This sprawling four-bedroom, two-bath home had a huge yard and a giant living room. It was where Cassie and her crew—which Max had been a part of—used to meet after school to hang out. It was decorated differently now, but the couch was still the same. It was an ancient, oversized leather couch, and Max had numerous flashbacks to his younger days as Cassie pulled him down on top of her. He’d sat here hundreds of times, watching movies or pretending to do homework. He’d never imagined that one day he’d be making love to Cassie on that very same spot.
But it was clear that they were going to be making love here tonight. Cassie wasn’t being shy about her intentions. She reached to pull off Max’s shirt, struggling to get it over his chest and then tossing it aside so she could run her hands over his naked skin.
Her touch sent shivers up and down Max’s spine. She traced the lines of his perfect six pack, then let her fingers trace the v-shape of his lower abs that led down below the waistline of his pants. She reached for the button on his jeans, but he stopped her.
“Not so fast, missy,” he said. You’ve got to take some clothes off, too. It’s only fair.”
Then he stood up and picked her up to start walking toward the master bedroom. She had been so impatient that she hadn’t wanted to bother going to the bedroom, and had been content with just the couch. Max loved how much she wanted him right now, but he also wanted to take his time with her. He wanted to cherish the chance to explore her body, and to show her how amazing he could make her feel.
He set her down so she was standing right in front of the bed, then he reached for the hemline of her dress. She was wearing a bright red dress with a flowy skirt and fitted bodice. The neckline plunged deeply, showing off just the right amount of skin to drive a man crazy with the possibilities of what lay right beyond the fabric.
“This dress is lovely,” Max said as he lifted it up and started tugging it over her head. “But it has to go.”
He tossed the dress aside, and took a moment to pause and admire Cassie with a deep appreciation. She was wearing a lacy black bra and lacy black underwear. The garments matched perfectly, and perfectly showed off her gorgeous curves. Before he could stop himself, Max let out a primal growl.
His eyes shot up toward Cassie’s eyes. He was worried that she might be frightened by the intensity or strangeness of his tiger growl. But she didn’t seem to think it was strange. Instead, her smile deepened.
“You want me,” she said.
He did.
He let out another growl, growing bolder. Then he reached behind her back to unclasp her bra. She tilted her head up to kiss him while he did his best to get the bra straps off her shoulder. They became a tangle of arms, tongues, and lace as he finally managed to toss the bra aside. He was about to dip his head to kiss her breasts, but she held up a hand to stop him.
“Wait,” she said. “It’s my turn to take an article of clothing off of you. With that, she reached to unbutton his jeans. She casually let her fingers trace along his bare stomach as she struggled with the button and then the zipper. Her movements sent constant shivers of delight through his body. She pushed the jeans down and off, and then did the same with his boxers.
Max watched her eyes carefully as his erection sprang free, and he was not disappointed. He could tell by the way her eyes widened and danced that she was impressed. And why wouldn’t she be? He was a tiger, so, naturally, he was well-endowed. If there’s one thing he had always been confident in, it was his ability to deliver in the bedroom. And he’d never wanted to please a woman more than he did right now.
“Wow,” Cassie whispered. It was the only word she said, but she didn’t need to say more. Her expression told him everything she needed to know. He smiled, and jutted his hips out so that his thick, rock-solid erection was even more visible. He felt pride as he watched Cassie respond to the sight of him. He loved the way she looked at him—she made him feel like a man in a way that no one ever had before.
He still felt a slight buzz, but he honestly didn’t think it was the whiskey anymore. He was intoxicated right now on the sight, sound, and smell of Cassie. The electricity in the room was so thick that he felt like the air crackled with every move he made.
“Your turn to get naked,” Max said, stepping back toward Cassie and hooking his thumbs into the waistline of her panties. He pulled them down her legs, noticing as he did that she was dripping wet. Another shiver of delight passed through him. She wanted him so badly. Her body was ready for him, begging for him.
With nothing between them anymore except skin, Max couldn’t hold back any longer. He pushed Cassie down onto the bed, using enough force so that she bounced a bit as she hit the mattress. She giggled, and his body responded to the musical sound. He felt a wave of heat passing through him, and he growled again.
Then he scooted onto the bed, straddling Cassie so that his bare chest rubbed against her bare breasts. He savored the feeling of her stiff nipples against his skin, and he smiled as his thigh rubbed against her dripping wet pelvis. He could hardly believe this was happening.
His logical mind was telling him to slow down, and that he shouldn’t make such a hasty move with a long-time friend. But Max couldn’t slow down. His tiger was raring and ready to go, and Max didn’t want to listen to logic. He wanted to listen to his tiger heart.
Max moved his lips over every inch of Cassie’s neck, nibbling, licking and chewing. He loved the way she writhed and twisted under his touch, her dark hair flapping against the white sheets as she moved.
He slipped his mouth down to her breasts, massaging her nipples with his tongue before using his teeth to chew them vigorously. He could tell that Cassie liked it when he used a bit of force, and he was happy to oblige.
