Chapter Thirty-Four
Rhys
After glaring daggers at me, Max starts toward the waiting car.
I blink as unease settles deep into my gut. Is she upset after seeing Auric and the way he treated his sidepiece? That was embarrassing, especially when he insinuated that what Max and I have is monetary and sexual. He might not have meant to disparage her, but it was still insulting.
Then Selena…
Liam mentioned she’d gotten divorced, but I didn’t expect to run into her.
Why didn’t she go back to England to be with her family after the divorce?
I wasn’t emotionally prepared to face her again, even though she was friendly enough.
But then, she didn’t leave me over something I did—it was all the disgraceful baggage that came with being with me.
Her careless question about Max meeting my family felt like a punch in the gut.
By family, Selena didn’t mean my brothers.
After all, who in my circle can tolerate our parents’ openly scandalous behavior?
Max can.
Yeah, but she only interacted with them as your assistant, not as a real girlfriend. Selena loved you, hinted at commitment until she met Auric and Elita.
My mouth fills with bitterness. I push away a growing unease. My long strides catch up to Max. “Come on, Freckles. What’s wrong? Tell me.”
Please let this be something I can do something about.
She keeps her gaze straight ahead. “Your hands, cheeks, arms and chest are contaminated. Positively radioactive.”
I let out an incredulous laugh, relieved it isn’t Dad and his new lover. “Are you kidding?”
“Nope. That woman touched you there. Probably left cooties. And a tumor.”
“You shook hands with her.”
Max glares at her hand. “And I’m going to have to dip it in bleach for an hour.”
We reach the Cullinan. I open the door for her. “You weren’t acting like this with Danica.”
Max shoots me a narrow-eyed look. “Danica doesn’t want to fuck your brains out.” Then she climbs in.
I nearly falter. Of all the things… “Selena is an ex,” I say as I hop in, then close the door and raise the partition. Angelo wisely says nothing and starts driving.
“She’d better remember that, and you better ensure she doesn’t touch what’s mine,” Max seethes.
“Are you jealous?” I ask with a helpless laugh. The earlier apprehension dissipates. Anger means she cares…
“Yes. This relationship might not be real, but you’re mine for a year, Rhys.”
That intense possessiveness in her tone. I love it that she is jealous and doesn’t hide it from me. The fact that she’s willing to communicate what’s bothering her is gratifying—makes me want to lay the world at her pretty feet.
“I’m very well aware, Freckles. Nobody’s allowed to touch me the way you do.”
I try to put my hand on her shoulder, but she shrugs it off.
“I promise. I’ll never disrespect you or betray your trust that way.
” I recall her story about how her father’s deception and abandonment left an indelible scar on her heart.
I sober my expression and face her. “I owe you my loyalty, and that goes beyond just one year. We’re in a pretend relationship now, but I’ve known you long enough to give you the respect and security you deserve. ”
Max doesn’t look at me. “What about her? You’ve known her for a while, too.”
“We’re friendly at best now. She’s old history. We dated when we were twenty-three, then she dumped me and married someone else. We lost touch after that. It’s been fourteen years, Freckles.”
Max pulls her lips in as she considers. “I guess that makes her almost a stranger.”
“Exactly. And if it makes you feel better, I’ll shower extra carefully. And burn this contaminated suit.”
She cuts her eyes my way. Finally. “Don’t. It does things for your shoulders.”
Laughing softly, I put my mouth on hers.
She kisses me back, using her teeth to nip and make her displeasure felt.
I grin at the small sting, enjoying her showing her claws.
She’s never done that before, and it’s really adorable.
If I’d known she could be this temperamental, I might’ve called her Kitty instead of Freckles.
Feeling mischievous and rebellious—and more importantly, needing to forget the horror of seeing my dad and Selena back to back—I pull Max closer. She lets out a small sound of protest, but her mouth continues to plunder mine. A coppery tang coats my tongue. “You bit me hard enough to draw blood.”
“Maybe you did something to deserve it,” she says, her voice low and dangerous.
“Savage.”
“Just marking my territory.” Jealousy still crackles in her green-eyed gaze—hot and thrilling. “Maybe I’ll mark you some more.”
Her mouth goes to the side of my neck and pulls the skin in hard enough to smart.
My heart races at her blunt display of possession—it makes me feel wanted, desired and cherished, feel that I’m worth the effort despite all the bullshit that comes with me, the ex and the inane parents. And I want to belong to her.
