by Aimee Duffy
The pressure built in an almost painful twist in her stomach, the epicenter building in her clit was almost too much to bear but she knew what came next. Bliss. Pure pulsating bliss, and nothing in the world could stop her getting there.
The pressure disappeared at the same time she realized her arm was gripped to the side of her hip in Max’s hand. Her eyes flew open and she couldn’t help but scowl at him as her body jerked from the lack of touch.
He grinned at her and shook his head. ‘I said slow. It isn’t a race.’
Her strangled reply was meant to be an insult, but even she couldn’t make out the words.
After planting a kiss on her throbbing flesh, Max licked his lips. ‘You taste so fucking sweet. It’s addictive.’
Thank God. That meant more of his tongue. Down there. The pulsing nub swelled as if trying to reach his lips, but he lifted his head away from her. ‘Max!’
His smile strained. ‘I’m solid for you Georgia, have been since your fingers found your clit. I want to fuck you right now, over this sofa, hard and fast.’
His words took her to a new level of turned on. It wasn’t just blood sizzling her veins, it was need. She wanted every inch of him inside her, doing exactly what he said. Pushing herself up, she was about to agree when he slid two fingers inside of her.
Max groaned deep in his throat. ‘Fuck, you’re so smooth and hot. Well,’ His fingers brushed over that spot that made her whole pelvis burn and she flopped back onto the cushions. ‘except for this part. My favorite part.’
‘Max.’ Georgia’s breath tore through her lungs, in and out, but it didn’t stop her from feeling dizzy.
He didn’t ease up, sweeping slow strokes over and over her G-spot until the pressure built and built. Achy, desperate, she reached for her clit to speed things up, but he batted her hand away.
‘I want to make you come like this,’ he said.
Her patience expired. ‘Do it then!’
His throaty chuckle only riled her, and that wasn’t a good thing to be when he had her on the edge of heaven. At least he increased the tempo of his fingers, pumping so hard and fast the pressure built into a sweet pain she now recognized. Relaxing the muscles in her pelvis, she let the dam burst. Shudders and spasms claimed her breath, her heart beat, her sense of time passing.
Not that he gave her any. Max whipped off his shirt and his pants were next. She really tried to pull her dress over her shoulders, but it only got as far as her bra. Plus his carved body on full display was too much of a distraction.
He lifted her until she was perched on the back of the sofa again with his jaw so tight she thought he might crack his molars. A glance down told her it wasn’t because she weighed too much, and his muscles weren’t just for show. Nope, his cock was hard and a little shiny at the tip.
He grabbed the bottom of her dress and he whipped it over her head. For a second he just stared at her half naked body in wonder.
‘We need…’ He looked around, as if his lounge would give him answers. ‘Shit.’
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked.
Max stepped back and scrubbed a hand through his hair. Her skin goosed at his withdrawal. Especially since she saw how hard he was. How much he wanted this.
‘I don’t have protection.’
Oh.
Georgia swallowed, unable to understand the floaty warmth filling her chest. Somehow knowing he didn’t have a ready supply to hand for a number of woman guests made the corner of her lips tilt up. Thankfully she had a solution to their little problem.
‘I’m—’
Anastasia’s I’m Outta Love chimed from her handbag and she sighed. She could ignore Eloisa and hope she went away. Pity her friend was persistent. She probably had one of those stalking apps hidden on her iPhone.
‘I’m going to switch it off. I’ll just be a minute.’ Georgia eased off the sofa and headed for the hall where she’d ditched her handbag.
It didn’t take long to find and, aware of her nakedness, she bolted back to the sofa but froze as soon as she saw him. He’d pulled on his suit trousers and was in the process of buttoning up his shirt.
‘What’s going on?’ She put her bag down on the coffee table and covered her tingly bits.
‘I should probably take you home.’ He didn’t look at her, just scooped her thong and dress up off the floor. ‘There are all kinds of crazy shit going through my head now, and after our conversation today it’s probably best we don’t take this further.’
