I flashed her a warning, baring my teeth. Somewhere along the way, she’d propped herself up on the counter liked I’d done. We were eye to eye.
“Maxwell Martinez, do you not like to be tickled?” She jabbed a spoon at me, and I plucked it out of her hands.
“No.”
She jumped off the counter. “So…” From behind me, she pressed her soft tits against my back, only to sneak her hands under the bottom of my shirt to touch my stomach. “If I did this”—she trailed her nails down the front, and I shuddered under her touch—“then it wouldn’t bother you?”
I jerked my hips back as she did it again, my breathing unsteady. “Nope.” I turned around and grabbed her by the waist, only to slide my tongue across her neck.
“Eww, stop.” She shoved me away with a giggle.
I smacked her ass, then pointed to the counter. “Now get your cute butt back on the counter and watch your man work.”
She laughed but did as I asked. “You suck.”
I poured lemon cake mix in with the eggs and whipped cream I’d put in the bowl. “Cooking is an art form. If I get distracted, I’ll fuck up.”
For a while after that, she got quiet and just watched me. The two-person project had soon turned into a one-person job. I liked teaching her how it was done though. And pretending to speak in a French accent put a smile on her lips that I couldn’t stop staring at. For Lia, I’d always act like a dumb-ass if it meant I could see her sweet grin.
Once the cookies were on the cookie sheet, ready to be put in the oven, I turned to look at the mess, finding her eyes on mine yet again. Something shifted inside me at her look, even more than before.
I needed to kiss her. Again.
I took my time moving closer, my hands drifting up her bare thighs. She shivered but made no move to push me away. Maybe she needed this too. When I moved between her knees, I took a deep breath, thanking God for the small things—like Lia’s patience, my second chance, and a few more silent hours alone.
“What do you see when you look at me, Lia?” I tipped her chin up, forcing her to meet my stare. “Tell me.”
“Let’s see…” She tapped a finger against her lips. “I see someone who’s smart and sweet, with a great ass.”
I squeezed her thighs, urging for more. “What else?”
Her smile fell a little, but the happiness in her eyes didn’t budge. It was my goal to keep it there. “I see someone who’d do anything for the people he loves.”
I lifted my hand, using my thumb to wipe a bit of flour from her cheek. “That it?”
Goose bumps spread across her bare arms, and I pressed my hands up higher.
“I see a friend, and an occasional smart-ass who can make me laugh.”
Eyes shut, I lowered my forehead to hers. “You see all that in me?”
“I see more.”
I pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. “I see those things in you too.” And then some.
I saw her as my best friend, dressed in white, with a veil on her head and flowers in her hands. I saw her swollen and round with my son or daughter, though I knew she wouldn’t be ready for either of those things for a long while. Still, the vision was there in my mind, and I knew without any doubt that I’d wait forever to make it happen if I had to.
She shook her head. “Want to know what else I see?”
“Tell me.”
“I see the only man I’ve ever loved.”
I lifted one hand and stroked the spot by her ear. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”
Tears were in her eyes, but this time I knew they weren’t from fear or pain or anger. They were for me. They were happy.
“You gave me hope when I thought it was lost.”
“You know, I’ve probably loved you since the day I came home from my last tour. Since I saw your blue eyes light up with recognition when you saw me in my gear at the airport that day.”
“I saw you first.” She grinned so widely that my heart skipped. “Even before I saw my brother. I felt like crap about it because he’s blood, and you were like this…this fascinating memory I thought I’d conjured up. But then you weren’t.”
I held my breath as she continued in a rush, “You were coming down that long hallway, a backpack slung over your shoulder. Your hair was buzzed, and your face was all tan and scruffy.” She stared over my shoulder, her eyes half-glazed with the memory. “You looked so handsome.”
I laughed. “Hadn’t slept in thirty-six hours. Not sure how I looked handsome.”
“You smiled when you saw my dad and my mom.”
“I smiled when I saw you too.”
