Tempt Me (Temptation Series Book 1)

by Kally Ash

  But seeing her with Erin, Max wanted it to last forever.

  Erin deserved that much even if he didn’t.

  Letting out a sharp breath, he walked the last few feet into his room, drawing both of their attention. “Hungry?” he asked, his eyes drifting down to where Gigi had covered herself up with her t-shirt. He was disappointed to see her body hidden again, but for the sake of propriety and the fact that Erin was there with them, he kept his mouth shut. Setting the tray on his bedside table, he got back into bed, propping himself up with some pillows.

  Twisting, he picked up the plate of eggs and the two forks he’d placed on the side and started feeding Gigi small mouthfuls.

  “This tastes great,” she said quietly.

  He leaned forward to kiss some ketchup from the side of her mouth. “You taste great,” he murmured, managing to draw the color from her cheeks. He sat back with a grin. “Do you have to study today?” he asked, loading up another forkful of eggs.

  “No, I don’t have to. Why? What did you have in mind?”

  “I thought we could go to Central Park Zoo today.”

  Gigi’s mouth turned into a grin. “You know what? I’ve been in New York for four years and I still haven’t been there.”

  “It’s settled then,” he replied, taking a bite of toast. “Eat up.”

  *

  An hour later, Max and Gigi stepped through the front gates of the zoo. They strolled around with Erin, looking at the sea lions, the red pandas, and the snow leopards, and explored the children’s zoo. Gigi surprised him when she took Erin and sat with her on the back of a giant rabbit statue to have their photo taken. Chelsea would never have done anything like that. She was always too concerned with what people would think of her if she was acting silly. Max clicked half a dozen photos of his two girls then took a few candid shots of Gigi as she picked Erin back up again.

  “Time for a coffee?” Max asked, smiling at Gigi.

  She nodded. “Sounds great.”

  Taking a seat at the cafe, he enjoyed the easy way he and Gigi could talk about everything, enjoyed how much fun she could be.

  “What are you smiling at?” she asked.

  “You,” he replied.

  A blush crept up her neck, and she bit her bottom lip. “Why?”

  Leaning forward, he took her hand in his. “Because you’re perfect.”

  She scoffed at him. “I’m far from perfect.”

  “You seem pretty perfect to me.” And she was. She was the antithesis to Chelsea.

  She looked up at him from under her lashes. “What is this between us, Max?” Her voice was unsteady—unsure.

  “Honestly?” She nodded. “It’s something that I know I can’t fight—this attraction between us. I know you feel it too.”

  “I do.”

  “But…” he began.

  “But?”

  “But, I’m not going to be in New York forever. I have to return to California, and my real job.” For a moment, she didn’t say a thing. “Gigi?”

  “California?” she asked in a squeak, her eyes widening.

  “Yes,” he said slowly. Had he not mentioned that to her? “That’s where I live. I’m only here helping out my boss with the new club temporarily. I’ll be going home as soon as she finds someone to run the place full-time.”

  “I didn’t know that,” she said, her gaze darting away and her hand slipping from his. She sucked in a deep breath. “I didn’t know that,” she repeated. He reached out for her again, but she dropped both hands into her lap.

  Max didn’t like the fear uncurling in his belly. “Don’t pull away from me.”

  Her wild eyes met his. “How can you say that to me? You’re leaving.”

  “Maybe, but I want you in my life even if it’s only for this short time.”

  She looked down at the table. “I think this is a mistake.”

  He sat taller in his chair. “What is?” he replied, his words clipped.

  She sighed. “This.” She motioned between them with her finger. “There’s definitely some attraction between us. I can feel it every time you look at me, but…” She looked him in the eye. “I don’t know how to do casual sex. I don’t know how to be in a relationship that isn’t going anywhere.”

  He frowned. “You know that wasn’t what it was.”

  “I know,” she whispered. “But knowing there can never be more than a few weeks or months together changes things. What’s the point in even having a relationship if it’s inevitably going to end?”

