《Trusting Myself To Love Again》 Ch.1 Chapter 1 It''s been six long years since I stood on American soil, gazing at the long customs line at LAX. I feel so uncomfortable leaving the peaceful life I built in Florence, Italy, but I promised my dearest friend Jeremy that I would be by his side as he says, "I do," to his beautiful Ashley. My heart is beating fast, and I feel very nauseous. I keep looking around at the people to see if I see the face of horror that took me many years to be able to sleep again without seeing his face. I hear "Next in line, miss you are next," and the voice wakes me from my daze. I moved to the window, held my passport out to the agent, and replied here for a friend''s wedding for five days. I finish in customs and walk to retrieve my bags from Carousel 2. As I wait for my bags, I feel a hand on my shoulder and tense up. I turn to look into the bluest eyes I''ve seen in a long time, and I hear, "Hello, stranger, it''s been a long time." I smile at my best friend''s younger brother, Max, and say, "Yes, it has been, and look, who doesn''t look like a frat boy anymore but a true grown-up?" "Well, we''ve both changed a lot in our looks; five years is a long time. Show me which are your bags, and I will grab them," Max said. I stood there for a long time and felt an emotion I''ve not felt in so long¡ªlonging. But I turned it off and pointed to a black suitcase with a yellow ribbon tied around the handle. Max pulled the case off so quickly that he asked if there was another. I told him it was just one case, and he replied, "One small suitcase can only mean that you are not staying long." Unfortunately, I have to be back at the hospital in seven days for a necessary surgery. I let Jeremy know that this would be a speedy trip for me and that I could only stay for the wedding and would leave on the red eye after Saturday. We walk out to the parking garage, and Max points to a sleek black Lamborghini Urus. I turn and look at him while he loads my bag into the back, and I jokingly say, "It must pay well to play with balls and knock other men down for a living." "Well, we can''t all be beautiful, intelligent surgeons; therefore, a guy''s gotta do what he can to make a living in some way. Jump in, beautiful. We have to tackle this ridiculous traffic in LA,¡± Max said. I sit in the seat as Max quickly drives onto the freeway as if he has no worries. Minutes passed without words, and I relaxed for the first time since landing in Los Angeles. I take a deep breath and start asking questions about how his life is going, but I accidentally let it slip that I''ve watched all of his and Jeremy''s games the day after they played due to the time difference. He looks at me and smiles, "A woman can move to another country, but her love for real football never leaves her." And I say, ¡°Oh, never let an authentic Italian hear you say American football is the real football because, from personal experience, it opens a can of soccer vs. football discussions that leads to heated exchanges and ending up having to buy a round of beer in a cafe for all, just ask your brother.¡± The rest of the hour-long drive was passed with laughs and stories of our adventures over the past five years. We pulled into Jeremy and Ashley''s Malibu driveway, and I barely got out of the SUV before I was wrapped in a bear hug from my dearest friend Jeremy. He held onto me tight, like he was scared I would disappear from his grip. I hear a sweet "My turn, you big Olga," and Ashley steps forward for a huge hug. "Mia, it is so great to have you here; I can''t wait to catch up on everything. I believe we need some girl time with some wine and gossip," Ashley said. "That sounds like a perfect evening to me," I said. We all walk into their home, and I look around at the house my best friend has made with the woman he loves, and I feel a rush of jealousy and sadness. The last time I was in this home, it looked like an authentic bachelor pad with leftover furniture from his college days. The two weeks I spent living in this home, recovering from almost losing my life to a man who said he loved me, were the worst days of my life. I stood there, and even though the house looked different, all the bad memories returned. A flush of memories came flooding back of laying on this floor covered in blood and thinking I was going to die. I tried to keep walking into the house, but I felt myself hyperventilating and the tears moving down my face, and I just turned and ran out the door. I hear yelling," Mia, stop, please," I turn and see all three people running at me with scared looks on their faces. I''m crying, and all I can say is that, "I can''t stay here." I feel myself being wrapped in the arms of my 6''3 best friend and hear him say, "We will figure something else out, I''m so sorry I thought it would be fine since the house looks so different." I stand there for what seems like an hour, crying in his arms. I control my emotions and tell everyone I will find a hotel to stay in. I''m a little scared about being alone in a hotel, but I know I can''t stay here. I hear my suitcase being rolled to Max''s car, and he looks up and says, "You will stay with me, and I don''t want to hear any complaints because I will make sure you stay safe and you can enjoy this wedding." Jeremy looks at me and says, "This is a great idea. Why don''t you guys head over to Max''s? Ashley and I will go get dinner and bring it over." I feel a wave of relief. I look up and say, "Nobu, please." Everyone laughs. On the drive to Max''s home, I look out the window and try to get my emotions under control. He grabs my hand and squeezes it but doesn''t say a word. This small gesture makes my heart smile. The drive is less than 15 mins; his home sits on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. He opens the door, and I walk into a beautiful home with an incredible view.