CHAPTER 12

Jayla's POV:

"I broke the door. I'm deeply sorry, sir," Keaton said.

"Also, what are they doing here?" Mr. Jacobs asked, pointing at Keaton and Jake.

"My King, your daughter needs to be protected from the evil—"

"Mr. Jacobs, there was a burglar in your house, so my friends here helped your daughter since I was too far away." Max glared at Keaton.

"Hmm, well, thank you for protecting my daughter, but I don't understand what you are doing here either, Max?" My dad asked Max, who frowned and snapped his head towards me.

Oh, God.

"Jayla, you didn't tell him?" he said to me with a serious face. I nervously drank my tea.

"Let her drink her tea," Jake said, saving me. I thanked him with a look, and in return, he winked at me.

"Jayla, it's time to give me some answers," my dad warned coldly. I put down the cup and bit my lip.

"Well, Dad, I called him here because—"

"Because my girlfriend needed me," Max finished my sentence. I widened my eyes at him just to see him calm and relaxed.

"What?" he yelled.

"Oh, God," Keaton sighed.

"So, we are going to go. I'm sorry, but it's late, and my parents will kill me. See you later, Jayla and Max." Jake laughed nervously and grabbed Keaton. Max glared at them. I pleaded for them to stay with my eyes, but Keaton only smiled with amusement.

They left us alone with my angry dad. I was so dead.

"Well, I have to go too. My dad is calling me to come home," Max suddenly said. I pinched his thigh, and he gasped. I pinched his thigh harder. I warned him with my eyes that he better not leave me alone.

"I…I have to go." He sent me a look and cocked his head toward the door.

"Are you guys talking telepathically or what?" my father boomed.

"No, sir!" Max said sternly as he stood up straight. I chuckled silently.

My dad was in the military back in the 90s. He still had that military attitude, and of course, that would make anyone scared of him, except my mom, who fell in love with his intelligence and body. But she loved him just like he loved her.

"You better not hurt her. If you do, I swear to God that I will bury you alive and stomp on your dead body," my dad threatened him, and for the first time, Max gulped anxiously.

"I can definitely promise you that I will not let anyone hurt her, ever," he said with a serious face. He meant what he said. I could feel it.

"I trust you, boy. Welcome to our family." My father patted him on the back. Max laughed nervously.

"So, can I stay here for the night?" Max asked my dad. My dad chuckled, and I was sure he would refuse this proposition.

"Sure," my dad replied, and I gasped in shock.

"Come on, Jayla," Max said as he took my hand and headed upstairs. He followed me as I walked to my room. I opened the door and let him in.

I looked at him as he stared at my bedroom. It had beige and white walls, and my bed was large with beige and white sheets. I didn't have girly posters or anything.

"What is this?" he asked, picking up a book. I looked at him, wondering why he was in my closet. He opened the book and gasped. I frowned as I took a closer look at the book and then remembered that they were my romance books. How did he find those?

"No!" I yelled and jumped at him, snatching the book away. He let out a chuckle. My eyes widened, and I put the book back where it belonged.

"Didn't know you read those kinds of books." He smirked. We sat on the ground. He had his back against the wall and was smirking and mocking my flustered face.

"I-I'm a teenager. That's normal," I reasoned.

"I knew that you were the nerdy, innocent, and horny type, just like me," he muttered, moving closer to me. I scooted away from him, but he crept closer.

My back hit the bed. I was stuck. He slowly grabbed my hand and pulled me toward him until I was sitting on his lap. I squealed and tried to get out of his hold, but he gripped my hips tightly.

"Don't run away from me, baby," he whispered mischievously. "Even though I like chasing you." He smirked again.

And here we go again. My heart was beating furiously just for him.

"I can't believe I have such a gorgeous girlfriend," he said. He let go of my hips and caressed my cheek. His other hand slowly moved down my cleavage. He pushed down the straps of my tank top. He looked at my eyes for permission, and I nodded. I was submitting to him. My body was submitting to him.

He was doing things to me, and I liked it. He took off my top and sucked in a deep breath.

"Holy shit! Baby, sweetheart, you are magnificent," he whispered as he cupped my cheek. He touched my collarbones, lightly brushing them.

"Your collarbones are amazing," he said.

"I want to mark you. I want to make you mine…Oh, wait. You are already mine and only mine." He laughed darkly. "Do you know why?" he asked with a glint of lust in his eyes.

"Why?" I said innocently.

"Because you were mine since I set my eyes on you," he declared and put his lips against mine.

