Part 4
PMDSXXX
Max had been informed of his impending release to Kerri Pike. It was a surprise to him that she had that much power to have this ordered. He was unsteady on his feet when the guard helped him out to her car. He was still being affected by the medication that the doctor gave him, and it was wearing off as soon as they arrived at her home. Being released into her care for the night would allow them to get closer than before, and he would see her true feelings toward him. He hoped that the guard wasn't allowed into the home as he had a lot to say to her. As long as he didn't push his advances on her, he would be safe.
Kerri stopped and parked the car since the guard was not far behind. Once he pulled up behind her, he parked his car and got out to help Max into her home. She gathered the bandages and ointment that he would need from the bench seat. Kerri helped the guard bring Max into the house and settled him onto the couch.
"Ms. Kerri, I'll be right outside on the porch. Don't hesitate to call for help, and I will be right in." The guard told her in a strict tone.
"Jed, I'll be fine. Mr. Stone is in no shape to harm me or you for that matter. I won't hesitate to call you for help." Kerri informed him before he walked back out to the front porch. Finally, they were alone and could talk. Max winced from the pain in his ribs and held his head with his one hand. Kerri noticed he was a filthy mess and needed a bath. She also wanted to cook a meal of fried chicken, mash potatoes, biscuits, and vegetables.
"I think you need to get cleaned up. Are you hungry for anything in particular? I know the prison food can't be all that good." Kerri flashed him a brief smile in hopes to make him feel better.
"Anything you can make has got to be better than that prison food. I can use a shower or quick soak in your tub." Max slowly got to his feet and looked at his unkempt features before he looked back at her as she tilted her head at him.
"The tub or shower is down the hall and to the right. You're going to need a change of clothes so that I can launder your dirty ones. I'll look in my extra spare dresser and see if I can find you something to wear." Kerri got up and went upstairs to the spare room where she kept an extra change of men's clothing in case one of the guardsmen needed it for an emergency.
As Max began to remove his clothing, a soft knock came at the door. Kerri tried to distract herself while he was in the state of undress, but she found it very difficult to turn away. When he opened the door slightly to greet her, he stood before her in his boxer's and no shirt. Kerri blushed at the thought of seeing him in his state of undress taking in his physique.
"I think I might have found something that will fit you." Kerri handed him the clean clothes and waited for the dirty ones. When they brushed fingers, they both felt the electricity between them again and backed away from the door. She waited for the rest of his dirty clothing.
"Kerri, you don't need to be frightened of me. I'm not going to harm you. Why did you put the necklace into your handkerchief you gave me?" Max whispered to her while the door was ajar but she couldn't see his face.
"I always wore it when I needed luck, and I thought you could use it. Furthermore, I am not scared of you. I'm going to put your clothes in the laundry and start cooking our supper. We can talk later. I promise you that we will but just not right now." Kerri excused herself and walked back down the hall with his dirty clothing in her hands.
Max unraveled his bandage around his ribs and discarded them in the waste basket. He looked at the sight of the redness on his skin and saw a purple hue starting to form. He knew it would be noticeable by dawn. He reached for the bandage on his face and discarded it too. It was an abrasion to his brow and that didn't worry him. He took a shower and slowly soaped up the washcloth to clean his wound on his brow. The only thing that gave him pain was his sore ribs, and the ache that came with it.
Meanwhile Kerri busied herself with cleaning his laundry and quickly hung them up to dry. The heat of the day would do the trick as the evening sun set. She hung up his clothing on the clothesline which was located at the back of the house. She washed up and prepared their meal. As she set the table, Kerri saw movement on the front porch as the guard made his rounds and took a smoke break away from the stoop while he scanned the area for anything out of the ordinary and returned to his chair. Kerri opened the front screen door to see Jed reaching for his rifle in alarm.
"Ms. Kerri, are you alright?" He asked concerned and stood at the ready.
"Jed, I'm fine. I've cooked supper and your more than welcome to the food if you like. Mr. Stone is cleaning up, and I'm about to change his bandages. He's been on his best behavior." Kerri held open the door and invited him into the house.
