by Sarah Spade
If they take my car, then that means I’m left alone with Max.
Oh, no.
No, no, no.
“That’s okay, Mom. I’ll bring you guys. I don’t mind. I’ll, uh, I’ll wait.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! We haven’t seen the Pearsons in ages. Gladys already offered us a guest room to stay in overnight. You don’t have to do that.”
Oh, yes I do.
Mom nudges Dad in the side. I guess it’s his turn to gang up on me now.
He definitely does. His hand outstretched, Dad says, “Come on, pumpkin. Let me have your car key. But keep the house key so you can get back inside.”
Even though I can’t say no to him—I’m already unraveling the key to my condo from my car keys—I still give it a good try. “But if you guys take my car, how will I—”
Max wraps his arm around my shoulder. “We can use my car. I’ll even let you take the wheel, sweetheart.” He tugs me close, nuzzling my ear with his nose. “I know how much you like to drive me home.”
Mom winks. She… she actually winks at me. “That’s so sweet of you, Max. And maybe, if you don’t have plans, you might want to spend the night with Allison. So that’s she not alone.”
Lord, let a hole open up beneath my feet and swallow me whole. My mom is trying to set me up for a booty call with my “boyfriend”!
When I was a teen, starting a relationship with my first boyfriend, she would’ve killed me if she knew I even had Joey in the house when she wasn’t home. Now she’s basically tossing me at Max, hoping he’ll catch.
Doesn’t she realize how obvious she is? He needs to spend the night because I’ll be alone.
I frickin’ live alone.
I mean, jeez. I know she’s been after me to give her grandchildren for years now. But this? Wow, Mom. Really?
I steal a glance up at Max, my heart skipping a beat when I see the conspiratorial grin he shares with my mother. “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea, Mrs. Shaw.”
I take Max up on his offer to drive.
I have to. Because I’m torn between being ticked off at Max for selling this “boyfriend” act so hard and furious at myself for wishing that the act wasn’t actually an act, I figure that focusing on the drive back home is way better than focusing on Max and me.
That’s when he slips his hand out, resting his palm on my right knee.
I immediately slap at it.
“Stop it,” I snap. “My parents aren’t here. You don’t have to pretend.”
Max makes a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. But he does take his hand off of me.
I miss his heat the second it’s gone.
You could cut the tension in the car with a knife. There’s an air of expectation mixed in among the cranked-up heat. I go to extreme lengths to ignore it, making up a game as we drive back into town. Whoever points out the most cars carrying chopped-down Christmas trees on their roofs wins.
Kinda stupid, considering its past nine o’clock and it’s dark and I can barely make out too many of the cars driving past us, but I manage to find one. Of course, Max spots two and crowns himself the winner. With a lascivious grin, he wonders out loud what his prize is.
The smile and his tone makes it obvious what he wants.
I start to blush. Lucky for me, it’s also dark inside the car, too.
Stupid idea, Allison. Very, very stupid.
I keep my mouth shut the rest of the drive. After chuckling under his breath, Max stays quiet.
The tension only grows.
It’s a relief when I finally park the car out front. Pulling the keys out of the ignition, I toss them at Max. “Thanks for letting me drive. It’s your turn now. Do you remember how to get back to Dani’s?”
“I’ve got a GPS and her address, but it doesn’t matter.”
Uh-oh. He sounds so easy-going. So flippant. I’m worried. “Why not?”
“Because I told your mom I would spend the night here and that’s what I’m going to do.” He pauses, and in the darkness of the car, I can’t see his expression. But I can hear the dare in his voice as he says, “Unless you don’t want me to.”
“I—oh, alright.” What choice do I have? “Come on. Let’s go inside.”
“Wait a second.”
Before I can ask Max what I’m waiting for, he exits the passenger’s side door, strolls around the front of his rental car, and meets me at my side. He opens the door for me again, just like he did at the restaurant when my parents were watching.
