Beyond the Breaking Point (40 page)

He knew there’d be hell to pay with his family. Could tell by the way his cell phone hadn’t stop vibrating in his pocket since he’d left, but Max meant what he’d said. If Cassidy wasn’t welcome in his parents’ home, then neither was he.

Max remembered what Cassidy’s doctor had said. The stress she was under was driving her blood pressure up, which wasn’t good for neither Cassidy nor the baby. He vowed to himself his family would not be another source of stress in her life. She had enough dealing with Phillip.

He’d be glad when this damn divorce was final and she was totally free.

One week, that’s how long it would take for the test results to come in. He’d already put in a call to the family’s attorney. No way was Phillip keeping his child from him. At first, Max admitted, he’d been resistant to the idea of testing now. Even though he was convinced the child was his because, let’s face it, he’d pumped a hell of a lot of sperm into Cassidy that night, what if it wasn’t? Would she leave him to make sure her child had his father?

Cassidy didn’t like to speak of it, but he’d overheard enough phone conversations to know she was under a lot of pressure from her family to “fix” things with Phillip. More so because she was pregnant, as though her being with child canceled out everything Phillip had done. He didn’t understand why her family wasn’t supporting her in this.

Phillip was applying pressure as well, another thing she wouldn’t discuss with him. “
I don’t want you involved. This is my fight, Max. I’ll handle it.
” That’s what she’d said, but damn it, he wanted to fight. Wanted to do what he could to help. Max hated having his hands tied.

He may not be able to help Cassidy with the divorce, but he’d make sure his child had his name. Phillip had screwed up making his plan known. With the early testing, his lawyer said they had a good shot of getting Max recognized as the child’s legal parent. Waiting until after the baby’s birth would have given Phillip time to bond with the child and strengthen his position in the court’s eyes. Also, having the test done by Cassidy’s doctor’s office gave it legal weight.

As he pulled into Cassidy’s parking garage, he realized she’d fallen asleep. Normally, Cassidy was a light sleeper and the lack of motion would have wakened her, but she slept on. He sat, one hand on the steering wheel, watching her. Suddenly, he felt the need to spend every moment he could with her.

Max stroked a hand down her cheek. “Hey, Sleeping Beauty, you’re home.”

She murmured his name, rolled toward him and rubbed her face against his hand, but didn’t completely awaken.

Smiling, he tried again. “Come on, beautiful. Open those pretty eyes for me.” Gradually, they opened. Max waited while her brown eyes lost their unfocused blankness and sharpened on his face. “You’re home,” he said again.

“Oh, I must have drifted off.” She yawned and stretched.

Now that she was alert, he exited the car and went around to open her door.

Cassidy watched Max as she stepped out of the vehicle. These past two weeks with him had been her definition of perfection. They didn’t argue. They didn’t fight. Spent hours talking with each other and the sex… Stupendous was the only word that came to mind.

But with Max it was about more than the incredible sexual chemistry between them. They had so much in common. They loved the same type of movies, had read a lot of the same books. Even their experiences while growing up, once you got past the difference in income and her lack of siblings, were the same. They’d been taught the same set of family values. It was strange. She’d known Max for years, but never really knew him until now.

This thing between them had been flowing so well, she’d been able to thrust aside her conscience. Silence it under a deluge of sex and the incredible happiness she felt simply being with Max. Her conversation with Max’s mother had left her feeling like the worst sort of defiler. It also made her wonder how long would Max be able to go contrary to his religious training before it got the better of him and he ended things.

Cassidy shivered convulsively and goose bumps broke out all over her body.

“Are you cold? You’re not getting sick, are you?” Max asked as they stepped onto the elevator. He wrapped an arm around her waist and gathered her close.

“Not sick,” she assured him. “It was just a thought.”

“An unpleasant one from your reaction,” he said, watching her expectantly, but Cassidy didn’t explain. She drove it out of her mind for later examination.

“I need you tonight,” she said instead, slowly sliding her hand down his stomach to palm the bulge beneath his waist. He hardened under her ministrations. If her time with Max were limited, she planned to make the most of it.

