“Move that ass. Tonight, I want to know that you want my dick in you.”
“I do.” Casey thrust her ass back at him as he surged forward.
Max went to her neck, sucking the flesh into his mouth as his strokes increased. She grasped his arm around her waist to keep her balance as the bed shook.
“How bad do you want me, Casey?”
A whimper escaped her. “More than I want to breathe.”
Max’s hand went to her throat, pressing against her pulse. “That bad?”
“Yes.”
His hand pressed harder.
“More?” he whispered into her ear, biting down on the lobe.
“God, yes.”
His hand tightened around her throat, not cutting off her breathing, just making it harder to catch a deep breath.
She felt the metal balls with each of his strokes, stimulating the walls of her pussy until Casey had to move faster. The intensity of the sparks he was creating inside her had her trying to catch the climax that was just out of her reach.
“Max…” Casey whimpered.
“Take it easy. I’ve got you.” His hand slid from her belly, sliding downward to stroke her clit.
Her head rolled on his shoulder back and forth. The movement was reflected in the mirror on her dresser, drawing her attention. The sight of Max fucking her had her eyes clenching closed. Then, unable to help herself, she opened her eyes. Max surrounded her, his body gleaming in the bedroom light, his expression fierce with desire as he pounded inside her. The sight of them having sex was erotic, dirty, carnal… and beautiful.
The elusive climax stormed through her, her muscles clenching on Max’s cock, trying to prolong the sensations she never wanted to end. He groaned in her ear as her ass pressed back harder against him. The hands that went to her hips held her still as he came shuddering in her.
The moment he pulled out, Casey wanted him back. Stifling the urge to hug him close, she lay down on the bed as he stood from it, going into the bathroom.
“Hungry?” Max asked when he came back into the bedroom.
“What?” Confused, she didn’t know what she had expected him to say, but asking if she was hungry wasn’t it. “Do you want me to fix you something to eat?” She started to crawl from the bed.
“Lay back down. I’ll be right back,” he ordered.
She went to the bathroom, returning just as he came back with a large pizza and a couple of beers.
Setting the pizza down on the middle of the bed, he sat back down, opening the box. Then he handed her a slice before taking one for himself.
They talked as they demolished the pizza, and she discovered things about Max that she had never known. He could crack a joke one second and then, when he talked about his kids, turn serious. The only part of his life they didn’t discuss was the Predators, both of them avoiding the subject.
Casey knew why she refused to discuss them: she didn’t want to remind him that she had used him the last time they had been together. Curiously, she wondered why he didn’t talk about them. Was he worried she would use the information against them?
“Want to play some cards?” Casey asked, reaching into her nightstand.
“You have cards? Did you and Jayce like to play?”
“No, I like to play solitaire at night; it relaxes me,” Casey told him, seeing the anger in his eyes disappear at her explanation.
“Then deal. I’m always up for a game of cards.”
Casey dealt before leaning back against the headboard and self-consciously pulling the sheet to cover herself. Max didn’t have a shy bone in his body. Lying down, he picked up his cards. The first two games, she lost because she couldn’t concentrate.
“You should stick to solitaire.” The crinkles at the corners of his eyes showed his amusement.
“I can’t concentrate with that thing staring at me,” Casey retorted.
Max laughed, making no move to cover himself.
“Why so many piercings?”
Max picked up another slice of pizza as he looked at his cards. “For the same reason my back is covered in tats: Colton.”
“Colton gave you the tats and piercings?”
“The son of a bitch catches me drunk. The first tat he gave me, I was drunk off my ass. When I woke up the next morning, the bastard had given me a tramp stamp. Had to get someone else to cover the ugly thing. Then Colton decided he needed to learn to pierce—his tattoo shop gets a lot of requests for them—so he caught all the brothers drunk. It became a contest to see who could handle the most piercings. I was drunk and stubborn enough to want to win the fifty-year-old bottle of bourbon he put up as a prize.”
Casey winced in sympathy at the pain he must have felt when he sobered up.
“Was it worth it?”
“Fuck no, especially since I didn’t win.”
“You didn’t win? You mean someone else has more piercings than you?”
“Yeah, I passed out. What really pissed me off was the fucker that won didn’t even share. Said he needed it all for the pain.”
Casey laughed so hard she had tears rolling down her cheeks.
“It’s not funny!” Max took another card.
“Yes, it is. I can’t believe Colton suckered you all into getting your dicks pierced, not once but over and over again.”
“He’s an evil fucker.”
Casey laid down her hand, showing Max her cards.
“Bet you can’t win another one,” Max taunted, taking the cards and dealing a new game. It took four more games for him to realize he couldn’t beat her.
“You cheated.”
Casey shook her head at him. “How did I cheat? You dealt the cards. I guess I got over seeing you naked,” she teased.
Max picked up the pizza box and cards, placing them on the floor. “Then I guess I need to show you something new.”
Max lay back on the bed before he easily rolled her on top of him, his cock lengthening. Holding her by the hips, he lowered her onto his cock. “Ride me.”
