She was mindless within seconds but still managed to return the favor. She was sore, after all, not stupid.
Twenty-four hours ago, Anna had been a lonely librarian who’d never had an orgasm with a partner. What a difference a day made.
Or a night, in this case.
She felt as if she’d been in some kind of functioning coma until Max walked into her life. While he remained under the shower, Anna pulled on a robe and padded off to her kitchen to make breakfast, her whole body tingling at the image of him naked and wet, begging her to stay.
In reality, Max hadn’t beg for anything. He didn’t have to. But as persuasive as he was, Anna’s knees were wobbly, and she’d felt curiously new. Giving in would have been easy, but the new Anna retained enough of her previous self to know when she needed to get her bearings. If she wasn't careful, her heart would get involved and then where would she be?
She was already on shaky ground. Sex with Max was like playing with fire—beautiful but dangerous. If Anna wasn’t careful, she would end up more than a little singed.
The image of him above her, eyes dark with desire, kept running through her mind, and with every vivid memory, her skin heated as if he were touching her again. Would getting burned really be such a bad thing?
The coffee was ready, and the shower had stopped, so Anna filled a mug and sauntered down the hall, half hoping to catch him naked and waiting for her return. The library didn’t open for a couple of hours. They had time for another round. Or two. When she stepped into the bedroom, Max was staring out the window, back rigid and arms crossed. Not a happy stance.
“I brought you coffee.” She walked over and handed him the dark brew. “What's wrong?”
“I'm sorry,” he said, curling his fingers around her silly Winnie-the-Pooh mug. His eyes searched hers, silver in the morning light.
“For what?” she asked, keeping her voice steady. That couldn’t be regret in his face.
“I didn’t think it would be this hard.”
“What are you talking about?” This wasn’t the seductive man she’d left in the shower. The one who’d almost—almost—convinced her to stay.
“I’m leaving.”
Of course, he had to leave at some point. He lived upstairs. He had a book to write. It wasn’t as if she’d expected him to move in with her.
She gave him a lazy smile, one that showed no concern. Or so she hoped. “I know you have to work. So do I.”
“That’s not what I mean. I only rented the apartment for a of couple months.” His eyes dropped to the dark liquid before returning to hers. “I’m locked into a book tour. My flight leaves tomorrow.”
The words hit like a blow, a physical pain. Anna didn't delude herself that this was her happily ever after, but she never thought it would end so soon.
Not after he’d stayed the night and been in no hurry to leave this morning.
They stood in silence, Anna watching the tiny particles of dust dancing in the sunlight while Max's words lingered in the space between them, robbing the air of oxygen.
“We should have breakfast,” she said, bolting out of the room.
Before Max could respond, she was halfway to the kitchen. As melodramatic as it sounded, this man had changed her life. She wasn't going to spoil their last hours with tears or regrets. The least she could do was make him some pancakes.
She was dragging pans out of the cupboard when Max walked into the kitchen. “Anna.”
“I'll have the pancakes ready in a flash,” she said, not looking over her shoulder. “I bet the orange juice is still good.”
“Anna,” he said more firmly, gripping her shoulders. “You don’t have to do this.”
She wanted to throw herself at him. To drag him back to bed and make him mindless until he couldn't think about leaving. Instead, she stared at the center of his chest. “I should clean up these dishes.”
Max tightened his hold. “Anna, look at me.” She didn't want to look, but he’d used that voice. The one she obeyed without question.
She lifted her face.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was leaving. That was an asshole move on my part, but I didn’t expect things to turn out like this.”
“Like what?” she asked, afraid to put words in his mouth. To believe that she wasn’t the only one feeling something more than a sexual hangover.
“So damn good.” A hand shot through his hair in frustration. “I knew the sex would be great. You’ve been making me crazy for weeks. But it wasn’t supposed to be more than that.”
So she wasn’t the only one on rocky ground. Good to know. Wait. Did he say weeks?
“I’ve been driving you crazy?”
“I told you that last night.”
He’d told her that he’d imagined her undressing, but she’d assumed that was a line. A fantasy fabricated in the moment to lure her into losing her inhibitions.
“You meant that?”
“I meant every word I said last night. I’m not that much of an asshole. The first couple of weeks I was here, I was too wrapped up in the book to notice much else, but then I needed the library. And there you were.”
He reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “After I met you, I could barely focus on the book. I was too busy thinking about getting you naked.” With a wry grimace, he added, “I even looked forward to Sundays because I knew you’d be working in the flower beds out front.”
Sex with Max had rocked her world, but knowing he’d been watching her for weeks didn’t compute. All those dreams she’d been having, and the real thing had been ready and willing upstairs.
“Unbelievable,” she whispered to herself. To Max, she said, “Then why? Why wait until now?”
“Because I wanted you too much. I knew that time had run out, but I couldn’t leave without tasting you at least once. Without touching you and hearing you moan while I drove you crazy.” Stone-gray eyes held hers as he said, “Because I’m selfish, and I wanted you.”