There it was again, the traitor sting in her eyes. She would not cry over him again. That he had this much power over her, that she had been stupid enough to think she could still do this with him and deal with the consequences, made her mad.
Grabbing her clothes, she pulled the dress over her head then stuffed the thong in her bag.
‘You know what this is? Fear. You’re a fucking coward, Max.’ She picked up her bag, ignoring the widening of his eyes. ‘You’re angry at the world since Clarissa left you, and now that your father’s sick you’re blaming him for something he can’t control. I can believe your head’s a mess. I wish you’d let me in so I could help, but you’re too scared. I was right today, wasn’t I? You do give a shit about me. Why else would you be sending me away now?’
Her phone started booming out Christina’s Can’t Hold Us Down, but she didn’t want to speak to Shey either.
Max was quiet for a second, probably waiting for her to answer the call. When she made no move to reach for her cell, he said, ‘What does it matter, you’re leaving.’
What the…? ‘You told me to!’
Her heart was beating too fast again, her breath coming in pants and she ground her teeth. Hadn’t he just insisted he was taking her home? The guy was a total head fuck/heart breaker. Or was there something she was missing?
Max had retreated to the sofa and faced the fireplace. A flare of heat licked her pelvis at the memory of being there minutes before, which now felt like days. He was pushing her away, probably had been from the first night he took her out. She realized then she knew nothing about him. Friday night he’d furrowed out the necessary information about her, what he assumed to be the key to making her come. But other than finding out he didn’t want Clarissa back, what did she know?
Screw it; she had nothing more to lose.
‘Why are you so mad at your father?’ she asked.
Max turned to her and the light of the artificial flames danced over the side of his face, making his tan skin and hair golden. ‘He’s given up.’
‘On?’ she persisted, suspecting the answer. Dread trickled into her stomach, leaving her cold.
He studied her for so long with those shadowed eyes she didn’t think he’d answer. Her insides shifted as her mind played over the scene from the hospital room, the loss of nutrients, weight and Maxton’s apology. It all added up to something ugly.
‘What do you think?’ he asked, but she guessed it was rhetorical. ‘All he gives a shit about is that his designers don’t walk before…’
Before he took himself out of the picture. Georgia crossed the room to him, her heart swelling so much it got hard to breathe.
God, no wonder he was messed up. And she could understand anger. His father had given up on life but not on the person who had screwed Max over? She would be pissed too if the tables were turned.
Sitting next to him, she took his hand and whispered, ‘I’m so sorry.’
He ignored her and turned back to look at the ribbon flames dancing in the fireplace, giving the illusion of a warmth she didn’t feel.
‘You were right, you know,’ he said.
She bit her tongue so she didn’t cut off his confession. Sighed in relief when he said, ‘I am starting to feel more for you than I should.’
He turned to her then and the ice was back in his eyes. ‘It wasn’t fair to tell you today, probably isn’t now, but I can’t bullshit you anymore. I appreciated you being at the hospital more than you know, so I owe you the truth.’
With startling clarity, she saw in his expression that nothing had changed, even though he did care about her. Max still wanted a temporary fling, maybe not even that anymore. Cripes, what was she supposed to do with that?
Georgia swallowed against the lump in her throat. ‘So you want to stop?’
He nodded. ‘I think that’s for the best.’
‘Right.’ Georgia rose slowly, not trusting her thigh muscles to work. ‘And the functions?’
He rose too, pulling his keys from his pants. ‘I couldn’t ask that of you now. Come on, I’ll take you home before your friends put out a search party.’
She didn’t ask him how he knew it was her friends, though the personalized ringtones might have clued him in. In fact, Georgia didn’t have much to say at all as Max led her out of his apartment and down to his car.
All the fighting against him, all the internal struggles and overpowering emotions since he’d asked her to the ball felt pointless now and so not worth the hassle.
