Haley looked around at her relatives. Some of them were still hanging out at the tables, picking on dessert. Others had made their way to the dance floor, including Anna and Jake, laughing as they twirled and bumped to the beat.
How was it possible that she had this huge family, people who’d been loving her and looking at her for her entire life, but until she’d found Max—a stranger she’d only met last night—she’d never really felt seen?
No, he hadn’t proposed to her—of course not. But Haley was starting to suspect that if she changed her rules and let him in, gave him an opening, he’d walk right through it, turn her whole life upside down.
The idea made her dizzy. It scared the hell out of her, too.
The bartender set the mozzarella sticks and a ramekin of marinara in front of them, along with silverware rolled in cloth napkins. Despite the fact that they’d just finished dinner, they scarfed down the fried goodness in ten minutes flat. Haley was grateful to have something else in her stomach—she was already feeling less foggy, the effects of the alcohol fading with every bite.
Satisfied and mostly sober, she pushed away the empty plate and stretched in her chair, catching sight of her parents across the bar. God, they were so predictable. Twenty-six years divorced and still fighting like they’d never split, hissing at each other in angry whispers they thought no one else could hear.
She wondered, not for the first time, if there was any love left between them.
Haley decided the answer was no.
There were no fairy tale endings—she needed to remember that. She and Max were living in a bubble, a fantasy weekend where they could joke and flirt and make out to their hearts’ content, never getting bored or angry at each other.
Real life didn’t work that way. Real relationships didn’t work that way. Which was precisely why Haley had no room for one in her heart.
“You okay?” Max tugged on a lock of her hair, recapturing her attention.
“Um. Sure. Just thinking about how much I love mozzarella sticks.”
“There’s nothing sexier than a woman who loves fried cheese.”
If his intention was to distract her by making her laugh, it worked.
“You don’t have to butter me up.” She leaned in close, whispering in his ear, “I’m kind of a sure thing.”
Max only shrugged. “Doesn’t change the fact that you’re sexy as hell.”
“Yeah, let’s see if you still feel that way after you see me in the bridesmaid dress. Spoiler alert: My sister’s favorite color is purple.”
Max shrugged. “Purple’s alright.”
“Oh, no. I’m not talking about lilac, or lavender, or nice understated eggplant. I’m talking about freaking Barney, with a big ol’ poof the size of Texas. I look like a hideous beast in that dress. I won’t blame you if you leave me at the altar.”
“Never happen,” Max said, his eyes sparkling in a way that made her insides fizzy. The music, which up to that point had been all dance and pop, switched to a slow song, and he nodded toward the dance floor. “Dance?”
“Pass. I only dance with real boyfriends,” she teased. “Otherwise you’ll just fall in love with my sweet moves, and then you’ll propose again, and we’ll get engaged and steal my sister’s spotlight, and it’ll turn into this whole thing…” She laughed it off, but the truth was, she was starting to like him, and that was no good. She needed to focus on the physical, not the emotional. Not the stuff that ended in pain, with screaming matches and fights over who got the ugly couch that neither of them liked in the first place.
No matter how good things started out, they always ended the same way. Haley needed no more proof than her own family for that. Her sister Jenna was separated after less than two years of marriage. This wedding would be Anna’s second. Most of her cousins had grown up just as she had, torn between two different homes, always used as a bargaining chip in battles that only the lawyers won.
Hell, moving in with Brian, she’d almost sentenced herself to the same fate as her mother, her sisters, most of her aunts and uncles…
No. Haley knew better now. She’d never put herself in a position where she needed a lawyer to mediate between her and a guy she’d let kiss her most intimate places. She just wanted the kissing part. The part that led to the good kind of screaming…
“You’re unbelievable, Lee.” Her mother’s voice was shrill again, sending a bolt of dread to Haley’s stomach. “The least you could do is take an interest in your daughter’s new boyfriend.”
Haley rolled her eyes. Other than the brief confrontation over Brian, her mother had been content to ignore Max all night.
“What?” her dad said. “I met the guy. We talked about diving.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” her mom sniped. By now, the bartender was staring at them blatantly, but that didn’t stop her parents.
Haley sighed. Thirty years old, and she was still being used as a pawn in her parents’ endless war.
She hopped off the bar stool and fished a couple of twenties out of her purse to pay for their food and drinks, tossing it onto the bar before Max could stop her. He opened his mouth to protest, but she ignored him, grabbing his hand and tugging him toward the dance floor.
“I thought you didn’t dance with fake boyfriends?” Max said.
“I’m making an exception.”
“Just so you know, I’m not gonna propose again. That was a one-time deal, and you shot me down.” He leaned in close, his lips brushing her cheek as their bodies came together on the dance floor. “But I still think you’re sexy as hell.”
“And fierce?” she teased.
“Absolutely fierce. Total package. And don’t even get me started on the freckles. A-plus all the way around.”
Haley shivered. See, that was exactly the kind of talk that was reeling her in, getting her into trouble. She was about to call off the whole dancing thing when Max’s lips found their way to her ear, pressing a line of hot, hungry kisses down to her shoulder, killing the very last of her protests.
God, he felt good.
