Fueled by Lust: Maxim (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Celeste Prater

  “Yeah, but I’ve watched enough TV to know that guys with uniforms and shiny badges will be looking for fingerprints on the ones that walked away.” She smirked when Maxim’s eyebrows rose. She poked him with her elbow and chuckled.

  “Yep. You want your mate to have a ‘Most Wanted’ poster on the wall at the post office?” When he stared at her in confusion, she laughed and pulled him back into the building. The last thing she wanted was to look at the carnage he’d left behind, but they had some cleaning up to do.

  “I’ve got to get rid of anything that might have my DNA on it.”

  “What’d you touch?”

  “I was in the press room mostly. What’d you touch?”

  He snorted. “Nothing but a lot of meaty necks.”

  When he reached for the doorknob, she caught his arm.

  “We’ll need something to wipe the prints off.” They looked around for several minutes before Maxim cursed, pulled his shirt off, and tossed it to her.

  “We’re burning daylight. Use this.”

  She gripped the shirt and looked at him as she wrapped the cloth around her hand and turned the handle. His muscles were shiny with sweat and it made her mouth water. “That’s not helping, Maxim. I can’t concentrate now.” He grinned and pulled her into the room.

  “Okay, point everything out.”

  Skylar bent down, snatched the zip ties and gag from the floor, and waggled them at him. She saw his brows lower and knew he was thinking about her helpless in this room with Cerano. God, she loved him. Looking around she pointed toward the broken window.

  “I threw a chair through that.”

  He smiled and tapped her on the shoulder. “I knew my girl was smart.” He took the shirt from her hands, used his hip to shove a table against the wall, and then climbed over. She watched him wipe down the chair until it was cleaner than when she’d been strapped to it. He walked around the corner and peered into the darkness.

  “You touch anything in here?”

  “No, I was mostly slamming into things with my shoulders and legs.”

  “Okay, good. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

  Following him back through the bay, she snagged a belt loop on his jeans and he looked back. She pointed to the guy with the scar.

  “He’s got a knife in his right front pocket.” She pointed to the zip ties still wrapped around her ankles.

  Maxim nodded and flipped the guy over. She averted her eyes when the guy’s neck lolled around like the bone wasn’t connected any longer. Damn, Maxim didn’t fuck around when he took someone out. She felt him remove the plastic ties. He handed both of them to her, wiped the knife, and shoved it back into the dead man’s pocket. She willingly accepted his hand as he led her back out into the fresh air.

  Relieved to know that none of that mess could be connected back to them, she took a deep breath and happily followed him through the fence and around the corner of the building. He’d parked the Hummer to the side of a dilapidated guard shack. They crawled inside and she was ecstatic to see Third Tier quickly disappearing in the side mirror.

  When the industrial complex was completely out of sight, Skylar lifted her purse into her lap and started tying the ends of the straps together. She glanced up to Maxim.

  “Why are we heading this way?”

  “I don’t want to be on any of the main roads leading in. The less people we pass, the better off we are. Someone might remember us in this area once that shit gets discovered.”

  “Ah, good thinking.”

  As soon as they had several more miles in between them and the complex, she couldn’t stave off her curiosity any longer.

  “What next?”

  “Back to the room to grab our stuff and then I’m going to feed you. I’m still pissed those assholes screwed up my Meat Lover’s Special.”

  Skylar burst out laughing. “Aw, were you bringing me some bacon?”

  “Damn straight. I had sausage and waffles, too.” He glanced over to her and grabbed her hand. “Are you okay, sweetness? I mean are you really okay? That was a lot of heavy shit that went down back there. I’m still a little rattled myself.”

  She squeezed his hand. “I’m not going to lie, Maxim. I’m surprised I didn’t pee my pants. That scared the holy hell out of me. The only thing that kept me sane was knowing you were coming for me.”

  He pulled her hand up and kissed her knuckles. “I’m so glad you were able to mind connect with me. I don’t even want to think about the crazed state that I’d be in right now if I had no idea where they’d taken you. You did so good, baby. I’m proud of you.”

