“You sure she’d help out?’’ Dex asked without much conviction and kissed her temple.
She nodded and cringed when her eyes stopped on Maxen and his pissed off look. “It’d cost something, though.’’
“However much she asks, I’m game. I don’t give a fuck if it wipes out my fucking checking and saving accounts combined,’’ Maxen replied and crossed his big arms over his chest. Without his jacket, his arms looked like they were going to burst the seams of his shirt.
“It’s not about the money, Maxen. Use your head,’’ Beckett said and shook his head.
Maxen murdered him with one glare of his usually playful green eyes before he went back to staring at Harley who reluctantly nodded.
“My best bet is that she’s going to ask for an exclusive with you. And she’ll be asking all kinds of questions about Lark and maybe other stuff regarding your private life and your, um, conquests.’’
He scoffed and held up both hands. “Either way, we’re fucked.’’
“An exclusive could help you control more what goes out and what you want to tell. It won’t stop some of them to go after you both, but it wouldn’t hurt your image and the band’s.’’ Harley nibbled on her lip and glanced back at her father who seemed deep in thought until she addressed him. “That’s the best I can think of. After that, you all should keep on promoting your new song and hope that nothing else will come out. There’s no guarantee with the media.’’
“I don’t understand,’’ I spoke up when silence fell around us. This time around, I was the one everybody looked at intently. “If it’s not someone working for our lawyers, who told that journalist about this? As far as I know, the only ones who knew about this marriage are in this room.’’ I gestured around the room to illustrate my words and leaned back in my chair.
“She’s right. Floyd, you told me yourself you’d never tell anybody, and Harley didn’t know about it up until a few days ago, and it’s obvious she’d never tell anyone,’’ Maxen added and finally sat in the second armchair. His big body fell gracelessly in the stuffed furniture.
“I didn’t tell anyone, Maxen. Honestly, I thought your drug problems would come out first, not this marriage,’’ Floyd replied and rubbed at his eyes. “Okay. Here is how we’re going to go about this. I’ll release a two-line statement to confirm that you two’’—he pointed at me and then at Maxen—“are really married. Nothing more. Harley, honey, you contact the journalist you know at Gossip Music and set up something for Maxen as soon as tomorrow. I hope they’re based in NYC because we’re not waiting. Maxen, you’ll follow what my daughter tells you. She’ll brief you. And Harley’’—Floyd stood up and faced his daughter still in Dex’s arms—“if you can get the name before the interview, it’d be better. As soon as I have that name I can start and plan for what to expect next. In the meantime, you all don’t answer your phone unless it’s me or one of you calling. The next twenty-four to forty-eight hours are going to be tough.’’ He quickly packed his laptop and waved at us before he walked out, his eyes already back on his phone. I stood up and felt Alan following me. We walked closer to Otis, Beckett, Maxen, Dex, and Harley. We all looked like no celebrations took place tonight for the launch of Kinky Shine’s new song.
“I’m sorry it messed up your song launch,’’ I said and hugged myself, eyes downcast.
“Fuck, don’t apologize, Lark,’’ Maxen exploded with a loud voice that startled me. I locked eyes with him as he stood up and walked to me, stopping close enough for me to feel his breath on my face. I had to tilt my chin up to keep looking at his face covered by his thick blonde stubble. I couldn’t miss the faint pink coloring his cheeks from his anger at the situation. “It’s not your damn fault. But believe me, I’m going to fuck up that asshole who got that info out.’’
I nodded without much enthusiasm and sighed. “This is such a mess.’’
“Better buckle up, babe,’’ Otis said and stood up, clasped my shoulder and Maxen’s and squeezed softly. “I’m going to go get some shut-eye. It’s almost one in the morning, and while I can be the party animal, this shit has me beat. Catch you tomorrow.’’
Goodbyes were made and soon, Maxen, Alan and I were alone. I yawned big, my jaw hurting after feeling the tension in it for the last two hours.
