by Rebel Hart
I nodded. “Thanks for the update.”
“So what’s got you out and about today, John? Picking up pain meds? Or you tired of all those spaghetti dinners you choke down every night?” Max asked.
John shrugged. “I don’t know. Figured I’d come out after picking up my vitamins and maybe try to steal your girl in the process.”
“Wait, what?” I asked.
Rupert roared with laughter. “Good luck. Max has been after this one for a while.”
John grinned. “You don’t have to tell me twice. He’s practically stopped bringing girls home since this one came into his life.”
Max took a pull of his beer. “Not my fault I found the cream of the crop and you’re stuck with my sloppy seconds.”
John pointed at him. “That only happened twice.”
Max chuckled. “And the first time was because the girl was still so drunk that she wandered into your room instead of back to mine.”
I held up my hand. “Uh, hi. I’m right here.”
Rupert snickered. “Yeah, Max. She’s right here.”
John bent back down to my ear. “It was three years ago. Don’t worry about it.”
A guy piped up from behind me. “Oh! Tell her about the one who tracked you down at the club meeting!”
The entire room groaned as I quirked an eyebrow at Max.
“What happened now?” I asked.
He picked up a chicken wing. “I’m gonna need some more booze for that story.”
“Because you fucked her anyway? Or because you’re sitting with a girl you want to fuck but haven’t yet and you’re trying to save your chances?” I asked.
Max’s eyes connected with mine as the pub exploded in roaring laughter. People banged their fists on tables and stomped their feet on the floor. Even the bartender--as unfriendly as he was--cracked a smile at my words. Max held the chicken wing in front of his face, seemingly startled at my words. And I couldn't blame him, because I was, too.
Where in the world had those words come from?
“Oh, shit. That was good. Holy fuck,” Rupert said through his laughter.
“I have to admit, that was good. Hoo-wee, I’ve never heard a girl go in on my brother like that.”
I kept holding Max’s gaze, hoping and praying I hadn’t insulted him in any way. As my heart stopped in my chest, I watched him take a massive bite of his chicken wing. He practically stuffed the entire thing into his mouth and slowly pulled it out, removing all the meat with his tongue. An action that made me shiver and my toes curl.
Then he leveled me with another wink, one that settled my nervous gut and helped me relax into the atmosphere of the pub.
36
Max
I placed money onto the table before I stood. As I reached my hand out for hers, I heard the guys whooping and whistling around me. I grinned as Dani blushed, slipping her soft hand against mine. And as my fingers wrapped against her skin, I led her to the front door.
“Have a nice night, you two!”
“Get it, pillow princess!”
“Don’t let him have all the fun now!”
Dani giggled. “He’ll have to fight me for it, that’s for sure!”
The bar let up a slew of claps and whistles as a growl burst forth from my chest. This girl had been using that kind of language all night. Cursing. Making sexual innuendos. Blushing at me and alluding to things with her eyes that made my gut churn with desire for her. She was scratching on a door she wasn’t ready to open. But damn it, I was ready to open it.
“I like your friends. They’re a lot nicer than they look.”
I grinned. “Yeah? Were you nervous?”
She reached for her helmet. “Yeah, a bit. I mean, when I first saw them. But they’re nice. And funny.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
I watched her undo the strap on her helmet. She kept fumbling with it. She leaned against my bike and tucked the helmet underneath her arm to try and get a good grip on it. She looked so cute during her struggle, trying to get the damn thing unclipped and moving her hair out of the way long enough to slide the helmet over her head. She huffed and grumbled with the cutest little voice I’d ever heard.
“I’m glad you had a good time, beautiful.”
She lifted her head. “Huh?”
I wrapped my arm around her quickly, pulling her into my chest. And as her eyes grew wide, I went in for the kill. I crashed my lips against hers as soft thumps and claps could be heard behind me. Not even the walls of the pub could mute their sounds of joy. I knew they were watching. Waiting to see what might happen. And as Dani let me claim her mouth, my body filled with desperation for her.
“I think they really like you,” I murmured.
She giggled as she pulled back, then finally, the helmet slid down onto her head. I pressed my naked forehead against the visor of her helmet, enjoying her warmth for a few more seconds. What had this girl done to me? This little college girl with no more knowledge of the world than the back of my fucking toilet. It astounded me. I still hadn’t figured it out.
I didn’t want it to stop, though.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
“I don’t have classes in the morning.”
I furrowed my brow as I reached for the button that flipped up her visor.
“What was that?” I asked.
She blushed furiously. “I said, uh, I don’t have classes in the morning. I mean, if you want to stay out a bit later. I just mean I can, if you want.”
I grinned. “Good to know.”
I slid the visor back down over her face and reached for my helmet. Then, a few minutes later, we took off on my bike, with her arms draped around me and her legs squeezing my thighs, we raced through the night. Though we sure as hell weren’t heading back to campus.
I knew exactly where I wanted to take her now.
I knew she mentioned that for a reason. I saw it in her eyes. In the flush of her cheeks. I raced through town, taking back alleys that made her squeal and cutting curbs just to feel her cling even tighter to me. I sped down the back country roads of the outskirts of town. And once we coasted into the driveway of my house, I heard her snicker.