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. I look at him and say, "It''s a stunning home and view; you are a fortunate football man." He laughs and says, "It''s your home for the next five days, and let''s get you settled before Nobu arrives." I''m shown a beautiful room decorated in white with light wood accents, with a balcony with a view of the ocean. I know he either hired a decorator or his mom, Charlotte, made all the choices, and my money is on Charlotte, with her big personality and love for her boys. I spent a few minutes unpacking. I have a massive case of OCD that involves the intense need for order and symmetry. So whenever I travel, I have to unpack right away. Once I get everything to my liking, I take a minute to open the door, step out onto the balcony, and sit down. The smell of the ocean makes me feel free for a moment. I remember when I moved to California for college from Oklahoma and first walked on the beach of my new home. The few years of peace and happiness I felt in California, the ocean, and surfing greatly affected my happiness. I think back to my second week of internship for the LA Razors and the day I met the vast and terrifying center, Jeremy Knight. I had no idea then that his man would be my best friend and savior. Day by day, I started letting my guard down around him and the team. They made me feel like part of their family, and suddenly, I had another 35 brothers looking out for my well-being. No one tried to say or do anything inappropriate because they knew I had Jeremy, and he watched over me. Many people thought or assumed that we were a couple. Many people would say what a great-looking couple we are, but we would always tell them we are just friends. So, when you think about it, I was 19 years old, living a dream life with many possibilities. The day I walked into the facility, the ladies at the front desk were gossiping about the new quarterback and how hot he was. I kept walking because I didn''t have time for romance or hot quarterback gossip. I was determined not to let anything or anyone get in the way of my dreams. I walk into the meeting room where everyone gathers on Monday to discuss the plans for the week of training. I sat down with the rest of the medical staff. I look up and notice the most handsome guy I''ve ever seen staring right at me, and I turn away quickly. Once the meeting is over, I get up to walk out, look up, and see the QB standing in front of me. He says, "Hello, I''m Nate, and you are." Before I could get a word out, Jeremy replied, "Walk away, QB, because Mia is part of the team, and we don''t date her." That would stop any interest he may have in me. Boy, was I wrong? Nate made it his mission to wear me down by being a true gentleman and paying attention to everything I said or liked. After three months of trying to ignore my attraction to him, I finally gave in. We decided to keep our romance a secret; we didn''t want people to gossip about us. I loved my internship and didn''t want anything to jeopardize it. I thought we dated secretly for two years, and everything was going great. I had spent eight years in California attending college and medical school, but on Tuesday night, my life changed when I chose orthopedic residency. I was so excited about receiving acceptance to the residency program at Massachusetts General, one of the best in the country, that I picked up dinner and went to Nate''s home. I parked my car and used the key I had used hundreds of times before to enter his home. I put down the food and went in search of Nate. I look all over for him and finally hear the shower on. I go into the bedroom, ease into the bathroom, and see him in the shower with one of the cheerleaders for the Razors. I gasped, and he looked up and said, "It means nothing." I turn, run out of the house, get in my car, and drive. I''m crying so hard that I must pull into a parking lot. I feel so alone because I can''t tell anyone about this, and it''s a secret relationship. I sit there for a long time, trying to get myself under control. I finally picked up the phone and called Jeremy. I asked if I could come over and stay the night, and he said sure. The drive over, I kept thinking about what I would say to my best friend. I just cried once I got there, and he opened the door. Once I stopped crying, I told him everything, and he sat and listened. After I was done speaking, I felt like a weight was lifted. He got up and put on his shoes, and I asked what he was doing, and he answered he was going to beat some QB ass. I begged him not to do it because he could get in trouble and hurt his career. After a few minutes of pleading, he agreed. Jeremy calmly told me he would see his brother play in the national championship tomorrow since the team was on a bye week and said I should come with him. The following day, we got up early and drove to my place where I could pack a bag. Inside my home were many dozens of roses and a letter from Nate. I asked Jeremy to take everything to the dumpster while I packed. I had decided that I would not have anything to do with Nate except for work. We boarded a private plane to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to watch the national college championship. I had a great time sitting in a private box with Jeremy, his mom, Charlotte, and his dad, Frank. It was an exciting game, and Alabama Wave won with a pick-six from Max. That night was the first time I met Max, the youngest of the Knight brothers. Jeremy was immense; his little brother was 6''5, all muscles. I have to be honest. My girl parts had a little reaction to seeing him, but I had made a promise to myself that no more men until I became a doctor. Just then, I heard a knock at the door, and I said, "Come in." It''s Ashley, and she smiles and says, "Black cod miso." Hearing my stomach make a sound lets me know I''ve not eaten for over 12 hours and need fuel. We head downstairs, where a vast feast of some of my favorite things is laid out in front. I put on my best smile and sit down to have dinner with three people who mean a lot to me but are not family. One hour passed, and then another passed. The wine is drunk, and many stories and laughs are shared. I sit in the corner of the comfiest sectional, listening to everyone talk, and somehow, I must have fallen asleep. The long sixteen hours of traveling and the emotional outburst have taken a toll on me. I wake up feeling carried up