NOVEL NEXT Chapter 48: Breakfast with abs
Max shifted under the blankets, a relaxed smile spreading across her face as she hovered in that wonderful place between dream and wake. Her dream was all about Alex spoiling her like a total queen—breakfast in bed, spa treatments, private flights to Paris just because she wanted a croissant. In her dream, she sat on a massage sofa in silk robes and oversized sunglasses, and Alex served her chocolate-covered strawberries while a harp played softly in the background.
"Mmm, yeah... More strawberries, Moneybags," she mumbled, hugging the pillow closer. "And maybe throw in a foot massage. You know how I like it… Oh, what about the tongue orgasm contract? You better sign it."
Her sleepy smile grew as her dream Alex grinned and said, "Anything for you, Max. You deserve the world and a lifetime of intense orgasm."
But then her subconscious threw a curveball, and Dream Alex started singing. It wasn't a romantic ballad or a sweet lullaby. No, it was a jazzy version of "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys. Max's eyes flew open, and she realized the sound wasn't from her dream. It was real. And it wasn't singing; it was a low and rhythmic humming.
She groaned and narrowed her eyes against the morning light coming from the balcony. Her mind gradually kicked into gear, the dream dissipating but the warm, snuggly feeling remaining. She stretched, arching her back like a cat, and when she at last sat up, the sight greeting her almost sent her tumbling back onto the pillows.
On the balcony, standing in the golden light of the Tokyo morning, was Alex. And, dear Lord, he was shirtless.
Max's eyes opened wide, and she flopped back down right away, pulling the blanket over her head. "Oh, sweet mother of carbs," she muttered to herself. "Am I dreaming? Because if so, nobody pinch me. Not even if it's in the butt. Okay, maybe a little bit in the butt."
She waited a moment, just to check and see if he was still there. He was. And if anything, the sight had only improved. Alex stood against the railing of the balcony, a hot cup of coffee in his hand. The morning wind tousled his messy hair, and his complexion had this golden sheen that shouted "romantic movie hero." (This golden part was all Max's imagination.) His wide shoulders and defined back were completely on show, every muscle tensing as he tilted the cup to his mouth.
"Hot damn," Max whispered, her eyes drinking him in like he was the coffee and she was in a caffeine drought. "What are you, a Greek god on vacation? Did I order room service and get a side of abs with my continental breakfast?"
Her brain, still foggy from sleep, narrated her thoughts like a nature documentary. "And here we see the rare and majestic Shirtless Moneybags in his natural habitat. Note the casual elegance, the subtle yet powerful bicep flex, and the devastating effect on the local Max population."
Max slowly sat up, careful not to make a sound. She propped herself up on her elbows, her hair a wild halo around her face, and continued her blatant ogling. It was like her eyes had been upgraded to high definition overnight, and she wasn't about to waste the free trial.
She ran a hand through her tangled hair, trying to tame it into something that didn't scream "just survived a tornado." Then, she casually tried to wrap the blanket over herself in what she hoped was an alluring, movie-star way, but it mostly just tangled around her feet. She kicked it off with a little grunt, the blanket going flying off the bed and landing on the floor in a heap.
Alex turned to find Max sprawled on the bed, her eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights.
"Morning," he said, his voice a warm rumble that did inappropriate things to her insides. His lips curled into a half-smile, and he took another slow sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Uh, hey," she replied, her voice coming out a little too high-pitched. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Morning, Moneybags. You, uh, you always greet the sunrise shirtless? Because if so, I need to adjust my alarm clock."
He put his left arm on the wall, leaning slightly. "It's a beautiful morning. Couldn't resist a little fresh air. Plus, I didn't want to wake you. You looked so peaceful. And you were talking in your sleep."
Max's eyes widened. "Talking? What kind of talking? Like cute mumbling or... embarrassing confessions?"
He smirked. "A bit of both. Something about strawberries and foot massages. And maybe a butler named Jeeves?"
She slapped a hand over her face. "Oh, God. Please tell me I didn't say anything about... you know, weird stuff."
