Her eyes glistened with unshed tears and Max knew she meant the words from her soul.
"Have you ever loved anyone else?"
"Not like this,” she answered. “I was married for a couple of years straight out of high school. I haven't seen him in a long, long time. I can count on one hand the number of lovers I've had, with fingers to spare. I've never done or said to anyone the things that we've shared."
"Neither have I, baby,” he responded, his eyes dropping from her stare to her cleavage. “Show me your tits, Kaylee."
She tugged at the shoulders of her shirt, dragging them lower, then she peeled the soft, clingy fabric of her shirt off her breasts. She wore nothing under the shirt, and her nipples tingled when the cool, conditioned air whispered over her skin. She stood, put the coffee mugs on the counter, then turned to look at him. His hungry gaze was fastened on her breasts, and she smiled, thrilled at the heat that was pulsing between them again. She reached under her skirt and dragged her lacy panties down, stepped out of them, then sat on the table directly in front of him.
Max spread her legs wide and pulled her toward him as his mouth descended on her, his tongue burrowing into her moist slit, drinking in the taste of her. He licked hungrily, savoring the tang of her arousal as the tip of his tongue flicked at her throbbing clit, then moved lower to dip into her weeping channel. Her hands on the back of his neck pressed him closer and he caught her clit between his lips and began to suck hard, maintaining the pressure when she started to moan and her grip on his head tightened. Her hips bucked upward as the orgasm ripped through her and she cried out his name, half scream half plea. He didn't let up, and her body began to writhe again as the second climax struck and left her limp and twitching moments later. He finally drew back and looked at her, her legs spread in front of him, her pussy still contracting as he watched. She collapsed on the tabletop and tried to breathe.
"Are you still with me, Kaylee?"
She moaned.
"Can you stand up, honey?"
Kaylee slowly stood on shaking legs and he turned her so her back was facing him, hiked her skirt up around her waist and bent her over the table. She braced her hands on the tabletop and Max rubbed her ass, his fingers stroking down the smooth cleft before sliding into her. He eased apart her cheeks until he could see her tight hole. He leaned forward, touched the delicate opening with his tongue and blew a soft draught of air. She gasped and squirmed a little. He licked her again, slowly, exploring the sensation before he slid his tongue the smallest bit into her.
"Max!” It was a choked, hoarse whisper.
"Yeah?"
The only sound that escaped her was a breathy whimper.
"Say it, baby,” he coaxed, slipping a couple of fingers in her slick pussy, then pulling them out.
"I want you, Max. Please."
"What do you want, exactly?” He was unzipping his jeans and pulling them off as he rose. He tossed them aside and reached around to squeeze her tits, his fingers pinching her engorged nipples and tugging them. “What do you want, baby?"
"I want you inside me, Max."
"You can do better than that, baby,” he teased. “I know you can."
"Fuck me, Max!” She almost screamed it at him. “Put your beautiful cock into my pussy and fuck me as hard as you can."
He slid into her as she spoke and groaned softly at the feel of her body, like liquid flame surrounding him, taking him deeper as she pushed her ass back into him. He started a rapid, hard rhythm, pounding into her while she clung to the table. “You feel so good, Kaylee,” he told her, exciting her more, “like you were made for me, baby. You're so tight and greedy for my dick I can hardly stand it."
She bent lower, thrusting her ass up and spreading her legs more. “Harder, Max. I want you to stretch me wide open.” She was shaking like a leaf and when he pulled out and drove back into her, she stiffened and he knew he'd hit the spot she'd wanted him to find. “Oh, Max, yes. Like that, honey. Just like that..."
Max put his arms around her, one of his palms flat on her stomach as his other hand burrowed into her nest of pubic hair and found her clit, pulsing and swollen between her wet folds. He held the tiny bud between his fingers and squeezed with exquisite gentleness. This time she did scream, a raw sound of triumph and sweet agony as the walls of her pussy tightened and shook around his throbbing cock. He closed his eyes and moved faster, his entire body drowning in the waves of wetness pouring from her as he pounded into her. The fire grew to an inferno and suddenly he exploded violently, pouring his seed into her in gushing spurts that felt like they'd never cease.
