Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Max
“Oh no—I forgot I’m not wearing makeup.” Her hands flew to her face and I couldn’t resist. I wrapped her in my arms in the small entryway, pressed her against the wall and kissed her.
A short kiss to reassure her of her attractiveness.
When I ended it, I saw the need for more in her eyes, felt her hands clenched on my shoulders, not ready to let me go.
“What do you want, Red?” I knew exactly what she wanted. The real question was what was I going to do about it.
“I want you, Max.” She licked her lips. “Not that that should be any surprise to you. I thought last night was going to be our night.”
I dropped my head, touching my forehead to hers. “I’m truly sorry about that. But by the time the spontaneous bachelor party broke up and I went out to the bonfire at the beach to find you, you were in no condition for anything but passing out in bed.”
Her eyes widened in adorable surprise. “It was you, wasn’t it?”
I chuckled. “I hope so. If you mean was it me who half carried you back to your room and put you to bed.”
“So that’s why I woke up with my clothes still on. And the memory of your scent and your touch . . . and that beautifully tender kiss on my forehead.”
The sound of her dreamy voice, the appreciation for so little, galvanized me and I wedged my leg between her thighs and pressed.
She let out a little gasp. I moved a hand between us while I bit lightly on her lower lip.
My hand found the warm fleshy softness of her thigh under her skirt and moved up to find her panties damp.
That made my cock tremble and grow, made me deepen the kiss, made my head spin and my pulse pound—all the things I hadn’t felt in too long a time. I circled my thumb, stroking her mound of heat through the panties and relishing the low moan she let out into my mouth.
Keeping my mouth clamped on hers even as we both breathed harder because we stood near the door, I slipped my fingers into her panties, making room with my knuckles, stretching the material out of the way so that it was no longer a barrier.
Then I moved my fingers, testing the folds, the slick moisture, the opening, then finding the nub, hard and pulsing, creamy and sensitive.
She jumped and clenched her hands in my hair and on my shirt, pressing herself into my touch.
“Oh my God,” she half breathed, half groaned into my mouth, then pulled away. “Let me touch you—”
I didn’t answer her, but trapped her hand above her head in my free hand when she went to move it. Her other hand was blocked from reaching in for my zipper by my arm.
“Not now, Red. This is all about you. Let me watch your face, let me see you lost in your orgasm, feel you tremble and quake.” I took in a breath as her eyes glassed over under the stroke of my fingers, slowly circling her nub. It swelled and wept and she moved against my hand.
“Please—Max—”
The strain in her voice excited me, the grip of her free hand my hair at the back of my neck tightened as she writhed. I smiled, nibbling on her lips as her breathing became shallow and fast.
When I dipped a finger inside her the hot velvety tunnel sucked it deep into her dripping center, and she gasped and moaned.
“Max—” Her eyes closed and she bit her lip.
She was getting close, her hips moving, urging me to stroke her.
I obliged, stroking fast over her round slick clit, pressing hard and circling and flicking back and forth as she rose to her toes and panted, gripping my hair and clenching her fist. She looked like a sex goddess, her hair wild around her face, and I whispered in her ear as I dipped a finger inside her and rubbed my thumb over and around her clit relentlessly and hard now.
“Let me see you come, babe. You are so gorgeous and sexy.”
She opened her eyes and her mouth and I pinched her clit then and she screamed and clamped her legs around me, writhing, pumping, her eyes fluttering closed.
She was the picture of pure ecstasy, the image making my cock strain against my zipper.
That look would be emblazoned in my mind forever, would be the vision I’d dream about, the way I would remember her always.
Letting go of the wrist I’d held above her head as she slumped against me, holding on tight, I held her back. Her breathing was heavy and so was mine. The tremors of her excitement ran from her to me as my pulse rushed, my blood on fire.
“You are magnificent,” I breathed into her hair, taking in her sexy scent, the softness of her body against me, the sheen of orgasmic perspiration covering her flushed skin as I held her.
“Max—oh my God. You—I—” She lifted her head and kissed me violently, voraciously, and I returned the kiss with ravaging hunger. I could give her this. I couldn’t give her much more, couldn’t keep her here now. But I needed to savor the extraordinary sensual woman I held here and now.
