NATALIE

Is he really that oblivious?

The way he and Colleen flirted their asses off in front of me, did he think I’d be okay with that? But I have too much pride to say it hurt me. And I don’t want to alienate myself from this movie by acting jealous and throwing fits. I’m hanging on by a thread. Paul is throwing shit-jobs on top of my holiday ideas and I’ve got no time left.

Defeated I shrug, “Isn’t being tired a good enough reason? Does there have to be more?” It’s half the truth, and half is all I’m capable of. “Everything feels hard right now, Max. I’m really tired.”

Gorgeous green eyes soften. “It’s a good enough reason, Natalie.”

“Thank you.”

“Come here.” Jogging his chin toward the kitchen he heads away. I follow to his refrigerator, wishing I could tell him the idea of them alone here rehearsing is murder. But they need to rehearse and I can’t get away on a Saturday.

He fills up a teapot and puts it on the stove.“I’m going to fix you something warm so you can relax a little. You’re high strung.”

“That sure makes a woman feel better when it’s called out like that.”

He smirks and motions to a bar stool stationed at his kitchen island. “Noted.”

I take a seat, thick coat bunched around me. “I’m just giving you some clues.”

“To how your mind works?”

“How most women’s minds work.” At his cocked eyebrow I flatly add, “Never tell us to calm down either. That’s like touching a match to dynamite.”

Max laughs and opens his cupboard. He’s a fairly tidy guy but there’s no rhyme or reason to his organization of them. “I’ve made that mistake before, actually.” As he sets mismatched coffee cups down his eyes are on a memory. “Once dated this girl in high school who had a temper like nobody I’d never met. I’d tell her to calm down and you’re right, it never worked. Actually…”

We both say at the same time, “it did the opposite,” which makes him smile.

He bends over the island, leaning on his elbows, one leg back. “You should have given me that advice back then.”

“Let’s go back in time and I’ll help you out.”

“Would you? That’d be awesome.”

“Sure let’s go.” Glancing around I ask, “Where’s your time machine?”

“It’s behind that divider,” he smirks.

“Nice try.”

“We could go back in time to when you were naked in there with me.”

A grin flashes. “Not today.”

Handsome as hell, Max gives me the sexiest, teasing look. “Come on. One for the old days?”

My eyes widen and I start laughing. “Now I see how you’re able to write that script about your sexy dad! You’re just like him!”

The teapot starts to hiss. “Thanks,” he winks, and shuts the burner off, pouring into our cups. “Probably should get teabags for these. Pretty boring to drink just hot water.” He flicks smiling green eyes to me and spins around, whipping open a cupboard. Bottles of liquor glint in the light and he snatches Bookers whiskey from a shelf and pours some into the cups. “Hot Toddy time,” he murmurs, strolling from fridge to storage and back to the cups with the cloves, cinnamon sticks, honey, and a fresh lemon. As he slices it into wedges and gives them a squeeze he glances to me. “Now that’s a very different look than the one you gave me before.”

“What can I say, I love a surprise cocktail from the prohibition era.”

He cracks up, “Nice. Welcome to my speakeasy!”

“Hidden bedrooms and all.” I take the offered cup and sniff his handiwork. “Mmm, that smells delicious.”

“Of course it does.”

“Because you made it.”

“That’s right,” he winks, tapping his cup against mine. “To relaxing those shoulders.”

“Yes, please,” I mutter, blowing on the Hot Toddy before venturing a sip. “Mmm, this is delicious. Why am I just now learning about this?”

“You probably drink martinis.” He leans against the counter, his cup at his command.

Amused I lean against the island, opposite him. “Why is that your guess?”

“Because you’re sleek.”

“Sleek?” I slide a fingernail along the side of my hair. “Thank you.”

“You look like you could hold a whip pretty well, too.”

This warrants a grin. “Hate to disappoint you, Max, but I’m not into BDSM.”

“Just a little whip?” he teases.

“Don’t talk about your penis that way.”

A guffaw explodes from him, leaving this cute smile in its wake. “My cock is far from little.”

“Seen a lot of phalluses have you?”

“My fair share.”

I smile from the rim of my steaming cup. “Oh? Do tell,”

“You know urinals are a thing, right? Can’t help but see how you measure up against the next guy.”

