Chapter 174
I would be the bait myself to dig out the evidence. I threw back a hefty gulp. With a buzz humming under my skin, I straddled Max’s lap, a daring move fueled by alcohol.
“Aren’t you drinking? If not, it’s over between us,” I blurted out, a line I had rehearsed inside throughout the evening.
“Even with alcohol, you’d still want to sever ties with me,” Max retorted, cradling his glass, an amused yet resigned smirk playing on his lips.
“You do know me well,” I shot back, the alcohol emboldening my words.
“Indeed, in this life and the next,” he quipped. The statement was so bizarre that I thought I misheard it due to my inebriated state. Instead of pressing him, I clinked my glass against his in a silent toast to whatever twisted fate awaited us.
“Then let’s drink more. Maybe that’ll change our relationship status,” I suggested, my fingers teasingly tracing Max’s collarbone line, an invitation that he didn’t decline. My boldness surged, hands venturing further, exploring the toned landscape of his chest and abs. “We were supposed to be drinking, huh? Or are you planning on me now?” His voice came with amusement and anticipation.
“Max, do you truly believe Tracey isn’t behind those gruesome murders?” Sobriety clawed its way back as I pressed for an answer, my gaze locked on his.
“Claire, let Ronald handle it. Focus on fulfilling your dream this time,” Max reassured, avoiding my question.
“This time? You know about my last attempt?” Confusion twisted my features as I sought clarity in his deep, unreadable eyes.
“Another drink?” he suggested instead, pulling me closer with a firm grip around my waist, our glasses clinking in a silent challenge, which I met head-on, refusing to be outdone.
“Max, you’re going to regret what you did tonight,” I warned, sealing my words with a kiss firmly on his lips, signaling my determination to prove him wrong about Tracey.
Yet, he welcomed my advances, his
resistance crumbling under my assertive touch. As I tried to unravel the ties that bound his robe, his lack of protest only deepened my suspicion. en
Abruptly, I halted, pushing him away, intent on escaping his embrace. But in a swift motion, he lifted me, carrying me straight to the bedroom with a declaration, “Once we’ve started, there’s no turning back p>
BUMS
With the curtains drawn and the door shut, the r bathed in the
soft, ambiguous glow of the bedside lamp. Max laid me down softly, and his lean muscles were a sight that stirred an unexpected desire within me fueled no doubt by the alcohol clouding my judgment.
“Max, if I were to get pregnant, carrying your child, and Tracey wanted me dead, would you avenge us?” The question slipped out amidst the tension. “She won’t get the chance,” Max murmured against my neck, a cold assurance that sent shivers down my spine.
He went on to say, “In any life, I’ve never let anyone who hurt you get away with it p>
This time, I was sure I hadn’t misheard. “What are you saying p>
“Let’s not waste our night on talk. We have eternity to catch up,” he whispered, his words drowned out by the urgency of his kiss.
Things got hot. It felt like everything had fallen into place. Max got into me, and I seemed to have reached my purpose.
Exhausted, I drifted into sleep, vaguely catching Max’s promise. “If we have to do this again, I’ll protect you and our child, preventing any tragedy.” What did he mean? Was Max, too, reborn? But exhaustion overtook me, my limbs weak, my consciousness fading into the warmth of his embrace.