Chapter 20: A Sudden Kiss
The ghost wailing coming from next door was so loud it woke Max from slumber.
Am I cursed to never rest? Why does this kind of shit always happen when I’m trying to sleep?
He grumbled, running a hand through his hair. He didn’t bother with clothes; he only planned to peek his head out and see what was happening.
As his door opened, the wailing became almost unbearable.
"Who the fuc..." Before he could finish his sentence, he saw it was Cassie.
Her hair was falling out of her previously styled bun; her skirt had ridden, resting just below her butt. At some point, she had thrown her jacket to the ground without realizing.
Max closed his mouth. He held the door handle, searching around for any other people.
Good thing I wasn’t naked
He didn’t know Cassie well, but the girl had fed him and didn’t complain about him coming over to eat. She even asked for his advice. Since she’s Stacey’s friend, the least he could do was help her out.
He stepped out in his boxers. Took her jacket, bag, and keys.
"Hey," he said, kneeling to her level. "It’s Max. Don’t cry out here. You don’t know who might be watching and laughing at your expense."
Cassie looked up at him. Her beautiful brown eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. Her hair fell, framing her face. A button of her blouse came undone, letting him peek inside.
His eyes darted from the open blouse to her lips, then to her eyes.
"Come on." He pulled her to her feet.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and carried her into the apartment.
He smelled the scent of jasmine on her. Even in her disheveled state, he still noticed the way she smelled. He brought her to the sofa and let her sit down. He dropped her things on the table and went to get a glass of water.
Perhaps it was the fact that Max was there or that she had finally cried her heart out. But Cassie felt lighter. As Max was heading to the kitchen, she took some wipes from her bag and used them to clean her face.
"Here, drink this."
She gulped it down to stop the burning in her throat. Not at all caring about her appearance at this moment. She still hadn’t seen Max’s appearance, as her eyes were downcast and she was still contemplating the situation today.
Max saw this and couldn’t help chuckling. She heard, and her ears went red.
"Are you feeling better now?"
She nodded.
"Go to the bathroom and clean up. You look like a mess."
Without raising her head, she took her bag and went into the bathroom. When she went in she saw her disheveled state and couldn’t help gasping. Her hair looked crazy, her eyes were red, and there was dirt on her thighs.
She thought about the fact that Max had seen her like this and couldn’t resist the urge to smack herself on the forehead.
While she was cleaning up, Max decided to order some food and get her a drink.
He went through his stash and decided on tequila and whisky. It didn’t matter how early it was. Someone somewhere was drinking, and he decided to become their drinking buddy.
As soon as she stepped out, he offered her a shot.
"It’s tequila. Down it and you’ll feel much better."
Her indecision made him click his tongue. He walked up to her, pinched her cheeks, and poured it down her throat. She coughed as she swallowed.
"There, don’t you feel better?"
"No," she croaked.
"Then drink until you do." He ushered her to the sofa. "Tell me what happened."
Cassie’s eyes met his. She thought the first person she would share it with was Stacey, but now she was sitting here with Max, and she couldn’t help blurting everything out.
The disrespectful nature of the company. The fact that they told her she wasn’t qualified. How she was dismissed because she didn’t come from the right background. She laid everything out one by one, and Max listened.
When she was done, she had shed tears, but she felt better. Yet, the first thing Max said made her heart sink to the floor.
"I told you so."
It took her a moment to comprehend what he was saying.
"I told you so," he repeated. "Remember the advice I gave you before?"
He poured another shot of tequila and handed it to her.
"I told you, you need connections. This place doesn’t run on anything less. It doesn’t matter how talented you are. What matters are your connections and background."
"But..." she began.
"No buts. It’s the truth. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but that’s just how it is. Now, you have a choice. You either chase your dream, or you let it die."
Cassie stared at the drink in her hand. She tipped her head back, letting the liquid slide down he throat. She felt the warmth in her stomach.
"I don’t think I can give it up. It’s the one dream I’ve had ever since I knew what a dream was."
"Then stop crying and find a way to make it happen."
This time she poured it herself and downed it.
"Thank you."
"No, mmph."
Max hadn’t finished his sentence when he suddenly felt a pair of warm lips against his. His eyes widened momentarily, and as she moved to deepen the kiss, the warmth left him.
He flicked his tongue on, still feeling her warmth.
This girl, is she trying to deliver herself to me?
"I’m sorry," she spoke so softly that Max almost missed it.
To cut the tension, he joked. "It’s fine. I am, after all, a handsome man. I’ve been walking around practically nude. I was wondering if you didn’t notice or you weren’t attracted to me."
Hearing it said so frankly, Cassie turned away from him.
Max chuckled. They were sitting on the same sofa, so even if she turned, she was still close enough for Max to scoot over and whisper in her ear.
"Hasn’t anyone ever taught you to guard against men? You just kiss me like that and expect to leave unscathed?"
Max had been lusting for this woman since he met her a few days ago. Now that she’d stepped into the cage and kissed him, why should he let her go?
He didn’t give himself or her time to think about it. His fingers found the side of her neck, holding it firmly so she couldn’t move. He turned her face back to him. She looked down, her eyelids quivering, her cheeks flushed red.
Before she could say anything, he kissed her. His mouth pressed against her, and she made a small sound before she gave in.
Her hand came up to her chest; she must be feeling how heavily his heart thudded in his chest. Her lips parted, and he deepened the kiss, tilting her head back and sliding his hand into her hair.
Her lips taste better than I imagined
Max shifted, moving towards her, and she moved back. He leaned over her, one hand tangled in her hair and the other on the couch.
They shifted until she was lying on the couch and he was above her.
I should stop, he thought. He didn’t.
She was the one who kissed him first. This was her own fault. He was minding his own business.
Her legs shifted under him, and her skirt rode up to her thigh. He could feel the heat of her skin through the thin cotton of his boxers. He broke the kiss long enough to look down at her.
"Tell me to stop," he said.
I swear, if she does...
She didn’t say anything, and he thanked all the gods she didn’t. His fingers traced along the inside of her thigh until he felt lace.
Her breath caught. His fingers edged closer, feeling the dampness. Her hips bucked, and he kissed her again.
Knock knock knock
"Fuck," he whispered against her lips.
Cassie scrambled up, pushing him away. She yanked her skirt down, stepping away from him and running to the bathroom.
Whoever this is better have a fucking great excuse
He palmed his shaft. He knew there was no hiding this. He opened the door just a crack to see Stacey. His already gloomy face fell even further before he adjusted himself.
Even so, Stacey caught it.
"Wrong time?"
"What is it?" The lust fog hadn’t quite cleared, and his voice came out husky.
Stacey quirked an eyebrow, but didn’t comment.
"Have you seen Cass? Someone told me she’s here"
Of course someone did. They can’t get fucked, so they need to mess with my good time.
"Yeah," he cleared his throat. "Give me a minute."
Then he closed the door.
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