Except they’re not watching now.
The chivalric gesture is enough to cause the butterflies in my belly to flap wildly. I mumble, “Thank you,” under my breath and pop out of the car before he can grab my elbow and help me out.
I tell myself that the only reason why I’m going along with this charade is because I don’t want my mom to find out that Max dropped me off and I spent the night alone.
He can… he can sleep on the couch, or maybe my floor.
Just because I’m letting him into my apartment again, it doesn’t mean anything else has to happen.
Right?
Yeah. Tell that to Max.
The second I open my door and he follows me inside, he’s got me cornered. My back is against the wall, his arms caging me in.
The really weird thing is how I react. If it were anyone else but Max Dennis, I’d be screaming bloody murder. And, okay, I might not know him all that well, except—after this year, listening to Dani talk about him all the time—I kinda think I do.
Being the sole focus of his sudden attention isn’t frightening. It’s exciting.
There’s barely an inch separating us. With the way he’s using his lower body to pin me, I can feel the hard, rigid length of him as a brand against my belly.
“Are you okay?”
My voice is trembling a little from the combination of excitement and lust as I tell him honestly, “I’m fine.”
“Tell me if that changes.”
This reminds me of the night we first met. My dark-haired stranger made sure I was with him every step of the way, getting my consent, making sure I was in my right mind. It seems so important to him that he not take advantage of me. It turns me on that he’s still the same.
I nod.
“I wanted to play this cool. Give you a chance to get to know me—the real me—and see if maybe we could start over. I went into this with good intentions, Allison, you have to believe me. And then I sat next to you, at the restaurant, in the car… and I’m too fucking hot. I’ve lost my level head. I don’t know if I ever had one around you.”
Another glimpse of the man I met last Christmas Eve. Part of what had me falling so hard and so fast was the way he wasn’t afraid to show how desperate he was for me. I’ve never had anyone act like they’d die if they couldn’t have me.
Right now? Max looks like he’s holding on by a thread.
“I don’t want to pressure you. I don’t want you to think I’m some fucking nutjob. But this is important. Okay?”
I have no idea what’s going on. I can’t stop thinking about his hard length pressing against my belly. All of a sudden, I feel achy and empty, as if my body remembers the shape of his.
Since it seems like he’s waiting for an answer, I nod again.
“I told you I missed you last night, Allison.” His arms drops, giving me a moment of freedom before he grabs both of my hands in his. He squeezes my palms. “I never got to ask you about me.”
“Max—”
“Did you miss me?”
I gulp.
He doesn’t blink, watching me as I struggle to come up with an answer for him.
There’s two ways I can do this. I can tell him that I didn’t and Max Dennis will let go of me, murmur his goodbyes before walking out of my front door—and out of my life. I know it. If I say that I never gave him another thought after that night together, he’ll go.
Or I could tell him the truth.
“Yes,” I admit.
It’s as if, in that one word, I’ve given him permission to make his move.
Instead of caging me in again, he takes my hands and pulls until we’re both standing in the middle of the living room. Then, when I begin to wonder what the heck is going through his head now, he takes my face in his hands and starts to kiss me.
It’s no simple kiss. From his first breath, it’s clear his goal is to possess me. With the slightest of pressure against my jaw, he has my mouth open and takes advantage of my small gasp of surprise.
It isn’t until he breaks the kiss that I realize the reason why he did. He’s let go of my jaw, his roaming hands traveling due south.
Wearing a look of determination, coupled with the lust that has darkened his gaze, he’s focusing super intently on the hem of my sweater as he grabs the hem and starts to lift up.
Wait.
Wait—
I place my hands on top of his. He abruptly stops tugging, though I gotta give the guy credit. He swoops in again, taking my lips in another fierce, incredibly possessive kiss. The taste of him goes immediately to my head. The room is spinning. I clutch his suit jacket with my fingers, pulling him close until I’m breathless.