the stairs and holding on for dear life. Max laid me on the bed and turned to leave the room. I asked if I could stay until I fell asleep or, even better, stay. I didn''t want to be alone. I left the cover-up, and he got in bed with his clothes on. He gathered me up, and I felt safe. I lay there listening to his breath as he stroked my hair and rubbed my back. Before long, I fell asleep and slept for seven hours straight, a much-needed rest. I wake up still in his arms, with my head on his chest. I turn my head and look at him without the worry someone may notice. He has dark hair, defined cheeks and chin, and the most entire lips I''ve ever seen on a man. He is incredibly good looking; I''ve seen the ads with him in his underwear, and his body is impressive. Those thoughts made me feel hot; I had to get my shit together. This sweet man is my best friend''s little brother and is a good person to have me stay with him. Max starts to stir, and I move him off. He opens his eyes and says, "Did you get enough time to ogle me, or should I pretend to be asleep a little longer?" He just chuckles. I jump out of bed so fast and run to the bathroom; I hear him giggling. I wash my face, brush my teeth, change clothes, and walk out. He is just getting out of bed and turns towards me. I look at him, and I can see that he has an erection, and I can feel my face turn red. He looks straight at me with a calm look on his face. "I''m sorry my body reacted to having my dream woman in my bed; I can''t say it won''t happen again because I know it will, and I have five years to make up for in five days," he said as he turned and left the room. I feel so turned on in five years and wonder if I will make it home with heartache. Trusting Myself To Love Again Chapter 2 I head to the kitchen to start some breakfast while Max gets dressed. I''m fortunate that he loves food, and there are many different items. When Max entered the kitchen, I had made a veggie omelet with a side of turkey bacon and fruit. I looked up when he entered and said, "I made us breakfast. Would you like some OJ to drink?" He said, "Yes, and it smells amazing." Max dug into the omelet and let out a sound that sounded like a wounded animal. "This is so good; I had no idea you could cook like this," I said. "I love to cook, and why do you think your brother always ate dinner at my house?" We sit silently for a few minutes, enjoying the food in front of us. Max stops eating, looks at me, and says, "I''m going to say this once, and I won''t mention it again. I''m not sure what happened to you five years ago, but I have a good guess. I do know that my brother had to see a therapist to deal with everything after you left. He never told me the details, but one thing he said was he almost lost someone he loves like a sister, and it killed him that he was not home to save you." I look at him, and I want to tell him but I can''t yet. He can sense my struggle and says, "I''m here if you ever want to talk about it; if you choose not to, then know it does not change how I feel." He stands and kisses my forehead, takes the plates to the kitchen, and starts cleaning up. I take a moment, take a deep breath, and try to steady my feelings. I hop up and walk to the kitchen, take my phone out, and take a photo. I looked at him and said, "I may need a backup plan to make a living, and this photo could be my ticket to becoming an influencer; the sexiest defensive end doing dishes could go for millions." Max looks at me with a smile that could melt the panties off an 80-year-old woman. I knew at that moment I was in BIG trouble with Mr. Blue Eyes. Thank goodness the doorbell rang because if we had waited a few minutes longer alone, we would have been naked. I opened the door and greeted Jeremy, Ashley, and his parents. I took time to hug everyone at the door. Charlotte is the last one to hug me. She hugs me tight and whispers in my ear, "Sweetie, I''m so glad you are here and looking so good." At that moment, I knew she knew what happened to me. I made a deal with myself that I would forget everything and have a great time this week. Everyone walks into the kitchen, and the guys start giving Max shit about doing dishes; he says, "She cooked, and I cleaned up," and Jeremy goes, "I''m jealous you got to eat her cooking." I told him I would cook for everyone before I left because I had some incredible Italian recipes I''d learned since living in Italy. The guys went to head for the final fitting for their tuxes and did other guy things. We ladies started working on the To-do list that Ashley had left. It was a lot of fun spending time with Charlotte and Ashley today. We got the remaining items needed for the gift bags, picked up Jeremy''s gift, and went to a final fitting for my maid-of-honor dress and Mother of the Groom dress. After finishing the fitting, we decided it was time for a late lunch, so we went to Dukes to eat some seafood tacos and margaritas. We talked about my job and Charlotte''s retirement, and Ashley told us about trying not to turn into a bridezilla. The conversation was just what I needed. We were waiting on the ticket, and Charlotte said, "So Mia, how much do you like my Max?" I look at her with a nervous smile and try to play it coy. I say, "He is great, and Jeremy is lucky to have him as a brother." Both ladies burst out laughing. Ashley replies, "She has it bad." I sit there smiling, and Charlotte says, "I''m going to say one thing, and I won''t bring it up again. He has had feelings for you since you went to his college game. He was just scared to act on them because of Jeremy. He has decided to make his feelings known, so be prepared. If you don''t feel anything, just be straight with him; just a little FYI, I would love to have you as a daughter also". With that, we all got up, walked out of the car, and headed to Max''s house. On the journey home, I asked Charlotte if she had decorated Max''s home, and she said yes. I told her I felt that she did because it had the same vibe I remember from her home when I visited and said how beautiful the house turned out. We get to Max''s, and the boys come out to get all the wedding favors. Max