shock. He wraps Becca in a bear hug. She makes a strangled face and pats his back awkwardly. I’m probably next, so I shimmy around to the bottle and pour myself another shot. I don’t want a bear hug from a man right now.
“Nothing,” Becca assures him. “Max, this is my sister Raina. Rain, this is Max. My ex-boss.”
“Nice to meet you,” I mumble. I can see tattoos tracing his massive neck and words on his knuckles.
He grins at me, a wide sweet smile. It confuses me. A man this large should probably be growling and snapping his teeth. Not smiling sweetly. “The Raina O’Connor. Your sister’s been talking about you since I met her. She’s a cutie,” he says, nodding at Becca, who agrees with a nod of her own. “You’d better watch her tonight. I hear that club’s for the tougher crowd.”
“I’m tough,” I argue, indignant.
“You’re cute. That’s what you are. The men there aren’t going to want a kiss on the cheek and chaste dance. Maybe you should stay home.” He reaches for Claire and plants a huge sweet kiss on her lips. “Are you going to miss me, babe?”
She looks up at him, completely and utterly in love. “Like crazy, baby.”
I look away and take another shot. Their love is torture.
“So yay on hanging out with me tonight?” Max reaches over and taps my shoulder with his meaty hand. Beside him Becca and Claire are trying not to laugh. “I’m going to go get a new tattoo. You want to come? My treat.”
I gulp. “A tattoo?”
“Yeah. Let’s toughen you up.” He grabs my hand. “Come on, sweetheart. We’re going to go get a tattoo.”
“Becca,” I whine.
“I love you, baby. We’ll be home later tonight. Be safe and have fun,” Max calls over his shoulder.
Becca and Claire are too busy laughing at me to be much help. Max scoops me up and suddenly I’m in his arms. I fell weightless in his grip. He opens the door with one hand and marches me over to a large black 4X4. The entire time he’s grinning down at me. I am so confused I can’t think straight.
“Put me down,” I order sternly. He sets me down immediately. “Did the girls put you up to this?”
“They think you need something to take your mind off of whatever’s got you all whacked. Rebecca trusts me, so who better to take you to get your first tattoo?”
“I don’t want a tattoo.” I cross my arms over my chest and glare at the friendly giant. “I want to get drunk.”
“Becca’s like my sister. So you’re like my sister. I know you don’t have a dad, or brothers, or any men in your life to take care of you so I’m going to do that. You’re not going to that club to get drunk and put yourself at risk. You’re too sweet. Becca and Claire can handle it. We both know you can’t.”
Who does this man think he is? “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Please come with me? It’ll be fun. Bec’s worried about you. I care about her. I don’t want her to be worried.”
For some reason he makes me cry. Maybe because I think he does care for Becca and I don’t know a single man that cares for me.
“Don’t cry,” he begs. “I can’t stand it when girls cry.”
“How about this? We wait for them to leave and then I go back inside and cry all night. Trust me. I’m going to do it anyway. You may as well let me do it in peace.”
“Or I can give you something to cry about,” he says playfully.
“Like a tattoo?”
“Think of it as a freeing experience. You can get anything you want on your body forever. When’s the last time you made a commitment like that?”
I like the way he describes it. I try not to smile, because I don’t want him to think I’m down for this, but I can’t help it. He sounds so excited for me. “Anything I want anywhere I want it?”
“Anything and anywhere,” he promises, bouncing with excitement. “Let’s live a little.” He holds out his hand to me.
I stare at his large thick fingers. Really, they’re a baseball mitt. Finally, I place my hand in his and he leads me around to his passenger side. Once he’s in the driver’s seat and pulling out he looks at me.
“The girls only told me you were bummed about something. What are you so upset about?”