by Louise Dawn
Max stroked her hair. “You’re closer to that than you will ever know.”
“Maybe.” Abby gently set it down. “I need her by my side, even if it’s just a tiny replica occupying a small spot on my dresser. It’s a reminder of my fight for freedom.” She wrapped her robe closer before turning his way. “What are you doing here?”
Max knelt next to the cabinet and pulled a listening device out from behind. He walked into her bathroom and placed it onto the counter, covered it with a heavy towel before closing the door. They were now alone.
“You just lost one of your best friends.”
“Is this what this is? Checking up on me? I’m not as broken up about it as you might think.” Abby climbed onto the bed and sat cross-legged, pulling a pillow onto her lap. “Kris and I have been moving in opposite directions for a long time. I pretended it would be okay, but guilt played a role.”
“You have nothing to feel guilty for, Abs. You were a victim, you could never have saved Megan.”
“I know. I guess I felt guilty about lying to Kris. I just couldn’t bring myself to tell him the truth about that night, and I realized tonight that I don’t trust him with my past.”
Max stepped forward. “What do you mean?”
“I guess I trust him with certain things, but not with my heart. Does that make any sense? He was such a mischievous kid. I thought he’d grow up to be this incredible man. I put him on a pedestal for so long.” Abby shrugged. “He has gaps in his soul. Does that sound weird?”
“It doesn’t.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m proud of what Kris has become. A fearless conservationist protecting our endangered species. He’s just so twisted inside. So immature…almost mean. Did I make him that way?”
“Abby.”
“Did Meg’s tragic death or me deserting him harden him so much?”
“Don’t put this on you.” Max sat on the side of the bed and grabbed her hand. “I guarantee that he always carried that mean streak. Maybe it just wasn’t that prevalent when you were kids.”
She nodded sadly.
◊ ◊ ◊
Max gazed at her delicate profile as she played with the corner of the pillow. He could watch her for days. Hell. He had been watching her for days. He would never get tired of it. Her fine skin was slightly flushed from the shower. Damp tendrils fell from a messy bun, clinging to her lovely neck. Hunger surged as he imagined running his lips over her warm skin. Nibbling that perfect earlobe as he buried himself inside her.
“Not to mention his ridiculous T-shirt,” Abby said.
What were they talking about? Right, Muller the douche.
“Game Rangers do it in the bush?” Max said.
“A juvenile shirt for a juvenile boy.”
Enough about Kris Muller. They’d wasted too much time on the ass. Max stroked her knee. “I want to apologize for things I said to you.”
Abby smoothed the pillow. “You made a valid point. You need to focus on the job and on your future, we both need to. I have to save my child from a monster, and you have to do the job and go home.”
“What if I don’t want to go home, at least not without you?” Max said, tracing her neck before rubbing her earlobe.
He laid bare the tempest of emotions, not hiding anything and Abby sucked in a breath. “Don’t play games.”
“This is not a game, it’s incredibly complicated even if everything goes according to plan.”
Abby frowned. “What do you mean? You’ll get Khalid, and I’ll have my Gabe back.”
“You’ll be taken in for a debriefing where your story will be examined.” Max rubbed a hand across his eyes.
“I’ll be interrogated.”
“No, sweetheart, you’ll be questioned. You’re now just a person of interest.”
Abby looked scared, and Max pulled her in. “I’ll be there every step of the way.”
“You’ll be reassigned.”
Max kissed her. “I’m not going anywhere. You’re my only priority. No more ignoring this thing between us. I want to touch you, stroke you.” He ran fingers up her arm. “Feel your skin against mine as we screw each other’s brains out.” He whispered hotly in her ear, “I want to make achingly slow love, and then fuck you hard and fast.”
She moaned.
Max pulled back, cradling her head in his hands. “Every cell in my body is yours, tell me to stay.” It wasn’t exactly a declaration of love, but he put his heart out there for the first time in his existence.
Abby’s calm eyes stared deeply into his and they pooled with tears. “Leading me on would be cruel. I have no room for light in my life, at least not at the moment.”