  “You were a good teacher, but I definitely need to practice. Once Tullius walked in the room, I couldn’t get my shit together enough to keep the door in sight. I’m surprised I was able to slip out of the hand restraints. That was wicked cool when they just fell off.” She frowned and rubbed the base of her skull.

  “Shit, I think I’m getting that headache again. It started back at the room when I was waiting for you to return, but it went away.” She looked up in surprise when Maxim cursed.

  “Fuck. I’m sorry. I was knocking on your skull to see if you could open for me this time. I was doing that when I was getting our food, too. I’m blocked from you again. I thought our mating would fix that, but I guess we can only connect when you’re outside the thirty-meter range. At least you felt me knocking. When I tested it with Kallon, he didn’t feel anything.”

  Skylar shrugged. “Oh, well. I guess you’ll just have to get used to talking to me the old-fashioned way when we’re up close and personal.”

  He chuckled. “Fine by me. At least the brothers can’t disturb me when I’m…ah, fuck!”

  “What?”

  “There’s steam coming out from under the hood. Hold up, let me pull over.”

  Chapter 25

  Skylar stood next to Maxim and stared at the front of the Hummer. The hood was up and it was obvious that the radiator had a serious issue. She watched Maxim kneel down and run his finger along the side of one of the grill slots.

  “Look at this shit. Something hard flew through here and popped a hole in the radiator. There’s a gouge along the edge.”

  “What do you think it was?”

  He shook his head and stood up. “I know exactly what happened.” He bent down and picked up a rock about the size of his thumbnail.

  She frowned. “A rock did that?”

  He looked at her and grinned. “Not yet. I’ll be right back, baby.”

  His body faded into a swirling mist, and she watched with open mouth as the mass drifted through the damaged grill and covered the front of the Hummer.

  “Well, hell.” She fought from reaching out and running her hand through the substance. He’d disappeared that one time in the hotel room, but it’d happened so fast she hadn’t seen the mist version. Within minutes, the fog backed away from the vehicle and he reformed in front of her eyes. He had a smile on his face and lifted his arm. He held something small between his fingers.

  “It didn’t make it out of the radiator.”

  “Is that a bullet?”

  “Yep.”

  “Damn, Maxim. That was awesome. I never saw my hands in that form when I slipped from the binds. If I ever get myself calmed down enough, I definitely want to try again.” She walked over and stared at the bullet resting in his palm. She chuckled.

  “Let me guess, you left the rock behind?”

  “Yep.”

  She gave him a beaming smile. “Smart. They’re going to be scratching their heads over this one, but at least no one has to report a flying rock to the authorities.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Okay, now all we do is call the rental agency and wait for them to bring us another one.” She handed her phone to him.

  Five minutes later, they were sitting on a stump by a tree line and staring at the useless vehicle. She snorted.

  “An hour.” She glanced over to Maxim. He wouldn’t look at her.

&
nbsp; “I refuse to drive a minivan. That’s all they had left.”

  She couldn’t stop the laughter if she tried. “Well, at least they found another Hummer. Too bad they had to go all the way to Ft. Bliss to get it. You’re lucky that soldier was about to turn it back in.”

  He gave her a furtive glance and she saw the edges of his lips lift. “They said it was black. At least it wasn’t a pansy color.”

  She giggled and got up from the log. Shaking her head, she headed back to the H3.

  “Where you going?”

  “I have an idea. Give me a minute.” Opening the back door, she spotted the Denny’s bag. Digging around inside, she pushed aside the soggy eggs and limp waffles, and collected all of the meat into one carton. She grinned when his face lit up as she approached. She plopped down and opened the lid.

  “Bacon is good no matter how cold it gets.”

  He pulled her close to him. “My kind of female.”

  They munched on the food for several minutes and she looked up when he straightened and glanced over his shoulder. He frowned.

  “You hear that?”

  “What?”

  “It sounds like running water.”

  “I don’t hear anything.”

