Chapter 28
MAX
I wince. The four-letter word slips out before I can stop it.
But it’s true. She shouldn’t fall for me.
I’m not right for anyone, much less this sweet girl.
And she’s not one you use for a hot night of release.
I just hope she has a better chance at saving herself than I do.
Because I’ve tried everything to stay away from Cassidy.
And it’s gotten me nowhere.
I sink deeper into the velvet seat of the theater room, the only light in the room coming from the flickering shadows of the screen.
Part of me wants to apologize for what I’ve said.
For potentially ruining what was otherwise a great night.
But I can’t back down from this. I won’t allow this beautiful woman to be harmed by me. Not if there’s a way to protect her.
We’re both reaching for the popcorn at the same time, our fingers brushing, tangling for a second too long in the buttery depths of the bowl. This is ridiculous. I wanted her near me. Being around her calms my chaos. But I’m only human. I should pull away.
But I don’t move. This feels too good. I’m never as calm as when I’m with her. Not even after a vigorous night of no-strings sex. It’s the truth. Usually, my mind is a frantic hive of noise. But tonight, the static has gone quiet.
Yet as I look at her, the guilt starts to fray the edges of my peace.
“I have to come clean,” I mutter, turning toward her.
The popcorn bowl is a reminder to keep a barrier between us.
“I feel like I tricked you, bringing you here under the guise of work. I’ve wanted to ask you out on an actual date. But I chickened out.”
She blinks, her mouth falling open slightly. “You did? But… you just said…”
“I know. I know. I’m terrified, Cass.” I reach out, my thumb grazing the back of her hand. “I don’t want you to be in danger. Associating with me puts a target on you that you didn’t ask for. And that’s the lesser of two evils.”
She sits quietly, giving me the room to continue uninterrupted.
“I don’t want to hurt you. And I’m almost certain I will.”
She doesn’t move, her big blue eyes remain fixed on mine. I can practically see the wheels spinning behind them. Is she recalculating the risk?
“I’m not in a good place in my life,” I continue, the words heavy even to my own ears. “I’ve tried to stay away. Tried to convince myself you came on the scene right when I needed it. To help solve my pro bono phone forensics dilemma.” I chuckle. “Yet it’s all a lie.”
Cassidy’s face is a mixture of confusion. Or is it concern? Her expression is difficult to read.
“Everything feels better when you’re around. The storm calms. And all of the noise stops.”
Her eyes look wet now, shimmering in the dim light of the theater. She looks like a cartoon princess, something too pure and resilient for the dark place I’m currently residing.
I expect her to pull away. To tell me she’s ready to go and ask for a ride to the hangar.
Instead, she leans in. It’s not like the kiss in the office, fueled by adrenaline and a sudden snap of restraint. This is slow. Deliberate. She’s the one who initiates it, her lips soft and hesitant as they meet mine. It’s a question and an answer all at once.
My tattered control doesn’t just rip this time, it completely dissolves. I reach for her, my hands cradling her face as I deepen the kiss. I might be a bad man, but I dare a man alive to be able to fight this pull to Cassidy.
Her beloved characters on the screen behind us are a wash of blue and gray, but the world in here is burning hot. It’s the fire of two people finally admitting they’re exhausted from fighting the inevitable.
My hands find the soft knit of her sweater, pulling her across the small gap of the theater seat until she’s in my lap. She tastes like the beer we were drinking and the buttery notes from the popcorn.
Mostly, she tastes like the only thing I’ve wanted for weeks.
“Cass,” I groan against her mouth, my fingers tangling in that bright pink hair. It’s soft, silky, and smells like candy. It’s her. She’s my favorite treat.
She pulls back an inch, her breath hitching, those blue eyes searching mine in the dim light.
I can feel her heart hammering against my chest, a frantic, rhythmic beat that matches my own.
She doesn’t look afraid. She looks... hungry.
For all of her cautious movements and her mysterious scars, there’s a fire in her that burns as hot as my own.
I sweep her up, carrying her toward my bedroom. I want her here, in my sanctuary, where I can finally block out the rest of the world.
