Fueled by Lust: Maxim (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Celeste Prater

  Kallon snorted, reached around, and pinched Ulixes on the ass.

  Deal. The phone rang and yanked him out of the swirling images on the various ways he was going to introduce his mate to shower sex. Kallon put Cato on speaker.

  “Damn, you’re fast.”

  “I aim to please. Okay, this is what we have. Rhia’s a B-negative, and her donation’s still available. On my walk through the electronic world of blood work, I learned that only 1.5 percent of the population has that type, so this probably accounts for our good fortune. It’s stored at the hospital’s main laboratory.”

  Kallon leaned against the counter. “Who can we send to pick it up?”

  Cato’s soft chuckle slipped through the room.

  “Already on it. I sent two very bored pilots more than willing to do a grab and run.

  * * * *

  Maxim quickly rolled to a sitting position on the bed. It took him a few seconds to realize where he was. A pile of spiral curls and a soft snore coming from the other bed reminded him. Dressing in record speed, he put on a pot of coffee and slipped out of the door. He glanced at his phone, surprised he’d gotten a full eight hours of sleep. He hadn’t done that in a long time. Leaning against the wall, he called Cato, anxious to hear his voice.

  “Yo.”

  “Hey, cuz, got anything for me?”

  “You never check your messages, do you?”

  “Come on, you’re killing me here.”

  “Cerano Tullius is a transplant from Rome, Italy. His family brought him over when he was twelve. He has an older brother and from what I can figure out, they don’t like each other much. Think it might have to do with the competition to see which one daddy likes the most. The old man’s rich and ready to pass on the reins to a butt load of Fortune 500 companies. You taking notes? I’m not repeating this shit.”

  Maxim snorted. “One day we’re going to have to beat the crap out of each other just to level this playing field. Now, spill it before I go nuclear on you.” He rolled his eyes at Cato’s satisfied laugh.

  “Cerano’s a playboy, and the older one looks like he’s got a stick shoved up his ass. Seems Cerano’s been trying to change his ways to prove to pops that he has some social business savvy. He got rid of his nightclub and purchased the Historical Archeological Bureau about three years ago, and its doing pretty well financially. Other than a few speeding tickets, the guy’s clean. If he’s your problem, I’m not finding anything glaring that could point that way. Sorry, buddy.”

  Maxim released his breath. “Nah, it’s okay. It was worth a shot. I’ll just keep my eyeballs peeled for anything weird.”

  “Dude, you totally need to get your ass home. All sorts of crazy shit’s going down around here. Your boy Caelius keeps surprising the hell out of me.”

  “Like what?”

  “Nope, you’re going to have to wait. It’ll give you a reason to haul your butt back where we can all protect your sorry ass. Get to the festival and he can clue you in.”

  “You suck.”

  “Bite me.”

  “First chance I get. Later.” He slipped the phone back in his pocket and snorted.

  “Yeah, wish it was that easy to get home.” Slowly pushing the door open, he scooted inside before the sun blasted Skylar in the face. Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he pulled up a chair and watched her for several minutes. She was a restless sleeper. Two pillows were on the floor, and she flipped over three times within a fifteen-minute period. Either she was battling a demon in her dreams, or he’d need to wrap her up tight in his arms if he was ever going to get a good night’s sleep. He smiled at the thought. On the fourth body flip, he had to look up to the ceiling. The covers were off and she was flat on her stomach with the T-shirt barely covering her delectable ass.

  Deciding he better change angles before he got busted staring at her cute butt and the scrap of red material between her legs that was obviously a thong, Maxim leapt up from the chair and approached the bed from the side. He leaned over and pulled a swath of hair away from her face to reveal her long slender neck.

  Kneeling, he moved closer and engaged the light on his phone. He didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed that she didn’t bear an Insedi mark behind her ear. Moving the phone away, he pressed his nose close to her neck and inhaled. Sweet pears. Fuck! That smells so good. He cringed when she spoke.

  “You’re not going to sink your fangs into me or something, are you? My life has gotten fifteen kinds of stupid. I don’t think I could handle becoming a member of the living dead at the moment.”

