“You’re leaving?” I felt my breath come out in a pant.
“You said you weren’t interested.” He waved over his shoulder at me and walked out the door.
Chapter 5: Max
Of course I knew Abby Grant worked for the marketing firm that was trying to get Energy Enhanced’s account. I knew everything about Abby Grant within an hour of her being stolen from me by the bitterness of Veronica’s jilted ego. I couldn’t even remember the last time I bothered to put in a personal appearance at a company we didn’t own outright. Energy Enhanced was just another startup that sounded like they were offering something different than the rest of the products on the market. Truthfully, once I found out she worked at a marketing firm, I knew there was a damn good chance her company would pitch something to one of mine eventually. Happenstance just delivered it to me earlier than I imagined. The fact she was in the room was just icing on the cake. I definitely didn’t expect her to have the only decent idea in the whole damn room.
That fucking kiss.
I’ve used a strong kiss to tame more than one woman trying to show disinterest. It wasn’t a new trick, but it was effective. I didn’t get a fair shot at her, so there was no reason to play fair after the fact. I wanted her. There was no way around that. Her kiss started with fear, hesitation, and then it was as passionate as my own. She might not want to make a mistake, but she was damn sure going to do it anyway. I might not have gotten her at the club, but with the door once again open, I was going to charge into it like the bull I was. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed a familiar number. They answered quickly.
“Hello, this Max Martin. I’d like to arrange a flower delivery.” I waited for the young lady on the other end of the phone to pull up my account. “Yes, a dozen roses. I’d like to have them delivered to Abby Grant at West End Marketing. Make it happen today.”
I hung up the phone before I gave them a chance to confirm. I knew they would do what I said. My name had too much prestige for them not to bow down to it. A few hours later, I was sitting in my office, staring out at the city, when I got a text message confirming they were delivered.
I had a lot of work to do but it was getting late. I thought about picking up the phone and making arrangements so I could go out to another club, but I just didn’t have the energy. My laser focus had locked in on Abby Grant and until that itch was scratched, it was going to be hard to find satisfaction elsewhere. That was the problem with my ego—it had to be stroked once I got it worked up.
“DADDY!” I HEARD A voice cry out as I stepped into my house. Tiny feet ran down the hallway towards me.
“Hi, Benjamin!” I scooped up my five-year-old son as he lunged at me.
“Guess what Ms. Ruth taught me today?” He grinned from ear to ear.
“What’s that?” I saw the older lady walking down the hallway, holding her back as she took each step.
“I learned how to divide every number by ten! You just take off a zero!” He seemed overly enthused, like he had just discovered magic.
“Yes, that works with a lot of numbers.” I sat him down and looked over at Ms. Ruth. “Everything go okay today?”
“It wasn’t bad.” Her voice was gentle. “We did have a bit of a dispute over how many cookies he’s allowed to have.”
“I said one.” I looked down at Benjamin.
“I multiplied that by five!” He held up five fingers.
“It doesn’t work that way, son.” I shook my head and laughed.
Benjamin was my heart and soul. He represented everything good about me and didn’t get cursed with any of my awful personality traits. His mother was the only woman I had ever loved but she decided she loved pills and tanned Brazilians more than the life we started to build together. By the time I found out she was pregnant with Benjamin, I wasn’t even sure he would be mine. The marriage was over, held together only by my stubbornness at that point. We signed the divorce papers a few days after he was born, despite the offer I made for us to get counseling and try to work things out. She cashed herself out of my life and for another zero, she signed over all of her parental rights to Benjamin.
“Alright, son. Let’s go make dinner.” I took him by the hand.
“Bye, Ms. Ruth!” Benjamin waved goodbye to his teacher.
“Goodbye, Benjamin. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She returned his wave and walked towards the door.
Ms. Ruth had been a godsend. I was a bit nervous about homeschooling Benjamin because I wanted him to socialize with other children, but he was slightly autistic. If he was with people he knew and trusted, he was okay, but if he was put in a room with strangers he would shut down and become almost non-verbal.
I took him to the kitchen and made him a ham sandwich with a side of broccoli. He loved ham sandwiches and he hated broccoli. Thankfully, he was willing to endure the curse of vegetables for a ham sandwich. After dinner was over, I bathed him and tucked him into bed. He wanted a bedtime story, so I read him a story about knights and castles. That was the flavor of the week after he found out dinosaurs were extinct.
Chapter 6: Abby
Flowers? Really?
I stared at the roses sitting next to my computer. I had already ripped up the card and threw it in the trash. The kiss Max planted on my lips left me burning with desire, but after having twenty-four hours to think about it, I was once again firmly opposed to him. The words left behind by the woman at the club resonated in my ear. It didn’t matter if he was hot as hell or if he made me wet, he was nothing more than Mr. Mistake.
I opened my email and stared at the request from Mr. Hawthorne. He wanted all of my analysis and data on the pitch I made because Energy Enhanced was going to fully embrace my idea.
“Abby!” I heard a voice and turned to see Mary-Katherine walking towards me.
“Mary-Katherine...” I blinked a couple of times. “What are you doing here?”