“Do you think Lark and I can go back to my place?’’ my cousin asked Maxen and it’s easy to hear that he already knew the answer. The journalists must be outside the Plaza by now. I wasn’t ready to face that circus just yet.
“You can’t go anywhere. I’m sorry, Alan.’’ Maxen rubbed his eyes and blew out some air. “I’ll book a room. They should have something available. And there’s a second bedroom through that door,’’ he said pointing at a huge double door on the far right wall. Of course, this was a very fancy suite. It must come with two bedrooms.
Alan nodded, and we both watched Maxen grab the suite’s phone and call the reception desk. In no time, someone knocked on the suite’s door and told us they had the room ready and in the meantime, we kept quiet, each of us lost in our own thoughts. I exchanged a look with Alan and then we both looked at Maxen who strangely looked away.
He massaged the back of his neck and finally locked eyes with me. The green in his was darker than usual, and the intensity in them had me wondering how I could manage to still be breathing.
“It’s up to you, Lark, but I’d feel better knowing you’re here. If it’s an issue with you, Alan will take the other room in my suite.’’
I cleared my throat and glanced quickly at my cousin who was frowning deeply, visibly unsure of this turn of event. It’s funny how a day or two ago I’d have let the two men bunk in the palace suite, but right now, with the paparazzi and how Maxen protected me from them earlier, I’d feel better staying close.
“I want to stay here.’’
Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the hotel bellhop fidgeting slightly, and I flushed. Shit, I really didn’t want another witness.
“Are you sure, Lark?’’ Alan asked me softly, a hand on my arm. I nodded and quickly hugged him.
He went to Maxen after that, bumped fists with him like they used to back in college and then looked hard in my husband’s eyes. “Take care of her. Got it?’’
Maxen nodded and frowned down at my cousin. “You know I will.’’
Both men exchanged a long look before my cousin followed the hotel employee and Maxen and I were left alone.
“Do…uh…’’ He shook his head as if to get some order in his thoughts. “Do you need a shirt or something to sleep in?’’
I glanced down at my dress before I locked eyes with him again. Tension was surrounding us, and I wasn’t sure if it was only because of the media circus. Earlier he had told me about his drug problem and I now also knew he didn’t really regret our kiss in LA. I couldn’t get that out of my head. It all overwhelmed me.
“If you have one to spare, that’d be great.’’
He nodded and pointed at the door on the opposite wall to the one leading to the room I’d be sleeping in tonight. “My room is through that door. I’ll get you one, but if you need anything, you know where to find me.’’ And he turned away, walking stiffly to his room returning a minute later with a deep green t-shirt that would surely swallow me. I took it from his extended hand and offered him a weak smile as a thank you.
“I guess it’s time I, uh, go.’’ I breathily laughed and started to turn away when his big hand closed on my shoulder. He pulled me back to him and I almost collided into him in the sudden move.
His Adam’s apple worked in his throat. His jaw was firmly locked, making the angle of it sharper under his blonde scruff. His lips, with the bottom lip thicker than his upper one, were in a straight line. But his eyes, they were so bright it was almost difficult to keep looking at them.
“Stay with me.’’ His voice was husky, rumbling to my core, making me tense in all the right and wrong places.
“What?’’
He cupped m
y face in between his big hands, and I felt a slight shake in them. “Stay with me,’’ he repeated, and this time around, I couldn’t misread the meaning of his words.
MAXEN
Oh shit, fuck.
I didn’t know where my smooth moves went. With this woman, I never did things right. I should stop touching her face, and take a step back, but fuck if I could. I was rooted there, so fucking close to her and yet not enough for me.
My cock was painfully throbbing in my jeans, pushing against the damn zipper. My dumb heart was hammering as if it was trying to set a record in how fast and hard it could pump my blood through my system for one destination: my cock. And my damn hands…I knew she felt how shaky they were on her face.
Her beautiful blue eyes searched my face and the wonder in them would have me questioning if she heard me, but her small gasp told me she had. And fuck, that gasp was music to my ears.
