by Alison Bliss
Damn it. Thinking of shit like that wasn’t helping his situation any. He shifted his position a little to keep from having to reach down and rearrange himself in front of her. Then he sighed. It was now or never. He needed to say something before she—
“Would you like to come inside?” she asked, her eyes glittering up at him.
Great. Much to his chagrin, the woman beat him to it.
Chapter Nine
Jessa hadn’t meant to invite him in.
Damn it. She knew that sleeping with the health inspector would be a very bad idea for both of them. Yet the constant flirting and thick sexual tension lying between them made her forget all about those frustrating little details.
She wanted him. And judging from the way his intense eyes focused on her, letting his gaze roam over her body, she was pretty sure he wanted her too. Thank God for that. She’d never before spent an entire evening pulling her virtual panties back up because they were involuntarily creeping down her legs every time her date’s eyes met hers.
Until Max.
If he had that kind of naughty effect on her mind with just a simple look, she could only imagine what he’d do to her body with a single touch. So she’d taken a chance and asked him inside. But he hadn’t answered her yet, which was starting to worry her a little. “Well? Would you like to come in or not?”
Max hesitated once again, shifting uncomfortably. “Maybe we could just talk out here for a few minutes instead.”
Huh. Weird. Had she read the situation between them wrong? Maybe he hadn’t been interested at all and it had been just wishful thinking on her part. “Um, okay.”
He backed away from her and leaned against the hand railing with his hip. “So how do you like living in Granite?”
Really? That’s what he wants to talk about? “It’s nice,” she said, trying not to let her disappointment color her tone. She was horny as hell, and this was the last thing she wanted to discuss at the moment. But she continued on anyway. “I love the people here. Everyone has been really welcoming. Now all I need is a friend to…occupy my spare time.”
Sheesh. Could you be more obvious, Jess?
His gaze traveled over her body once more before landing on her face. “I’ll be your friend,” Max said with a lazy, sexy drawl.
The way he was looking at her was a hell of a lot more than friendly. “Of course. I’m happy to be friends with you too. I mean, that is what we are, right?” Her gaze lowered to the rock-hard bulge pressing against the seam of his pants. “Just, ah…friends.”
Jesus. She was totally fishing again. Tossing out a line while hoping he’d take the bait so that she could reel him in. Pathetic.
“Jessa.”
“Yes,” she breathed out, her tongue running across her bottom lip.
“If you don’t stop looking at the bulge in my pants while licking your lips, things between us are going to get a lot more friendly than we mean for them to.”
Her eyes lifted back to his. “Would that be so bad?”
Max breathed out a sigh. “I can’t…er, I mean, we probably shouldn’t.”
Jessa blinked rapidly, and heat rushed to her face. “Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I just thought…” She shook her head so hard that dizziness swamped her, and her stomach tied itself in knots. God, she couldn’t believe she’d misread his signals the entire night. “Never mind. I’ll just stop talking and go inside before I make an even bigger ass out of myself.”
His voice was low, demanding. “Jess, wait.”
“No, it’s okay,” she said, quickly unlocking her door and stepping inside. “I just misunderstood, that’s all. But don’t worry, Max. Things are perfectly clear now. Drive safe.”
She started to shut the door, but a hand shot out and kept it from closing. From behind the door, she cringed and said, “Good night, Max.”
The hand stayed put. “Open the door, Jess.”
“No.”
“I’m not leaving until you do.”
She inhaled a deep breath and swung it open until he could once again see her face. “Did you need something?”
His gaze swept over her face, and his eyes deepened in color. “Yes. I need you to invite me inside again.”
Great. Now he apparently felt bad that she’d gotten the wrong idea. Or he was a vampire. Hopefully it was the latter. “It’s okay, Max. I’m fine.”
He stepped closer. “Invite. Me. Inside.”
She shook her head adamantly. “Look, I think it’s sweet that you’re afraid you hurt my feelings, but I promise I’ll live. It’s not the first time I’ve been turned down, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.”
He placed both hands on the frame of the door and leaned forward, his face looking more serious than she’d ever seen it. “I am normally a nice guy, Jess. But don’t you ever make the mistake of thinking I’m a gentleman. Because unless you invite me in right now, I’m going to pull you out here with me and take you on the goddamn porch.”
Her mouth went dry, and something tugged low and deep as the heat of his words swirled through her. “Um, come inside?” Her voice cracked slightly.
A sinful smile curved his mouth. “Don’t mind if I do,” he said as he swept past her.
She closed the door behind him and released a shaky breath. But she’d barely managed to turn around before he shoved her back against the door and his mouth came crashing down on hers.
Christ. A little warning next time.
Actually, who was she kidding? She loved it when a man took her mouth by force. After, of course, he’d gotten permission from her. Which he clearly knew he had after their embarrassing conversation on the porch.
Max lifted his head. “Stop thinking.” Then he grasped her wrists and held them over her head against the cold wood of the door as he lowered his mouth once more and slid his warm tongue inside hers.
