Meet Your Mate (A Good Riders Romance Book 1)

by Floyd, Jacie

  “You sure you’re all right?” Max asked. “I hate to leave you here alone.” He turned Annabel toward him and tilted her face toward the light.

  “I’m fine.” The lie almost stuck in her throat. If she weren’t fine now, she would be by tomorrow. She’d had plenty of practice getting through life’s kicks in the teeth on her own.

  He shook his head, disbelieving. His dark eyes locked with hers, rimmed with sympathy and kindness, but also questioning and persuasive. She shivered again.

  With his warm hands on her bare shoulders, steam skittered across her skin. He pulled her forward inch by slow inch. His head slanted to one side, and then his lips covered hers. Warmth, glorious warmth shot through her everywhere their bodies met, blocking out the chill of her defeat.

  Forget hot chocolate. Marshmallows be damned. Max made her forget her loss better than an entire vat of Swiss Miss. The thought of him leaving made her ache with longing. She wrapped herself around him and pressed into him, desperate for comfort.

  When she parted her lips and his tongue swept inside, he gave a hungry growl, spreading his incredible warmth inside her. One kiss led to another. Places she’d forgotten about began to tingle.

  His mouth grazed her neck in a tantalizing trail. Hot breath caressed her flesh. Hands skimmed her breasts. The starched pleats on his shirt brushed her taut nipples. Her shivers no longer emanated from the numbing cold, but from the heat of longing.

  The flash of lights from a car passing her house jerked her back to reality. She shifted her mouth away from his with a gasp. As much as she wanted him and craved the oblivion he offered, she couldn’t do this.

  Not on her front doorstep.

  “Let’s go in,” he suggested, reading her mind.

  Her moment’s hesitation provided him with the opportunity to back her through the doorway into the foyer. He closed the door behind him.

  “We shouldn’t do this.” She planted her hands on the solid wall of his chest, gesturing in the general direction of her driveway and the waiting limo. “We can’t do this. What will Eduardo think?”

  “Eduardo will be thrilled.” He rubbed his palms along her bare back, then pulled her close. “He gets paid by the hour.”

  Annabel’s curiosity spiked along with her desire as his fingers searched for the fastening on her dress. “How long will it take?”

  He gave her a pure-Max smile. One that sent her sexual appetite zinging off the gotta-have-it scale. “How long have you got?”

  “I’ve got all night.” She startled herself, first, with the thought, and then, with the realization. They were going to do this. Sex with Max was going to happen. No more stalling. No more excuses. She took a deep breath and plunged ahead. “Let’s make Eduardo rich.”

  Chapter Nine

  “All night, huh?” Max smiled widely. “You got it, babe.” The heat in his eyes guaranteed the promise as he removed her sparkly wrap and tossed it aside. His hands skimmed her bare back, moved down her sides, then to the front of the diaphanous material. “It might take all night to figure out how to get you out of this thing.”

  “Let me help.” Annabel guided him to the zipper on the side of the dress. She reached up to undo the magic hook that held the two straps together at the nape of her neck.

  Before the material fell away and revealed her bare breasts, Max covered her hands with his, stopping her. “If you’re not into exhibitionism, the foyer’s better than the front porch, but do you really want to do this here?” He pressed his hips against hers, indicating the hard ridge of his erection. “I’m game, but you might want some place more comfortable.”

  A bit of her chill returned with his practical suggestion, but his fingers massaged small circles along her back and ignited heated tingling along her spine that melted hesitation away. She’d love to be the kind of sensual woman who enjoyed having sex any time, any place, but she’d never been that woman before. For this first time in such a long time, she’d probably enjoy it more somewhere else.

  Someplace where the vast difference in their levels of experience would be less apparent.

  Somewhere safe.

  Definitely somewhere dark.

  “Upstairs?” she suggested.

  At his quick nod, she leaned in for a taste of his beautifully decadent mouth. Definitely better than hot chocolate. Or a hot fudge sundae. Or a freaking mountain of chocolate. One nip led to two. She deepened the kiss with a stroke of her tongue. His lips parted to welcome her inside.

