“See? I told you you’d like it,” Tahlia said as they left the yoga studio and began to explore the farm and the institute’s sustainability program before venturing to the art center.
Maximus knew that Tahlia would appreciate the painting workshop, so he left her there and took in a leadership workshop. He immersed himself for an hour in the transformation leadership session about how he could live his authentic self while nourishing the lives of others.
They ended their self-reflective day with hour-long massages followed by a dip in the hot springs. He and Tahlia opted to wear swim trunks and bathing suits while others went with the clothing-optional route. Maximus thought Tahlia would shy away from the experience, but then she’d surprised him by removing her bikini top and then her bottom and luxuriating in the water.
“Don’t be afraid,” she teased as she stood there completely nude.
Her abandon caused Maximus to lose his trunks and circle his arms around her. They basked in their freedom until the sun began to set and it was time to head back to the inn.
It was by far the most liberating experience Maximus had ever had. Tahlia brought out a different side of him, a more playful side. Instead of following a set, rigid path, she was opening him up to new experiences and allowing him to let go. He wasn’t sure he’d fully be able to thank her for the joy she was bringing into his life. All he could do was show her.
After showering, they donned the thick terry cloth robes that came with the suite and chose to have room service outside on the deck facing the cliffs. Tahlia stepped outside first, giving Maximus just enough time to slide a condom into his robe pocket. When he joined her on the deck, the staff had already set up a candlelit table for two with silver domes covering their meal.
“I really enjoyed today,” he said, staring at her from across the table after they were seated.
“Which part?” she asked, amused. “Your meditation workshop? No, wait, I bet it was that leadership talk. That had to be really gripping.” She chuckled to herself.
“You know that wasn’t it.”
“Oh, no?” she asked, her eyes filled with glee.
“It was seeing you take off your bikini and bask in your nudity.”
A blush crept up Tahlia’s face, starting from her neck and moving to her cheeks. She looked downward and then up at him. “I’ve never done that before.”
“Gone skinny-dipping?” He’d done it only once, at Harvard as part of a dare.
She nodded. “No, not ever. I was living in the moment.”
“So am I.” Maximus rose from his chair, and in two steps he had Tahlia in his arms. He would have loved to have made love to her in the hot springs, but they were not alone, so he’d had to temper his passion for her, but not now. He wanted her hot, naked and bucking underneath him. He reached between them and untied the knot, letting the robe slip from her shoulders and fall to the floor. Then he grasped both sides of her face and kissed her like he’d wanted to do earlier.
* * *
Tahlia wrapped her arms around Maximus’s middle as he made love to her mouth. His tongue darting in and out was such sweet torture that she moaned. She arced her body to find contact with him, eager to relieve the friction between her thighs, but instead of giving her what he wanted, his lips left hers, sliding down her body to the swell of her breast. She was so sensitive that when he drew the first bud into his hot waiting mouth and laved it with his tongue, she moaned. When she swayed, Maximus kept a steady hold on her, keeping her upright. Then his mouth traveled slowly down her breasts to her belly until he was bending before her and cupping her swollen mound.
“Oh, yes,” Tahlia moaned when he slid a finger inside her folds.
“Does that feel good?” He glanced up at her; his eyes were molten fire.
“Y-yes,” she cried out softly, not sure she could survive the pleasure Maximus was inflicting on her most sensitive place.
“How about that?” he asked, adding yet another finger inside her and swirling it around.
“Oh, God, yes...” Tahlia threw her head back in abandon.
“Then you’re going to love this.” He replaced his fingers with his mouth, and she closed her eyes, leaning her head against the glass doors of the deck as he took her to ecstasy.
* * *
Maximus thought he would dictate the pace of the evening, but he’d been wrong. Tahlia was a force to be reckoned with, and she was showing him that she wanted him to possess her. He quickly pulled out a condom and barely had time to put it on before Tahlia threw her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. Maximus knew what she wanted and what his body demanded, and he thrust upward, sinking into her with an animalistic shout.
“You’re mine, Tahlia,” he groaned when she began moving her hips deliberately, letting him know that he was hers, too.
All he could do was stand firm, supporting her weight with his hands clasped under her buttocks as she ground her hips up and down on his shaft, driving them both to the peak of ecstasy and back again. He could feel her inner walls contracting all around him, and this time, Maximus was the first to cry out his release, with Tahlia following an instant later as she bucked against him.
Limp, her legs fell to the floor, so he moved swiftly, lifting her in his arms and carrying her to the bed. Then he lay down beside her, amazed at how perfectly they fit together. He’d never let go like that with a woman. He’d always been sure his lovers came first, but he’d been powerless to resist Tahlia’s hold over him.
They’d come together like two forces of nature, but now he wanted to take his time and slow the pace of their lovemaking. They continued kissing, touching and teasing until they both fell into an exhausted yet blissful sleep.
