by Lori Foster
He pictured the smile on her face, the welcome in her dark blue eyes.
Holding his breath, Max pushed the door open—and jumped when Maddie let out a small shriek of surprise.
Clutching her heart, she said, “Ohmigod, you startled me, Max.”
Max lounged in the doorway. “You were expecting someone else?”
Maddie wasn’t naked, and she wasn’t posed.
She wore a thin teal blue robe that fell to her knees and left the bottom half of her shapely legs bare to his view. Nice knees. And sexy calves. Small feet…
“No, of course not.” She stepped away from the window where she’d been watching the storm. Nervously, she folded her hands over her flat stomach and shifted her bare feet. “You got here quicker than I thought and I didn’t hear you come in.”
He didn’t tell her how much he’d hurried. “I was quiet so I wouldn’t wake Cleo.”
“She’s still sleeping?”
“Like a baby.”
Maddie’s smile was all too obviously forced. Max knew he couldn’t rush her, despite his clawing need and all her bravado. Every time she met his gaze, she blushed, so he looked toward the bed instead. She really did have a four-poster, he was amused to see. Would she actually carve a notch in the thick, smooth oak?
“I expected to find you in the bed.”
The silky robe shimmered as she lifted one shoulder. “I wasn’t sure you’d want me there.”
Her reply surprised him, since she’d all but roped and dragged him to the ground. “So,” he said, flashing her a smile, “now my wants matter?”
“I thought you might prefer us standing against the wall, or perhaps bent over the chair.”
Max couldn’t hide his surprise.
“I’m not looking for the conventional wham-bam here, Max.” Maddie took another step closer to him. “I was thinking along the lines of adventure.” She shrugged.
She gestured toward the overstuffed flowered seat that held her dress. “It has padded arms on it, and a nice soft seat.”
His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. As outrageous as her words were, they brought with them pictures of Maddie bent at the waist, her bottom in the air for him to cuddle and pet and kiss. He could almost see her, and that wasn’t good for his libido.
Maintain control, maintain control, he told himself, repeating the advice that often graced his column. After a deep breath that didn’t do a damn thing to slow the racing of his pulse, Max asked, “So you’re looking to get kinky, huh?”
Maddie bobbed her head enthusiastically. “The way I see it, if I’m going to do this, I might as well go all out.”
She was making him feel cheap, Max realized with astonishment, quickly followed by annoyance. He wanted their first time together to be romantic, not merely sexual. He’d never cared overly about being romantic before, but now he did, dammit. And romance wasn’t likely if she insisted on getting risqué right off the bat.
He’d always thought there was a lot to be said for good old-fashioned missionary sex.
Keeping his expression and tone level, Max said, “Kinky it is. What would you like to try first?”
“I dunno. You’re the supposed expert.”
Supposed, ha! Going for the one thing Max knew for a fact would turn most women off, he said, “What about a ménage à trois?”
Her eyes widened. “You’d do that for me?”
Max nearly swallowed his damn tongue; her willingness threw him. He was beginning to think he’d made a huge mistake, and would have to walk out on her after all.
Then she took the final step that brought her body close to his and severely weakened his resolve.
With the most innocent expression he’d ever seen on a woman, she asked, “Do you know a guy who’s willing, or do I get to pick him?”
Max jerked back a step. “A guy! I meant another woman.”
Maddie gave him a mock frown. “No way! This is my show.” Her smile proved she’d been teasing all along. “Why would I want to share you?”
Shaking his head, Max started to laugh. Maddie came close again to cover his mouth. “Shh. You’ll wake up Cleo.”
“I can’t help it. You’re so funny.” Max pulled her against his chest, which effectively soaked her robe since his clothes were still dripping wet, and kissed her hard and fast. Maddie didn’t complain. If anything, she hugged him tighter.
“How about,” Max whispered against her smiling lips, “we get naked and climb into bed.”
“To do things the conventional way?”
“It’s a nice easy way to start, honey, I promise.”
