Haley

“So wait, you got forced to enroll in these Green Bearets—love the name by the way—and then you decided to swindle the other recruits of their money by forming a secret gambling society?”

Maximus frowned. “You make me out to be so evil.”

She stared at him flatly.

“We played games, and we enlightened the others on why they shouldn’t play all of us at once, yes. But we never rigged the deck.”

“No, you just played as a team with the goal of beating the others at the table, not your brothers.”

He shrugged. “Nothing in the rules against that.”

“It’s called good sportsmanship,” she said, frowning. “You took them for all they had.”

“Not all,” he protested. “We always ensured they left with a little something.”

“Probably just to encourage them to come back, as a reminder of what they’d had before they started playing you.”

“I can see my card-playing days are over if I keep you around,” he muttered.

“If you keep me around?” she asked dangerously, watching the sudden flare of panic in his eyes with well-concealed glee. “You’re just assuming I’m going to stick around once this all is over? That I won’t go back to my old life, leaving you, your muscles, and your tattoos in the dust?”

“Ummm.” The big shifter just looked at her helplessly.

Haley laughed at the complete and utter defeat evident in his eyes and on his face.

“Tell me about those tattoos of yours, mister,” she said, still chuckling to herself. “I’m assuming they have some meaning.”

Happy to have an out, Maximus sat up and peeled his shirt off. Haley’s laughter died abruptly as his body rippled and flowed, muscles flexing. She found it utterly intoxicating when men took off their shirts like that, reaching across their body with both hands and just peeling it up and over their heads. The way it made his stomach curl and stressed the individual strands of muscle brought some life to her body. Blood pumped just a little bit harder, and her internal temperature rose a notch as she regarded his impressive physique.

“So, this one,” he said, pointing to his right shoulder. “This is the joker. We all have this one, in different spots. It’s our thing, I guess you could say. We got this when Sasha was born. It’s sort of meant to indicate we’ll watch over her, like the joker often does to the rest of the deck.”

“I think I understand,” she said. It was a little abstract, but she could see it. “But who is Sasha?”

“My sister. Our sister,” he said softly. “She’s young, much younger than even Pierce, the youngest brother. But she’s our unifying force. We might fight between ourselves, but when it comes to her, we’ll put it all aside.”

Haley nodded in understanding.

“This,” he said, tapping his left pectoral, where a hand-sized image of a spade was imprinted upon him with intricate detail. “This is my suit. I’ve always liked spades, had a preference for them. Nothing overly in detail there.”

“Do your brothers have the others?” she asked.

“Yeah, mostly. Pierce has a die showing five dots, to signify the five of us. Kean has the club, Gavin the diamond, and Kassian the heart, cause he’s all heart,” Maximus said with a snicker.

Haley cocked her head, confused.

“He’s a bit of an asshole on the exterior,” Maximus explained.

“More so than you?”

He looked away, eyes closed as he sighed. “Yes, more so than me,” he replied, shaking his head even as he grinned at her.

“I find that hard to believe.”

Maximus gave her a look. “You’ve got quite the tongue on you yourself.”

“You have no idea,” she replied wickedly, flicking it out to run her tongue across her upper lip. It was far more suggestive than she’d intended, but the sight of Maximus sitting shirtless next to her was having more of an effect than she’d thought. Her body was heating up, practically daring her to find a way to get in close to him so that she could run her hands all over him, feeling every bulge. Every bulge.

He looked at her, his powerful jaw working back and forth. She watched his shoulders rise and fall as he inhaled deeply. The room grew quiet for a moment, and Haley realized that she’d just collapsed whatever barrier had been between them since the bar the day before.

Or maybe it had been coming down throughout the day as they sat around her rental and just talked, learning more about each other while they waited for nightfall to make their escape. She wasn’t sure. All Haley knew was that one moment it had been there, the next it was gone, and she was eager to have him at her side once more.

There was a lot more to this shifter than she thought anyone truly realized. He had long been the leader of his little group of brothers. He’d done it in a way she didn’t approve of, but he’d kept them together, alive, and had built them a fortune in winnings from their card games, building them up from having almost nothing as kids. It was impressive. She doubted anyone else would see it that way unless they had it explained to them, and Maximus would never admit that he’d done it for them, but she’d heard it in his voice, saw the love in his brown eyes when he’d spoken of them.