* * * *
Shey and Eloisa were on the sofa when she got home. The furniture had been rearranged so there was only the shaggy white rug separating the empty armchair facing the sofa. There was no television on, or laptops or even music. It was times like this Georgia wished she could afford rent on her own Manhattan pad, but with her salary she’d be lucky if she could manage a basement apartment in Brooklyn.
Ditching her bag on the coffee table, she thought through her options. She could walk back out the door, go to the nearest bar and order a bottle or two of tequila; retreat to her bedroom and be alone with her thoughts; or girl-up and get this over with. After all, they’d follow her if she tried to bail.
‘What is this?’ she asked as she settled into the chair.
Eloisa shared a look with Shey, who nodded, then she turned back to Georgia. ‘An intervention.’
Georgia groaned and leaned back in the chair. She should have followed through with the tequila plan.
‘Before you butt in, we have something to say,’ Shey began.
Georgia glowered at them both.
With all the tact of a prosecutor, Eloisa continued. ‘Let’s look at the facts. First, you came to us because you didn’t want to be his fake girlfriend with benefits. We helped you out, prepared you for a meeting with him that was supposed to put him in his place.’
‘Second,’ Shey chimed in. ‘You ignored our advice, then ended up in an alley with your legs around his neck having your first orgasm. I don’t know whether to be impressed by that or mad at you.’
Shey’s sly smile brought out Georgia’s, despite the fact her friends had her up against a wall and were verbally pelting her with boulders.
‘And third,’ Eloisa said with that air of authority only a lawyer could pull off. ‘You called us for advice today before you went to the hospital and then completely ignored it.’
Her friends looked at her expectantly, like she was supposed to be asking for atonement or some shit. ‘They’re hardly cardinal sins.’
Eloisa pinched the bridge of her nose, while Shey’s amber eyes softened. ‘We know. We’re just worried about you. You never waste this much energy or emotion over a guy.’
Yeah, because there had never been a guy like Max. Not that it mattered now.
Her silence drew Eloisa’s scrutiny. ‘You’re falling for him.’
She shrugged. ‘Doesn’t matter. He’s made it clear it can’t go any further.’
‘Why?’ Shey asked.
Her throat burned as she told them the whole story – leaving nothing out. A few tears were shed, but after the day she’d had there wasn’t much she could do about that. By halfway through she was on the sofa in the middle of them both with a glass of much-needed white wine in her hand that they filled up for her over and over.
When she was finished, Shey hugged her. ‘I’m so sorry, Georgia.’
Yeah, she was too.
Georgia finished the last of the wine and Shey took the glass through to the kitchen. Her head was fuzzy, but then she’d downed most of the bottle herself in record time.
Eloisa had been silent through her confession, but now she was frowning. ‘You need to go after him. He wants you and actually cares about you, so there’s something you’re missing that’s holding him back. Go get what you want. It’s the only way you’ll ever be happy.’
She spoke so quietly Georgia knew it wasn’t something she wanted Shey to hear. When the gorgeous brunette returned with a fresh bottle and a tub of ice-cream, Eloisa bounced off the sofa and headed straight for the DVD collection while she was left reeling at her friend’s weird advice.
‘We need something funny, with no sappy love story,’ Shey said.
Georgia didn’t concentrate on the movie. Her mind was too consumed with what it was she was missing.
Chapter 9
The rest of the week rolled by too fast. Every day Georgia had gone to work wondering if today was the day she’d bump into Max and endure the horrible awkwardness. Or the longing for him would spill out in the form of begging. But his car hadn’t been in the car park when she got to Briggs, and wasn’t there when she left either.
Come Friday night she wanted to curl up on the sofa with two guys, Ben & Jerry, watching crappy TV into the middle of the night. She never seemed to get what she wanted these days.
She was pounced on the second she got home by two annoying jackasses who made sure she’d slipped into something sexy. Now they were at Club Zero, hours earlier than usual, ordering margaritas instead of shots. The mirrored wall behind the bar showed a different person to the one she felt standing next to her friends. Georgia’s hair was tousled and hung loose. Her make-up was smoky, with only light-pink gloss highlighting her lips. The dark-rose dress she wore belonged to Eloisa, so it was more daring than elegant.
