“Goddamn,” he muttered. One hand moved lower, slipping under the hem of her dress, a hot, rough caress. His mouth traveled down her jaw, onto the tender skin of her neck, the scrape of his stubble sending erotic jolts through her. His fingers teased higher, higher on the inside of her thigh until he brushed against the silk of her panties.
“Max.”
The sound of his name stopped everything in the quiet kitchen. He sucked in a breath and shifted back. Natasha furrowed her brow and looked up at him. Max’s eyes were half-closed, clouded with lust. She reached for him again, but he caught her hands and held her back. Another spike of desire burst through her, and her breath caught in the back of her throat. Max’s smile was dark and amused.
“Hold on, sweetheart,” he said, his breaths unsteady. “I’m way too close to fucking you right here on this table, hard and dirty.”
The words—just words—made her gasp. Natasha let out a shaky sigh. “I’m not against that idea.”
“No way are we starting tonight, when you’re coming off an evening with another guy.” He brought her hands behind her, so her back arched up toward him. She was heaving in breaths, and Max’s gaze drifted down to her chest. His eyes were hot, desperate, and he gave a low laugh. “I am really fucking tempted right now, Natasha. But no test runs. If we’re doing this, it can’t be anything you could call a mistake.”
“I wouldn’t regret it, if that’s what you’re worried about,” she said quickly.
Max smiled and shook his head slowly. “I’m nothing like Wayne or any of those other jerkers. I’ll make sure you love it.”
Just not too much.Just enough to get a little break from the pressures of grant applications, publications and jockeying for coveted academic faculty positions. Natasha was very aware of how fortunate she was, with fewer financial pressures than most researchers since Alya paid for various extravagances that came with a fashion model’s life. Still, marine biology washerpassion, and success in this male-dominated field was short-lived. But to step off that endless cycle of projects, just for a few days of luxurious indulgence on a tropical island with Max...
“Sounds like the holiday of a lifetime,” she whispered, pushing away all other thoughts, concentrating on the man in front of her.
Max’s breath hitched, and he brushed a soft kiss over her mouth. “I can’t wait.”
He let her go and straightened out her not-celebration-dinner dress. No way was she going to let Max single-handedly decide how their night ended. If he was going to leave her all hot and bothered, she wasn’t going to make it easy for him. Though the enormous bulge in his pants suggested he wasn’t any more comfortable than she was. Natasha took a deep breath.
“You drove here, didn’t you?” she asked.
“Yes.”
She licked her lips and turned to get a glimpse of his expression. “Park outside my window and wait for me.”
His eyes widened, and his hands drifted down over her hips. Then he grinned, his lips brushing against hers one more time.
“Wow, when you indulge, you don’t just take a bite. You eat the whole goddamn cake.”