Her whole body reacted to his touch, and she closed her eyes, losing herself completely to the bump and sway of his body. Soon there was nothing but the raw heat of Max’s lips and the music floating around them, through them, guiding them into a rhythm all their own.
As far as Haley was concerned, there was no one else on the dance floor, no one else in the restaurant, no one else in the whole world.
They danced like they were underwater, weightless, no idea where one of them ended and the other began. Haley melted into him, their bodies in perfect sync, the low bass thumping behind the soulful melody. Max moved effortlessly, his strong arms wrapped tight around her body, guiding her with the lightest touch, his lips never far from her skin.
She was struck with one thought, flooding her core with molten desire.
If this is how he moves on the dance floor, I can only imagine how he moves in the bedroom…
Too soon, the song ended, sliding into something fast and twangy, and Haley opened her eyes. Max was staring at her with the same raw, unchecked lust she felt coursing through her own veins.
One dance, and the heat level between them had gone from simmer to boil.
Haley couldn’t wait another minute.
Wordlessly, she nodded toward the hallway at the back of the restaurant, her intentions obvious. It was all the invitation Max needed. He grabbed her hand, dragging her off the dance floor, leading her into the darkness.
Chapter Nine
Haley had never done it in a supply closet before. In fact, she’d never done it in any public space before. The closest she’d come was last night in the lifeguard tower, and that little fantasy was dashed by her nosy aunt.
But this time, no one had seen them slip away—Haley’d made sure of it. Her parents were still locked in battle, and the rest of her family was eating cake, gushing over Anna and the upcoming wedding.
For the first time since they met, Haley and
Max were totally alone.
Her body was still humming with the raw, primal energy of their dance, desperate for the only outlet that would satisfy her.
The sign on the door said Employees Only, but Max ignored it, pushing open the door, quickly pulling her inside. No words were exchanged—they didn’t need them.
The supply room was about the size of a walk-in closet—plenty of room for their purposes. Haley kicked the door shut, bathing them in darkness. She didn’t even have time to take a breath before Max was on her, pinning her against the door, kissing her passionately.
She’d never been so turned on in her life.
His hands slid into her hair as he devoured her mouth, his hungry kiss leaving her weak and delirious. She might have collapsed if not for the hard, solid weight of his body holding her up.
He kissed her lips, her chin, her neck, working his way down her chest with feverish desperation. Through the clingy fabric of her dress, he bit her nipple, his hand clamped down hard over her mouth to keep her from crying out in sheer pleasure. His mouth was hot on her breast, his lips and teeth relentless, sucking and then grazing, every kiss flooding her core with hot, molten need.
His hand slid between her legs, fingers stroking her into a silky lather. God, she wanted him inside her, pumping her hard and deep, stretching her wide, filling her completely.
But instead of freeing his cock from the tight confines of his pants, Max dropped to his knees.
“I need to taste you,” he said, his voice low and guttural. “Now.”
Haley leaned her head back against the door and sucked in a deep breath. The air in the room was stuffy, and it smelled like bleach and the salty ocean, but Haley didn’t care. Nothing mattered but Max, his mouth, his touch. She’d already lost her panties during their dinner games, and now she gathered her dress in her hands, lifted it up to her breasts, and showed Max exactly what she wanted, exactly how badly she needed it.
Kneeling before her, Max gripped her thighs, guiding her legs apart as he pressed his mouth to her belly, his kisses leaving red-hot sparks of pure pleasure on her skin.
Haley slid her fingers into his thick, silky hair, pulling him closer as he traced a path across her lower belly with his tongue, from one hip bone to the other, then back again, each time sliding lower, lower still, teasing, testing. She throbbed for him, her flesh superheated by his teasing caress, every kiss winding her tight as a drum.
Even with her eyes closed and the darkness enshrouding them, Haley knew Max was rock hard for her. All she wanted to do was drop down and straddle him, rip off those pants, take him in fast and deep. God, she ached to feel that smooth, hard cock slide all the way inside her…
But she could tell by the way he kissed her—worshipped her was more like it—that Max was a man who took his sweet, torturous time, even now, where every minute that passed meant a greater chance at getting busted.
She didn’t care. At this point, she was too far gone to worry about it.
“Don’t tease me,” she begged. “I’m about to explode. I swear to God.”
Max let out a low growl, then slid his tongue between her thighs, swirling it against her clit.
Haley’s knees nearly buckled. “Max!”
“Fuck,” he moaned. “You taste like heaven. You know that?”
Haley didn’t bother with a response. She had no use for talking, for breathing, for anything except this man’s expert tongue sliding inside her, making her feel things she’d only read about in books. Her legs trembled, her body flooding with sensation at every hot, wet stroke. Max commanded her flesh, owned her. She surrendered; her body was his, completely.
Max guided her leg over his shoulder, pressing his mouth to her clit, sucking it between his lips. Just when she thought she’d explode from sensory overload, he pulled back, then plunged his tongue deep inside her.
“Oh my God.” Haley was sliding down the door, her shoulders banging against the cold metal, but Max was relentless, licking and sucking, pushing her all the way to the edge. “I’m so close. I can’t… I can’t hold back.”
