Max didn’t sit beside her.Instead, he stood in front of her, his tall frame towering over her as his hands slid into his pockets.His gaze was unwavering, the weight of it pressing down on her as the silence stretched.
“We will marry.”
Chapter 18
Maxwatchedtheemotionsflicker across Lexie’s bruised but still breathtakingly beautiful face.Each shift was like a play unfolding just for him, and he drank it all in.The first, the one that gripped his heart and tightened his resolve, was joy—pure, uninhibited joy.It flashed in her eyes and softened her lips, a moment so fleeting that if he hadn’t been watching her so closely, he would have missed it.But he didn’t miss it.He clung to it.That joy told him everything he needed to know.Deep down, she wanted this.She wantedhim.
Then, as if remembering herself, her expression shifted.Her stubborn streak—the one that had both infuriated and enchanted him—reared its head.She pulled back, her eyes narrowing as she shook her head so quickly that her still damp hair tumbled loose over her shoulders.The movement was so emphatic, soLexie,that Max fought down a smile.
With a huff of impatience, she swept her hair back, twisting it into a loose knot and securing it loosely behind her neck.“Absolutely not,” she stated firmly.“I’m not marrying you.”
Max didn’t flinch.He didn’t even blink.Instead, he let the weight of her words settle before responding.“You will,” he said simply, as though it were a foregone conclusion.
Her lips parted to argue, but he continued, his tone deepening with an edge that brooked no refusal.“Right now, Enzo is… under control.”He watched her carefully, noting the flicker of panic in her eyes at the mention of the man who had caused her so much pain.That panic reignited his fury, but he kept it in check.Enzo would pay dearly for putting that fear in her.The man should have known that Lexie was under Max’s protection.
“We’ll be married next week,” he went on, his voice softening just enough to temper the steel in his words, “and we will have many children.”He stepped closer, his hand brushing hers before curling around it, drawing her nearer.He looked deeply into her eyes as he added, “And in return, I guarantee no one will ever hurt you again.”
Her breath hitched, and he felt the faintest tremor in her hand as she processed his words.She choked slightly, a sound caught between indignation and something else—something that made her cheeks flush.Was it anger?Lust?Perhaps both.He didn’t care.He could work with either.
“So, the price for avoiding blackmail is to marry you?”she snapped, her tone dripping with defiance even as her lips parted slightly, her breathing uneven.
“No,” Max said firmly, his voice low and rough with intent.But this time, instead of pressing further with words, he leaned down, brushing his lips along the soft curve of her neck.He remembered every spot on her body that made her shiver, every place she liked to be touched.
In his mind, they were already engaged.In his mind, she washis—his woman to protect, to cherish, to ensure her happiness every damn moment of the day.And if making her happy meant giving her so much pleasure that she was left dizzy with it, then so be it.He was more than willing to make that sacrifice.
“Max, I can’t just—” she began, but his lips found the sensitive spot just behind her ear, distracting her.She trembled slightly, and he felt a surge of satisfaction at her reaction.
“What can’t you do?”he murmured against her skin, his voice dark and coaxing as he lifted her hand to his shoulder.His other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her onto his lap as he sat down on the sofa.
As she settled against him, her soft curves pressing into his hard frame, he realized something: he’d made a tactical error.Jeans.He’d chosen jeans for her to wear today, and while they fit her beautifully, they were rather inconvenient for moments like this.Dresses.Skirts.He’d do better in the future.
However, the top was interesting enough, and it allowed his hands to slide up her bare skin to cup her breasts.
“I can’t…just…marry you!”
“Why not?”he asked, his thumbs stroking her taut nipples.Another error, he realized; he should have brought her directly to his bedroom.He’d thought that his office would be less threatening.But her soft whimpers and the way her hips rolled against his rock-hard erection told him that she was just as desperate to resume their previous relationship as he was.
“I’m not hearing any good reasons not to marry, Lexie,” he commented, his thumb and forefinger lightly pinched her nipple.She gasped, covering his hands with her own.
“Max,” she groaned, leaning forward, her legs spreading wider as she shifted her hips against his erection.
She was close, he could see it in the frantic way she bit her lower lip.Max muttered several curses in both English and Italian, and stood up.He had to steady Lexie while she found her balance, but as soon as her eyes came into focus, he took her hand.
“This way.”
“Where are we going?”
“To my bed,” he confirmed.
Chapter 19
LexietrailedbehindMax,not quite grasping the reality of what was happening.He’s taking me to his bed.The thought sent a rush of heat through her, and her heart pounded in her chest.
They’d dated for two months a year ago, but she’d always pulled back whenever things got too intense.Max had never pushed her, never demanded more than she was willing to give, but she had felt the fire simmering between them.She’d walked away from it, convinced that it was safer to keep him at arm’s length.
And yet, in the months that followed, Lexie had regretted her decision.She’d spent so many sleepless nights wondering what it would have been like to let go, to give herself to him completely, to explore just how explosive things could be between them.
Now, though, everything was different.Nothing had been settled between them.His calm declaration of marriage echoed in her ears, making her stomach twist.Marry Max?The idea was absurd.It was completely out of the question.
