Fueled by Lust: Maxim (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Celeste Prater

  “Geologists know how to get their rocks off? Oh, that’s good.”

  She grinned, tossed her towel across the back of a chair, and tugged at the shirt so he could see the small picture beneath the lettering. A naked man sat with his legs spread wide, a huge, stupid grin on his face, and a small, homemade volcano exploding in front of his crotch. Maxim chuckled and shook his head.

  “You’re sick.”

  She plopped onto the chair next to the bed and rubbed lotion on her arms. Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

  “You have no idea.” She smiled and her nose wrinkled in that “I’m so damn cute, I’m going to make your heart explode” kind of way that he had no defense against, so he didn’t even try. He picked up the TV remote and waggled it in the air.

  “You want to watch some TV while I take my shower?”

  She shook her head. “Nah, all that activity woke me up. Give it a few minutes and I’ll be ready to crash.”

  He watched as she brushed her long hair while he dug in his bag for his toothbrush. He frowned when she slipped into her bed and propped herself against the pillows.

  “Your hair’s still wet.”

  “So?”

  “You should dry it first.”

  “I’m too tired. It takes forever.”

  “Let me do it.”

  Her brows rose.

  “You want to dry my hair?”

  “That’s what I said.”

  She stared at him for a few beats and then shrugged. “Hell, knock yourself out.” She got out of the bed, rummaged in her bag, and pulled out a hairdryer. She handed it to him and glanced around the room.

  “Where you want me?”

  He could think of a thousand different things to say, but chose to behave himself.

  “The chair’s good. There’s a plug beside it. Bend over and drape your hair forward. It’s best to dry from underneath first.”

  She chuckled. “Maxim the hairdresser, go figure.”

  He went to his knees in front of her and then popped her lightly on the thigh.

  “Tell no one about this. If you ever meet my brothers, this is in the vault. My life depends on it. Got it? Now bend over.”

  She giggled and did as he asked. Her words were muffled.

  “Understood. Locked down tight.”

  “Good.” The second he touched her soft hair, he knew he’d made a mistake. His dick had become bored at the talk of TV and hairdryers, but instantly stirred at being so close to the object of its fantasies. After a few minutes of fastidious concentration on keeping her hair from snarling while it dried, he was able to avoid a full scale hard on. That went out the window as soon as she grabbed his wrist, lifted her upper body, and flipped those silky tresses backward. Her gorgeous blue eyes locked to his. She blinked a few times then cleared her throat.

  “Sorry, I had to get up. You almost put me to sleep.” Her hand dropped away from his arm, and he quickly stood and got behind her to avoid the dick in the face routine. No way could she miss what he was packing.

  “No problem. We’re almost done.” He set the dryer to a soft hum and began running his fingers over her scalp, lifting the thick mass of soft spirals, and making a point to accidently caress her ears and neck every chance he got. He tried to peek behind her right ear, but the room wasn’t lit well enough to see if she had a mark.

  Soon, her head lolled forward and her lids began to droop. He shut the dryer off and set it on the table. He couldn’t seem to keep his hands away from her. Pushing her hair over her shoulder, he began massaging her neck and back. Her low moans were like soft strokes against the head of his cock. Shit, I’m torturing myself.

  “Come on, sweets. You’re about to topple out of the chair. Let’s get you back in bed.” He helped her up and lifted the coverlet away as she crawled in. She lay on her side and curled up into a fetal position, sheets pulled tight under her perfect chin. She had a small smile on her face when she looked up to him.

  “That felt great, Maxim. You’re right. I can sleep better with it dried. Her eyelids closed and he could tell her breathing was even. She was out. He bent and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

  “Night, sweetness.” Stripped of his boots and T-shirt, he grabbed his toothbrush and made quick work of brushing. He reluctantly untied the perfect braid she’d done for him.

  Seconds later, he was in the shower and staring at the beast pointing accusingly at him. It was red and very angry.

  “Yeah, yeah. I know. As soon as I smelled her shampoo, I triggered your dumb ass. Well, too bad. I’m not helping you out. She’s right there in the next room, and you make me get loud and stupid. So, suffer.”

