Page 17 of Noelle's Secret Admirer

My body collapsed, completely spent. I immediately worried I was crushing him, but rather than letting me go, Max wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer to his chest. I could still feel his hard cock pulsing inside me as my sweat covered body finally learned what true relaxation felt like. Max’s lips pressed against my temple and then the top of my head. He pulled out of me and rolled to his side.

“I’m not done with you yet.” The words sent a chill down my spine as I let him maneuver my body to where he wanted me. “Lay here and let me hold you while I fuck you.”

His body curled around mine, with my back to his chest and my head on his outstretched arm. He lifted my leg and slid his fingers through my folds, and then slowly entered me from behind. His hips thrust forward with so much force I could barely stay where he had me. The angle was different, not as deep as before, but his pace was consistent and the movements made everything inside of me feel amazing.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this. Waited for you,” he whispered into my ear. “I don’t know how I’ll let you go now. I don’t think I can go back.”

I closed my eyes as I listened to his words. Everything he said was everything my heart had felt, but I was too afraid to say.

“My beautiful Elfie. Always there to help everyone but herself. I won’t let that happen anymore. I am here now. I will be the one to take care of you and anything else anyone asks of you. You are my heart, sweet girl, and I took way too long to tell you.”

Tears stung my eyes as Max’s grip on me tightened. His movements got more erratic and his soft words traveled into my ear as his body tensed behind me and I felt him finally let go.

As I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, the feeling of rightness that had come over me was slowly dissipating and the fears of what I was about to face came creeping in. Our family would never approve. Jack, Nick and Kane would likely try to kill Max and yet it was my mom I was most worried about. We were days away from Christmas and the thought of ruining what was her favorite time of year was too much. If what Max had said was true, then he had to have thought this through more than I had. My mind never let me believe he would care for me as more than a little sister, and yet here we were with what felt like a complicated world of opportunities ahead of us. Sure, we were both adults and we could make our own decisions, but the decisions we made affected those around us in ways felt like we had yet to even see.

“You are thinking too loud.” Max’s scratchy voice traveled to my ears as his grip tightened and he pulled me closer to him.

“I can’t help it. You know how I can be.”

“I do.”

“What are we going to do, Max? Were you telling me the truth earlier when you said you had been waiting for this? Because if you were, then does that mean you’ve figured out a way to make this work?”

His fingers pushed aside the hair covering my eyes, and he smiled. “One question at a time.”

“What are we going to do?”

“I’d rather start with the ‘Were you telling me the truth’ question.”

“Elfie, I’ve never lied to you, and I never will. I’ve left out details of things, sure. There are stories and parts of my life I haven’t shared with you, but I’ve never lied to you. I have waited for this. In my eyes, you were mine the day I met you.”

“But I was just a kid.”

“And I was eighteen. I couldn’t go near you. I wouldn’t risk it even though my heart felt as if it found my other half. Family is now, and always has been, one of the most important things in our life and I wouldn’t ask you to risk that. Even now.”

“So, if I don’t want everyone to know, you would be okay with that?”

His body stiffened, and he took a deep breath before answering me, “For now. Yes.”

“How long is now?”

“I get that this is complicated, but Noelle, you have to understand. I’m not talking about a simple fling with you. I want you forever and for that to happen, we will need to face our family.”

“Forever?”

“Forever. I want to walk you down an aisle and make you legally mine,” he said as he placed a kiss on my ring finger. “I want to see you round with my children,” he said as his hand moved to my belly. “And I want to shout from the fucking rooftops that you belong to me.”

My breath caught in my throat as I looked up at him and could see the sincerity in his eyes. I opened my mouth to speak, but his finger pressed against my lips. “Let me finish before you say anything. I fucked my life up for a really long time. I made a mess of it when I was younger and I’ve worked really hard to move on from all that, but it’s still part of who I am. My reputation around this town isn’t the best. In all honesty, I should have opened my shop anywhere but here, but I couldn’t leave. I own this building and the business pays for itself. I don’t live a life of luxury and you deserve everything you could desire. I don’t want you to agree to a future with me if you haven’t had a chance to think it through.”

The room was dim, but the Christmas lights from the small tree Max had in the corner illuminated his face. I placed my hand on his cheek. “I don’t need to think this through. This feels right, everything feels right.”

“Still, there is no need to rush things.”

“I just worry about mom. Maybe we wait until after Christmas to talk to her and dad.”

“Okay, if that’s what you want.”

“It is. Besides, if we have them on our side, it will be easier to fend off Jack, Nick, and Kane.”