When he could no longer hold back, he slid back up the bed so that his face was once again even with Cassie’s face. Her skin looked like it was glowing, and he could feel a deep, aching longing in his loins. He needed her. He forced himself to stop, though, and look into her eyes.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper. She looked up at him and nodded. The hungry look was still in her eyes, and Max was overcome by it.
With a roar, he slipped into her. His stiff dick pushed against her inner walls, making room for itself until he was all the way inside of her. She was so soft and warm. Her thick, hot juices felt like heaven against the sensitive skin of his member, and it was all he could do not to come right then and there. But no. First, he would pleasure her.
He started sliding in and out slowly. She closed her eyes and moaned, and the sound of it made him feel like he was on fire. She reached out her hands and clung to him, her hands around his neck as he moved in her.
And then, she let go. With a loud scream of his name, she found her release. Max felt a fresh rush of heat as her inner muscles started clenching around his dick, desperately squeezing it over and over. And then, he let himself go, too. With a roar, he gave in to the burning fire within him and came into her. His whole body felt like it was burning in the most incredible feeling of passion he had ever felt. Cassie continued to clutch him, and he clutched her back.
He kissed her face as his breathing returned to normal, and he thought for the thousandth time tonight that hers really was the most beautiful face he’d ever seen.
He continued to hold her in his arms long after they had both fallen asleep.
Chapter Three
Cassie blinked her eyes open, surprised by the bright sunlight streaming in through her bedroom window. She had room-darkening blackout curtains, so usually it was her alarm clock and not the sunshine that woke her up. But for some reason, she’d forgotten to close the blinds last night.
Last night.
She suddenly opened her eyes wide and sat straight up. Had she really slept with Max Brooks last night, or had that all been a dream? Cassie looked over to her right to see a gently snoring Max stir slightly before settling back into his pillow without ever opening his eyes.
Yes, that had really happened.
Shit.
Cassie gingerly slipped out of the bed, careful not to shake the mattress or do anything that might risk waking Max up. How could she have been so stupid? She’d been dreaming of Max forever, but she’d always been careful to keep things on a strictly friendly level. Even last night, when she’d asked him to dance, she hadn’t intended to do anything except possibly spin around the dance floor a few times and cheer him up. He’d been in such a sour mood.
But then, he’d slow danced with her, and things had gotten serious awfully quick. Cassie’s hand went to the small of her back, which was instantly hot at the memory of Max’s hand. He had pressed his palm against her so firmly, so possessively. And Cassie had allowed herself to be carried away in the moment. She’d allowed herself to imagine that Max might actually be interested in her. That he might actually have a crush on her, too. She’d been dreaming about him since they were in middle school.
She’d ignored the little voice in her head telling her that of course he was interested in her right then. She was wearing a sexy red dress, they were both single, and he’d had about three too many glasses of whiskey. What heterosexual man in his right mind wouldn’t be interested in a woman in a situation like that?
Cassie rubbed her forehead, looking down at Max’s sleeping form and feeling more alarmed by the minute. Last night had been amazing. The sex had been out of this world. It had been more than she could ever have dreamed of—and she’d spent a long time dreaming about sleeping with Max. But when Max woke up today, he wasn’t going to be drunk anymore. The whiskey would be gone from his system, and he was probably going to do what all men do when things get awkward: avoid the awkwardness. Cassie had just managed to completely screw up her friendship with Max.
“Shit,” she whispered. She had to think fast. How could she fix this? Maybe she just needed to act really cool about it. If she took the attitude that sleeping with him was no big deal, then he wouldn’t need to feel awkward, right? She could just breezily dismiss it as a drunken night of pleasure and then not speak of it anymore. Things would be awkward for a few days, but they’d probably smooth over pretty quickly after that.
Cassie just had to remember to stick to her “cool as a cucumber” façade. The last thing she needed to do right now was to turn into one of those desperate girls who freaks out after sleeping with a guy, then texts and calls him constantly. Cassie had been that girl way too many times, and she knew that plan never worked out. The last thing she wanted was to come across as desperate to Max. Cassie took a deep breath and willed her racing heart to slow down.
She would just sneak into the bathroom to brush her hair, wash her face, and reapply her makeup. That way she wouldn’t have a crazy “morning after” look when Max woke up. She would look like her normal self, and things would be well on their way back to how they had been before her silly decision to sleep with Max.
“Way to go, Cassie,” she said to herself. “Let’s just hope you haven’t ruined this friendship for good.”
Cassie was about to turn and head for the bathroom when her phone suddenly vibrated. The sound was unbelievably loud against the wood of her nightstand, and she jumped. She quickly grabbed the phone and looked at Max, holding her breath. He stirred again, but then settled back into his pillow. The man slept like a rock.
Cassie looked down at her phone to see that the vibrating was because she’d received a text from Alex Ward. Cassie let out a frustrated sigh before she even opened the text to read it.
Alex was her boss, and the owner of the bar where she worked. He was one of the nicest guys you’d ever meet, but he was also a hopeless druggie. Cassie had discovered this when she walked in on him snorting cocaine in the back office of the bar one night. That had been several years ago, and Alex had begged Cassie not to tell anyone, especially the police. Cassie had been young, confused and lost after the death of her mother. She’d also been terrified of losing her job, so she’d agreed not to tell anyone.