"Hmm, Max," I moaned as he pushed his tongue into my mouth. Soon, he stopped kissing me and moved to my neck. I breathed heavily as he sucked on my neck as if his life depended on it. Then, he gripped my hips again and held me so close that our chests touched.

He let go of my neck, but when he was about to unhook my bra, the door slammed open. Max growled and threw the tank top at me. He put me behind him so that no one could see my bare chest.

"Max, what the fuck are you doing here at this hour?" Darby asked with a glare.

"Your dad let me sleep here," he snarled.

"The fuck? Dad let you sleep here with my sister?" he yelled.

"Don't shout, please!" I sighed.

"I need to talk with Dad. I can't just let you sleep here. That's stupid." Darby shook his head.

"Well, he just told me I could. So what?" Max mocked.

"I will deal with you later," he snarled and slammed the door closed.

"Why did you post a video of him twerking? That's why he's mad at you," I said.

"Because it was funny," he said nonchalantly.

"It's not funny. Now you are not friends."

"Whatever, he will come back to me anyway." He rolled his eyes and hugged me.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Trust me, baby," he smirked.

***

"Jayla Patricia! Did you make pancakes?" Darby yelled. I swear to God that this man was acting like a child. Who the fuck yells like that at 7 a.m.?

"Darby, stop shouting at me!" I growled.

"So, your middle name is Patricia," Max said. I looked at him standing against the wall. He was shirtless, showing off his abs and amazing tattoos.

"Yes, Patricia is my middle name," I grunted.

"Jayla Patricia Jacobs. It doesn't sound great," he said, making me agree with his decision.

"I know, right? I don't know what my mom was thinking." I rolled my eyes. He hugged me from behind, wrapping an arm around my waist.

He nuzzled his head on my neck, sniffing my hair. I had just taken a shower.

"Peach is literally my favorite fruit," he said, talking about my shampoo. He let go of me and took a bite of my pancakes.

"Jayla Patricia—Max, get the fuck away from my sister!" Darby shouted.

"Jesus Christ," Max sighed in annoyance and moved away from me.

"That's better. No touching my sister," he warned.

"You mean something like this?" Max provoked him and turned my head. He kissed me hard. I blushed at the forceful kiss that made my heart beat twice as hard.

I heard my brother gasp. Max let me go and winked at me.

"You fucking asshole!" Darby screamed. Max smirked and ran away from him. I liked this side of him.

"Wait till I get my hands on you!" he threatened Max. But just as Darby was about to run after Max, my mom jumped on him and pushed a syringe into his arm, making Darby fall.

"Mom! What did you do?" I yelled at her. She stood up slowly as she rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Don't worry. It's just a tranquilizer. Nothing harmful. He has been annoying me. I can't believe that I made a son like him," she sighed and returned to her room.

I forgot that she got home at 6 a.m. Damn. It must be hard to be a nurse working the night shift.

"Your mom made him pass out?" Max asked as he touched Darby's body with his feet.

"It's normal," I said, calming the tension.

"Is he always like that?"

"That energetic? Yes, he is an energetic man. It's because of those Monster energy drinks that he likes," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Alright then. So, what are you doing today?" he asked me as he sat in front of me, and we continued to eat our pancakes.

"Well, Giovanni asked me to go to the music festival with Eleanor and Peyton. What about you?" I asked him.

"I'm going to fix some cars with Cole, Marco, and Huxley," he snickered.

"You guys are so funny." I laughed.

"What can I say, baby? It's in my nature," he said with a smirk, and I rolled my eyes. I didn't know that he could be arrogant.

"Do you want me to drop you off at the festival?" he proposed, but I shook my head.

"No worries. Eleanor is going to pick me up with Giovanni," I said and looked at my watch.

"Crap! I need to get ready. They'll be here in two hours!" I said. I finished my pancakes quickly and sprinted upstairs. I felt him following me, and he closed the door of my room behind him.

"Do you want me to help pick out your outfit?" he asked, sitting on the bed.

I looked at the bed and blushed as he started kissing me.

"Gosh, baby, you are so amazing!" he whispered and sucked the spot harder, leaving a hickey.

I moaned. He grinned and touched my stomach slowly. He leaned over me on the bed and kissed every inch of my stomach.

"Baby? Hello?" Max said.

"Hmm yeah, sure," I stuttered.

"I would like to do more than this, but you are not ready," he smirked and pecked me on my lips.

He knew exactly what I was thinking about.

"Now, let me help you figure out what you are going to wear to the festival."