“I knew you’d be thinking about sex the second I mentioned something.”
I flipped my visor open. “Not sure what you’re talking about.”
She slid her helmet off. “Uh huh. Sure. You didn’t know at all. Right? You know, since your brother’s still at the pub?”
I put down the kickstand. “Hey, you can think whatever you want. But I want another drink. And I can’t do that while I’m out and driving with you around on the back of my bike. Come on. I’ll fix you another rum and Coke.”
We made our way inside and I sat her down at the kitchen table. I set about making us another round of drinks, favoring whiskey in a glass over another beer. I wanted something stronger. Something to sip on instead of gulp down. I sat the drink in front of Dani and watched--maybe a bit too closely--how she wrapped each individual finger around it.
Every movement of her body mesmerized me.
I wasn’t sure why.
“You know, all of this is new to me.”
Her voice brought me back to reality. “I can tell.”
“Does that turn you off at all?”
I grinned. “Am I acting like it does?”
She snickered. “No, I just--maybe that wasn’t the right term.”
“Take your time. Find the right term.”
I watched her take a long pull from her drink before she set it back down, licking her lips and thinking hard on my question.
Mesmerizing me with the movement of her tongue.
“I just meant, me not knowing much of this kind of lifestyle, it doesn’t bother you at all?”
I shook my head. “Why would it?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess…”
I waited for her to find her words as her eyes stared off over my shoulder.
“
My father’s a perfectionist. That’s just how he was raised. He’s Korean, and in his family, failure is anything other than our most perfect. It’s why I’m always striving to get good grades. I mean, I want to get them, yes. But I also don’t want to disappoint my father. Which happens more than I’d like it to.”
I nodded, but I didn’t interject. It looked like she needed to talk.
“And Mom? Well, she’s a business owner. She’s got her own interior design business. She makes just as much as my father, if not more. And she still found time to raise me, and keep our house put together, and get her own degree, and all sorts of other stuff. They’re… two perfect peas in a perfect pod. It’s exhausting to keep up with sometimes.”
I nodded. “I can imagine.”
She snickered. “You must think I’m stupid, complaining about that kind of stuff. I mean, I’ve got two parents who love me pay for my education, and give me everything I need or could ever want. Who want me to have the best start in life.”
“Grass isn’t always greener.”
“And in some ways, I was fine with that. You know? I was fine with the judgment and Dad constantly critiquing my clothes and Mom constantly wanting me to dress up for dinner parties and Dad going over my research papers in school with a fine-toothed comb. I was okay with all of that because it was supposed to make me better. It’s supposed to put me in this world and make me this person they want to be. This person I want to be.”
“Sure you really want to be that person?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know now.”
I squeezed her hand. “Dani, look at me.”
Her eyes slowly came back to mine and I saw tears lining them. The words coming out of her mouth didn’t match the sadness in her eyes. And it killed me inside. Such a beautiful girl, with her entire life ahead of her. Just now finding out she wasn’t really happy with it.
I could sympathize with that.
“What do you want now, Dani? Right now? This very second?”
Her eyes danced between mine. “Something different.”
Something came over me. Whether it was lust, or passion, or a desire to know her more, I ran with it. I tugged her hand toward my body, raising her up from her chair. I captured her in my arms and pressed my lips against hers, tasting the Coke, the rum, and the way she opened up to me. The way her tongue slid against my own set my veins on fire. The way her back bowed to press her body against my own sent my gut churning. I picked her up and walked her out of the kitchen. She wrapped her legs around me and shed her coat, leaving it in a pile on the floor just outside my bedroom. She ripped at her scarf, tossing it to the floor. As I closed the door with my foot, I sucked on her lower lip, causing her to moan down the back of my throat.
As I settled her back against my mattress, I gazed into the depths of her twinkling eyes, needing her to answer me before I went any further.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” I asked.
She answered me by gripping the collar of my jacket to slide it off my shoulders.
“No more talking, Max.”
Music to my fucking ears.
37
Dani
I hardly got his coat off before his lips slid down my neck. I felt his teeth raking against my pulse point as my nipples puckered for him. I gripped his shirt and ripped it over his head. As his body kissed down my clothed torso, I felt his hands fiddling with my jeans, undoing the button and sliding down the zipper. Then he fell to his knees on the floor.
I lifted my head and gazed at the man kneeling before me. A powerful man. A strong man. Chiseled with muscles and carved with tattoos. He slid my feet out of my boots and gripped my jeans, pulling them off my body. I giggled as I fisted the sheets, making sure I didn’t go flying off the bed with them.
When his eyes found mine once more, my heart stopped in my chest.
“Lie back,” he commanded.
I eased myself back down against the mattress, doing exactly as he asked. He picked my foot up, pressing kisses to each of my toes as I jumped and moaned involuntarily. Just the smallest touch of his lips drove me wild. Nothing like his tongue, though. I felt it darting against my skin, his lips nipping at my ankle and calf, all the way up the inside of my leg as my lower lips wet themselves for his viewing pleasure.
“Max,” I moaned.