That seemed to appease her. Without missing a beat, she dropped the damp robe and turned her back on Max to climb into the large bed. What a view!
Heat roiled and welled beneath his skin. His control slipped a little, but he reined it in, determined to make this the best notching Miss Maddie Montgomery would ever experience.
As Max peeled off his clinging wet shirt, he couldn’t stop himself from growling, “You have a gorgeous bottom, Maddie.”
“Really?” Her face bright pink from her brazen display, Maddie scurried under the covers, then gave him a beatific smile.
Toeing off his shoes, Max added, “Really.”
Her cheeks remained heated, but she watched as he dropped his pants, leaving his clothes and shoes in a sodden pile on the floor. He started for the bed.
“Turn around.”
Max paused by the footboard. “Why?”
“I want to see if you have a nice backside, too.”
Feeling a little self-conscious, Max obediently turned, and was startled by the sound of Maddie’s low wolf whistle.
“Very nice,” she said. “Now bring your hunky self to bed.” She threw back the covers and patted the mattress beside her hip.
Chuckling at the uniqueness that was Maddie, Max settled himself beside her. He didn’t have time to reach for her.
No sooner was he laid out flat than Maddie launched herself on top of him. Soft flesh moving against hard, silky hair against rough. Max barely had time to grab for a breath before her mouth covered his and her hands began mauling him again.
Max struggled to the surface of his turbulent lust. It wasn’t easy because while his mind rebelled at a rushed, frenzied mating, his body was all for the idea.
A mauling had never felt so good.
“Maddie,” he said, trying to hold her off. It wasn’t easy. Maddie might be slender and delicate, but she was stronger than she looked.
She bit his neck, panting. “You’re a tease, Max Sawyers. Stop teasing me and give it up.”
Forcefully, Max held her back then flipped over to pin her to the mattress. “You want to wrestle, sweetheart? I’m game.”
“There’s no wrestling involved, you big ape, when you just hold me down.”
Max knew there was a big goofy grin on his mug, but dammit, it felt good to be wanted so much.
“Why don’t we talk a bit first,” Max suggested, needing a distraction to regain some control.
Maddie shook her head. “I didn’t get you into bed to talk.”
He was starting to feel used again.
Being desired physically was great. Hell yes, it was wonderful.
But Max wanted to feel that she had picked him specifically, not just because of his body or his reputation. He needed to be reassured.
How lame for a macho stud! he thought in disgust.
Maddie had made it clear that she didn’t want to get to know him, she just wanted “it.”
Max seethed, wanting to tell her that he could give her more than sex, more than a warm male body in bed. But it sounded foolish. And unaccountably female. Gad. He wanted sex, for crying out loud! And up until a short time ago, sex without commitment was right up his alley.
But everything had changed.
Max rallied forth and said, “Okay, then let’s decide on what type of kinky stuff you want to do.”
“Everything.” Maddie tried to get
her arms free but couldn’t. She finally subsided, staring up at Max with wide eyes shadowed by long lashes. Her hair was in an appealing tangle around her head, her cheeks were pink, her lips parted.
Max sighed. He was so hard he hurt, and he was getting harder by the second. “Spanking?”
Maddie’s eyes widened even more. Good, at least that shocked her.
Then she said, “I doubt I could ever get you over my knees. You’re too big.”
That was one taunt too many.
Growling, Max abruptly sat up, making Maddie squeal as she realized she’d gone too far. But she didn’t escape even halfway across the bed. With no effort at all, Max caught her by the waist and expertly flipped her across his naked thighs. Her long legs kicked and her soft white behind beckoned his hands. He couldn’t resist palming her, squeezing gently.
At the touch of his hand on her behind, Maddie stiffened. “Don’t you dare, Max Sawyers!”
The squirming bundle draped across his lap no longer sounded so derisive.
“Don’t dare what?” Max asked. “This?”
“Max!”
His palm landed with a barely there thwack. Still she gasped and redoubled her efforts to get free.
“Max Sawyers! You stop it right now!”