Her eyes continued that sparkle thing they did, lighting up with every word I said. “Yeah, but then you took one look at Chloe as Collin tugged her into his arms, and it’s as though everything in life made sense to you again. You looked so complete for someone who’d just gotten back from war.”
That day, I couldn’t keep my eyes off Lia either. She’d looked so different from what I remembered. Stronger, angrier, feistier. There were bits of that pink mixed in with her black hair. But her eyes were the same. They were so big and wide and blue, and filled with love for her parents and her brother and Chloe too. I remember thinking to myself that I wanted someone to look at me the way she looked at her family—like I was all that mattered.
“If it hadn’t been for that tiny baby wrapped in your mama’s arms, Colly, Gav, and I probably wouldn’t have made it through those first few months back home.”
Her head tipped to the side. “Did you see a lot of death, Max?”
I blew out a breath, nodding. Nobody ever asked me that, probably because they didn’t want to know. Not even my mama. It’s not something you wanna talk about, but I’d tell Lia everything and anything she needed and wanted to know, just to keep her talking and looking at me like she was.
“More than anyone should’ve seen.” And that was an understatement.
“I’m sorry you went through that.” She stroked my cheek, trying to push my ugly memories away.
“I’m never gonna regret serving my country.”
“No, I don’t think you’re the type that would regret much of anything.”
She was wrong. “I regret hurting you.”
“Hurting me?” She wasn’t mad but curious. I could see it in the tilt of her head.
“Yeah, like when I blew you off over the winter. When I cussed at you for getting arrested. I regret that night I danced with McKenna at the bar too.”
She rolled her eyes.
I grinned. “Say, speaking of that, how did McKenna know about us?”
Lia brushed her hands over my chest, and I tucked my fingers under the bottom of her shirt, just above her ass. “Apparently, Addie had to tell someone, and it happened to be McKenna.” She ran her fingers up the side of my neck. “Kenna apologized; you know that.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Guess there’s something to her besides a nice pair of legs, then.”
“You’re serious?” She narrowed her eyes.
“Sure. Legs and tits were always my thing.” I reached forward and pinched her ass. “But I’m a reformed man now, baby.”
“Pig.” She slugged my shoulder, but her eyes glowed regardless. “But you know…Gavin has really big feet. And with really big feet it usually means the guy has a really big—”
With my hand full of flour and sugar, I covered her mouth with the powder. Her eyes widened. I was a hypocrite, yeah, but Gavin’s dick was not gonna be discussed right now. Or ever. “Touché, Lee-Lee. Touché.”
Easing my hand away, I took a step back, my palm tingling from touching her lips, even with all the mess in between.
Eyes wide in shock, she wiped at her powdery mouth before saying, “I can’t believe you just did that.”
I shrugged and grinned, guilty as
charged.
She growled under her breath, a finger pointed my way as she said, “You’re done for, Soldier Boy.”
Chapter 28
Lia
I jumped off the counter and dumped the rest of the flour over his head. He blinked, trying to keep it out of his eyes, but it fell into his mouth like it’d done in mine. When he moved to wipe it off his tongue, I turned to grab the sugar this time.
“Put it down.” He jabbed a finger at me. “You do that, then there will be no—”
I threw it at his head, giggling as it sprinkled around him like a dusting of new snow. “Oops…sorry about that.” I laughed harder, clutching my stomach. “That’s gonna be a mess to clean up.” I tsked and turned, plopping the now-empty container of sugar onto the counter.
Using my distraction to his advantage, Max leaped forward and pressed his hands on the counter along either side of my body.
“Damn right, it’s gonna be a mess,” he groaned and moved my hair aside. Some of the granules of sugar sprinkled down the back of my neck and into the front of my shirt. But I didn’t care, because the second his tongue trailed over the side of my throat, my knees went weak. “And I’m gonna have the best fucking time licking you clean.”
