Chapter 22
chapter 22
ANTHONY
Pudge is still devouring his catnip chew, purring with pleasure on his favorite chair, when Maya takes my hand.
There’s an urgency in her grip, her fingers tight around mine as we lock eyes, that sets my every nerve on fire. Neither of us speaks as we head for the stairs, the silence between us heavy with anticipation, making my pulse race.
I wasn’t sure I’d have this chance again—the chance to touch her, to love her, to make her come apart in my arms—and I don’t intend to take a second of tonight for granted.
But that doesn’t mean I’ll be able to take the first time slow. I want her too much. I need to be naked and inside her ten minutes ago, proving nothing is going to come between us again.
We reach the door and push through, slamming it behind us, and then her mouth is on mine and our hands are everywhere.
“Need you so much,” she says, her breath hitching as I jerk her dress up, gripping her gorgeous ass through her silk stockings.
“More than anything,” I agree. “God, you feel so good, baby,” I say as she presses closer, deepening the kiss.
Her lips are hungry, urgent, moving against mine with a boldness that sets my blood on fire. My girl knows what she wants, and she’s no longer the slightest bit shy about asking for it, demanding it, even.
And I fucking love it.
I kiss her back just as fiercely, my hands sliding up to her waist, fingers digging into her curves as I tug her flush against me.
She lets out a soft cry as her stomach comes into contact with where I’m hard for her. The sound is half-gasp, half-groan of need and pours fresh kerosene on the fire burning between us. I push her back against the wall beside the door, pinning her there as I devour her. I stake my claim with my hand loosely around her throat as I fuck her mouth with my tongue, promising I’m never going to betray her trust again with every stroke.
“More. Touch me,” she gasps when we finally break apart for air. “I want to feel you everywhere. Just you. Always you,” she says, her nails raking over my skin as she shoves my shirt off my shoulders.
“Always,” I promise, stripping her dress off and her stockings down her legs before kissing my way back up her curves. I’m high on the taste of her skin, on the sounds she makes as I shove her panties to one side and glide two fingers deep into where she’s so damned hot and wet that I can’t wait another second.
I rip open my fly and shove my pants and boxers down, freeing my cock.
“Yes, now, please,” she says as she quickly disposes of her panties.
The second they hit the floor, I grip her thighs, lifting her into the air. She wraps her legs around my waist, bringing her slick heat against my shaft, driving me wild.
“Put me inside you,” I order, my voice rough as I press her harder against the wall.
Her hands move between us, positioning me. The second I feel her pussy, soft and hot, pressed against the head of my cock, I shove forward, burying myself in one sharp thrust.
She cries out and for a moment I worry I’ve gone too fast. But then she pants, “Don’t stop, don’t ever stop,” in my ear, her breath warm on my neck as she claws at my shoulders, demanding more.
“Never,” I vow. I’m never going to stop wanting her, needing her, fucking her with every bit of my heart and soul.
Because that’s what she deserves—passion and truth and a lover as fearless as she is.
“I love you,” she moans, clinging to me as I take her hard against the wall. “I love you, Anthony.”
“I love you so much, baby. So much, more than anything,” I promise before I kiss her again, fierce and unrelenting.
As we slam together, bodies growing hot and sticky despite the chill in the room, her perfume mingles with the intoxicating scent of her arousal. The sexy smell makes something primal inside me roar and my balls clutch with the need to fill her, to mark her, to make her come all over me, until her juices are dripping down my shaft and she’s too well-loved to think about leaving me ever again.
“Come for me, angel,” I pant as I shift my angle, grinding against her clit. “Come for me. I need to feel your pussy squeezing my cock so fucking bad.”
“Tell me you’re mine first,” she orders, gripping my ass in both hands, pulling me even closer, her touch sending sparks racing across my skin. “Tell me.”
“Look at me,” I say, my voice raw.
I pull back, waiting until her gaze locks with mine. I slow my next thrust, gliding into her with one achingly slow stroke that leaves us both gasping. Her heat, her tight pussy, the way her curves cradle me with every movement—she’s sexy as hell.
