Max's Faith & Fury [COMPLETE]

Chapter 35

If Asahel thinks he can just walk around shirtless, he better think again. Max grabbed the hoodie he asked her to wear the night before. She did wear it, all night, just for him. She swallowed at the thought, and her body became warmer with every step she took to the family room. She couldn't help but take him in when she saw him. Her eyes stuck to his shirtless, muscular torso like glue.

"My eyes are up here." He said and she had to rip her gaze off his chest and abs.

"Then wear this." She held out the hoodie and he looked at it with a raised brow.

"Nah," he turned, revealing those beautiful, rippling back muscles. Max wanted to touch them. To massage them. It's a good thing that scarred, perfect body was out of reach. She argued with herself as he told her to follow him outside with her hand clenched tight around the hoodie.

She really wanted to touch them, just to feel them. She had control though, she was sure of it. Just in case, she stayed a few feet back, following with a safe space between them. She didn't even notice the summer air at first. The morning chill kissed her skin, warming her insides and she looked around.

She didn't need a distraction from that machine of a man in front of her. He shouldn't be shirtless. What was his problem? And where was he taking her?

Max paid attention now, and realized they were on the trail she'd jogged down before. She looked back at the driveway in the distance and didn't see his car. So, how'd he get there? She followed him to a different end of the trail where there was a wide-open field. In the early morning light, she couldn't see the other end of the field, but she did notice a little black box that Asahel uncovered, tossing a tarp to the side.

He mumbled to himself as he opened the box. Guns. Shiny, pretty guns. Asahel pulled out a handgun, checked the clip and then looked back at Max. Before she could delve into the thought of him taking her out there to shoot her, he lowered the gun and handed it over to her safely.

She stared at it as if she didn't know what it was. Then, as nature would have it, her eyes followed his arm and back up to those perfect pec muscles. She swallowed. "Why are you naked?" She blurted.

"You wouldn't be able to contain yourself if I were naked." He said smugly and she pursed her lips and forced herself to meet those intense brown eyes. They challenged her. Dared her to do or say something.

Max narrowed her eyes, "if I showed up shirtless one morning, you'd be beside yourself."

He looked slightly surprised, "would you do that?"

Oh my gosh, no! "You're gross."

Asahel laughed, "no I'm not. Take the gun."

She raised a brow, "you sure about that?"

He stepped forward, "what, you gonna shoot me?"

Max tensed as he took another step toward her. "Well," her voice raked out of her dry throat. "What do you want? You already know I can shoot."

"I want to see."

"Ugh," she tied the hoodie around her waist and its warmth grazed her bare legs. "Let's get this over with then." She went to grab the gun, but he pulled it away from her.

"You really want to be like that?" He held the gun close to his chest. He was taunting her. He stepped forward, and with her eyes glued to his body and the gun, Max couldn't tell her legs to move. She tilted her head up slightly, "I'll just leave right now if that's what you want."

No. The suggestion hurt more than Max thought it would. She wanted him there, even if he was like that. Her eyes finally darted away, "sorry."