  Maxim chuckled and pushed away from the bed.

  “Sorry, sweetness. I was just checking on you. I didn’t mean to get so close.” He sat back in the chair when she rose to a sitting position and stretched.

  “I probably looked like I was dead, so I can’t blame you. I’m completely backward on my sleep cycle.” She stood up, yawned, and scrubbed at her face.

  Maxim watched her with an appreciative eye. Even with her hair smashed flat on one side and sticking up on the back of her head she was stunningly beautiful. She didn’t show any sign of being embarrassed or shy as she dug around in her duffel. She was so comfortable in her own skin it amazed him. Every second, he was learning more and loving what he was discovering. The desire to snatch her around the waist and pull her down to sit on his lap overwhelmed him. Instead, he jumped up and poured her a cup of coffee—one drop of cream and three sugars. He’d picked that tidbit up on their last restaurant stop.

  “Here, drink this. As soon as you’re ready, we’ll go hunt down a place to eat before we hit the road.”

  Skylar accepted the cup from his hands, stared at the caramel colored liquid for a few seconds, and then took a tentative sip. When her piercing blue eyes rose to his, she smiled and looked at him as if he’d just killed a kruthka for her. Warmth suffused his chest, and he was barely able to breath.

  “You’re so sweet. You got it just right. Thanks, Maxim.” She yawned again, stumbled into the bathroom, and shut the door.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, Maxim tried to control his energy. The more he was around her, the greater the urgency to mate suffused his senses and left him shaking. Whatever initial doubt he had about falling hard for someone he’d just met was rapidly washing away. She was his. It was that simple. He knew that he was in for the greatest test of his life. He needed to gain her trust, and pushing her would only shut everything down. He felt torn and frustrated. Waiting for her to make that crucial move was going to drive him insane. Shaking his head, he stood up and starting packing his bag.

  Quit putting doubts in your own head, Maxim. Focus on getting her through whatever task this spirit has for her. Win her the right way.

  Maxim frowned when he heard her phone ring. The door muffled her voice and he couldn’t make out the words. He fought from going over to the door and smashing his ear on it. Like that’d go over well if she busted him. No, he was going to stand right here and wait for her to reveal it, or not.

  Feeling more confident, he thought he did a good job of acting civilized when she came out of the bathroom. As soon as he spotted her, he forgot everything else. She wore her hair twisted at the nape and pulled back with a clip, a sleeveless blue T-shirt, and faded jeans. Even something that simple had him salivating. His eyebrows rose when she grimaced and set her purse to the side.

  “That was Cerano checking to see if I was okay. He said he came by my apartment and was worried when I didn’t answer.”

  “Did you tell him you were out of town?”

  “Yes. I made up a story about visiting my aunt. I’m just glad he doesn’t know how much I hate that woman. I think he bought it.”

  “Good.”

  Slipping on her sandals, she looked up and smiled. The deep blue of the shirt made her eyes glow. Stunning.

  “You want me to braid your hair again?”

  Maxim shook his head and quickly turned to the mirror.

  “Nah, I got it. Thanks.”
Hell, if he let her touch him like that again, he’d lose it. He watched her image move to the window and push the curtain aside.

  “What time is it?”

  “A little after four.”

  “Hey, you want to do me a favor?”

  He tied the end of his hair and turned around. “Depends on what it is.”

  She glanced over her shoulder and smirked. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to ask you to play in traffic.”

  He chuckled and moved over to the window.

  “I’m relieved. So, what can I do for you?”

  She turned back around and tapped on the windowpane with her index finger. “I want to go there.”

  Maxim moved next to her and looked to where she was pointing. A light gray building with a few cars parked out front was the only thing he could see in the vicinity. A green neon sign flashed in the large, front glass window.

  “Jack Daddy’s. Why do you want to go there?”

  “It reminds me of one of the places I used to go with my dad when we got bored of tinkering around with his car. I bet it’s got a jukebox and peanut shells scattered all over the floor. I saw a flyer on the nightstand claiming it has the best burger in town, and it made my mouth water.” She turned to him, eyes pleading.