But it’s her eyes, the brave, fearless look in those sky-blue eyes that I want to keep staring into for the next four or five decades that destroys me, heals me…saves me.
“I’m yours. Forever,” I promise, gliding into her again, my heart skipping a beat as her lashes flutter and her lips part. “Until the world burns down. Just you and me.”
“You and me. Oh God, Anthony. Oh God, I need you,” she says, cupping my face and tugging me closer.
I oblige her, my lips crashing against hers. I swallow every sexy, turned-on sound she makes as I move faster, driving into her welcoming body. Her breath comes faster, and her legs tighten around me, urging me on, until she’s making those soft, whimpering cries that I know mean she’s near the breaking point.
“Come for me, Maya.” I grip her thighs, holding her steady as I piston into her, panting, “I’ve got you. I’ve got you, baby. Come for me, come so fucking hard.”
She screams my name, a shudder running through her as her head falls back against the wall, her pretty face twisted in passion in a way that makes me crazy. The sight of her unraveling in my arms is almost enough to make me lose control.
It’s only the thought of how much I want to see her go again, how much I want to draw out this pleasure, this closeness, that gives me the strength to step away from the precipice.
I bite down hard on the inside of my cheek, using the flash of pain to keep me steady as the last waves of Maya’s orgasm ripple around where I’m still buried inside her.
“Bed,” I growl against her neck as she catches her breath. “I’m not finished with you yet, beautiful.”
“Yes,” she says, nodding loosely. “Take me to bed.”
I guide her legs from around my waist before wrapping my arm around her ribs and hauling her to the bed in one smooth motion.
We tumble onto the soft white sheets, a tangle of limbs and hot breath as we kiss. I reach down, needing to be inside her again, but before I can position myself, she pushes me onto my back.
“You forgot something,” she says as she rolls on top of me, straddling my hips with a determined look in her eyes.
“What’s that?” I ask, loving the sight of her on top of me, her hair wild around her shoulders.
“Well, my bra to start.” She strips off the lingerie and tosses it to the ground, taking my breath away. “But more importantly, you told me that you’re mine.” Her voice is soft, husky, and sexy enough to make my cock jerk against her thigh as she adds, “But I didn’t return the favor.”
“No, you didn’t,” I murmur, my hands settling on her waist as she rocks against me, the feel of her slick sex against my aching length summoning a groan from low in my throat. “Fuck, Maya,” I gasp, my fingers digging deeper into her flesh as she rolls her hips, teasing me with how close I am to entering her, but pulling away before I can thrust up into her heat. “You’d better tell me.”
“Tell you what?” She arches a wicked brow as she rolls her hips in the opposite direction.
Her movements are deliberate, torturous, and her gaze filled with a mixture of love, passion, and an unabashed knowledge of the power she holds over me. And in that second, I fall even more in love with her. With her bravery and her honesty and the perfect way she sighs as I cup her breasts, my thumbs brushing over her hardened peaks as I say, “Tell me you’re mine, Maya.”
She shivers, her rhythm faltering for a moment before she continues the slow, teasing rocks of her hips.
“Tell me I’m the only one you ever want to fuck,” I say as I take control of her hips and shift her forcefully into position, her turned-on gasp as I jerk her pussy to the top of my cock confirmation that this is what she wants. “Tell me my cock is the only cock you ever want buried inside you. Tell me, and I’ll let you sink down on me, let you take every inch.”
“Yes,” she says, her breath coming faster, making her breasts bob in the cool air. “You’re the only one I want inside me. The only one.”
“Good girl,” I rumble as I slide inside her again, her body so wet and ready for me, there’s no resistance this time.
There’s just sweetness, ease, heat, and hunger. Just the perfection of Maya riding me toward her second orgasm of the night, looking like a pagan sex goddess escaped from a primal forest.
We come together harder, deeper, until the only sounds in the room are our gasps and the rhythmic slap of skin against skin. I grip her hips, meeting her movements with thrusts of my own, driving her higher, closer to the edge. Her hands brace against my chest, her nails digging into my skin as she bites her lip, her body tightening around me in a way that makes my vision blur.