“You’re tired. The doctor implied you weren’t getting enough rest. I should leave,” Max said, his voice already deepening.

“I napped in the car,” she countered as he used his keys to unlock the door. Once all the locks were undone, he pushed the door open and stepped aside for Cassidy to enter.

She went in but stopped just inside the doorway, realizing he hadn’t followed her inside. Turning to face him, in two quick moves she had her shirt and bra off and tossed to the floor. “I want you,” she said as she undid the bun. Her hair cascaded around her shoulders and lower, almost to her breasts.

“Cassidy.” He groaned her name, part protest, part arousal.

“Max,” she countered. “I want to kiss you from head-to-toe and every spot in-between. I want your cock in my mouth, so deep I can feel it in my throat. I want to suck you until you come hard, then lick you ’til you stiffen again so I can take you into my pussy. Then I want to ride you slow and deep until our legs are trembling, our hearts are pounding and threatening to explode, but we just can’t stop. I want your hands and mouth on my body—my breasts, my slit, my ass—anywhere and everywhere you desire. And when we fall into an exhausted pile on the mattress, I want to rest a few minutes and do it again,” Cassidy told him, shoving off her pants, shoes, and underwear so she stood before him naked.

She’d never used sex talk with any man in her life, but tonight she wanted to give Max all the things she’d never felt comfortable giving Phillip, despite his many requests. So Cassidy crooked a finger, beckoning him inside the apartment while she executed a slow retreat.

Max’s eyes were glazed, the pupils dilated. The long length of his erection showed boldly through his jeans. He came in and locked the doors, never taking his gaze off her.

In the bedroom, Cassidy stood next to the bed, legs spread wide, thrust out her chest and raised her hands to scoop her hair off her neck, knowing the action would lift her breasts. She should have felt like a B-grade actress in a corny porn flick, but instead she felt like an irresistible seductress. “Do you want me, Max?”

 “Yes.” His reply came out hoarse.

“Take off your shirt.”

Max whipped it over his head.

“Now your belt.”

He wasted no time removing it. The buckle clicked as it hit the floor.

“Put your hands behind your head.”

His eyes widened, showing his surprise, but he obeyed. She came forward then and went down on her knees. Max moaned when he realized her intent. Cassidy undid the snap, lowered the zipper and eased down his jeans and briefs so his erection could jut forward. She ran her hands up and down his muscular thighs covered with coarse hair, enjoying the feel of him. His cock was so close to her mouth she could feel the heat of him against her lips, and knew he felt the heat of her breath.

She glanced up and found him watching her. The muscles in his arms bulged and strained, revealing how hard he fought not to touch her. Cassidy smiled, knowing they’d barely begun. She spread her knees wide so her sex was exposed and cupped her breasts, drawing his attention to them and made him an offer she’d never dare make Phillip. “Tonight you can have anything you want. Any position, any act—
anything
—it’s yours for the asking. What can I do to please you?”

“You’re…” Max cleared his throat. “You’re doing fine so far.”

Her smile took on a wicked slant. “Good. If the situation changes, just say the word. I’m yours to command.”

Cassidy rubbed her cheek against the satiny length of him and buried her nose in his pubic hair, inhaling deeply. She loved the feel of him, the scent of him, and the taste of him, almost as much as she lo—

She cut the thought short. It was much too soon to be putting labels on her feelings for Max. They’d only been together two full weeks. She could define those emotions at another moment. This time was for Max.

She licked him from root to tip, enjoying the way he shuddered and groaned. Refusing to rush, Cassidy took enjoyment in pleasuring Max. She knew how to blow a man. What woman in a long-term relationship didn’t? But she’d never gained any personal gratification from the act until now.

Cassidy used her thumb to smooth a dewy drop of pearl essence around the eye, and then used her mouth to suck it off.

“Sweetheart, you’re killing me.”

She glanced up. He did look like she was torturing him. Good. Cassidy wanted him to remember this night, and she needed to drown out the words of Max’s mother, still echoing in her head.

Gripping his shaft firmly by the base, she went to work licking and sucking the top, timing the up and down motion of her head with the thrusts of his hips. With her free hand she gathered the saliva that slicked her hand and rubbed the sensitive skin of his perineum.