“I wanted you, too,” Anna confessed. “You aren’t selfish, Max. You gave me more in one night than other men have in months. I’ll take one night over nothing at all.”
“That’s the problem,” he said, pulling her against him. “One night isn’t enough for me. I want you more now than I did yesterday.”
Anna would be damned if she’d apologize for ruining his plan to screw her and walk away unaffected. Max had invited himself to dinner. She harbored no regrets about what they’d done, but staying the night had been his choice.
“Well,” she said, trying for an airy tone. “Then we both enjoyed last night. That’s a good thing, don’t you think?”
Pinning her with a hard look, he said, “Not good enough. Give me another night.”
Self-preservation kicked in. Anna could be greedy—two nights was better than one—but she was already in too deep.
Stepping back, she said, “I don’t think so.”
He froze, something about him reminding her of a predator’s stillness. “Why not?”
“Because I might fall in love with you,” she said, managing a wobbly smile. “Neither of us wants that.”
His brows drew together. “No one falls in love that fast, Anna.”
But she knew herself, knew deep down that another night like that… Not just the sex, but the way he’d held her. The way he’d looked at her.
No.
It wasn’t in her to do that.
“I loved being with you,” she said honestly, going up on her toes and giving him a kiss. “I truly did.”
“But you won’t give me another night.”
She shook her head, and her drying curls bounced around her face. “I can’t. But I can make you pancakes.” She turned away again.
Two strong arms went around her, pulling her back. “What if I said two nights isn’t enough for me, either? What then?”
“That’s not possible,” she said, her throat aching. “You just said you’re getting on a plane tomorrow, remember?
”
“If I’d have known I’d find you, I never would have committed to this damn book tour.” He turned her around, cupping her face and running his thumb across her lips. “Give me the time we have left. That’s all I’m asking.”
Leaning into his touch, she said, “I work from ten to four today. After that, we can have dinner.”
Pulling her in, he said, “I’ll take it.”
Chapter Nine
Six hours had never seemed so long.
Though she’d only agreed to dinner, she considered backing out. Her body felt like a new model, as if she’d been upgraded during the night and had yet to adjust to the changes. Throughout the day, she was intensely aware of every touch, smell, and sound.
One cool breeze from the air conditioning and her body went on alert. The deep timber of a man’s voice had her glancing around, searching for Max’s pirate smile.
The memories were the worst.
Flashes of Max, covered in sweat and driving into her, came without warning. Sitting only resulted in squirming in her chair, the feel of Max’s hands on her skin as real as if he were there. The man was haunting her, turning her day into a battle to keep the constant arousal from showing on her face.
“Almost closing time,” a man said, startling Anna where she stood behind the checkout desk.
Louis Drummond, a prominent city council member, read children’s books aloud every other Sunday. He was single, slightly older than Anna, and quite attractive.
He’d also never given her the time of day.
A quick glance at the large clock on the wall behind her showed the time to be three fifty-eight. Anna silently said a prayer of thanks that her work day was finally over. She’d already done her rounds, ensuring no stragglers remained. She wasn’t sure how she’d missed Lou.
“Yes, it is. I guess we’ll see you again in two weeks.” Anna offered a friendly smile, expecting the man to head for the exit.
“Did you do something different with your hair?” he asked, leaning on the counter. “It looks good all up like that.”
Checking to make sure her clip was firmly in place, Anna said. “I wear it like this all the time.” Something he’d know if he didn’t look through her every time they met. “I really need to lock the doors so—”
“Do you have plans tonight?” he asked. “If not, I’d love to take you to dinner.”
Anna blinked several times before the revelation hit. Lynnlee had joked once that a woman fresh off a night of good sex gave off some kind of open-for-business vibe for several days after. Thanks to Max, she must have been hurling pheromones around like a cat in heat.
“I’m sorry,” Anna said, keeping her smile professional. “I have plans for dinner. But thank you for asking.”
She reached below the desk for her keys when Lou grabbed her free hand. “How about next weekend? I’ll buy you dinner Friday night, and then breakfast Saturday morning.”
Great. Now she had I’ll screw you on the first date scrawled across her forehead.
“I don’t think so.” Attempts to break his hold failed. “It’s time to close up. You’ll have to leave the library now.”
“Come on. One dinner.”
“She said no.” The firm statement came from Anna’s left. She didn’t have to look to identify the speaker.
Lou loosened his grip as he turned to face Max, allowing Anna to pull free.
“I was talking to the lady, not you,” he said.
The lady? She had a name.
“And she answered you. She also told you to leave.”
Two alpha males fighting over a woman worked in fiction, but wasn’t the least bit sexy in real life.
“There’s no reason to blow this out of proportion,” Anna said.
“Maybe I’m not ready to leave,” Lou challenged, ignoring her.
For heaven’s sake. What was next? Pistols at dawn?
“Anna is ready for you to leave. That’s all that matters.” Max held his ground without flinching when Lou took a step forward.
