Fueled by Lust: Maxim (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Celeste Prater

  “Come on, I think we need another dip.”

  He captured her hand and led her back to the river. They quickly bathed their bodies and laughed as they tried to pull their clothes over wet skin. Minutes later, they were waiting on the stump and chewing on the last three strips of bacon when a black hummer and an agency car arrived. A tow truck followed up at the rear. She laughed when she saw Maxim’s eyes widen. She nudged at his shoulder.

  “You look like the ice cream trucked just showed up.”

  He snorted. “Better. I didn’t realize it was an H3 Alpha. Sweet! Come on, baby. I can’t wait to try this one out.”

  Skylar tried to keep from laughing after watching the car rental clerk try to avert her eyes away from Maxim’s fantastic physique as he signed the paperwork. With just a pair of jeans and his boots covering him, the man was lethal. The poor thing failed several times and finally turned and gave her an apologetic look. Skylar smiled and patted her on the arm.

  “I fully understand. No worries.”

  Maxim looked up. “What?”

  “Nothing, baby. Let’s just get out of here. I want to get back to the room so I can get a real shower.”

  Skylar had to admit that the Hummer they’d brought was much roomier and had more power than the last one. Maxim looked like a kid in a candy store. She was completely surprised that a cop hadn’t pulled him over by time they got back to the hotel. They both looked over in surprise when they crossed the lobby and someone called out Maxim’s name. A man looking to be in his late fifties scurried around the front desk and caught up with them. He had a relieved expression on his face. His blue eyes were wide. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead.

  “Mr. Telarius. I’m so happy to see you. I would have called you, but I found that the clerk failed to have you leave your phone number on the card. I was just about to call the police.”

  Maxim’s brows rose. “What’s wrong?”

  The man’s face flushed. “Someone broke into your room. I’m so sorry. The maid discovered it. Things were tossed about, and it looked very suspicious. Would you like for me to call the authorities now?”

  Skylar was impressed when Maxim immediately took charge. “No, let’s go check it out and see if they stole anything first. Otherwise, it’s a waste of their time and ours.”

  “Of course.”

  As they followed the manager down the hallway, Maxim’s head swiveled around a few times before he spoke.

  “Did you catch anything on camera?”

  They stood back as the harried man swiped the keycard. He gave a quick glance over his shoulder, and Skylar could see that his cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

  “Unfortunately, no. We have a call into our security company. I know this is unacceptable, and I wish to extend my deepest regrets.”

  Skylar felt her shoulders relax. At least she wouldn’t have to explain why a bunch of thugs had hauled her out the side door.

  “Whoever did this used a passkey since there’s no obvious breech. I’m still trying to figure out how that happened. I’ve changed the code on the door for you.” He tried to walk into the room, but Maxim placed his hand on his arm.

  “No, don’t worry about it. It could happen to anyone. We’ll go inside and check everything. I’ll call down when we’re done.”

  “Very, well.” He handed the cards over and scurried down the hall.

  Skylar pushed the door open and grimaced. Maxim’s deep voice drifted over her shoulder.

  “Shit.”

  Chapter 26

  Skylar walked slowly into the room, her eyes trying to take in everything at one time. It was impossible. It felt like Rome all over again. Thankfully, no one was killed this time.

  “Damn, they definitely thought the stone was still in here. The idiot’s never once looked in my purse before they handed me over to Tullius. I guess their momma’s used to beat their asses if they tried to dig around in theirs.” She was happy to hear Maxim’s chuckle and the feel of his warm hand caressing her back.

  “Gods, I love that you can spin a pile of shit right into a laugh. You were definitely meant for me.” He bent over and righted a chair lying over on its side.

  Shrugging, Skylar glanced into the bathroom, thankful all of her products were still lined up on the counter. “Well, it’s either that or start crying like a loon. At least you didn’t walk into this with your arms full of food and get blindsided, so I’m choosing to stay positive.” She leaned into his side when he wrapped his arm around her. She looked up and grimaced.

