Free Max (A Carter Brother series Book 4) by Lisa Helen Gray

haven’t a clue. It’s freezing and you’re only wearing a thin pyjama set,’’ he tells me, eyeing my body like it’s not covered in said pyjama set.
    Pervert!
    “Oh, okay,’’ I give in. I am cold and I’ve been pressed against Max for all of two seconds and already my body is heating up.
    He nods his head and throws the blanket over the both of us. I snuggle in and watch the movie.
     
    “I cannot believe we watched all that and not even any nudity. I’m disappointed.’’
    “You were complaining before about seeing men parts, Max,’’ I say, fighting back a grin. He’s right, though, the movie wasn’t all that good, but to be honest, I never really noticed anything past Channing Tatum.
    “Come on, you have to agree. We sat through all that bullshit for two minutes of them prancing around at the end. I might have to become a stripper, though.’’
    “You that hard up for cash?’’ I splutter, bug eyed. Why is the thought of him stripping actually pretty goddamn hot?
    “Nah, but think of the women that would ride my dick each night,’’ he grins and my bug eyed expression turns flat.
    “You seriously are a pig.’’
    Hope’s cry comes from upstairs and Max looks at me. “What?’’ I snap.
    “Your turn. I’ll put the next movie on,’’ he grins, showing off all his pearly whites.
    Smacking his leg I throw the cover off us and jump up. Hope’s cries get louder the farther up the stairs I get. Joan promised earlier she was a good baby, but if this is what they call a good baby then I’d hate to see what they call unsettled.
    Walking into her room and over to her cot, I find her wailing her lungs out, her face bright red with her hands and feet everywhere. I lift her up under the arms and hold her against my chest.
    “Come on, little cookie, everything’s not that bad. You’ve got a home, a mommy and daddy who love and adore you, and you pretty much eat and sleep. Life’s good,’’ I tell her, trying to console her. Nothing works and I find myself sitting down – after ten minutes of pacing – in the rocking chair. Hope’s room is pretty freaking cool. If I had a kid I’d want their room to look like this. Her name is beautifully written above her cot. In fact, the whole design spread around the room is pretty amazing.
    “Come on, baby. Your mommy doesn’t even know me and if she finds out that you’ve been crying for more than five seconds because I couldn’t calm you down, she’d probably string me up. You don’t want that. No one does,’’ I coo quietly.
    Forgetting my hair is in the braid, Hope tugs at it like its rope. I giggle down at her when she stops crying and she keeps tugging. She tries to chew and suck on the end, but I pull it away before she can get her slobber all over my hair.
    “You’ll get a fur-ball,’’ I laugh. “How about you go to sleep for me and I’ll think about us being best friends, huh? Yeah?’’
    A laugh at the door startles the shit into me. I’m flying up from the chair thinking its Denny or her bloke, but instead I find Max looking comfortable, perched against the doorframe.
    “How long have you been there listening?’’ I blink in surprise.
    “Long enough to hear you blackmail my niece,’’ he grins blissfully.
    “Pfft,’’ I wave him off. “We have an understanding,’’ is all I add quietly, noticing Hope settling down.
    “Come on, I’ve made some popcorn and got some snacks.’’
    “You’re going to eat, again?’’ I add for good measure. Since we left for the food bank this morning, he has to have eaten every fifteen, maybe twenty, minutes. Where the fuck he puts it all is anyone’s guess. Most girls would kill to be able to eat what they want and not put any weight on. Max having that ability is just plain mean. He’s already got the looks, the body, he doesn’t deserve to be able to eat everything his belly desires. It’s just unfair. It’s like God decided, when he was giving out people’s genes, to