Maximum Risk (8 page)

His cock was pulsing evidence of the hold she had over him. His need for her blatantly displayed. She looked down at his arousal and licked her lips before meeting his eyes again. The air was heavy with anticipation of what they both knew was to come, but he didn’t move toward her. His earlier orgasm had taken off the edge, and he wanted her to be the one to lose control first. “Say it and I’ll do it, Tara. Tell me what you want.”

Almost shyly she parted her legs slightly, watching his expression carefully as she did, as if she were afraid he’d laugh. There was nothing funny about the sight of her delicious sex already shining with a wetness he couldn’t wait to taste.

“Wider,” he ordered softly, and she opened her legs more for him. In all his life, he’d never seen anything more beautiful than Tara offering herself to him.

He was between her legs in a heartbeat, telling himself it would be more fun if he made her ask for each touch, but unable to resist tasting her. He laved her lower lips, then parted them with one hand and blew gently on her exposed clit. Her hips jutted upward and her head flew back.

She was so ready for him, so eager for his mouth, but he knew her pleasure would increase if he took his time and teased her first. He kissed the inside of each thigh, stroking his hands lightly over her. He gently kissed her stomach, her amazing hips, and the length of her thighs.

He ran a hand up the back of one of her legs, lifting it as he did, then slowly ran his hand down it again. He did the same with her other leg. Each firm caress both relaxed her and deepened her breathing.

He slid a hand beneath her ass and lifted her to worship her sex again. He gently nipped her mound then paused, letting his warm breath be a promise of its own. She dug her hands into his hair and writhed beneath him. He used his free hand to lift himself so he could lean forward and tease both her breasts with soft kisses before working his way back down to where she was moaning in anticipation for him to go.

With deliberate, torturous leisure, he made his way back to her sex. He licked her as he had before then parted her lips. Her clit was a tiny, hard nub eagerly awaiting his attention. He stroked his tongue across it, then up and down, alternating his technique until he found the rhythm and the direction that had her gasping and begging him not to stop.

He had no intention of disappointing her. He continued even as she moved her hands to grip the bed sheets beside her head and opened herself wider for his mouth. He loved how her skin warmed beneath his hands as she became more and more aroused.

He increased the speed of his rhythmic assault when he sensed she was nearing climax. She writhed against his mouth and cried out as an orgasm shook through her. He lapped at her juices greedily, gently sucking her clit as she shuddered again in his arms.

Still panting, she threw out one arm toward the bedside table and whipped open the drawer. She fumbled for a moment then threw a condom at his head. It bounced off his forehead and landed on her stomach. She tensed beneath his hands. “In my head, I handed that to you with a level of sophistication.”

As turned on as he was, he still found her so amusing he chuckled and kissed her inner thigh. “You are a constant surprise, Tara, and one I can’t get enough of.”

He moved higher on the bed and kissed her slowly even though he was raging with desire to sink into her. He ripped the condom package open, sheathed himself, and raised himself above her. She eagerly wrapped her legs around his waist. He lowered himself until the tip of his dick teased her swollen sex. “I want to fuck you until you don’t remember anyone who came before me—until I’m the only one you crave.”

Whatever she might have said was lost in the deep kiss he gave her. He thrust into her deeply, loving how she opened herself wider for him, lifting her hips to meet his. The sweet feeling of her enveloping him sent him over the edge for the second time that morning. He took her with a wildness foreign to his usual style of lovemaking. With her, he couldn’t remain detached. Her head thrashed back and forth. Her hands dug into the muscles on his shoulders. They rolled until she was on top, and she rammed herself up and down, riding him with the same frenzied abandon that had swept through him.

“I’m coming,” she cried out.

He joined her with a powerful upward thrust.

She melted down onto him, and he breathed in the scent of her, shaken by the desire to hold her to his chest and never let her go.

Not today.

Not ever.

Sex had never held an emotional component before, and Max wasn’t comfortable with how Tara made him feel. He rolled over and cleaned himself off. When he turned back she was already beneath the blankets. He slid beneath them and pulled her into his arms.

He never stayed after sex, but he wasn’t going anywhere. He fell asleep with her tucked against his side and slept better than he had in a very long time.

Tara slid out from beneath Max’s arm, quietly removed clothing from her bureau, and darted into the hallway, closing her bedroom door softly behind her. She threw on jeans and a blouse, put on enough makeup to conceal the shadows beneath her eyes, and brushed out her long hair.

There was no disguising the freshly fucked glow on her cheeks. A quick glance at her phone revealed it was one o’clock in the afternoon.
Shit. I told Maddy I’d meet her at one. Please, please don’t come here, Maddy.