  “Everything ends.” He sat back in his chair, making sure to keep his eyes locked on her face. “And what’s the point of the whole thing? The point is, we get to experience each other. We get to share something that nobody can change, or even have the vaguest notion of what it’s like to feel. Having your body pressed against mine is heaven, Gigi. Isn’t it worthwhile having heaven even if it’s for just a few months?”

  He hoped he was getting through to her. He would have a hard time giving her up now if she decided that was what she wanted. Her lips sank into her bottom lip as she thought, the very image of it sending blood rushing south of his belt. Too fucking bad they were in a public place, because if they weren’t, he was going to remind her just how good they were together.

  This conversation was depressing the hell out of him. Standing up, he watched her watch him. “We should get home. It’s getting late.”

  Chapter 22

  Gigi stared at Max’s broad back as he pushed Erin in the stroller ahead of her. The news he’d broken to her at the cafe had affected her more than she cared to admit. She hadn’t known he was only in New York for a short time and just the thought of Max leaving to go back to California caused her chest to ache. Although it had only been a matter of days, although she had just met him, it didn’t seem to matter to her heart.

  She sighed.

  What was she supposed to do? She briefly considered ringing Jen to talk about it, but revealing the truth about her and Max’s relationship, or lack thereof, would only fuel Jen’s fire. She supposed she could call her mom, but when the opening line of the conversation went a little something like: Mom, I’ve moved in with a man. I’m looking after his child and we’re also having mind-blowing, but unfortunately casual, sex that will not lead to a relationship, she knew her Catholic mom would have an aneurism.

  She could see where Max was coming from; he was saying why not enjoy what they had while they had it, but Gigi’s brain was vetoing the notion. She thought she could do casual sex, and she had, but when Max had asked her what she’d wanted, when he’d invited her to stay in his bed, she realized what had happened between them could never be deemed to be casual and meaningless…at least not for her. She was in it for the long haul. She was in very real danger of falling for him. Putting an end to it before it could begin was the only way she could think of to stop the unavoidable pain that would come later.

  When they arrived back at the apartment, the atmosphere between them was charged. Gigi excused herself to her room immediately. She found her iPod and secured the earbuds in place, then lay down on the bed to drown out her thoughts. She stared up at the ceiling, her brain cycling through all the possible outcomes. If she continued this thing with Max, she knew she would be left heartbroken at the end of it. If she put a stop to it now, she would always wonder what if…

  Someone was shaking her leg, making Gigi snap into an upright positon. She must have fallen asleep. She looked down to find Max standing there, his arms crossed over his chest. His expression was pinched. She pulled the earbud from her ear.

  “Max?”

  “There’s someone here to see you,” he grit out. “A guy,” he tacked on with a small snarl.

  “Who is it?” Her brain was clearly still asleep because she could not keep up with the conversation.

  “I didn’t catch his name.”

  Moving off the bed, she stood up and went to the door, but was stopped when he took her by the wrist. She looked back at him.


  “I don’t share well, Gigi.” He had brought his face closer to hers. His gaze was hot and hungry, and focused on her lips. Her mouth parted, a small gasp slipping from her throat. Max kissed her hard, possessing her in every way possible. His tongue slid inside her mouth, stroking her own with a rhythm she was becoming addicted to. When he pulled away, she was breathless.

  Dazed, she walked into the living room. Alex was sitting on the couch with a bottle of wine in one hand, and in the other was a pizza box with a DVD case sitting on top of it. “Alex?”

  He looked up at her, a grin spreading across his lips. “Since you had to cancel, I thought I’d bring our date to you. Dinner and a movie, right?” he asked, gesturing to the pizza and DVD.

  “Right,” she replied. She turned when she felt the fine hairs at the back of her neck stand on end. Max had just walked into the kitchen, his watchful eyes on the pair of them. “Umm, you already met my boss.” The same boss I’m sleeping with, she mentally added.