Chapter 11
“I’m in love with Maximus,” Tahlia told Kaitlynn after returning from her Big Sur getaway the next day. Her sister had stopped by the gallery to preview some of the selections Tahlia might put up for her exhibit. The words just slipped from her lips because she’d been dying to say them out loud and had almost said as much in Big Sur when Maximus had made love to her so gently, her eyes had filled with tears. But she’d kept the words to herself. Tahlia wasn’t sure how Maximus would react or what he would say. She knew he was into her—that much was obvious. But how much? Did it transcend the physical like it had for her?
“Wow! Okay.” Kaitlynn sat across from Tahlia in her office and leaned back in her chair. “I certainly wasn’t expecting that revelation today. Do you feel better now that you’ve said it out loud?”
Tahlia nodded.
“Has Maximus said the words back? Has he told you he loves you, too?”
Tahlia shook her head. “No, because I’ve only told you.”
“Me?” Kaitlynn’s voice rose an octave. “I would think you’d be telling him. You know, shouting it from the rooftops and all that. You’re the romantic one, while I’m the practical one.”
“Well, I’m being practical here,” Tahlia responded ruefully. “I’m not sure of Maximus’s feelings for me—” she drew her brows together “—or at least not entirely, so I’m kind of playing it close to the vest.”
“Because of Paul?”
“You know how open I was with him. How I just laid my heart bare only to find out we weren’t compatible. I won’t do that again, Kaitlynn. I have learned from my past mistakes.”
“Of course you have. But don’t you think you should try to see how Max does feel about you?”
Tahlia came from around her desk and sat beside Kaitlynn. “Yes, I do...”
“But...”
“I don’t know, something’s holding me back.”
Kaitlynn stared at her. “You don’t trust him entirely, do you?”
Tahlia bowed her head. She didn’t want to admit that Kaitlynn’s warnings had merit. Tahlia
didn’t really know what Maximus expected from their working relationship, and because of it, despite how much she’d fallen for him, she hesitated revealing her true feelings for him.
“Tahlia?”
When she finally glanced up, tears shone on her lashes. “I worry that you could be right about Max.”
“That he could be using you for your vote?”
Tahlia nodded. “I don’t want to have these doubts, Kaitlynn, and he’s never asked me to vote for him, but at the same time I can’t ignore that they’re there and they’re valid. We did get involved so quickly. Yet we’ve never really talked how my two percent share and vote would work, but I guess I’ll find out soon.”
“What’s going to happen to help you decide?”
“We have a board meeting at Knight Shipping. It’s the first one since Arthur’s death. Both Lucius’s and my attendance is recommended. I know I’ll be there, and I’m sure Lucius will be, too. It amuses him to toy with Max.”
“So you’ll find out Maximus’s true motives then,” Kaitlynn said. “Surely that must give you some comfort that you’ll know one way or another how he truly feels about you.”
“Does it?” Tahlia inquired. “Or will it shatter all my hopes and dreams of a future with Max?”
“You could talk to him now before the meeting. See where his head is. And if he’s honest with you, you’ll know where you stand.”
Tahlia nodded, but she was scared to face the truth. She didn’t want to lose what she had with Maximus, but if they didn’t have honesty and trust, the foundations of any good relationship, what did they have?
* * *
“Maximus.” His mother beamed when he stopped to visit her at the estate on Tuesday evening. He hadn’t seen her much in the last few weeks because he’d been spending much of his time with Tahlia or staying at his own place. Even though he’d spent the entire weekend with Tahlia at Big Sur, he’d still stayed at her place the last two evenings since their return.
“Mother.” He kissed both of her cheeks.
“Where have you been hiding yourself? I’ve barely seen you.”
“I’ve been staying at the penthouse.”
“During my time of need?” she queried.
Guilt assailed Maximus. She was right. His father had been gone only a couple of months and she was still grieving, although in his opinion, Arthur Knight did not deserve her tears, or any emotion, for that part. Since the truth about Lucius had come out that night at the hospital, Maximus had found it hard to have any sort of compassion for him.
However, he’d been a good son and stood by his father’s bedside as he’d tried to recover from the massive heart attack he’d had while in bed with Jocelyn, but that was as far as it went. It was as if the love he’d once had for his father had evaporated. Not that Maximus had shown his love easily. Why should he when Arthur had always rebuffed his overtures?
Maximus could remember a time when he was nine years old and he’d been so proud of a project showing the creation of Knight Shipping and all that his father had achieved. His father had scoffed at it and asked him if that was the best he could do. Maximus had immediately smashed the project until it lay in tiny pieces on the floor.
“Max, are you all right?” his mother asked when she noticed he was a million miles away, in the past with all the memories of a father who’d never truly loved him.
He blinked several times. “Yes, I’m fine. And I’m sorry I’ve stayed away too long. Come, let’s have dinner together.”
He stayed at the estate with his mother and shared their cook’s delicious dinner, but Maximus felt uneasy. He usually enjoyed his mother’s company, but not tonight. There was a nagging in the pit of his stomach that he just couldn’t shake, and he moved the food on his plate from one side to the other.
“You don’t like the squab?” his mother inquired, peering at his full plate.
He glanced down at the tiny fowl and shook his head. “It’s fine. I mean, it’s delicious.”
“There’s something on your mind. What is it, Max?”