* * * *
"I meant what I said last night, Kaylee,” Max told her when they were actually eating breakfast at the table. “I want us to have a future."
She nodded, considering his words and her own before she answered. “I know you meant what you said, Max. But, I'm really finding it hard to accept that you can walk away from what you do."
"I retired from Naval Intelligence years ago,” he told her. “My former commander contacted me a few years ago and asked me if I'd run a few missions for his department. There was nothing in my life to stop me, so I accepted. I brought Tommy and Kevin in when I needed backup, and we've been working for Carter Baldwin even since. All unofficial, in the event that we never came home, or were captured. The government could deny any knowledge of the unit."
"You're a mercenary,” she realized, eyes wide.
He nodded, and waited for her to process the truth.
"What if he asks you to go on these missions again?"
Max pushed his dishes aside and leaned closer, his coffee mug held between his hands to prevent her seeing that he was shaking ever so slightly.
"Kaylee, I almost didn't come back this time."
She paled, and fought down the sudden urge to retch as terror twisted in her stomach.
"Why?"
She was afraid of his answer. He could read it in her eyes.
"I was distracted,” he admitted.
Ice trickled down her spine in imaginary rivulets. “By what?"
"By the fact that I'd fallen in love the night before I left here,” he replied after a lengthy hesitation. He met her eyes, now huge with fright. “I wasn't kidding when I told you all I could think about was you, Kaylee. I didn't say that to turn you on, honey. It was the truth. While I was in the hills of Afghanistan my god-damned dick was so focused on you that I just about took a bullet. Tommy is the reason I'm still breathing."
"I think I'm going to be sick, Max,” she whispered, her eyes frantically avoiding him now.
"Kaylee!” He grabbed her arms when she stood up and would have run from him. “It's okay, honey. Really."
"No, it's not, Max!” She almost shouted the words. “You've just told me you almost got killed because of me. How can that be okay?"
"It's okay because it didn't happen. And it won't happen, because I'm out of the game now. I'm the owner of a bar, honey. Nothing more.” He kissed her forehead, and smiled. “I want to keep it that way. Just as long as you're willing to give me a chance to show you how much I love you. How much I want to be with you."
Kaylee stepped into his arms and held tight to him, her fear slowly ebbing with the steady beat of his heart next to her ear. Max's hands stroked the length of her back and he hugged her to him with a sigh.
"I do love you, Kaylee."
"I love you, too,” she responded. “I just don't know if it'll be enough."
"Enough for what?"
She stared up at him, fully aware of the anger she'd incited. “Max, I'm an interior designer, and a wannabe writer. You're used to dodging bullets and romancing women who look like they just walked off the pages of Playboy magazine. You think this is what you want, but what if it isn't? What if a quiet, ordinary life gets boring after awhile? What if I get boring to you? I don't think I could survive losing you. I know I couldn't,” she revised in the next instant.
"All I'm asking is that you let me prove t
hat I don't want anything or anyone but you, baby."
When she eased free of his embrace, he let her go, despite wanting to hang onto her until she was as certain as he was about their chance at a life together.
"I need some time to think about all this, Max,” she said after a long pause.
He nodded. “I understand, Kaylee.” He smiled and picked up his jacket as they walked through the living room to the front door. He opened the door, but before he left he turned and pulled her into his arms, his lips closing over hers in a slow, hot kiss that held promises he was fully intending to make good on. “When you take care of your meeting, come to the bar and we'll go out for dinner,” he suggested.
She laughed softly. “I have to finish rewrites this afternoon,” she reminded him. “And, I have about two days to find a new place to stay. The owner of this house is due back by the weekend."
"Stay with me,” he offered, his grin mutating into a leer.
"We'll talk about this later,” she admonished, but the words were a lot less severe than she'd planned when his hand cupped one of her breasts and caressed leisurely. “Stop it, Max!” She swatted his hand away and glared at him. “Are you always like this?"