“Ah shit, Abs. Don’t say stuff like that, you’re breaking my heart.”
“This whole romance thing is new for me,” Abby said as she pulled his hands into her lap.
With a crooked grin, Max said, “For me too. I’m a workaholic and will probably mess it up—I’m an ass like that—but would never intentionally hurt you, and I’ll fight for whatever this is.”
Abby grasped his hand. “There’s too much happening in my life at this moment. My head feels like it’s rolling around a cotton candy machine coated in sticky webs.”
“That’s okay, you’ve handled more than most people including hardened soldiers.”
“If you can handle one overwhelmed woman, I want to be with you.”
“Well, when that woman hints that she tastes like cotton candy, a guy’s gotta investigate.”
Abby jumped to her knees. “Are we really doing this? Gland to gland combat?”
Max barked with laughter as he swept her up into his arms, then threw her back onto the bed.
“Move faster, Mr. Big Bad Wolf, what are you waiting for?”
In a flash his phone and gun landed on the dresser, followed by his shirt. Max shucked off cargo shorts while pulling out a condom as he stumbled back towards the bed. As he placed it on the bedside table, Abby ran her gaze over him as Max grabbed the throw off the bed, cloaking himself and diving on top. He pulled apart her robe.
Abby laughed. “What are you doing?”
Max poked his head out. “Don’t you know? Operators do it in the dark…”
She sniggered as he ran hands down her waist. His bristly cheek brushed against her stomach before spreading her legs and planting kisses on the inside of her thigh. Her muscles shivered in response as he pulled a pillow down to slip under her ass. A hint of coconut drifted from the soft linen.
“Mr. Operator, you move damn fast.”
“I can do fast, and I can do slow, now prepare to be ravaged slowly by my manly tongue,” Max growled.
“Do your worst. I surrender to your particular set of skills.”
Max delved into her core. Abby surged up, and he grasped her ass with one hand as his tongue circled her clitoris with slow strokes. He slipped in a finger, stroking and circling. Abby’s low moans pushed him to increase the pressure ever so slightly. She jerked in response, thrashing with need. So damn beautiful and she tasted so good. His dick brushed against the mattress, feeling like a rock between his legs. Her tight pussy lightly pulsed. As it slicked up, Max slipped in another finger, separating her folds and sucking gently on her clit while caressing her sex. The angle of her ass meant that his upward strokes were long and firm, rubbing the front inner wall of her pretty cunt.
“Oh God. Max. Oh God.”
Abby spasmed around his fingers, thrusting off the bed. Her ass cheeks clenched as the orgasm rocked her to the core. Max couldn’t take his eyes off her glorious face. Drops of liquid leaked from his swollen dick, as her pussy clenched around his hand. His fingers remained inside, and he blew gently on those hot, wet folds.
When her body was lax, Max started to lick her lightly, purposely softening his tongue, taking his lazy time and enjoying her taste. Abby squirmed, and he draped a forearm over her flat stomach to hold her in place and increased the pressure of his mouth ever so slowly. Her toes curled into hi
s sides; he nibbled at her folds as Abby tried to arch her back. He gently pushed her back down. The silent space heightened her raspy breaths. He listened intently, paying attention to what she liked. Every time her breathing picked up, he repeated the action.
Abby thrashed her head from side to side. Twisting his still embedded hand, Max started stroking again. Her tightening passage made his cock jump.
“Max. Holy. Hell.” Her eyes met his, and he felt like a fucking god. Every lick, every suck and he saw the need flashing in those green eyes. He fucked her soaking wet pussy with his fingers, while latching on with his mouth and sucking hard against her clit. Every cell of his being kept pace. His mind, his fingers, his tongue, and soon it would be his cock.
Abby focused on his eyes, Max knew she could read his deep carnal thoughts. These folds are mine. I will suck you off whenever I feel like it. He sucked harder. He pulled out and thrust in. My hot dick will stroke your tight, throbbing pussy. She got the message and her eyes grew wild. Powerful spasms rocked her uncontrollably.