“We have a lunch date. Did you forget? Who sent you flowers!” She turned the vase and pulled a rose close so she could smell it.
“I totally forgot...” I sighed. “Those are from a client. They were happy with one of my ideas.”
“A client?” She grinned. “Is it a guy, because I don’t think clients send red roses unless they’re interested in more than just your ideas.”
“I don’t want to talk about it here.” I grabbed my purse and motioned for her to follow me outside.
“MR. MISTAKE?” MARY-Katherine started laughing as soon as she heard the story of what transpired outside the club. “I thought you just went to the bathroom. I didn’t realize someone tried to kidnap you!”
“It wasn’t a kidnapping...” I lifted my glass and sipped diet soda through my straw. “He was kind of charming, but come on—how do I get past that?”
“You don’t.” Mary-Katherine shrugged. “How long are you going to wait to lose your virginity? He sounds like the perfect guy for it. He’s experienced, hotter than anyone I’ve ever been with, and if the condom breaks, he’s rich as fuck.”
“So, I spent my whole life waiting for Mr. Right and I just throw myself at Mr. Mistake because I’m horny?” I shook my head and glared at her.
“It’s Maxwell Martin.” She pointed at me with both fingers. “You have a chance to fuck Maxwell Martin.”
“He doesn’t like being called Maxwell—ugh.” I let out a grunt when I realized I had just repeated what he said to me.
“See, you already know him.” She grinned. “Plus, he sent you flowers. Just take off your panties and mail them to him, because he’s getting them one way or the other.”
“You’re seriously no help.” I paused when the waitress brought our salads. “I wanted you to tell me I shouldn’t hook up with the bastard.”
“All of the good ones are bastards.” She shrugged. “I’m not telling you to marry him—but I mean, if he asks...”
“He’s not going to ask.” I shook my head back and forth. “Based on what the woman at the club said, he gets around.�
�
“He bought you flowers. He’s going to ask you out again, so just go out with him. If something feels off, give me a call and I’ll come save you.” She dug her fork into her salad and grinned at me again.
Mary-Katherine made it sound so easy to just fuck a stranger. When I was a little girl I dreamed of being romanced and eventually seduced by my husband on my wedding night. I guess I should blame my parents for those old-fashioned values in a world where sex was pretty much mandatory by the third date. Max didn’t seem like the type of guy who made it to the second date—hell, he didn’t seem like the kind of guy who even made it to the first date. I knew I should stay far, far away from him, no matter how hot he was, but the kiss was still burning in my mind.
It got even more complicated to say no when I got back to my office and opened my email.
Dinner.
Tonight
Remington’s — 7pm
Wear something sexy.
-Max
Five lines of text. I was only worth one sentence and it was only three words. The whole email was a command rather than an invitation. I hit reply and typed up a diatribe of anger towards him, explaining why we would never work, and why he should leave me the hell alone. My finger lingered over the send button for several minutes as the screen blurred in my vision. I finally pushed the mouse to the right and closed it without sending it. When the office started to clear out, I was still staring at the screen. I had wasted most of the day and still hadn’t responded to Mr. Hawthorne’s email.
“Fuck...” I muttered as I opened Mr. Hawthorne’s email and started explaining why I thought my idea was a good move for Energy Enhanced.
It was five o’clock by the time I got my response together. My eyes centered on Max’s email again. No matter how bad I wanted to just respond and tell him no, I couldn’t stop remembering the kiss. I stood up and shut down my computer. I needed a dress and there was nothing in my closet that wouldn’t look out of place at Remington’s. It was one of the most upscale restaurants in the city. I sent a text message to Mary-Katherine and she immediately responded, telling me I should come to her place. I waved down a taxi and gave them her address.
Chapter 7: Max
She could take the invitation or she could ignore it. I tried not giving a fuck, but a fuck was pretty much everything I had to give at that point. The sizzle of her lips had kept my thoughts on fire since I kissed Abby and there was no way I was going to get her out of my head until I fucked her and made her another victim of Mr. Mistake. Fuck it. If Veronica and her band of merry bitches wanted to brand me with the label, I would own it. It wasn’t like Abby didn’t know what she was getting into. She was more prepared to wake up alone than any of the others I left beside a cold indention in their bed.
“Ah, Mr. Martin.” The Maître D’ at Remington’s smiled when I stepped into the restaurant and walked to the front of the line. “Your table is already prepared.”
“Thank you.” I followed him as he escorted me to a quiet area in the back of the restaurant.
“When will your guest arrive?”
“I told her seven. I think she’s the type to get here early.” I took my seat and reached for the drink menu.
“Excellent, sir. I’ll send your waiter over to take your drink order.” He walked towards the gathering of waiters and started whispering to them.
HELLO GORGEOUS.
When I looked up to see the Maître D’ walking towards the table with a woman on his heels, I had to do a double take. Abby had been transformed. She was no longer the timid looking woman wrestling with her dress at the club. She was an angel, wrapped in a halo of stunning beauty so glamorous I had to swallow some whiskey just to keep my throat from tightening into a knot. I certainly wasn’t expecting that. When I looked into her eyes, I saw the same timidness I witnessed the first and second time we met. The Maître D’ pulled out her chair and once she was seated, I sat down and blinked a couple of times in shock.
