Heat

by Jamie K. Schmidt

  “It’s all right,” Max said. “You know you have to deal with him eventually. But it doesn’t have to be today or tomorrow.”

  “Unless he gets wind of my return and shows up.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be there with you if he does, but chances are he’s not going to find out for a while.”

  “You can’t. Your head …”

  “Is healed up.”

  “Not completely. No shenanigans until Sunday.”

  “How about we ease into the shenanigans?” He hooked her into his arms. “I promise. No fighting or straining myself. I’ll just be there for moral support.”

  “You’re going to sit in an ER waiting room for eight hours?”

  “You bet your ass I am. Whether you like it or not.”

  “I think that’s going above and beyond the call of babysitting me.”

  “It’s not about babysitting you anymore,” he said. “It’s about making you comfortable in your own skin.” He smoothed his hand down her back and then down to her ass to bring her up against him.

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “Control.”

  Mallory shivered.

  “I bet you feel like you’ve been brave enough for one day.”

  She giggled. “Exactly.”

  “So give up control to get control.”

  “That’s an oxymoron.”

  He kissed the corner of her mouth. “I want to touch you.”

  “Your head,” she said weakly. She wanted him too. Wanted the oblivion of an orgasm to shake her back together.

  “Take off your clothes.” He pulled off his shirt and started shucking off his pants.

  “Whuh?” Mallory said, dry-mouthed as he stood naked and erect in front of her. She cleared her throat. “What part of no sex and taking it easy was unclear?”

  “No sex,” he said, innocently. “Just no clothes. Unless you’re uncomfortable?”

  “I’m not uncomfortable with the human body.”

  “Then strip.”

  Mallory glanced at the door.

  “It’s locked.”

  She bit her lip and then grinned. They had been touching each other all week, light kisses and kind caresses. Not anything to add fuel to the building fire between them, but just enough to fill her with an aching, itchy buzz. Mallory kicked off her shoes and shimmied out of her pants. Max was there to help pull her shirt over her head.

  “You can stay in your bra and panties if you want,” he said. His voice was husky and he stood so close to her, she could feel the heat of him though their bodies weren’t touching. She looked into his glittering eyes and reached around to unhook her bra. It drifted to the floor. Easing her panties down her hips she lithely stepped out of them, while Max lent her a gentlemanly arm to lean on.

  “You are exquisite,” he breathed in her ear. He still wasn’t touching her, but he was standing so close that if she swayed just a bit, she’d be in his arms. “I want to make you feel good.”

  Mallory felt her nipples pebble and her breath go a little shallow. “Okay,” she croaked, then cleared her throat. “You can’t strain yourself.”

  “I promise,” he said and nipped her ear.

  Her intake of breath was sharp and sounded harsh in the suddenly still room.

  “Close your eyes,” he whispered, and her eyelashes fluttered shut.

  He pressed close to her. She felt his erection at her back. He stood there and the silky, hot feel of him felt like a brand. He gathered her hair up at the back of her neck and blew cool air on it, and she shivered. Kissing her exposed skin, he wound her hair around his hand and tugged back so she was arched against him. When his hand moved around to clamp on her breast, she let out a soft moan.

  “Max, you said …”

  “I’m the one with the concussion, not you.”

  “It’s not …”

  He pulled back on her hair, not enough to hurt but enough to jar her so the words she was about to say remained unspoken.

  “If you tell me it’s not fair, I’m going to spank you.” There was a deliciously evil tone in his voice that almost dared her to take him up on it.

  “Not sure I’m ready for that.”

  “You know it’s nothing like what David did?”

  She nodded, and the thrilling feelings faded a bit. But it was Max who was around her now. His hand at her breast. His erection at her back. His mouth on her ear and cheek and his other hand pulling her hair. It was hard to think of anything else.

  “Do you know what I want to do to you?”

  “I have an idea.”

  His fingers toyed with her nipple. “Do you?”