  He closed the lid, set it aside, and grabbed her hand.

  “Come on.”

  Puzzled, she followed him through the woods for several minutes and gasped when he pushed through another wall of thick foliage. Stretched out in front of them was a bend in a river. Maxim smiled, took the bullet out of his pocket, and hurled it toward the portion that appeared to flow the heaviest.

  “That’s no longer a problem now.”

  The water was moving peacefully at the widest bend and it looked shallow enough to take a dip. She didn’t even hesitate. She had her shoes kicked to the side and was peeling off her shirt when he finally joined her at the edge.

  “You have great hearing, Maxim. Thank goodness. I can scrub some of this grit off me now.” Skylar yanked the rest of her clothes off and waded out into the pristine river. The water didn’t come any higher than the top of her calves and wasn’t as cold as she’d thought it might be. She plopped down, bent backward, and scrubbed at her hair. She rose back up and looked over to him. He was still standing on the edge staring at her, expressionless.

  “Well, you coming or not?”

  Skylar watched his eyes narrow and a shiver ran up her spine. He sat on the bank and removed his boots and socks, then stood up and gave her a show worthy of his nightclub. The man knew exactly how to remove his jeans in a way that had her girly parts begging to come out and play. That his cock was steadily growing longer and thicker with each breath didn’t help either. His movements were smooth and unhurried. Soon, he was moving through the water and she was enjoying watching all his muscles tighten and stretch as he casually made his way over. He sat next to her, reached over, and slid her onto his lap.

  “Gods damn, Skylar. I almost swallowed my tongue just watching you walk into the water. You have no idea how gorgeous you are.”

  She reached up and palmed his jaw. “Thank you for making me feel so beautiful all the time, Maxim, but you’re the stunning one. Anyone with this face would have an ego the size of that damn Hummer. You’re completely clueless on how gorgeous you are, and that makes me love you even more.” She smiled and kissed him softly on the lips when his cheeks flushed. Damn, he was just too sweet.

  He surprised her by immediately swiveling her around until she was between his outstretched legs and facing away from him. He proceeded to scrub at her arms, back, and shoulders, scattering kisses down her neck every chance he got. He fussed over the tiny glass cuts on her elbows and massaged her achy muscles until she thought she’d slide right under the water and float away.

  Skylar felt as loose as a ragdoll when he turned her around and positioned her to face him. By the time he’d finished rubbing her legs, teasing her breasts, and worshiping her tummy, she was fully awake and digging her fingers into the thick muscles lining the top of his shoulders. She could feel his hard shaft bobbing against her belly and she couldn’t stop her overwhelming need to be next to him. She crashed her lips against his and dug her fingers into his silky hair. Her breasts smashed up against the hardness of his chest, and she melted against him.

  Maxim’s sensuous moan accompanied the sensation of her lifting from the water. She wrapped her legs around his waist and continued her tender assault to his scrumptious mouth as he walked them back to the bank. She felt him lowering to the ground and his hands pressing into her hips as she settled onto his lap. He pulled away from the kiss, and she was caught in the web of his enthralling, steel-gray eyes. Nothing else existed around her. It was just him and the feel of his warm breath wafting across her cheek. She shivered at the sound of his deep, rumbling voice.

  “I have to be inside you, Skylar. I need you.” He lay back against the soft grass and urged her to crawl up his body until her mound was hovering over his face. He smiled up to her.

  “Lower yourself, sweetness. Ride my face and let me get you ready.” He grasped her hips and pulled her closer.

  Falling to her hands, Skylar groaned at the first brush of his warm tongue across her clit. Over and over he licked, sucked, pushed inside, and stroked her to the point of passing out. Her breath came harder as she dug her fingers into the grass and breathed out her praise.

  “Ah, shit, Maxim. You’re so good. I’m on fire. I love it when you slip inside me.” He growled against her tender flesh, and she pushed harder against his face. She felt him flatten his tongue, and she took full advantage. Hips rolling, she lolled her head back against her shoulders and screamed her completion to the blue sky when he sucked her piercing between his lips. She felt herself lifting, dragging backward down his warm skin, and his cock sliding into her pulsating sheath. She vibrated and clamped down on his hard flesh.

