by Anya Nowlan
But a dangerous hope was niggling at the back of his mind now. He had his baby girl, a job with Gage in the town he himself had grown up in, enough money saved up to get a nice home, and now his mate had stumbled into his path.
Max couldn’t help but wonder if fate did really have a hand in it all. There were plenty of shifters who swore it had been some unknown force that had brought them together with their soul mates, but of course those would be the stories that got circulated.
No one wanted to hear about people growing old without ever experiencing true love.
Yet with how things were going, Max couldn’t help but think about destiny, timing, and the chance to have it all. What if this was his shot to make his family whole? He quickly waved that thought away.
Nothing good will come of getting ahead of myself.
Lost in his own ruminations, he hadn’t even heard anyone approach the guest house, and was taken aback by the knock on the door. Setting his beer down on the coffee table, he got up to answer it, while a familiar scent already wafted into his nose.
When he pulled the door open, he wasn’t exactly surprised to see Riley there, but the way she was looking at him was somewhat disconcerting. Her body language indicated that she might run away at any moment, but the way her gaze gleamed as it roamed over him spoke of a decision already made.
“Can I come in?” she asked, before Max could even say anything.
“Sure,” he replied, gesturing her inside.
Brushing past him, Riley’s heart was beating fast, making excitement rush through Max. Why was she here? What did she want? Max tried to stay in the moment and not overthink things. But as he closed the door, Riley suddenly whirled around, nearly crashing into him. Her eyes locking onto his lips made it very difficult to not come to some very tempting conclusions.
With his bear thrashing against his skin, Max couldn’t resist the feelings swirling inside him as he grabbed Riley by the waist. She gasped in a breath, her hands coming to grip his forearms, and before he knew it, they were both drowning in a wild kiss.
It was even more urgent than the one they had shared on Gage’s couch, with them stumbling around the hallway until he had her pressed against one of the walls. Max’s hands moved from Riley’s waist to her shoulders and then up to her face, cupping it in his palms.
The need to make her his became overwhelming, as her body trembled under his touch. Her warm hands roamed along his body, and he couldn’t help but growl when her fingers dipped below his shirt and up his stomach.
His cock was already rock hard when he pressed himself against her, their bodies melting into one. When he dragged his mouth away from hers, the moan Riley let out sounded like heaven. Trailing his lips down the side of her neck, he reveled in the taste and feel of her.
Kissing around her collarbone, Max let his hands dip lower, until they were tracing the outline of her breasts. Her back pressed against the wall, Riley squirmed, her breathing starting to sound more like panting.
There was no way to deny the effect they had on each other, and for Max, it was only intensified by his feelings for her. Was it the same for Riley? Being mates, of course their physical chemistry would be off the charts. But was that all that made her show up at his door like she had?
Max was just about to start unbuttoning her blouse when that thought made him stop. Looking up at her, he could see her hazel eyes clouded over with need. He knew his own gaze must have looked much the same.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked.
Riley was silent for a moment, biting her lip as she studied him. All Max wanted was to keep kissing her, to take her into his bed, to make her scream his name. But he needed to make sure this was a decision Riley wasn’t making in haste. The last thing he wanted was for her to regret anything.
“I want…” she rasped, her voice sexier than ever.
Her hand moved away from his stomach, inching lower, forging a path between their bodies, until her palm cupped around the bulge in his jeans. Groaning, Max couldn’t help but buck his hips, pure lust surging through him.
“You,” Riley finished, and that was all he needed to hear.
Eleven
Riley
To Riley, it barely registered they were still in the hallway, or that her knees had gone so weak it was mostly Max’s body against hers that was keeping her upright. He was in the middle of kissing her breath away while she still had her hand on his cock, slowly stroking it through the thick fabric of his pants.
She briefly wondered what state of temporary insanity had pushed her to come here, as heat coiled deep inside her stomach, making her pussy throb and her nipples ache. Truth was, she was just unable to stay away.
Max had taken over her every thought, to the point she was daydreaming about his lips on hers, and imagining that powerful body free from the restraint of clothes. She thought of him effortlessly picking her up and throwing her down on his bed, and once those thoughts started playing on a never-ending loop in her brain, she couldn’t resist the need for him any longer.
And now here she was, the reality somehow even better than the fantasy as Max claimed her mouth and his hands gently massaged her breasts. Pushed up against the wall, all she could do was give herself over to him.
After all, he knew what he was doing.
The buttons of her blouse slowly popped open as the ache between her legs grew stronger and stronger. Her bra was pulled down, her bare breasts now cupped in Max’s rough palms, while she whimpered, blood pulsing in her veins.
Bending his head down, Max started kissing around her nipples, slow and teasing, until they were hot, throbbing hard nubs, begging for his mouth.
“Oh, please,” Riley mumbled, not even really sure what she was trying to say.
“More?” Max growled, his stubble rubbing against her chest.
“Yes,” she hissed.