When I lifted my mouth from hers and pulled her arms from around my neck, separating us, she protested, tried to hold on. There was no way I’d let her, no way she could win this battle, in spite of my cock’s complaining struggle against my zipper becoming painful.
“What are you doing? I want to—”
“I know what you want. Not now.” I stepped back. It was a difficult step, painful physically and metaphysically.
“But you gave me—”
“Think of it was an apology for last night. A small gift of consolation for deserting you.”
She pouted beautifully and rolled her eyes but I saw the pre-tears brightness in them so I took her in my arms and hugged her to me, stroking her back.
“You need to get back to Cat, honey.”
She nodded, “I know. This is her wedding day. She’s my best friend.” She heaved a sigh with apology in her eyes. “This weekend isn’t about us at all, is it?”
“No.”
She pulled back from me then and nodded, sniffed once and aimed her adoration fully at me, like a blast of atomic radiation. I would have sunk to my knees if I’d been less of a man, if I’d been less experienced, less mature. Young and unwise.
For now, though I was experienced, the jury was out on how wise I still had to get through the night without giving in to her.
I’d already allowed myself a rash indulgence today, but I told myself I owed her. That it was for her and not me.
Maybe I was a fool. A temporarily happy fool.
She threw her arms around me and kissed me like a woman starved and gorging on a feast. Then she let me go and stepped back, unsteady.
I held her arms, the soft pliant skin tempting me to tug her back to my body, my cock hard and waiting. But I didn’t. I let her go.
“I’ll see you later. Tonight. At the wedding,” she said.
I nodded and reaching past her for the door, opened it. Not trusting myself to say another word, afraid I’d take back my noble Cat needs you imperative, I stayed quiet. Allowing myself a last kiss on her forehead, I stepped away and let her walk out the door.
Was I a fool for indulging her, or a fool for letting her go? Both probably. But I couldn’t scrape together an iota of regret. Guilt? Maybe later. No maybe about it. I was in trouble because she was like a sweet addiction and I might already be hooked.
Right now though, the look of raw ecstasy on her glowing face as she came hot and juicy over my fingers inside her was too fresh on my mind to feel anything but that prideful satisfaction of a man who’d pleased a woman.
Big time. And it only made me want so much more from her. Maybe even more than spectacular sex.
The wedding ceremony was beautiful, or at least Natalie was.
She took up most of my attention in her sensational ball gown, her pale shoulders and spectacular cleavage glistening over the pale green dress with the massive flowing skirt.
She would make someone a stunning bride someday.
Some lucky unknown man who I wanted to punch in his unknown mouth.
I probably should have paid more attention to the ceremony, the bride and the groom, but they weren’t going to quiz me and I’d been to my share of weddings.
I wasn’t the kind of guy to cry or get sucked in.
Sure, I was a romantic, but not about all the pomp and pageantry.
My idea of romantic would be a wedding on a beach with my twins as flower girls.
The instant I pictured Natalie standing opposite me in a flowing wedding gown, I closed my eyes and swore under my breath.
Brandon, sitting next to me, gave me a look.
This was not okay. She was starting to become an obsession after only three days. Not cool at all. Get your act together.
But a lecture by my conscience did nothing and I followed Natalie with my eyes until the ceremony was over and she filed out of the room, disappearing for photographs.
The rest of us went to the reception area for cocktails.
Luckily there was no shortage of bars or servers and I ordered a Glenlivet straight up.
“Starting fast after last night,” Sean said. “I’m impressed. I thought you might take it easy.”
“Not tonight. This is the last hurrah,” I said. I meant it.
Sean grinned, but I gave him a warning look, making sure he made no further comments about the night and who I might or might not spend it with. Instead he aimed his commentary at Brandon, who cajoled him back.
Once we were ready to eat, I continued watching Natalie as she sat with the wedding party.
She watched me back. We spent the entire meal flirting with our eyes.
She’d shared a dance with a lucky young buck who turned out to be Hunter’s younger brother, but the rest of us would have to wait our turn until after the meal.
If there’d been a clock in the glass-enclosed room overlooking the ocean, I would have been staring at it.
As it was the gorgeous views and décor that had everyone else at our table captivated were lost on me.
I had my view. My obsession.
I was fucked.