  “Maxim, would you think that I’m completely insane if I jumped into the shower real quick? I know that we need to get this mess cleaned up, but my hair has decided that river water is not a friend.”

  He squeezed her and pushed her gently into the bathroom. “Not crazy at all. Go. I’ll start putting things back in place.”

  She gave him a quick kiss and turned the shower on. She was in and out in less than five minutes, using the dryer just long enough to knock the dampness out of her hair. Wrapped up in a towel, she walked back into the bedroom to find that Maxim had donned a black muscle shirt, already shoved the mattress back into place, set the furniture straight, and started piling clothes on top of the bed. She dug through her stack and pulled out a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. She turned in surprise when she heard Maxim growling. He was standing by the window on the other side of the bed, fists clenched, and staring at the floor. Glancing around his stiff body, she couldn’t believe what she saw.

  The chambermaid outfit was pressed flat on the carpet, bodice down. At hip level, a pillow had been stuffed underneath, and a black thong was peeking out from behind the big white bow. The sick fuck had arranged the silk stockings below the apron hem and situated them to simulate her knees spread wide and drawn up to her hips. The black stilettos were face down over the foot portion of the stockings. All of her other thongs and bras were lined up in a pristine pattern next to the wall. Good grief!

  Tullius’s goon had obviously taken his time to go through all of her lingerie until he’d decided his preference. All the display needed now was a live body inside the material and it’d be a full-on porn shot. She felt chills race up her spine, but decided she needed to stay calm in order to bring Maxim down a few notches on the explosion scale. She patted him gently on the back.

  “Well, it looks like someone got very bored while they were waiting for you to come back.” She pushed past him and gathered everything into a ball. She shivered when his deep voice drifted over her shoulder. He sounded practically demonic.

  “That motherfucker was picturing you like that. I hope he was the last one I killed so he was fully aware of what his short future held in store.”

  Skylar threw the wadded clothes on the bed, turned, and wrapped her arms around his waist. She could feel his body trembling. She knew he was a serious alpha male, but the depth of his anger for her brought a lump into her throat. She’d never felt so protected in her life. She kissed his chest.

  “Forget about it, Maxim. All of this shit is over. You beat them at their stupid game, and they can’t hurt us anymore. I just want to get the hell out of this place and get this jewel back where it belongs so we can start our lives together. How does that sound to you?” She released her held breath when his muscles relaxed and he pulled her up his body, holding her tightly to his chest. He sounded much calmer.

  “I’m sorry, sweetness. I didn’t mean to scare you. I can’t stand the thought of anyone touching you, your things, or even thinking that way about you. Can you forgive me?”

  Skylar kissed his neck and chuckled. It was time to erase the negative crap out of the air, so she told him the truth.

  “Hell, you didn’t scare me, Maxim. I thought that was the sweetest damn thing I’ve ever seen. You were all puffed up and blowing smoke out of your nose like a bull. Knowing that you’d kick anyone’s ass that looked at me cross-eyed makes me want to jump your bones.” She was relieved when he started laughing.

&nbs
p; “Smoke, huh?”

  “Yep. I thought you were starting to mist there for a second.” She smiled when he leaned his head back so he could look at her. He was grinning.

  “I love you.”

  “Back at yuh, big boy. Now put me down and let’s get packed. I want to see the ‘Leaving El Paso’ sign very soon.”

  “Done.”

  She opted for a sleeveless Metallica T-shirt and jeans, sans underwear. None of those things was coming near her body again until they made a trip through a wash cycle. She stood in the center of the room and looked at their packed bags.

  “Well, nothing was taken, so I guess you can let the manager off the hook.” She watched as Maxim dialed the front desk.

  “Yes, this is room 205. Can you let the manager know…oh, okay. I’ll wait.”

  Skylar laughed when Maxim rolled his eyes.

  “Hey, there. Yeah, we’re good. Nothing missing. Rooms straightened up now. No, that’s okay. We don’t need a free night. No. We’re planning to leave in a little bit. Okay, sure. Whatever makes you feel better. Thanks.” He hung the phone up. “He’s crediting my card.”