Now she leaned closer, touching the side of his head. Her hand traced a faint line there, the remnants of his time with the Institute he’d said. He’d gotten a deep wound from a bear claw there, and before it had healed, the Institute had seared the flesh with a hot iron. Haley couldn’t imagine the pain it must have caused. Maximus tried to play it off when she’d first looked at it, but she could tell it had hurt him. He was unsure if it would heal properly or not, though the odds were it would disappear eventually.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” she said, her index finger following the scar from his temple back over his ear, down his skull, and fading out around his shoulder. It was the only visible marker of his torture at their hands, but she’d decided there had been a lot more to it.

A shifter could be hurt badly over and over again if someone really wanted to, and they would continue to heal from it in record time. She shuddered at what it must have been like for him, to spend weeks in the “care” of someone like that.

“I’m not,” he said softly, his pupils going wide as he locked gazes with her.

“Why not?” she whispered.

“Because it means I got to meet you.” His hand came up to cup her chin as he finished speaking.

Haley shivered at the touch, her mouth falling slightly open as they stared deep into each other’s souls, past the guarded exterior. His spirit was roughly hewn, and had been struck many times, but she still saw the optimism buried deep, alongside the love for his brothers. He rarely allowed that to shine, but yet guided his every move nonetheless. Everything he’d ever done, it had been for them, she saw.

Until now. Now he did it for them and for her. Haley wasn’t dumb. She didn’t expect to supplant his brothers and take their spot within Maximus’s heart. Not only did she know it wouldn’t happen, but she didn’t want it. All the empty space in him though, the places he’d cut off and closed to the world, those she would be okay with having. There was no need to choose between his family or her. He could give them both the love they needed.

If she allowed him to. The decision, she saw, rested solely on her shoulders. That scared her. Maximus had opened up to her completely, and was willing to put himself in her hands. She could accept him, or she could reject him.

“Maximus,” she said softly, unsure of how to proceed.

“Hush,” he said, stroking her cheek with suddenly tender fingers, brushing her skin so lightly she barely felt it. “You needn’t answer now. You just need to know.”

She nodded jerkily. He was giving her time to think about it. To make her decision.

“I need…I need to know more though,” she said, knowing that she was committing herself to the actions she would take next.

“Anything,” he said, his eyes still locked onto hers. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

Haley shook her head. “No. I don’t want you to speak.”

He frowned. “What do you want me to d—”

She kissed him, the words dying on his lips as she covered his mouth with hers, pulling his head down to her with an urgency she hadn’t realized she possessed. There was a moment’s hesitation from Maximus, but then he caved, returning her kiss with a drive that matched her own. All of her pent-up anxiety and nervousness seemed to evaporate as their lips pressed against one another, withdrew, and then touched once more.

Haley’s free hand wrapped around his back, feeling muscles slide by underneath her fingertips as she gripped him tight. There couldn’t have been an ounce of fat on his body she realized. It was all tight muscle and skin. She’d dated a swimmer once while in college, and he’d been lean, but it was nothing compared to the way Maximus felt against her. He was huge, for starters, and that applied to everything. She felt dwarfed by him, and yet also protected and comfortable as he scooped her up off the couch and into his lap so he could kiss her better, neither of them having to strain their necks too much.

“You’re so hot,” she said, her fingers starting to tingle with the heat as she kept them pressed firmly against his body.

“It won’t burn you,” he said. “I promise. Just enjoy it.”

“I am,” she murmured into his ear as she kissed it, her tongue flicking out to run along the exterior of his lobe before she continued kissing down the side of his neck. She hit one spot and he seemed to tense up underneath her. Haley kept kissing around it, and was rewarded with a growl of pleasure that vibrated up through every inch of her skin that touched him.

“I like that,” he said, his voice taking on that deep, rumbly timbre that happened with most men as they became aroused.

Haley swallowed, her throat suddenly dry as her own body reacted to the change in him. She’d thought herself already turned on, but hearing the desire for her within Maximus’s voice had driven it to a whole new level. Her hairs stood on end as she continued to kiss his neck, drawing further noises of appreciation from the shifter.

Underneath her, she felt him begin to harden, his cock pressing against her through his pants as best it could. Part of her longed to reach down between them and touch it, but she held back on that urge, determined to make this moment last as long as possible before they started ripping their clothes off and falling into bed. She was enjoying the intimate closeness with him, the tender touches of his hands and the way she was making him happy.

