“I didn’t know what you wanted to drink so I got you a chocolate shake,” he announced.
“I haven’t had one of those since I was a kid,” she said with a grin. “Thanks, Alex.”
He sat back down, looking at her study notes upside down. “History of Anthropology is the best, don’t you think?” he said.
She liked how enthusiastic he was about his studies. That was one thing she found lacking in other guys. “Yeah. It’s my favorite, although I also like linguistic anthropology.”
They chatted about classes and their assignments while waiting for their food. She hadn’t realized how easy it was to talk to him. He was a very carefree, cheerful person, and she felt better just being around him. When their food finally arrived, it didn’t dampen the conversation. They talked with their mouths full, trading stories of encounters with different professors over the last four years.
Alex eventually sat back in his chair, grinning at her.
“What?” she asked, her smile a reflection of his.
“We should have done this years ago.”
“Studied together?” she asked, wiping the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
“Gone on a date.”
She paused. “Is that what this is?”
Alex leaned his elbows on the table and looked at her seriously. “It’s taken me four years to get the courage up to ask you to spend time with me outside of the classroom, Gigi. I’m definitely counting this as a date.”
She could sense he was waiting for her to shoot him down, to reject him and his careful advances. “We should do it again soon then.” Her answer surprised him, but he soon recovered, his mouth turning up in a shy grin.
“Yeah, we should.”
“We should—” Gigi paused, listening carefully. Yep, her phone was ringing. She dug it out of her bag and looked at who was calling her. It was Max. Seeing his name on the screen made her heart flutter a little. She looked back at Alex, giving him an apologetic smile. “Sorry. It’s my boss. I have to take this.”
“Oh? Sure thing.”
She slid her finger across the screen. “Max?”
“Gigi, hi.”
“Hi,” she replied, confused. “Is something wrong with Erin?”
“No, nothing like that. I just have to go into work a little earlier than I thought. Are you able to cut your study date thing short?”
Her eyes went to Alex. “Yeah, I guess I can. I’ll see you soon.”
“I didn’t realize you had a job,” Alex said as soon as she disconnected the call.
“It’s a very recent thing.”
He idly played with the corner of her textbook. “What about the internship, if you get it? Will you still do it?”
“Yes. I’ve already told Max that I’ll be working for him for only two weeks.”
That seemed to lighten his mood because his grin was back. “So, since you’re cutting our date short, it’s only fair that you reimburse me and agree to go on another one.”
There was a little flutter in Gigi’s stomach at the thought, but it wasn’t like the one she felt when Max was around her. She pushed any thoughts of Max and his effect on her out of her head. That was a lost cause; Alex was a tangible reality. “Tomorrow is Sunday. I don’t believe Max is working tomorrow night so how about we go out then? Maybe a movie and some dinner?”
“Great. Give me your address. I’ll pick you up.”
19
Max’s hand plowed through his hair once more. When he’d called Gigi, he hadn’t meant to tell her to come home. He didn’t even know why he’d called her in the first place. It may have been because the idea of her potentially being with another guy was driving him insane. He didn’t even know if she was, but just the thought of it was making him crazy.
He acknowledged his thought processes were pretty fucking skewed though.
She didn’t belong to him.
She wasn’t his woman, but the desire to make her his was too strong to ignore. Now he had to kill some time before he actually had to go to work. He supposed he could just make up another excuse and spend his free time with Gigi instead.
Down the hall, Erin started grumbling, demanding his attention. He got his little girl up and changed her diaper then went back into the kitchen to get her lunch organized. Twenty minutes later, Gigi stepped through the door.
He glanced at her, seeing her cheeks were a little flushed. “Sorry for calling you back so soon,” he told her, his attention on guiding a spoon into Erin’s mouth.
Dropping her messenger bag on the couch, she said, “It’s fine. I’ve got the rest of the evening to study when little Miss has gone to bed.” She stepped into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. “What time do you have to be at work?”