Max easily controlled her. “You look mighty sexy like this, Maddie.” He thwacked her again and she quit struggling to twist around and look at him.
“You think I look sexy?”
“You’re naked,” he explained reasonably. “Of course I think you look sexy.”
She licked her lips. “You wouldn’t hurt me, would you, Max?”
He turned her over and cradled her protectively in his arms. She was flushed, nervous and inflamed. Max absorbed it all, and felt that twisting inside his heart again. “Not even if you asked me to.”
No longer fighting him, Maddie drew her left hand slowly over his shoulders. She tested his muscles, tangled her fingers in his chest hair, and when she looked at him, pure lust shone from her eyes.
Max bit back a groan. “Maddie…”
Leaning forward, she kissed his throat. “Please, no more teasing. I can’t take it. I’ve been thinking about this forever, and now I want you too much.”
“All right.” At the moment, teasing was well beyond him. Hell, breathing took an effort.
“I love how you smell, Max.”
Max tightened his hold on her. Finally, they were moving at a normal pace toward a proper goal. He dipped down to rub his cheek over the crown of her head. “I like how you smell, too, sweetheart. Sweet and soft and so very female.”
“Female isn’t a smell.”
“Mmm. Female is most definitely a smell, a scent unique to every woman.”
Her thumb brushed his nipple, stretching his control to the breaking point. “You know what I said about a small pistol?”
Max spread one hand over her behind, weighing the soft fullness in his palm. He nuzzled her cleavage. “You wounded me to my masculine core. I doubt I’ll ever forget.”
“I was teasing. There’s nothing small about you at all, is there?”
Max met her gaze, and promptly lost the battle. Dropping backward onto the mattress, he allowed Maddie to settle herself on top of him. He gave himself up to her, relishing the kisses she rained over his face and throat and chest, wallowing in her tentative touch, the way she wiggled her pelvis against his straining erection.
He gave up trying to slow her down, and just went with his senses.
“Shh,” Max told her when she cried out in surprise at the intimate touch of his fingers down her elegant spine, her generous bottom, and further. He traced around her most sensitive flesh with gentle fingertips.
Maddie reared up, stiffening her arms. “That…that feels good, Max.”
“It should. If anything doesn’t feel good, Maddie, I want you to tell me.”
Eyes squeezed tight, teeth biting into her bottom lip, she nodded agreement.
“You’re nice and wet.” Max was so hot, his voice sounded disembodied, vague.
A groan broke past the restriction of Maddie’s teeth as he continued to explore her, skimming over her delicate, swollen tissues.
Her rigid posture had brought her plump breasts right above his face and Max took swift advantage. Her nipples were dark pink, puckered and too enticing to resist. Max licked first, lazily stroking with the rough wet heat of his tongue, letting her know his intent. She trembled, her breathing now audible as she leaned forward, making it clear what she wanted.
Max drew her deep.
Maddie’s hips jerked, causing his fingertips to slide over slick flesh.
“Relax for me, Maddie.”
“Impossible.”
Smiling, Max insisted, “It’s very possible. And you don’t want to wake Cleo.”
“Okay. Okay. Okay…”
Max pushed one finger slowly, deeply inside her. Her feminine muscles gripped him in a tight silky vice.
“Okay!”
Using the only way he could think of to quiet her, Max kissed her hard. Maddie fell into the kiss, taking his tongue and giving back her own, consuming him, making him crazed with lust. He’d never had a kiss like this, inexperienced but so hungry, so generous and hot.
The gentle thrust of her pointed nipples on his chest was a seductive lure. Combined with her scent, stronger now that she was so excited, and the softness of her hair and skin licking over his heated flesh in dark sensual places, Max gave up. He knew she was ready, knew he was beyond ready, and decided it was time.
Getting Maddie to turn him loose took some doing though.
“Just let me get the condom,” he urged.
Her fingernails bit into his shoulders, firing his lust further. “Don’t leave me, Max.”