  “But we can’t.”

  He pulled back on her hair again. “No more talking. Keep your eyes closed. If you disobey me, you will be punished.” He bit down on her neck and sucked hard for a second. She went up on her tiptoes as she fought not to say anything. It was like eating a chocolate-covered pretzel. The sensation of the tugging was the sweet and the slight pressure of pain, the salt.

  “Nod if you understand me.”

  Mallory nodded.

  Max kissed her shoulder. His hand released her breast to slide down to her stomach. She moaned as he kissed down her spine. He nipped at her butt cheek and she swallowed a yelp. He caught her hand as she went to swat him and kissed the tip of each finger, before moving to her palm.

  Mallory shifted from foot to foot, feeling like her nerves were on fire. He circled to her front, gliding his body up so she felt only a slight movement against her. Max kissed her and she hugged him tight. Pressing her stomach against his hard erection, she slid her hands up and down his back. Frenzied kisses shook her and just about the time she was having second thoughts about what they were doing and where they were liable to end up, he broke off the kiss. When he stepped away from her she was feeling ragged, and the cool air failed to bring her temperature down.

  “Do you trust me?”

  She jumped at the voice in her ear. She hadn’t heard him move back behind her.

  “Don’t speak. Don’t open your eyes. Just nod.”

  Mallory nodded. She did trust him. The clink of the handcuff on her wrist had her eyes flying open, but she crunched them closed before he noticed. He cuffed the other bracelet on so her hands were secured behind her back.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “You can cuff me later, if you want. Right now, we’re going to play a little game. I’m going to touch you and kiss you. Is that okay?”

  Mallory almost gave herself whiplash nodding so hard.

  “You’re going to guess what I’m touching you with. You’re only allowed to speak one word. If you guess correctly, you get rewarded. If you guess incorrectly, I get rewarded. Sound good?”

  Mallory cocked her head to the side. She wasn’t sure how this was going to end, but she was pretty sure she was going to like it. She rotated her wrists, testing the strength of the cuffs. She wasn’t getting out of them. Her toes curled into the carpet.

  “And if you’re a good girl, I’m going to make you come.”

  Mallory smiled and listened to his footsteps as he moved about the room, opening drawers and taking items out.

  “Are you ready?”

  She nodded.

  The first touch was petal soft and silky. He brushed it over her cheekbones, down her neck, and across her chest.

  “Feather,” she said in a voice she didn’t recognize as hers.

  “Good.”

  He took her nipple in his mouth and lavished his tongue over the peak. He sucked on it. Mallory’s hands clanked as she tried to move them to hold his head there. She twisted her wrists, but she had no give against the soft, padded leather lining the cuffs. Her body reacted as if he had hooked her up to an outlet. Her heart hammered, her knees went weak, and a hot wetness gathered in her core. He slid his mouth off with a loud pop. Blowing on the hot tip, Max kissed it and backed away.

  The next one was easy. She felt the scarf trail over her breasts and down her sto
mach.

  “Silk.”

  “Are you sure you haven’t done this before?” Max asked as he brought his head down to her other nipple, giving it the same, slow torturous suck.

  By this time Mallory’s knees were shaking and she twisted in her handcuffs. The need to just throw him down on the floor and have her way with him was slowly eating away her control.

  His fingers traced her lips, then he took them away. He put two wet fingers across her mouth.

  “Open,” he said, and pushed them into her mouth.

  “Suck,” he commanded, and she hollowed her cheeks as she tasted the sweet burn of rum. “Tell me what’s on my fingers.”

  “Captain Morgan,” she whispered.

  “Want a sip?”

  She shook her head. Her head was already spinning. She felt a trickle drip down her shoulder, then roll in between her breasts and down to her belly button.

  “How careless of me,” he said. “Don’t worry, I’ll clean this up.” Licking and nibbling his way from her belly button, tonguing up between her breasts, Max ended up at her lips again. Her body was on fire, shaking from the casual touch of him. He kissed her with enough tongue that she felt a little drunk on the rum.