‘Drink up,’ Shey said, pushing a huge glass into her hand. ‘Then we hit the tequila. Tonight’s going to be fun.’
Georgia pulled her lips in a smile and held her glass up. They’d managed to flog better tables since they’d arrived before most of the swarms. Something Shey had probably instigated on purpose to snag Georgia a well-packaged distraction. Eloisa was too quiet, like she didn’t agree with the plan.
She was too far gone wallowing in her own self-pity to worry about why Eloisa was keeping secrets from Shey.
They clinked, then downed half of the liquid in the glass. She kept going, drinking till her throat burned and her gag reflex kicked in. She ignored her friends’ worried eyes and wished the loud music had started up, but that didn’t start until after nine so talking would be on Shey’s agenda. Georgia couldn’t face that without something less diluted. She rose to get another round in. This time shots.
‘I’ll help,’ Eloisa offered, but Georgia shook her head.
‘Same again? I’m moving onto something else.’
‘Take it easy,’ Shey said.
‘Right,’ she replied, but it wasn’t in agreement.
She made her way through the throng surrounding the bar. It was going to be a nightmare getting served. Spying a gap in the line at the far end of the stretch of servers, she headed straight for it. The bartender took his time making his way to her, despite the fact she clasped a fifty in her hand in plain sight.
To pass the time, she checked out who was there tonight. Maybe Shey was right. Perhaps finding a distraction would take her mind off Max. There were a few potentials, dressed sharp and only sipping at beers instead of downing them. Maybe even the guy with the dark hair a few tables down.
He smiled at her and Georgia returned the gesture. Not wanting to come across as too keen, she turned her back on him, making sure to sway her hips a little in the process. Now he was hooked, she was sure of it. So why did ice suddenly line her stomach? Shit.
She turned, intent on getting out of the way of the guy she’d flirted with. Even caught him rising from the chair from the corner of her eye. That’s when she saw Max. If she’d thought the pain she felt on Mon
day was extreme, this was way worse. His attention was focused on a pretty brunette who was talking to him, her hand gestures as she spoke completely over the top. There were drinks on the table in front of them like they’d both been there a while and weren’t moving anytime soon.
She swayed in her shoes a little, until a warm palm settled on her hips. She jerked her head around.
The guy she’d spontaneously hooked was smiling down at her. ‘How about I get you a drink?’
Yeah, she could go ten drinks right now. But not with this guy. He was gorgeous, with big brown eyes and a chiseled jaw. His shoulders weren’t narrow, but no way would she be able to rest both her thighs on them in the bedroom. Crap, she had to stop comparing men to Max. Especially since he’d clearly moved on.
‘I’m here with friends,’ she said, not wanting to lead him on.
‘That’s cool. We can get to know each other while you get them a round in. I’m Donnelly, by the way.’ He led her back to wait in line before she could protest.
When they reached the bar, his arm slipped around her waist again. ‘And you are?’
Disappointed. Where was the rush of attraction, the thrill of flirting? Was it crushed knowing Max was not even twenty feet away with someone else, or was it because Donnelly wasn’t Max?
‘I’m Georgia,’ she said and forced a smile. Why couldn’t she have the flirting? She had to get Max out of her head.
Donnelly reached for a strand of her hair and she had to force her feet to stay put. She didn’t want to look at the why’s too closely. Still, she darted a glance at Max’s table and her heart took off. He was scowling at Donnelly’s hand, his jaw clenched hard and his brows down.
Who the fuck did Max think he was? The ass was there with another woman and he was giving Donnelly daggers? Suddenly she was all fired up, and maybe not for the right reasons, but she didn’t care. Max was tearing her up inside, worse than anyone ever had.
In that second she wanted payback.
She took Donnelly’s hands and wove her fingers through his. He smiled at her. ‘So Georgia, what do you do for a living?’