Max

More than two weeks after Max and Patricia had consummated their new relationship for the first time, things were still on the downlow. They'd since done a whole lot of helping Pat out of her comfort zone. On her kitchen counter, in the shower, on the hood of her car in her driveway late in the evening—that one took some persuading. But he'd made sure she'd be all for doing it again after the way he took care of her that night.

They'd agreed to keep the relationship to themselves for now. Patricia wasn't ready to tell the world, especially as fast as things happened. She said her sisters would worry, given how unlike her it was to do something so spontaneous like jumping into a relationship so quickly. Especially with someone she'd first thought she was so incompatible with.

"They'll think I've gone off the deep end," she'd said but was quick to assure Max she didn't mean it in a bad way. "I'm just saying, if you thought I was wound too tight, you don't know the half of it. I can admit it now, and my sisters would absolutely question my sanity for doing something so impulsive."

They'd even been around everyone together for Moe's birthday gathering. But they'd played up their disagreeing on just about everything. It wasn't hard. Despite him being crazy about her now and her seemingly feeling the same about him, it was still too easy to rile her up.

Max was cool with keeping things on the downlow—for now. He could also admit this had been impulsive. Even for him. For years he'd been saying he didn't do the relationship bullshit drama and now he'd jumped into one with a woman so opposite of him, no less. Talk about the potential for drama. But every time he was around her, with each new kiss and time they made love, he was even more sure he was all in. All he cared about, for now, was her promise that she was over her ex, wanted nothing to do with him anymore, and this thing they were doing was absolutely exclusive.

Even the age difference didn't matter. At thirty-three, she was ten years his junior, but with Patricia being the way she was, most the time he felt like the younger much less mature one and he loved it. She'd keep him young forever. She'd since mentioned her ex was also older than her. Though, Max didn't ask her to elaborate because, after witnessing her cry over the fucker, he didn't even like to hear her talk about him.

He used to laugh and tease Moe about what a fucking cave man the guy could turn into when it came to Izzy. Now he knew better. Max had been dating the wrong women, because the entitlement he felt over Patricia in such a short span of time he'd never felt for any woman—ever. It was insane. Maybe seeing her vulnerable side had done him in. Maybe it was because a match that seemed so impossible and had come together so quickly meant that much more.

Whatever it was, while he'd been tempted to tell Manny about it, he hadn't out of respect for Patricia's wishes. Even that was huge. He'd never kept anything from his brother, especially something this big, but on top of the entitlement, he was beyond protective of Patricia's feelings now. Though he had caught himself more than once talking too much about her to his brother.

"Where you going?" Moe eyed Max suspiciously as he walked into the kitchen.

It was Manny and Aida's anniversary, and they'd invited Moe and his family over for dinner so they could watch the video of Manny's drive-thru wedding in Vegas again. Like they did every year.

"Nowhere."

This was the first night since his and Patricia's first night together that Max might not be able to see her. It was fucking ridiculous. He was a grown ass man, and here he'd been trying most of the evening to sneak out without being caught. But ever since that first night with her when he hadn't gotten home until after midnight and Manny's big mouth let Moe know, his nephew had been suspicious of what was really going on between him and Patricia. His being gone so much now because he couldn't get enough of her didn't help the suspicions either. But staying true to Patricia, he'd given nothing up. Though he knew both Manny and his nephew weren't exactly buying all his lies.

"They're about to start the video," Moe said, lulling baby Romeo in his arms. "I thought maybe you were trying to sneak off. God knows I would if I could, but Izzy's on the phone checking on her sister again, and I got these two all over me."

Max looked down and smiled at Mandy hugging her daddy's leg. But he was more interested in what Moe had said just before he'd motioned to his daughter. "Something going on with Izzy's sister?"

"Charles is in town."

"Who?"

"Pat's ex-husband." Romero looked down at the baby, who smiled up at him. "Mommy worries too much 'bout auntie, doesn't she?"

Charles risked everything because I was that hard to live with.

It was a conversation Max had since blocked out until now. He'd hated seeing her so broken up over this asshole. "What's she worried about?"

"Guess he's trying to weasel his way back in her life. She told Izzy a few weeks back he'd been insisting they get together for lunch or coffee when he'd be in town this week. Izzy hasn't been able to get a hold of her today."

Last Max had heard from Patricia that day she'd been at work. Because of this anniversary dinner, he hadn't tried to get a hold of her in a while, but she should've been home by now. Just then Izzy walked into the kitchen, taking Romeo from Moe.

"Did you get a hold of her?" Moe asked.

"No, but she did text back to say she couldn't talk and that she'd call me in a little bit."

Izzy smiled down at her giddy son as she cradled him in her arms. Manny hollered from the front room that the video was about to start. With a groan, Moe picked up Mandy and started back into the front room, a giggling Izzy following. She turned back to Max before walking out of the kitchen. "You coming? You know you love this."

"Yeah, I live for it." Max shook his head. "I'll be there in a sec."

The moment they were gone he started to pull his phone out, his mind still thinking of what Moe said. A few weeks ago, Patricia told Izzy Charles wanted to get together with her? And then he remembered something else. The morning Max arrived at her house to fix her dryer; she'd been on the phone with a Charles. Between everything that happened that day and now the whirlwind romance that followed, he'd forgotten all about that. When she'd said Charles had reached out over a month ago prior to that day, Max had just assumed it was the one time and she hadn't heard from him again since. And she sure as fuck wouldn't stay in touch with him now, right?

As his insides warmed, Max wracked his mind to remember why he'd assumed the call was work-related that day. Something about considering a deal. Could this be just a coincidence or was whatever deal he'd been proposing her asshole ex's way of weaseling back in her life? And she'd been considering it?

This isn't as easy for me as it is for you.

"Max," Manny called out. "You coming or not?

"Go ahead and start without me. I need to make a phone call."

It had to be a coincidence, he thought as he brought the phone to his ear. As his insides began to smolder, Max took a deep breath, reminding himself of his surroundings. He had to be cool.

"No fucking way," he muttered as he walked out onto the back porch. "There's no way she'd be considering anything with this guy."

"Hey," she answered, making his heart speed up.

Since she hadn't answered Izzy's call, he'd half expected her not to answer. "Hey, you busy?"

"No, what's up? You on your way?" Normally, the playful and eager tone would've had him smiling; instead he gripped the phone a little tighter.

"No. Not yet anyway. I got this thing going on over here. Listen," he said, eager to get this straight. "The day I fixed your dryer, that morning when I got to your house, you were on the phone. Who were you talking to?" There was complete silence on the other end, and for a moment, Max thought maybe their call dropped. "You there?"

"Yeah." She cleared her throat. "I'm here. That um . . . that was Charles who'd called."

"Your ex?" Max asked, feeling even hotter now.

"Um huh."

"I thought the last time you talked to him was over a month ago."

"I never said that." The quick response felt almost prepared. "I said he hadn't reached out in a long time before he'd called a little over a month ago. But he's since called several times."

"For what? And just what is it you're considering?"

She was quiet again, unnerving Max to no end. "The first time he called he said he'd been doing some soul-searching and needed to get some things off his chest." She cleared her throat again as Max ground his teeth. "Since we'd stopped speaking almost immediately after I found out about his affair and he'd been up to his eyeballs trying to stay out of jail, he said he never did get a chance to tell me how sorry he was about everything."

"What are you considering, Patricia?"