“Come with me this time,” she gasps, her voice trembling. “Come with me.”
“Kiss me,” I demand, my own release building, threatening to overwhelm me. “I want to taste you when I come.”
She leans down, her lips finding mine in a desperate, messy kiss that pushes us both over the edge. She shatters first, her body trembling around my twitching cock, her cries muffled against my lips. I follow seconds later, calling her name as I come in hot streams inside her, filling her with the evidence of how much I need her, tonight and every night.
Afterward, we melt together, her body draped over mine, both of us boneless as we remember how to breathe. I wrap her up in my arms, holding her close, anchoring us as we recover from the perfect storm we created together.
“Okay?” I ask as I press a kiss to her temple, my heartbeat slowing as I run my fingers up and down her spine, soaking in the miracle of her.
Of us .
“The best,” she whispers after a beat, her voice soft, vulnerable. “It was even better with no lies between us.”
I tighten my hold on her, her words settling deep in my chest. “It was. And it’s only going to get better, baby. I promise.”
She pulls back far enough to catch my gaze, a contented smile on her lips. “I don’t know if I can handle too much better. That first orgasm was so intense it almost killed me.”
“But you came through it like a champ,” I say with a wink. “No pun intended.”
She exhales a soft laugh. “You totally intended.”
“You’re right,” I confess. “When it comes to you, I’m full of intentions.”
Then, I tell her about the no interest loan paperwork I had waiting at the club and the playroom I’d reserved, where I intended to let her tie me up and take her retribution on me for lying in whatever way she saw fit.
She hums thoughtfully as she sits up, still straddling me with my now soft cock inside her. “Retribution could be fun, but not at the club. I’d rather tie you up in private. And I don’t need your money. I’ll figure something out.” She sighs. “Or I’ll lose the deposit and consider it a bought lesson. I’ll be able to save up enough to try again. It might take more time than I’d prefer, but those are the breaks sometimes.”
I nod. “True, but I don’t want those to be the breaks for you. Not when I can help. And there aren’t any strings on this loan. It’s yours, whether we end up together for the long haul or you decide to walk away tomorrow and never come back.” I give her hip a gentle squeeze. “Please, let me help. This is one of the ways I show I care, by using my money to make life easier for the people I love. And I’m always going to care for you, no matter what.”
“I could get used to this,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “To being loved.”
“Me, too.” I brush her hair from her face, letting my fingers linger on her temple. “You make me so happy. Let me make you happy, too.”
Her lips hook into a crooked grin. “Um, pretty sure you already did that. Twice in fact. Almost three times.”
I arch a brow. “Yeah? Almost three?”
She shrugs. “What can I say? I really like your cock. I would have missed it if we went our separate ways. A lot. Like… a lot a lot a lot.”
I grin. “Three a lots? That’s…a lot.”
She laughs. “Yeah, it is. It’s my favorite.”
“It’s your only ,” some twisted part of me feels compelled to remind her. “Is that going to be something you regret someday?”
She tilts her head, studying me as she considers the question. “I don’t think so, but…if I do, I guess we could always go back to the club and find a hot guy to have sex with me while you watch.”
My insides liquify at the thought, and I’m pretty sure the top of my head opens to let out a burst of steam. But before I can respond, Maya bursts into delighted laughter.
“Oh my, you should see your face,” she says, still laughing. “I was kidding, baby. I don’t want to be with other men, especially not while you watch. Don’t have a heart attack.”
“We’ll see who’s having a heart attack,” I say, tackling her onto the mattress. I roll her beneath me as she giggles, clearly very pleased with herself.
I show her how pleased I am with her, too, this time from behind while she cries out into the pillow.
Afterwards, we head downstairs for snacks, and end up snuggling on the couch with Pudge, sipping tea and eating shortbread cookies while looking over a copy of the loan contract on my phone.
“This is a lot of money,” she says, searching my face as she finishes her final cookie and pulls Pudge into her lap, scratching our sleepy boy’s big belly.