  Skylar grimaced. “I feel bad for the guy. I opened the damn door for the idiots. I thought it was you coming back from the breakfast bar. I should’ve looked through the peephole first.”

  “Don’t worry about it. At least he’ll get his shit together and have better security in place.”

  Skylar nodded and grabbed up her bag. She had her hand on the doorknob and halted when Maxim cursed.

  “Fuck! My phone. Did you pick it up?”

  “No. Last place I saw it was on top of the dresser. Maybe it fell off.”

  They searched around every piece of furniture and under the bed, but no phone. Skylar laughed and tossed him hers.

  “Duh. Call it. Maybe it’s dangling behind something and we just can’t see it.”

  Maxim shook his head. “Why didn’t I think of that?” He dialed and held it to his ear. She walked over to the dresser, waiting for the distinctive chirping to sound. When nothing happened, she turned around and froze. Maxim’s face was a mask of fury. Skylar felt her gut flip. He was listening to someone on the other end of the line.

  * * * *

  “So, you finally figured it out.”

  Maxim felt heat shoot up his spine at the sound of the deep voice rumbling at his ear. He heard a derisive snort and clenched his teeth at the smooth teasing.

  “What’d you do, Maxim, get lost on the back roads?”

  “Who is this?”

  “Someone that just came upon your carnage at Third Tier. I’m not very happy with you at the moment. You just took out a fat paycheck and my entire team, asshole. I think you owe me some serious compensation.”

  “What do you want?”

  “You got fifty thousand lying around? That should cover this job and any expenses while I find another home.”

  “Where do you want to meet?” He heard a chuckle over the line.

  “I have a feeling I should’ve asked for more. Tell you what. Make sure to bring that sweet tail with you. That ought to keep me in a good mood while we do the exchange.”

  Maxim tried to keep his temper in check. The thought of the asshole touching her things, much less getting close to her, had his gut churning with anger.

  “We’ll be leaving her out of it. This is between you and me.”

  “I don’t think you’re getting the big picture here, dickhead. You don’t get to call the shots. I have my gloved hand wrapped around your phone while I’m driving away from a massive crime scene. I can easily turn around. Wouldn’t look too good for the cops to find this thing under Tullius’s choked-out ass. I think they’ll get here before you can find the turn again.”

  “I don’t think that’s in your nature. You’re interest is in the money.”

  “You think I’m bluffing? Watch out, I may just go double or nothing. I don’t have anything to lose here, Maxim Telarius. I’ll walk away just out of spite. I actually liked some of those guys.”

  “Seventy-five and she’ll stay parked in a restaurant somewhere.”

  “Seventy-five and she can stay in the car. I’ll just be happy to get a glance at those pretty, blue eyes. I want to see the gratitude on her face when I give you the folder Tullius has on her…or should I have said ‘had.’ You should’ve checked the scene better, man. The damn thing was just lying on the seat of his limo.”

  Maxim took a deep breath before he glanced over to Skylar. Her brows were raised, but she hadn’t budged from her spot.

  “Deal.”

  “Thirty minutes. I’ll give you the location then. Oh, and leave your buddies behind. They’re not invited to the party. One whiff of them and the deals off.” The line went dead.

  Maxim wanted to chuckle. The idiot thought a group had taken out Tullius’s hired goons. Let him keep thinking that way, it only helped his cause. He lowered the phone, and Skylar raised her palm.

  “I think I got the gist of it, Maxim. He wants money to keep his mouth shut, and I have to be there. What’s next?”

  “Gods, I love you, my female. Give me a minute.” His finger hovered over the keypad while he searched his brain for Petrus’s number. “Fuck!”

  “What?”

  “I got too comfortable with speed-dial. Let me try one that I know for sure.” He punched in the numbers and relief immediately washed over him when Petrus answered.

  “Seekers Dating Service, may I help you?”

  “Dude, you have no idea how happy I am that you have your butt parked in Cato’s chair.”

  “Maxim? I didn’t recognize the number. It came up as Skylar Grey.”

