He reheated the coffee and poured her a fresh cup. Then he watched her eat, letting himself feel the connection between them. She looked up once or twice and smiled at him, and tension returned, but this time it was the good kind that could have a happy ending, if he played his cards right. He stood up to clear away the breakfast dishes, but she shooed him away.
“I’ll do this. You made me breakfast. I can clean up. Go make yourself at home. I’ll be with you in a few.”
He settled himself on her sofa and picked up the e-reader she had left there. He wondered what sorts of things she read, and pressed the little button to wake it. Swiping to open it, he found himself on the first page of the book she was reading. He cast his eye over it, about to go to the library to see the titles when a phrase caught his eye that made him do a double take. He read the entire sentence, then the next one and the one after that. He felt himself growing warmer as he read, and before long he was lost in a description of lust and desire so powerful he was hard as stone by the time he was done. A sound behind him dragged him from the story, and his cheeks flushed with color that Maxine had caught him reading her story. He tried to hide the state of his arousal by sitting forward, putting her tablet on the couch beside him.
“Sorry…I got caught up,” he said lamely, embarrassment and arousal warring for pride of place inside him.
She chuckled, clearly amused by his predicament. “Hot stuff, huh? I’m guessing you liked it, since you didn’t even hear me call your name.”
Ev had no words. Caught between his aching hard-on and Maxine’s teasing, he couldn’t think of anything to say. And the longer she stood there, wrapped in that warm fluffy dressing gown, the harder he got. Only one other woman had ever made him lose his cool like this, and he had married her. He was in a world of trouble if Maxine decided he wasn’t worth the chance.
Chapter 14: Sexy Times
Max knew that Ev was probably as nervous as she was, and after catching him reading the erotic romance she was reading, she also knew he was as turned on as she was every time she lost herself in the tale. When he had pressed her buzzer earlier, the very last thing she had expected to feel was turned on, but now, as she watched him struggle to control his body and to hide it from her, the only thing she could think of was how good it had felt to be wrapped in his arms, to feel his skin next to hers, to lose herself in his kisses. The need to crawl into him was overwhelming, and it didn’t feel like going slow at all.
She really wanted to take things slowly, but she also needed to feel Ev pressed up against her, telling her she was more than a one-night stand, making her feel like the most desirable woman in the world. And she needed to feel like she belonged, the way she had a week ago in his home. How was she going to manage slow when her heart wanted to go full speed ahead?
“Is this the kind of thing you read on a regular basis?” Ev’s question was strained and he stood up and turned toward her.
“Among other things, yes,” Maxine answered, hiding her mortification that he had found out her little secret.
“Maybe I can help with that,” he said, seeming more in control.
Max frowned. “Help with what?”
“All that pent-up…tension,” he told her, smiling. “Maybe we can help each other.”
Suddenly, the humor of the situation hit her and she laughed. It was a hearty belly laugh, so hard it brought tears to her eyes. And when Ev joined in her laughter, she collapsed against him. Eventually her mirth subsided and she wiped her eyes.
“Sorry…that was just damned funny.” She stepped away from him back into the kitchen to dampen a paper towel so she could blow her nose and clean up her face. “I take it you’ve never read an erotic romance before?” she asked as she walked back to where he stood.
“Can’t say that I have, no,” Ev said, grinning. “It was definitely an eye-opener.”
Max stifled a giggle. She wouldn’t survive another bout of laughter. “If you like, I can read you some more,” she offered, looking up at him.
His face grew serious as he said, “Unless you’re prepared to help me with the fallout, you might not want to make that offer.”
And just like that, the tension was back. Max knew the next move was hers. “There are less volatile parts of the story,” she said. “We can stick to those parts.”
Ev chuckled. “That’s like offering to read only the happy bits of his favorite story to Danny. Nobody reads stories piecemeal like that. It’s all or nothing, Maxine.” He sat down, crossing his arms over his chest and watching her.
Max sighed in resignation. “All right, move over!”
