If Mia closed her eyes, she could picture herself at the library, roaming through the shelves of stories on her break instead of where she was currently. She awoke that morning, her legs tangled in the sheets and a strange throbbing of want between her legs that took several hours to go away. Another note from Max awaited her on her door, explaining he would be at the office until five. He’d bought her a new cell with numbers for his phone, the office, Jeremy, and the front desk already saved. There was a key for the gym—complete with indoor pool—one floor up and a credit card he said was loaded with her monthly allowance.

The card in question contained more money than what she currently had in the bank, and she was too damn scared to use it. This situation was still a dream to her, and she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. She was married to a wealthy man, without preamble or question. She fiddled with the ring on her finger as she strolled along his bookshelves, searching for something to occupy her mind.

Anything to get it off the other issue pestering her.

Last night’s kiss had been incredible—no, beyond incredible. Toe curling and gut wrenching all at once. She wanted to blame it on the tequila and possibly lust or an emotional response to do something nice for the man who had essentially changed her life for the better, but each thought was a lie. The way he’d held her so securely and gently at the same time, how his warm mouth captured hers in a way that promised the most insane pleasure and possession… it was more than simple lust.

Mia’s chest tightened as she stopped before another shelf and glanced over the titles, not even really seeing them. Was she falling for this strange man so quickly?

“Course you’re not,” she scolded herself. “You’re just hyped up from an emotional weekend. Nothing more, so get your head out of the clouds and focus on your plan.”

Her plan was simple enough. By the time the four-year contract was up, she planned on deciding exactly where she wanted to move to, having enough money saved up to buy a tiny house, and finding a job at whatever library was closest. It was the best she could hope for. Going back to school or picking up poetry again tugged at her mind, but Keith’s mocking voice interrupted those dreams and she turned away from them quickly. Unable to focus on a book, she figured she would check out the gym after changing into a pair of sweat shorts and tank top.

During the day, it was empty, so she was free to use whichever machine she wanted. Since there was no one around, she ended with a quick dip in the hot tub, wearing only her underwear since she lacked a swimsuit. The hot water relaxed her body muscle by muscle, and she sighed as the bubbles bounced off her skin. She rested her head on the ledge and let her worries about the future drift away.

Tonight was the big family dinner, and she was concerned Max’s family would see through their act of love. Were his parents as rough around the edges as he was? Max cursed more than any person she had ever known, and his casual talk about what he wanted to do her last night set fireworks off in her body. Her hand drifted down her body beneath the water, but she stopped herself. This was not the place to explore that sensation. Her cell told her it was only three, so she had two hours before Max returned home from the office. Keith never caused her heart to pound with desire or her sex to throb with want for his touch. She was curious and hated to admit, in all her years of living, she had yet to experience an orgasm.

Hopping out of the hot tub, she grabbed one of the towels off the rack, wrapped it around her body, and hurried down one floor to the penthouse. “Max? You home?” she called out, but there was no answer.

The note also told her the master bathroom was much bigger and she was to feel free to use it instead of the guest one. She was, he stated, his wife, after all. Mia picked out the nicest pair of jeans she had and a sweater before ducking into Max’s bedroom. The walls had a few pieces of art she had a feeling Jeremy had picked out to annoy his friend more than anything. They were loud, filled with bright colors and shapes. The comforter was black, as was the four-poster bed, dresser, and nightstands. His closet was off to the side, but she didn’t peek through his clothes. She’d save that for another day when she was bored, and instead, she ventured into the bathroom.

“Holy shit,” she whispered after she flipped on the light.

She’d read about these bathrooms at the library, dreaming about what her house would look like if she had choice in the matter. The walls, floor, everything was tile, and there was a drain in the center. Three showerheads hung down from the shower space, completely open, and a massive black-tiled tub was to the right, big enough to fit three people easily. The double vanities were granite with sleek metallic fixtures. Mia set her clothes on one and reached into the shower for the knob. As the water warmed, she grabbed a towel from the other bathroom, embracing the steam from the heated water as she stepped back into the bathroom. There was no door, but she had a couple hours and didn’t worry about anyone walking in on her.