has been gracious enough to turn a spare room into a wedding center since I''m uncomfortable at Jeremy and Ashley''s. Everyone sits down in the living room to recap the day''s activities. Max lost his keys while running from an overzealous fan, and it took the guys an hour to find them. Max''s dad, Frank, can''t stop laughing when he explains that his son was running from an older woman with his face printed on her shirt. He said Max took a photo with the lady and signed her sweater. While taking the picture, the lady grabbed his butt, and he tried to step away, and the lady grabbed his face and kissed him. The kiss was the last straw, and he took off jogging away from her, but unknown to him, she could move, and he had to start running. By the time Frank told me all the details, everyone laughed hard. I interrupted and said, "See you, and those underwear ads are too much for women. " Max replied, "Have you been looking at my ads, Mia?" The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. I replied, "I saw it in the airport on the ad bulletin." Max said, "Sure you did, but we can talk more about it later when we are alone." Everyone just looked at our banter and smiled. We ordered pizza and sat around making all the wedding favor bags. It was such a relaxing and fun evening with family. I felt like I was part of their family; I missed my family. They have visited a few times over the past five years. I understand they have their own families and work, and I chose to move across the world from them. Being here with the Knight family made me realize that I need to come back and visit Oklahoma to see my family. Around 9, everyone said their goodbyes after making a plan for tomorrow''s festivities. Once everyone had left, I went to sit on the sofa. Max came over and sat silently beside me for an eternity. In my most cheerful tone, I turned to him and said, "Today was a perfect day, and I forgot how good it feels to have loved ones around." He smiled and said, "I always enjoy any time I can spend with my family, and you are family in my eyes and theirs." "I''m very blessed to have all of you in my life, and I will do better to show it more." I reach out and squeeze his hand to show my feelings without having to say them. We sat on the sofa watching the moon shine over the ocean, and the peace I felt at that moment made me desire to have a husband and children of my own. I sat for a few minutes longer, took a deep breath, looked at Max, and said, "I''m ready to talk about the past if you still want to know." He looks at me and says, "I''m ready to hear about anything you want to tell me." I take a deep breath and start from the beginning. I went into detail about not dating when I first moved to LA because I needed not to be distracted from my goals. After almost four years, I told him that a man who had done everything to pursue me for over a year had worn me down, and I agreed to go on a date with him. I explained that I decided to keep our relationship private because I worked in the Razor organization. He looked at me puzzled but said nothing. I continued telling him there were no red flags for two years, and I thought I had found the one, but I learned that was not the case. I went over the orthopedic residency and how I wanted to celebrate, and instead, I found my boyfriend in bed with another woman. I let him know that I went to Jeremy and told him everything. We decided to travel to Alabama to watch him play in the national championship that weekend to get away from the drama surrounding my life. Max takes a deep breath and says, "The first time I saw you standing next to my brother, I thought she was the most beautiful girl I''ve ever seen, and I had no idea you were dealing with heartache at that time." In a low tone, I said, "Thank you, Max. To be honest, I thought you were the hottest guy I''ve ever seen, but I could not act on those feelings at that time". I keep talking about the ex-boyfriend, all the texts, voicemails, and showing up at my place, and how I decided to stay with Jeremy for a little while until things calm down. I talked about how Jeremy spoke to the ex at the facility and told him to stop contacting me because it was over. This confrontation only made things worse. I explained that the team had an upcoming out-of-town game, and I had come down with the nasty flu and didn''t attend. I had decided to stay at Jeremy''s on the sofa, watching TV and taking medicine to recover while he was gone. I started to tremble and grab his hand for comfort as I continued talking about that faithful Saturday night. I said I had ordered some soup from Uber, and the doorbell rang, so I went to answer it. Said. I picked up the bag and was ready to shut it down when two men pushed into the house. I steady my voice and go on with the recap of the worst night of my life. I tell Max that both men took turns hitting me over and over. I finally passed out from the pain; when I woke the following day, I could not see out of one eye at all, and the other was barely functioning. I tried to move and saw that my arms were tied to the headboard, and no one was in the room. I lay there crying and praying someone would help me. One of the men came into the room and saw I was awake. He untied me and took me to the living room. I looked around and saw they had gone through all your brothers'' things, looking for things to steal. The taller man of the two stepped forward and punched me in the nose, and blood just gushed out. I fell to the floor, and the other started kicking me. The abuse continued all day off and on, and I was sure that I would die. I hear the guys speaking and saying that the team landed back in LA when the pretty boy texted and that they needed to leave before the big guy got home. One of the guys bent down and said, "Next time, don''t piss the wrong guy off," and then he kicked my stomach so hard that I started bleeding out my mouth, and I don''t remember anything until Jeremy found me lying in a pool of blood. By this time, I''m crying hard, and it''s hard to understand me. Max pulls me into his lap, holds me tight, and lets me cry. After a few minutes, I looked at