Molly woke after a night of tossing and turning, the first one since she’d moved into Max’s apartment. It was also the first night she’d slept alone in weeks. Even though she knew that Max didn’t really believe anything he’d said in anger last night, his words still created doubt in her mind over his true feelings. Maybe he didn’t really believe that she would succeed in her mission to stay sober and out of trouble? Maybe that’s why he wanted to be in charge? Because he assumed she’d fail.

No. That couldn’t be true.

Max told her he was proud of her, proud of how well she was doing, and supported her every day. They’d been taking long walks together whenever they could, and talked about the past and what they both dreamed for the future. He wanted to have a cabin in the woods where they could escape on the weekends and Molly wanted to plant a garden next spring and grow her own vegetables. They had plans. Max didn’t have any secret worries about her failing because if he did, everything else he’d promised her had been a lie.

After considering that angle, Molly tossed it away. She’d doubted him once before and she wasn’t going to do it again. His words and attitude last night were the result of the alcohol he’d obviously overconsumed. Now the question bothering her was what made him drink that much?

Molly didn’t have a problem with Max drinking; she didn’t expect him to abstain just because she had to. But he wasn’t the type to get stinking drunk either; something had set him off. As much as she wanted to know and to be there for him, he owed her an apology first.

She got up and dragged herself into the shower even though she’d much rather call in sick and lay around the house all day. The hot water woke her up, though, and she washed and rinsed in record time. She did her hair and makeup wrapped in a towel in the bathroom, ignoring the sounds coming from her kitchen. When she finished and opened the door she was met with the scent of freshly brewed coffee and sausage cooking. Molly smiled, grateful that Max hadn’t dragged his feet in coming over to talk to her. Instead of rushing to the kitchen to greet him, she decided to finish getting ready. She had to stay on schedule to make sure she didn’t miss the bus.

Ten minutes later, she found him in the final stages of assembling sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches.

“Those look good,” she said. “I hope one is for me.”

He looked up at her, and Molly immediately knew he wasn’t feeling too hot. He’d showered and was clean, but his forehead was pinched and his eyes drooping, probably from lack of good sleep.

“Of course one is for you.” He balanced both plates and two mugs of coffee and walked over to her small table. “Let’s sit and eat quickly. I know you have to get going soon.”

She took her seat and went for her coffee, knowing she needed some caffeine to deal with the next few minutes. While she hoped he was going to apologize for being a jerk last night, it was entirely possible that she’d read him wrong and he was in her apartment at seven in the morning, making breakfast because he wanted to gently end their relationship.

Max didn’t make her wait for long to tell her the reason for his visit. “I’m so sorry for last night, sweetheart.” Molly let out a sigh of relief. “I had a very bad day yesterday and a few too many beers, with no dinner to soak it up. It’s a crappy excuse but it’s the only one I have.”

Rather than answer right away, Molly picked up her sandwich and took a bite. “You should eat, then, if you didn’t have dinner last night,” she said, her mouth full of deliciousness. Not very ladylike but she never claimed to be trained in proper manners.

Max gave her an odd look but did as she suggested and picked up his own sandwich. When he had his mouth full and she’d chewed and swallowed, Molly started to talk.

“I figured you’d had a bad day, but that doesn’t make it okay that you immediately assumed that I’d failed. It seemed like you’ve just been waiting for me to screw up and that’s not good. You said you wanted me to trust you, have faith in you, but I need the same. I know I made mistakes but I’m trying really hard to turn my life around, and I think I’m doing a pretty good job. And up until last night, I thought you did, too.” Max looked stricken by her words, but she wasn’t finished yet. “I need to know if, in the back of your mind, you’re expecting me to fail.”

“No.” He answered so fast that Molly was sure it was just a reaction, until he continued. “Am I vigilant, watching to make sure you don’t slip? Yes. But last night, when I thought you broke curfew, the reason I got upset was that I was afraid I’d lose you. I’m not expecting you to fail, in fact, it’s the complete opposite, and why I was so angry last night. I don’t think you’re going to go back to that life; I do have faith that you’re going to succeed. Last night, all I could think about was living without you, and I reacted like an asshole. I’m sorry.”

