Lexie had thought that this was over for her.She was so wrong!
Max leaned over her again, trailing kisses along her stomach, exploring her with his hands, his tongue, his teeth.He found spots on her stomach that shocked her, jolting her body from sated happiness to burning need all over again.Then his mouth latched onto her breast and the smoldering desire roared into a wildfire, fighting for release again.
Lexie moaned, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, pressing closer as her hips rolled.
“You’re mine, Lexie,” he growled as the tip of his shaft teased her before he slid into her heat.
He was so large and thick that Lexie gasped as he filled her up.It took a moment to relax her inner muscles but as he moved within her, sliding in and out, going deeper each time, her body came back to life.Inch by inch, he filled her, soothing her gasps with kisses against her neck until he was fully inside of her.
Max paused for only a moment, long enough to kiss her deeply, his tongue mating with hers.Lexie lifted her legs, sliding her inner thighs along his hips as she pulled him closer.That was all the permission Max needed.He started thrusting, shifting the angle of his body to better arouse that throbbing nub.
Lexie felt as if she was going to explode.She held onto him for dear life, pulling him closer as he shifted again and she felt his fingers caress her breast.His thumb and forefinger pinched her nipple and…she gasped as the pleasure washed over her, wave after wave of pulsing, throbbing release.It was so intense, she couldn’t even cry out.Her body throbbed, tightening around his shaft until, impossibly, he grew even bigger.Lexie gasped again, her body still throbbing as she felt him shudder with his own release, his arms tightening around her.And then he collapsed, rolling to his side and holding her as they tried to remember how to breathe.
Chapter 20
Lexiewasstunned.Speechless.Her body still hummed with pleasure, her thoughts spinning wildly with emotions she couldn’t begin to identify, let alone untangle.She opened her mouth to speak but found herself unable to form words.
“Lex?”Max’s deep voice rumbled against her, a mix of confusion and concern.He stroked her tumbled hair, the gentle caress a stark contrast to the commanding presence he always exuded.But still, she couldn’t speak.She lay there, pressed against his side, her cheek on his chest, and just tried to breathe.
Max shifted, rolling over so that she was again pinned beneath him, touching her chin to make her look up at him.His dark eyes searched hers, sharp with frustration but soft with concern.“What’s wrong?”he demanded, his voice a low growl that vibrated through her very bones.His forefinger brushed the bruise on her cheek, the sweetness of his touch sending a pang through her chest.
Lexie swallowed hard, trying to force the lump in her throat to disappear.“Nothing,” she whispered, though her voice cracked.Her eyes burned with unshed tears, and the emotions swirling inside of her threatened to spill over.The beauty, the raw intensity of what they’d just shared—it was everything she’d been afraid of.It had shattered her defenses, and now she was left vulnerable in a way she hadn’t been prepared for.
“Lex,” Max growled again, but this time, his tone was softer, almost pleading.He pulled her closer, and she buried her face against his chest, seeking his warmth, his strength.He wrapped his arms around her, and she let herself cling to him as the tears came, hot and silent at first, then harder, spilling over in hiccupping sobs.
His hand moved in soothing circles over her back, his fingers tangling in her hair, stroking her scalp.The tenderness in his touch was a stark contrast to his usual arrogance, and it only made her cry harder.She could feel his confusion, his frustration at not being able to fix whatever was wrong.
“Lex, I won’t do it again,” he vowed, his voice low and rough.“Whatever I did to hurt you, I won’t ever do it again.Just tell me what—”
“You didn’t hurt me,” she managed, hiccupping through her sobs.She felt foolish, embarrassed, sobbing like this after what was, without a doubt, the most incredible experience of her life.She tried to compose herself, but the words tumbled out anyway.“It’s just… it was overwhelming.”
Max stilled, his broad chest rising and falling as he processed her words.He let out a long sigh, his breath warm against her hair as he pressed his lips to her temple.“Is this… a woman thing?”he asked gruffly, his tone so serious that it broke through her tears.
She laughed, weakly but genuinely.“Have other women sobbed in your arms, Max?”she teased.
He grunted in response, cupping the back of her head as he rolled over onto his back, pulling her on top of him.“I’m not telling you about other women,” he said flatly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
Her laughter came easier now, lighter, and she rested her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.For a man who could command a room with a single look, who thrived on control and power, Max’s tenderness in this moment felt almost like a secret.A part of him only she got to see.
“Then don’t generalize about women’s actions,” Lexie shot back, her tone teasing as she poked him in the side for emphasis.
Max merely grunted in response, taking her hand and flattening it against his chest.His other hand slid firmly onto her butt, and no matter how much she squirmed or swatted at him, she couldn’t dislodge it.Her little smacks did nothing but amuse him, and when he tired of her half-hearted rebellion, he grabbed her wrist, pinning her hand, and unapologetically returned his hand to its original spot.
“You’re obnoxiously controlling,” she muttered, hiding her smile against his neck.She didn’t actually want to move.Max was warm, solid, and surprisingly comfortable to lie on.If her weight bothered him, he’d have to say so.Until then, she was staying right here.Besides, if he did roll her over, she wouldn’t exactly complain—especially if he repeated some of those delicious things he’d done before.
“I am,” he admitted shamelessly, his deep voice rumbling under her cheek.“Get used to it.”
Lexie sighed and lifted her head, resting her chin on his chest as she looked at him.His dark eyes watched her with that familiar intensity, but there was an unmistakable softness in his gaze that made her pulse quicken.She opened her mouth to tease him again but stopped as reality nudged its way back into her thoughts.
“I really do have to grade those papers,” she sighed, her voice tinged with regret.She tried to make it sound light, but Max’s eyebrows drew together slightly, as if she’d just said something truly absurd.
“You should resign,” he replied, completely serious.“You won’t need to work anymore.”
Lexie stiffened at his comment.Of course, Max noticed immediately.He tilted his head down, his sharp gaze fixed on her face as if trying to decode her reaction.
“What?”he asked.
“I love my job, Max.I’m not quitting.And I’m not going to be your mistress.”Her tone was firmer this time, the playfulness from before replaced by an edge of determination.