  Maxim groaned and dug his fingers into her thighs. “Pulsus mihi in vos, meus diligo. Push me into you, my love.”

  Skylar pressed down each time her internal muscles released from the intense orgasm, lifting when they struck hard again. She watched Maxim’s face twisting in tortured pleasure upon every move of her hips. She panted through the throbs and flutters until she had him in as far as she could take him. She pushed up on her hands, clasped his lean waist, and started a grinding rhythm that had him crying out his pleasure.

  “Ah, fuck, baby. Yes, that’s it. Ride me.”

  His loud groans, white teeth biting his lower lip, and the intensity of his gaze had her quickly on the edge again. She arched her back, reached back to grab onto his rock-hard thighs, and added a slight rolling twist to her hips until he cried out for mercy.

  “You’re killing me, baby. I’m not going to last.”

  Skylar’s knees snapped hard against his sides when she felt his thumb slide effortlessly across her clit. He set a fast pace of swirls and flicks until she lost complete control of her senses. His fingers tracing across her breasts and tugging on her nipple piercings sent her right over the edge. Her teeth clenched at the ferocious wave of ecstasy bursting through her groin and traveling every inch of her skin. She locked tight to his rigid cock and stilled, gasping for the elusive air to fill her lungs. She thought her spine would snap before the pleasure would ever let go.

  Maxim’s husky voice rang out in the still air as he jackknifed to a sitting position, clamped his arms around her waist, and released heavily inside her. His big body shuddered against hers. She felt her womb bathed in warmth as she steadily, and voraciously milked him of his seed. His breath blew ragged and hot against her neck as he mumbled in his beautiful language and clung to her back.

  Slumping forward, she barely caught the top of his shoulders before he fell back to the grass. His knees lifted, keeping them intimately locked. Maxim clasped the back of her head, fingers digging into her damp hair as he enjoyed the last throbbing moments of his release. She heard his heavy sigh and softly stroked his skin. Pressing her cheek to
his heaving chest, she listened to the thundering of his heartbeat until it slowed to a normal pace. She lifted her head and looked at him. All she could see was the underside of his chin. His mouth was slack.

  “You alive?” She felt his chest rumble as he chuckled.

  “Barely.”

  “Me, too.” She felt his fingers swirling along her skin. His voice came out soft and sensual, never failing to send chills across her skin.

  “Te vita, pulchra feminam. Nolo egredi corpus.”

  Skylar rose up so she could see his face. “Look at me, baby.” She smiled when he lifted his head. “I don’t know what you said, but I think I just came again. That was the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard. Please don’t tell me that it has anything to do with that damn dog again.”

  His bark of laughter brought a huge smile to her face. He reached up and caressed her face.

  “No, sweetness, there’s no joking this time. I’m deadly serious. I said, ‘You’re my life, my beautiful female. I don’t want to leave your body.’” He rose up and wrapped his arms around her, placing small kisses across her shoulder.

  “But I’m afraid I should. I don’t want the rental company to think we ditched the car. I don’t feel like walking back to town.”

  Skylar smiled and slowly pulled away from him, enjoying the slow slide off his shaft. They both moaned at the decadent feeling and sighed when they broke their intimate connection. She placed a soft kiss to his gorgeous lips and their eyes locked. She didn’t need a door to open in her mind to understand what was so easily found in his gaze. She hoped he recognized the same in hers.

  “I love you, Maxim. You need to know that.”

  “And I love you, sweetness. I’ll try to show you every day.”

  Skylar felt a wash of heat pass through her chest. She’d never in her wildest imagination thought she’d find someone that would ever understand her, much less cause her to feel this much emotion. It frightened her to think that if none of the crazy events had taken place, she may have never known he even existed. She shivered.

  They shared another sweet, delicate kiss before he lifted her from the ground and squeezed her to his body.