MAXWELL: Brothers Ink Tattoo (Brothers Ink Tattoo Series Book 2) Page 3

  She did, and he nodded, mouthing, yes, good.

  She knew it was a small thing, but his praise lifted her spirits, and she felt something blossoming inside her. A radiant smile burst across her face. It had been a long time since anyone had paid her such attention. A long time since someone really seemed to enjoy her company, rather than just tolerate it.

  He worked with her on technique for a while, showing her how to jab and how to follow through with several shots. He was a good teacher, extremely patient and encouraging.

  A flash of lightning lit up the rain-streaked windowpanes pulling her attention. She glanced up at the clock, high up on the wall. It was getting late, and she needed to get home before someone missed her. She gestured toward the window.

  Max frowned, not understanding.

  With her hands in the gloves, she couldn’t sign or type on the cell phone. She was forced to use her voice. It still embarrassed her, the way her voice must sound, but she made herself do it, speaking slowly. “I have to go home.”

  Max nodded. Okay. He reached for her hands, and she turned them wrist up so he could undo the fat gloves.

  She waited patiently until he tugged them off, but when she turned to go, he caught her arm, stopping her. He held up a finger and began typing a message.

  It’s raining. Let me drive you home.

  She shook her head, then took the phone and responded.

  I can’t. If my father saw us together…

  I could drop you off at the corner or in the alley behind the restaurant.

  She glanced toward the window. The rain was coming down pretty hard. Reluctantly, she turned back and nodded to him.

  He typed a message, holding the phone out.

  Why don’t you use your voice? I can understand you.

  She licked her lips, debating, and then formed the words, “I sound funny.”

  You sound fine.

  She read his words, and her eyes flicked to his. She found only sincerity there, but still she bit her bottom lip. She’d been teased so often as a child that she had just stopped trying. Now he had her rethinking that.

  He typed again.

  You don’t have to if it makes you uncomfortable. Only if you want to.

  They stared at each other. She wanted to trust him, but she knew if he, of all people, ever teased her about it, she’d be devastated.

  He typed again.

  My truck is in back.

  Then he jerked his head toward the back door, and she followed him, waiting while he turned out the lights. She stood beneath a small overhang as he locked up, and then hit a button on his key fob, and the headlights to his big black pickup flashed on as he unlocked it. They darted out into the rain, and he opened the passenger door for her, helping her inside.

  She liked the courtesy he showed her. No one had ever held a car door for her before. It felt nice. It felt special. She grinned. He definitely earned some points with that move.

  The interior of the pickup was like a warm cocoon against the stormy weather outside, and she had a few seconds to glance around. A person’s vehicle told a lot about a person. Max’s truck still had that new-car smell. It was obviously a late model with all the bells and whistles. She also noticed it was immaculate on the inside, no clutter or fast food wrappers or empty soda cups. That showed he respected his belongings and took care of them, just as holding the door for her had shown he respected her.

  The driver door opened, and the truck rocked as he hoisted himself inside. Raindrops sparkled on his shoulders as he started the engine and cranked up the heat.

  She had on just a light jacket and rubbed her hands over her arms. He noticed and reached in the back, grabbing a black fleece jacket. He tucked it around her like a blanket and mouthed the question, warm?

  She nodded, smiling, and realized it wasn’t just the jacket that made her warm; it was the way he cared for her. Once she was cuddled in the soft fabric, he reached across her and buckled her seatbelt.

  She breathed in the scent of him that clung to the fabric as he threw the pickup in reverse and headed out. It smelled of some delicious scent, like a woodsy soap that blended with his own manly aroma, one that she was instantly addicted to. She knew that smell would be imprinted on her brain for a long time, maybe forever.

  He rolled down the street and made a right. A thought suddenly had her straightening in the seat.

  She unburied one arm and reached over to tap his shoulder. He turned his head.

  “Do you know where I live?” she asked, forming the words slowly.

  He signed back, above the restaurant?

  She smiled and nodded. “Not too close.”

  He made the okay symbol with his hand and then patted her knee with a grin.

  They didn’t have far to go. Her family’s restaurant was on Main Street, just a couple of blocks from the gym, but Max drove a block out of the way and came up on the Main Street intersection two blocks down from the restaurant, stopping at the red light. Malee glanced down toward her family business in the distance. Main Street was pretty much deserted at this hour of the night. The lights were out at Thai Garden, but she knew her parents were probably still back in the kitchen cleaning up and preparing for tomorrow.

  The light changed, and they rolled through the intersection. Max turned right into an alley that ran behind the businesses. He pulled to the end where it came out at the cross street. If he continued across and drove farther down the next section of alley, her parents’ restaurant would be the third one down on the right. She could see the green dumpster that sat beside the back door. Her brother’s red Kawasaki Ninja bike was parked next to it.

  Max put the truck in park and cut the lights. They were tucked back from the street, nestled on the narrow alley between two brick buildings. In the dark of night, no one would notice them. The only faint light was the glow from the dashboard. She shot a glance over to his hands on the steering wheel. One reached to turn a knob on the stereo, probably turning down a song she couldn’t hear. She noticed the size of his hands. They looked powerful, but they had been gentle when he’d touched her. She hadn’t expected that gentleness from someone as big as he was.

