by Reese Ryan
“I’ll walk you to the elevator.” Max gestured toward the door.
Quinn nodded and went with him.
“How did you explain the tattoos to your friends and your family?” she asked after they had stepped into the elevator.
“I’d had them for a few years by the time anyone in my family saw them.” Max punched each of their floor numbers. “I played the backup quarterback position for my school’s football team. They assumed that was what the QB stood for, and I didn’t correct them. As for the poem... Turns out I’m a fan of Robert Frost’s poetry, too. More people have those words inked on them than you probably think.”
“The way you ended things between us so abruptly without explanation... It seemed like what we’d shared never really meant anything to you. That I meant nothing to you. But—”
“You meant everything to me, Quinn.” Max swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “And it terrified me. I’m sorry I was a dick about it. I should’ve just been honest with you about how I was feeling, but—”
Quinn planted a hand on Max’s chest, lifted onto her toes and pressed her lips to his—salty from the pool. She slipped her hands beneath the damp T-shirt and glided them up the strong muscles of his back.
Max backed her against the elevator wall, his tongue eagerly seeking hers. His hands glided down her body, gripping her bottom and hauling her against him. She could feel him hard against her belly.
The robotic voice alerted them that they were approaching their first stop—Max’s floor.
He pulled his mouth from hers, both of them breathless as his dark gaze drank her in. Her mouth curved in a half smile.
She sank her teeth into her lower lip as she dragged her manicured nails over his skin. “Invite me to your room, Max,” she breathed.
His eyes danced with excitement momentarily. Then he frowned and heaved a sigh.
“I think you know how much I’d like to take you up on your offer, Quinn.” He twirled a strand of her hair around his finger, focusing on it rather than her eyes. “But I don’t want you to regret this the way you regretted that kiss in my office. You were adamant about it never happening again.”
Shit. She had said that, and at the time she’d meant it.
“That was before I knew the whole story.” She pressed a palm to where her initials were inscribed on his skin.
The elevator jerked to a stop and the doors slid open, accompanied by the announcement of the floor number.
“I would love for you to come to my room, Quinn,” he whispered, pressing a fleeting kiss to her lips. “But I never want to see the pain and disappointment in your eyes that I saw there after Zora interrupted us. I hurt you before. I won’t do it again. So think about it. Make sure this is what you want. I’m in room 1709.”
Max gave her another quick kiss and exited the elevator.
Quinn squeezed her eyes shut, her heart racing and her head still spinning from Max’s kiss as the elevator continued its ascent to the twenty-fourth floor. She’d never been more confused about what she wanted than she was right now.
Her heart and body wanted to be with Max. But her brain reminded her that he’d let her down before and warned her that, if given the chance, he’d let her down again.
Sixteen
Max held the razor beneath the running water, then tapped the handle on the side of the sink before returning it to its carrying case. He preferred the look of a five-o’clock shadow, but he’d decided to shave this morning.
There was a knock at his hotel room door. Good. After his shower, he’d requested additional towels. He was barefoot and wearing only a pair of pants slung low on his hips. Max pulled on a short-sleeve shirt, quickly buttoned it and opened the door.
“You asked for fresh towels?” Quinn held up the stack of towels as if it was a silver platter. Her sensual mouth curved with an impish smirk that brought out her dimples. She broke into laughter. “Don’t worry. I tipped the housekeeper. Is it okay if I come in?”
“Of course, thanks.” He accepted the towels from her and stepped aside to let her in, still a bit stunned she was there.
It’d been nearly an hour since he’d left Quinn in that elevator. As much as he’d hoped she’d come to his room, he’d assumed that she’d renewed her resolve not to get romantically involved. He’d even tried to convince himself that it was for the best. But now he hoped like hell that she’d changed her mind. Still, he wouldn’t presume that was why she was here.
Max put the towels away. “What’s up?”
“I contacted Marty. He’s good with meeting us for lunch at one. He wants to go to the seafood place downstairs. You’re not allergic, are you?”
“No.” He gestured for her to have a seat in the living room. “The seafood restaurant at one is fine.”
Quinn sat in the chair and he sat on the end of the couch nearest her. Neither of them spoke right away.
“It was nice of you to deliver the message,” he said. “But you know you could’ve just called me or sent a text, right?”
Quinn nibbled on her lower lip, looking like a kid who’d gotten busted with a hand in the cookie jar. “I suppose that’s true.”
“So why’d you really come down here, Quinn?” He wanted to be clear about his intentions. And he needed her to be clear about hers, too.
Quinn set her purse on the small table beside the sofa and stood in front of him. She stripped off her jacket and dropped it on the chair she’d vacated. Her beaded nipples poked through the thin fabric of her camisole.
She slid her skirt up just enough to allow her to straddle him. Her knees dug into the sofa on either side of his hips.
“There is one other reason I wanted to see you.” She captured his mouth with a soft, teasing kiss.
“I’m trying really hard to respect the boundaries you established, Quinn.” His voice was a tortured whisper, which she seemed to relish. Like it fed the ravenous, seductive beast inside her. Something he remembered all too well. “You aren’t making this very easy for me.”