Max pulled his fingers out, grasping her ass, he raised her up, licking and moaning into her wetness; the vibration set off more spasms. Jesus, she was sensitive. If he didn’t bury himself soon, he’d disgrace himself.
Max pushed the blanket off, grabbed the condom, quickly sheathed himself and settled over her limp body. He stared into her jade eyes. Reaching down, he continued to caress her wet center. In time, her sleepy eyes widened with pleasure. His other hand stroked her temple.
Abby’s face was inches from his, and her gaze connected with him so powerfully that it robbed him of breath. Intimate minutes passed by as he took in every detail of her face. The tiny freckle above her upper lip, the inner golden rim of those mossy eyes. He swore he could see into her very soul.
Abby was the light in his life, it wasn’t the other way around. Max swallowed hard and circled her passage with a firm stroke. Abby moaned in response. He eyed her sexy lips before capturing her mouth in his. She tasted like honey. He sucked at her bottom lip before plunging his tongue into her sweet mouth. His fingers were coated with her juices as he eased them out, slowly nudging the head of his cock into her entrance.
His thumb ran over a small scar on her thigh, and the reality of their situation came slamming back. He loomed over her like a beast, not taking any of her past experiences into consideration.
“Please don’t stop.”
“Honey—shit—what you’ve been through.”
Abby stroked his cheek. “This is different. It’s pure and amazing. It’s just the two of us.”
“Jesus, Abs.” He couldn’t move. Abby grabbed his hand, guiding it to her breast. “Touch me with every part of you.”
He leaned down and sucked on her dusky nipple. She arched into him, nudging the tip of his shaft into her wet core. Shit, that felt good. Grabbing his ass, Abby opened her legs wider and pulled him towards her, steadily driving his dick home. It was freaking heaven.
He settled back over and looked into her eyes. “How does it feel?”
She smiled up at him. “Full. You’re kind of large.”
“It doesn’t hurt?”
Abby wiggled. “I like it.” She bit her bottom lip as she stroked his brow.
Face to face. Core to core.
“Wrap me up in you, baby,” Max growled.
He pulled out and drove back in as Abby cried out. She twined her legs around his knees and kept her hands on his buttocks as they found a slow rhythm. His intense eyes never left her face. Observing for any sign of fear or discomfort. All he saw was his woman’s pleasure.
“Abby—”
“Don’t stop. Oh. God.”
Max crushed his mouth to hers, devouring her escaping scream, groaning and thrusting like a madman, burying himself to the hilt as his cock pulsed. He felt her everywhere. Her hot, tight pussy milking him, her vanilla hair, her soft skin. His seed seemed to explode from the base of his cock and he let himself go, moaning into her wet mouth.
◊ ◊ ◊
Cocooned under his strong body, Abby was surrounded by musky leathered essence. Her protector. The first man she truly cared for thrust powerfully into her and it was all too much. Pleasure tore through her. She clung to his shoulders as Max drove deeper, claiming her with a primal groan, thrusting out his own volatile release. Time slowed as she spiraled down feeling his warm breath on her damp neck.
He finally rolled to the side, pulling her with him. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, hell yes. I think you literally blew my head off.”
“Well, I sure hope not ‘cause that’s the prettiest head I’ve ever seen.” He kissed her temple before running for the bathroom for a quick clean-up. He brought a warm washcloth back for her. Once they were done, Max spooned her, giving her ear a playful nip.
“You like my ears.”
“What?”
“You’re always touching or nibbling my ear. It feels nice.”
“They’re prettily shaped, with delicate folds. I can’t resist touching your lovely helix.” Max licked the tip of her ear. “And your dainty auricle.” He traced his tongue down. “And your charming lobule.” He bit her earlobe before sucking on it. “And, God. I love the way you smell. Like soft sunshine and warm skin.”
“You say the sweetest things sometimes,” Abby said as she stroked his hand on her breast.
“Only sometimes?” Max muttered.