She never would have told the police, anyway. She had no interest in ratting someone out. Tattling had never been her style. But as the years went by and Alex’s addictions seemed to get worse and worse, Cassie wondered if it was time to say something to someone, if only to force Alex to get help. No one else seemed to realize how addicted Alex was. He was good at hiding his addictions, and only someone who worked closely with him, like Cassie, could really tell that something wasn’t right.
Whenever Cassie got an early morning text from Alex, she knew it was because he’d had a rough night of doing drugs and needed her to open the bar. Today was no different. Cassie frowned as she read the text, which begged her to come in and take care of the opening duties. Alex promised this would be the last time he asked her to do this, but Cassie knew it wouldn’t be. He said that every time, and a week or so later he’d be asking for her help again. Cassie had learned how to do just about every job in that bar. She could run the place by herself if she had to.
Normally, she didn’t mind that much when Alex asked her to come in early. But today, she had a situation to deal with. She had to figure out what to say to the sleeping giant in her bed to make him believe that their friendship could continue on. Cassie rubbed her forehead, as though she could magically rub an answer into existence.
And then, she smiled.
Maybe opening the bar was the best way to handle this situation. It gave her a chance to slip out before Max woke up. She could blame her early departure on work, and then shrug off what happened last night. It would be an easy way to act like it was no big deal. If she could manage to keep her emotions in check and pull this off, then things could go back to normal between Max and her.
Cassie quietly tiptoed to her closet and changed. Then she tiptoed to the bathroom where she washed her face, brushed her teeth, and pulled her hair up into a neat ponytail. She applied just a bit of concealor to hide the dark circles under her eyes, and then she quietly slipped out the front door. If all went according to plan, she could convince Max that what happened between them didn’t change anything.
The only problem was that she knew in her heart that it had changed everything.
Chapter Four
Cassie worked quickly at the bar, making sure that everything was in order and ready for the lunch rush. After she’d organized the front area, she went to the back office and turned on the computer. While the ancient thing fired up, she went to the safe and opened it, pulling out the envelope of cash from last night’s sales that needed to be deposited at the bank.
The envelope was a little thicker than usual, and Cassie felt a pang of guilt that she’d been off at the reunion last night instead of helping out here. Alex had a part-time girl who came in and helped whenever Cassie was off, but the girl was a lot slower than Cassie. They must have been slammed last night. Maybe Alex was really stressed after work, and that’s why he went to get high.
Cassie quickly made her way to the bank, where the line was surprisingly long. Everyone was up early on this sunny Friday morning. Maybe that meant the bar would have a good turnout for lunch today. After Cassie had finally made the deposit, she scurried back to the bar. Even with the long lines at the bank, she was making good time. She still had plenty of time before she needed to open the bar. Maybe she’d make herself a cup of coffee and relax for a few minutes. She still felt the need to decompress from last night.
But Cassie’s plans of relaxing for a few minutes vanished as she made her way back to the bar. Sitting there on the front steps was none other than Max. The sight of him made Cassie excited and nervous all at once. Her heart did little flip-flops as he ran his fingers lazily through his mussed up hair. He had seen her coming, and was watching her intently as she walked toward the bar. Cassie wasn’t prepared to speak with him, but something told her that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
“Hey,” he said casually once she was within earshot. “I was a little surprised when I woke up and you wer
e just gone. No note or anything. I figured you’d be here at some point today, though.”
“Yeah, sorry. I left in a bit of a rush,” Cassie said, walking by Max to unlock the door to the bar. “Alex needed me to come in and open for him, and I didn’t want to wake you. Hope you slept okay.”
Max nodded and stood as Cassie pushed the bar open and stepped inside.
“I slept great,” he said, then started to follow her into the bar.
“We’re not open yet, you know,” Cassie said. She couldn’t shake how nervous she felt right now. So much for acting like nothing had happened. Her body couldn’t help trembling a little in the presence of Max, now that it knew what he was capable of in the bedroom. Just being around him made her feel flustered—and made her want more. She willed herself to keep a neutral look on her face as she stared up at Max.
“I know you’re not open,” Max said. “But I’m not here for a burger or a beer. I’m here to talk to you.”
Cassie felt her heartrate increasing as Max closed the front door of the bar behind them and locked it.
“I want to talk about what happened last night. I was worried when I woke up and you were gone. I came to find you and make sure you’re okay.”
Cassie let out a nervous little laugh. “Of course I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“It’s a big step, what we did last night,” Max said. His blue eyes were searching Cassie’s eyes, and she couldn’t take the intensity. She looked down at her feet.
“It’s not a big deal,” Cassie said. “We don’t have to make a thing out of it. There was a lot of whiskey flowing last night and we were both drunk. Stuff happens. We had fun, and now we’re sober and can go back to our regular friendship.”
Cassie saw a shadow pass over Max’s eyes. “You think I only slept with you because I was drunk?” he asked. “I’m not that kind of guy, Cassie.”
Lone Star Tiger (Shifters in the Heart of Texas Book 2) Page 2