“Maybe I’ve changed my mind,” she whispered between kisses to his jaw that sent blood rushing below his belt.
* * *
Quinn hadn’t done anything like this since the summer she’d worn Max down, convincing him to give in to the attraction between them. Mostly because she’d won the battle yet lost the war. In the end, once she’d fallen for Max—heart and soul—he’d walked away.
Just as her mother had warned her.
Men only want fast girls for one reason. They have no intention of ever taking them home to their mothers.
Now here she was, the pull of Max Abbott so strong that she was ignoring her mother’s advice again. She’d spent more than a decade being the “good girl.” Being pursued rather than going after what she wanted. And what had it gotten her?
She’d ended up alone. Without a job. Her reputation tarnished.
This time she’d get what she wanted: sex with no strings attached. Then they could both just walk away.
“Maybe won’t cut it, baby.” Max held her chin between his finger and thumb, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You need to be sure.”
Quinn’s heart thudded in her chest as she grabbed her purse from the side table. She stuck a trembling hand inside and produced a small, overpriced box of condoms. “I went to the drugstore and got these.” She waved them. “So yes, I’m sure.”
Her cheeks and face flamed with heat. She’d never felt more vulnerable.
What if he says no?
The few seconds of silence that elapsed as he studied the box in her hand with furrowed brows were agonizing. Quinn swallowed hard, her pulse racing.
She was about to tell Max that she’d temporarily lost her mind, and he should disregard everything she’d said and done that morning. But then Max slid his arms around her and squeezed her bottom, pulling their bod
ies closer. His hardened length against her sensitive flesh sent a shiver of pleasure up her spine.
Max pressed his open mouth to hers, his tongue seeking hers in a kiss that was hungry and impatient. Heat spread throughout her body, emanating from every place he touched her—even through their clothing.
He tightened his embrace, his large hands on her back, crushing her breasts and sensitive nipples against his hard chest. She moved her hips, moaning into his mouth at the intense pleasure as she dragged her sensitive clit along the outline of his hardened shaft through the thin material of their clothes.
Max gently bit her lower lip before going in for a deeper kiss.
Her skin tingled, as if tiny licks of fire scampered across her flesh. Max Abbott was an excellent kisser. But now, just as then, he seemed hesitant to take things to the next level.
She’d come this far. No turning back now.
Quinn tugged up Max’s shirt and skimmed her hands over the dusting of hair on his belly. As they continued the kiss, she slowly unbuttoned his shirt, starting from the bottom. Then she slid it from his shoulders, revealing the tattoos.
She broke their kiss, allowing herself the luxury of admiring the artwork. She traced the letters with her fingertip, applying only the lightest pressure.
QB. Her initials. Followed by her favorite lines from the poem she’d read to him that summer. Both tattoos had been there nearly the entire time they’d been apart.
Quinn pressed a soft kiss to those letters, brushing her lips over the words of poetry inked on his skin. Then she flicked his nipple with her tongue. He sucked in a deep breath, his muscles tensing.
Max speared his fingers into her hair, dragging her mouth to his again. Slipping his hands beneath the hem of the camisole, he tugged it over her head, then dropped it onto the floor. He fumbled with the clasp of her bra, releasing it and gliding it off her arms.
“Fuck,” he muttered softly. His appreciative gaze trailed down her exposed torso, and her belly tightened in response.
She gasped in surprise when Max suddenly flipped her onto her back on the sofa and slid down her body. Taking one of the already ultra-sensitive nubs into his warm mouth, he grazed it with his teeth.
Quinn murmured softly in response to the sensation—part pleasure, part pain. She dug her fingers into his soft curls, gripping his hair as she arched her back in a greedy plea for more.
Max’s mouth curved in a sensuous smile as his hooded gaze met hers. He shifted his attention to her other nipple, licking and teasing it with his tongue. Pleasure radiated throughout her body, her sex pulsing. Aching for his touch.
Gliding his hand down her side and beneath the short, black skirt, Max cupped the damp space between her thighs. He tugged aside the fabric, plunging a finger inside her as his thumb caressed the slick, hypersensitive bundle of nerves.
She trembled, unable to hold back quiet moans as he circled her clit with his thumb. Max slipped another finger inside her as he continued to lick and suck her sensitive nipple.
The symphony of varying sensations sent Quinn floating higher and higher, the intensity building until she’d reached a crescendo. She cried out in intense pleasure, her body shuddering and spent, yet craving more.
Her chest heaved with rapid, shallow breaths that left her slightly lightheaded.
Max trailed kisses up her chest and neck. Kissed the side of her face. Finally, he pressed a lingering kiss to her mouth. He stood, retrieving the box of condoms. His gaze held hers as he extended his open palm.
“Are you still with me, Quinn?”
Maybe this was a really terrible idea, but being with Max felt amazing. And maybe she shouldn’t, but she trusted Max to be discreet.
Standing on unsteady legs, Quinn nodded and placed her hand in his, following him to his bed.
Seventeen
Max hadn’t yet mastered the fine art of resisting Quinn. Not when she’d been a smoking-hot college-bound freshman who had her sights set on him. Not now that she was a mature, incredibly beautiful woman who knew exactly what she wanted in the boardroom and was willing to go to the mat for it.