He’s not officially “ours” yet, but I plan on asking her to move in with me tomorrow. Or maybe later tonight if I can’t force myself to wait. But thank God, Maya doesn’t seem to mind that where she’s concerned, I have no patience for delayed satisfaction.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” she continues as Pudge begin to purr loud enough to make us both smile. “You don’t have to. I promise. It won’t affect the way I feel about you.”
“Well, it would affect the way I feel about myself,” I say. “This is your dream, and the only thing standing in your way is the capital to make it happen. I believe in the project, and I believe in you.”
Her gaze softens. “Thanks. I believe in you, too, though. And if you need that money to launch your own ‘next thing’ now that you’ve left your old job, I totally understand that. I’m not sure what ‘richer than God’ means, but even God needs seed money sometimes. And you have to put your own needs first.”
I clear my throat, a little uncomfortable about this part, but determined to be honest with her about everything from now on. “My portfolio usually earns what I’m loaning you in less than a month. I’ll be fine.”
Her jaw drops. “What the… You earn four hundred thousand dollars in returns in less than a month?”
“Interest and returns. Yes.” I give a sheepish shrug. “Like I said, I’m good with numbers. And I started investing when I was eighteen. Compound interest can do a lot in twenty years. Which reminds me, we should get you set up with an investment account ASAP. Time is on your side now more than it ever will be and you should take advantage of that to secure your future. Just in case you decide to kick me to the curb down the road and don’t inherit everything when I die.”
“Hush, don’t talk about dying.” She reaches over putting two fingers to my lips, making Pudge meow in protest as he’s squished deeper into her lap. She pulls back, apologizing to the cat, “Sorry, buddy, but I don’t like to hear Anthony talking about dying.” To me, she adds, “I just found you. You don’t get to die for a long, long time.”
I smile as I pull her sock-covered feet into my lap, giving them a squeeze. “I’ll do my best, but I am sixteen years older than you are. And men don’t tend to live as long as women. Statistically, it’s likely I’m going first. Probably by a decade or two at minimum.”
She frowns harder. “Stop it. Right now. That’s quitter talk. Look at the shape you’re in. You’re a Roman statue come to life. You’re going to live to be a hundred and ten. Maybe a hundred and twenty.”
“I’ll try,” I say, rubbing her instep. “But just in case I have a more average life span, I’m hoping you won’t fault me for not wanting to wait too long to take the next step.”
Then, I ask her to move in with me. She says, “why the heck not,” and we head back to bed, this time with Pudge, who tails us up the stairs, refusing to be left by himself. As we slide under the covers with Maya’s head on my chest, he curls up beside us, purring, clearly pleased with the way things are progressing.
“But I have one request before I take you up on the loan,” Maya says, yawning as she snuggles closer.
“Name it,” I say, kissing the top of her head, hoping she knows I’d give her a kidney if she asked for it.
“You have to keep the money I paid for the escort service,” she says, a smile in her sleepy voice. “My entire life, I’ve been a very good girl. I need one scandalous story to tell when I’m old and gray. And saying that I met the love of my life after I hired him to sex me up is about as scandalous as it gets.”
I grin at the ceiling. “You are very scandalous.”
“So, you’ll keep it.”
“I will,” I say, already making plans for that seven-thousand-dollars. “And I’ll never forget how kind you were to me when you thought I was an aging boy toy who needed someone to believe in him to change his life for the better.”
She sighs. “You’ll always be my boy toy, baby.”
My smile stretches wider, even as a sweet ache spreads through my chest. Fuck, I love this woman. “Thanks. And you’ll always be my dirty little virgin who couldn’t wait to be fucked hard.”
Pudge makes a disapproving sound low in his throat.
“Oh, hush,” Maya says as I laugh. “If you don’t like the dirty talk, you can sleep downstairs. Daddy and I have no plans of cleaning up our act anytime soon.”
Daddy…
I like the sound of that.
Apparently, Pudge does, too. He scoots closer to the side of my leg, starting to purr again as we all soften into sleep. And for the first time in longer than I can remember, I feel surrounded by family.
Like I’m where I belong, and that life is only getting better, from here on out.