  Despite his best intentions, Maxim knew he had to do something about his throbbing cock. It wasn’t going to give him a moment’s peace until he choked it half to death. It’d been teased unmercifully since the second he’d seen Skylar and was now out for revenge.

  Closing his eyes, he leaned back against the warm tiled wall and wrapped a fist around the unrepentant flesh. Pressing a foot against the edge of the tub, he started a fast stroke to get it over with. Despite his lothario reputation back at the club, this had been how almost every night for the last three years had played out. The easy fucks had gotten old pretty damn fast. He wanted more than a quick tumble with a forgettable and incompatible female. Shaking the thoughts from his head, Maxim let his mind wander back to the vision of Skylar in the doorway. The second those hidden nipple rings came to mind, his nut sack drew up. Oh, yeah, this is going to be quick.

  He imagined taking one between his teeth and tugging. Her little nipple would stretch out until he decided to grant it mercy. He’d have her begging him to suck gently on it while his tongue flipped the ring back and forth while the other would be enjoying the attention of his fingers. She would be so lost in the dueling sensations, she’d writhe beneath him, ready to have him slip deep inside her wet heat. He wondered if she had any other piercings. He bit his lip to keep from crying out as his hand worked furiously against his flesh at the thought. Close, I’m so close. His hoarse whispers were lost within the pounding spray.

  “Do you have a little clit ring, sweetness? Is there something piercing your flesh that I can latch onto while I drive you mindless with pleasure?” Had she stood in this exact spot, slipped her fingers across her swollen clit, and wondered what it would feel like to take him deep inside? Maxim squeezed hard on the bulbous, leaking tip, imagining how tight she’d be as he tried to enter her. It was too much.

  Maxim squashed his cry as streams of cum erupted from his balls and pelted the shower curtain. He watched it pattern a display of raw, wanton need across the filmy material. He wished he could see the slow, dripping liquid trailing across her soft, succulent skin, marking her with his essence. His breath caught in his lungs.

  “Ah, fuck. Yes. That’s it.” Eventually, his seed slowed to a steady roll across his knuckles until there was no more to give. Lethargic, he was barely able to turn toward the spray to clean his body, much less clear away the glaring trail of his inability to control himself. On shaking legs, he stepped from the shower and toweled off. Using the hotel dryer, he quickly finished drying his hair and left it undone. He couldn’t help the stupid grin on his face. Maybe she’d want to braid it for him again tomorrow. Satisfied with his sly decision, he looked around and cursed his stupidity.

  “Fuck, I didn’t bring a change of clothes.” Wrapping the towel around his waist, he snatched his jeans from the floor, turned off the light, and slowly made his way to his bed. The sun tried to fight its way around the curtains, giving him just enough light to keep from stubbing his toes. He glanced over and saw that she’d already turned over in the bed, eyes still closed. He threw the towel on the floor and crawled in. Lying back against the cool sheets, he tried not to moan his satisfaction at sinking into the comfortable mattress. Her soft voice startled him.

  “Maxim?”

  “Yes?”

  “I forgot to say thank you. I don’t think I
’ve really stressed that enough. You’ve had so many opportunities to ditch me, but you’re still here. So…thank you.”

  He smiled.

  “You’re welcome, sweetness.”

  “Maxim?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I saw your butt.”

  He couldn’t help the bark of laughter that jumped from his throat. He could barely choke out his question.

  “So, what’d you think?”

  “Not bad, slick. Not bad at all.” She rolled over and turned her back to him. “Night.”

  He felt his cheeks stretch tight as he stared at the ceiling.

  “Sleep well, mellis.”

  * * * *

  Kallon opened an eye to stare at the clock on the nightstand. It was early. He smiled when Ulixes groaned and shoved him in the back.

  “Someone’s at the door.”