"Thank you, Ms. Kerri. I will take you up on your fine cooking, but I don't want to leave my post unattended so I'll be taking my meal outside. You never know who will be lurking around." The officer told her and followed her inside.
"Okay. What do you want to drink? Coffee or iced tea?" she asked as she reached for another glass from the cabinet.
"I'll have a nice glass of iced tea. I might have some coffee later." He said and stood by the kitchen table as Kerri served him a few pieces of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and a biscuit. She turned around with the pitcher of iced tea and poured it into the glass. The officer gave his thanks and took his plate of food back outside and looked for any suspicious activity before he began to eat his meal.
Max finally appeared from the bathroom and walked down the hallway with the t- shirt in one hand, and the slacks fit him just right. Kerri turned around when she saw him coming towards her in his half-dressed attire and gave him a once over before he did the same at her. He didn't come across like any other man she met in her life, and he didn't force himself on her either. He knew his limits and respected her. She also knew chemistry was there, and it was about to show itself.
"Your supper is ready whenever you want to eat; however, I must re-wrap your ribs and bandage your scrape with the ointment that the doctor gave me unless you'd rather do it yourself." Kerri told him before she went to get the bandages.
"No, you can tend to my wounds." Max replied and calmly walked into the kitchen. When the guard unshackled him earlier, it was like a relief that he could actually walk without hearing the leg irons clinking against each other. If it wasn't for Kerri speaking her mind about him tripping all over himself, he'd still be in them.
"Okay, now you're going to have to stand still so that I can re-wrap your ribs. Don't move. If your ticklish, then think of a dreadful situation and hold the thought." Kerri instructed him.
He placed his arms above his head so that she could have access to him. She took in his chiseled features and his sparse hairs on his chest. She thought why on earth a drop-dead gorgeous man like Max Stone hadn't a girl or a wife. He was a pleasant man, not overbearing, and a complete gentleman. She carefully touched his physique with delicate hands, moved closer to him, and breathed his scent into her lungs. She finished wrapping the bandage around his stomach. He flinched when her hair tickled his broad chest as it brushed against his flesh. She lingered a few seconds as she took in the moment before he lowered his arms down and he touched her shoulders tenderly.
Kerri shook her head out of her reverie when he grasped her chin with his index finger. He looked deeply into her hazel eyes and searched them with his baby blues, and leaned in towards her for a chaste kiss to her lips. He caught her off guard, and she wanted more of him. The passion between the two was palpable as their tongues mingled into another heated kiss. She placed her hands onto his chest firmly to stop him. He gave her another quick kiss to her lips and down the side of her neck. He held her hand still in his much larger one as he caressed her hair in his other hand. His desire for her sent him into dangerous waters. He gave her another quick kiss to her cheek and stepped away from her. He lowered his gaze to her dress and back up to meet her flushed face.
"I'm sorry. I just couldn't help it. You standing before me looking like an absolute angel. If I've over stepped my boundaries, please don't hesitate to call for the guard." He gave an apologetic tone in his baritone voice.
"Your scrape on your forehead needs tending before it starts bleeding again." Kerri turned her back on him, ignoring his comment, and grabbed the supplies. He took her by the elbow gently to get her attention.
"Yeah, that's not all that needs tending too. You and I both know it, Kerri. We still need to have that conversation you promised me. Remember?" Max said while she tended to his cut.
"Yes, I remembered. After you eat, I'll tell you all about myself." Kerri eyed him after she placed the ointment on his wound and covered it up with the bandage. Max sat down at the kitchen table while Kerri handed him his plate.
"Would you like some iced tea or iced water?" She asked him with a smile on her lips.
"Iced tea sounds good. Thanks." He reached for the glass and took it from her hand.
They both ate their meals in silence enjoying the quiet time together as they observed each other. Kerri liked having company other than the guard posted at her front door for a change. Max cleaned his plate and wanted a second helping. He couldn't remember the last time he had a nice home cooked meal. Kerri eyed him and wondered when he last had a decent meal. She finally cleared her throat, but she was interrupted when Jed opened the door to see them at the kitchen table. He cautiously walked toward the two of them with his empty plate in one hand and his hand on his pistol at his hip.
