I wake up at the crack of dawn, right as the sun rises above the trees and is able to shine through Max's window. I groan from the brightness, rolling over to bury my face in Max's chest to block it out. His body starts shaking from laughter, and I pop my head up to glare at him.

"You forgot to close the curtains last night." My voice is dry when I say this, and I realize how badly I need water.

I crawl over a still-laughing Max and slide off the bed, padding my way across the carpet and to the bathroom. I hold my head side ways under the faucet and slurp from the stream that pours out of it. More of it drips from my face than I drink, but I keep drinking until the dryness is gone and my belly is full. I wipe my face and find my way back into bed.

Max doesn't waste a second in pulling me back into his arms, a satisfied hum escaping his mouth. "Couldn't close the curtains when you were up?"

"No, I'm wide awake now," I say, yawning right in the middle of my words and completely defeating their purpose.

"Liar."

"You got me," I say, yawning again as I close my heavy eyes and bury my face in Max's chest once again to block out the morning light. He kisses the top of my head, brushing my hair out of my face for me. I smile against his chest, puckering my lips in a small kiss.

I'm back to sleep before I know it, my mind a black abyss of nothing.

When I wake up later, the room is dark. My stomach is grumbling, and Max is no where to be seen. I have no idea what time it is, but if I had to guess, I would say it was around lunch time.

Where you at? I mind link Max, stretching out in the bed that I have all to myself.

It's a surprise. Don't eat anything, he replies.

My stomach grumbles at the thought of not eating anything. You better be back here in the time it takes me to pee, otherwise I'm going down to the kitchen and finding something to eat. I'm starving.

Calm down, B. I'll be home in five minutes.

It won't take me five minutes to pee.

B.

Max.

You're adorable.

And hungry. On the verge of hangry. I finally get out of bed and walk into the bathroom, pulling my panties down and lifting my shirt up.

That's why I got us food. It's already clear that he got us food, but I want a waffle. If it's not a waffle, I'm not eating it.

What kind of food? I ask. I flush the toilet and wash my hands, smiling to myself as I walk back into his bedroom. My stomach grumbles again, wiping the smile off my face. If I don't eat something in the next minute, I will become hangry.

I told you. It's a surprise.

Whatever. I dig through the backpack of clothes Mara packed for me and pull out a pair of comfy cotton shorts that tie around the waist, slipping them up my legs so I can head downstairs.

You love me, Max teases, and even through my head, I can hear the smile in his voice. Picturing his smile makes me smile (again) as I leave his room and quietly pad down the stairs.

Unfortunately, I reply mindlessly, letting my sarcasm take over. The kitchen is empty when I walk in. I open the freezer, hoping that Mason or Molly loves frozen waffles so I can steal some.

Do you want me to bring you food?

He wouldn't.

Yes, I say, my eyes landing on a bright yellow box. Score!

Then take it back. I grab the box of waffles and don't respond right away. I pop four waffles into the toaster as Max says, B, take it back. I still don't say anything, smiling to myself as I test his patience. I'm only messing with him, and he knows that. That's what makes it fun. B, I am walking by a trash can right now and I won't hesitate to-

I take it back, I love you, please bring me food, I practically yell into his mind.

I love you too. I'll be there in a minute. I know Max well enough to know there is a beyond satisfied smirk on his face.

The toaster pops up with my waffles, and I don't bother with a plate. I stack three of them in one hand and grab the fourth with my other, biting right into it. I take a seat at the island right as I hear Max come through the front door.

He walks into the kitchen with his arms full, planting a kiss on my forehead before setting two large bags of food down on the counter. The smell of the food completely takes over my scent of smell. Bacon is over powering everything else, but Max is right beside me before I can make a move for it.

I twist in the stool so he can stand between my legs, and he crushes my body to his. "I thought I told you not to eat anything," he whispers, his voice teasing. He pulls away from me, looking down at the waffles in my hands.

"And I told you, I was starving. Do you hear this?" my stomach growls on command as I finish the first one. "I will eat all these waffles and whatever food you got."

"I got breakfast food. I ordered a variety for us."

"Please tell me you have waffles. I can already smell the bacon."

He glances down at the ones in my hands with a smirk and says, "I do have a waffle. I also got pancakes, bacon, sausage, hash browns, and eggs for us." He unpackages one of the bags, opens the cartons, and passes me the one with the waffle in it. It's a huge Belgian waffle with chocolate chips littered evenly across the top.

"You are my favorite person on the planet right now," I sigh as he hands me a fork. I dig in right away. It's so good that I think my taste buds are having an aneurysm.

Max goes to the top of the staircase leading down to the basement and yells, "Molly! Mase! Mom! Dad! Foods here!" He rejoins me at the counter and helps himself to a piece of bacon. He takes the pancakes for himself, grabbing the syrup from the pantry and completely ruining them.

Molly and Mason come running up the stairs with their parents trailing behind them. Max is unpacking the second bag of food, handing people their containers. "Hey Brynn," Julie smiles, giving me a one armed hug before taking her own food around the counter. The twins, Max, and I are occupying the four stools, so she stands across from us.

"Hey," I smile back. "How have you guys been? I haven't seen you in a few days."

"Busy, as usual. The twins are keeping us on our toes, that's for sure," Julie laughs. Rick's busy making sure the twins are set with their food at their spots at the island. They sit in those two stools all the time no matter what time of day it is.

"I believe it," I chuckle, trying not to completely inhale my waffle. I don't need to look like a raging lunatic in front of Rick and Julie, even if that's exactly how I feel.

I steal a piece of bacon from Max's container of everything. Under the counter, he rests his hand on my bare thigh, sending a tingle through all the nerves. He leaves his hand there for the remainder of breakfast. His parents ask me questions and I do my best to talk with them, but Max's hand keeps moving higher and higher.

As soon as I finish my waffle and the rest of the bacon, Max declares, "Brynn and I are going upstairs." He gets up, throws our empty containers in the garbage, and leads me back upstairs to his bedroom.

"You little-" I start, but his lips are on mine before I can finish. I relax into the kiss, looping my arms around his neck as he walks us over to the bed. He gently lays me back and braces himself on top of me, his forearms resting on either side of my head. I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him closer. I bring my hands down to the hem of his t-shirt, trailing my finger along he waistband of his shorts.

Max pulls away all too soon.

"Hey," I whine.

"I've been wanting to do that since I walked through the door," he breathes, his voice husky. "You look so god damn sexy, B." I giggle, staring into his eyes. The red outline is faintly visible, and, as a little experiment, I start tracing his stomach muscles with the tips of my pointer fingers. He closes his eyes for a few seconds, and when he opens them, his eyes are pitch black and the red outline is very distinct.

"Mission accomplished," I whisper seductively.

He brings his lips back to mine, not wasting any more time in getting to what we both want.