  “I know. It’s Caelius. He has something he wants to show me.” Rolling out of the bed, he made sure to glance over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of Ulixes as he lifted from the mattress and stretched. He’d never get tired at looking at that male’s fine backside. Too soon, the best part of the show covered up with faded jeans. Hell, he even made that look mouthwatering. He grinned when Ulixes pulled a T-shirt over his head, turned around, and caught him checking him out. He got a shy grin back. His deep voice was still sleep groggy.

  “I’ll make some coffee. You want any breakfast?”

  “Sure.” Kallon slipped on a pair of shorts and caught his mate’s hand as he rounded the bed. He smiled, leaned over for the offered kiss, and then followed him from the room. Ulixes glanced over his shoulder, a puzzled look on his face.

  “I wonder what’s so important to be up this early when he just got his mate home. He’s got my curiosity up now.”

  Kallon nodded and popped Ulixes on the ass has he rounded the corner into the kitchen.

  “Me, too.” Kallon pulled the front door open and looked at the pair standing in front of him. Caelius had a huge grin on his face, and his mate stood close to his side, her status evident by the faint, bluish glow of Caelius’s conprobatus displayed proudly against his shirt. She was beautiful. Her gorgeous gray eyes were wide, and she gave him a big smile before sticking her hand out.

  “Hi, I’m Rhia. You must be Kallon. I’m sorry we woke you up. Caelius has absolutely no patience. I couldn’t get him to wait.”

  Kallon took her hand and placed a gentle kiss to the back. He motioned them in.

  “Nice to meet you, Rhia. No worries. We needed to get up anyway. I’m getting entirely too lazy. Are you both okay? Cato told us what happened with your boss.”

  She nodded, and Caelius slipped his hand into hers.

  “We’re great despite all of the nonsense.”

  Kallon motioned them toward the kitchen.

  “That’s good. We’ve got coffee. You want to join us for breakfast?”

  Caelius shook his head.

  “Thanks, but we’ve eaten already. We don’t plan on keeping you too long.”

  Ulixes turned around and placed coffee cups on the counter. He glanced up when Rhia called out to him.

  “Hi, Ulixes.”

  He frowned and then his eyes widened. “Rhia?”

  She smiled and nodded.

  Confused, Kallon watched Ulixes’s lips part as he moved closer to the counter.

  “You look different. I know it’s you, but something has definitely changed. You look…very well rested.”

  Caelius burst out laughing and Rhia joined him.

  Kallon shrugged when Ulixes glanced at him, a perplexed look on his handsome face. Caelius pulled a stool out for Rhia, and he joined her at the bar.

  “We’re sorry, Ulixes. We wanted to see if you noticed a difference in her since you’re the only one besides me that’s met her. Obviously it’s not our imagination.”

  Intrigued, Kallon leaned on the bar and stared at Rhia.

  “Okay, you got our attention now. I’m assuming this is what you wanted to show me.” He looked on with curiosity as Rhia pulled a driver’s license from her wallet and Caelius placed his phone on the countertop. He slowly flipped through the photos on the cell, each one a varying snap of Rhia sitting in a booth and smiling for the camera.

  Kallon glanced back and forth between the images and Caelius’s grinning mate. Ulixes was right. She looked extremely well rested compared to the photos. She slid the driver’s license in front of him, and he frowned when he saw her age listed as forty-eight. That couldn’t be right. He looked up when Caelius spoke.

  “After our mating, Rhia discovered that her age has regressed. She looks like she did in her late twenties. So, now you know why I couldn’t wait to see you. Rhia thinks that we got synced up in age in preparation for us living our lives out together. Have you ever heard of this happening?”

  Kallon chuckled and handed the items back to them.

  “No, but nothing is surprising me any longer. Her theory is probably accurate. Between discovering that there are Insedi hybrid children, Maxim losing his mind-talk ability when his Occasio is around him, and now this, I’d say that I have absolutely no idea of the possibilities of our race.”

  “Maxim found his mate?”

  Kallon laughed.

  “Forgot to tell you about that, didn’t I. Yes, happened at the airport. He’s on his way back with her.”

  Caelius leaned back in his chair and nodded. He looked very pleased with himself.