She sent Maddy a text telling her she was already on her way—a lie but one that might save her from the ultimate embarrassment of trying to explain why Max was naked in her bed. Tara grabbed a pen from her purse and left Max a quick note:

Everything was great. Lock the door as you leave. Tara

She made a face as she reread the note. Since she didn’t do casual sex, she wasn’t sure how to say “Thanks for the sex, now get out.” Brigitte didn’t write notes; she left the explaining to Tara.

Tara placed her note on the kitchen counter. If Max were any other man she’d be worried about leaving him alone in her apartment, but what could she or Brigitte have that a billionaire would want to take? Nothing. She’d already given Max what he’d come for, and now that she had he would probably be just as anxious to get out of there as she was to see him gone.

The sex had been great.

Max had been amazing.

But it was over, and it was better that way. She held up the check from Maddy. Fifty thousand dollars was a lot of money, as was the second payout if she completed her job, but it wasn’t worth it. She didn’t want to be the person she was becoming.

Tara had always considered herself a champion for people who were being betrayed. Neither her job nor her lifestyle had ever been glamorous, but she’d always been proud of what she did.

Working for Maddy had Tara all turned around and confused. She was getting used to a lifestyle of nice clothing and expensive things that had never been of interest to her before. Her personal ethics? They were blurring the more she played the role of Maddy’s friend.

Without the money, Tara could justify what she’d done—at least to herself. After all, she’d taken the job because she’d wanted to help the man in the photo. Her mistake had been letting Maddy convince her she could be a different kind of investigator.

It’s not all Maddy’s fault. I wanted to meet Max. I wanted to see what had put that sad expression in his eyes. But not this way. No part of this is right anymore. Maddy will have to understand that.

And Max?

Tara slipped out of her apartment without making a sound. No harm, no foul. It wasn’t as if he’d be hurt by her departure. He’d probably have another woman in his bed tonight.

And that had to be okay. She and Max were not meant to be together. Without Maddy, they never would have connected. They had nothing in common and, despite how entertaining dinner had been last night or how great sex had been this morning, they couldn’t be more wrong for each other.

Sorry, Max, I was paid to learn more about you, and I did, but not the way I should have. My bad.

Tara’s resolve didn’t waver, not even when she somehow ended up in the back of a town car explaining to Maddy for a second time that she’d torn up the check and was no longer working for her. “So, I’m done. No more meeting your family. No more lies. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you, but I can’t do this anymore.”

“I completely understand,” Maddy said and gave the driver an address Tara didn’t recognize. Maddy looked at her with those dark pleading eyes on full blast. “Adam is feeling better today, but I still hated to leave him with the nanny. I don’t do that unless something is really important. I get that you don’t want to work for me anymore, but could you do one small, teensy-weensy favor for me before you go?”

Say no and run.
“What do you need?”

“I need you to meet Patrice.”

“Patrice Stanfield? Max’s mother?”
Oh, no. No. No. No.

“Good, you know who she is. What did you find out about her last night?”

Heat filled Tara’s cheeks. “Max didn’t talk about his family.”

Maddy chewed her bottom lip in frustration. “He never does. I was hoping he’d be different with you than he is with me.”

Oh, he was, but not in a way I can discuss with you. Bad, bad Tara. Stop picturing Max naked in your bed and wishing you were still there.

“How was dinner? You have to be careful with Max. He’s a heartbreaker.” Maddy’s expression filled with sympathy. She took Tara’s hand in hers. “Oh, you like him, don’t you? I am an insensitive idiot. Last night went badly, didn’t it? I’m sorry. He seemed interested in you. I should have known better. Max tends to date the double-D Vegas variety, if you know what I mean. He’s always surrounded by flashy displays of skin and cosmetically perfect women. You can’t expect to compete with that. When all this is over, I’ll find the perfect guy for you.”

Pride almost made Tara retort that Max seemed quite satisfied with her size-B breasts last night, but she held her tongue. At this point, the less said to Maddy the better. “Thanks for the offer, Maddy, but I’m fine. Really. And I don’t want to meet Max’s mother. Please, drop me off anywhere around here. I’ll find my own way back.”

Without letting go of her hand, Maddy turned, pleading again. “You have to come with me. You’re the only person who could do this. There are so many stories going around about Aunt Patrice. I don’t know what to believe. When I’m there, she’s nice. She talks about how much she loves her sons. I can’t believe what others say about her could be true. I need an unbiased opinion. Please. Just go with me and tell me what you see when you look at her. We’ll make it a short visit. I promise.”

“And then we’re done.”

Maddy nodded. “Absolutely. I’ll never ask you for anything else.”

Tara’s phone buzzed, announcing a text message. She turned it off without removing it from her coat pocket. She wasn’t ready to talk to anyone, about anything.