  Her hips arched against him, pressing into his rock-hard cock. His hands slipped inside her dress, cupped her breasts, and held their weight in his palms. She let out a long breath that had lodged itself somewhere around her ribcage. When his thumbs brushed across her nipples, she moaned. So did he.

  An encouraging flutter frisked around inside her stomach at the intensity of his response. Knowing she had the ability to arouse him so quickly and forcefully ignited her confidence.

  “We have got to get you out of this dress.” His voice was ragged with frustration.

  “Upstairs.” She intended to be cloaked in shadow before shedding her clothing.

  Holding onto her hips, he backed her toward the steps. She reached up to brush her fingers through the soft, thick hair at his temple. He stopped short, and she stumbled. When he opened his mouth to speak, she kissed him instead.

  What was it about his mouth that she found so irresistible? The firm, wide shape? The full lips or beautiful teeth? Had she ever been so fascinated with any other mouth? God, she didn’t think so.

  His hands slipped inside the front of her dress again, caressing her breasts. He flashed his sexiest, most photogenic smile. “Thank God, I was right.”

  “About what? That I’m not very… very…”

  “Very what?”

  “You know. Not very big.” She dropped her forehead to his chest so she didn’t have to look at him. “Voluptuous.”

  “You’re plenty big. If you weren’t, why would I have been wondering all through dinner what you did or didn’t have on under here? That was the only thing that kept me awake through some of those speeches.”

  A bubble of laughter escaped her, delighted by the idea of holding his attention smack dab in the middle of some of Cincinnati’s most beautiful women.

  “Let me see you,” he said, his voice low and coaxing.

  The laughter stuck in her throat as he returned her hands to the hooks that held the halter in place. The shimmery material dropped away. His breath caught as he admired her naked flesh.

  “Let me see you.” The daring words shocked her, but she was determined not to be the only nearly-naked person in her foyer.

  She removed his dangling necktie and started on his shirt studs. Every part of him she uncovered exceeded her sexual fantasies. Solid muscles, lean and taut. Crisp chest hair. Just as she got to the hardest, flattest stomach she’d ever fantasized about touching, his vest interrupted her journey.

  Sliding her arms around him, she unhooked it in the back. The maneuver brought her breasts firmly against the inflexible wall of his naked chest.

  She rubbed against him like a cat, savoring the contrasting textures of his pleated shirt and crinkly hair on her hyper-sensitive skin. Dipping her head, she took a deep whiff of his scent—spicy cologne, starched cotton, and fresh, clean male. He looked and smelled so delicious she wanted to take a bite out of him. Her mouth settled for a nibble at the appealing bend between his shoulder and neck.

  “Come on, babe.” He led her another few steps toward the stairs, but the yards of material swirled around their feet, tangled around them, and got in the way of walking and touching.

  Frustrated, Annabel thrust the dress below her hips. She smiled as it slithered to the floor. Boldly, she stepped out of it and kicked it aside.

  Then she froze behind years of wallflower insecurity.

  Only his hands on hers prevented her from covering the exposed areas. His gaze moved up and down her body once, visually caressing e
very inch, then he made the trip a second time, his face a study in amazement.

  “What?” A prolonged moment of silence hung in the air while Annabel considered the nearest place to hide.

  “You’re beautiful. Perfect.” His hand trailed appreciatively along her side, from her breast to her hip. He groaned again and shook his head. “To think this is what you’ve been hiding, and I didn’t know.” He bent to let his mouth follow the path his hand had taken. “I’m usually a better judge than that.”

  Clad only in a wisp of panties, sheer stockings and the sexiest little shoes she’d ever worn, Annabel felt a blush migrate from her forehead to her toes. She opened her mouth to refute the compliment, but he tapped a finger against her lips.

  “Everything about you is beautiful. Don’t argue. Just say thank you.”

  Reading the admiration in his eyes, she wanted to let herself believe him. “Th-thank you.”