  “He’s going to owe me big time. If I hadn’t gone to California, he wouldn’t have been there to meet her. Yep, I’m one up on him, finally.” He looked over when Rhia patted him on the arm.

  “Nope, you’re even now. He sent you to the cooking class, remember?”

  Caelius grinned and leaned over to give his mate a solid kiss.

  “You’re right. Now you don’t have to kiss him. They’re all mine.”

  Kallon rapped his knuckles on the counter to get their attention.

  “Okay, no clue on what you’re talking about, so let’s get back to the new anomaly you just threw on me. Rhia, when was the last time you gave blood?”

  Chapter 12

  Kallon wasn’t surprised by Caelius and Rhia’s confused expressions. He poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned against the cabinet.

  “It’s the same issue that I had with Luna. She transitioned to full Insedi shortly after she stepped on Insedivertus soil. I should’ve taken blood from her while she was still on Earth. It made my research that more difficult without it. I’m in the same predicament here unless I have a comparison sample. Red blood cells can last up to forty-two days, so if you’ve given blood then that might solve my analysis problem. It may not help at all, but it’s better than nothing.”

  Rhia leaned forward. “I gave a month ago. I’ve been giving blood regularly since my brother’s death.”

  Kallon nodded and retrieved his cell. He dialed Cato and set the phone on the counter. Cato’s deep voice came across the speaker. He sounded out of breath.

  “Hey, doc. What’s up?”

  “I didn’t wake you did I?”

  “Nah, we’re out in the backyard watching Donk chase lizards. It’s the funniest damn thing I’ve ever seen. The dude’s lost his freaking mind. We’re filming it.” He could hear Luna laughing in the background.

  “I have a favor to ask. I’ve got you on speaker. Caelius and Rhia are here.”

  “What you got?”

  “If we gave you a date that someone gave blood, could you track it down to see if it’s still there?”

  “Sure. Who’s it for and where did they give?”

  Rhia spoke up. “It’s for me, Cato. My last name’s Brennan and I gave at the Eighth Street Clinic exactly thirty-eight days ago. It was about two in the afternoon. They’re about four blocks down from where I worked.” She spelled her name out for him.

  “Got it. I’ll call you as soon as I get something. Shouldn’t take long.” He ended the call.

  Ulixes broke the th
ick silence as they waited for Cato to do his thing.

  “So, Rhia, did you finish the cooking class? I thought you were one of the most talented in there. You made the best looking desserts.”

  She smiled and nodded. “Thank you. Yes, I finished and got my certificate.”

  Caelius nudged her on the arm. Kallon could tell that the male was extremely proud of his mate.

  “She’s about to start classes at a culinary school next week. We’ve got a chef to add to our community.”

  Ulixes grinned. “That’s excellent! You’re going to have two females hunting you down when they find out. Avelina and Cassie are looking for someone to cook at the restaurant they’ve been planning. Their vision is to bring Earth dishes to Insedivertus, perhaps even come up with new ones that combine the best of both worlds.”

  Rhia’s eyes widened, and she turned to Caelius.

  “Serious? Baby, if they’re willing, I’d be more than happy to bypass school and take that on. The only reason I signed up for class was so I stood a better chance of getting a chef’s position. I’m just chasing the paper, not the skills.”

  Caelius lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles.

  “You’d have to live on Insedivertus. Are you willing to do that?”

  She caressed his face and smiled. “Of course, it’s beautiful there. You could be close to your father again. I’d love to be part of your world.”

  Kallon watched Caelius’ eyes light with excitement.

  “Anything for you, my bellula. Father’s going to be ecstatic to have family around him again.”

  They pressed their foreheads together, and Kallon could tell they were sharing a personal mind connection. He nudged Ulixes on the arm and opened his own mind to him.

  That was an excellent thought. See how happy you’ve made them? He felt Ulixes’s palm run down his back and leaned closer to him.

  Cassie would have snatched her up the second she met her. It was inevitable, but I’ll take the credit if you want to dish out the reward.