“What’s that over there?” Max says, leaning closer to see through my window.
“A gazebo for picnics and barbecue parties.”
Her eyes widen. “You have time for that?”
“No. Cooking is Silas’s thing. It just came with the house.”
Angelo stops the Cullinan in front of the main entrance. The two fourteen-foot-tall wooden doors look medieval, but it has top-of-the-line security. “Hey, can you grab Max’s car and bring it over?” I ask him.
“Sure thing.”
Max hands him the fob, and he disappears. I place my thumb over the biometric scanner by the door. There’s a heavy click, and the door unlocks. “I’ll enter your information tonight. And we can grab your things from the car once we decide on the specifics of the living arrangements.”
She nods.
“Let me give you a quick tour.” I pull her into the foyer. The skylight lets in the last remaining bit of orange sunlight before the sun vanishes below the horizon, turning the clear crystals on the chandelier golden.
Max looks up. “That’s really pretty.”
I follow her gaze, then frown. The place never made much of an impression on me. It’s a house I bought because it had the right zip code and fit my needs. But… I tilt my head, looking at her bathed in the golden light. “Yes. Yes, it is.”
“And gardenias. My favorite!” She smiles at the vases full of fragrant white flowers in the wall niches.
I nod like I’m the mastermind behind the floral scheme, even though it’s Frederich and his people’s doing. Flowers are flowers. Didn’t even know those were called gardenias. They look like white roses, nothing special.
Still, it was worth the money to see the sparkle in Max’s eyes. My heart throbs oddly in my chest as she buries her nose in a blossom. I pluck it out of the short vase and tuck it behind her ear. “There. Even prettier,” I say, looking into her eyes.
She flushes, her fingertips carefully brushing the soft petals. Sheer happiness glimmers in her eyes as she gazes up at me.
Her eyes ensnare me, and I can’t look away. My heart pounds louder in my ears. For some inexplicable reason, I wish I could see her freckles and the deeper flush without the makeup covering everything. I want to mess up the perfect lip gloss on her mouth—
Taking off my glasses and tossing them onto a chair, I kiss her. A fine tremor runs through her as she parts her lips. She wraps her hand around the back of my neck, as though she’s afraid I’ll pull away before she gets her fill. Every time she flexes her hand, her fingers dig into my muscles, reminding me of Tokyo, when she clung to me.
I lick her lips. Whether it’s from the lip gloss or something else, she tastes like spiced sugar. Her breath fans my oversensitive, eager mouth. A soft whimper—and her tongue flicks out and taps my lips. I smile at her impatient, overt need.
My tongue glides inside her mouth. She tastes so sweet, her response unrestrained as she fuses her mouth with mine. My head buzzes at the shallow sound of her breathing. I push her back until she’s pressed against a wall, my hands on each side of her rosy face. I cage her as though to never let go. She arches, her breasts pushing against my chest. Hot, tingling sensations startfrom where we touch, and overheated blood rushes to my dick until it aches.
But more than that, I want to taste her thoroughly.
I push the hem of her dress up, stroking the soft curve of her pelvis and waist. She whimpers, the sound shaky. I push myself against her sweet belly. She trembles, her stance growing unsteady.
My hand climbs higher until I reach her bra. The cup is cut low. I dip my thumb inside the lacy cup and flick the hard, pointed nipple.
She moans, the soft vibration tingling my mouth. Her knees buckle. I catch her, her sweet ass filling my palm, making my overheated blood roar in my head.
Her breathing is rougher, and her pulse flutters rapidly as the deep flush creeps up her chest, neck and cheeks, making her vulnerable and beautiful. She hooks a leg around my hip for better access. I continue to tease her nipple with my thumb, while licking my way down her neck and nibbling on her delicate collarbone. Her fingers dig into my flesh, her hot core rocking against me. I groan against her fevered skin, every cell in my body desperate for her.
The urgent need burns hotter in my belly every time she moans, the erotic sound hitting me like a dose of aphrodisiac. I can’t believe how easily she gets under my skin, stoking my desire.
I push the dress all the way up over her head. The sight of her in a stunning set of black lace demi bra and thong is like being hit with a wrecking ball. She looks like a perfect, sensual gift, wrapped up just for me.
Her eyes narrow to slits, glittering with a heightened lust as she looks at me. Intense possessiveness grips my heart—mine. I pull a nipple into my mouth, sucking hard. She throws her head back, her leg moving restlessly, her hips shifting as she rocks,trying to find the most pleasurable stimulation. I let her move against me as much as she wants.
“Please,” she breathes. “Oh my God.”
I take the other nipple, teasing the wet tip with my fingers, pinching it between my index and middle fingers. Her back is as taut as a drawn bow. A strangled cry catches in her throat. The feverish intensity of need blazes in her gaze.
“Freckles, tell me what you want,” I whisper against the valley between her breasts, pressing long, lingering kisses.