Alex's smirk grew into a full-blown grin. "Define weird. I mean, if you consider requesting a lifetime contract of orgasm with my tongue and a pet penguin named Sir Waddles weird, then yes, absolutely."
She let out a dramatic sigh of relief. "Okay, good. You had me worried for a second. My subconscious has no filter. I'm not responsible for anything my brain says while I'm out cold. Don't ever take it seriously... Minus the orgasm part. It sounds awesome."
He laughed and set his coffee cup on the small table, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. The movement made his muscles shift, and Max's brain promptly short-circuited. She was like an old computer trying to process too many tabs at once. Abs.exe has stopped working.
"So, what's the plan for today?" he asked, his voice smooth and casual, like he wasn't fully aware of the effect his shirtlessness was having. "More exploring? Or do you want to take it easy? Maybe have that talk about our trio relationship with Caroline?"
Max forced her brain to reboot. "I, uh... I'm good with anything. As long as it involves food at some point. My stomach is about ten minutes away from staging a protest. And not the peaceful kind. I'm talking full-on, pitchforks-and-torches kind of rebellion. And as for Caroline, I think I should talk to her one more time before you know... Might save you a little trouble."
He nodded. "Alright, let's go with your plan. And I'll order some breakfast. And coffee. So, you might want to freshen up."
Max gave him a thumbs-up. "You're a hero. Truly. If this were an action movie, I'd be the damsel in distress, and you'd be the guy swinging in on a vine, shirtless, obviously, rescuing me from a villain made of carbs."
"I'd definitely save you from the carbs," he said with a wink. "But only because I want them for myself."
Max groaned and flopped back onto the bed, her arms sprawled out like a starfish. "I think I'm still dreaming. Because real life doesn't come with abs like that before breakfast. I'm not complaining, though. Feel free to stay shirtless as long as you want. I mean, it's your hotel. Your rules."
Alex pushed off the doorframe and walked over to her, his shadow falling across her face. She looked up at him, her hair a messy halo on the white sheets.
"Then my rule is this," he said, his voice dropping into that low, rumbly tone that made her toes curl. "We have breakfast, take on Tokyo, and see where the day takes us. Deal?"
Max grinned up at him. "Deal. But only if there's bacon. I have a strict 'no bacon, no peace' policy."
He laughed, extending his hand to help her up. "I'll make sure there's bacon. And coffee or juice, whatever you prefer. And maybe a butler named Jeeves, if I can find one on short notice."
She took his hand, the warmth of his skin sending a pleasant shiver through her. "A girl can dream," she said as he pulled her to her feet.
...
Max went to her room and noticed Caroline's bed was empty. The sheets were neatly made, and Caroline's suitcase was closed, not a single pastel garment out of place. On the nightstand, a small note lay propped against a water bottle. Max grabbed it and squinted at Caroline's perfect cursive.
**"Hey Max,
Couldn't sleep, so I went to the gym to get some cardio in. I think I ate too much yesterday, so I better do what I must do to keep in shape. If you need me, I'll be the one looking like a dying giraffe on the treadmill. Love ya!
C"**
Max snorted. "Of course, she's doing cardio. I'd be worried if she said she was at the buffet or sleeping in. Overachiever," she muttered fondly.
After a quick freshen-up, Max brushed her teeth and pulled on a comfy gray t-shirt with the words "I Need Coffee and Maybe a Nap" written in bold letters, and a pair of well-worn jeans. She ran a brush through her tangled hair, glanced in the mirror, and decided that "messy chic" was going to have to work for today. She didn't bother with makeup since her face was still a little flushed from her... interesting morning.
She was mid-yawn when a soft knock on the door pulled her out of her sleepy haze. She shuffled over, opening it without much thought.
"Room service," came Alex's familiar voice.
Her eyes traveled up from the silver breakfast tray to his broad chest, and yup... just as she had joked about, there he was. Shirtless. Bare skin, defined abs, and a mischievous grin that said he knew exactly what he was doing.
Max's mouth fell open, and for a full three seconds, no sound came out. "You've gotta be kidding me," she finally managed. "Are you seriously delivering breakfast with a side of abs? What, did the hotel run out of shirts or something?"