She shed her clothes and sighed as she walked under the water falling as a soothing rain over her skin. The warm droplets slipped down her shoulders as she tilted her head back and soaked her hair. She hadn’t grabbed any of her soap and used what Max had. The strong scent of pine filled the shower as she squirted out a glob of shampoo and lathered her body with a bar of soap close by. His scent surrounded her, and she closed her eyes, sensing him as if he was standing right behind her.

Mia set the bar of soap down and rinsed her hair, but as her hands ran over her naked skin, she couldn’t hold back the strong desire to feel something—anything—pleasurable after all this time. Her hand cupped her breast tentatively, surprised by how heavy it felt in her palm. She squeezed the soft flesh, her nipple hardening against her palm. Except it wasn’t her hand she imagined there, but another. Max. He’d promised to do so much to her last night if he wasn’t a gentleman.

Mia wished he hadn’t been. She needed to feel something in her body, wanted to be swept away on a wave of pure ecstasy. Her breath coming in sharp bursts, she slipped her hand down her wet stomach to her curls, then lower. Her lips parted with her fingers as she dragged them over the sensitive skin and shivered. The small bundle of nerves sprang to life at her touch and she bit her lip, resting her head against the tiled wall as she rubbed it harder. Her fingers inched towards her cleft and had barely dipped inside her body before a quiet moan escaped her mouth, imagining Max there instead… his fingers, his mouth.

Him taking her until she screamed his name to the heavens.

A thud frightened her, and she opened her eyes to see Max standing in the doorway of the bathroom, blurred from the steam. His jaw was clenched tightly, and Mia started to move her hands away from her body, but he shook his head.

“Don’t let me stop you,” he said gruffly and turned around. “I’ll just wait outside for you to… uh, to finish.”

The naked hunger in his eyes struck her hard in the gut and she called out to him. “Wait, please. I… I don’t want you to go.” His body stiffened, but he kept his back to her. “Last night, what you said to me… that kiss? I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind. You can go if you want to since this isn’t what we talked about, but I think… I think I’d rather you stay.”

She had no idea what she was doing, but her hands remained firmly planted on her body, waiting to see what he would decide to do. When he yanked off his suit jacket and slung it aside, followed by his tie, a spring coiled in her lower belly in anticipation of his touch. Keith had only kissed her, or if he did grab her, it wasn’t out of love. She craved affection, to be touched in a way that brought her pleasure, not worry or pain.

Max rested his hands on his hips as he turned, and his gaze raked over her body until she shook with desire from it. He caressed her without even touching her, and she gasped for breath. “If that’s what my wife wants, who am I to deny her?” he grunted and stalked towards her in the shower.

* * *

When Max had checked out early for the day, he expected to come home to find Mia reading or watching TV and enjoying the peace this new life brought her. Instead, he heard the shower running and stepped in to simply set his things down. He saw her finger deep inside her and heard her moaning as she touched herself. He should have left, but his feet refused to move. When she saw him, he braced for her to yell, to scream at him. She did neither and asked him to stay.

Max pushed through the steam flowing out of the shower, his arousal growing when her eyes narrowed as she licked her lips. His feet stopped short of the shower area, and he stretched out a gentle hand towards her shoulder. He let out a shaky breath as his fingers trailed down through the water then up the crook of her elbow to the hand holding her breast. His large hand covered hers, kneading the flesh with her while his other snaked around her tiny waist. She frowned in confusion as he stepped under the spray with her.

“Your clothes,” she protested quietly.

“They’re just clothes,” he replied and lowered his mouth to hers.

