Chapter 34
Hunter
That was the cue I was looking for. No more second guessing. We don’t just want this – we need this. We need each other. These feelings have been growing in intensity ever since that first kiss. We can worry about the consequences tomorrow.
I thought Max would take me up to our room.
Instead, he holds my hand and leads me along the corridor.
The sound of the party fades behind us, and Max peers into one room, then another.
I realize he doesn’t have a destination in mind, he’s just seeing where the mood takes him.
Eventually, we reach the back of the house and step through an arched door.
I stop and gasp. We’re in some sort of conservatory.
Tall glass panes rise to a vaulted ceiling, brushed by the tops of orange trees planted in vast terracotta pots.
The fruit gives off a heady citrus scent that hangs in the night air.
Between the two rows of trees lies a spectacular indoor swimming pool, its aquamarine tiles shimmering beneath the moonlight.
Max and I exchange a look, amazed at where we’ve found ourselves.
Max nods at the pool. ‘Shall we?’
My heart starts to race. This is precisely the kind of situation I might have sought out in the past. There’s no question that we’re not meant to be here. Max’s career is on the line. But that’s not what has my heart racing. I’m just so excited to be doing this with him.
‘Why not?’ I say with a smile.
Max grins and reaches up to unbutton his shirt.
‘Wait,’ I say.
Max’s eyes search mine. I hold his gaze until he understands.
Our faces drift closer, a fraction at a time, until our lips meet in the faintest brush.
I can hardly breathe. Knowing how hard we have tried to resist this only makes it more intense.
Soon, my other senses take over. I can feel Max’s breath, his tongue, his hands in my hair.
He tastes of the wine we’ve been drinking all evening.
The taste takes me back there, so the sense of exquisite and excruciating anticipation mingles with the blissful awareness that this is happening right now.
This feels like a first kiss. Yes, we kissed in front of our guests at our wedding, then again in the dark that night, but this is the first time we have stood together, just the two of us, and truly allowed ourselves to drink each other in.
I keep pulling back and opening my eyes to gaze at him in wonder. I’m not sure if it’s out of disbelief or because I can’t get enough of the sight of him.
As the kiss becomes deeper and more intense, Max’s hands drift down my torso and grab at the bulge in my pants. Nothing turns me on more than the sight of his desire. I give him a nod, letting him know I’m up for whatever he wants to do.
He peels my shirt off, and I savour the warmth of his hands on my skin.
He traces a line down my chest, pausing at every ridge and hollow, before he drifts lower.
He kneels in front of me, nuzzling closer, feeling the swell of me beneath the fabric, then runs his finger along the inside of my waistband, unbuckles my belt and pulls down my pants.
My dick pings up as it’s let loose. Max laughs.
‘The response every man wants,’ I say dryly.
Max looks up at me. ‘I just . . . I’ve never seen one this big.’
He holds it in his hand, feeling its weight.
I’m the last person to think that being hung is some kind of achievement, but I’m not going to pretend I don’t enjoy it.
What man wouldn’t? There have been guys in the past who have made me feel like a piece of meat, but with Max it’s pure delight and curiosity.
I give him a wicked smile. ‘I bet you can make it bigger.’
Max exhales a hot breath of air, then starts to tease me with the tip of his tongue.
I let out a gasp and feel it ripple through me.
My breath quickens. Max explores every inch of me with his mouth, pausing occasionally to look up at me.
Each time our eyes meet, it drives me wild.
There’s an awestruck look, but also a hunger. Seeing it ignites my own desires.
I pull Max to his feet and tug at his shirt. His clothes come off in a flurry, and before I know it, we’re both naked. Our bodies press together, then we trip backwards and stumble into the pool with a splash.
We rise to the surface, laughing. I brush a strand of wet hair from his eyes, then we start kissing again. The kiss pulls us underwater, and I feel air pass from my lungs to his as if we’re keeping each other alive. We surface again, our lips staying locked.
We splash around, gulping for air when we can, our hands running over each other’s bodies with abandon. At one point, Max swallows some water and has a coughing fit, pulling us out of the moment. But it only sends us into fits of laughter and straight back to kissing.
I steer Max to one side of the pool, then hoist him up so he’s perched there, leaning back on his hands.
The way he settles, proud and unguarded, is incredibly hot.
I stand in the water, hands tracing his hips as I lean in and start to suck him.
I take my time, enjoying every shiver that runs through him.
His chest rises and falls, eyes closed, soft gasps escaping him, each one making me harder.
Then a sudden shout cuts through the night. Max’s eyes fly open. It’s only a random sound from the party, but it brings us back to earth.
Max smiles. ‘Let’s finish this somewhere else.’
We pull on our clothes, even though we’re dripping wet. Max leaves his shirt open, water droplets glistening on his chest hair.
We can’t walk through the house like this, so we slip out into the garden.
The moon hangs bright and low, casting silver light across the lawn, illuminating the dew on the grass and making the trees cast shadows.
We find a small clearing in the woods and lie down beneath the stars. The air is cool against our damp skin. I can feel Max breathing against my chest, smell the pine trees in the air. When I gaze into Max’s eyes, I see his emotions swell and overflow.
‘Hunter,’ Max says, looking at me innocently. ‘I think I’m falling for you.’
The words knock me sideways, but I smile at him coolly. ‘You reckon?’
Max nods and bites his lip. Damn, that’s cute.
‘How do you think I feel?’ I ask.
Max shrugs earnestly. I can’t take much more of this cuteness.
‘Max, I started falling for you a while ago. You’re the most adorable man on this planet.’
Max looks like he’s been hit by a comet. He blinks in amazement.
As I say the words, I’m amazed it’s taken us this long to admit it. I have tried to avoid it in every way possible, but there’s no more denying it.
We’ve fallen for each other.
Max furrows his brow. ‘What do we do about it?’
He looks overwhelmed, as if the strength of his own feeling scares him. I want to answer him, but the question feels too big for this moment, so I offer him another smile.
‘Don’t worry about that now. I’ve got one idea.’
Our lips meet again. Before, every touch surged with desire, but now that we’ve acknowledged our feelings, there’s something deeper firing our passion.
We grasp and tug at each other, then Max bends down and teases my dick with his tongue.
My whole body flares with heat. Max grips me firmly, tasting and kissing, copying tricks I used on him indoors.
I want to pleasure him, feel him hard in my mouth, but I don’t want him to stop.
I spin around so I can return the favor while he continues.
Max lets out a chuckle as he realizes what we’re doing. I’m not used to laughing during sex, but with him it feels like the most natural thing in the world and the only correct response to a 69.
Not that it isn’t also hot beyond words. I lose myself in the blend of sensations. Beads of sweat and pool water cling to us and bind us. I can feel the cool tickle of the grass against my skin.
Max’s hands hold my waist as he takes the full length of me.
At the same time, I guide his hips to thrust deeper into my mouth, matching each other’s movements, over and over.
His moans vibrate through me. He’s getting close, blood pulsing.
I’m right there with him, curled in this endless loop of pleasure, each trusting the other to guide us to the finish.
Now here it comes, in one pure burst. Max fills my mouth, and moments later, I do the same, just as I’m savoring the taste of him.
As we catch our breath, I wipe my mouth and shift around so I can look Max in the eye.
He licks his upper lip clean and smiles at me.
Overcome by his pure, sweet beauty, I pull him into my arms. We lie there beneath the trees, the moonlight bathing our bodies in silver, feeling our hearts beat in tandem.
I have never felt more alive.