Max groaned, the vibration teasing her clit, his lips and tongue urging her closer and closer until there was nothing left to do but let go.
The tingling started low in her belly, warmth spreading outward like a flame, her legs trembling as he licked her faster, harder, fucking her with his whole mouth, harder… deeper… faster…
“Max! Don’t stop. Oh God, don’t stop!” She pulled his hair and arched her hips into his kiss as the orgasm tore through her body, wave after wave after wave, racking her body with endless tremors until she was left shivering and spent and completely, utterly blissed.
Slowly, Max pulled back, leaving a trail of blazing hot kisses up her thigh, her belly, her breasts as he rose up from the floor. With a feather-light touch he nuzzled her neck, giving her a moment to come back to earth.
She had no idea how much time passed. A minute? Five? A day? But the moment she regained her strength, Haley had only one thing on her mind.
Grabbing Max’s belt, Haley yanked him close, claiming his mouth in a possessive kiss, tasting herself on his lips.
She didn’t pull away until she needed air.
Max whispered her name into her mouth.
And then she dropped to her knees.
Chapter Ten
Haley was on her knees, her fingers fumbling with his belt as Max threaded his hands into her silky hair.
He was still reeling from the taste of her, his mouth buzzing from their kiss, aching for another taste, and he wished more than anything he could see her face, could look into those big green eyes as she fisted his cock and brought it to her lips.
He heard her gasp, felt the hot exhale of her breath and the flick of her tongue, and it was all he could do not to grab the back of her head and fuck that hot little mouth until he was totally spent.
“Harder,” he breathed. “Harder.”
With one hand cupping his balls, she tightened her fist and stroked him harder, faster, still teasing his tip with her lips and tongue. God, she felt so fucking good. So perfect.
Her lips parted, and Max melted inside that lush mouth, his cock sliding against her velvet tongue. Haley took him in deeper, relaxing her throat as Max slid all the way in.
“Jesus fuck, that’s… so… good.”
She moaned in pleasure, the vibration buzzing along the length of his cock as she sucked him harder, deeper…
Fuck me…
He couldn’t take it another minute. He was gonna come, and he didn’t want it like this. No way. Max needed to be balls deep when he unloaded, and not in her mouth.
He pulled out, his dick immediately rebelling at the loss of contact. He didn’t give Haley time to ask questions. Just grabbed her hands and hauled her up, then spun her around, pinning her against the door, capturing her wrists above her head.
With his free hand, Max yanked up the bottom of her dress and slid his fingers inside her from behind, the heat of his touch making her whole body shudder. She was so responsive to him, so hot and willing. She let out a moan, and it took all his strength not to come right there.
“Shh,” he warned. “They’ll hear you.” Fuck, he couldn’t wait to get her home, back in the secluded privacy of his cottage where she could scream his name in pleasure. But that was later, and he couldn’t wait for later. Not when she was so hot and willing, melting at his every touch, teasing him with those soft little sighs.
He’d take her here, and he’d take her now.
“I’m gonna fuck you right here, hard and fast, just like this.” He buried his face in the hair at the back of her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. “You good with that?”
“I thought you didn’t do quickies,” she panted.
“I’ll make an exception.”
“Thank God.” She arched her hips to give him access, her perfect plum of an ass brushing against his cock, urging him on.
He released her wrists and rolled on the condom
, sliding into her from behind, burying himself in her soft flesh. Fuck, she was so tight, so fucking wet.
“Hard and fast,” he said again, dragging his cock out slow, then slamming back into her.
“God, yes.” Haley braced herself against the door, pushing back against his thrust as he gripped her hips, crashing into her again and again. Her pussy was so smooth, so fucking hot, he knew right there a weekend would never be enough. Not for all the things he wanted to do to her, all the ways he wanted to fuck her. To own her.
Jesus fuck… picturing her naked in his house, taking her eight ways from Sunday… the soft heat… her muffled gasps of pleasure… the friction as he slammed against her ass, driving his cock all the way inside… it was too much. Max couldn’t hold out much longer.
He needed to make her come. Now.
Forcing himself to slow down, he reached around her front, his fingers seeking her clit. She was so wet for him, so fucking hot, his lightest touch had her instantly trembling.
“I want you to come again for me,” he whispered into her hair, his hips grinding against her ripe ass. “Nice and slow.”
He bit her neck, her shoulder, kissing her flesh as he pulled almost all the way out, then slid back in, inch by agonizing inch. It was delicious torture for both of them.
“Max,” she whispered. “I can’t wait. Please. Please make me come.”
At her words, he increased the pressure on her clit, his fingers slipping over the sensitive flesh, bringing her closer and closer…
“Come for me,” he growled. “Now.”
“Max! Oh my God!” She shuddered against the door, her pussy tightening around his cock, stroking and sucking him as he massaged her clit, fucking her hard and fast once again. She shoved back into his thrust, trembling and hot, and he slammed into her again and again, faster, harder, faster, fucking her all the way through her orgasm until he couldn’t hold out another second.
Rescued by the Bad Boy (Bad Boys on Holiday Book 4) Page 5