Maximus glanced up at her. “Hmm...”
“It’s the board meeting tomorrow, isn’t it?”
His brow furrowed. “How did you know about that?”
“Just because I’m not involved in Knight Shipping doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s going on. And it’s your first meeting since your father died.”
“True.”
“And it’s the first time that you’ll find out just how bad you’ll butt heads with your father’s illegitimate spawn.”
“Mother, must you call him that? He is my brother, after all.”
“A brother you never knew anything about.”
“And whose fault is that? All the adults in our lives made sure Lucius and I could never get to know each other. Maybe if we had we wouldn’t be at each other’s throats now.” Maximus pushed back from the table and began pacing the floor. “This could have all been avoided if you, Father and Jocelyn, for that matter, had been honest.”
Charlotte Knight rose from her seat in a flurry. “I’ll tell you what it would have been like, Maximus. Your father would have left us to be with his other family, leaving me to raise you alone. That’s what would have happened. I did what I had to do to keep my family intact, to make sure my son was on top.”
Maximus sighed heavily. “And in the end it was all for naught, wasn’t it? Because I’m not on top, Mother, and I never will be. I have to share the throne with Lucius.”
His mother’s head dropped down, and tears slid down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Max. If I had any idea that your father would have done this, I would have...”
“Blackmailed him into keeping me as head of Knight Shipping?” Maximus snorted. “All that would have brought about is more hate and animosity from him, and I think I got plenty of that when he was alive.”
His mother held her head in her hands and began sobbing. Maximus rushed over to her and pulled her into his arms. He held her until her sobs began to quiet. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured against his chest. “I did my best.”
“I know you did,” Maximus responded softly. He couldn’t be mad at her. She was the only family he had left. Or was she? He did have a half brother, but there was no way a relationship between the two of them was possible.
“And tomorrow—” she glanced up at him “—do you think the Armstrong girl will vote your way now that you’ve been seeing each other?”
Now there was a million-dollar question if ever there was one. He’d set out on a path to seduce Tahlia, and in the end it was he who’d been seduced by her, by her beauty and by her spirit. But tomorrow was judgment day. He’d shared with Tahlia his feelings about expanding Knight Shipping. She knew how much it meant to him. But he also couldn’t ask her to vote with him. He wanted her to do it because she believed in him. But would she? Would Tahlia vote with him or against him?
* * *
Tahlia was uneasy as she prepared for bed. She’d been antsy all night, and even a cup of her favorite chamomile tea had done little to help calm her frayed nerves. She was on edge about tomorrow’s board meeting. She knew the significance of the meeting and the possibility of brother-against-brother, and it weighed heavily on her mind. After leaving Kaitlynn, she’d thought she’d feel better. She’d spoken her feelings aloud. But she hadn’t told the one person who mattered most: Maximus.
If theirs was a normal relationship, she might be willing to take the risk, but it wasn’t. There was a thread linking the two of them together. A thread that threatened to destroy everything between them.
Tahlia was surprised when her doorbell rang. It was after 10:00 p.m., and she was getting ready for bed. She had on her favorite nightie and bunny slippers, and her hair was tied in an unattractive messy bun. She peeked through the peephole, and her breath caug
ht in throat. Maximus was standing on the other side. What was he doing here so late?
He knocked softly on her door. “Tahlia?”
She didn’t hesitate and swung open the door. He was leaning against it, looking sexy in jeans and a pullover V-neck sweater. “Max?”
He walked toward her, pulled her in his arms and kicked the door shut with his foot. Then he began kissing her with such masterful passion that she lost her breath. She reacted without question and curled her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Then she jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around him. He caught her and carried her to the bedroom.
They didn’t talk as they undressed each other. Instead, Tahlia merely lifted her arms so Maximus could remove her nightie as she kicked off her slippers. And he did the same when she pulled his sweater off and reached for the zipper on his jeans. She pushed them and his briefs down his legs, and he stepped out of them; his perfect body was completely open to her gaze. They met on the bed, falling back against the pillows. He tugged the clip in her hair free and glided his fingers through her tresses.
It felt good to have him touch her. And when he dipped his head to kiss her and she felt the stubble on his cheek, Tahlia was happy he’d come. They could have this one last night together before circumstances inevitably forced them to make a stand. When she felt his tongue darting through her parted lips, she went mad, kissing him back with everything she had. There was nothing more arousing, except maybe having him inside her.
She sighed with delight when Maximus left her lips and began to tongue her ear and nip at her neck. As he moved away and went lower, Tahlia shamelessly thrust her breasts at him, and he took the bait. He toyed with them first, playing with her nipples between his thumb and forefinger, and then his mouth was on her, laving her with hot flicks of his tongue.
When he finally suckled them, Tahlia bucked as the sensations he evoked ricocheted through her. But he didn’t stop tormenting her. His path went downward to her belly. He teased her with light kisses and soft touches. His hands caressed the curve of her hip and thighs, but instead of going to the place she wanted him to, he flicked his tongue across the sensitive spot at the back of her knees and went lower to massage her calves and feet.
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