  “Yeah, we met briefly,” Alex said, his voice becoming sharp. She looked between both men warily, watching them stare at each other from across the room; testosterone was thick in the air. Alex was the first one to break, though.

  She knew exactly what Max was doing—he was marking his territory. Well, she wasn’t about to let herself become their fire hydrant. Turning back to him, she asked sweetly, “You don’t mind if we watch a movie, do you Max?”

  His jaw bulged before he managed to say, “Not at all, Gigi. I’ll get out of your way.” Banging around in the kitchen for a few minutes, Max stalked down the hall with everything he needed to make a sandwich. Gigi stood up, her legs a little shaky, and went to get some plates and glasses. Alex was unscrewing the cap of the wine bottle when she came back. Placing everything on the table, she opened up the DVD and placed it in the player.

  She sat on the couch, Alex passing her a glass of wine and a plate with a slice of pizza on it. After getting himself two slices, he sat beside her, their bodies touching from hip to calf.

  “I’m glad you didn’t get upset that I still came around,” Alex said, taking a bite and chewing.

  “Why did you think I’d be upset?”

  He shrugged. “Dunno. Just thought that maybe you wouldn’t want me here.”

  “I felt really bad about having to cancel,” she said, but in her head she was screaming, Liar, liar, liar! Gigi truly didn’t want to hurt Alex, but she knew she inevitably would—Max was just too much of a temptation.

  “Mind if we turn off the lights?” he asked once they’d finished dinner.

  “Umm, no.” She stood up and flipped off the main lights in the living room and kitchen.

  “Can we kill the lamps, too? I like watching movies in complete darkness.”

  She did turn off the lamp, but she felt uneasy doing it. Darkness could hide any multitude of sins, and she was suddenly wishing it was Max she was sitting beside. She did want to like Alex as more than just a friend, but she was struggling with the concept now that she knew what Max could give her.

  The first half of the movie managed to keep her attention. It was a romance between a former bull rider who wanted to make a comeback after a major, nearly fatal injury and a young woman who was visiting her grandfather one last time before he passed away. To be honest, she wouldn’t have thought it was the kind of movie Alex would like.

  When it got to the sex scenes, Gigi started to get really uncomfortable. Alex’s hand ‘accidently’ brushed up against hers at first, then it landed on her knee. Clearly he was trying to get the courage to hold her hand. Completely uncomfortable with his advances, she repositioned herself on her stomach on the floor, feigning a sore back.

  She was thankful when the credits began to roll. Rolling onto her side, she looked at Alex. He wasn’t able to hide his disappointment that she’d moved away from him. “What did you think?” she asked.

  “It was a lot better than I thought it’d be.”

  “Yeah, I agree.” She glanced at the time on her phone. It was only nine-thirty. “Thank you so much for coming around tonight, Alex,” she said, “but, I’m beat.” She stifled a yawn to add to the theatrics.

  He jumped up off the couch. “Yeah, I guess it’s time to go.” He picked up his bag, and Gigi took the DVD from the player. Handing it back to him, she smiled.

  She walked him to the door. “Thanks for dinner and the movie.”

  Alex’s fingers brushed against her cheek, his focus on her lips. “No problem. It was fun.”

  She doubted it was. ‘Awkward’ was a better adjective. Gigi stepped back a little, opening up the door for him. Just as he was stepping through, he paused and turned back to her. He was thinking hard about something, and she could just guess what it was. By the way his eyes kept returning to her mouth, she was in no doubt he wanted to kiss her. She also prayed that he fought the urge. He shook his head and turned around once more. Letting out a sigh of relief, she was about to close the door when his foot stopped it.

  “Alex?” she asked, opening up the door once more. “Did you forget something?”

  “Yeah,” he replied. “This.” Stepping into the line of her body, his lips pressed against hers. They were warm and soft, and Gigi had to admit they felt nice, too, but Alex’s touch didn’t light a fire in her belly like Max’s could. His mouth moved against hers clumsily, his tongue brushing against her closed mouth. She didn’t open for him, not wanting to deepen the kiss.