She smelled of his soap, and the possessiveness in him roared to life, needing to finish claiming this woman who so abruptly fell into his life and took him by storm. He pressed her back against the shower wall as he dipped his tongue into her mouth, tugging her nipple until her back arched against his chest.

“Max,” she whispered, “I think… I think I should tell you something.”

“Is it absolutely relevant?” He kissed her neck, nibbling her earlobe before sucking it hard at the same time he tugged both nipples, rolling them between his fingers. Her hands buried in his hair, shoving his head closer as she cursed.

“Yeah… yeah, pretty relevant… I’ve never… I’ve never…”

“Had sex?” he filled in without removing his mouth from her body.

“That and never… never had a… uh, never… you know…” she trailed off, and he lifted his face. Her cheeks were bright red with embarrassment.

He studied her eyes, running his hands along her wet skin from her hip to the underside of her breasts and back again. “Are you saying you’ve never had an orgasm before?”

Cringing, she nodded. “Yeah, exactly that.”

What kind of life had this woman led that she never learned to pleasure herself? “So when I came in and you were…”

“First time,” she supplied. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you and well… I was curious.”

Max’s mind reeled, and he realized a shower was no place for a woman to experience her first bout of pleasure in her life. Though his erection throbbed and begged for release, this moment was only for Mia. He would take care of himself later, if need be. He reached to the left and shut the water off. Without a word, he scooped her delicate body up into his arms and carried her from the bathroom to lay her out on his bed.

She opened her mouth, most likely to protest getting things wet, but he cut her words off with a demanding kiss. “They’re not the only things about to get wet,” he promised, and she gasped.

He stepped back and shrugged out of his wet shirt so it was out of the way. She lay on the pillows, her eyes watching him intently, tracing the defined pecs and abs of his torso. Her fingers curled in the sheets, and she clamped her thighs together, rubbing her foot up her calf as he climbed onto the bed beside her.

“You’re going to scream my name soon enough,” he growled, letting his fingers dance down her side to her hip, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You’re going to writhe with pleasure at my touch, and then you’re going to beg for more.”

Her body shivering, Mia barely nodded before he shifted down the length of her, kissing her neck first and the hollow at her shoulder. His hands dipped low down her thighs, massaging her flesh before dragging back up. Her hands were unsteady and rested on his back, but after he raised his lips to hers, her touch grew more intense. She dug her nails into his back, spurring his want even more. Max wanted this to last as long as possible. He dipped his head lower and licked the mounds of her breasts as his hand held her hip then went lower to grip her ass. That perfect ass he wanted cradled in his hips. Her breasts fit perfectly in his hands, and he held them, massaging and squeezing while his mouth circled the mounds to reach her pert nipples. He kissed each in turn, smirking when her breathing came in short bursts. He drew one into his mouth and sucked hard.

“Jesus,” she moaned as her back arched. “Max.”

He continued to suckle and lick, teasing the pink flesh before he kissed the other one, giving them both much-needed attention. Goosebumps broke out over her skin, and Max licked further down her body. When he reached the end of the bed, he took her legs gently and dragged her closer to him. His hands slid up her legs, spreading them slowly and giving her a chance to tell him to stop, but she didn’t. Her beautiful, untouched sheath appeared before his eyes, and the hunger consuming him was too much. With her eyes on his, he lowered his mouth and licked up her inner thigh.

“Max? What are you—oh, God!” she moaned and dug her hands into the sheets.

He dragged his tongue up her swollen, wet lips again and swirled his tongue around her clit. He cupped her ass in his palms as his tongue explored her sex thoroughly before he spread her lips and thrust the muscle within her. She stiffened, and he worried he’d frightened her, but she released a loud breath and quivered, whispering his name.

“Don’t stop,” she begged. “Please, don’t stop.”