“Wow, you look amazing.” I could feel my voice cracking. My voice didn’t crack—what the fuck was wrong with me?
“You don’t have to compliment me. We both know this isn’t going further than the first date.” The waiter appeared and took her order for a glass of red wine before I could respond.
“Then why did you come?” The waiter was out of earshot when I finally responded.
“Curiosity, mostly? The flowers were pretty...” She smiled and shrugged. “We’re business partners now, so we can have dinner together.”
“So, the kiss had nothing to do with it?” I reached out and traced the top of her knuckles.
“No.” She pulled her hand away.
“So, this is just a business dinner?” I reached for my drink and lifted it to my lips.
“This is nothing more than business to you, isn’t it? You’re not looking to form a relationship and you probably won’t even call me in the morning, so why pretend? Buy me a nice meal and you can take my virginity.” She smiled as if her words were normal conversation.
“What?!” I felt my whiskey try to go down my throat and then it erupted into my mouth as I coughed it back into my glass.
“You want me, right? You’re the man everyone looks back on as a mistake. If I’m going to make one, I might as well make it a big one. You get what you want and I can stop worrying about losing my virginity to the wrong guy.” The waiter brought her wine and she sipped it.
“You’re serious about this?” I pushed my glass to the waiter and motioned for him to take it away.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” She narrowed her eyes at me.
“Well for starters...” I felt a bit of my confidence returning as I got over the initial surprise. “I have a twelve-inch cock.”
It was her turn to gag on her drink. “Oh...”
“I normally save that reveal for the bedroom, but since you’re being so open with things...” I let my lips turn into a coy smirk. “...you should probably know that you’ll be walking with a limp tomorrow.”
“Shit...” She looked down at her wine glass and blinked a couple of times.
“I also love eating pussy.” I waited for her to look up at me and let my tongue slide across my bottom lip. “I could eat it for hours.”
“Jesus...” She let out an exasperated sigh.
“And just so you know, I’ll be skipping dessert because you’re the only sweet thing I want to nibble on tonight.” I locked eyes with her, refusing to let her break my gaze.
“Now I see why so many women make this mistake.” She fanned her neck with her hand. “I think...I think I got ahead of myself.”
“Buyer’s remorse? You’re not supposed to get that until I’m done with you.” I reached out and squeezed her hand. “And I haven’t even gotten started.”
“I need to go freshen up before I order.” She tried to pull away, but I held her hand tight.
“Or we could skip dinner entirely.” I pulled her hand towards me. “What do you have to eat at your place?”
Chapter 8: Abby
We were already kissing when I climbed into the backseat of his car. The tinted glass between us was raised after I gave the driver my address and Max wrapped his arms around me. I couldn’t even begin to verbalize all of the reasons why what we were doing was wrong because my body craved more. Max’s lips were fire, melting my inhibitions before I could even try to use them as a defense. I felt like my lips were being pillaged and they were tingling when he pulled away from them. He started kissing down my neck and the fire on my lips turned to a surge of chills that ran through my body.
“I want you.” He whispered into my ear as his lips moved up my neck and he teased my earlobes with his breath. “I need to be inside you.”
I didn’t even know how to respond. I felt like clay being molded by his touch and melting into every word he said. Every caution flag my mind would create was burned before I could wave it as he moved back to my lips and continued kissing me. He held me tight with one hand while his o
ther one moved up the front of my dress and squeezed my breasts. I could feel his cock getting hard, pushing against the fabric of his pants when he pressed his body against me. It was going to destroy me. My virgin pussy was so tight I couldn’t even get a finger inside of it when I masturbated. The thought of having his enormous girth inside of it made me tremble with concern, but I was already so wet my panties were slippery between my legs.
“This is a mistake.” I forced my words out between panted moans of anticipation.
“That’s why you’re with me.” He squeezed my breast and moved his lips to my ear. “I specialize in those.”
Max had a magic tongue, fire-coated lips, and a touch that made me struggle to breathe. His driver pulled the car in front of my house. He pushed the door open and pulled me out of the backseat. I fumbled with my purse and when I had the keys in my hand, he took them from me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close again, kissing on the lawn where anyone could see us. I had no idea what the neighbors would think of my behavior. I had known most of them since I shared the house with my parents before they retired to Florida. They had certainly never seen me making out with a guy in the front yard.
“We should go inside.” I motioned towards the house when his lips parted from mine.
“Somebody’s anxious.” He wrapped his hand around mine and started walking towards the door.
“I just don’t want the neighbors to think I’m some kind of slut.” I followed behind him.
The instant the door was closed and we were alone inside the confines of my house, he kissed me with even more passion and started moving my dress up my thighs with his hands. I knew it was going to happen. I was going to lose my virginity to a man I barely even knew. I was going to make a mistake—I was going to fuck Mr. Mistake. I felt my desire dripping from my pussy when he moved his hand underneath my dress and slid it across my thigh. His hand was so close to my pussy that I could almost feel his touch. His lips moved down my neck, up my neck, and he bit down on my earlobe. I was so lost in his touch that I felt like jelly in his arms.
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