  She tore her eyes from his hands and looked out the window, trying to think of something other than his hands and how they might feel if they touched her bare skin.

  Breathe, she told herself.

  Rain pelted the windshield, and with the wipers turned off, it soon became a mottled glaze of streaks that turned everything into an abstract watercolor. Down to the right she could see the stoplight on Main, changing for an empty intersection. There was something forlorn about a stoplight that changed for no traffic. She could see it from her bedroom window and often watched its blinking colors late at night. She could also barely make out the Fourth Street Gym from her second floor window that sat at the corner of their building. The gym was down two blocks, but she could make it out. What she couldn’t see from her bedroom window was the tattoo shop where Max worked. She’d tried, but it was too far east, and there were trees in the way. Sometimes she heard the motorcycles roar past, though—the ones that often stopped at Brothers Ink. She’d memorized everything about the colorful shop since meeting Max. It fascinated her, but not half as much as the man himself.

  And now there she sat, alone with him in the dark of his truck. It made her stomach knot up. She didn’t have much experience with men, and she wasn’t sure what to do.

  He tapped her knee, drawing her attention from her passenger window to the phone he held up to her.

  I’m glad I met you the day you delivered our food.

  She smiled and replied to him. Me, too.

  They traded the phone back and forth.

  I’m glad you came to Pops’ tonight.

  She nodded. I was hoping I’d see you again.

  You can always come to Brothers Ink.

  I don’t leave the restaurant very much.

  If I order food, would you deliver it?

  She shook her head. My brother does the deliveries. My father doesn’t like me to leave the restaurant.

  Why?

  She shrugged and looked away, not wanting to talk about it. He must have sensed it. After a moment he tapped her knee and, she looked back.

  Can I get your phone number? You have a phone, right?

  She shook her head.

  No, I can’t have it?

  No, I don’t have one.

  He frowned. Why?

  She pointed to her ear. My father thinks it would be a waste of money.

  But you could text.

  She shrugged. It’s expensive.

  Max nodded, not pressing her on the issue. I like talking with you. Can I see you again? Will you come to Pops’ next week?

  She bit her lip. Maybe.

  Will you try?

  She smiled and gave him a saucy look. If I can.

  He chuckled, then his grin faded as he studied her. Why aren’t you allowed to go anywhere?

  Malee sobered and looked away for a moment before typing her answer. My father is strict. It’s for my own safety. He thinks it’s better if I stay close.

  Is it because you can’t hear?

  She nodded, and could feel Max studying her as if he wanted to say more, but in the end, he stayed silent. She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was getting late and she needed to get inside before her parents came upstairs from the restaurant to the apartment above and found her missing. Her older sister would probably cover for her, but she didn’t want to risk it. I should go now.

  Max looked to the back door of the restaurant and gestured toward it. Will you get in trouble?

  Not if I can sneak in. She waggled her eyebrows at him, and he grinned.

  She undid her seatbelt and reached for th
e door handle, but he laid a hand on her arm, stopping her. He searched her eyes, and then slowly signed with his hand. Can I kiss you goodnight?

  She couldn’t stop her eyes as they dropped to his lips in the shadowy truck. She thought about the way it felt when he’d pulled her up against him, and she’d fit like she’d belonged there. Her hand dropped from the handle, and she nodded once.

  His warm palm reached up and cupped her cheek as he tilted his head and touched their mouths together. It started out as just a soft, gentle press of his lips to hers, before he pulled back an inch, their eyes connecting. Then he went in for another kiss, this time his lips parting, his tongue seeking entry. She opened her mouth, and his tongue slid in to stroke along hers. Her hand crept up, sliding up and around his neck. He took that as encouragement and the hand that cupped her face, slipped around to cradle her head and pull her body closer.

  Malee had never been kissed like this before. There had been a few boys in high school, but none kissed like this, and none had ever gone farther than a kiss. They had been boys; Max was a man, and she was finding there was a big difference. She was completely out of her depth here. And it felt wonderful. She didn’t want it to end.

  As soon as that thought crossed her mind, he pulled back, his breathing heavy. He typed on his phone, his thumb moving with maddening speed. Then held it up to her. I don’t want to stop, but you’re a sweet girl, and I like you. I want to treat you right. So we better stop.

  Okay, she signed.

  I want to see you again. Say you’ll come next week.

  She read his message, then nodded and spoke the words, “I’ll come.”

  He glanced out the windshield. It’s still raining. Can I roll the truck up closer?

  She shook her head. He didn’t look too happy with her answer.

  You’ll get wet.

  I’ll be okay.

  His hand closed over the black fleece, and he pressed it toward her. Take my jacket. Cover your head to keep the rain off.

  She looked down at the fabric and then back at him. “You’re sure?”

  He nodded with a look that told her she was taking the jacket, no arguments.

  She took his phone and typed, I’ll bring it to you next week.

  He grinned. Deal. Goodbye, Malee.