"Only with you, baby,” he grinned and tugged her hardened nipple playfully. When she opened her mouth to object, he kissed her lips lightly. “See you later,” he added as he headed for his car.
Chapter 4
It was nearing eight o'clock when Kaylee pulled into the parking lot outside the Silver Dollar Saloon. As usual, the place was packed. She darted inside and made her way through the crowd, past people dancing and the busy tables. Max wasn't at the bar, and her heart sank. She spotted Tommy a moment later, with a pretty redhead on his arm, and made her way to his side.
"Hey, nice to see you again,” Tommy greeted her.
"Where's Max?"
If he was surprised, there was no indication of it in his eyes and he pointed toward a corridor at the back to the bar's main room. “His office is the first door on the right down that hall.” Tommy grinned. “Has he been expecting you, Kaylee?"
Startled, she nodded. “Yeah, I'm late. Why?"
"Explains his bad mood, darlin',” Tommy answered with a laugh. “That's all."
"Great! Max in a bad mood. I'll bet that's fun,” she muttered as she headed for the owner's office. She knocked once and opened the door. Max was at the window that overlooked the main floor of the bar, a drink in his hand. He turned the moment the door swung inward, and the annoyance melted from his handsome features instantly.
"I know I'm late,” she offered as she crossed the room and stepped into his arms, hugging him close.
"I thought you'd changed your mind,” he confessed, after he'd kissed her with a thoroughness that left her gasping for breath.
"No, I got caught up in the rewrites, and my meeting was delayed, so I've come directly from that.” She left his arms and pulled off her blazer, tossing it into a chair then perching on the edge of his desk.
Max downed his drink and peered at her, his eyes glittering with amusement. “You went to a meeting in that outfit?"
It was the same thing she'd worn that morning, except of course now she was wearing shoes, and had her underwear on again. She looked down at the silver t-shirt and groaned. Her nipples were thrusting so snugly to the clingy material that every puckered detail was clearly visible.
"Jesus, Max!” She hissed and folded her arms across her chest. “That's your fault. I don't usually go around looking like I'm going to burst out of my shirt."
"My fault,” he repeated. “I think I like that."
"Somehow, you would,” she retorted with a grin. “Are we still going out for dinner?"
"We could stay in,” he noted, his eyes still gazing at the expanse of creamy skin that was exposed by the neckline of her t-shirt.
Kaylee shook her head. “Oh, no. If we stay in, I'll never get to have dinner!"
She dodged away from him when he reached for her, but Max was quicker. He pulled her back to his chest and held her, his arms wrapped around her waist. She looked up over her shoulder and he bent to kiss her, the caress soft and loving. When he released her lips, his mouth moved to the curve of her shoulder, finding the smooth, sensitive hollow near her collarbone. He stroked with his tongue and she murmured a sigh of pleasure and tilted her head to give him easier access to the spot. His hands rose and covered her breasts, massaging firmly, his fingertips teasing the pebbled points of her nipples.
"I've been thinking about this all day,” he whispered as he hooked his fingers in the top of her t-shirt and tugged it down to expose the lush, rounded swells of her breasts.
A knock at the door made him curse under his breath, but he pulled Kaylee's shirt back up and gave her a hungry kiss before he called out a curt, “come in."
The woman who entered was so lovely that Kaylee stared at her. Tall, willowy slender, with shoulder length black hair and dazzling blue eyes, she was easily the most beautiful woman Kaylee had ever seen. Her skin was ivory pale, and there was a tilt to her smile that made her appear to be mysteriously coy and flirtatious.
"I'll only keep you a minute, Max,” she assured him, dismissing Kaylee with a cursory glance. “I need you to sign for a delivery."
"Marg,” he took the clipboard from her and drew her attention to the other woman in the room. “This is Kaylee Masterson. Honey, this is Marg Peters, my manager, and an old friend."
Marg's smile became much more genuine and she extended her hand to Kaylee. “I'm sorry,” she apologized. “I didn't realize you were the woman Max has been talking about all day."
Kaylee looked at him in surprise and he laughed, but didn't comment.