With his hips pinning hers, he bent his knees until his rock-hard cock prodded suggestively against the cleft between her shaky legs. Then he undulated gently, causing the friction of her panties to rub over her in the most sensitive of places while her breath caught in her throat and hot flames of desire seared through her.
Her body shivered, and a moan caught in her throat.
She longed for him to slip his fingers into her panties. To touch her in a more direct way that would ease this burning ache that was smothering her from the inside out. Then he could shove the material aside and enter her hard and fast, screwing her into oblivion.
Releasing her wrists, Max let his hands fall to her face and then clasped his fingers around the back of her neck, with each thumb making light circular motions at her jawline beneath her earlobes. He nibbled at her lips, teasing and tasting them for the longest time before deepening the kiss once more.
Then everything slowed down even more as he took a step back from her. “Okay, that’s it.”
What? The hell it is! She opened her mouth to say those words exactly, but he grasped her by the hand and yanked her into the living room.
Max paused by the couch and took in his surroundings. She didn’t know what he was looking for, but she hoped like hell it had to do with a bed and some sheets they could get tangled in. “Max?”
“Hold on a second,” he said calmly, still surveying the room.
It was only a one-bedroom cottage, so there really wasn’t much to see. Almost everything she owned was within view from where he stood. But she watched his gaze move from the sectional sofa, its large fabric-covered ottoman, the matching recliner, and then finally onto the small dining room table just off the tiny kitchen.
“Over here,” he said, leading her toward the solid wood table.
She waited patiently as he pulled out the end chair and set it to the side. But when he turned back toward her with a sly grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye, her heart began to pound, and her pulse raced.
Max threaded his fingers into her hair, tugging lightly until she moved forward enough that her lips were back on his. She was so cau
ght up in the kiss that she didn’t even realize their feet had been moving until her butt bumped into the table that was somehow now behind her.
Without warning, he broke the lip lock and twisted her body around until she faced away from him. Then he placed a large hand on her upper back and gently pushed her forward until she bent at the waist. He reached around her and grasped her hands, flattening them on the table.
His low, sexy voice rumbled in her ear. “Keep them there.”
She did as he ordered, but her body vibrated with anticipation as his hands trailed up her arms, over her back, and down toward her bottom. Her legs shook as he lifted the back of her skirt and smoothed his rough hands over the satiny panties covering her rear end. And when he gave them a little tug downward and let the silk flutter to the floor, her lungs seized her breath, holding it captive.
Have mercy. The man was going to screw her senseless while she was bent over her dining room table. The thought alone caused a tingling sensation to spread throughout her lower body. She would never be able to eat at this table again without thinking about him and the way he was making her feel. He wasn’t even inside of her yet, but her nerves were already shooting off like fireworks.
Spreading her legs apart with his foot, Max leaned over her, brushing his large hand between her inner thighs and over her sex. His fingers dipped between the folds and swirled through the wetness, probing lightly at her entrance, as if he was testing whether or not she was ready to accept him.
She definitely was.
But he didn’t enter her. Instead, he slid one arm under her waist, pulling her back firmly against him and whispered, “Do you know your neighbors?”
At the strange question, she glanced over her shoulder. “Not yet. Why?”
A smug grin lit up his face. “Because they’re about to know me really well. By name. Repeatedly.”
Jessa started to laugh, but the sound turned into more of a gasping moan as he tunneled two large fingers inside of her.
* * *
Max nearly came in his pants right then.
The strangled sound Jessa had made shot scorching fire through his veins and hot lava into his aching balls. The heavy, unexpected pressure of his fingers sliding into her tightness had forced her onto her tiptoes and lifted her hips higher as she flattened her body against the wooden table beneath her. That provided the perfect angle for what he wanted to do to her.
But first things first.
Max kneeled down behind her, and the subtle scent of her arousal filled his nostrils. Something dark and intense moved through him, and his cock twitched against his leg, spiking his edginess to the next degree. Fucking hell. Not yet.
For the past week, he’d longed to know how she tasted, how she would feel quivering against his tongue, wanted to hear her scream his name as he brought her to climax. And that was damn sure what he was going to do.
He loved the power he felt while pleasuring a woman. He loved the sleepy, relaxed look in their eyes after they came so hard that they felt it all the way to the core of their soul. And he was absolutely determined to make sure Jessa experienced that. Even if he had to do this all night.
Not to be conceited, but he was a fairly well-hung man, and she was tight as hell. His two fingers fit her snugly, but he planned to take his time, making sure she was wet and ready for him. Because he damn sure was ready for her.
Tilting his hand, Max moved closer and pressed his mouth to her sensitive bundle of nerves just below, sucking the nub into his awaiting mouth. They both moaned at the same time—her, from the overwhelming sensations he was causing, and him, from the sweet taste of her warm nectar. His fingers slowly pumped in and out of her with accuracy and precision, gliding over her G-spot with every pass.
It didn’t take long at all before her soft murmurs grew louder and her inner muscles clamped down persistently on his fingers, begging him to move them faster. Jessa was so damn close to letting go that he thought she might burst at any second. Normally, he would’ve happily obliged and sent her flying over the edge, but his cock was so hard and revved up that he knew if he did, he would never make it inside of her before he shot off a load himself. And he wanted them to climax together.