“Enough!” she yelled, her outburst jerking Lou to a halt. “If you want to play cavemen, take it outside. This library is closed.”
Looking properly chastised, her sudden admirer nodded and headed for the exit. Max didn’t move, nor did he look apologetic.
“I’ll stay until you’re ready,” he said. “Give me the keys to lock up.”
Anna did as asked, holding out the key for the library door. Though Lou had been more insistent than expected, Anna didn’t doubt she could have handled him. The man wouldn’t even have asked her out if Max hadn’t turned her into a walking hormone.
One nail tapping on the countertop, Anna waited for Max to return with the keys. When he dropped them in front of her, she said, “What are you doing here?”
“I came to walk you home.”
“It’s two houses away, Max. I’m perfectly capable of walking alone.”
“Do you want me to go back out and get him?” he asked with a hard tone.
“What?” He was acting as if she’d led Lou on or something. “I don’t want anything to do with Lou Drummond, and until today, he wanted nothing to do with me.”
Anna grabbed a stack of periodicals and stormed around the end of the counter.
“I saw the way he looked at you,” Max said, following her across the room. “He would have taken you right there on the counter.”
The magazines hit the circulation desk. “I had nothing to do with the way he looked at me, and he won’t be taking me anywhere, so it doesn’t matter.”
Max clutched her upper arms. “It matters to me.”
Before Anna could respond to that revelation, Max’s mouth crashed down on hers, sending heat surging through her body. There was no gentleness. No sweet words or slow build. Only raw power and a pulsing need that left her panting and confused.
His fingers dug into her hip hard enough to bruise seconds before her feet left the ground. Anna wrapped her arms around his neck at the same time her legs locked around his waist.
When her back hit the wall, Max swallowed her gasp of surprise.
Like a mad man, Max drove her higher, taking her breath and drowning any resistance. She heard his zipper drop seconds before he said, “I have to have you, Anna. Now.”
Now sounded good to her. The orgasm was already building when Max ripped her panties off with a growl. She gripped his shoulders as he drove home, setting a frantic pace until Anna was begging for mercy.
The thrusts were relentless, hard and fast, driving them both to the edge. Anna went over first, crying out in ecstasy, sending Max’s name echoing around the building. Max withdrew before finding his own release, then collapsed to pant against her neck.
In the frenzied sex, Anna hadn’t thought about the missing condom. But even mad with lust, Max had thought of her. Made sure she wasn’t left with a consequence neither was equipped to deal with.
Letting her feet return to the floor, Max said, “I shouldn’t have lost control.”
But he had. And he’d revealed a great deal in the process. Jealous and possessive, Max’s actions weren’t those of a man feeling nothing more than passing lust.
“You’re leaving tomorrow,” she said, stating the reality of their situation.
With a quick nod, he said, “I am.”
Cradling his cheek, she looked into eyes the shade of a looming storm cloud.
“Then we don’t have much time. Let’s go home.”
Chapter Ten
“Come upstairs,” Max said, as they stepped through the front gate to the house they shared. “I have something to show you.”
Anna was happy to follow Max wherever he wanted to take her. At least for tonight. His apartment was accessed by a narrow set of stairs attached to the side of the house, and he motioned for her to go first. At the top, he unlocked the door and led her inside.
“It’s nice,” she said, ignoring the suitcase not far from the entrance.
“The furnishings aren
’t mine, of course.” He set his keys on an end table. “But the essentials are here. It worked as a temporary home.”
Worked. Past tense. Coming up here had been a horrible idea.
“What did you want to show me?” she asked, anxious to leave.
Taking her hand, he said, “It’s in the bedroom.”
Of course it was.
“I don’t normally show this stuff to anyone,” he said, leading her down the hall.
Now she was truly curious. “I’m flattered you’re making an exception.”
Anna stepped into a bedroom that looked much like her own, with the bed centered between two windows. Unlike her wrought iron one, the headboard was solid wood and the linens more masculine.
“What is it?” she asked when he held silent.
“In the corner.”
Anna turned to find a medium-sized canvas propped on an easel. She narrowed her eyes and stepped closer.
“That’s me,” she whispered. “You drew me.”
Max remained near the door, watching her.
In the sketch, she was kneeling beside the flower bed near their front gate, floppy hat in her lap and face turned to the sun. Her hibiscus and daylilies were in glorious bloom behind her, a stark contrast to the white of Anna’s top and skirt, the latter of which was draped gracefully around her legs.
“I don’t know what to say.” And she didn’t. She’d certainly never considered herself to be half as pretty as the woman in the drawing. “When did you do this?”
“A few weeks ago.” Joining her, he stared at the artwork with a critical eye. “It doesn’t do the real thing justice, but nothing would.”
“Justice?” Anna asked on a nervous laugh. “Max, this is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe that’s me. Well, a better me.”
“You really don’t see it, do you?”
“See what?” she said, turning to face him.
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