Max groaned and cursed.

As she lowered her fist to take more of his cock into her mouth, she gently inserted the tip of her finger into his anus. Timing it just right, Cassidy deep-throated Max, and at the same time, she stroked his prostate gland.

Max let out a roar. He dropped his hands to her hair and fisted its length. Holding her head steady, he fucked her mouth with long, hard strokes. Cassidy kept her finger in his anus, let the other one drop, and concentrated on breathing through her nose. It didn’t take long before he erupted with a shout of victory.

She swallowed all of his cum—something else she’d never done for Phillip—and held him when he collapsed to his knees in front of him.

Max wrapped her in his arms, muttering, “Shit, shit, shit.”

Cassidy smiled despite the growing ache between her legs demanding satisfaction, knowing she’d pleasured Max well.

“As soon…as my heart…stops trying…to beat…its way…out of my chest,” he gulped in air, “I’m going to put you on that bed…and make you scream,” he promised.

“I don’t know, Max. I’m kinda tired. Maybe you should leave so I can get some rest,” she teased.

He lifted his head from her shoulder and stared, eyes narrowed and mouth frowning in sheer disbelief. When she laughed, he tackled her to the floor and stretched out on top of her. “Just for that, instead of a soft mattress you’ll have to settle for a hard floor.”

Then he tickled her.

Cassidy giggled, squirmed, and laughed until she caught the hiccups. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I take it back,” she gasped.

Max caught her face between his hands and kissed her laughing mouth. Laughter and passion combined to form a strange brew inside her heart that melted any defenses she had left against this man.

“You make me happy, Max Desalvo,” she confessed when he broke the kiss.

They stared at each other, eyes mere inches apart. Then Max lowered his head and kissed her again, this one tender and soft, packing so much emotion Cassidy caught her breath at the beauty of it.

“I plan to always make you happy,” he vowed.

Although she didn’t want to break the mood, she had to confess, “This carpet is making me itch. Can we move this to the bed?”

Grinning, Max rose to his knees and lifted her into a sitting position. Then he stood and held out his hand to assist Cassidy to her feet. Turning her around, he brushed her back and legs with his hand, freeing her skin of any carpet fibers. “Is that better?”

“Much,” she agreed.

He nudged her between her shoulder blades. “Get on the bed, toss me a pillow, and lay face up, with your hands wrapped around the railings.”

And just that quick, the sexual tension reignited, heavier than before.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Even though Max had recently climaxed so hard he’d seen stars, at the sight of Cassidy spread out before him like an all-you-can-eat buffet had the blood pooling in his loins again. However, it was the absolute trust, shining out of her eyes, which undid him. No woman had ever looked at him the same. It made him want to devour and cherish her at the same time.

He picked up the pillow she’d thrown from where it landed on the floor and came to the end of the bed. “Spread your legs, sweetheart. Let me see all of you.”

So gradually he knew she was playing with him, her legs widened a foot apart.

Max tapped an ankle. “Wider,” he commanded. “Anything I want, remember? Stretch them wide.”

Eyes slumberous with barely concealed desire, she widened the gap until it was large enough for him to crawl between. “Better?”

“Mmm-hmm.” It was little more than a murmur. His entire focus was on the enticing sight before him. Her nether lips, already slick with cream, were parted revealing the tender pink skin within. Her clit stood up from within its hood, begging to be licked and stroked. Cassidy kept her sex not quite bare, but covered in peach fuzz that added texture to her taste, but whose sight reminded him she was a full-grown woman. 

His gaze traveled higher, taking in the slight bulge of her lower stomach where his child resided, over a slender waist and stopped at her breasts. Signs of her pregnancy showed here as well. Cassidy’s nipples were larger, the aureoles darker, even beaded as they were now. Through the creamy paler skin of her mounds he could see a network of veins beneath the surface. Max knew from experience her breasts were tender, more sensitive. Some days he could make her come just from manipulating her nipples. Other times they were so delicate she couldn’t bear for them to be touched.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, crawling onto the bed between her legs.