Then I push him away, letting go of his jacket, gulping in air as my heart beats so frantically, it’s about to leap out of my chest.
I lick my lips, savoring his taste. He follows the path of my tongue, groaning under his breath as he uses the heel of his palm to press down on the rather large bulge tenting his dress pants.
As if I didn’t already know what was on his mind.
It’s certainly been on mine ever since I was sitting in his rental car, driving back to my house. It was just like that night last year, me bringing him home after spending the even at the Grand Crown. I knew how it would end then.
On the drive back from Frinz, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t wondering if I might be heading for a repeat.
Was it inevitable?
It feels like it.
Still, I try to get my raging hormones under some kind of control. He’s your boss, I remind myself, and Dani’s brother. The attraction is there, no way I can deny it, and he wants me. The erection he’s trying to tame is proof of that.
What if he’s only after another night?
“Max, I don’t know if we should—”
There’s a challenge in his smirk. “What? It’s just sex. Isn’t that what you said to me?”
I did. I threw that right in his face because I was feeling vulnerable and guilty and confused and, yeah, I wanted him to hurt like I was hurting. I hit the mark, too. I know I did.
Then why is he saying it back to me?
Is he proving a point? Or is it how Max really feels?
I swallow hard, fighting past the sudden lump in my throat. You know what? I’ve spent the last year mooning over the idea of some fictional prospective relationship I might’ve had with a man who… who fucked me and left without a word early the next morning.
If I do this, I’m gonna go into this without any illusions. There’s no promise of tomorrow. As much as I’m drawn to this man, as much as I’ve been trying hard not to focus on how much I want him—and even after learning who he was, it was scary how much I still wanted him—I’m going to tell myself that this is just sex.
And, hopefully, I might even believe it.
Chapter 9
Max
I know the minute I’ve got her.
She says it’s just sex. This might be my one shot to prove her wrong.
My cock has been as hard as a rock ever since Allison brushed past me on her way to her seat at the restaurant. Did I think it was impossible for it get any harder?
That was before I saw the determined jut of her chin as she tells me that she’ll be in the bedroom. On her way there, she slips her sweater over head and drops it, leaving it like a breadcrumb trail for me to follow.
I know what she’s doing. And since it means that she’s inviting me into her bed again, I’m okay with it.
Pausing only to snatch the sweater up off of the floor—in case her parents show up early, I don’t want them to have to find their daughter’s clothes in the living room—I follow right on Allison’s heels.
She’s sitting on the edge of her bed, legs crossed, looking so fucking pretty. Nervous, too, and I don’t blame her. It’s good thing I don’t get performance anxiety or something like that. The pressure I’m putting on myself to make this the best night forever for her is insane.
It’s gotta be amazing so that this won’t be the last time.
I close her bedroom door behind me, careful not to lock it because I never want Allison to think that she doesn’t have a choice. After tossing her sweater on top of her dresser, I reach inside my suit jacket.
With a cocky grin, I pull out the extra-long strip of condoms I bought this afternoon and show them to her.
She looks up at me, lust glazing over her lovely green eyes. A small smile curves her lips. “Do I want to know why you’re carrying those?”
I rip one condom off the strip, pocket the others, then shimmy my jacket off. As I open the foil packet, my grin widens. “Call me a wishful thinker. After last night with Dani’s cat, I promised myself that I’d win another chance with you. If you gave me any sign that you’d accept me, I wanted to be prepared.”
“Why not? I mean, it’s just sex, right?”
If that’s what she wants to hear. I don’t say it, though. I act like I’m too busy with unwrapping the condom.
By the time I have it unfolded, ready to use, Allison is halfway naked. I almost drop the damn rubber, I’m so surprised. Okay. So we’re really doing this.
Thank God.
I’ve never undressed so fast. My tie goes flying, I rip my button-down shirt with enough force that I swear I see a button pop off. Don’t care. I can always buy a new shirt. This moment in time with Allison?