“You’re not wearing a condom,” Casey protested.
“You on the pill?”
Casey gritted her teeth. “Yes, but…”
“I’m clean, but if you want me to pull out, I will.” He folded his arms behind his head, staring up at her as he waited for her decision. His cock plowed deeper inside her, racketing the heat level up to torture level.
Casey’s hand flattened on his hard stomach as she sank down onto him. “Next time, wear a condom,” she snapped.
“You going to fuck me mad?” His hands curved around her ass, moving her on him faster.
“Yes.”
“Cool.”
“Shut up!” She ground her clit down on him, nearly making herself come.
His eyes were on her breasts as she moved up and down on his cock, fucking herself.
“Slow down or I’m going to come.”
Instead of slowing, she sped up, determined for Max to lose control.
He sat up, gripping her ass harder and plunging into her to the hilt. Both of them gasped as their bodies rocked while they came, and then her head dropped to his chest.
“Why is it that, every time we have sex, I feel as if the world stops, and nothing matters but us?” Casey regretted the words as soon as they came out of her mouth, afraid Max would think she was pressuring him for more than he wanted to give.
He brushed her hair away from her flushed cheeks. “Every time?”
Casey nodded, her eyes shying away from his, becoming even more silent when Max remained quiet.
Lifting her off him to lay her back on the bed, he then stretched his big body, relaxing back.
Casey stifled her hurt at his silence. The last time they had slept together, he had tried to hold her. Now he was the one rolling to his side, obviously going to sleep.
She bit her lip. Bolstering her courage, she curled against his back, placing her arm around his waist. When Max stiffened yet didn’t move away, Casey knew, deep down, M
ax harbored a lingering hurt. She was willing to put up with the distance he was trying to place between them to heal his broken trust. She was going to prove to Max that he could give that part of himself that he had given before, and she wouldn’t throw it away again. She would have to sacrifice her pride, but gaining Max’s trust would be worth the price.
Chapter 18
“Where are you going?” Gianna asked as they passed each other in the lobby of the bank.
“I’m fixing dinner for Max’s kids tonight. If I run to the store during my lunch break, after work I’ll go to his house and have it done before he gets there with them.”
“You’ve been seeing him for a couple of months… How’s it going?”
Casey wasn’t used to confiding her feelings to her co-workers. She tried to maintain a professional environment at all times.
“We enjoy hanging out together.”
“Um-hm. Something tells me you’re not taking it as casually as you seem to be. If I was dating that hunk of burning love, I would be giving details to anyone who listened.”
“There’s really nothing to tell,” Casey lied.
“All right. I’ll let it slide this time, but remember that party I invited you to? You can spill the beans then.”
Gianna was throwing a lingerie party. She had bragged that she made more money having the parties than she made working at the bank.
“I’ll think about it.”
“No, you’re going to give details and lots of them. It will boost my sales. All those jealous bitches will buy what you do, so make sure you bring plenty of money.”
“What are you going to do with all the money you’re going to make?”
“I’m going on a singles cruise to meet my new husband. I get a discount on any lingerie I buy.” Gianna gave her a wink as she strolled off.
Casey envied the woman’s boldness. If Gianna said she was coming back with a new husband, she would.
Casey drove to a small market not far from the bank, situated in a little strip mall. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be busy, and she could get back to work before her lunch hour was over.
She hurried through the store, tossing items in the buggy, having already planned on making a meatloaf and mac and cheese. The kids would get the hamburger they loved with the healthy vegetables that made her feel better.
With the groceries placed in her trunk, Casey was about to start her car when she saw a familiar figure sitting at the bus stop. Frowning, she got out of her car and walked toward the girl sitting on the bench.
“Maxie? What are you doing here?”
Max’s daughter had tears on her face, and her eyes were swollen from crying. She jumped up from the bench as if she were going to run away, but Casey reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder and stopping her from fleeing.
“You’ll tell my dad!” Maxie’s sobs broke Casey’s heart.
“It’s okay. I won’t say anything.” Casey looked at her watch. “Do you want me to drive you back to school?”
Relief flickered across her face. “Yes.”
Maxie followed her back to her car, climbing inside when Casey opened the door for her.
Casey got back inside, starting the motor. Taking a left, she drove toward Maxie’s school.
“Why aren’t you in school?” Casey asked, breaking the silence.
Maxie played nervously with the hem of her skirt. “I sneaked out. I pretended to be sick, and when the teacher sent me to the nurse, I left.”
“Why?”
“I was meeting someone.”
“Who?” Casey had a feeling she knew the answer.
“Fisher.”
“Is he your girlfriend’s brother?”
Maxie nodded. “He waited for me at the corner. We were just supposed to have lunch together, but he pulled behind the mall.” The girl covered her face with her hands.
Casey’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. Keeping her voice matter-of-fact, she asked a question that needed to be asked. “Did anything happen?”
Maxie shook her head. “No. When he tried to kiss me, I jumped out of the car. He got out and called me names, so I ran around the front and saw the bus stop.” She began crying harder. “He just left me there. I saw him drive away without looking back.”