“Lark?’’ My voice sounded strange to my own ears, as if coming from a tunnel. I was completely out of my element here. I’ve never had to beg a woman to spend the night with me. I’ve never had to chase a woman either. But Lark had always been different. So fucking different she’s nowhere like the other women in my mind. She’s always been that ‘too good for me’ woman, someone who would equally piss me off and make me want to fuck her with everything I had.
“I don’t…’’ She blinked and closed her mouth, pressing her perfect lips tight.
I swallowed past the damn boulder in my throat and nodded stiffly. Everything in me was coming to a halt. Even my heart seemed to quiet down as if someone switched a button off. “You don’t want to.’’ I pulled away, and when my fingers glided over her warm skin, I swore fucking shivers coursed through my body. But it was one-sided. That fucking thing was only coming from me.
I kept my eyes on her face, so beautiful, and then after one last look, I went to turn away. I needed to retreat and calm down. I didn’t want her to see how it cut me deep to have her denying me like this. It’s more than disappointment. Fuck, if it was disappointment, I could probably dial a woman I knew around here, and she’d be delighted to drop everything for a tumble in my sheets. But I just wanted Lark.
Funny how a womanizer like me only wanted one woman, the same woman I’ve always wanted and yet never had enough balls to try something with. And now that she’s my wife, she’s not mine still.
I took a step back and right when I was about to turn away, Lark shook her head frantically and grabbed my left hand while her other clutched tightly to the shirt I gave her. Her hands in mine shook just like mine did.
“I’m afraid, Maxen,’’ she said in a small voice, her eyes falling down to stop on my chest now heaving.
I entwined my thick fingers with her dainty ones. It was so fucking good to hold her hand. She wasn’t pushing me away, and she actually stopped me before I could leave her. “What are you afraid of?’’
She frowned and didn’t look back at my face. She kept her bright gaze on my chest. I brought my hand under her chin and softly brought her face up. Her cheeks turned a light red while her eyes got darker and her pupils dilated. It’s the best thing I’ve ever seen. I had to resist the need to attack her with my mouth and hands, but I didn’t want to spook her. It felt like a huge moment right here. Something was happening, and I just knew it was going to change everything, more than it already had anyway.
“What do you want from me exactly? You can sleep with anyone.’’
I blinked at her and shook my head. “Fuck, you still don’t understand, do you?’’ She opened her mouth to say something, but I squeezed her fingers in my hand to keep her quiet and let me finish. “You’ve never been like anyone else, Lark. We’ve spent years butting heads and even though we were plastered when we got married and even though it was on a dare, I would have never married anybody else. I’ve never understood what it is about you and honestly, I still don’t, but…’’ I ran my thumb over her bottom lip and felt the moisture left by her tongue a minute ago. It sent a charge straight to my balls. “I don’t remember ever wanting a woman quite like I want you.’’
“My life is a damn mess, Maxen.’’
“So? I don’t give a fuck about anything other than right here, right now.’’ I moved closer to her and invaded her personal space. I stopped only when her breasts pushed into my chest and I had to bite my tongue before I growled like a fucking caveman. “In this room tonight, nothing else exists. You’re all I see, Lark, all I feel, all I want. Why should we think about anything else?’’
“Because things have consequences. Always.’’
I released her fingers and cupped her face again. My fingers got lost in her thick hair while my thumbs traced the line of her elegant cheekbones. “Do you want me?’’
Her throat worked and her lips trembled before a single word left them. “Yes.’’ I saw it cost her, I saw the apprehension in her eyes, and it pained me.
I had no doubt that it’s because she didn’t trust me yet and that fucking cut deep.
“Trust me, please. Trust this.’’ I crouched slightly and brought my forehead against hers and closed my eyes. I breathed in deeply, taking stock of her sweet perfume that fit her so well and I let myself enjoy that moment with her so close to me. If anything, I’ve experienced something with her that I’ve never had with another woman. And honestly, I didn’t ever want that with another woman. Only her, Lark.
