Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Lana closed her eyes, basking in the sensations. Her orgasm had finished, yet every time Max pumped inside of her, she felt another delicious aftershock.
His hand was drawing circles over the spot on her ass that he’d spanked. Wow, that had worked for her. The contact hadn’t been painful, but it got right to the edge. And her resulting release had been just as intense.
She’d never asked a guy to be rough with her before.
Not because she was shy. She wasn’t. She hadn’t been shy in bed pretty much since Max.
It was more that she didn’t think the usual guys she dated would be into it.
They were mostly fellow attorneys, or sometimes the experts and accountants who worked on civil cases for the county.
Nice men that she met at the office yet didn’t work with directly.
Because that would’ve been too complicated.
Distantly, she thought of the Hearst trial. Of Max’s cross-examination and Wayfair’s questions. But she didn’t want to ruin this moment with reality.
For too much of her life, she’d been avoiding personal “complications” to focus on her career. Either work or Aurora came first. She guessed that Max could tell her a similar story.
But this moment, with him… She was finally just letting go. She’d almost forgotten how to do that.
Max felt so good inside of her. That fullness, the friction of each movement in and out. He moved so smoothly and gracefully, like an athlete. His balls swung against her with each thrust, hitting her clit with a delightful little tap.
She felt lost when he pulled out and stepped away. “Wha—”
Max stood her up and spun her around, yanking her immediately into a kiss. Like he needed some part of him inside of her again, even just his tongue. His latex-covered erection was slick between them.
“Did you like all of that?” he asked.
“You know I did.”
“I didn’t hurt you?”
“Not more than I could take.”
Max’s head leaned back, studying her. As if he knew she was talking about more than a light spank and some mild hair pulling. The lust burning in his expression softened to something more tender.
He kissed her forehead, her nose, while his arms remained snug around her. Almost too tight, yet not crossing that line.
“Lana.” Her name rumbled out of his chest.
She needed to get back to the sex. Because her heart was starting to do an excited dance, and it was way too soon for that. Max had still promised her absolutely nothing beyond the present. She wanted to just focus on this moment and worry about the future later.
She was in so deep with him. Walking away wasn’t going to happen, so what other choice did she have?
“Do you want me on my knees?” she asked. “On my back?”
Instead of answering, Max swept her off her feet and into his strong grip. He knelt on the mattress, walking her to the center of the bed on his knees. There, he lay her face up, touching a gentle hand to her cheek.
That same hand trailed down lower, and a finger pressed inside her. “Good. Still wet for me.”
He held himself above her, looking down at her naked body. She parted her knees and put her arms over her head, stretching her back. Enjoying his gaze.
With infuriating slowness, he eased his tip into her entrance.
“Still so tight.”
Then the rest of him slid in.
She wrapped her legs around his waist. Max fucked her just like that, his upper body propped upright, eyes fixed on hers, until his movements grew fevered. He came with a roar and collapsed against her.
They lay on their sides in Max’s bed, facing one another. He’d discarded the condom and brought them a glass of water to share. Now, they were both fighting back sleep. Lana didn’t want this night to end, and she sensed he didn’t either.
“I worried I’d lost any chance I had with you,” Max said. “Why did you change your mind?”
“It was your little self-defense class. I knew exactly what you were doing, by the way. But it worked.”
He grinned sleepily. “Mostly that was just for you. I want you to feel safe, L.”
“I do. With you.”
“Safe without me, too. I know that’s important to you.”
She put her hand to Max’s, palm to palm. Their fingers folded together.
“I told Aurora that we slept together,” she said.
“Just now? Do you two have a telepathic connection I don’t know about?”
Lana kicked his leg beneath the covers. “No, I told her that we slept together when we were younger. I kind of had to, after the hearing. Since the entire world could theoretically know if anybody cared to read Judge Vaughn’s opinion. And we both know what a small town West Oaks can be.”
“How did she react?”
“Completely disgusted, at first. But when we talked about it again, she seemed okay with it. About the idea of…you and me.”
Whatever that might mean. She let her words hang there, not sure if he’d volunteer to clarify things. But he didn’t.
Max looked up at the ceiling. “I was a hypocrite with her. All those lectures about personal responsibility and self-control. As if I ever showed any.”
“Of course, you did. When we were together, you made absolutely sure I was all-in at every moment. I don’t think a girl could ask for a better way to lose her virginity.”
She could tell he wanted to disagree, but he kept his mouth shut. Which was progress.
“You were so sweet to me. And you were as good as a father to Aurora, which doesn’t mean you were perfect. It means you made sure she had what she needed, including your love.”
“Do you think she’ll forgive me for the things I screwed up?”
“I’m pretty sure she already has. But I know she’d appreciate hearing all of this from you.
” She didn’t mention that Aurora had called him a hypocrite, too.