“So, when you’re spying on the sizes of your urinal neighbors do they notice?”

“We strike up a conversation so we can pretend we aren’t doing it.”

“That’s hilarious!” I take a small sip, licking the honey from my lips. “I bet they wished they hadn’t looked.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because you’re so big!”

“Ah ha!” he bellows, holding the cup high above his head. “Victory is mine! You admitted I’m hung!”

“Stop it, of course you are. You’re spilling your Toddy.”

He rubs the drips off his wrist with the hem of his shirt. “Worth every lost drop. So, you wanna see my cock again right now?”

“What? NO!”

Walking toward me, Max dips an eyebrow. “You sure?”

“Yes,” I laugh, holding out my arm. “Go back to that counter where I can keep an eye on you.”

“Up close you don’t have to strain.”

“I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Because you think I want to have sex with Colleen?” My lips part and he smiles, running a finger over my lips. “I know why you were glaring at me. From one jealous fucker to another, I recognized that look.”

“She’s very beautiful.”

“Yes, she is. There are a lot of beautiful people in the world. She’s not my type. And I’m not interested in her like that.”

“Really?”

“Mmhmm.” He leans in to kiss me and I close my eyes as his lips take the green monster away.

“I was jealous, but it’s not just that. I can’t because…you don’t understand.”

“If you tell me, I will.”

“Things are tense at my job.”

Understatement.

Sliding his hands up my sides, Max murmurs, “I can make life very fun, don’t you remember?”

“It’s totally slipped my mind,” I dryly reply.

He grins, but it fades as his fingers slip under my hair. “Natalie, I’d love to fuck you right now. I could slip my fingers under that mini skirt, those black tights would slide right down. But we’d have to put these superhero boots back on for the actual penetration because oh man, they are smokin’ hot..”

I care about you and I can’t.

Paul will never let me.

I’m too tired to be smart.

I bend to him as Max claims me in a kiss that tells me he wants me as much as I want him. He lifts me onto the counter and parts my legs, looking down at the crotch of my tights, pulled taut between my thighs. “You’re wrapped up like an early Christmas present.”

I sigh and close my eyes, letting all the stress quiet down as he rubs my pussy over the nylon polyester blend, boot heels propped on the drawers below the kitchen island, knees bent. Max’s eyes lock with mine, both of us hooded with need.

“That feels oddly comforting.”

“Little rubdown,” he murmurs, tucking his tongue barely inside my mouth. He goes for the boots, slowly unzipping and setting them nearby. “Wait here you two. Don’t run off.” Slipping my tights down takes some wriggling and we laugh under our breaths.

He tosses them with a flourish to keep me smiling.

“You’re so fun, Max. I miss spending time with you.”

He frowns, “Then make more time for me.”

I can’t give him that but I can offer my tongue.

He captures it, sucks on it, and unlocks my jaw with a deeper kiss, before turning to snatch my boots off the floor and slide them back on as I hike my skirt up more. Green eyes fire up at my pussy being exposed, boots high, skirt higher. Bending, Max licks me, strokes, penetrates me with his hot tongue, stopping once to murmur, “You taste so good, you know that? Salty and sweet.” He flicks my clit and slides one finger in as I spread my legs wider. “You like that, Natalie?”

“Mmhmm, keep licking me.”

“Fuck yes, say it again.”

“Lap. Me. Up.”

He groans, “Yes ma’am,” and does as he’s told.

My core pulses, insatiable for everything he’s giving. His hot breath. His greedy tongue. The finger that just got joined by a friend, both of them helping to bring me to a whimpering mess of ache. My head feels too heavy for my neck. I throw it back and rub against his beautiful mouth. “Just like that. Take me over the edge so I forget who I am.”

The man makes a meal of my pussy until the quakes are so strong that I lie back, crying out with each one.

I hear a zipper.

Involuntarily I moan, “Yes,” as I feel his hard mushroom tip rubbing me through the aftershocks.

“Dripping,” he groans thickly and slides into my overly-sensitive pussy inch by inch and each one is better than the last.

There is no Paul.

No Juniper.

Manipulations are gone.

It’s just me.

Human.

About to fuck him like an animal.