  “I’d like to put spreader bars on your feet too and bend you over a chair,” he whispered, as he stroked her hair. “Can you picture what I’d do to you then?”

  She nodded and bit her lip. She stepped out to widen her stance.

  “You are such a good submissive,” he said. He was behind her now, his erection pressing into the cleft of her ass. “I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want you. I like the waiting. But not enough to wait much longer.” He skimmed his hand over her chest and belly. He rested his fingers at the top of her mound.

  “I want to tickle you here until you come on my fingers again.”

  He played with her for a moment and her breathing sounded loud in her ears.

  “But I’m not going to.”

  She held in her huff of disappointment.

  “I’ve got something better in mind.” He moved back from her and she missed the hard press of his cock against her flesh.

  The next caress was on her thighs. Max’s strong hands eased down one leg and back up. He parted her legs so her stance was even wider than before. She knew he was kneeling in front of her.

  “Max,” she whispered, not knowing if it was a plea, a demand, or the answer to his game.

  She heard the buzzing and tensed.

  “Relax,” Max said. “You answered all my questions correctly. You kept your eyes closed and handled the cuffs well. Now all you have to do is stand still and receive your reward.”

  He kissed her hip and a little whimper escaped her.

  “Shh,” he breathed against her thigh as the buzzing connected to her ankle. It was a vibrator, and he encircled her anklebone with it. He buzzed it slowly up her calf, over her slick folds, and then down the other leg.

  “Max,” she cried.

  “Don’t make me punish you now, Mallory. Not a sound or I will stop and leave you like this. You don’t want that, do you?”

  She shook her head.

  “But you do want this?” He moved it over the sensitive skin of the back of her knee.

  She nodded.

  Max took his time, buzzing up to her belly button and then back down over her abdomen.

  “Are you ready for this?” he asked, pressing it to the top of the juncture of her thighs.

  She nodded once more.

  When he dipped it inside her, Mallory yanked on the handcuffs and almost lost her balance. Max held it there while he gathered her close. She was shaking. Her body going hot and flushed, then almost chill. He pushed the vibrator in and out of her.

  “I wish this was me,” Max said in her ear.

  She nodded.

  He moved it over to her swollen bud and circled it. Her wrists pulled again as she wanted to cling to him.

  “Max,” she said. “Max, I’m falling.”

  “I’ve got you,” he reassured her.

  But she didn’t mean physically. The wetness of her arousal enabled him to move the vibrator at a fast pace. She threw back her head and cried out. Each swirl and flick of the buzzer brought her closer and closer until she pressed up against Max.

  “Kiss me. Kiss me, please.”

  His mouth devoured hers and she screamed deep into it as her orgasm flooded over her. Max continued to kiss her until her pulse rate went back to normal. He unclasped the handcuffs and led her to the bed.

  “You can open your eyes, you know.”

  Mallory realized they were still closed.

  “How did I do?” she asked. Her eyes locked on his enormous erection.

  “You were wonderful.”

  “I think if I was on top, we could go easy enough for you,” she said timidly.

  “I don’t want easy,” Max said, curling up into bed next to her.

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “We can wait until the weekend. We can make it a reward for calling your boss and going back to work.”

  She bit her lip. “What if I chicken out?”

  “You don’t get to have me, then,” he said.

  “That’s incentive.” Mallory slid under the covers.

  “I like the anticipation. And then if you are in my room, I’m going to pin your legs over your ears and fuck you until you scream my name.”

  She reached over and took his hard cock in her hand.

  He groaned. “I like your touch.”

  “Is that all you’re going to do to me?” she whispered against his mouth as she slowly pumped her hand up and down his cock.

  “Did you like playing at being my submissive?”

  Mallory nodded, moving her hand faster.