His tongue felt like flames licking up her body as he laved at her nipples before sucking one into his mouth. Edging himself more to her side, he let one of his hands trail up her thigh, and Riley was suddenly very glad she had worn a skirt to this little visit.
Her back arched as his touch slid higher, his thumb rubbing circles on her inner thigh. When his hand settled on the apex of her thighs, Riley couldn’t help but roll her hips, needing more of his touch.
“More,” she said, and she could feel him chuckle against her skin.
Two fingers settled onto her slit, pressing against her clit. The world fell away as Max slowly started to move his hand, rubbing against her pussy. Pleasure radiated throughout her body as he continued to suck on her nipples while he played with her clit, and the dizzying sensation of being overcome with lust started to take over.
Max didn’t let up, using his tongue and fingers to push her toward crossing that line looming somewhere over the horizon. Riley was little more than a quivering mess under his touch, an unfathomable tension building in her body.
The cotton of her panties added another layer of friction as Max’s deft fingers coaxed her toward the brink. Sweat broke out on her lower back as she let herself get swept up in the moment, everything falling away except her and him.
A strangled cry tore out of her mouth when she gave in, couldn’t take it anymore, release flowing over. Crumpling, Riley held on to Max so as not to fall. She looked down to see him looking very pleased with himself as he kissed the tops of her breasts
Rolling her eyes, she couldn’t help but grin herself, catching her breath as her pulse pounded in her temples.
“Take me to bed,” she said, resting her hands on Max’s shoulders.
“You don’t have to tell me that twice,” he replied, scooping her up into his arms in one swift move.
The floor creaked beneath his steps as he carried her to his bedroom, shouldering the door open. His bed looked inviting in the dark, like a silent promise of things to come. Max placed her down on the cool covers. Sitting on the edge next to her, he started to undress, which R
iley watched in fascination while also tugging off her own clothes.
Broad shoulders glistened in the light peeking in through the open door, collarbones flowing into a carved chest and six-pack abs. Somehow Max managed to look even hotter than she had envisioned, with his muscles bunching and rippling with his every move.
With animalistic self-assurance, Max threw off his clothes, until he was standing next to the bed without a stitch on. Equally naked, Riley stretched out on the bed, enjoying the way his gaze was locked onto her body.
With what looked like considerable effort, Max tore his eyes away to rummage around in the bedroom drawers.
“Looking for something?” she arched a brow at him.
“I wasn’t exactly prepared for this outcome,” he admitted.
“Check the pockets of my skirt,” Riley said, laughing at the surprised look on his face. “I thought I’d come prepared,” she added with a shrug, when Max did as he was told and emerged with a condom in his hand.
She watched him tear the packet open and sheathe himself, his hand curling around his thick, long cock. Riley couldn’t help but gulp. It had been a while since she had been in bed with a man instead of her laptop or stack of paperwork, and none of her previous lovers had been quite as well-endowed.
Max crawled into bed, snuggling up behind her, his lips warm against the back of her neck. Turning to her side, she shivered when he traced the outline of her figure with his fingers, from her hip to her ribs to her shoulder.
All the while his hard cock was pressed against the arch of her back, inspiring thoughts of what it might feel like inside her. When Max reached down to lift one of her thighs, she let him position her however he wanted, her breathing growing rapid and shallow.
Pulling her up against him, Max guided his cock to her pussy, resting the tip against her wet opening. Lying on her side, with one of her legs resting on his hip, Riley took in a deep breath as he pushed his way inside her.
He went slow, inch by inch, pulling back before letting her take more of him, letting her get used to his size. Feeling herself stretch thin around him, Riley grabbed onto the sheets, twisting the fabric in her palms as Max rocked against her, a hint of pain mingling with the pleasure taking over her brain.
She gasped when he finally buried himself fully in her pussy, moaning in her ear as he did. The sound of him enjoying himself sent a ripple of wicked delight through her, a sense of pride in the need she made him feel.
With one of his hands digging into her hip, Max slid the other under her so he could play with her nipples. Arching herself against him, Riley began to jerk her hips in tune with the slow, teasing rhythm with which Max sank into her, stroking the walls of her pussy.
“I love the way you feel,” Max whispered into her ear, his warm breath tickling her neck.
“Oh, god,” was all that she could say in response as his thrusts grew more forceful.
Thrusting up, he angled his body so that his cock would hit just the right spot inside her with every stroke, his hand on her hip pushing and pulling her in tune with him driving himself into her.
Riley’s body was in his control, and she loved every second of it. She arched her back and lifted her thigh higher, letting him impale her on his cock. Their choked moans filled the room as their bodies slammed together, with Riley’s muscles loosening as a delicious warmth started to spread all through her.
Pinching her nipples and biting at her neck, Max was driving her insane, until she was little more than a writhing, sweaty mess on his bed, desperate to have all of him to herself. Her pussy clenched around his cock as he pounded into her, something in her core unraveling.
Max found a rhythm that made her moan out loud with every thrust and kept it steady, expertly building up the pressure in her gut. With all sane thought gone from her mind, all Riley could do was call out his name as ecstasy bubbled up beneath her skin.