  He stepped back with a frown on his face. “Was that… Did I do something wrong?” he asked.

  “No, Alex. You just took me by surprise.” Lies, lies and more lies.

  “We can try it again,” he suggested with a smile, stepping closer. She turned her head as he leaned forward, his lips landing on her cheek.

  “It’s late,” she told him. “I’ve got a few things I need to do before I go to bed.”

  He stepped back. “Yeah, of course.” He studied her face for a beat longer then turned on his heel and walked towards the elevator. She closed the door, more than happy to block out the whole evening.

  “How did he match up to me?” Max asked.

  Gigi spun around to find him standing against the island bench, his muscular arms over his chest. He was wearing a plain white tee and his sweats again. Her whole body warmed as she looked him over. Squeezing her thighs together subtly, she breathed, “Incomparable.”

  “You got that fucking right,” he growled, stalking towards her. She counted his steps, her heart pounding out the same rhythm as his naked feet. She whimpered when one of his strong hands wrapped around the back of her neck, and the other cinched shut around her hip. His kiss was bruising, making her whole body light up with passion. He broke away first, but didn’t release her. “Tell me to stop if you don’t want this, Gigi,” he said, pushing his hips into hers. She felt his erection—hard and unyielding—press against her, and she knew she could never tell him no.

  He could be gone in a matter of months—perhaps sooner—but she had to experience him. She had to know what it was like not being able to breathe without someone in her life.

  “I don’t want you to stop, Max,” she moaned, arching into him. He tilted her head back, exposing her throat to him. His lips covered her, his teeth gently nipping where he’d just kissed. She could feel her body respond to his, getting wetter, begging to have him inside of her again. Her hands snaked to the hem of his tee, pushing it up and exposing his stomach. Her fingers traced the hard lines and curves of his body, making them a tactile memory she would keep for the rest of her life. And of that she was sure. Max would etch himself onto her soul and make her compare every other guy in her life to him.

  “I need you naked,” she said, surprising herself. He only smiled and pulled on the back of his t-shirt, dragging it over his head. When he moved to take off his sweats, she stopped him. She wanted that job. Slipping her fingers under the waistband, she gently lowered them until they were pooled around his feet. Gigi let her eyes take him i
n…all of him. His erection bobbed up and down when her eyes were on it, causing her stomach to flutter and her core to pulse. She stepped into his body, wrapping her hand around the base of his cock and tightening her fingers slightly.

  He hissed, his hips flexing forward.

  She started to move her palm over his length, feeling the veins beneath his skin surrendering to the pressure of her hand. With her thumb, she ran it over the slit at the top of his head, applying just the slightest amount of pressure. Max groaned long and low, throwing his head back. He stood there for a moment, just absorbing the sensations.

  “Fuck, I need to see you naked again.”

  She smiled. “You’d better do something about that then.”

  He kissed her, tearing at the button on her shorts and shoving them, along with her underwear, down to the floor. His fingers pulled at the buttons on her blouse, sending the little discs scattering all over the floor. Pushing the fabric from her shoulders, her ruined shirt joined her shorts on the hardwood. She reached out to grip his cock again, claiming what she had before. She pumped him a few times, drawing more moans from his throat.

  Their fervent kiss turned nuclear. He consumed her until she felt as if they were sharing the same breath.

  “Touch me, Max,” she whispered, trailing her lips down his throat and opening her teeth over the muscles in his neck. “Feel me.”

  He groaned, his deft fingers tracing an invisible line up the inside of her thighs. He swept one inside her wet folds. He circled her clit, teasing her mercilessly. Her hips tried to guide him where she really wanted him to be, but he always changed direction. Beyond frustrated, she took him by the hand and showed him exactly what she wanted.

  “Impatient for what I’m going to give you, are we?” he asked against her mouth, smugness dripping from his words.