  “Come on, Maxim. Two hours tops and we’re on the road again.”

  Shit, how could he turn that down? Hell, he’d probably hand over his damn wallet and his left nut if she kept looking at him like that.

  “Sure. Why not? We have to eat anyway.”

  She squealed in excitement and hugged his neck. She had her purse slung on her shoulder and was waiting by the door before he could get his heart rate back to normal. He placed his hand on the doorknob and then hesitated.

  “One condition.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “And that would be?”

  “I’m buying. You refused to let me get your dinner yesterday, so that’s the deal.”

  He saw her shoulders relax and she nodded. “Sure.”

  Smiling, he reached out and pulled the door wide.

  “Good. After you.” He was surprised when she let him take her hand as they walked across the parking lot. It felt good to feel her fingers laced with his. The closer they got to the building, the stronger the tantalizing aroma of food teased his nose. They laughed when their stomachs released agonizing growls. He reached for the door and felt a slight tug on his hand. He glanced down to a very somber-looking Skylar.

  “Maxim?”

  “Yes?”

  “I hate that you’re paying for everything. I’m used to taking care of myself. Keep track of everything that you spend on me, and I’ll promise to pay you back when all of this is over.”

  Maxim released the door handle and pulled her over to the side and into the shade. He reached out and tilted her chin up so she’d have to look him in the eye.

  “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that to me.”

  Her brows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”

  Maxim heaved out a frustrated breath and hoped his words came out right.

  “I like taking care of you. There, I said it. I get knots in my stomach when you try to pay for things. Can you help me out here?”

  Her eyes widened. “You’re serious?”

  “Totally.” Unable to stop himself, Maxim reached up, ran his thumb across her soft cheek, and clasped the back of her neck.

  “Let me take care of you, Skylar. You’ve got bigger worries than trying to pay for food or putting gas in the car. Just relax.” He was relieved when her shoulders lowered a few notches and she released her breath.

  “Okay.” She surprised him when she rubbed slowly along his forearm.

  “You surprise me, Maxim.”

  “Is that good or bad?”

  She gave him a sweet smile. “My encounters with guys that don’t even look half as good as you have been beyond dismal. They’re usually too busy looking in the mirror or expecting compliments to concern themselves with my needs. You’re different, and I like that.”

  Maxim couldn’t keep the grin off his face. “You just made up for giving me heartburn.”

  She chuckled and squeezed his arm. “Good.”

  He took her hand and opened the door.

  “Come on, sweetness. Let’s get that burger.”

  Chapter 13

  Maxim watched Skylar’s eyes dart from one side of the room to the other. She was soaking up the atmosphere and definitely liking what she was seeing. Her huge grin confirmed it as she dragged him over to the long mahogany bar and pulled out two stools. The place reminded him of the Wild West saloons he’d seen in pictures, with the mirror stretching along the back wall and the long-armed beer taps standing tall behind the counter. There were just enough people inside Jack Daddy’s to make it interesting, yet not enough to make him uncomfortable.

  “Look at this place, will you? The only thing missing is the peanut shells. Daddy would’ve loved it. They have license plates from all over and some date as far back as the 40s. Did you see the old beer signs?”

  Maxim nodded, enthralled with her ability to find such joy in something so simple. She definitely wasn’t a high-maintenance woman. She was perfect. The elderly bartender smiled, brought over two menus, and welcomed them to the establishment. One glance at the homemade placard and he knew what he wanted.

  “Bacon cheeseburger, hold the onions.”

  Maxim swiveled his head to the right, stared at Skylar’s wide eyes, and burst out laughing. They’d said it at the same time. She nudged him on the arm.

  “Share the fries?”

  “You got it.”

  Fifteen minutes later and belly full, he’d barely wiped his mouth and she was dragging him away from the bar and toward the pool tables. He pulled back on her hand.

  “Uh, sweets? I’m warning you. Pool’s my game. I’m not going to hold back.”