Measured yet relentless, his strokes pushed her toward the point of no return, until she could see stars behind her closed lids. A tight ball of sensation snapped somewhere inside her, the explosion only intensified by the way Max continued to bury himself inside her.
Riley’s second orgasm rushed over her, the pleasure and relief even stronger than the first time. She might have called out Max’s name again, or she might have not, she wasn’t even sure anymore as she rode out the bliss rippling through her.
In that moment, her mind was empty of any and all doubts, and all she could think about was how good she and Max made each other feel. It was a sense of clarity she would come to miss in the following days.
Twelve
Max
Max woke up with Riley in his bed, and with the prevailing feeling he never wanted to wake up any other way again. Glancing over at the clock on the nightstand, he was glad to see he had another hour before he would have to go and herd Gage’s cattle onto the pasture.
So he grabbed Riley a little more tightly, burying his face in her hair. She smelled of shampoo, but also of him. Her shoulders slouched as she muttered something in her sleep and wiggled herself against him. Max couldn’t help but smile.
He enjoyed just lying there for another five minutes or so before telling himself it was time to get up. Gage was taking Ace to a follow-up appointment at the vet, and Addison had a full day of work in her office. That meant Max would have to swing by clan lands and leave Olivia with a babysitter there.
But as he got up from bed, Riley immediately stirred, rubbing her eyes as she turned to him.
“Leaving already?” she asked, stifling a yawn.
“Sorry, I didn’t want to wake you,” Max replied. “It’s early. But I have to take Olivia to the babysitter’s.”
Stretching her naked body under the covers, Riley pushed herself up on her elbows, her hair in wild curls around her face. Max loved seeing her like that – vulnerable, yet with nothing to hide.
“I can look after Olivia,” she offered.
“I couldn’t ask that,” he shook his head.
“You didn’t ask,” she smiled at him. “It’s not like you’re going far. I think Liv and I will manage.”
“It’s not that I doubt you’ll be great with her,” Max quickly said. “But I thought this was supposed to be a vacation for you? I distinctly recall you telling me about burning out and needing a break.”
“It’s still a vacation,” Riley shrugged. “I like spending time with Olivia, and I like helping you out. And now that you don’t have to drive her anywhere, you can come back to bed, just for a little while,” she smiled, patting the mattress next to her.
“Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse,” Max grinned, caving easily.
Stacking the last of the grain bags on the pile in the barn, Max took off his gloves and wiped the sweat off his brow. It had been a productive day thus far, with the cattle taken care of, the spark plug on the ATV fixed and the grain delivery stocked away.
It was almost noon, time for lunch and time to see his two favorite ladies again. He had kept in touch with Riley over text, and everything seemed to be going swimmingly. Of course, he had given her some quick instructions and tips before taking off, and told her to call if she needed anything.
Max didn’t doubt Olivia and Riley were getting along great. Olivia had taken to Riley pretty much as soon as they met, and Riley was a smart, caring woman completely capable of taking care of a toddler.
And he had to admit, he liked having her and his daughter spending time together. Why wouldn’t he want his daughter and his mate getting used to each other? But in that thought lie the danger – what if Riley didn’t want to be a part of their lives in that way?
The idea was sobering, especially since Max had spent the morning in a ridiculously good mood. He might have even been humming while he worked. The previous night was difficult to get out of his head, and he didn’t really want to.
With memories of the shape and taste of Riley’s body still fresh in his mind, even his bear seemed more cheerful than usual. S
he had come to him of her own volition, shared herself with him, and while he didn’t want to read too much into it, he was excited.
But, with her leaving sooner rather than later, he knew he would have to find the right time to talk to her about his feelings, and about the fact she was definitely his mate. It was a conversation he was not looking forward to, but was anticipating all the same.
Riley needs to know what she means to me.
In the back of his mind, though, Max couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. He had promised himself Olivia would always come first, and now he was pretty much all in when it came to pursuing a relationship with Riley.
That would split his focus, and he didn’t want to be distracted from his duties as a father. It hurt him to know that someday, he would have to tell Olivia about her mother, and how she had abandoned her. And while he knew dating Riley didn’t equal abandonment, some irrational part of him still insisted that it did.
Trying not to think about it that way, Max was just about to go back to the house, when his phone dinged in his pocket. It was probably Riley, asking when he’d be in for lunch. The thought made him smile.
But as he got his phone out and glanced at the screen, the smile vanished. A familiar number was displayed on the screen, next to a text notification, and he could hardly believe his eyes.
Eve.
He had changed his number after arriving in Black Oak, so he was doubly surprised to hear from her. She hadn’t contacted him since that night she had showed up at his door with Olivia, and that was months ago. Not to mention, she had never returned any of his calls. Why was she texting him now?
Max’s mind raced, but nothing he could think of made sense. Not wanting to prolong the inevitable, he opened the text, bracing himself against what it might say. But he was not prepared, not at all.