“Maxen,’’ she breathed my name and went on her tiptoes until her lips were right there, ready to touch mine and I couldn’t fucking breathe. My fingers dug into her hair, twisting a few strands and she whimpered. That sound, fuck, I’ve never heard a sound that could turn me on so much.
“I’m going to count to five and then kiss you, Lark. You have until then to push me away, but if you don’t…’’ I let my words trail off, watching her hooded eyes as they glassed over. She looked so beautiful. “If you don’t push me, I won’t stop until you scream my name.’’
She put her hands on my hips, her fingers toying with the hem of my shirt and I groaned when the pad of one finger made contact with my skin. Shit, if a simple touch like this had me up in such a twist, I couldn’t imagine how it’s going to be when I had her naked and I was thrusting into her. I’ve always thought it’d be epic to be with her, but I didn’t think that’s the right way to describe it. It’s going to destroy me, and I didn’t know where it’s going to leave me tomorrow.
But we weren’t tomorrow yet.
“Wow…You’re…’’
“Intense? Sexy?’’ I grinned at her and ran my nose along hers as she smiled at me and it’s a smile I’ve never seen on her face. It’s shy and also the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. There’s a challenge in her bright eyes I was hell bent on taking. “Too hot to handle?’’
She arched an eyebrow at me and her delicious lips tipped farther upward, carving a tiny dimple in her right cheek that made me want to kiss and lick the damn thing. Until recently, I thought I only had a thing for asses and racks, but it looked like dimples did it for me too. But it’s Lark. With her, everything was different.
“You’re so full of yourself. At this rate, you won’t need me to get you off with how you seem so attracted to yourself.’’
I chuckled and shook my head at her sass. “I could get off on my own, but it’d be with thoughts of you, of your wet pussy and the sounds I imagine you make when you come.’’
She gasped and tightened her hands on my shirt, this time bunching it in her tight fists. I wanted her to make the first move and take it off me. I wanted her to show me she wanted this as much as I did because…I couldn’t be the only one completely blinded by this lust, this deep-rooted need for her.
“Shit, Maxen.’’ She pulled on my shirt to get me closer to her until I was plastered against her body. She was breathing hard now and every time she inhaled, her perfect tits pushed into my chest.
I dropped a hand from her face to the small of her back and pushed her hips into mine until her eye
s widened. “Yeah, I’m so fucking hard right now. A bit more of this teasing shit I could blow in my damn pants. That’s what you do to me. So Lark, the countdown begins.’’
One.
Her eyes landed on my lips, and I swore I was growling like a damn grizzly, but she didn’t seem to mind the beast I was turning into. If anything, she appeared to like it.
Two.
She pressed herself tighter against me and pushed her hips into mine, until I couldn’t stop myself from pushing and pushing my hard cock into her stomach and cursing in my head that she wasn’t taller so I could thrust against her clit, stimulating it until I heard her moan my name in need.
Three.
She closed her eyes then and tilted her chin up until finally, finally her lips touched mine.
I didn’t have to count to five.
And.
Fuck.
It was a tentative kiss at first, as if we were both testing the water and afraid to drown. But when her tongue licked my lips and she made a tiny sound from the back of her throat, I realized I’d rather drown than tread carefully.
I parted my lips and nibbled on her lower lip until she gasped and gave me an opening. I slipped my tongue into her mouth and I groaned, tensing all over when I tasted the wine we’d had earlier in her mouth mingled with that sweet taste I knew was all Lark. My fingers dug in the small of her back, the fabric of her dress stretching under them and I was dying to feel her hot skin and see how I could raise goosebumps on her flesh as she did on mine.
In the back of my mind, far from that blissful moment, I remembered that having sex so soon after rehab wasn’t the smartest idea, but it wasn’t just sex. She’s Lark. She’s not a passing woman I found to get my kicks.
Maxen (Kinky Shine Book 2) Page 11