It just felt right.

That realization struck her strongly, and she knew the feeling would stick with her for a long time to come, if not forever. It was one of those perfect moments that come along so rarely, and yet make life so worthwhile. She closed her eyes, lips still delivering soft kisses to his skin. But for the most part Haley just lay against him, savoring the touch of his skin, the embrace of his arms, and the flawlessness of that instant in time.

Most men would have just kept trying to strip her clothes off, more concerned with getting it on than anything else, but to her surprise, Maximus didn’t do that. He simply held her tight, as if that was enough for him. She could feel that he wanted more—his desire for that was obvious against her hip as she sat crossways in his lap. But he never once pressured her as she stroked the back of his neck lightly, her face buried happily between his shoulder and head. He pulled her even tighter, making a pleased noise as she kissed him a little harder.

“I could get used to this,” she murmured. It wouldn’t be hard either. It would be easy. Scary easy. He’s just perfect.

“Me too.”

She pulled back, searching his eyes for any hint of deception. She found none, just as she’d known, if she were to trust herself. Life warned all women to be cautious though, that men were only after them for one particular reason. Haley knew deep down that Maximus was different, but a lifetime of worries could not be so easily dissuaded, even with someone as amazing as he was.

“I’d like to take you to bed now,” he rumbled, pulling his head back so he could kiss her forehead and then look at her eyes. “If that’s okay with you.”

Haley nodded. “I would like that. A lot.”

Grinning, the shifter stood, his arms scooping underneath her, and, despite her yelp of surprise, holding her tight to his chest with carefree ease as he carried her to the bedroom. He had to turn sideways to get in, swinging her feet through first and then easing the rest of them in through a slight turn, but neither of them were bothered. They just laughed at their own antics.

Maximus was fun. He didn’t take life too seriously, and it rubbed off on her in the way he was able to just smile and laugh at most things. Such as the way he fumbled with her bra, searching for the clasp after her shirt fell to the floor.

“Try here,” she said, reaching up to grab his one hand and placing it at the front, between her breasts.

“What is this trickery and deceit?” he muttered as his fingers found the front clasp and flicked it apart.

The black material flung apart, hanging out to either side, exposing herself to him as he slid a finger up to cup one of them. Haley felt her back arch into his grip, hissing happily as his index finger and thumb gently pinched her nipple and rolled it, bringing the nub to a hardened state.

It wasn’t the only thing doing that she realized as her hand slid down his waist. They were lying on the bed, Haley on her back, Maximus next to her on his side, so that he could lean over her. Her fingers encountered his cock, but she had a difficult time truly playing with it through the thick material of his pants.

“Should I take these off?” he asked in a husky voice.

“No.”

His features fell. “Oh, okay.”

Haley swatted at him, giggling. “I mean because I want to take them off.”

Maximus’s features brightened, his big, deep-set eyes dancing electrically as he watched her unhook his belt, followed swiftly by the button and zipper combo on the pants themselves. She pulled them down, revealing a pair of silver spandex-like boxer briefs that hugged him deliciously.

“I like those types of underwear,” she stated immediately, eyeing the way they held his cock firm to his body, showing her a clear outline of it.

It was like lingerie for men, she decided. It showed you the curves of what you wanted, but hid the actual thing.

How delightful.

Her attention was distracted though as Maximus suddenly pulled her jeans off. She watched as he simply dragged the tight black denim off her, turning it inside out as it defied his attempts to just pull it down. A moment later and they were both only clad in underwear.

Haley reached out and began to rub him in earnest, only hesitating slightly as his fingers dipped between her legs, touching her through the thin black material. She’d expected him to immediately beginning rubbing her, based on her past experiences. Instead, his fingertips simply traced lines over her. The sensations, already dulled by her underwear, were now but a tease, a light caress that turned her on but didn’t provide any pleasure.

Damn, he was good. She felt herself begin to rock against his hand, trying to get him to press harder. He never did, always keeping the same pressure, the tip of his finger digging just a tiny bit deeper as he ran over the center of her pleasure, sending shockwaves through her.

She, meanwhile, was rubbing her palm up and down his entire shaft, getting him as hard as she could. At one point she eventually slid her hand under the waistband and began using the tips of her fingers to rub around the edge of his head, teasing him as he was her.