This was it. Either he could go through with his lie, or he could create another one. “Jeremy was able to cover it in the end. He called me back after I got off the phone with you. I feel bad for making you come home now.”
She twisted off the cap of her bottle and put it to her lips, taking a shallow sip. “It’s all right. We have another date set for tomorrow night anyway…” Her words trailed off and he realized it was because she’d seen the look on his face. She hurried on, “Only if that’s okay. I assumed you weren’t working tomorrow since it was Sunday.”
He worked hard to make his expression blank. “Yeah, of course.” He cleared his throat. “So who is your study partner?”
“A guy from my course.”
He blinked, his jaw aching from being held too tightly. “Where are you meeting?”
Please, fucking god, let it not be here.
“He said he’d pick me up, but I can call him and tell him not to if you’d prefer?”
Forcing a smile on his lips, he said, “No, that’s fine. I look forward to meeting the guy.”
Gigi gave him an unsteady smile and replaced the cap on her bottle. “I’m just going to get changed into something a little more comfortable.”
Now, why the fuck did she have to say something like that? Max’s mind didn’t just land in the gutter; it was swimming through every delicious dirty thought. He watched her walk away, the slight sway in her hips making his dick twitch. Fuck, women were torture. He’d learned that a long time ago under the steady tuition of Chelsea. He’d resisted being changed by her, but Max knew Gigi was the one woman he would willingly give it all up for.
He finished feeding Erin, placing her down in the living room to play while he tidied up the kitchen. He was so damn frustrated since the kiss that he had to find an outlet for the frustration; otherwise he’d be in real danger of barging into Gigi’s room and claiming her mind, body and soul. He stalked around the kitchen, banging doors and slamming cupboards until Gigi emerged once more dressed in those goddamn yoga pants and a tight tee. Blood flooded south, making his erection painful as it pushed against his pants.
She looked at him warily for a moment, and he had an awful thought that maybe she’d seen what he was sporting. He glanced down, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw the island bench was providing the appropriate cover.
“I thought I’d take Erin for a walk in the park,” she said. “If that’s okay with you? It’ll give you a chance to get ready for work in peace.”
Not trusting his voice, Max nodded. He watched her load his daughter into her stroller and leave. He started running the hot water, filling up the sink to wash up a few plates and glasses. While he scrubbed, he willed his cock to deflate. Now that Gigi wasn’t in the room, it seemed to be a pretty easy thing to achieve. He groaned when just thinking her name made his erection surge back to life. Angrily, he finished the washing up, spending more time than usual wiping down the benches.
And loading the dryer.
And rearranging the fridge.
But it was no good.
He couldn’t get his mind off Gigi.
“Fuck.” He walked down the hall to the bathroom, pulling his shirt over his head and losing his pants. He kicked t
hem into the corner and started up the shower. His erection was standing out in front of his body, unashamedly demanding that it was taken care of. It didn’t care whether it was Max’s hand or Gigi’s—all it was concerned with was getting some relief.
He stepped into the cubicle, and as soon as the hot water hit his over-heated body and his straining cock, he let out a hiss. Planting one palm on the tile in front of him, Max took his cock into his other hand and began running it along its length. In his mind’s eye he could see it was Gigi’s delicate hand rather than his own, her slight wrist twisting when she reached the end of his molten length.
Max threw his head back, his mouth slightly parted. A groan bubbled its way out of his throat, echoing around the bathroom. In his imagination, Gigi had slowly lowered herself down to the ground, kneeling in front of him, her luscious lips open and her tongue waiting for him to use. His hand moved faster as her warm, wet mouth encased him completely. The head of his cock touched the back of her throat, causing her to choke on him slightly. The constriction kicked things up another erotic notch. His hips started to rock back and forth of their own accord, his body completely in sync with his mind.