In this room, there are no off-limits rules. There’s no Gianni, no club, and no fears about tomorrow standing in my way. It’s not right. Yet, I’m blinded by the way her skin feels under my hands and the way she sighs my name.
I know tomorrow I’ll have to face the fallout of my actions.
Come to grips with this unshakeable attraction, knowing the effects of my shitty past and the danger I’m leading her into.
However, as she’s pulling me closer, her legs straddling mine, the noise in my head finally, mercifully, goes silent.
But this isn’t purely medicinal. Being with her is more than an addiction to calming the storm. It’s her. I’ve never wanted anyone like I want Cassidy.
As I lay her down, Cassidy’s arms wrap around my neck, pulling me back into her.
This inconvenient chemistry has become a full-scale takeover of need.
I grab her by the back of the neck, pull her into me, and cover her mouth with mine.
This kiss is hard, unrelenting. I pour every second of longing into it.
I’ve held back too damn long for this moment.
“Max,” she breathes my name like a prayer and a plea all at once.
“Cass,” I murmur, my lips finding the sensitive skin of her throat.
Squeezing her ass tightly in my hands, I scoop her up until her legs wrap around me, and push my pelvis into hers. The moment she realizes I’m hard, her breath catches around my tongue. This has me coming unglued. I’ve never wanted anything so damn much in my life.
I’m lost in her, licking her collarbone and biting the side of her neck.
It’s impossible to stop now that she’s given me the green light.
I caress her perfect tits and bury my face in her chest. I should slow this down and try to be more careful with her.
But my need for her is taking over any rational thought.
Pulling her oversized sweater down further, I yank her bra down to expose her soft skin and rosy pink nipples. Fuck. She’s utterly perfect. I latch onto one nipple and suck before moving over to tease the other.
As my hands glide down her hips, I slide down to dart soft kisses along the inside of her smooth thighs. My eyes lock with hers as I drag my nose along the center of her panties. She lets out a heavy exhale, music to my ears. She wants this as much as I do.
I slide my thumbs inside the waistband of her panties and am reassured when she lifts her hips for me.
Continuing to kiss her soft skin, I discard her underwear on the floor by my feet and move my hands to caress her thighs.
She’s just as I dreamed she’d be. Soft, swollen, and pink.
However, the small patch of well-trimmed dark hair surprises me.
While the pink at the tips of her long hair is obviously a gift of hair dye, I assumed she was a natural blonde. It suits her.
Teasing her soft flesh with my fingers causes her to wriggle.
Unable to hold back any longer, I slide the flat of my tongue through her wet center and quickly place a hand on her pelvis to keep her still as she cries out.
I’ve barely licked her once, and I already feel like I’m on cloud nine.
I’m so turned on right now I’m afraid my dick is going to tear through my pants.
I tease her clit with the tip of my tongue and try not to moan. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her fists balled around the bed linens. My pace picks up, teasing and sucking until I slide one finger inside her. She’s so tight. I inwardly groan imagining her wrapped around my needy cock.
My tongue swirls around her swollen clit once more before I dive into her sweet pussy.
“Oh, god,” she pleads, spurring me on.
I add a second finger inside her, gliding them in and out as I suck on her bundle of nerves. Cassidy’s body starts to quake as unintelligible sounds fall from her beautiful lips. She’s close. I’m certain of it. I groan into her sex. “You taste so good, baby.”
I bury my face in her delectable pussy and tongue-fuck her like I’ve fantasized about doing since the night I first laid eyes on her. Her body starts to shake harder beneath me as I rub her clit with my fingers and continue to eat her.
“Oh, god,” she squeals, burying her hands in my hair.
Withdrawing my tongue, I return two fingers inside her and curl them forward as I give her clit another firm suck. “Max!”
“That’s it, precious.” Lick. “Give it to me.”
Her breathing slows, and I place tender, open-mouthed kisses on the inside of her thighs before wiping my mouth. I climb over her. As her lids slowly open, her eyes are glassy and unfocused. But the bright smile on her face nearly does me in.
“You liked that?”
She simply nods.
“Good. Because I need another. But I need to feel you come all over me, pretty girl.” As I reach back down to stroke her pussy, she groans.
