She looked…well loved.
“No!”she said, then laughed again, still wiggling as if she could force him to release her.Silly woman.“Not complaining.”When he shifted again, pinning her more effectively between the wall and his body, she stopped trying to get away.Instead, she did the next best thing; she played with the hair at the back of his neck.Max hadn’t ever felt anything like it before.He discovered that he really liked it.
“Good,” he replied, then sucked on that spot behind her earlobe, causing her to laugh again.With that, he was fully erect all over again, but this time, he wasn’t going to do it against the wall.No, he wanted to watch.
So, Max carried Lexie over to the bed.It occurred to him that she was still resisting the marriage issue.He was just about to tell her that he wouldn’t allow any arguments but her fingers slipped under his sweater, pushing it out of the way.He helped her, and as he took over the task, Lexie’s hands explored his chest before sliding along his stomach going down…down…!
After a final caress to his abdomen, her fingers turned to herself.His breath caught in his throat as he watched as her fingers slid down over that throbbing nub.“You did say you wanted me to do this while you watched, right?”
Max couldn’t speak.He couldn’t look into her eyes and explain his pleasure because…he couldn’t rip his gaze away from her pleasuring herself like that.Okay, he glanced up when she touched her breasts, pinching her nipple.That was hot too.But…his eyes returned to her other hand as he started moving.Seeing her fingers tease that nub while also watching his shaft slide in and out of her body was…he groaned at the wickedly erotic image.
“Faster, Max,” she whispered.
Unconsciously, he thrust faster, moving in tandem with her fingers.When she sped up, he thrust faster.When she slowed or stopped, so did he.
Then she lifted his hand from her hip and placed it on her breast with her fingers over top.She guided his fingers to pinch her and…he picked up the rhythm, pinching and releasing with every thrust until…!
“Yes!”Lexie cried out, her back arching as her fingers pressed against her nub, sliding slightly but really just pressing and Max exploded so unexpectedly, he thought his head exploded right along with his body.
Afterward, he collapsed against her, but that wasn’t enough.Not after what she’d just shared with him.He pulled her into his arms, his breathing heavy as he cradled Lexie against his chest while staring up at the ceiling, completely blown away.
Chapter 29
Afteranotherquickshower,Lexie perched on a stool at the kitchen island, watching as Max moved effortlessly around the kitchen.Her gaze lingered on the way his broad shoulders rippled beneath the fine wool sweater, his sleeves still rolled up from earlier.There was something utterly captivating about seeing him like this—focused, confident, and so completely in control.
He stirred the sauce simmering on the stove, the rich aroma of tomatoes, garlic, and spices filling the air.Then, with practiced ease, he pulled a pasta press from a cabinet, dusted it with flour, and began rolling out the dough he’d prepared earlier.His hands moved with precision, slicing the sheets into perfect ribbons of pasta.The sight of his strong fingers working the dough shouldn’t have been mesmerizing, but it was.
Lexie rested her chin in her hand, unable to tear her eyes away.“Do you do this often?”she asked, breaking the silence.
He glanced at her with a faint smile.“Cook?Only when I have someone worth cooking for.”
Her cheeks flushed and she smiled.“So, you don’t cook for yourself?”
Max shrugged, tossing the pasta into a pot of boiling water.“I do.But it’s more enjoyable when someone is there to appreciate it.”
She laughed softly.“Well, you’ve got one appreciative audience here.”
He plated their meals, the fresh pasta perfectly coated in the rich Bolognese sauce.He carried the plates to the dining table, setting hers in front of her before pouring them each another glass of wine.Sitting across from her, he watched as she took her first bite.
“You don’t like it?”he asked, studying her face intently.
Lexie jerked, realizing she’d been lost in her thoughts.She looked down at the bowl of pasta—the best she’d ever tasted—and quickly shook her head.“I love it!”she assured him.“I was just…”
His lips curved into a knowing smile and he winked at her.“I know what you were ‘just’ thinking,” he teased, taking a sip of his wine.“And I approve.”
Her cheeks warmed, and she laughed lightly, reaching for her glass.“You’re annoying, you know that?”
He smirked, clearly enjoying her flustered state.“So I’ve been told.”
For the rest of the meal, it was like stepping back in time to a year ago, before everything had changed.It felt easy, natural—just Lexie and Max enjoying each other’s company.She let herself pretend, just for a little while, that he was still just a ridiculously wealthy businessman and she was just a teacher falling for a dynamic, fascinating man.
“So, tell me about the essays,” Max said, interrupting her thoughts.
She blinked, surprised by the question.“The essays?”
“Yes.”He leaned back in his chair, swirling his wine casually.“What were they about?Any hidden gems among your students?”
Lexie hesitated, then smiled.“Actually, yes.One of the prompts was about personal resilience—how they’ve overcome challenges in their lives.Some of their stories were incredible.There’s one student who wrote about learning English after immigrating here two years ago and how she now tutors other students who struggle.Another described helping their family during hard times by getting an after school job to pay for groceries.”She looked down, then back up at him.“The difference in their writing now, compared to what they submitted the first week of school, is dramatic, Max.They’re getting it.Their sentence structure is improving, they’ re understanding imagery and how to express themselves.”She smiled.“It’s…exciting.”