“So you saw my text?” Molly took another bite, turning his words over in her head.

“This morning, when I was trying to figure out what happened last night. I woke up on the couch with only a few vague memories of us arguing. When I read the text and saw that you’d gotten home at eight and decided to take a bath, it all came back to me.” He pushed his chair back and came around the table to crouch down next to her. “I promise not to drink anymore, Molly. Anything it takes so I don’t lose you.”

She sighed and set down her sandwich, then turned to face him. “Max, I don’t expect you to totally give up alcohol. It would be easier for me if you didn’t drink in front of me, and I definitely don’t think you should drink that much without eating again, but if you want to go out with your friends and have a few beers, you should.”

“That’s fair,” Max said, pulling her down for a kiss. When they broke apart he searched her face with a desperation she’d never seen before. “Do you forgive me? I need you to forgive me. Please.”

She didn’t like hearing her man beg, though it reinforced just how much he didn’t want to lose her. If their situations were reversed, Molly would be petrified that Max would do something that would take him away. It wasn’t that Max thought she would fail; he was worried about the consequences if she did.

“Of course, I forgive you. I love you, Max.”

Relief smoothed out the tense lines in his face, and he pulled her up to standing and encased her in his arms, all in one move.

“I love you too, Molly. And I’m never letting you go.”

* * *

“Do you know what tomorrow is?” Max asked a week later over pizza.

“Friday?” And boy was Molly glad for it. She’d worked late every night this week, not getting home until after seven. Which was why they were eating pizza, and last night they’d had Chinese.

“Besides that.”

Molly looked up at Max and found him watching her with a grin, eyes twinkling. She wracked her brain for any reason why tomorrow might be important but came up blank. “No. What’s tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow you’re officially half way through your parole,” Max announced and sat back, waiting for her reaction. He appeared to think she should be excited, or happy, or feel a sense of accomplishment, but none of those feelings seemed appropriate.

“So?” She couldn’t come up with anything else to say in response.

Max’s forehead crinkled in confusion. “What do you mean ‘so’? I thought you’d be happy.”

Molly shrugged. “It doesn’t really feel right to be excited about something that never should have happened in the first place. It’s a punishment, one I deserve.” And some days, was even grateful for, though she didn’t dare say that to Max. She wished Sara hadn’t gotten hurt, but Molly wasn’t sure if she’d still be alive if she hadn’t gone to prison. She’d been on a downward spiral of self-destruction before the joyride that landed her behind bars. It was only there, behind concrete walls and razor wire fence, that she was able to successfully kick her bad habits and get a new lease on life. Parole was part of that evolution and, while a part of her was looking forward to being able to stay out past nine o’clock at night, another part of her was scared stiff that she’d revert to her old habits once the threat of more jail time wasn’t hanging over her head.

Max’s face fell at her declaration. “I kind of had something special planned for the night.”

“Let’s think of something else to celebrate then,” Molly said, cursing herself for not being more enthusiastic, even if she really wasn’t, but she barely had a handle on dealing with her own emotions, let alone being able to anticipate someone else’s.

Thankfully, Max relaxed, the lines on his forehead smoothing out when he smiled. “How about we just celebrate us being together? I made reservations for an early dinner in The Village and I thought we could walk and do some shopping afterwards.”

The Village was a small pocket neighborhood, close to downtown, that held street after street of stately old homes centered around a vibrant shopping and entertainment district. A college at one end kept the area bustling until late at night most days. Molly was familiar with a few of the seedier bars, but the restaurants and shops were off limits to her before, due to both a lack of funds and interest. But now, in her new life, that sounded like the perfect night out with Max.

“That sounds great. Maybe I’ll even spend some money on myself.” She’d been trying to keep to a strict budget so she could build up a little savings, something she’d never had before.

“Maybe I’ll spend a little money on you, too.” Max’s eyes twinkled with mischief.