Then again, maybe his inability to resist her was because he wanted the same thing she wanted: to have her in his bed. Which was where she now lay.
He joined her in the bed and kissed her, relishing the sweet taste of her mouth and the feel of her soft lips. The glide of her tongue against his. Their kiss was feverish and hungry. Reminiscent of the desperate need they’d both felt that first time...so long ago.
Max was already on the edge, having watched her fall apart in his arms. He’d always loved the sweet little sounds she made, indicating that she was close or that she wanted more.
What was it about Quinn that had always made him feel a complete loss of control?
He glided his hands along the soft, smooth skin of her back. Inhaled her divine citrus scent and the smell of coconut wafting from her dark hair. Her quiet moans as they kissed ignited a raging fire inside him.
“You are so fucking sexy,” he muttered against her lips. Max trailed kisses down her jaw, down her neck, through the valley between the glorious mounds of her full breasts, then down her belly. His gaze locked with hers. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the day you waltzed this perfect ass into our conference room.”
“Same.” A wide smile lit Quinn’s brown eyes as she slid her fingers into his hair. There was something so intimate about the gesture. “By the way, the look on your face that day—priceless.”
“I’ll bet.” He pressed another kiss to her stomach as he glided the zipper down the side of the black skirt that had been tempting him all morning. Quinn lifted her hips, helping him slide the garment off. He took a moment to admire the gorgeous brown skin of her full hips and curvy thighs.
Quinn’s belly rose and fell with shallow breaths as he laid kisses just above the waistband of her black panties. She gasped softly when he tugged the material down just enough to plant soft kisses on her hip bone.
The scent of her arousal teased him. Made his dick hard as steel. He was desperate to finally be inside her. Yet he wanted to savor every moment with her.
Max dragged the damp fabric down her hips and off her legs. He spread her open with his thumbs and pressed a kiss to the glistening pink flesh between her thighs. He reveled in the salty sweet taste of her desire as his tongue traced the pink slit and lapped at the sensitive, swollen flesh.
Quinn shuddered. In a silent plea for more, she angled her hips, permitting him better access.
Max gladly obliged. He licked and teased her sex, then sucked on the distended bundle of nerves until she cried out. Her legs trembled and the space between her thighs pulsed.
He’d imagined this since the day she’d walked through the door of that conference room and set his world on fire, reminding him of all the things he’d tried so damn hard to forget. That he’d had the most amazing woman in his life, and he’d walked away from her because he’d been a coward. Terrified that one or both of them would regret committing to each other at such a young age. But the only thing he’d ever really regretted was letting Quinn go.
Max stripped off his remaining clothes and tore into the box of condoms, quickly ripping one from its foil packet and rolling it up his shaft. He teased her, pressing the head to her entrance before slowly pushing inside her warm, tight sheath.
He groaned at the searing pleasure of her flesh enveloping his, then slowly glided inside her until he was fully seated.
“God, Quinn, you feel so amazing,” he growled, his voice so gruff he barely recognized it.
He leaned down and captured her open mouth in a kiss. Quinn dug her fingers into his back, her hips lifting to meet each stroke. He swallowed her soft murmurs as he moved inside her until she cried out with pleasure again. Until he followed her over the edge.
Max collapsed onto his back beside Q
uinn, both of them breathing heavily. An awkward silence descended over the room momentarily. When his breathing evened out again, Max rolled onto his side and planted a soft kiss on her lips. He sifted his fingers through her glossy strands of hair.
“No regrets?” It would kill him inside if Quinn regretted, even for a moment, what they’d just shared.
“None.” A shy smile animated Quinn’s dimples. She grazed the letters on his chest with her thumb and kissed him again.
Max discarded the condom, then crawled into bed. He cradled Quinn in his arms, with her bottom nestled against him, and kissed the shell of her ear. He’d be content to lie with this woman in his arms and not leave this room for the next three days. Until he’d convinced her that this time, things would be different. That he’d never hurt her again.
* * *
Max blinked, looking up at the brown-skinned goddess calling his name.
Quinn, who was fully dressed, shoved his shoulder again. “Max, you have to get up. We’re scheduled to meet Marty in forty-five minutes and I still have to go to my room to shower and change.” She put on an earring, which he vaguely remembered her losing at some point when they’d made love again.
“Wait...we’re still planning on meeting the JRS guy for lunch?” He rubbed an eye as he propped himself up on his elbows. “I thought we were gonna spend a few more hours in bed.” He tugged at the hem of her skirt.
She slapped his hand playfully. “There will be plenty of time for that later. Right now, I need to ensure that you’re awake and that you’ll be there on time. Remember, JRS is the white whale we came here for. Everything else is gravy.”
“To be fair, he canceled on us first.” Max dragged himself to a seated position, back pressed against the headboard.
“Max.” Quinn used the same warning tone his mother had when he was a kid.
“Fine. But shouldn’t we at least... I don’t know.” He rubbed the sleep from his eyes again. “Shouldn’t we at least talk about what happened before you run off.”