“I’m not going anywhere except to the nightstand.” He put her to the side and then got distracted looking at her body. She was slim but shapely, her breasts rosy now with need, her stomach tightened, trying to hold in the sweet ache of desire. Her long legs shifted restlessly on the bed.
And her blond curls…they were damp and inviting.
Max bent and pressed a kiss low on her belly.
“Max!”
He rested his chin on her thigh. “You need to stop shouting, honey. Think of Cleo as a baby. If you wake her, she’s not going to want to go back to sleep. Putting her outside the door won’t help. She’ll howl loud enough to wake the dead.”
With dawning fury, Maddie said, “You’ve locked her out when you were with other women?”
A woman like Maddie could quickly grab a man’s heart. She was aroused, wet and ready. Her breasts rose and fell with her deep heavy breathing and her skin was warmed to a rosy glow.
Yet she had the sensitivity to consider his dog’s feelings.
Max gently stroked her thigh, high near her hipbones, and then very lightly, between.
“No,” he whispered, bending to kiss her again. He hadn’t been with many women since getting Cleo, mostly because Cleo hated them all and wasn’t shy about letting Max know it. He’d tried, but having an hysterical dog on his hands wasn’t his idea of fun. And the women had complained mightily when he’d chosen to calm Cleo over bedding them.
Selfish women.
Women unlike Maddie Montgomery.
“I tried shutting her out a few times,” Max explained, letting his breath fan her skin. “so she wouldn’t shed in my bed. She…ah, didn’t like it. She really has this thing about closed doors, especially when she’s on the wrong side of them.”
Mollified, Maddie pulled a pillow over her face. When she spoke, her voice was muffled. “This will help. You can proceed now with what you…started to do.”
Never before had Max suffered the combination of humor and lust and tenderness. It kept him off guard with no way to protect his heart. Max gently urged her legs wider apart, then paused.
“What are you doing?” she mumbled from beneath the pillow.
With his heart in his throat and blood puls
ing hotly through his veins, Max said, “Just looking at you.”
The pillow lifted and Maddie’s gaze met his. “Why?”
Touching her lightly with his fingertips, Max said, “Because you’re so pretty and pink and ready for me.”
The pillow slapped back over her face. “Oh.”
Savoring the moment, Max kissed her softly, then as his hunger raged, not so softly.
Maddie’s legs stiffened.
He teased her, teased himself, using his tongue, his teeth, and when she was sobbing beneath the pillow, her hands clenched in the pillowcase, Max drew her into his mouth and suckled her right over the edge.
The pillow proved inadequate to properly stifle her wild cries, but it helped enough. Thank goodness for small favors, Max thought to himself as he moved in a rush to the nightstand and ripped open a condom package. He couldn’t have waited a minute more. Not a second more.
Maddie, her pillow now limp beside her equally limp body, got her eyes open enough to watch him sleepily as he slid on the protection and moved between her thighs.
Her hand lifted tiredly and stroked his shoulder. “That was…indescribable.”
“Better than okay, huh?”
“Definitely—oh!”
Max tried to hold back as her body softened to accept him, as his erection slid deep inside her to be squeezed by hot, moist flesh. He growled low in intense pleasure. “Oh, yeah.”
“Max?”
“Easy now, Maddie. Just a little more. Damn, you feel good.”
She took two gasping breaths. “So…do you.”
He pulled out, felt her hands grip his shoulders, her legs curl around his hips trying to keep him close, and he drove forward again.
Maddie tipped her head back on the pillow. “This is better than any damn feather!”
“You better believe it.” Max gave up the fight and began a rhythm that supplied just the right amount of pressure, just the right friction. “Squeeze me, Maddie,” he rasped. “It’ll make it better for you. Tighter.” He moaned. “That’s it.”
Holding him with arms, legs and hidden muscles, Maddie began to feel a part of him, a very necessary part.
Max meant to make the pleasure last, meant to give her a half-dozen orgasms so that she’d never be able to forget him, never be able to move on to the next man.