He slid my legs over his shoulders. “When I’m done, you won’t have a voice to say my name with.”
His tongue fell against my slit and my back arched. My jaw unhinged and my eyes widened as his tongue parted my folds. I gasped with shock. The electricity that overwhelmed my body swirled my head. My body took over, bucking against him wildly. As if it already knew what to do.
As if it had done this kind of thing before.
“Yes. Yes. Max. Oh, my gosh. Max, what are you--?”
He growled as his lips puckered. The suction from them sent my toes curling. My bare heels dug into his muscles, feeling them undulate and roll, working just for me. My breath came in short spurts. My hands flew to his hair. Tugging at him. Gripping him. Giving me leverage to roll hard against his face.
“Come for me, Dani,” he growled.
“Oh, shit,” I whimpered.
The coil within me popped, and my body shivered. My legs jumped and my toes flexed as I gasped for air. His tongue dove further between my legs, and when I felt something dancing at my entrance, my body collapsed back to the bed, groaning as his finger pierced me for the first time.
“Oh, Max,” I moaned.
“So tight. We’ll fix that in a minute.”
I felt another finger at my entrance as the coil began to wind tight once more. His tongue dug into me, lapping deeply as my body scooted closer to the edge of the bed. Closer to him. And as his fingers filled me--spread me--I rocked against his stubble.
“Oh, yeah. Oh, Max. Just like that. Just like that. Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Oh, fuck. Please. Please, Max!”
“I love your sounds,” he grunted.
“Max!”
I wailed out his name as my back arched off the bed. My eyes rolled back, screwing shut as stars burst behind them. His fingers stretched me. His tongue cleaned me up. And as my entire body locked out, I felt my world spiraling. Falling.
Drowning itself in Max’s darkened abyss.
His tongue slowed down and I heaved to catch my breath. Over and over, beads of sweat trickled down the nape of my neck. His fingers moved, and I felt empty. And I didn’t want to ever feel empty again.
“Max,” I whispered.
“I’m right here, beautiful.”
I managed to sit myself up on my elbows and watch while he undressed. His chest, gleaming with colors and tattoos I had never seen, made me lick my lips. I wanted to trace them with my tongue. I didn’t even know why. That’s just what my tongue wanted to do. My jaw fell open as he stripped himself of his boots. His pants. His boxers. His… everything.
And when my eyes fell to his cock, I swallowed hard.
“Oh, boy.”
He chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.”
He lunged onto the bed and crashed his lips against my own. His hands clawed at my shirt, physically ripping it over my head, ripping everything else away from my body. He ravaged me. Mind, body, and soul. And as his mouth explored my crevices, I felt my legs spread further for him.
“Fill me up. Please,” I whispered.
His chuckle shot electricity down between my legs, wetting me further as I felt him reach between us. His arm slid underneath the small of my back, holding me close to him, tilting my pelvis toward him.
“Look at me. Not down there.”
My head snapped up. I hadn’t even realized I’d been watching. But as he held my gaze, I felt the thick tip of him breach me. Spread me. Fill me up. My legs jumped as my muscles contracted, and he stopped his movements.
“Relax, Dani. I’ve got you.”
The soothing, dulcet sounds of his voice relaxed me against his arm. I threaded my own
around his neck, my nails digging into his back. He grunted softly, pressing further into my body. The dull pain made me wince. But he went slow, stopping when he felt me tighten. He didn’t force his way through, like I figured he might.
It almost felt like he cared.
When I felt his hips bottom out against my own, I sighed and kissed his neck. Along his shoulder. Even down his arm. He settled my back against the mattress, his hand smoothing my hair away from my eyes. And when he drew back, he inched his way in again.
Watching me as I shivered.
“Oh, my God!”
He grinned. “There it is.”
“What--what is that? What are--oh!”
He rolled his hips, sliding against a part of my body that made me jolt. Fire ignited behind my eyes. I felt my legs already locking around his waist. His hips moved slowly. They thrusted upward, stroking that sweet spot that made my damn mouth water. And as I dug my nails into his back, I clung to him. Waiting for him to take me on the ride he promised.
“Hang on tight, gorgeous,” he growled.
His hips pulled back and he slammed into me. My head fell back as my voice erupted from my throat. My tits jumped. My body soared. And with each thrust of his body, I leapt for his viewing pleasure. I watched him smile wolfishly. My eyes kept fluttering closed as he pounded into my body. Filling me, and leaving me. Filling me, and leaving me. Making me feel beautiful with the sounds of skin slapping skin.
And the sounds of his headboard battering against the wall.
“Holy fuck, Dani.”
“Max,” I said hoarsely.
“That’s it. Squeeze that cock. Holy shit, woman.”
“Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.”
“That’s it. Come for me. Come on my cock.”
“Max!”
His teeth sank into my neck as he sucked and nibbled. He fucked me through my orgasm, my walls collapsing around him. The world tunneled around me. Colors burst and sizzled in my pinhole vision. But, he didn’t stop. He didn’t stop his beautiful assault on my body until I erupted again. His fingers fell between my folds. He swirled around my aching clit. I bucked against him wildly, raking my nails up and down his back. His arms. His sides.