  “Goodbye, Max.” She said his name, like she’d practiced in her room late at night. By the sparkle in his eye, she could tell he liked it.

  He leaned toward her for one last kiss. Then she climbed reluctantly out of the truck and dashed through the rain toward the restaurant, holding his jacket over her head. She paused at the back door and looked back. He was still there, watching to make sure she got in safely. He’d turned the wipers back on, but not the lights yet. She could faintly see him through the windshield. She waved and saw his hand lift from the steering wheel at her, returning her gesture. A feeling of euphoria rushed through her as she quietly crept inside and up the back staircase.

  ***

  Max watched her go. He already felt bereft without her, the empty truck feeling suddenly colder. Jesus Christ, you barely know her.

  Didn’t make a difference. Didn’t matter one bit. He was sunk. One kiss, one sweet touch of her lips, and he was done for.

  He’d known he was in trouble when he’d positioned her in front of the punching bag earlier tonight and touched her hips to get her stance correct. Hell, his big hands had almost circled her tiny waist. Standing so close behind her, he’d breathed in the scent of her long dark hair that hung in a glossy sheet to her waist. It smelled like fresh blooming honeysuckle. When he’d kissed her a few moments ago, and she’d slid her hand to his neck, he was sure she could feel his pulse beating a mile a minute beneath her gentle touch. It spurred him on to thread his fingers into that silky hair, finally touching it, like he’d longed to do since the moment he’d laid eyes on her. If she were any other woman, he’d probably have fisted it in his hand, urging her for more, and taken much more than a kiss. But she wasn’t any other woman. She was like no one he’d ever met before—sweet, a little shy, but with a spine of steel. He’d seen that at the gym as he’d thrown down that challenge, and her delicate chin had come up, her determination and maybe a touch of stubbornness shining through. He had a feeling she’d been beaten down in life a time or two, but he bet she always got back on her feet, always willing to give her best shot. He liked that. He liked all of that.

  But he had to face the fact that she came from a different culture. Her family obviously was very close-knit and protective of her. He could tell that much just from the few tidbits she’d shared with him tonight. Duty, responsibility… he knew about those. But he had a feeling it went deeper with her. He had a feeling she didn’t ever want to disrespect, disobey, or shame her family. He’d have to be very careful if this relationship proceeded as he hoped it would. He’d have to treat her with the utmost respect. And another thing he’d have to do was take it slow. He could sense an innocence about her. It was in her eyes, in her body language, and especially in her kiss. That innocence drew him like honey. And he realized he wanted to be the one to change that someday.

  He couldn’t wait to see her again next week. Suddenly his Mondays were looking a whole lot brighter. He grinned as he flipped his lights on and put the truck in gear, pulling out onto the street and heading home to the farm he shared with his brothers. It was good to have something to look forward to. It had been a long time since he’d felt this kind of joy and excitement.

  Chapter Five

  Malee slipped off her shoes and crept up the back staircase to the second floor apartment. Her father owned the building, and the place was quite spacious. There was a small kitchen at the back, a dining room, and a large living room that looked out over Main Street. There were three bedrooms, one for her parents on one side of the living area, one for her brother in the back next to the kitchen, and one she shared with her older sister.

  She crept through the quiet apartment. Her sister was in the living room. The TV was on, but Lawan wasn’t watching it. She looked up from a magazine when Malee came into the room. She signed, Where were you? Did you follow Kiet to that smelly gym again?

  Yes.

  He came home a while ago. Where have you been?

  Does he know I wasn’t here?

  No, he went to his room. I told him you were sleeping.

  Mother and Father?

  They haven’t come up yet. You’re lucky, Malee. You know I can’t keep covering for you. Why do you want to sneak down there anyway? Do you want to take the class Kiet is taking?

  She shook her head. I just like to watch. I get bored sitting at home all the time. Why are Father and Mother afraid for me to go anywhere? It’s not fair.

  Her sister patted the couch next to her.

  Malee sat down, and Lawan pulled her into her arms, tucking her feet under her. She rubbed Malee’s arm and signed with the other hand. I know, baby. They are just trying to protect you.

  I don’t need to be protected. I’m twenty years old.

  Lawan’s hand stroked her upper arm and hugged her. What do you want to do? You’re not happy working at the restaurant, that’s obvious.

  Father will leave the restaurant to Kiet someday. Not me and not you. You know that. He won’t even take any of the suggestions I make. I can’t wait tables in the dining room, like you. I don’t like to cook. What is there for me? I bus tables and wash dishes the rest of my life?

  I think father wants you to marry.

  So I can be someone else’s responsibility.

  You know that’s not it. He wants you to be happy. But, Malee, he’s a traditional man. He wants us both married. He thinks if we were wives and mothers it would make us happy.

  Would that make you happy?

  Her sister seemed uncomfortable with the question. She signed. I overheard them talking. Father is bringing some boys from Thailand, supposedly to help with the restaurant. But I don’t think that’s why.

  What do you mean?

  I think he’s trying to arrange a marriage for me.

  Malee sat up straight. What? No.

  Lawan nodded. I think he is.

  But you’ve been dating that paramedic. What about him?