him and finished explaining. I tell him that Jeremy calls 911 and I''m taken to the hospital. I feel Max holding me tighter as I explain that I had to have surgery due to a ruptured spleen, plus four broken ribs, a broken nose and wrist, a concussion, and many lacerations. I tell him that I''m in the hospital for over a week, recovering from my surgery and injuries. I let him know that the security cameras picked up the license plate of one of the men, and he was arrested and gave up on the second man. Neither man would tell who hired them, but we all knew it was the ex. The police went to the organization and questioned the ex, but without any proof, they could not arrest him. The owner and head coach felt the ex was involved, so they did the only thing they could: transfer him to another team out of California. I took a deep breath, packed everything up, and returned to Oklahoma to heal and feel safe. After a few months, I said the residency opportunity came up in Italy, and I took it and moved far, far away to start a new life. I can feel Max''s emotions just from sitting in his lap. He took a big breath and asked me, " Who is the man?" I replied, "Nate Foster." He looks at me and says, "he is dead." Max stands up, carries me to the main bedroom, pulls the cover back, and sits me down. He goes into his closet and brings out a T-shirt for me. "I will go in the bathroom to give you privacy to get ready for bed, and you will stay with me tonight." I wait for him to lock the door, and I quickly remove my clothes except for my panties, put them on my shirt, and crawl under the covers. Just then, the door opens, and Max walks in with no shirt on and just some pajama bottoms; I can''t stop staring. He crawls into the bed and pulls me beside him; I curl up and look at him. After a few minutes, I reach up and place my lips on his, and suddenly, I feel a massive rush of desire course through me. I hear him moaning as we kiss more profoundly, and he suddenly pulls away and looks at me. He lets out one colossal sigh, and he says, "I want you so bad, but I will not do it tonight because it''s been so emotional for both of us. " He adds, "When we do finally make love, it will be so special, and I don''t want those tainted memories in our bed." I groan, but I understand where he is coming from. So I lay back down and snuggle with the man that makes my heart want to love again. Before long, we both fell asleep from the emotions we had felt that night. Trusting Myself To Love Again Chapter 3 In the morning, I wake up feeling a huge burden has left my soul overnight, and I reach over to touch Max and find the bed empty. I take a deep breath, go into the bathroom, shower, and get dressed for the day. Once I''m done, I go downstairs and find Max in the kitchen making pancakes. He says," Good morning, Beautiful; sit, and I will bring the food over." I sit in the chair and watch this sweet, handsome man make me breakfast. This simple gesture makes me feel warm inside because no other man has ever cooked for me. Max takes his time placing all the food he has made. My stomach gives a little growl, and he smiles. He says, "Dig in; I''ve made a lot because I was unsure what you like." We are silent as I fill my plate with two pancakes: turkey bacon, toast, and some strawberries. I start stuffing my face, and I moan because it hits the spot in my tummy. I feel he is looking at me, and I look up and say, "I''m sorry I was striving, and it''s so good." He said, "I''ve wanted to hear you moan for such a long time but never thought it would be because of food." We start chatting as we eat this excellent breakfast. He told me that Jeremy had called this morning and asked if the two of us would drive up to the wedding venue and take photos of the arch that was built and take pictures of them. He said that Ashley''s parents got an earlier flight, needed to pick them up at the airport, and wanted to go to dinner with both parents. He also said that Max and I would be alone for the day. I told Max I would clean the kitchen while he did and get ready to leave. I turn on some music and start cleaning the kitchen. I got everything done, and Max had been gone for over 30 minutes, and I began to worry. I go into the bedroom and hear the shower going. I called his name, but he didn''t respond, so I opened the door to ensure he was okay. My heart starts beating so fast as I see him standing in the shower with his hand wrapped around his erection. I make a little gasp, and he turns and looks at me. I can''t stop staring at him; he has the most incredible body I''ve ever seen in person. He speaks up, and you can hear the arousal coming from his mouth. He says, "Are you going just to stare or join me?". At that moment, my body went on autopilot with desire. It has been over five years since I''ve been intimate with a man. I stare at him and start to remove my clothes until I''m only in panties and a bra. I can see him looking my body up and down, and I reach around, undo my bra, and slowly slide my panties down. I take a deep breath, open the shower door, and step in. Max looks at me and says, "You have the most gorgeous body I''ve ever seen. We will only do what you are comfortable with, and at any time you want to stop, just say it." I reach up and kiss him softly at first, and then I feel his tongue sliding into my mouth. I took my hand and caressed the hard planes of his stomach. He starts to kiss my neck, and I can feel his hands sliding over my body. His hand slides lower until I can feel his hand against my clit. The sensation had me moaning, and I was shocked by the sounds that were coming out of me. I feel him slide a finger inside me, and I gasp from the sensation. Max lets out a slow growl. "Babe, you are so wet for me, and it feels so good to slide my finger in and out." My whole body is on fire; he is the only one to put it out. He bends his head down and bites softly on my nipple, and that sends me over the edge. I let the loudest moan escape me as I covered his finger in my release. I try to slow my heartbeat down, and I grab his face and start kissing him with all the passion I have in me. I reach my hand down and cuff his erection in my hand, and I begin to stroke him slowly; I can feel him tensing up from the pleasure. "Stop, Mia, or I will cum on your hand before I am ready to do it if you don''t stop touching me."Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. He has me in his arms and pressed against the shower wall in seconds. I wrap my legs around his waist and start to kiss him. He looks at me and says, "Do I need protection? Just to let you know, I had a checkout recently, and I''m clean" I looked at him and said, "We are safe to fuck bare," and I barely got the words out before he had ram inside me. He moans, "You are so tight". When I adjusted to his large size, I felt slightly uncomfortable for a few seconds. Then I said, moaned," Harder, please." With that declaration, I could feel Max pumping in and out of me with a force that I''d never felt before. He kissed me passionately, making me feel like you were the only one for him. I can feel myself getting close to an orgasm, and his mouth is on my neck, exploring with his hands tightly on my waist. My body is reacting to all this passion, and I feel myself clamp down on his staff and scream his name as I explode on him. This action caused him to ram hard and deep, and he moaned yes as I felt him fill me with his release. We catch our breaths, and I slide down to him to stand. He grabs my face, looks me straight in the eyes, and says, "That was the most incredible sex I''ve ever had; I can''t wait to try again to do it better next time." He grabs a washcloth and softly starts to clean me. Max takes his time making sure I am clean and taken care of. After cleaning, I am turned on again. I ask him if he needs my help now, and he tells me that if I touch him right now, we will never make it to the wedding venue today. I understood what he was saying and reached up and kissed him before leaving the shower. I started getting ready again for the day while he took his shower. We both finally were ready to go for the day. As we walked into the garage, he opened my car door, and I got in. Before he closed the door, he bent over and kissed me. We started on the hour-long drive to the venue to help make sure Jeremy and Ashley had a perfect wedding. He turned on the radio, and we spent the drive listening to 80''s rock and held my hand the whole way. We pull into a beautiful resort on an exclusive golf course. Max hands the keys to the valet, and we head inside to find the wedding coordinator. After a few minutes, an elegant-looking petite blonde introduces herself as Bridgette. She starts talking to Max about what needs to be accomplished today and acts like I''m not there. Many women may be intimidated by her presence, but I''m not. Over the years, I''ve learned to love myself and my body. Being a 6''0 woman with an athletic body is not what most describe as sexy. But I know that I was the one over an hour ago in the shower with this sexy man being told that I have a gorgeous body. So I walk beside Max and ignore Bridgette and her need to be the center of attention. Once we were outside where the arch was standing, Bridgette suggested I take a photo of the happy couple standing at the arch so they could see how it looked. With this suggestion, Max finally says, "Babe, I have a better idea; why don''t we stand here for the photo of the couple? Plus, seeing how we look on our wedding day will be great." With this comment, Ms. Wedding Coordinator grabbed the phone and said, "I will take the photos." We stood there looking like we were saying our vows as she took the photos, and in the last picture, Max kissed me passionately. That kiss curled my toes, and my body was on fire. I looked at him and said, "I think we need to go before we are arrested for being naughty. " He just giggled. Once we are back in the SUV, we will start our drive back. He looks at me and tells me he is sorry for how the woman was towards me. I tell him it is not his fault, and her actions do not bother me because I know he wants me. He adds, "I only want you and you for the rest of my life." That declaration scared and thrilled me at the same time. I sit in the seat and think for a few minutes about my response to his declaration about us. I say, "Max, I have feelings for you, and I want to see where they can take us, but just know I''m scared, and there are many obstacles that we have to overcome first, but I''m willing to try." He pulls over to the side of the road and puts his emergency lights on. He turns and smiles at me. "That just made me the happiest man to hear what you said; I know we have in our way, but I know we can figure it out." I lean over the console, and we kiss; this kiss was like an agreement that we would figure out how to be together. I sit back down, and he moves the SUV back onto the interstate. We talk about the wedding venue and how beautiful the wedding will be. We also spoke about wedding gifts and how we have not bought a gift yet. We brainstormed some ideas, but it''s tough to buy for a couple that can buy whatever they want. After a few minutes of brainstorming, I said, "Why don''t we book them a trip after the honeymoon to somewhere they would never think to go?" He said, "I think that is a great idea." So I took my phone out and searched for exotic trips. We discussed how they were going on a tropical honeymoon, so we decided to do something different. After 20 minutes, we decided on an all-inclusive safari in South Africa. We knew they loved the outdoors and exploring places with animals and lots of history. We will have the safari booked and paid for when we return to Max''s house. After completing the trip booking, we were to mark another task off our to-do list. Once we got back to the house, Max said, "Would you like to go on a date with me tonight since we are free from wedding prep?" I replied, "YES!!" He tells me to take a long bath and get ready while he makes reservations. Before he leaves the room, I ask, "Do I need to dress up?" He replies, "I''m taking you somewhere special," so he walks over, kisses me lightly, and walks down to his office as I bathe. I feel so giddy about what tonight will hold. Chapter 4