Obliging her wishes, he sucked hard on her clit as his fingers slipped around. He thrust one into her wetness, her warmth surrounding it instantly. He stretched her, twisted his finger as he sucked and licked the sweet flesh, then slipped a second finger in. Each time, he thrust as deep as he could, the tightness of her lending to all sorts of fantasies running rampant in his mind. What if this led to more? He could only imagine the pleasure he would receive from being the first man to part her legs with his cock and bury himself to the hilt within her hot sex. Later. That would have to come later. He wanted this moment to be for her and nothing more—not that he wasn’t getting his own enjoyment out of every quiet moan that escaped her mouth, or the way her hands worked at the sheets, and she bit her lip as the pleasure built in her body.

With each thrust, her hips moved, riding his hand hard. His thumb replaced his tongue. “That’s it,” he growled to her. “Let yourself feel, Mia, let yourself go. This is all for you. Take your pleasure from me. Take it.”

Her back arched off the bed and her hips moved faster, but he sensed she still refrained from fully embracing the orgasm growing in her throbbing muscles. He pressed harder against her clit, and she gasped, his fingers moving in a fast rhythm, plundering her depths with a sudden fury.

“Come for me, Mia,” he whispered. “I want to see you fall apart in my arms so I can pick up the pieces and fit you back together again.”

She gripped her breasts and tossed her head to the side, but Max wasn’t going to let her hide from this. Keeping his hand firmly in place, he rose up over her body and shoved her hand aside so he could suckle her breast. Her nails found his back, raking up his bare skin, and finally, her inner muscles clenched hard around his fingers as she screamed, her body thrashing beneath him as her juices poured over his hand. He didn’t let up, not until he’d wrenched every last drop of pleasure from her and she lay shaking against his body.

He kissed her lips sweetly, removing his hand and palming her.

“That… was incredible,” she breathed, her eyes struggling to stay open and find him. She glanced down their bodies at the erection pressing against her hip. “Do you need to? I mean, I don’t know how, or how good it’ll be, but…”

Max shook his head and placed his fingers over her lips. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve had blue balls before.” If only they didn’t have to go to that damn family dinner tonight, he would keep her naked in his bed for more than a few minutes and let her explore what other pleasures they could take from each other. Overwhelming her was another worry, added to the fact that she probably came from an abusive relationship, which made him more cautious about having his way with her. She was a virgin and he was not a small man, by any means.

He hugged her close, her tiny body fitting perfectly against his.

“We should get ready for tonight,” he told her reluctantly.

“Right, dinner,” she said, and he released her from his arms. “I’ll grab my clothes and finish getting ready in my room.” She hopped off the bed, leaned back down, and planted a warm kiss against his scarred cheek. “Thank you. I’m not sure you’ll ever understand what this meant to me.”

He watched her gather her clothes from his bathroom and saunter out of his room, naked. Her tight little ass teased him before it vanished from sight. He flopped back onto the bed with a groan. What was this woman doing to him? The salty, raw taste of her still fresh on his lips drove him mad with want, and he hurried to close his bedroom door to give himself a moment of privacy before shedding the rest of his clothes and stepping under the spray of the shower. He turned the water to cold, but it did little to dampen his raging erection bobbing before him.

Shutting his eyes, he gripped himself hard in his fist and imagined what it would be like, driving into Mia for the first time. How tight she would be, how hot and, after today, oh so wet from wanting him. They had taken sex off the table when they’d made this deal, but he wanted it back on. Biting the inside of his cheek to muffle his grunt of release, he pumped himself dry and sagged against the tiled wall. Not exactly what he needed to relieve himself, but it would do for now. He was not the seducing type, had never cared to be, but a sit-down with Jeremy about how to get Mia into his bed might not be a bad thing. The man had a fling every other weekend, and his flings actually liked Jeremy.

The women weren’t scared of him, but neither was Mia. She was scared of something, but not him. He reached up and touched his scar, the same scar she’d kissed so lovingly. There was no other explanation for it. He was falling hard for this woman—hard and fast—and if he wasn’t careful, he would lose his heart to her before he knew what happened.