro man. Play it cool.”

“She doesn’t come around in that amount of time, I’m gonna go even harder. I’m going to woo her, and then I’m gonna put a baby up in her.”

“Shut your damn mouth, man.” He looks around like he’s worried someone might have heard me. “You can’t just say shit like that.”

“Why? When you know you know.”

“The answer to why might be found in the threat of a restraining order. And, bro man, you may know, but she clearly doesn’t.”

“She’s pissed about shit. That was two years ago. She’ll get over it, and then she’ll be under me.”

“Steel, shut the fuck up.”