  “Keep doing that,” he sighed. “I want you so much. I want to bring out your kinky side. Don’t you dare stop.” Max grabbed the back of her head and brought her in for a deep kiss as his body clenched. He crushed his mouth down on hers and moaned deep into it.

  Mallory’s hand moved faster and she kissed him back just as fiercely. He came all over her hand.

  “I want so much more this weekend,” she said.

  “Your wish is my command.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  She did it. She made it through a whole week of work without seeing David or having a nervous breakdown. As soon as she set foot in the ER, it was as if she never had left.

  It was so easy, Mallory was mad at herself for putting it off for so long. It felt good to get back to work. Max insisted on driving, just in case David was trolling the parking garage for her car. They had breakfast together every day on the commute, and in between coffee and egg white sandwiches, they talked about everything. They grabbed lunch at the hospital cafeteria together, and on the first day she introduced him to her boss, Jen. Jen was happy he was there for her. Mallory also caught her ogling Max’s backside when she thought they weren’t looking.

  On the drive home Saturday night, Mallory kicked off her shoes and massaged her aching feet. “Thanks for being there this week.”

  “I’ll be there until you tell me to leave.”

  “What’s Colleen going to say about that?”

  “She’ll probably set up a rotating schedule of bodyguards.”

  Mallory made a face.

  “Just until David gets the message that you’re off limits.”

  “I’ll get around to telling David soon,” she said. “Give me a few more days.”

  “Take all the time you need.” Max squeezed her hand.

  He didn’t let go until they were pulling into Couture.

  “I’ve got a few things to do before our date tonight. I hope you haven’t forgotten about it?” Max teased.

  “Are you kidding me?” she said. “I’ve been keeping Winky busy all these nights just thinking about it.”

  Max groaned. “I want to see that.”

  Mallory put her hand on his thigh and squeezed. “I think we can
arrange that.”

  “Can you be ready by nine?”

  “That’s almost my bedtime.”

  “Yes, it is.” His grin made all her lady parts jump for joy.

  “I’ll see you then,” she said and kissed him.

  He made her heart flutter. She also checked out his backside as he walked away from her.

  Mallory tried one more time to find Colleen. Her sister had been scarce all week. Mallory wondered if she was having a hard time coming to terms with the colossal fuck-up that the MMA fight had been. The press was ruthless, dredging up all the gold-digger nonsense again. Not one newscaster had mentioned that the proceeds went to a children’s hospital. It was all “dumb bimbo almost gets fighters killed.”

  It wasn’t like Colleen to lick her wounds and hide. That asshole Chase better not be sniffing around here. Mallory wanted to tell her about her awesome week and about her feelings for Max that were starting to grow into something big. Mallory was going to tell her to take Max off bodyguard duty so she could have wild monkey sex with him without worrying about getting someone else’s panties in a bunch. She just hoped it meant something to him too. Mallory wasn’t a Couture client. She didn’t want a scene. She wanted Max. But she wanted it to mean something to him, because tonight would mean a lot to her.

  Nefertiti looked up from her computer when Mallory walked in. “She’s in the conference room with Istvahn.”

  Mallory wondered if she was imagining the wistful way Nefertiti said his name.

  “She might be ten minutes. She might be ten hours. Do you want some coffee?”

  “Love some.”

  Nefertiti got them both cups and shouldered her way into Colleen’s office. “She won’t mind if you make yourself comfortable.”

  Mallory sprawled on the couch, admiring the view of the falling leaves.

  “So, what’s got you making that face, all dreamy-like?” Nefertiti said, perching a hip on Colleen’s desk while the coffee perked. “Or should I say who?”

  “What do you think of Max?”

  “I think you know him better than me,” Nefertiti said with a little smile.

  “Yeah, but you work with him. Does he have romances often?”

  Nefertiti shook her head. “His ass would have been bounced out the door a long time ago. We don’t play with emotions, just bodies.”