  “Promise you’ll never disguise yourself in nun’s clothes again.” His lips grazed hers. “Promise me that.”

  She shoved his jacket and shirt aside. Her hands drifted over the sculpted planes, from abs and pecs to biceps, shoulders and back. With so much to explore, her fingers shook as she unfastened his pants.

  “Promise me.” His whispered breath rasped across her skin, setting off a barrage of goose bumps.

  “I promise.” With every delicious detail of his magnificent body revealed in front of her, ready, willing and eager for her explorations, she couldn’t remember what promise he demanded from her. She would have assured him of anything in that moment when she touched his upright cock for the first time. Big, thick, hard. Way beyond her expectations.

  Gathering her close, he sighed with relief as if her response made a difference to him. “I’m going to touch you and taste you all over. Starting now.”

  “I want that, too. To touch you, taste you.” Did she dare do any of that? Would he want her to? Barely able to speak any longer, she gestured vaguely up the stairs. “Bedroom.’

  Shaking his head, he pulled her down with him. “Next time.”

  As they moved in perfect syncopation through the same erotic dance, he aroused her to dizzying hunger, teasing her sexual appetite with rare and exotic treats. Lost in the pooling warmth of desire, she tried to keep up, to participate and reciprocate, but he was way out of her league. Sometimes, she was so overwhelmed with sensations, it was all she could do to remember to breathe. She couldn’t get enough of him, certainly not in an hour.

  Or even a night.

  Not when he licked his way down her body. Not when he slipped his fingers through her slick folds. Not when he lifted and seated her across his hips, sliding deep inside her, stretching, filling, and bringing her home. Sweet, never-before-known sensations swamped her as he thrust into her, over and over, surrounding her with the feel, taste, and smell of him.

  Max! With crystal-sharp clarity, she looked deep into his eyes and matched him move for move.

  She rode the unbelievable sensations higher and higher, unable to stop, almost unable to breathe. As she hovered on the brink of exquisite, almost unbearable pleasure, he leaned back and put a hand to her chin, fixing her gaze with a question in his.

  “Yes, please. Now.” Her eyelids fluttered. “You come, too.”

  His final thrust took her over the edge. He followed her with a triumphant shout that made her smile.

  After a few minutes, she stretched out full-length against him, fully aware of the nakedness of his body beneath hers. Resting against him should have been about as comfortable as snuggling a slab of marble, but somehow, it suited her.

  Slowly, she came to realize the awkwardness of her position, not just emotionally or socially awkward, but physically awkward as well. She raised her head to determine the problem. She seemed to be… diagonal.

  They’d made it as far as the stairs. She eased herself away, perching on the step beside him. “Oh, God. You are awesome good.”

  Max lay stretched with his feet grazing the floor and his shoulders about six steps up. He turned his head toward her and gave a cocky grin at the words she hadn’t intended to say out loud.

  Suddenly, the realization of what they’d done, where they’d done it, and all his gorgeous nudity was too much to consider in one gulp. She wanted to sprint upstairs to hide, but imagined the view that would provide. Instead, she slid into a boneless puddle onto the foyer’s hard ceramic tile floor.

  Nonchalantly—as if she entertained naked men in her foyer every day—she gathered her hair on top of her head, but she couldn’t decide where to fix her eyes. His ankles got most of her attention. They were nice ankles. Sturdy. Neutral.

  She felt his gaze on her, glanced up as far as his knees, chickened out and looked away. “If it’s not too indelicate to mention such a thing, I’m sweating.” The air had turned into a sauna around them.

  She winced. Charming. Probably the most charming thing anyone had ever said to him during afterglow.

  “At least you’re not cold anymore.” Beside her, he sat up and planted his elbows on his knees. He stroked his palm over her hair and sifted a few of the curly strands through his fingers, sensual and comforting.

  She was transfixed by the tattoo the movement revealed. A lightning bolt ran along his left side from beneath his armpit to his hip. Dear Lord. How had she missed that before? She reached out, wanting to touch it, but pulled her hand back.

  “You’re embarrassed,” he said, “and you shouldn’t be.”