"Ms. Kerri, is everything alright in here? It was too quiet so I thought I'd check in on you two." Jed approached the kitchen table with his hand still on his holster and was relieved that everything seemed under control.
"Jed, I'm just fine. I shared my supper with Mr. Stone, and he's been on his best behavior and he's been no trouble at all. At least he likes my cooking." Kerri joked, but the guard was not amused.
"I want to thank you for the supper, Ms. Kerri. I will return to my post at once. If you need anything, I'll be right here and at your convenience." Jed told her, while he rinsed his plate, and walked back outside to keep a watchful eye on the grounds.
"I'm going to clean up the kitchen and get settled in for the evening. Would you care for anything else to eat or drink?" she asked him as she took her plate to the sink. He watched her clear the dirty plates and went to help her at the sink. She stepped aside since she didn't know what his intentions were.
"Do you mind if I help you clear the table? I would love another glass of iced tea." He asked for permission before he cleaned the rest of the dirty plates off the table and brought them to the sink.
"I don't mind if you help out. It's the least you can do since I did make the supper, right?" Kerri told him and washed the dishes. He stood at her side and dried them with a dish towel as he leaned up against the counter.
"I can't recall when I had a meal as delicious as yours. As a matter of fact, it's been a few months, because my mother is a stay-at-home wife, and her cooking skills show for it since I'm an only child. I went to my parents' home after law school before I rented an apartment and wondered if I should move out of state or help my father's practice. That's basically all I can tell you other than the fact I'm an unattached bachelor." He quietly told her when she looked over at him.
"I'm glad you're still undecided at the present moment on whether to move out of state or stay in your hometown. We wouldn't have crossed paths and be speaking right now. I'm sorry you're in the mix up with the robbery of the federal bank." Kerri gave him a suspicious grin and lowered her gaze to his chest where she saw her necklace dangling on his neck. Her eyes trailed back up to his face and took in his dark features as he watched her curiously. He knew that he might have a chance at her heart since he knew she was out of a relationship, he didn't want to say the wrong thing to her.
"I'm glad I met you too. I wish I could have met you before all this mess happened. I wouldn't change anything since I'm not worried about the outcome. I know my father will see me through this, and if they have evidence to clear me, the investigators will present it in my defense." He expressed his thoughts in a sincere manner that of an innocent man. He dried the last cup and placed it in cabinet before he turned and saw her walk out of the kitchen, and he followed closely behind her.
"Come on. I'll show you where you'll be sleeping tonight. I have a spare room upstairs." Kerri told him and climbed the staircase. She led the way up the steps ahead of him slowly when she lost her footing, and he placed his hand at her lower back for support. She felt his warm, soft hand through her dress, and it gave her comfort and a warm feeling that she hadn't felt for a long time. Even with her ex-boyfriend he could be gentle with her, but when Max placed his hand on her, it was much more sensual. He kept his hand at her lower back before it drifted to her hip until the last step when she looked over her shoulder at him with darkened hazel eyes.
"Thanks, I'm sorry I should know these stairs because I've been here for about a year now since I moved out of my parent's house and bought this house on a whim." Kerri walked ahead of him as he lowered his hands to his side.
"Here we are. There is fresh bed linen on the mattress and all the comforts of home unless you want to make camp outside with the guard. That's your choice too, but I don't think he'd like your company."
"No, this will do just fine." He looked around the room and gave his approval. She slowly turned to walk away from him, but he grabbed her hand gently to keep her in the room a little while longer.
"Something wrong?" She looked confused and saw the longing in his eyes when he closed the space between them and held her hand. He motioned for her to sit down on the edge of the bed.
"You promised me you'd finish your conversation, remember?" He looked at her as he sat down on the bed, and she stood in front of him. He let go of her hand before she walked over to the window sill and looked out the window.
"You're really that intrigued about my life?"
"Yes, I am. I've got all night, and I'm all ears."