“Well, yeah. You still have to maintain that big, bad operator reputation.”
Instead of laughing at her small joke, Max tensed. “I swear on my life, I’ll never be mean to you. I’ll protect you from all the shit in this world, and that includes my own shit.”
Abby tried to turn to him, but he held her tight. “I know that.”
“I hope so. Not all men are like your father, and no matter how much baggage I bring home from the job, no matter what I do out in the field, I would never take it out on you.”
“Do you think I don’t know who you are? You’re a good man, with a noble heart.” She held up her hand. “I get that you deal with evil stuff in your line of work, and I’m sure you’ve done more than your fair share of killing, but your moral code is in place.”
Max was silent for a moment before saying, “I’ll make space in my life for us. You, me and Gabe. It won’t always be easy, with my line of work. I’m often deployed, and you’ll need a little patience along the way.”
“Patience, huh?” Abby turned and pushed Max over onto his back. She ran her hands down his stomach, trailing kisses down to his already erect member. “You might need a little patience with me… I’ve never given a blowjob before and reckon I’ll need some encouragement.”
◊ ◊ ◊
Max’s eyes widened at her words. Then her heavenly lips wrapped around him, doing an incredible job of sucking him off. His hips thrust upwards as Abby fingered his balls with one hand. Her tongue swirled around his tip before her mouth sank down all the way, and then up, and then down. Forget patience, if she kept that up, he would be a goner by the two-minute mark. Good golly, Miss Evans. He groaned in pleasure as her mouth did naughty things. One mind-blowing orgasm later, he drifted off to sleep with bad girl Evans wrapped in his arms.
Chapter Eighteen
A flushing toilet jarred him awake. The faucet ran and then Abby made her way back to bed in the dawning light. Max pulled her close, warming her chilled limbs.
“It’s cold out there,” Abby said, burrowing under the covers. “If you need to pee, I suggest you hold it until the sun comes up.”
“I’m perfect just where I am, spooning your pretty ass.”
Abby snuggled in deeper, doing naughty things to his dick but he sobered quickly when his thumb ran over the scarred ridges branding her back.
“You can talk about it and I won’t splinter into a million pieces. I’ve lived with that scar for the past three years. It’s been part of my therapy and it’s now part of my soul.”
“Knowing what he did fucks wi
th my head, I can’t imagine how you feel,” Max said.
“It doesn’t matter how I feel. It’s not going anywhere; the damage is permanent. I’ve thought about covering it with a tattoo.”
Max traced the seared skin. “What kind of tattoo?”
“Not sure yet. I’ll know when it’s time.”
Max shifted down and kissed the scar. Obviously uncomfortable, Abby rolled to her back.
“You know everything about me. Tell me something about yourself. Something that’s not a lie.”
Max traced her collarbone. “Not everything I told you about my family was a lie. I may have fudged over where they actually lived, but the essentials were in place.”
“So you grew up in a small town ranching family?” Abby said.
“Maybe not so small town. I’ll give the full rundown before you meet the clan.”
Abby turned to face him. “You want me to meet them?”
“I very much want that,” Max said. Her pebbling nipples fascinated him and he ran a thumb back and forth over a dusky tip.
“They might not like me. I’ve had a strange life, and I’ve never met someone’s parents before.”
Running his hand along her stomach then up her arm, Max said, “I love that you’re different, your past has shaped who you are. So has mine. I was the strange kid growing up.”
“Don’t talk baloney. Like any alpha male, I bet you controlled the playground.”
“I wish. The other kids thought I was weird. I was born in Colorado, to Finnish immigrants. Much of our family still lives in Finland and Sweden. We traveled to Europe often when I was a kid, my mom often got homesick. I spoke Finnish, German and Dutch at a young age, and loved languages. By the time I entered the military, I spoke multiple languages and have learned more since. I’m what’s called a polyglot. Technically I’m almost a hyper-polyglot, an individual who speaks a dozen languages or more.”
“That’s incredible. How many do you speak?” Abby asked as Max kissed the side of her breast.