  She ducked her head again, even more chagrined to know he read her so easily. “Aren’t you?”

  “A little.” He reached out and tilted her chin up. When she gathered the courage to look at him, he rewarded her with an intimate smile—equally sexy and endearing, damn him. “That wasn’t my best effort.”

  “What?”

  “I can do a lot better.”

  She found his comment a little intriguing and a little hurtful. How much better could he be? And what about her was so lacking that it caused him to perform at less than his best? “Why didn’t you?”

  He shrugged. “I hate to admit it, but I got distracted.”

  “By what?” She was ready to toss him out on his bare, and oh, so fabulous butt if his mind had been on some mundane and unrelated topic instead of his performance.

  “By you.” He reached for her.

  If a heart could melt, hers did.

  He was the most surprising man she’d ever known—not that she’d known that many. Every day of the past week, she’d learned something new about him. And today, he’d taught her something new about herself. She was as susceptible to Max Williams’ charms as every other woman in the free world.

  She didn’t want to think about it.

  She didn’t want to think about anything.

  Tomorrow, she’d deal with the fallout. Tonight, she’d take what she could get.

  “By me?” She settled deliciously into his lap.

  “By your sexy body, your sensuality, your sweetness, and your surprising assertiveness. Dynamite combination. Everything about you was so much more than I expected. You astounded me.” He nuzzled her neck and licked her ear, catapulting her senses into another round of sexual frolicking. “Want me to make it up to you?”

  “I might be willing to give you a second chance.” She did her best to sound reluctant, when she was already plotting the things she wanted to do to him. “But this time we really should go upstairs.”

  “You’re on.” He laughed, gathered her close, grabbed his pants from the stair rail, and then surged to his feet. “The stairs might have been another thing that distracted me.”

  Yep, that was better. Max settled Annabel at his side an hour or so later. Not that the first time hadn’t been fantastic, but it had been fast and furious and he hadn’t taken enough time to make Annabel feel she was everything he wanted in a woman.

  But this time, the second time had been right up there with his best.

  Perfect timing. Stimulation,
satisfaction, quantity and quality… all perfect. Better than perfect. They might have to do it again before he figured out what made it so special. As soon as humanly possible. If he hadn’t been totally drained of all energy, he’d smile at the prospect.

  He summoned the strength to draw Annabel closer. While he waited to rebound, he wanted to keep her near enough to feel and smell and touch. She was just the right height to pillow her head on his shoulder and lie next to him without any awkward bumping elbows, knees, or shins.

  He hoped she wouldn’t want to talk but he supposed that was asking too much. Women always wanted to talk, and not about pleasure, fantasies, technique or staying power, but about meaning and feelings. As if doing what felt good had to mean something more than that. And maybe it did. Not that he was ready to consider giving up his freedom for a woman. Not like his old man had. Not ready to be left with a trio of hungry brats and no one to warm his bed at night.

  Mr. Free and Easy. That was Max. Especially now, when he was about to sign a fan-damn-frigging-tastic deal and achieve a major career goal.

  And if someone did eventually make him want to give up on that, did compel him to stick around, it wouldn’t be for a long, long time, and it wouldn’t be Annabel Morgan.

  No matter how warm and wild she’d been when he was inside her wet heat. No matter how perfectly she fit into his arms.

  He knew they weren’t destined to be together long-term. She didn’t want that and neither did he. If something about that thought made him irritable, he didn’t stop to examine it. She’d made it clear from the get-go that she didn’t think they’d ever be anything more than casual friends.

  Of course, he doubted if she’d ever pictured him in her bed either, and here he was.

  His spirits lifted a notch until another unwelcome thought punctured his optimism. Her busy little brain was already probably thinking up a hundred good reasons to kick him out of her bed right now. But he hoped not.

  The sparks that flared between them hadn’t even come close to burning themselves out yet. Not by a long shot.

  Looking down at Annabel, he saw that she looked—something. Something he couldn’t put his finger on. Tense? Thoughtful? Distant?