  “That’s my mate.”

  “Well, shit. Congratulations, amici. Can’t wait to meet her. Where’s your phone?”

  “That’s why I called. Please tell me that you can work Cato’s equipment and trace it. I had him put a tracker on it when my other phone was lifted at the club last year.”

  “Yeah, sure. Give me a minute so I can find it.”

  “Sure.” Maxim felt his muscles loosen. He smiled at Skylar and watched her shoulders drop a few inches. Petrus came back on the line.

  “I have you on speaker. I found the tracking program. I show it turning off Campbell Street and merging onto I-10 heading west.

  Maxim nodded. “Excellent. That’s the road we went down to get to Third Tier. He’s heading back in our direction. I have you on speaker now. We’re loading up, so keep us clued on the direction.”

  “Got it.”

  Maxim handed the phone to Skylar and grabbed their duffels. He could hear a keyboard clacking in the background. Petrus expressed his concern.

  “What’s going on? You sound more serious than someone just kyping your cell.”

  “Had to take out a group of assholes, and I have a straggler that’s starting to irritate the hell out of me.”

  “Ah. I don’t envy the bastard when you catch him.”

  “True that.”

  Maxim followed Skylar down the hallway and into the lobby. He chuckled when she chunked the keycard on the counter, gave the wide-eyed manager a little wave, and never missed a step. When she crawled into the Hummer, she placed her hand on his forearm.

  “What’s your plan, and how can I help?”

  Maxim looked down to the phone she was holding and grimaced. “Anything handy that might juice this thing? We got one bar left.”

  She looked down and grabbed her purse. A few minutes of digging, and she pulled out a car charger. She was grinning.

  Maxim laughed while she plugged it in.

  “You really do have everything in there. See, you already helped, baby.”

  Skylar gave him a haughty look and grinned. “Told you so. Now what’s the plan?”

  “Yes you did, my resourceful mate. No worries, I have this all lined out in my head.” He glanced back to the phone. “We have less than thirty minutes to get into position at wherever this guy decides is the meet-n-greet locat
ion. I plan on introducing myself, beating his ass, and getting my phone back. Without leverage, he’s nothing but a guy with a shady past trying to lay blame on someone else. He won’t go anywhere near the cops. If he does, you just explain that you turned an artifact over to Tullius and obviously the guy killed him to get it.”

  Skylar nodded for a few seconds as she ran the scenario through her mind. “Okay. Let’s hope it works.”

  Petrus’s deep voice came over the speaker. “The signal’s coming up on North Mesa.”

  Skylar pointed to the GPS. “That’s three blocks away.”

  Maxim punched the gas. Within minutes, they were sitting at the intersection. Maxim pounded his thumb on the steering wheel and kept an eye on the cars coming from the opposite direction.

  “Turning right onto Mesa. It just moved over to the left lane.”

  Maxim leaned forward. “I see two vehicles. One’s a black Suburban and the other a silver truck. I’m betting on the SUV.”

  When the red light finally released them, he caught up within seconds. The more desolate the area became, and the fewer cars on the road, the further Maxim backed off his tail. Eventually he was following by at least fifty meters. His eyes widened when the SUV’s brakes flashed as it came up on a diner situated on the right side of the road. The vehicle continued forward and allowed the silver truck to pass by. The Suburban’s taillights came on again, and Petrus confirmed what he was seeing.

  “The tracker just flipped in the opposite direction.”

  “Yep, I got it. SUV’s heading back toward us. I’m turning on the next road in case I have to loop around to tail him.”

  Skylar swiveled around in the seat.

  “He just pulled into the parking lot of the diner.”

  Maxim found an area large enough to turn the Hummer around and returned. He pulled off the road and under a row of shade trees, rolled the windows down, and shut the ignition.

  “Perfect. I only saw a few cars out front, and the back area is secluded. We only have ten minutes until he calls. Whether he stays in the vehicle or goes inside, his ass is coming to the back. I gotta cut you lose, amici. Thanks for the help. I couldn’t have done this without you.”