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She sits quietly, giving me the room to continue uninterrupted.

“I don’t want to hurt you. And I’m almost certain I will.”

She doesn’t move, her big blue eyes remain fixed on mine. I can practically see the wheels spinning behind them. Is she recalculating the risk?

“I’m not in a good place in my life,” I continue, the words heavy even to my own ears. “I’ve tried to stay away. Tried to convince myself you came on the scene right when I needed it. To help solve my pro bono phone forensics dilemma.” I chuckle. “Yet it’s all a lie.”

Cassidy’s face is a mixture of confusion. Or is it concern? Her expression is difficult to read.

“Everything feels better when you’re around. The storm calms. And all of the noise stops.”

Her eyes look wet now, shimmering in the dim light of the theater. She looks like a cartoon princess, something too pure and resilient for the dark place I’m currently residing.

I expect her to pull away. To tell me she’s ready to go and ask for a ride to the hangar.

Instead, she leans in. It’s not like the kiss in the office, fueled by adrenaline and a sudden snap of restraint. This is slow. Deliberate. She’s the one who initiates it, her lips soft and hesitant as they meet mine. It’s a question and an answer all at once.

My tattered control doesn’t just rip this time, it completely dissolves. I reach for her, my hands cradling her face as I deepen the kiss. I might be a bad man, but I dare a man alive to be able to fight this pull to Cassidy.

Her beloved characters on the screen behind us are a wash of blue and gray, but the world in here is burning hot. It’s the fire of two people finally admitting they’re exhausted from fighting the inevitable.

My hands find the soft knit of her sweater, pulling her across the small gap of the theater seat until she’s in my lap. She tastes like the beer we were drinking and the buttery notes from the popcorn.

Mostly, she tastes like the only thing I’ve wanted for weeks.

“Cass,” I groan against her mouth, my fingers tangling in that bright pink hair. It’s soft, silky, and smells like candy. It’s her. She’s my favorite treat.

She pulls back an inch, her breath hitching, those blue eyes searching mine in the dim light. I can feel her heart hammering against my chest, a frantic, rhythmic beat that matches my own. She doesn’t look afraid. She looks... hungry. For all of her cautious movements and her mysterious scars, there’s a fire in her that burns as hot as my own.

I sweep her up, carrying her toward my bedroom. I want her here, in my sanctuary, where I can finally block out the rest of the world.

In this room, there are no off-limits rules. There’s no Gianni, no club, and no fears about tomorrow standing in my way. It’s not right. Yet, I’m blinded by the way her skin feels under my hands and the way she sighs my name.

I know tomorrow I’ll have to face the fallout of my actions. Come to grips with this unshakeable attraction, knowing the effects of my shitty past and the danger I’m leading her into. However, as she’s pulling me closer, her legs straddling mine, the noise in my head finally, mercifully, goes silent.

But this isn’t purely medicinal. Being with her is more than an addiction to calming the storm. It’s her. I’ve never wanted anyone like I want Cassidy.

As I lay her down, Cassidy’s arms wrap around my neck, pulling me back into her. This inconvenient chemistry has become a full-scale takeover of need. I grab her by the back of the neck, pull her into me, and cover her mouth with mine. This kiss is hard, unrelenting. I pour every second of longing into it. I’ve held back too damn long for this moment.

“Max,” she breathes my name like a prayer and a plea all at once.

“Cass,” I murmur, my lips finding the sensitive skin of her throat.

Squeezing her ass tightly in my hands, I scoop her up until her legs wrap around me, and push my pelvis into hers. The moment she realizes I’m hard, her breath catches around my tongue. This has me coming unglued. I’ve never wanted anything so damn much in my life.

I’m lost in her, licking her collarbone and biting the side of her neck. It’s impossible to stop now that she’s given me the green light. I caress her perfect tits and bury my face in her chest. I should slow this down and try to be more careful with her. But my need for her is taking over any rational thought.

Pulling her oversized sweater down further, I yank her bra down to expose her soft skin and rosy pink nipples. Fuck. She’s utterly perfect. I latch onto one nipple and suck before moving over to tease the other.

As my hands glide down her hips, I slide down to dart soft kisses along the inside of her smooth thighs. My eyes lock with hers as I drag my nose along the center of her panties. She lets out a heavy exhale, music to my ears. She wants this as much as I do.

I slide my thumbs inside the waistband of her panties and am reassured when she lifts her hips for me. Continuing to kiss her soft skin, I discard her underwear on the floor by my feet and move my hands to caress her thighs. She’s just as I dreamed she’d be. Soft, swollen, and pink. However, the small patch of well-trimmed dark hair surprises me. While the pink at the tips of her long hair is obviously a gift of hair dye, I assumed she was a natural blonde. It suits her.

Teasing her soft flesh with my fingers causes her to wriggle. Unable to hold back any longer, I slide the flat of my tongue through her wet center and quickly place a hand on her pelvis to keep her still as she cries out. I’ve barely licked her once, and I already feel like I’m on cloud nine. I’m so turned on right now I’m afraid my dick is going to tear through my pants.

I tease her clit with the tip of my tongue and try not to moan. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her fists balled around the bed linens. My pace picks up, teasing and sucking until I slide one finger inside her. She’s so tight. I inwardly groan imagining her wrapped around my needy cock.

My tongue swirls around her swollen clit once more before I dive into her sweet pussy.