CHAPTER 72

" If you don't mind, can we drive home now?" Ria requested. She hasn't gotten over her small encounter from earlier and she wondered what would have happened if Liam haven't called at the moment.

" It's okay, it's already quite late after all." Maxwell said as he headed for his back pack. Ria also took her back pack too before they walked out together. The personnel incharge of keeping watch of the place turned off the lights and locked the premises after both Ria and Maxwell had left.

" How about my painting?" Ria asked once they were in the car, just to break off the awkward moment.

" I can bring it to you tomorrow." Maxwell said.

" Oh come on Max, I've been eagerly waiting to see it for the rest of today and now you're telling me to wait until tomorrow?" Ria said annoyed.

" Your brother wants you home." Maxwell reminded.

" It's barely ten! We can still drop by at your place for like ten minutes." Ria said.

" It not like we would be walking our way back!" She added. It is a four minutes drive, moderate speed.

" Okay if you say so. I don't want to clash up with your brother, he's overly protective of you." Maxwell said.

" He isn't that much worried because he knows that I'm with you and even though he won't be trusting you maybe, he still has that little faith that you won't do anything to hurt me." Ria said and smiled.

" And why would you say that!" Maxwell asked with amusement.

" How you carry yourself. Your poise, acting all calm, collective and matured!" Ria said and Mac let out a soft chuckle.

" Okay, I didn't know that is how my outside view looks like." Maxwell admitted.

" It is because you can't see yourself. And of course, mother nature is a bitch! The outside world must have taken part in showing you the hard way. I'd say that is the reason you realised who you exactly are after all those messed up encounters you had before." Ria said referring to the earlier story he explained to her.

" I'm not telling you more about my past, I see now you're holding it against me!" Maxwell said faking a pout and making Ria laugh of his funny look.

They stopped at Maxwell's apartment after a few minutes of slow driving.

" By the way, I wanted to ask you why you were driving so slowly, we could be here in less than thirty seconds!" Ria said exaggerating the time. What she meant of the few time possible.

" Welcome to my humble residence!" Maxwell said ignoring her question.

 Ria glared at him when he didn't answer her.

" Come on in, you said we have only ten minutes." Maxwell said, again ironing her reaction.

" I'll surely ignore you some day!" Ria warned.

 Ria followed behind Maxwell into his pent house. She stood at the living room taking in the manly scent circulating around and the tidiness of the place.

" You seem to be a clean freak!" Ria commented.

" The last thing I want is to visit a doctor because of some unhygienic practises. I'm done with that life." Maxwell said.

" I see, I'm impressed by the way. I never thought the place would look as good as you are." Ria blurted out are regretted her blubbering out.

" Oh, I didn't mean it that way!" She quickly added.

Maxwell smirked as he moved towards her taking slow steps as Ria took steps back. They kept moving like that, one looking nervous and the other one had a playful smirk printed on his pretty face.

Ria finally reached the sofa and stopped, she could no longer move back and staggered back sitting abruptly on the soft expensive sofa.

Maxwell leaned forward and placed his hands of both side of her. Her chest was heaving high.

" And how do I look, princess?" Maxwell asked playfully. Maxwell took one of his hand and started playing with the hair tendrils that had fallen on her beautiful face as the impact of the abrupt sitting.

" You look awful!" Ria finally gathered the courage to say that even though she lied. She finds Maxwell surreal. He is too good looking for a normal human being. He is just too handsome.

His pointed nose, his aligned cheek bones, his symmetric pink lips, his skin tone which looked very smooth, one would think he was moulded. His grey cat eyes. He is everything she would consider godly. He just looks too perfect for her.

" Oh really, I do look awful I see. Then I must be awfully good looking for you to compliment me in that manner." Maxwell teased.

" You're just so full of yourself you know!" Ria said rolling her eyes playfully.

" Oh I never knew!" Maxwell acted surprised to hear her say that and let out a chuckle.

" Now would you mind getting off me!" Ria said with a high pitch.

" I'm not on top of you Ria. I've hardly touch you." Maxwell said with a deep sexy voice. Ria was left speechless. His voice was the sexiest she has heard this close.

" Yes you are! I... I can feel your body heat on me!" Ria said.

" Are you sure I'm the one with that heat and not you? Because you're slightly sweating little thing!" Maxwell said with a smirk.

" I'm not a thing!" She scoffed.

" Yes you are at the moment." Maxwell teased her more. Then in the next minute, they were both quiet staring into each others eyes.

Their breathing grew wild. They both seemed to be year ING for something but no one of them took the first initiative.

Ria was now slightly closing her eyes anticipating for a sacred kiss whereas Maxwell was battling his one demons. He was afraid if he kissed her it won't just end with the kiss. He didn't want to do anything that he would later on regret because he doesn't know how Ria would react to that.

Ria's red lips that were shaming the red rose were partly open, she was looking sexy at that moment. Maxwell almost lost his control and devour her already but instead, he kissed her cheek and forehead before moving away from her.

Ria opened her eyes abruptly after that action and stood up nervously.

Maxwell was not in the living room. He had gone to one of the rooms she guess.

Ria was glad as she let out a soft sigh. She wouldn't know what would have happened if they had kissed. It gave her a few minutes to catch her own breath before Maxwell walked back with a drawing.

" Here you go, princess!" Maxwell said letting out a very pleasant smile. Ria smiled back and took the drawing which was in a frame. She was now admiring herself on the painting.

" This painting looks perfectly me! Keeps me wondering how and why you drew me so perfectly and furthermore at your own wish. I mean, you could have drawn anything else or anyone else, why me?" Ria asked and Maxwell was left speechless, he didn't even think about what he would say in case she asked.

" I huh, I just wanted to paint something out of my box and... I could figure out anything, the last thing I could have remembered that's beautiful it was you at that moment so, here we are." Maxwell said point at the painting.

" The last beautiful thing, again! Maxy I'm not a thing!" Ria said throwing a playful punch on his thigh since he was standing close. Maxwell laughed slightly.

" Anyway, did you like my small gift?" Maxwell said looking at her eyes.

" Of course, I don't just like it! I love it! It is the most beautiful thing anyone had ever thought about giving to me. Thank you Maxwell Rhodes." Ria said and Maxwell smiled.

" Time to go home now. Your brother might call again." Maxwell said hiding her hand and pulling her up from the sofa so that she could stand.

" Now you're chasing me away already!" Ria said throwing a glare his way.

" Your brother. I would have let you stay as much as you want if it wasn't late already. So, now, let's go. I'll make arrangements and invite you over sometimes, maybe this coming weekend?" Maxwell suggested.

" Yeah, weekend is fine!" Ria said. She is already liking being around Maxwell more due to her newly found character of him. She just thought how she had wrongly judged him at their first meeting. She thought of him as some rude rich handsome guy trying to get his way with her but he turned out to be more than her false accusations. 

He is the kind of guy Any girl would wish for. His personality is intriguing even before you know him deeper.

" Okay if you say so then, let's go." Ria said already heading for the door.

" Now look who is eager to leave me!" Maxwell said making Ria chuckle.