“Uh, oh. I know that look. What are you planning?” She hadn’t seen it in a long time, but Molly knew he was up to no good.

“There’s a sex shop and lingerie store that opened recently that I think we should check out. It’s not supposed to be sleazy. I hear it carries higher end stuff.” His suggestion made her core tingle. Their sex life was fantastic, but the idea of spicing it up had Molly quivering with anticipation.

“Yeah, what do you think we should get?” The air between them crackled with sexual tension. Molly licked her lips, drawing Max’s gaze to her mouth.

“I’ve got some ideas. Why don’t we head to the bedroom and I’ll tell you all about them?”

She leapt up at his suggestion, grabbing their plates and heading to the kitchen. “I’ll meet you there.”

She heard Max chuckle behind her, then the sound of his chair scraping against the floor. After putting the dishes in the sink, she raced up the stairs to join him in his room.

“So, what are these ideas you have, Max?” Molly stepped into the room, putting a little extra sway in her steps. Max lay on the bed, naked from the waist up, his hands behind his head.

“Why don’t you give me a little show?” He nodded towards the area at the end of the bed. “I’ll talk while you entertain me.”

Despite having more partners than she cared to remember, Molly wasn’t particularly adventurous in the bedroom. Sex had always been a means to an end before, but Max was slowly introducing her to new things. Though a strip tease wasn’t one of them.

“I feel weird,” she said even as she moved to where he’d indicated.

“Don’t be, baby. It’s just me and you, and you know I love your sexy body, and those tattoos.” He sat up and leaned against the headboard, unbuttoning his jeans as he got comfortable. “Now, let me see it.”

Molly took a deep breath and started unbuttoning the plain white blouse she’d worn to work. She looked down, keeping her eyes focused on her hands as her fingers released each button. Max’s gaze felt like a weight against her skin, and she knew without looking he was watching her every move.

“I thought you were going to tell me your ideas for what we should buy at the sex shop,” she prompted when the silence threatened to unnerve her. Even though it was Max, the man she loved and who she knew loved her, being the center of attention made her uncomfortable.

She reached the last button and separated the two sides of the blouse, exposing her cream lace bra. She heard Max hiss and glanced up at him before she started shimmying the shirt down her arms, making sure to take her time and give him a show.

“That’s a pretty bra, baby,” he said. “Is it new?”

Molly watched him as he pulled down his zipper, his eyes fixed on her chest. “I ran to the mall on lunch earlier this week. Do you like it?”

It wasn’t the most expensive undergarment, but it didn’t matter one bit to Max. He liked what he saw. “I think you know that I do,” he replied, freeing his hard cock and stroking it while he waited for her to continue. “Did you get matching panties, too?”

Molly dropped the shirt on the floor and reached behind her for the zipper to her skirt.

“As a matter of fact, I did.” She ran her fingers along the inside of her loosened waistband and hooked her thumbs at the side. “Now, tell me about these ideas you have.”

She didn’t care that repeating her question would give away how interested she was in his new ideas. The idea of his ‘ideas’ made her wet.

“I was thinking a butt plug might be a good thing to have so I can get you ready to take my cock up your ass.” Molly moaned at his blunt words, but didn’t stop pushing her skirt slowly down her legs. “You like that idea, baby. You want my cock in your ass?”

Just the thought of it made her hot and needy. They’d done it a few times when they were together before and he’d always made it good for her.

“Yes, I do.” Her words came out breathy and she fought not to start rubbing her clit once her skirt dropped to the floor.

She stepped out of the circle of black fabric and kicked it behind her, straightening so that Max could look his fill. When she tried on the cream lingerie set, she liked how it contrasted with the darkness of her tattoos.

“That looks nice, baby.” She never thought that Max would like her ink. She had it all done after they broke up, but he’d surprised her and admitted that he thought it was hot after the first time they had sex.

“Do you want me to keep going?” she asked, thrusting her chest out and wiggling, making her breasts bounce.

Max bit his lower lip and nodded, keeping a slow but steady pace stroking his dick.