Sitting up, I reach over to my bedside table and retrieve a condom. I’m nearly shaking with need as I unzip and pull out my cock. It’s not until this moment I realize the chains have come off so profoundly I hadn’t even taken the time to get either of us undressed.
I glance up to find her staring down at me as I roll the condom on. “You sure about this, Cass?” Hell, if she says no, I might dissolve into a fit of tears.
She again nods.
“I need to hear you say it, baby.”
“Yes. Yes. Yes.”
I chuckle. My cock continues to swell as I stare at her wet, waiting pussy. The very thought of plunging inside her is making me crazy.
“Please?” she begs.
I flip her over onto all fours before pushing her back down with the palm of my hand.
The sight of her from this angle is driving me wilder still.
The sight of that firm ass and her swollen pink pussy are calling to me.
I don’t think I can hold out much longer.
Her soft skin, her scent, and her taste have caused my balls to ache.
I give her a firm spank on her right butt cheek, which catches her off guard. I pause to assess if this is causing her any distress, and am relieved when she arches her back and moves her backside closer to me. So, I resume stroking her.
My dick is long and thick. The very last thing I want is to hurt her. I bend down to kiss her spanked ass cheek, before leaning back to drag the tip of my cock through her wet core. She whimpers, and I have to fight to control myself before this ends sooner than I’d like.
Spanking her other ass cheek, I revel in her moans. Giving my cock a firm stroke, I return two fingers back in her wet heat.
Cassidy looks over her shoulder at me. The sight of her hungry expression makes my spine tingle with a current of lust. I withdraw my fingers from her sweet pussy and hold her gaze as I enjoy the taste of her arousal on my tongue.
Her eyes widen at the act, and she squirms, again pushing her hips back in my direction.
Unable to hold back much longer, I climb over her, my limbs trembling in anticipation. I can’t believe this is finally happening.
I unleash one, two, three spanks on her backside until it flashes pink.
“Please, Max. I need you.”
Fuck. I may not survive this. Dipping my head down, I place chaste kisses along her spine before nudging the tip of my cock into her entrance. I let out a groan, the contact of her hot, wet pussy feels even better than I imagined.
“Max, please,” she begs. Her whimpers sound more desperate now.
Reaching for her long hair, I give it a yank as I place my other hand to the back of her neck, pushing her into the pillow. Her sweet face has a rosy glow that has my balls begging me to unleash on her beautiful body.
Slamming into her with one firm thrust, I still, my eyes rolling back into my head at the feel of her wrapped around me. It’s almost too much. I sense her walls relax as I begin to pound into her. This is intense. It’s more than physical. I’m certain of it.
This woman was made for me. My world feels as if it has been placed back on its axis for the first time in years.
My pace picks up, almost on its own. As if I’m merely along for the ride.
I can sense the crescendo building, and it’s all I can do to hold on until she comes for me again.
I adjust the angle of my hips and begin to hammer in and out of her.
My grips tightens in her hair and around her neck.
She’s so wet. The sounds of our connection pair with the drag of my heavy cock inside her, and something detonates.
“Max,” she screams, her nails clawing into the sheets.
“That’s it. Come for me.” My heart is thudding in my chest, the sounds of our arousal the only sound I hear as she bucks underneath me.
“Fuck. Fuck.” I let out a roar that I don’t recognize as I empty into her, my body convulsing in a way I’ve never experienced before. The euphoria is unimaginable.
As the white dots behind my closed lids start to recede, I slowly blink them open to find Cassidy peering up at me. Her eyes look glassy and sated. Her hair is damp, a wild golden nest around her as she lies with her face turned to one side, my hand gripping the back of her neck.
I’m looking down at her, my heart still racing from the crash of our defenses, but as my eyes adjust, I see them. The faint scar traveling the length of her jaw, her hair wrapped in my fist, and my hand around her neck.
I freeze, a cold spike of dread hitting my stomach. I’m terrified I’ve hurt her. That in my desperate need for her, I was too rough. I sit up abruptly on the edge of the bed, dropping my head into my hands as the weight of my actions settles on my shoulders.
What have I done?