I gasped as his tongue moved across my neck, everything inside me coming alive. The motion was so erotic that I couldn’t help but arch my back and reach around to grab the sides of his neck to hold him in place. He ran his hands around the front of my body, first sticking the tips of his fingers inside the front of my panties, only to change his mind and lift them up and under my shirt instead. Lips still tasting my neck, he slid his palms even higher, the tips dancing across my ribs, until he reached the base of my breasts. He cupped them in his hands, the calluses of his fingers grazing my nipples.
I shut my eyes and moaned, “Max…”
Over and over, he kneaded the warm flesh, almost as though this was his first time touching a woman, with rough palms and tender fingers, all while rocking his hips slowly against my backside.
I moaned louder.
“Fuck, Lia.” My noises seemed to stir something primal inside him, while he chipped away at my carefully guarded wall, inch by inch by inch…
Using his thumbs and forefingers, he pinched my bare nipples even harder, making me gasp. The groan in his throat vibrated against my neck in turn. I braced my hands on the counter, giving myself to him.
“I want you, Max.”
He froze, his breath catching in my ear. “You’re sure?”
I nodded. “More than sure.”
Seconds later, he leaned over my shoulder and slipped the top up and over my head, letting it fall down my arms to my wrists.
No second thoughts. No regrets.
Breathing heavy, I let it fall to the floor.
“Turn around,” Max commanded, his voice gruff and unsteady.
Doing as he asked, because I wanted to, I hooked my fingers in the sides of my panties and slipped them, along with his boxers, down to join my shirt.
His eyes widened as he took a step back. Up and down, he looked his fill, trailing his gaze over the length of my body. “Goddamn gorgeous is what you are.”
I pulled my lower lip between my teeth, drawing his eyes back to my mouth. He swallowed, the pulse in his throat beating faster. Sucking in a breath, I jumped on the counter and spread my legs, still somehow keeping my panic at bay. More than anyone in my life, I trusted Max with my body, and because I loved him, I offered myself to him in the way he deserved.
“Lia, I…” He blinked and shook his head, only to rub a fast hand over his face. “I don’t even know where to start with you.”
Grinning, I opened my mouth to tell him right where I wanted him, only for him to cut me off with a smoldering kiss.
His lips battled with mine, a war of need and want raging between us. Growing braver and needier by the second, I wrapped my naked legs around his body, only to grab the edge of his T-shirt. Without hesitation, he reached down and helped me pull it off, tossing it onto the floor before collapsing against me with a groan.
The need for friction was strong, so I wrapped my arms around his neck and climbed his body, legs wrapped tightly around his waist. He palmed my ass, the flour and sugar rough between his palms and my skin. Without another word, he moved me away from the counter, only to slam me against the kitchen wall. Bowls toppled off the refrigerator, crashing to the floor, but I didn’t care. Nothing else mattered.
“Max, please,” I whispered, never more sure of anything in my life.
“But—”
I leaned forward and sucked his lower lip between my teeth. “Don’t make me beg.”
Like I’d said the magic words, he hiked me up higher against his stomach and used one hand to undo his pants. They fell to the floor with a clank, change and his keys scattering all over the tile.
He said, “Fuck.”
I said, “Now.”
And then he was carrying me down the hall, shoving open his bedroom door, and laying me on his bed with a flop. I giggled under my breath as I watched him struggle to get his boxers off, only to trip over them as he raced to his dresser to grab one of the fifty condoms lying in a heap on top.
Then he turned to me and my smile fell, replaced with a sort of desire I’d never known. I watched him fumble with a condom, tearing it open so quickly I barely had time to blink. He rolled it on, pinching the tip, and then he was on the bed, climbing over me, legs parting over mine.
“You’re sure?” He rubbed his nose over my cheek, then brought his lips within inches of mine.
I nodded when our eyes met, afraid to admit that my heart was beating twice as fast as normal, although fear was still trying to win me over. If I told him the truth, that this next step always managed to scare me, then he’d stop. But I didn’t want that to happen. Old Lia needed to learn New Lia’s way. And New Lia’s way was having Max. Loving Max. Being with Max.
