I lean against the sink, trying to catch my breath. I can’t remember the last time I came that hard. Fuck, I feel like I lost my hearing.
Jude eases gently out, disposes of the condom, and zips up. While I do the same, he starts cleaning the sink off. He’s quiet, like his mind is somewhere else entirely.
“I got that,” I say, reaching for the paper towels he’s using.
“No, I made the mess.” His voice is almost robotic. Well…maybe even childlike.
I pull back to look at him, but he barely acknowledges me.
As soon as he’s done, he washes his hands, then looks back at me, a hint of his smirk back on his lips. He reaches out and smooths the collar of my shirt. “Until the next bar, Max.”
Seven
Jude
I wake the next morning to someone knocking softly on my door. I stagger out of bed and just like I did yesterday, I check out the window, expecting Rowan. Instead, it’s Max.
I pull back and glance around the room, trying to decide if I should let him in. Last night had been…intense. Being with him actually allowed me to get a decent night’s sleep.
Taking a deep breath, I open the door and stand back to let him come in. “What’re you doing here?”
“Just wanted to bring you some coffee.” He says it with a shy little smile that kickstarts my heart.
I take the cup from him and try a sip. “It’s strong.”
“Yeah, you kind of looked the type.” He frowns. “Or maybe you’re not?”
“I drink it any way it comes,” I reply. Too many nights of insomnia haven’t let me be picky. I can’t count the number of gross hotel coffees I’ve consumed just to keep my eyes open enough to stay safe on the road.
Max closes the door and leans against it, his own coffee in hand.
“What’re you really doing here?” I ask. “I doubt you came by just to give me this. You want a round two or something?”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He says it so quickly that I almost miss it.
My skin heats. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know. You just looked so upset last night when you first came into the bar. I felt like maybe… I was taking advantage of you when we hooked up.”
My mouth tries to pull into a smile at the innocence of that statement, but I push it away. “You’re sweet. But I think if anyone was taken advantage of, it was you. It’s been a long time since a guy’s let me fuck him that hard.”
He blushes and looks down at the lid on his coffee cup. “Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve met a guy who likes to control as much as you do.”
I study the pink of his cheeks. On some higher level, I know my crave for control stems from what happened with Grant. What he did to me made me feel so out of control of everything, even my own body. When I’m with a guy, I like to know he can’t do anything unless I’m all right with it.
But another part is that I like making guys feel good when we’re in bed together. But maybe that’s linked to Grant too. I like pleasing them. I’ll do pretty much anything they ask of me. As long as they ask.
Max likes it when I take over, so I’ll do it. But he could’ve also asked me to hit my knees and eat his ass out, and I’d have done it too. Maybe that’s fucked up.
Max clears his throat and meets my eyes. “I was hoping we could do it again soon.”
“Well, I’m not going to be in town for too long. Just the week.”
Max shrugs. “I’m not looking for commitment.”
“I’ve got a dinner tonight, but we could meet up afterward,” I say, trying not to let my dick get too stirred up at the thought of being inside Max again so soon.
“Yeah, all right. I’ll text you my address, if you’re okay with meeting there?”