I know for damn sure that I’m only gonna get one chance to make up for last year.
Dress pants? Gone. Boxers? Out of there. My cock is pointing straight at her, already leaking with want. My fingers fumble as I try to get the condom on, I’m so impatient. In my haste, I almost tear it, but I get it on and, once I do, I get my first full look at Allison.
She’s even better than I remember.
Allison is stripped bare, kneeling at the foot of her bed. When she finally notices that I’m staring at her, she ducks her head shyly, her eyes darting away, before she shakes her head and rises up on her knees. She arches her back, her tits right there.
They’re so enticing. Last year, I spent ages on her breasts, loving them, sucking them, kneading them. Not yet, though.
I won’t last that long.
Clearing my throat, wincing a little at how hoarse I sound, I ask her, “Remember last year?”
She flinches and I want to kick my own ass. What the hell is wrong with me?
Reaching out for her, I run my hands up and down her bare arms and shoulders. “Not that part,” I say hurriedly.
“Oh? You mean before you left me without saying goodbye?”
“Right.” I remind myself that the last time we were together like this, Allison appreciated me being honest. It worked back when I thought she was Mary. I hope that it’ll work now, too. “Remember when I said that I’d explode if I didn’t get inside of you?”
“Uh, yeah.” Her cheeks turn red. “I do.”
“Right now, I’m not just gonna explode. It’s worse than that. I want you so bad, it’s killing me. I’ve thought about this constantly for months. No other woman even caught my attention, I was too busy obsessing over you. Now that you’re here and you’re naked? If I don’t get to fuck you, I might die.”
At first, I think I might’ve taken the whole honesty thing a step too far. Her mouth drops open in surprise, her eyes so wide, I can almost see my desperation and my desire reflected in her gaze.
Then she lets out a soft moan. “For God’s sake, Max, that’s… that’s the hottest
thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
Yes!
Before I can do or say anything else, Allison takes the chance to make her move.
I totally let her.
Bracing myself against the foot of her bed, she rises up on her knees before lowering her head. Her tongue darts out to rasp against my nipple. It hardens instantly under her warm, wet heat and it takes everything I have not to spill inside the condom.
I don’t want to waste a single one.
Bowing my body over her, wrapping one arm around her, I use my free hand to guide her up to my neck. She takes the hint and starts sucking at the point where it meets my shoulder. It sends shivers up and down my spine.
I’m so ready for her.
Once she’s where I want her, I encourage her to wrap her legs around me.
Then I grunt, “Mattress or wall?”
She lifts her head up, her expression dazed. “What?”
“I’m gonna fuck you right now. It’ll be fast and it’ll be dirty and, not gonna lie, baby, it’ll probably be over before I begin. I’ve got to get the edge off. So do you want me to fuck you on the mattress or up against the wall?”
I don’t think anyone’s ever asked Allison a question like that if the puzzled look she’s wearing is any indication. Good. I don’t want to think about any of her previous lovers.
Not when it’s becoming more and more clear to me that I want to be the last.
“Um, I don’t know.”
“Have you ever been fucked up against the wall before?”
Her head gives a little shake, long blonde hair swaying with the motion. I fist it, because I need to be touching every part of her if I can, and then make a decision.
“Then let me show you something new. You’ll love it—” I’ll make damn sure of it “—and then, when you’re ready, we can do it nice and slow in your bed. Alright?”
Her voice is soft, yet undeniably husky as she says, “I can’t take it any longer. I just want you inside me. I don’t care how.”
She doesn’t have to tell me twice.
Hoisting her up high, I move around the bed and snag a pillow before bringing her over to the only bare wall in the room. It’s across from where I was standing and it’s what gave me the idea. I’ve never done this myself before, but it seems so intuitive. I position the pillow behind her to give Allison some cushion, encourage her to lift her hips a little, then grab my cock.