Alex shrugged, completely unfazed. "You said you wanted room service and that I could stay shirtless as long as I wanted. I'm just fulfilling your tiny wish. Should I put a shirt one?"
'Hell no! Don't even dare. I'm gonna cover him up in vanilla and blueberry and lick him all over. Shit! Don't drool, Max,' Max crossed her arms, trying to look unimpressed but failing miserably. "And miss the nice view? Hell no. But where's the tiny hat and bowtie? If you're gonna play the part, you gotta commit. I want full Magic Mike vibes here, Moneybags."
"You want me to put on a show for you, Max?" He raised an eyebrow.
Max swallowed. Abort. Abort. Bad idea.
"Uh—"
"Because if I do," he continued, "I expect payment. And I don't mean cash, sweetheart."
Her knees nearly buckled. She felt heat rise up her neck, her pulse hammering in her throat. He knew he had her flustered. He was doing it on purpose.
She cleared her throat, trying to salvage what little dignity she had left. "W-wow, uh, inflation really hit hard, huh? What happened to free room service?"
Alex chuckled, low and deep. "Nothing's ever free." Then, finally—mercifully—he stepped back, but not before leaning in just enough to murmur, "Let me in before I make you beg for your breakfast."
Max didn't need to be told twice. She moved aside, heart pounding as he walked in, setting the tray down on the small table.
"You okay there, Black?" he asked, glancing at her over his shoulder as he uncovered the food. His smirk was back, teasing but firm, like he knew he had her off-balance and wasn't planning on letting her recover anytime soon.
Max cleared her throat, pushing off the doorframe. "Pfft. Please. You're gonna have to try harder than that to fluster me."
"Is that a challenge?"
She froze. 'Oh no.'
Alex turned fully to face her, arms crossed over his chest, eyes locked onto hers with a lazy intensity that made her want to either run or jump him right then and there.
'How does he do that? We had hardcore sex last night, but why the hell am I still flustered over a little tease? Arrrg!' Max wondered.
"Because if you challenge me, Max," he continued, "I won't hold back. You should know that by now."
Her brain screamed at her to stop talking. But when had she ever listened to good advice?
Max tilted her chin up, feigning confidence. "Big talk, Moneybags. But I'm still standing."
Alex's gaze flicked to her mouth, then back to her eyes.
"Not for long," he murmured.
'Oh, hell.'
Before she could even process what was happening, he moved. One second, he was by the table. The next, he had her backed against the wall, one arm braced beside her head, his body just barely not touching hers.
Max's breath caught. Her hands instinctively went to his chest, big mistake, because he was warm and solid and very, very real. 'Morning sex ain't that bad. Are we going to do the dirty?'
"You think too much," Alex mused, his tone somewhere between amusement and something much, much darker. "But I think we both know who's in charge here."
Max's fingers twitched against his skin. "Th-that so?"
He leaned in, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. "You tell me."
Her entire body shivered.
Then, just as quickly as he'd closed the distance, he pulled back, smirking like he hadn't just wrecked her entire existence. He grabbed a strip of bacon from the tray and held it out to her.
"Breakfast?"
Max blinked at the bacon. Then at him. Then back at the bacon.
"You asshole," she finally breathed. 'At least give me a kiss.'
Alex bit into the bacon, unfazed. "You love it."
Max scowled, snatching a pancake off the plate and taking an aggressive bite. "You're lucky I fell for you, or I'd sneak into your room with my magic marker and scribble your face for eating my food."
He chuckled, pouring her a cup of coffee. "I'd like to see you try, Black."
Max narrowed her eyes, but her lips twitched. God, she hated how much she liked this.
He handed her the coffee, watching her over the rim of his own cup as he took a sip. "So, what's the plan for today? Besides you trying and failing to keep up with me."
She snorted. "Bold of you to think I won't outrun you. I have great stamina."
Alex arched a brow, setting his cup down. "Oh? Guess I'll have to test that sometime."
Max nearly choked on her coffee.
Alex just smirked. "Eat up. We've got a long day ahead."
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