And would probably do it again. Max would go a long way toward building an easier relationship with his sister if he was more upfront about everything he was feeling. Especially about his mistakes.
Max pulled her into his arms. She nestled her head against his chest.
“I’m still worried I don’t deserve you,” he said. “But if you think I do, I guess that’s something.”
Neither of them said anything else. Lana closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat as she drifted toward sleep.
In the morning, Lana woke up before Max.
She let herself stare at the unconscious man beside her.
A shadow of whiskers darkened his chin, and his hair stuck out in every direction.
His lashes splayed beneath his eyes. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him this peaceful, or this vulnerable.
She’d never had the chance to wake up next to Max before, and she liked it.
Last night had been…mind-blowing? Earth-shattering?
There were no words. The nights she and Max shared ten years ago had been good, but Max in his thirties was dangerous in so many ways.
More handsome, more uninhibited, even better with his hands, which she hadn’t thought possible.
Yet he was somehow more observant, too. Attentive to every aspect of her pleasure, not just what she said aloud, but what she communicated between the lines.
She could almost imagine forgetting everything else—her career ambitions, her obligations to the DA’s office—and just losing herself in him. She wouldn’t, of course. She wasn’t that kind of woman.
But Lana was even more infatuated with him now than ever. It was a heady feeling. Wild and frightening and exhilarating. Sex with Max was more intoxicating than any wine, and she’d find herself an addict if she wasn’t careful.
Infatuation? her heart scoffed. Really?
Okay, in love. She was so in love with him. She could be headed for more pain and disappointment if this ended badly. But she’d survived heartbreak over Max Bennett before.
She could survive it again. If she had to.
He inhaled sharply, opening his eyes. “Good morning. I had quite a dream last night.”
Lana rested her elbow on the mattress and propped up her head with her hand. “So did I. I ended up in bed with a very sexy man.”
“Was I any good?”
“Oh, you weren’t the guy in my dream. It was someone else.”
With a growl, Max rolled on top of her, capturing her hands above her head. “And who was this man? Who do I need to get rid of?”
“He was tall, good looking. Military bearing. A self-defense instructor, I think. So you’d better watch your back.”
“Hope you kissed him goodbye, because if I see him, he’s history.” Max lowered his head to brush his cheek against hers. “I’m not letting anyone else have you.”
She felt him getting harder. Lana tilted her hips to improve the angle, so he’d rub against her in just the right place. They were both already naked, and she was so tempted to let him slip inside of her. She was wet and ready to go.
Yep, this man was dangerous all right.
“Condom?” she said.
Max grabbed one from his nightstand and put it on, lightning fast. She tried not to think about why he was so skilled at that. All the women who might’ve been in this bed.
“Turn toward me,” he said.
They were both lying on their sides, facing one another. His arm hooked beneath her top knee, raising her leg. Max worked his cock into her, taking his time. Lana pinned her leg over his behind, enjoying the way his glute muscles flexed with every thrust.
He held her close against his chest, making love to her with sweet, deep strokes. Their heads were bent together, lips just grazing, sharing one another’s air. If Max had morning breath, she didn’t notice. Everything about him turned her on.
It didn’t take long for them to start panting, their bodies slapping together with more desperate movements.
Max rolled her so she was flat on her back.
He pounded her into the mattress with abandon, his mouth in a sexy snarl.
He knew she was strong enough to take it, and she loved that.
Lana’s orgasm began an instant before his.
Max’s cock pulsed as her body tightened around him.
Afterward, she felt about as energetic as a puddle of goo. But Max jumped out of bed, throwing on his pajama pants. Wasn’t the guy supposed to be exhausted after sex, not the girl? He was actually humming an upbeat tune.
“Where are you going?” She couldn’t lift her head from the pillow.
“We both need coffee. And food. Then I was thinking we could go for a walk on the beach? Or I could hit the gym if you have work to do.”
Lana pushed herself into a sitting position. She tried to smooth down her hair, which was a wild halo around her head. “You don’t have your own work?”
“It’s Sunday.” He opened his hands, all casual, like he actually believed in weekends.
“Max, you literally live at your office. I’ve called you about cases on plenty of Sundays before. Remember that fraud case you consulted on, and we read through a thousand pages of documents on New Year’s Day?”
“But I’m taking the day off.”
Her mouth opened in shock. No sound came out.
“I want to spend it with you,” he added. “If you’re free.”
Lana didn’t think much of weekends, either. She loved going to the office on Sundays because it was so quiet.
But she was ahead on her trial work. She didn’t have any appointments. She could give herself a single, glorious day to be with Max, even if it was the only one she got.
“I’m free.”
He grinned, leaning his forearm against the open doorframe. “Then get that hot ass out of bed, before you tempt me to get back into it. I need to eat some actual food, not just you.”