I spent about 35 minutes soaking in a hot bath. I lay my head back, replayed the day''s events, and thought about my feelings. Once out of the tub, I dried my hair and went into the bedroom to moisturize my body. I''m so glad I listened to Ashley and packed multiple evening wear.

I tied my long hair into an elegant knot in the bathroom and applied the right makeup to highlight my green eyes and plump lips. I looked into the mirror and was surprised to see the woman looking back at me.

It''s been a long time since I''ve taken time for my appearance, and it felt good. After sliding on the lace cocktail dress and strappy black heels, I take a moment to look in the mirror. I see the knot in my hair makes my neck look long and elegant, my eyes shine bright, the dress fits all my curves in the right spot, and my legs look so long and fit. I take a deep breath and leave the room.

I start down the stairs, hearing my shoes click against the wooden stairs. This sound causes Max to walk to the end of the stairs. He looks up at me, gasps, and stares.

It takes him a moment to speak, but once he does, you can hear the emotions in his voice as he says, "You are so stunning, and I can''t believe you are with me."

I replied, "You look so handsome, and I am the lucky one." We walked out to the car, holding hands, and it felt like a new beginning for us both.

We drove for a few minutes and talked about anything and everything. It was so comfortable being around Max; it felt like we''d been together for a long time. We arrived at Geoffrey''s, an upscale restaurant with beach views.

Max hands his keys to the valet, and we proceed inside while he holds onto my hand for life. We are shown to an intimate table against the window to access the beautiful sunset over the water.

As we sit down and enjoy the view, we review the menu and talk to one another about the extensive list of foods on the menu. We decide on an ahi tuna tartar, and he chooses a surf-turf plate while I go for paella.

We just chatted about our surroundings, and we both realized that we are both people watchers. This made for a lively conversation about how we saw the other diners in the restaurant.

We laughed, shared the appetizer, and just enjoyed our conversation. Once the main courses arrived, the talk was limited while we enjoyed our food.

The waiter returned and asked how everything was and if we had room for dessert. I said nothing and smiled at the waiter, and Max said he would love "Cr¨¨me Br?le¨¦."

Hearing this from him made me reply, "I''ll take the blueberry cheesecake."

Max giggled once the waiter walked away and said, "I knew you wanted something sweet but would not order unless I did."

I said, "It''s our first date; I didn''t need you to think I ate a lot."

With a very stern face, he says, "You are perfect just the way you are, and you can eat whatever you want around me."

I look at him, touch his hand on the table, and smile. The waiter interrupts the moment and sits our desserts down. We sit in silence as we both devour the incredible desserts. Once we were done eating and the tab had been paid, Max asked if I wanted to walk on the beach.

I told him I would love to. We went to the beach, removed our shoes, and walked to the water.

We stand there looking at the moon casting over the water. He looked at me and asked if I wanted to sit for a while, and I shook my head. We sit down, and he takes his jacket off, drapes around my shoulders, and wraps his arm around me.

He says, "I''ve got to keep you warm because that sexy dress does not cover all of you." I lean against him; I can feel his heart beating as we sit there.

I softly say, "Thank you. This has been the best night of my life, and you have been a perfect date."

He looks at me and says, "You deserve only the best, and I will always strive to give you that. " He bends and presses his lips against mine.

We started kissing softly; it felt like we must kiss to survive. We kissed for what seemed like forever, and I could feel my body reacting to the kiss. My nipples were hard, and I could feel my panties getting wet. He could sense my desire, and I felt his hand slide up my leg and his fingers slide into my panties and start caressing my clit.

He moved his mouth and said, "Babe, you are so wet, and I need to be inside you now."

I said, "Let''s get the car and find a secluded place."

We both stood up and moved quickly. We returned our shoes, brushed off the sand, and promptly headed to the valet. Once we hopped in the car, Max peels out and starts driving.

All while he is moving and looking for a spot, I have my hand in his lap, cuffing his erection. In just a few minutes, we are parked in an empty parking lot at the beach, and he says, "Baby, get your sexy self in the back seat."

He gets into the back, looks up at me, and says, "This is going to be fast before we get caught."

I slide my panties off, unzip his pants and reach in and pull out his hard penis. I climb on his lap, position my core at the tip of his erection, and ram down on it. He growls as he is rammed inside me.

I feel this surge of energy and control take over me. I slid the top of my dress down, and this was my way of saying my nipples needed attention. He latches down on my nipple and starts sucking.

I reach up and grab the handle on the roof and start bouncing on his penis. I place both feet flat on the seat and bounce like my life depended on it. Both of our moans and the smell of sex in the car sent both of us over the edge. I clamped down on his cock and exploded all over it, and this made him grunt and spill his seed deep inside me.

I lay against him, trying to catch my breath, and he said, "I love you," to which I replied, "Me too."

Just then, we see lights pulling into the parking lot, and we scramble to fix our clothes. We both got out and by this time, the police car was next to us. Max tells me to get in the front and goes to the police car window. I can hear him talking to the officer and come to find out he is a huge fan. So, after an autograph, we are on our way.

As we pulled out of the parking lot, I said, "Being a famous football player has its perks," he replied, "Yes, it does."

We were on the freeway when my phone rang, and I saw it was Jeremy. I placed the call on speaker, and he asked where we were because they were at Max''s house. We let them know we went to dinner and would be there soon.

We are quiet for a moment, and I look over at him and say, "I hope your cum does not fall out while talking to your parents," and he busts out laughing.

Once we return to his house, we pull into the garage to face the family. I wonder if they can tell something has changed between us.

We walked into the house, and six pairs of eyes turned to stare at us. I saw Ashley smiling as if she knew something was going on.

Max looks up and says, "How was everyone''s day?" He was trying to lighten the mood.

Ashley introduces me to her parents, Greg and Diana. We all sit around just chatting; I mention the incredible cheesecake I had tonight. During this conversation, Jeremy does not say much but stares at Max.

Finally, Jeremy stands and looks at Max and says, "What the fuck did you do to her."