"Well, I grew up in a middle-class family. I have an older brother who is in the Army, and my older sister lives in Tennessee with her husband and a baby on the way. My father and mother live only a few miles from here, and I bought this home a year ago. I just ended a relationship with a business man who I was involved with for six months, and now I'm single. I've worked for my father for a few months after I took a business course before I started to work for him. I've always wanted to work in the office, and my father protested against me working near prison inmates. Both my parents have voiced their concern for my safety, and with the latest threat of "Bad Bart" having his eye on me now. That's the reason the guards are on duty at all times. My father will protect me at all costs, and for that I'm grateful for the men protecting me. "Bad Bart", will have his day, and I'm sure of it. I can't wait until they move him to another state prison." Kerri's voice was strained with her back still to him as a single tear escaped the corner of her eye which she wiped it away while she stared out the window.
Max thought to himself as he smiled and got up from the bed before he walked over to her. She looked out the window when he placed his hand on her shoulder. She shivered at his gentle caress which sent shivers down her spine. She turned around to face him with her lower back pressed against the window sill, and couldn't escape him.
"I have a proposition for you, Kerri. Do you want to come work for me in my office, once I get out of this mess? I have no wife and no lucky lady at the present moment. I can't stop thinking about you, and I'm not sure of your feelings for me. When we shared our first kiss, you didn't call for the guard so you must have felt something between us, right? Or you would've had me handcuffed and out of the house, wouldn't you?" Max whispered to her to make his feelings known.
"Honestly, I don't know what I feel, Max. I have so many things running through my head at the moment. When I first saw you, I was fresh out of a relationship of six months, and my father's words that he spoke earlier to me about you, and told me not to trust you." Kerri lowered her head in dismay. She felt something for Max deep down in her soul, and she knew he did too by the way he looked at her, and the way he touched her.
"Do you trust me now? We are here alone in this room right now. The guard is on the premises because you can call out to him right now and take me away to my prison cell. I don't want that to happen because I know this will be the only night, I get to spend here with you. I've never harmed you and would never do anything against your will." Max's honesty argued his point to her while she bit her lip and thought of the consequences it would cause her if she allowed herself to follow her heart and get closer to him.
She looked up into his eyes and seriously contemplated on the question of working for him. Taking his hand in hers, she pulled him toward her and closed the gap between them as she palmed his cheek into her hand gently before she caressed his stubble cheek with her fingertips. He closed his eyes at her tender touch and felt her lips brush his lips. He responded immediately to her as he swiped his tongue over hers and kissed her hard. He pulled her flush against him so she could feel his growing need for her when she nudged her knee against his groin. She slowly pulled away from him, licked her bottom lip, looked at him with hooded eyes, and caressed the front of his shirt as her fingernails brushed against his heated skin, and he flinched. He lowered his head and closed his eyes from the pain in his ribs before he returned his gaze to her lovely face and forgot the pain. He stepped back from her, and she touched her lips from where his mouth had been and knew there was more to come if she wanted him in her life.
"You think about what I asked you. You come work for me and be with me when all of this is over. I will be working as a successful attorney with you or without you." He murmured to her and went over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it before he slowly kicked off his boots. He heard her heels approaching on the wooden floorboard and looked over to see them at his feet.
"I have your answer Max. Yes, I will work with you in your office. I've thought about it, and knowing my parents would approve of it. For my own reasons, I want to be with you. I feel different when I'm with you which is something I've never felt before with anyone in my life. I must admit your looks, gentlemanly nature, and your presentation of yourself towards me makes me feel like you really want me to be in your life. I want to be in a relationship with you if you'll have me." She took his large hands into hers and squeezed lightly which made him interlace his fingers into hers.
"Of course, I want you. I'd be stupid if I didn't want you in my life. Your beautiful, smart, brave, and a strong-willed woman. I couldn't fathom why your ex broke up with you in the first place you are worth fighting for, and I would die protecting you." He gave her hand a firm squeeze and kissed the top of her knuckles which affirmed his emotions. He couldn't wait to have her in his arms. When the time was right, he would show her that she was the only one he wanted.
"I better be going, or you and I are going to have a serious problem." Kerri giggled and placed her index finger on his bottom lip which made him smile.
"Yes, you better go, or we'll have some explaining to do, won't we?" He replied as she released his hand. She finally left the room, and he watched her walk away. She went to her room, got ready for bed, laid down on her mattress, and tried to get some sleep.