“Fuck,” he barked out suddenly. His orgasm had caught him by surprise—something he’d not experienced since he was in high school and he’d just discovered how good getting his dick sucked was. His palm kept up the frenetic pace as he spilled all over the tiles in front of him and all over his hand. When his breathing had returned to a somewhat normal pace, he managed to finish his shower and cut the water.
He suddenly felt very, very dirty for jerking off to the thought of Gigi, but at least this way, his cock wasn’t going to be making a nuisance of itself when she was around. Snapping a towel from the rail, he wrapped it around his waist and ran another one through his hair and over his body. He scooped up his dirty clothes and dumped them into the hamper before stepping out of the steamy room. He walked a few steps towards his room, coming to an abrupt stop when Gigi came out of Erin’s room, closing the door softly behind her.
He felt his heart bounce into his throat. How long had she been back? How long had he been in the shower? Had she heard what he’d been doing in there? He scanned her face, looking for any signs that she knew.
“I thought you went for a walk,” he blurted out.
“We did. We were gone for at least forty-five minutes.”
Forty-five minutes?
“I’ve just put Erin down for her last nap of the day.” Max’s eyes drifted over her shoulder to look at the closed bedroom door. When his gaze snapped back to Gigi, her eyes were on his hips. Although it shouldn’t have been possible, his cock reacted to the attention.
He turned his body away, moving to push past her to get to his bedroom before he made a big fucking mistake. Unfortunately, Gigi moved in the same direction and brushed past him, becoming stock-still. Her eyes bulged slightly as she felt what he was attempting to hide under his towel.
“I’m sorry,” she said, the words tumbling from her mouth. “I’ll let you get dressed.” Her freckles began to stand out as her face slowly turned a bright shade of red. His fingers twitched, the urge to take her by the arm and press her against the wall almost unbearable. He couldn’t fight it for very long though. Whether it was the fresh memory he’d conjured from his shower, or whether it was the fact that there was potentially another guy on the scene, he forgot about having to stay away from Gigi. His strong fingers wrapped around her bicep. She looked up at him as a small gasp escaped her mouth.
With a small movement of his wrist, she was against his chest, her hands coming up to rest on his shoulders. Her breathing was erratic as she looked into his eyes. “Max?” she whispered.
“I take it all back,” he practically growled. “It wasn’t a mistake kissing you. The mistake was stopping.”
A small, strangled moan broke free from her throat. “What about—”
He shook his head, backing her against the wall. “It doesn’t matter. None of it matters. I can’t live in the same apartment as you and not touch you.” To prove his point, he captured her mouth with his, claiming her. Her sweet lips parted as his tongue stroked them, and he plunged inside. Gigi’s hands inched up his shoulders to his neck, her fingers interlacing and anchoring her in place. He skimmed his fingers down her ribcage, his fingertips rippling over her ribs until he fixed his hands on her hips. She pressed her breasts into his chest, and he could feel her pebbled nipples through the fabric of her shirt.
Max’s hips flexed, driving into her lower belly. His erection was uncomfortably contained behind the towel, but Gigi had to be the one to remove the barrier. If she wanted him as much as he did her, she would have to show him. He trailed his lips down her neck, his tongue darting out to taste her sun- kissed skin. Her head fell back as he kissed down to the hollow at the base of her throat, his teeth gently nipping at her skin. As his mouth moved south, her hands became tangled in his hair, holding him close.
The scent of her flushed skin rose up to meet him and he knew he had to have a taste. Sliding his hands under her shirt, he glided his fingers up to the underside of her breasts, caressing them through the fabric of her bra. She breathed his name, her back arching to bring her closer to him. That was the sign he needed. Max went back to the hem of her tee and peeled it from her body, dumping it on the ground beside them. Her bra soon followed.
He stepped back to look at her, to finally see whether his imagination had been accurate. It was. And then some. Gigi may have been half Irish, but she had the Italian olive skin, which was evenly tanned and sinfully smooth. Her breasts were perfect, just the right amount to cup in his hand. She sucked in a breath when he did just that, causing him to smile at her. Lowering his head, he began kissing her again where he’d stopped, languidly moving over her collarbone and down her chest.