"It's nice to meet you,” Kaylee said to her. “I hope we can get to know each other."
"I'd like that,” Marg replied, and her tone was wholly sincere. “Very much. But,” she laughed and took back the invoices that now had Max's signature on them, “I have a bar to run tonight. The boss has a special date,” she added with a wink at Kaylee. “Have fun, kids!"
"Wow!"
Max chuckled softly. “That's the reaction most people have to her."
Kaylee's eyes sought his and she bit her bottom lip for a few seconds, pondering the query she wanted to make. Max dropped his pen onto the desktop and leaned back in his chair.
"You want to ask if she's ever been my lover."
Kaylee blushed crimson. Not trusting her voice, she nodded.
"A long time ago, yes,” he admitted. “She's been best friend, partner, lover, and enemy. Marg's known me longer than anyone else in my life. I love her, but I've never been in love with her, Kaylee. Marg's too damn much like me, and that's never gonna change.” He stood again and approached her, smiling broadly. “Now, where were we..."
"We were on our way out to dinner,” Kaylee managed to evade him this time and she grabbed her jacket out of the chair and turned to face him. He was pulling on his jacket, but his eyes were still raking over her with undeniable desire.
"Who's car are we taking?"
"Mine,” she decided. She had no way of knowing how many drinks he'd had, but his dark eyes were gleaming. She didn't dare ask if it was the alcohol or simple lust.
"Do you know how to get to Lorenzo's?"
She was backing out of the parking lot now, swinging her Honda 2000 onto the road. “I know it. There's a long wait list for that place."
"I've got a reservation made,” he assured her. “Why the dark glass?” He asked, indicating her windows.
"Light sensitive eyes,” she explained. “At least this way I have half a chance of not going blind from the glare of the sun."
"Good,” he declared. “That means no on can see in."
Suspicious, she spared a glance in his direction. “What the hell are you up to, Max?"
He leaned over and kissed her bare shoulder, while one hand snaked to the front of her shirt and pulled slowly downward. Kaylee's eyes left the road for an instant to look at
herself, and she groaned in combined frustration and exasperation. Max's fingers were brushing so softly over her naked skin that she felt like he was lighting invisible fires in her blood, flames that were shooting outward to encompass her entire body. When he took her hand from the steering wheel and leaned over to kiss her distended nipple, she shuddered, shocked by the intense hunger that rocketed through her.
"Max,” she gasped. “If you keep doing things like that I'm going to run us off the road."
"Are you wet for me, honey?” His whispered the words into her ear as he kissed her shoulder again. He let her hand return to the wheel, but continued to caress her bared breast, his fingers fondling with such gentleness that she was getting dizzy, and tears were forming in her eyes against her best efforts to hold them back. Too much sensation and emotion, a distant part of her brain analyzed. She simply wasn't used to this kind of intensity in her life. He'd barely touched her and she was already edging toward a powerful climax, she could feel the heat and tension building between her legs, the pulses of reaction getting stronger and faster.
"Max,” she whispered, not daring to look at him. “Please, stop."
There was something almost desperate in her voice, and Max looked closely at her. He said nothing but pulled her shirt into place and eased back into his seat.
"I'm sorry,” she said when the silence lengthened.
"Kaylee,” Max touched her face with the backs of his fingers, then took her hand and brought it to his lips. She glanced over at him, and the bright shimmer of tears created a near pain in his chest. “I'm sorry, baby. I know this is all pretty fast, and intense. It's amazing me, too."
"I want you, too, Max,” she answered quietly. “But this is something I've got no experience with, this constant wanting to have you inside me. I can't think about anything else.” She pulled off the road, shut down the engine, and turned to meet his direct stare. “At my meeting earlier, I was supposed to be part of a team presenting a new design for the company I work for. I spent most of the time sitting on my hands because I'd think about you and all I wanted to do was haul up my skirt and stick my fingers in my pussy. I can't believe I'm even telling you this, because until I met you I wouldn't have dreamed of saying things like that to any man!"
Simply The Best Page 5