“Then you have to tell me some of your other ideas.” Molly liked this game, more than she’d ever expected to. Even though she was the one stripping, she was in control of how much, and when, she exposed herself.

“I want to buy a leather paddle and give you a good girl spanking until you come.”

That made her dampen her brand new panties even more. But he’d complied with her request, so she reached behind her to undo the bra’s clasp. “Do you like making my ass red, watching it shake and jiggle every time you spank it?”

Molly didn’t know where these naughty words were coming from, but she liked saying them.

“I do. I like having you at my mercy and punishing your little bottom. But I want to do it for fun, not just when you’re in trouble. I don’t want you to get in trouble,” he admitted.

The bra slid down her arms and joined the pile of clothes on the floor. Molly cupped her freed breasts and held them up for Max’s viewing pleasure.

“I’m not going to get in trouble so if you want to paddle my ass it will have to be for fun.” She rolled her nipples between her finger and thumb, moaning at the jolts of pleasure she gave herself. “So, a butt plug and a paddle, anything else?”

Molly slid her hands down her sides and across her belly, landing at the edge of her panties. She paused waiting for Max for answer her question before she’d go further.

It took him a minute to realize she wasn’t continuing, then he looked up and the heat in his eyes nearly made her take a step back.

“I want to buy a blindfold and tie you to my bed so I have complete control over your body. Then I want to plug your ass and spank it with a paddle until it’s pink and throbbing and you’re dying to come.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed, pulled off his pants and stood up, startling Molly from the images of what he wanted to do to her rolling through her brain. “Now take those panties off before I destroy them, then bend over the end of the bed. I need you. Now.”

It took only a second for his words to penetrate before Molly sprang into action. The panties came off and she tossed them behind her before running to comply. Her eagerness made Max chuckle again, though it was infinitely sexier this time.

“Are you ready for me, baby? Did all that sexy talk and stripping get you wet?” Max growled, stalking over to stand behind her. His dick bounced against her ass when he leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Tell me? Do you want me to do all those things to you?”

Molly could barely breathe through the arousal permeating the air around them, but somehow she managed to answer him. “Yes. I want that. Please.”

“Well, then, we’ve got some shopping to do tomorrow night, don’t we?”

He stood up and ran his hands down her back, tracing the flowers and vines that covered her skin. “You’re so beautiful, Molly.” He reached down and stroked his fingers between her thighs. “And so ready for me, too. That’s good, because I can’t wait a second longer.”

With that, he thrust into her, sliding in fully with one stroke. He slowly slid out halfway, and then back in, letting her feel every inch of his throbbing cock. Once planted deep, he took a firm grip on her hips and said, “Hang on tight,” before he let loose and lost control.

Molly’s fingers dug into the comforter as she tried her best to do as he said, but the feelings he was creating were overwhelming her. Pleasure grew and grew until her arms gave out and she was face down on the bed crying out in ecstasy. Max let go seconds after her, before her pussy even stopped contracting around him.

“Holy shit.” She could feel sweat dripping off him onto her back from where he leaned over her, his hands planted on the bed on either side of her waist. “I don’t think I’ve ever come that hard. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No, not at all, Max. It felt good.” She tried to scooch up the bed and get away from the drips, but he placed a hand on her lower back to hold her still.

“Don’t move yet.”

“Max, you’re sweating all over me.” She loved him, but come on. “It’s gross.”

He took a deep breath and slowly started pulling out, groaning the entire way. “You just feel so good I don’t ever want to leave.”

“You can’t stay inside my pussy forever,” she said with sass but was ecstatic that she could make him feel that way.

“Someday I’ll figure out a way.” He took a step back and smacked her behind. “Now, let’s go take a shower so I can wash all my gross sweat off you before bed.”

Molly giggled at his fake annoyance and rolled over. “Do you think we might be able to get dirty again while we’re in there? I might have some ideas of my own that I want to run by you.”

Max grinned, and Molly laughed when his dick twitched in response.

“I think that can be arranged.”