Ev stayed where he was. “If you’re not planning to take me to your bed for a snuggle and some sexy times, you’ll need to go change, baby. That robe is tying me up in knots right now.”
Her breath hitched at the raw lust in his voice, and the female in her crowed in delight that this sexy man was losing his shit over her in a terry bathrobe. She turned away with a smug grin and hurried to change into gray lounge pants, a cropped sweater, and socks. When she walked back into the living room, he was sprawled on the couch, his hands over his belly, dozing. She took the opportunity to observe him in this relaxed state. His face looked younger in sleep, the laugh lines smooth around his eyes and mouth, his extra long eyelashes fanning his high cheekbones.
She went to go past him to sit in the chair next to where he lay sleeping when his eyes snapped open suddenly. He sat up and called to her.
“Come sit next to me.” His voice was husky with sleep.
“If you’re that tired, maybe you should go to back to sleep.” Max fought the urge to slide into his lap and pull him close.
He looked her in the eyes, not letting her look away from him, and said, “I’ll go to back to sleep if you’ll come and lie with me. We don’t have to do anything else. You can read me to sleep. But I’m not sleeping in your bed without you lying next to me.”
She nodded and he picked up the e-reader and followed her to her bedroom. Thankfully she had made the bed, but Ev didn’t seem to care. He lay on top of the pretty quilt, bunching up the pillows under his head and shoulders, and patted the space next to him. She climbed in and lay at his side, letting him pull her into his arms.
“Go on, then, read me to sleep.”
“Where did you stop?” she asked, and when he showed her, she settled her head against his chest and began to read.
She didn’t know when she fell asleep, but when she woke up, Ev was on his side, his front to her back, spooning her, his arm a heavy weight over her belly. His steady breathing didn’t tell her whether he was himself asleep or awake. She hadn’t slept well the night before, because she had been feeling chilled and achy. When he had rung her buzzer earlier, she had just taken a cold medication with a sleep aid. She reached for the e-reader and slid it awake to check the time. It was after noon. They’d been sleeping for over three hours. She tested her limbs and found she felt better, but she needed a bathroom break.
Sliding slowly from beneath Ev’s arm, Max made her way to the bathroom to relieve herself. Then she washed her hands and turned back into her bedroom. Ev was on his back, his arms crossed behind his head, waiting for her.
“Good afternoon,” she said, pausing beside the bed. It was lunch time. She should feed him. She turned away to go and find lunch fixings when he stopped her.
“Where are you going?”
“It’s lunch time,” she said. “I was just going to see what I can fix for us.”
“I’m not hungry for food right now, Maxine,” he told her in a voice so quiet she almost thought he hadn’t spoken. But the look in his eyes said she hadn’t misheard. “Come back to bed.”
Nerves fluttered in her belly at the commanding tone of his voice. They were right back to where they had been earlier when he had told her to go change. And she was right back where she’d been a week ago, needing more with him but worried about going too fast. This time, though, she knew that whatever she decided would
be the beginning or the end of something special. Ev hadn’t hidden his feelings or desires from her. The ball was in her court. And suddenly, she had to let him have what he wanted, because it was what she wanted in that moment as well. And she had decided that she would only live in the moment for now, until she could see a way to doing more. She walked back to the bed and let him pull her down on top of him.
“How long was I asleep?” he asked, settling her so that he could cradle her in his arms and stroke her hair.
“Three hours,” she told him, relaxing into his touch.
“I didn’t sleep well last night, even though I was exhausted.” She felt the kiss he dropped on her hair. “And I woke up way too early, did a two hour workout, showered, dressed, made breakfast and then came here. Sorry I flaked out on you.”
“I didn’t mind,” she said. “It gave me the chance to watch you sleep.”
He chuckled. “So, you like watching men sleep, huh?”
“Put like that, it sounds positively creepy,” she protested, pulling away from him indignantly.
He laughed. “I don’t mind you watching me sleep,” he said. “I’m flattered. Did you like what you saw, or did I look like a dead man?”