Her grip tightened in his hair when his mouth brushed against one nipple. He repeated the action, this time getting a small squeak out of her. She was sensitive, and perfectly receptive to his touch. He swiped his tongue over that same nipple before dragging it into his mouth.
“Max,” she said, her fingers opening and closing fitfully. “Ahhh, yes.”
He sucked at her sensitive flesh, running his tongue around the tight bud until he felt her knees begin to shake. Before he gave the same treatment to the other one, Max gently blew on her nipple. She writhed against the wall. Bringing the other breast into his mouth, he suckled at it, biting and flicking the tip of his tongue over it. She made more inarticulate noises at the back of her throat, her already tight grip tightening further.
Dropping to his knees, Max slid his fingers around the waist of her yoga pants, gently pulling the fabric away from her skin. He looked up at her, asking her silently if he should continue. He waited until she nodded. Tugging at the cotton, he removed her pants and her underwear, exposing her completely. She was a feast for the eyes, and he couldn’t help but lick his lips.
Gripping her behind the knee, he lifted her leg, draping her slender thigh over his shoulder as he positioned himself and his mouth over her sex. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as his tongue darted out, taking the first intoxicating taste of her. He groaned softly as her flavor hit all of his senses. She was perfection. She was his.
Max alternated between long, slow strokes, quick flicks of his tongue and concentrated laps of her clit. Gigi alternated between digging her fingernails into his shoulders, grasping his head and pulling his hair. He had to admit that he liked all of them. He brought her to the very edge of orgasm before backing off, knowing how to draw out the pleasure. Her body was so easy to read, so responsive to his touch.
“Max, please,” she whimpered after the third denied orgasm. He’d been waiting for those words. He liked the idea of being in control of her pleasure. He had to make sure he was a drug she’d become addicted to. He had to make sure she couldn’t walk away from him.
With a satisfied smirk, he focused his attention on her clit, flicking the tip of
his tongue over the sensitive flesh and bringing her in record time. She cried out above him, throwing her hand over her mouth before the sound could build any more. Her whole body shuddered as pleasure washed through her. When she dropped her hand, her harsh breathing was competing with his, her legs still quaking every now and again. He stood up, weaving on his feet a little. Everything about Gigi was enthralling. Her skin glistened with sweat, rivulets dribbling down between her breasts. Leaning down, he ran his tongue between those perfect mounds.
“That was…amazing,” she wheezed out.
Max couldn’t agree more. But they were far from done. Taking her by the hand, he led her towards his bedroom. She followed willingly, tripping over her feet a little. With the door shut behind them, he walked her backwards until her delectable ass hit the edge of the mattress.
“Lie down, Gigi,” he ordered. She did as he said, inching her way up to the pillows at the head of the bed. He stood back and watched, memorizing her curves. With any luck, this would not be the last time he would see them; he would make sure she came back for more. Her breasts heaved up and down with her increased breathing, her skin flushed. Her green eyes were on his groin, on his still covered rock-hard cock. He brought his hand to the edge of the towel.
“You want me to take this off?” he asked. Her eyes snapped to his, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. She nodded. “I can’t hear you, Gigi,” he said. “Tell me what I want to hear.”
“I want you to take the towel off.”
He smirked. “Why?”
She blinked at him, seemingly surprised by the question. But then she raised her chin a fraction and boldly met his eyes. “I want to finally lay eyes on what I’ve only felt up to now. I want to see whether it’s anything like I imagined it to be.”
“You’ve thought about me like this?” he asked.
She nodded her head up and down deliberately. “More than once.”
Fuck, he loved hearing that. Taking the end of the towel between his fingers, he pulled and let the fabric fall to his feet. Gigi’s eyes became heavy-lidded as she looked at him, her little pink tongue darting out of her mouth to moisten her lips.
Then There Was You: A Single Parent Collection Page 139