So he pulled away and rose to his feet behind her.
Almost immediately, she released a sound of disappointment, expressing her impatience at having her gratification delayed. Which only made him grin.
Max hurried to remove his clothes and pulled out the condom he’d put in his pocket before leaving the house earlier that evening. Okay, yeah, so maybe he was a bastard after all. “One second, baby. I promise I’ll make you feel good.”
“I have news for you,” she panted out. “I was already feeling pretty damn good until you stopped what you were doing.”
The condom wrapper made a crinkling sound as he ripped it open, and his dick swayed with anticipation. “You will again, I assure you,” he said, rolling the latex on his length. “I want you to come on my cock. I need to feel you pulsing around me.”
She moaned under her breath. “Mmm, I like the sound of that.”
Thank God. Because the last thing he wanted to do was admit that she was making him feel like a teenager again. Not that he ever got laid all that much back then. All those years ago, he recalled thinking about having sex with a beautiful woman much more than he’d actually done it. Which only made him glad that he was no longer so young and dumb when it came to females anymore. Not usually anyway.
Max positioned the blunt head of his cock at her entrance and inched forward slowly, giving her time to become accustomed to his girth.
Jessa tensed, and her hips lifted higher. “Uh, Max?”
Knowing what she was thinking, he grinned. “Don’t worry. I’m going to go slow, I promise.”
“Are you sure you’ll fit?”
Max stifled a chuckle. “I’ll fit. I’m just being careful so I don’t hurt you.” His fingers were already causing a depression in her skin where he was hanging on to her hips for dear life. As the crown of his penis slipped fully inside of her, his vision blurred and a groan left his throat. “Sweetheart, you tell me if it’s too much and I’ll stop, okay?” His voice was strangled, as if the life was being choked out of him. And as tight as she was, it definitely felt that way.
“If you dare stop, Max, I’ll kill you dead with my bare hands.”
“Deal.” He slid a little farther inside of her and grunted from the extreme amount of pressure around him.
Max was eager to explore the silken vise that wrapped around him so tightly. Every fiber of his being pleaded with him to thrust forward, but his sensible side knew that the journey to this new, unfamiliar territory would be even more rewarding the slower he went. For both of them. So he calculated the angle of entry and rocked gently into her, inch by inch, until he was fully seated inside of her.
With the back of his hand, he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. “Still doing all right?”
She gave an unintelligible moan and a firm nod, which was good enough for him. So he slid one hand under her and touched her intimately as he began to rock in and out of her at a slow, dragging pace. He concentrated on pleasuring her with his hand, grinding his palm against her and scissoring her clit between his fingers. All the while, keeping a steady, unhurried rhythm that seemed to suit them both just fine.
As her breathing quickened so did the speed and strength of his thrusts. Her hips writhed against him, rising and falling in time with him as her inner muscles clasped him tighter. Urging him on. Demanding more of him. Then Jessa did something that nearly sent him over the edge prematurely. She hoisted one of her legs high onto the table, causing him to drill deeper into her depths than ever before.
His blood bubbled in his veins. “Christ, you’re flexible as hell.”
“I…do…yoga,” she said simply as her breaths panted out of her with the power of his thrusts and the surge of her body.
Of course she does. “Don’t stop,” he suggested,
hoping to God she listened to him. Because that little move of hers was fucking hot.
Moments later, when Jessa gripped the edges of the table and arched her back, Max removed his hand from her and sharpened all of his focus on pumping faster and harder, pounding her from behind as he felt her shiver.
“Oh God, oh God. I…I’m…”
“I know, babe. God, you’re so tight. It feels amazing.”
In between the deep moans, the tortured gasps of pleasure, and the twitching shudders racking her body, she screamed his name several times, which only stimulated his libido more. It was beautiful music to his ears, and Max had never been more aroused by a woman than he was in that moment.
He clutched at her hips as his wound-up body convulsed behind her, his cock jerking inside her as his release came. He grunted loudly with each spasm, letting himself go inside of her as the slope of her soft cheeks slapped against his hard thighs. Spent, Max stilled his movements.
Bracing his hands on the table around her, he leaned forward, motionless. Although breathing was difficult for him just yet, he wanted to make sure she was all right and that he hadn’t hurt her. “Jess, you still doing okay?”
She purred and stretched like a kitten after a long afternoon nap. “God, yes. Couldn’t be better.”
Max ran his hands over her soft curves and blew out a hard breath. Now that all the blood wasn’t rushing straight to his groin, his senses were coming back to him.
And that wasn’t a good thing.
Chapter Ten
Jessa didn’t have a clue what to say.
While Max had been in the bathroom disposing of the condom, she’d slid her panties back on and returned the dining room chair back to its rightful place. She planned to sanitize the table too, but he returned before she’d gotten the chance. Now he was just standing there staring at her with a bleak expression and a look of regret and disappointment in his eyes.