“Are you sure that’s all that happened?”
“Yes. I thought we were just going to have lunch. I swear, Casey. Please don’t tell my dad. He’ll be so mad at me.”
Casey wrestled with the decision. “I’m not going to tell him, but I think you should. Do you want to be constantly worried that he’ll find out? What if the school has already called your parents? Lying will only make it worse. It’s not easy to keep secrets, Maxie. They steal from you, and you become more fearful than actually facing the consequences.”
Maxie quit crying. “I’ll tell him after dinner. That way, it will be too late for him to go after Fisher.”
Casey didn’t want to tell her that she didn’t think that was going to make a difference to Max, so she remained silent.
“Can I ask you a question?” Maxie asked, her eyes down on her lap.
“Depends on what it is.”
“Fisher called me a tease, said I led him on. Do you think…?”
“No,” Casey answered firmly. “I don’t. I think you trusted him, and it was misplaced.”
“I knew it was wrong sneaking out, but he makes me feel good inside. I wanted to kiss him, but I got scared. Maybe I did tease him,” she admitted miserably.
“Maxie, this is a talk you need to have with your mother.”
“She’ll get all crazy because I talked about kissing a boy. She thinks I’m too young to want to kiss. Most of my friends have done more than kissing… I just wanted to see how it felt.”
“Things are the same now as when your mother was your age.” Maxie started to interrupt, but Casey didn’t give her the time. “It is, Maxie. Boys will always pressure girls to give them sex, and other girls will tell you what they’ve done to make themselves feel better.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I’ve known a lot of women who lost their virginity and regretted who it was with or the timing, but I haven’t heard anyone regret keeping it until the time was right. Do you really want to remember Fisher for the rest of your life for giving you your first kiss?”
“God, no. I hate him.”
“You will always remember your first. It’s up to you to decide if they’re special enough for that privilege.”
“Was yours?”
“Yes. He’s very special to me. The night wasn’t perfect, and I did it for all the wrong reasons, but if I still remember him when I’m ninety, I won’t feel bad about it.”
Maxie looked out the window. “You really remember your first kiss?”
“Do you remember a special present your parents gave you?”
“Dad gave me a sweater that I begged Mom for. I wore it until I outgrew it. I still have it in my drawer.”
“I bet you remember exactly how it felt when Max gave it to you, what it looks like, how it felt when you wore it for the first time. You think a sweater is more important than your first kiss?”
Maxie’s eyes widened. “I almost messed up, didn’t I?”
“Maxie, it could have turned out much worse. Nightmares don’t always start with ugliness. The ones that torment us the most are the ones we weren’t smart enough to avoid.”
“I won’t do it again.”
“Please don’t, Maxie. You’re a sweet girl, and I would hate for something bad to happen that could ruin something that’s meant to be so beautiful.”
Casey brought the car to a stop in front of the school, and Maxie got out. “Thanks, Casey.”
“You’re welcome.”
She watched her walk inside the school before driving back to the bank. She was ten minutes late by the time she shoved her perishables into the refrigerator in the break room.
The rest of the day was spent waiting on customers, her ha
nd constantly picking up the phone to call Max. Feeling guilty, she wanted to call and tell him about Maxie skipping school, but she couldn’t bring herself to break the girl’s confidence. If Maxie didn’t tell him tonight, she would tell him herself.
Feeling better about coming to a decision, the day went much smoother. After work, she grabbed her groceries and was one of the first ones waiting to leave.
Jack noticed her impatience when several employees lagged behind.
“Hot date?”
She keyed in the code. “More like a firing squad. I’m afraid I’ve done something to make him really mad. I’m hoping a good dinner will keep him calm.”
“Make him dessert. Whenever my wife does something she shouldn’t do, she makes me a chocolate cake,” Jack advised.
Casey went to her car. If she hurried, she could stop at the bakery on the way to Max’s. She was going to buy him the biggest chocolate cake in the store. That way, he would be too full to kill Fisher.
When she pointed to the cake she wanted in the display case, the woman hesitated, asking if she was having a party.
“No,” Casey said impatiently.
“This one is twenty-four servings. I have a smaller one that serves twelve.”
“Give me the one for twenty-four, and give me a couple of vanilla cupcakes.”
When the salesgirl gave her a knowing look, Casey guessed she and Jack’s wife weren’t the only ones who used chocolate cake as a deterrent to murder.
* * *
Dinner was ready when Max entered with his kids, and they stared at the food on the table. All the children except Maxie jumped up and down in excitement when they saw the large cake sitting on the counter. While her eyes said a silent thank you, Casey gave her an encouraging smile as she directed everyone to sit.
The boys and Max filled their plates high with the mashed potatoes and meatloaf, ignoring the broccoli.
“This is great! None of Dad’s other girlfriends made us dinner,” Maxim spoke with his mouth full, wincing and crying out in pain a second later.
“Why did you kick me?” he asked his sister.
“Because you shouldn’t talk about Dad’s other girlfriends in front of Casey. It’s rude. You could hurt her feelings!”