He pulled his hand back from between her legs, taking his two big fingers and licking them. She wondered why he would do that, but before she could, he slipped them into her underwear. The added wetness allowed him to slide easily up and down her, until he made his way south enough to make use of her own.

She couldn’t believe how good his touch felt. It was just a finger, and yet he was finding all the right places, moving it just the way she wanted. Her breath shortened, pressure growing rapidly between her thighs as he moved his hand in circles, bringing her swiftly to a climax she would have sworn wasn’t going to happen. But pleasure filled her rapidly as she gasped and moaned, her shuddering body held tight against his powerful form.

“Wow.” It was cliché as hell and she knew it, but it was also the perfect word to just describe how quickly he’d made her explode.

Her hand hadn’t stopped jerking him off while he’d been touching her, and now she ripped his boxers off. She took him deep into her mouth with careless abandon, one hand stroking his shaft while the other ran up and down his stomach, feeling his muscles flex and tighten as she sucked on him. It wasn’t long before she had him groaning and filling the room with his noises. That just made her even more excited, and she redoubled her efforts.

“No,” he said as she suddenly took him deep. “Not yet.” Maximus pulled her mouth off of him, tilting her head so he could look straight at her. “I want something else first.”

She grinned. “I had plans.”

“I know, but I’ve held back long enough. I want you, now.”

“You do, do you?” she asked seductively, sitting up between his legs. “How…interesting.”

She swung one leg out and over his hip.

“And you think…”

The other followed so that she was straddling him.

“That you can have me?”

Haley moved her hips so that her opening pressed against the tip of his shaft.

“I do,” he growled, grabbing her hips and holding them still.

Her struggles didn’t do a damn thing as he lined himself up properly, pushing gently inside of her. The instant the tip slipped in, she stopped struggling, overwhelmed by the sensation of his long, hard shaft as she took it in. Her insides groaned slightly in protest at his size, but that didn’t last long as her pleasure receptors overwhelmed any bits of pain.

“Okay. You can have me,” she said, admitting defeat. “As long as I can have you.”

“I think we can work something out,” he said with a grin, and then pulled back and thrust into her in one sharp, solid movement.

Haley gasped at the sensation. He hadn’t moved. Instead, his hands on her hips had lifted her up, and brought her back down. It went so deep she wasn’t sure she could take it all, but somehow he kept lowering her until there was no more. The complete lack of effort that the movement took just amplified how strong he was, and how safe she would be in her arms.

But for all that, she wasn’t content letting him have all the fun. So each time he lowered her, she moved her hips back and forth on top of him, grinding against his shaft. It all felt so amazing, and a few minutes later she began to shake and tremble on top of him as she climaxed a second time.

Her body was tired now, and she didn’t resist when he moved them around, laying her on her back. Maximus was in control now, and all she could do was hold on as he began to thrust in and out faster, until he was slamming hard into her bucking hips as she tried to capture all of him deep within her.

Another orgasm welled up within her, and she bit down on her fingers, her cries still escaping her mouth despite them. The sounds seemed to ignite Maximus’s passion, and his groans mixed with her higher-pitched cries as they crashed together, both of them reaching the peak of their pleasure together.

Their bodies shook and trembled as he emptied himself deep within her, the warmth of his explosion the final cherry that sent her over the top, her walls milking him for every last drop. They both collapsed onto the bed, thoroughly spent, and yet reluctant to retreat from each other’s arms.

Maximus did roll onto his back, but he pulled her with him. She was resting her head on his chest, feeling the rapid thud of his heartbeat against her ear, even as she rose up and down with his lungs as he took in massive gulps of air.

“I could get used to that too,” he said teasingly, nuzzling the bun she had her plain brown hair pulled up into.

“Me too,” she said, running her fingers over the little bit of chest hair she hadn’t realized he possessed, right between his pecs. It was just a little, and she found she liked it.

“How long do we have until we need to leave?” she asked after a few more minutes of silence.

“Long enough.”

She thought she heard the answer to her unspoken question in his voice. But, she decided to play along.

“Long enough for what?”

He took her hand, placing it between his legs, to show her that he was beginning to harden already.

“I can work with that,” she said, adding her hand to the mix to help speed the process.

“Yes, yes I do believe you can,” he said with a grin, leaning in to kiss her.