  Skylar snorted.

  “You better not. I plan on spanking your ass fair and square.”

  Maxim lifted a brow.

  “Oh, you’ve done it now. It’s on.”

  Skylar laughed and punched him on the arm.

  “Rack ‘em.”

  Maxim was pleasantly surprised to discover she was a worthy adversary. For each game he won, she’d wipe him out on the next one. They were about to play the tiebreaker last round when she straightened and glanced to the jukebox.

  “The music ran out. I play better when I have some background noise.”

  Grabbing her purse, she sauntered over, fed the antiquated machine several quarters, and started flipping through the selections. He’d liked her earlier choices and hoped she’d pick some more classic rock. Maxim narrowed his eyes when two young males sitting close to the jukebox smiled appreciatively in Skylar’s direction. He could barely tolerate their interest and couldn’t stop the growl building in his chest when they stood and made their way over to her side. Stick in hand, he walked casually over to a table close to the trio and leaned against the wall. He wanted to hear every word out of their mouths. It didn’t take long before they made their move.

  “Hey there, beautiful, you need some help making a decision? Pick a slow one, and we’ll take turns dancing with you.”

  Maxim watched Skylar’s head turn slightly in their direction. He could picture her giving them her usual warm smile. Damn, they were going to get sucked in fast when they got a good look at her eyes. There was no way around it. He inched a little closer. Skylar looked back down to the selections and punched in a number.

  “You know? That sounds like a fantastic idea.”

  Maxim felt his stomach drop. His eyes widened when she straightened, turned her head toward him, and winked.

  “Babe, you up for a slow dance?”

  He couldn’t help his grin when she turned back to her admirers.

  “Hey, fellas, you meet my husband, yet? I’ve been begging him to try out for the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive line. You think he has a chance?”

  Ma
xim received sheepish smiles of apology and gave a quick nod of acknowledgment. He set his stick aside when she reached out for his hand just as her selection of Guns N Roses’s “Patience” slipped easily from the speakers. She set her purse on the table and moved in close to him. Slipping his arm around her waist, he led her out to the dance floor.

  “So I’m your husband now?”

  She grinned up at him and let him wrap her up tight. “Well, I figured since I’ve already played your wife, it was your turn.”

  He chuckled and pressed his cheek against her soft hair. Her arms draped across his shoulders, and he could feel her caressing his hair. With each stroke, tingles drifted lazily across his skin. They swayed together for several long beats before she lifted her head and peeked around his shoulder.

  “Keep an eye on my purse. I don’t need the thing growing legs and walking away.”

  “No problem.” Maxim rubbed along her back and enjoyed the feel of her in his arms. He felt connected and comfortable with her. Despite his best efforts to squash it, his energy fought hard for release. He was looking forward to the moment that he could unleash it and claim this exceptional female as his own. It was almost painful to deny something so elemental in its need. He thought the song she’d selected very appropriate to the situation, except his patience was disappearing by the second.

  When Skylar looked up to him with those trusting blue eyes, his lips settled over hers before he realized what he was doing. She didn’t flinch or pull away. The kiss was tender, soft, and exploring. He couldn’t name a time that he’d experienced something so simple, yet had such a devastating impact to his emotions. Maxim could feel her heart thundering against his chest. He was sure she could feel his as well. When his cock began to stir, he reluctantly pulled away and stared into her eyes.

  “I’ve got to stop, Skylar. I’m trying to behave myself.”

  She swallowed hard and blinked a few times.

  “Yeah. Okay. Me, too. Um…I have to go to the ladies room. Too much water.” She stepped back and snagged her purse. Her eyes never left his.

  “Sure. I’ll walk you. I need to go, too.” He was surprised when she grabbed his hand and pulled him through the haphazard array of tables. The dimly lit hallway leading to the restrooms didn’t stop him from missing the gentle sway of her hips, nor how nice her ass looked in her jeans. He reluctantly released her hand, and they glanced back to each other as they entered the marked doors at the end of the hall. He returned her shy smile.