Max stands and tells him that he has had feelings for me for a long time but never acted on them, and then I moved away. He said that he told me how he felt, and then we decided to give a relationship a try.

Jeremy screams, "You have no idea what she went through, and I don''t want to lose my friend because you broke her heart," and Max screams, "I know everything she told me, and I promise I will never hurt her and will protect her."

The tension is getting very heavy in the room, and Jeremy yells in Max¡¯s face, ¡°Why my best friend on the week of my wedding.¡±

Max pushes Jeremy back and tells him to get out of his face. I feel I must make this right and step between the brothers, and I look my best friend in the eyes and, in a harsh tone, say, ¡°Outside now!!!.¡±

He turns and strolls out the back door, shameing the door. I turn to everyone and say, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I had no idea he would react this way, but I will speak to him and try to fix the damage I have created.¡±

I walked into the chilly night area and breathed deeply to steady my nerves.

Jeremy made the first sound and asked, ¡°Why, my brother?¡± I replied, ¡°He makes me feel safe and seen.¡±

I take a breath and continue saying how it¡¯s been over five years since I even felt safe enough to want to kiss a man, much less have an intimate relationship. I explained that we felt something when we met years ago, but neither said anything until this week.

I went on to say that seeing how happy you are with Ashley and the happy family around you made me realize that I¡¯ve put my life on hold for the last five years, and I don¡¯t want to do that anymore.

I looked at him straight and said, ¡°Max is a caring and honest man I''ve gotten to know better this week. Do you think that your brother is not that kind of man? If you honestly think he is so bad and would hurt me, then say it now, and I will walk away from him.¡±

Jeremy takes a moment and says, ¡°My brother is an honest man who loves those who love him back, and I¡¯ve never seen him be awful to anyone.¡±

I scream, ¡°So it¡¯s me you have a problem with? You don¡¯t want me with Max.¡±

The silence speaks volumes in the night. Tears are running down my face, and I look up at the man who had been my best friend for 13 years and realize nothing will ever be the same again.

With a big sigh, I say, ¡°I will leave in the morning because I don¡¯t want to be somewhere I¡¯m not truly wanted.¡± I turn back into the house, not saying anything to him.

When I walk in, everyone is staring at me. Max walks up and tries to hug me, but I move past him. I hug Ashley, Charlotte, and Frank and say goodbye to Ashley''s parents. I tell everyone that I will be leaving tomorrow for Italy, and I hope everyone has a wonderful wedding.

With that, I rush out of the room before I cry in front of everyone. I make it to the guest room right before I hear, ¡°What the fuck did you say to hear¡± Max screams at Jeremy.

I can handle listening to two of the most important people in my life screaming at each other. The last thing I hear is Max yelling, ¡°You are no brother of mine, and get the fuck out of my house and life.¡± My heart breaks even more.

I can hear raised voices and decide to get in the shower to clean myself and drown out the yelling. I¡¯ve been in the shower so long that my fingers look like prunes, but I don¡¯t have the strength to get up.

I can hear Max yelling outside the bedroom door, asking me to open the door, but I don¡¯t move. After a few minutes, I hear a big bang, and then I look up, and Max comes through the bathroom door. He doesn¡¯t say a word; he steps into the shower with his clothes on.

Max turns the water off, reaches for the towel, wraps me in it, picks me up, and carries me to the bed. He softly lays me on the bed and pulls the cover over me. He leaves the room and returns a few minutes later, dry and wearing sweatpants, and hands me a T-shirt to put on. I put the shirt on and pull the covers back up.

He says,¡± Sleep, and we will talk in the morning.¡±

Sleep never comes for me; I just lay there staring at the man I love with a deep sadness. After a few hours, I decided I must leave because I knew I could not go if I stayed to talk to him. So I quietly get dressed, grab my purse and passport, and walk to the kitchen. I¡¯m in such a state I decide to leave my suitcase because I don¡¯t want to take a chance of waking Max.

I must leave a note because he deserves that and much more. I pulled out my phone and searched for a flight back to Florence. Luckily, I found a flight leaving in three hours. I booked it right away. I sat down and wrote a note to Max explaining why I was going without talking to him.

Max,

When you read this, I will be in the air, flying back home. If I had stayed to talk to you, I would not leave, and I can¡¯t do that to you and Jeremy. He is your brother, and he is your family. I can¡¯t be the reason you stop talking. This would hurt not only you but your parents and Ashley. I wanted to say thank you for showing me that I deserve to be loved and that I must start living my life again. The last few days have been the best days of my life, and I will never forget them. Please know I love you, but I can¡¯t be with you. Please do me a favor, fix the issue with Jeremy, and be at their wedding. Take care, Sweet man, and I wish you the best.

XOXO

Mia

I place the note on the counter, check my app for the car service, and walk outside. I get into the back of the car, and off we go to the airport. On the drive, the tears silently rolled down my face.

Once in the airport, I head through the TSA; now, I¡¯m moving on autopilot. I make it to the gate, and here, ¡°Boarding group 1,¡± I walk up and scan my ticket, show my passport, and walk to the plane.

Once I settled into my first-class seat, I turned my phone off and put it in my handbag. I was covered with a blanket and settled for the long journey back to Italy, leaving behind my heart and family.