She slapped his chest, making him laugh again. “You look a lot younger in your sleep,” she told him truthfully. “And I thought you’d be a typical man and snore loud enough to wake the dead, but you didn’t snore at all.”
“Exactly how many men have you watched sleep, lady?” he asked in mock disapproval. “You seem to know a lot about men’s sleeping behavior.”
“Shut up!” she hissed and tried to pull away from him.
He reached down and tickled her under her armpits, and when she giggled, he kept going down her sides. Max laughed and tried to escape, but he had found out her weakness and he tickled her relentlessly, while she thrashed about trying to get away from his tormenting hands.
“Uncle!” she cried out, trying to control her laughter and gasping for air. “Uncle!”
Ev had pity on her and pulled her close, leaning down to take her lips in a wet kiss. He let her up for air, and then plunged in again, pulling her into his body. She felt his arousal pressing against her and she widened her legs so he could press in closer still. He groaned and humped against her, kissing her deeply before sliding his hand down her belly to her mound.
“I want you, Maxine,” he said hoarsely. “I want you all the way this time.”
She looked into his eyes, gone dark with passion, and nodded, too overcome with emotion to say the words. And when he asked if she was sure, she nodded again. It was time to let go of caution, and let Ev in all the way.
He pulled her under him, settling himself between her legs, and went back to kissing her, this time letting loose all the passion he had been holding in check. His mouth roved over her from her ears down past her hungry mouth to her belly and her mound. He lifted himself off her so he could undress her, and when she was completely naked, he started in again, taking her closer and closer to the pinnacle of pleasure. His kisses landed behind her ears, in the hollow of her throat, in her belly button, in the crease where her leg met her torso, on the lips of her sex. His tongue explored her clit, and fucked into her soaking center, while his fingers teased and tortured her nipples.
Max was on fire and more than ready for Ev to take her. She reached down to loosen his belt and unbutton the fly of his jeans. He hissed when her trembling hands found his hard rod and pulled it free of his boxers. He raised his hips and pushed his jeans and underwear down his thighs so she could stroke him. His cock was firm and warm, the skin smooth, the veins giving it an added layer of feeling. Max pushed him away from her and turned so she could take him in her mouth. He groaned when she sucked him all the way in, and released him with a pop. When he tried to reach for her again, she shook her head.
“It’s my turn,” she said hoarsely, and licked up his length again, slowly circling her fist around him.
Then she sucked him down again, rising and falling over his hard length, sucking on the head, licking under the crown and feeling his whole body tense as he fought to stop himself from coming.
“Baby, if you don’t stop, I’m gonna come,” he told her through gritted teeth. “I want to come inside you. Please.”
Max sucked him down one last time and then slid up slowly, letting him pop out again, before reaching up to kiss him.
“You taste really good, Ev,” she whispered in his ear. “Really, really good.” Kissing his ear, she moved away from him.
He stumbled to his feet and finished undressing, finding the condom in his wallet and sliding it on before crawling back onto the bed, and kneeling over her. She looked into his eyes and saw more than just lust. She saw desire, she saw need, she saw affection. He reached for a couple of pillows to raise her hips, and then he lined up his cock with her entrance and plunged into her, his eyes never leaving hers as he took her.
Max groaned as he bottomed out inside her. He was thick and he stretched her almost unbearably. She relaxed and let her body adjust to the feel of something other than a rubber boyfriend inside her. Ev filled her up, warmed her from the inside out, his twitching cock sending sparks of sensation shooting inside her. And after a few strokes, he adjusted the angle of his thrusts and hit her g-spot. She squealed as the feeling hit her, and a shudder wracked her whole body.
“Oh god, yes, right there, Ev!” she encouraged him. “Just like that. Yes! Oh god, yes!”
She rutted up to meet his thrusts, and they fucked each other hard, faster and faster, until sweat was running down their bodies. Ev took her hard, losing control a little more each time she squeezed his cock inside her hot channel.