“Yes, very sure.”
He kissed me slowly, biting my lip. “Not gonna last long…”
“Don’t hold back.” I lifted my hips up, not wanting to think, only to feel. Always feel.
Muffled grunts sounded from his mouth. “Fucking never. Never, ever.”
Our eyes met, and I held my breath as he slowly slipped inside me. My body tightened, warmed too. It was a delicious, foreign, full ache that I had been craving since the day he’d walked into my world. My stomach grew hard, and my hands shook so badly I could barely hold on to his waist. Max shook too, his skin already slick beneath my palms. Yet one side of his mouth curled into a slow smile as he whispered, “To think I’ve missed all these years with you…” He shook his head, straining, kissing me once, then twice, moving slowly as he did.
I sucked in a brave breath and whispered back, “Then you better make up for lost time, Soldier Boy.”
That’s when he kissed me harder, only to say “Fuck yes” against my lips.
He drove into me with no mercy, sweat dampening his flour-coated brow, my own skin on fire. Burning me in the way I wanted. In and out he pushed, while I pulled, until everything inside me lit up.
I didn’t need romance or sweet, sensual words. I just needed Max. And this… I needed lots and lots of this.
He kissed me; I kissed him back. He pushed further inside me, and I hissed, arching my spine. I clawed at his skin and he reached down, grabbing my thigh until it was wrapped tight around his waist. Flesh slapped flesh, his eyes never leaving mine as he reached one hand down between us and circled my clit.
I cried out at the contact, arching even more against him.
Below me, the cold sheets slid beneath my back, but I didn’t care. Not when everything inside me was on the verge of exploding.
I trailed my fingers over his cheek and said the words I’d never tire of saying. “I love you.”
“Lia, J
esus, I love you too…” He went faster, harder—and then I was falling, his fingers tangled in my hair, his breath hot against my lips. He stiffened and groaned in my ear, and everything was right.
Max gave me what I needed, and I gave back what I could give, and I knew nothing in this universe could ever keep us apart.
Chapter 29
Max
I woke with a start to the sound of the front door slamming shut. Thinking it was Gav, I rolled over and pulled Lia against my chest. Her hair tickled the bottom of my chin as I wrapped my arm around her naked waist. I smiled and kissed her neck, loving the way she automatically curled against me.
We hadn’t bothered to get out of bed last night, other than to put the cookies into the oven and take them out. The rest of the time we spent in bed, touching, talking, making love until the sun began to rise… It was everything and then some. There was no way I’d ever be able to get enough of her like this. But I was gonna have one hell of an epic good time trying.
The door to my room shot open, cracking against the wall. “What the fuck are you two doing?”
“Colly!” I shot up out of bed, stumbling over the sheets as I stood. Behind me, Lia yipped, seeing the shadow of her brother filling the bedroom doorway.
“Jesus, man, why the fuck didn’t you knock?” I covered my junk with my hands, something I wouldn’t usually care about. But I’d just spent the last few hours in bed with his sister, so any modesty I could grab would be nice.
“Get out of my house.” Collin looked like ass. Face pale, red eyes strained.
Lia scrambled out of bed to stand next to me, her body wrapped tightly in a sheet. Regardless of her cover, I stepped in front of her body. “Sorry to break it to you, but I live here.”
“Not anymore.” Collin barged farther into the room and grabbed me by the arm, shoving me against a wall.
“Stop it. Leave him alone.” Lia tugged at the back of Collin’s shirt, struggling to keep hold of the sheet.
Neither of us had showered after having sex, both too exhausted from the night before to move. Pasted to the crevices of her body and mine were flour and sugar from our cookie making. Though she looked thoroughly loved with her wild pink hair standing on end, I could also see the pain in her eyes from being caught. She’d wanted to tell Collin about us. Having him find out like this was a damn nightmare.
The Right Kind of Reckless Page 20
