Chapter 14

Emma

My head was spinning. Never before had a kiss made me so dizzy, or sapped so much of my mental ability. I clung onto Max not just because I wanted to, but because I thought I might fall into oblivion, my own personal rabbit hole of sexual need, if I didn’t.

I barely registered that other people had emerged onto the balcony, but it suddenly explained why Max had stopped kissing me. He was looking behind him at who’d interrupted us, but he turned to me a second later with a devious smile.

“Want to get out of here?” he murmured, brushing a strand of hair out of my face.

I nodded weakly, still lacking the capacity for words.

Max backed away, offering his hand. I took it gratefully and let him lead me back inside and to our table, where I’d left my clutch. Willow had texted me about a million times so far, but I hadn’t answered any of them and I got the impression I wasn’t going to get the chance anytime soon.

I still couldn’t believe Max had kissed me. Well, I could since he’d been less than furtive about his intentions all evening, but still. Max kissed me.

Max Westfield, billionaire CEO and charming playboy, kissed me, Emma Valentine, recent singleton, but at least no longer homeless.

And God, was it ever good! He kissed like he’d been born to, like it was his God-given mission to kiss the living daylights out of every girl he met until their lips were numb. It was so surreal that I spent the entire walk to the front exit processing it. When I found myself standing in front of our limo once again, the reality of the situation hit me hard.

I didn’t so much slide into the limo as I did float into it, followed closely by Max, who snuggled right up to me on the seat and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I was still wearing his jacket, and I hoped I never had to take it off. It was warm, it smelled like him, and I felt special wearing it. I wasn’t his assistant anymore. I mean, I still was, but in this moment in particular I was his date. Full stop. Not his date who also happened to be his assistant—just his date.

And damn, did it feel good.

The car began to move, and Max looked down at me with a sexy smile. “You’re an unexpectedly good kisser,” he said.

“Unexpectedly?” I asked, my voice laden with indignation.

He laughed. “I just mean that you seem so innocent. Then you kiss like you know exactly what you’re doing.”

“I do, thank you very much,” I said, sticking my nose in the air. I was secretly delighted by his compliment, but there was no way in hell I was going to show it.

“I hope there’s still room for me to teach you a few things.” Max’s breath tickled my ear. He leaned in even further, nibbling on my earlobe. I let out a quiet moan.

“I’m sure we can perform an exchange of knowledge,” I said. “That sounds... good.” I moaned again as he blew cool air onto the spot he’d kissed. “So good.”

Max angled my face toward him and kissed me, hard and deep. Once again I was swept along by the moment, by the feel of his lips roughly dominating my own. His stubble scraped my cheek, tickling me, adding to the flurry of sensations I was experiencing.

His hand found the hem of my skirt and hiked it up, exposing my legs to the tops of my thighs. My breath caught when his fingers trailed along the exposed skin, taunting me. Teasing me.

“I don’t think I can wait until we’re back at my place,” he said. “I’ve waited long enough.”

I nodded feverishly. “Yes. Please.”

I didn’t know what I was begging for but I knew that I needed it. Max dove into my neck, kissing along the crook of my throat as his hand slid under my dress, inching toward my throbbing sex. I already knew that my panties were soaked, and when he brushed the pads of his fingers across them and made that discovery for himself, he growled.

“Fuck Emma, you’re so sexy.”

I bit my lip to keep from moaning and arched my hips up reflexively, urging him to take his exploration deeper.

Those talented fingers dipped under the top of my panties, sliding along my wet seam before plunging between my folds. I cried out at the unexpected wave of pleasure that hit me, rolling my hips again, this time easing his fingers further inside of me. His thumb stroked my clit, and his mouth trailed hot kisses along my jaw that left me gasping for air.

“Your pussy feels so good on my fingers.” He captured my bottom lip and bit down hard enough to send a jolt of delicious pain through me. “I can’t wait to see how you feel around my cock.”

Lance had never talked dirty to me in bed before. I hadn’t thought I liked it, but somehow when it came from Max it was the hottest thing I’d ever experienced. I didn’t know what to say back, but I couldn’t speak anyway. All I could do was moan.

“Does that feel good baby?” Max asked, even though he knew it felt amazing.

“Yes,” I sighed. “God yes.”

Max rewarded me by sinking another digit into my heat, stretching me further. I couldn’t help myself from moving against his hand. I was lost in a spiral of pleasure, and the only way out was up. And hell, I was on my way up.

Max’s mouth covered mine again. He kissed me slowly, like he was sucking nectar from my lips. I opened up to him and buried my hands in his hair, holding him tight to my face and refusing to let go.

I was overcome with sensations. The world around me narrowed down to Max’s mouth on mine, his fingers stroking me, his other arm anchoring me against him like I might try to go and he might try to stop me. It was so hot, so unlike anything I’d ever experienced, that I could already tell I was going to climax just from his fingers.

I had to break the kiss just to breathe, as the current of feeling swelled and I went under. I screwed my eyes shut, mouth falling open in a silent scream as the first wave of pure pleasure hit me like a semi. I curled forward around Max, resting my head against his shoulder as the waves kept coming, hard and fast. It was so good that I wanted to cry.

Max slowly retracted his hand while I recovered, pulling my dress back down and hoisting my legs up and onto his lap. I looked up to question what he was doing, but he was already pulling me over to cradle me in his arms. I fell back against his shoulder, overwhelmed by both pleasure and the sweetness of his gesture. He kissed me lightly on the lips, and I could feel his smile.

“I hope you’re not too worn out for more,” he murmured.

I laughed. “Not even close.”

“Good, because I’m not even slightly finished with you.”

“I can tell,” I said, wiggling my butt against his rock hard bulge. Christ, he felt huge. Was there anything Max Westfield didn’t have going for him?

He groaned, a deep husky sound that sent a shiver down my spine. “Careful, baby. I don’t want the first time I fuck you to be in the back of a limo, but you’re testing my restraint.”

I liked that I was testing his restraint. I liked that I had that kind of power over him. He was the most powerful man I knew, and yet I was reducing him to his baser nature using just my body. I’d never felt so powerful and alive. And I’d never been so turned on.

“How much further is it to your place?” I asked.

“Good question.” He leaned over to the window and looked out, squinting against the tinted glass. Then he swore. “I forgot to tell the driver we weren’t going back to yours first.”

“That’s okay. I wouldn’t mind changing out of this dress.”

“Absolutely not.” He gave me a hard look. “I will personally be taking that dress off of you or it won’t be coming off at all.”

My heart picked up and I couldn’t stop a giggle from escaping my lips. “Yes, sir.”

“If you’d like to grab anything else though, I will permit it.”

“How kind of you.”

“I aim to please.”

I sighed happily. “You certainly do.”

When we rolled up in front of Willow’s apartment building a couple minutes later, though, my good mood quickly evaporated.

“No,” I said. “No, no, no!”

“What?” Max followed my gaze to the window.

I couldn’t see for sure who it was standing just outside the apartment complex, but I would recognize that tall lanky frame from anywhere.

“It’s my ex-boyfriend.” I disentangled myself from Max’s lap. “The famous Lance.”