“Fuck, baby, I’m gonna come. Come with me!” he growled at her, pulling her leg over his shoulder and ramming into her. “Come, baby, come!”
Max let go, feeling the ride of her orgasm roll over her like a wave crashing on shore. She screamed into his shoulder as he leaned in his body shaking in the midst of his own release. He cried out into her neck, calling her name over and over, his orgasm seeming to go on forever, sparking a second small burst of sensation inside her. He collapsed on top of her at last, shaking uncontrollably, and she smoothed her hands down his wet spine, soothing him, and helping to calm him.
Eventually he moved off her, sliding to her side and pulling the condom off. He drew away from her and went to dispose of it, returning with a warm washcloth so he could clean her up. She watched him go back into the bathroom to deal with the cloth and when he walked back in, his cock was already at half mast again. She marveled at that…weren’t men supposed to need time to recover? And didn’t that time get longer the older they were? The thought that Ev was getting ready for her again made her whole frame shiver with longing and need, but she squashed the desire. He had a child to go back home to, and she was sure he hadn’t come to spend the whole day with her.
She pulled the quilt up around her and watched as he found their clothes and brought them back to the bed. She left hers where he had dropped them and watched him get dressed, noting how careful he was when it was time to pull the boxers and jeans over his hardening cock. A part of her was pleased that he was restraining himself, but the other part bit back disappointment that he was not pushing her to go again. The contradictory feelings confused her.
He slid his sweater over his head and sat down on the edge of the bed to put on his socks and shoes. He had said nothing from the moment he had stopped calling her name, and she began to wonder if perhaps he was regretting what they had just shared. After all her attempts to avoid it, she had given in…was he now going to be the one to withdraw? Had he gotten what he wanted and found her lacking? Had she been right not to let him in?
“I can see the fear in your eyes,” he said, breaking in to her thoughts, “and I want you to know that none of what you’re telling yourself is true. None of it. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here tomorrow, and the next day, and for as many days as you want me
to be.”
Max looked up and saw his eyes blazing at her. “Then why are you already dressed while I’m still in bed?”
“Because if I don’t stop, I won’t leave, and Danny expects me home this afternoon. I’ve been gone a week, and he likes to spend time with me when I come back home.”
He leaned over her, pushing her back against the pillows. “You’re the sexiest woman I’ve been with since Dani,” he said. “In case you’re wondering how you stack up, you’re head and shoulders above all the rest. I’m only sorry it took me so long to find you.”
He didn’t wait for her to answer. He didn’t seem to want an answer. Instead, he pulled her into his mouth and kissed her deeply, exploring her, tasting her, sucking her tongue into his mouth, ravishing her with his lips and teeth and tongue, until she was whimpering with need again.
“I want to go dancing with you, and I want you to spend Christmas with me and Danny. I have a cabin upstate, and I haven’t been there for Christmas since Dani passed. Will you come with me? It’ll be Danny’s first Christmas there. Dani and I went there every year at this time.”
Max felt the tears welling up behind her closed eyelids. What Ev was asking was a big deal. He wanted her to share with him something no one else had, except his wife. She knew he was trying to tell her how serious he was, and she knew she would not refuse. She wanted to be someone special to him. She wanted to share special memories with him. She wanted him for more than a roll in the hay. She wanted his heart.
The shock of her admission made her gasp and he looked at her worriedly. “What? Are you okay?”
“I’m…I’m fine,” she whispered, and reached for him to kiss him softly on the lips. “I’m perfect. And yes, I’ll go with you.”
“Get dressed. I’ll take you out to lunch and then I’ll go home.”
Max knew they needed to leave the apartment. Somehow, she knew Ev had also made a decision, and they both wanted the same thing…which meant that they had to let the feelings between them build without the added stress of desire for each other. Which meant they couldn’t stay in her condo for lunch, or they wouldn’t leave her bed.
Part of the Family Page 16