Want me, Freckles. Think of only me, nothing else—not my parents, not the scandals—and I’ll give you the world, I promise.
I wrap my arms around her, pulling her tight so she can feel my cock pulsing for her. She places her hand over it in a blatant show of dominion. I put my hand on hers and draw it over the thick length. “Feel that? I’m aching for you.”
She hums her approval softly against my neck, her fingers flexing over my shaft. Jolts of pleasure race up my spine. My blood boils—I feel like I’m being burned from the inside out.
The car stops. A door opens and closes.
Shit. Angelo. I don’t mind continuing, but she will.
Before I can say anything, the door opens. “We’re here!” comes Angelo’s overly cheerful voice. “Oh. Sorry. Uh…” He turns away.
She straightens and plants a hand over her eyes. “You didn’t see that.”
“See what?” He tilts his face up to the sky. “Nice clouds…”
I help her out of the car. “Leave the bags in the foyer, then you’re done for the day,” I instruct Angelo over a shoulder as Max and I walk quickly inside the house. We take long strides past the foyer and the kitchen.
Can’t wait any longer. I pin her against the wall and ravage her mouth. She digs her fingers into my hair, then turns us so I’m the one against the wall. She hums in triumph; I turn us again and push her toward the staircase, my hands roaming all over her irresistible body.
We stumble up the steps, our lips and tongues stroking each other. Max’s aggression doesn’t lessen. She devours me ruthlessly, like a conquering queen staking her claim. My dick’s so hard it’s ready to burst. I’d love nothing more than to plunge into her slick depth. I’m installing an elevator.
Finally, we spill into the bedroom. Impatient, I reach for the hem of her dress, my mouth dropping to her neck.
She puts a hand to my forehead and pushes me back.
“You don’t get to leave a mark on me. I’m not the problem here.
You are.” She gives me a once-over, her eyes still smoldering and lingering over the spots Selena touched earlier.
“Take off those filthy, contaminated clothes. Leave them to be laundered.”
Mesmerized, I pull my tie loose and drop it on the floor. She follows the fluttering of the fabric with her eyes, then looks at me again, cocking an eyebrow in a silent command to continue.
I lose the “radioactive” jacket, then strip out of the vest, taking my time with the buttons.
It falls with a soft whisper of fabric. The cuff links are put on the dresser.
I yank the hem of my shirt out of my pants, then slowly unbutton from the bottom, giving her a tantalizing glimpse of my abs—one of her absolute favorite parts to linger on.
A fiery hunger burns in her gaze, like she wants to eat me alive.
My heart beats with lust, but something else as well. Moments like this, I feel like I’m the only thing that matters to her.
She rolls her wrist. “Don’t stop. Keep going.”
I unfasten the rest of the buttons. Her throat works, and she licks her lips. However, she isn’t moving to run her hands over my abs.
“Just how mad are you?”
“Mad enough to draw blood,” she shoots back immediately.
“We can do more enjoyable things. Blood’s a bitch to get out of fabrics.” I glance at the bed and give her my best boyishly charming grin.
She raises both eyebrows. “You think you can get out of anything with a smile?”
“No. But maybe with this.”
I drop my pants. Although she maintains a severe expression, when my cock springs out, her eyes widen. It throbs, veins standing out. I can’t remember ever being this turned on.
Abruptly, she takes two long strides forward and grips the back of my head, fusing our mouths and totally ignoring my needy dick. I glide my hands upward, grab her ass and squeeze. It’s sensitive, and she always moans when I do it.
This time is no exception. She whimpers, but still doesn’t touch my cock. I hook my fingers into the straps of her thong and pull. The fabric rips. She mock-pouts.
“Beast. That’s my favorite.”
“I’ll buy you enough to fill an entire drawer.” Then I add, “All of them crotchless.”
The corner of her mouth twitches, but she pushes me back and I land on the bed.
She straddles me, her knees falling on each side of my torso as she gazes down, her chin angled haughtily.
After tossing my glasses on the nightstand, I run my hands along her soft thighs, then lift her weight off my stomach and shift her up until her molten core glistens over my face. “Let me show you how sorry I am.”
I pull her down and run the flat of my tongue over her folds, take in the sweetness.
She gives a shocked gasp that fills me with joy.
There’s nothing for her to brace herself with, leaving her at my mercy.
I hold her hips, swirling my tongue over her engorged clit and quivering pussy.
Shaking, she begins to rock against my face.
Good girl.