Not yet.

***

Max went for an early evening run in Central Park to clear his head. His mood began to improve as he pushed his body to keep going. Running always cleared his mind.

He’d been in a foul mood since he’d woken up alone this afternoon. It had taken a further downward turn when he’d read Tara’s note.

Everything was great. Lock the door as you leave. Tara

Women didn’t leave while he slept. He left while they slept. No woman, not even in high school, had ever brushed him off with a cold note.

He didn’t like it.

Although he had to admit it raised the stakes of their game, he couldn’t stop thinking about her, and that was something he wasn’t used to feeling about anyone. Her smile haunted him. Every time he told himself he didn’t care if he ever saw her again, he remembered Tara’s laugh and how her eyes danced when she told the punch line of one of her stories. He wanted her in his bed, but a more unsettling realization was he also wanted to sit across from her again and spend an evening laughing with her.

He needed to see her again. And he would.

He’d sent her a text, but she hadn’t responded. After their intimate encounter earlier in the day, she could no longer deny she was attracted to him. Which made the pursuit even more exciting.

Max stopped running just outside his hotel and bent over to catch his breath. He was sweaty and sore, but he felt good. A long run always left him feeling empowered.

He knew as soon as the perfectly shined Ferragamos came into view that his mood was about to take a dive. He straightened slowly and met the eyes of his oldest brother. “Gio, this is a surprise.”

Gio didn’t smile at his greeting, but Max didn’t expect him to. Gio always took himself and everything else a tad too seriously. “We need to talk.”

“Of course we do,” Max said and led the way into his hotel, accepting a towel from one of his staff. They rode up the private elevator together. Gio kept his stern silence. Max dried himself, deliberately ignoring his brother’s mood.

Once inside his hotel suite, Max walked to the bar and poured himself a large glass of water. Gio stood in the middle of the living room, waiting for Max. Max lingered near the bar and hoped whatever had brought Gio out of his castle for the day could be said briefly.

“I love you,” Gio said succinctly.

Max dropped his glass to the floor. It bounced on the carpeting, spraying cold water up his leg. “Are you having some sort of breakdown, Gio?”

Gio paced back and forth in front of the couch. “I know I don’t call you. I don’t go to the opening of your projects. I’m not like Luke, but I do care. My secretary has always kept me up to date on your achievements.”

A sinking feeling came along with a quick list of dark possibilities why Gio was acting oddly. “Have you been diagnosed with something terminal?”

Gio stopped and ran his hand through his hair. “I want you at the family dinner tomorrow night.”

Max let out a relieved bark of laughter and leaned back against the bar. “This is about the dinner? Shit, you scared me for a minute there.”

“Will you be there?” Gio demanded, sounding like he was in a boardroom issuing commands to his staff.

“What do you really want, Gio? I have a hard time believing one dinner is that important to you.”

“It is.”

Max pushed off the bar. “Oh, I get it. You want to show your fiancée we’re one big happy family. From what I remember about Julia, you don’t have to try so hard. She saw us at our worst and still agreed to marry you.”

“Julia knows exactly how bad things are between us, but she believes we can move past that.” Gio sat down on the couch, dangling his hands between his knees.

Max gripped the back of one of the chairs. “I don’t need this. My life is exactly how I want it. I’m not angry anymore, and I don’t want the drama that comes with our family.”

Gio took out his cell phone. “You leave me no choice.” He dialed a number and said curtly, “Come up.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Gio?”

Gio laced his fingers and stared straight ahead. A few moments later there was a knock on the door.

“Who did you bring with you?” Max asked, but Gio didn’t answer. Shaking his head, Max opened the door to his penthouse. Standing in the doorway, side by side, were his other two brothers. “You’ve got to be kidding.” He stood back and let them in.

Nick grinned as he entered. Luke gave Max a sympathetic smile as he passed.

Gio stood and addressed them in his usual gruff tone. “He said no.”

Nick dropped into one of the chairs and propped his feet up on the coffee table in front of it. “Well, this should be entertaining. Luke, work your magic.”

Luke took a moment to assess each of his brothers’ expressions, then said, “Why don’t we all sit down?”

Max referenced his workout clothing. “I’d rather not. Can we get this over with so I can shower?”

Gio returned to his spot on the couch and Luke sat in the chair to the side of it. “None of us are leaving until you agree to come to Gio’s tomorrow night,” Luke said.

Max shook his head in confusion. “Is this some kind of joke?”

Nick slapped a hand on the arm of his chair. “Oh no, he’s serious. I canceled a Saturday date
with Rena for this.”

Luke leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “We wouldn’t all be here if this wasn’t important. If you don’t come to dinner tomorrow, you’re clearly not going to be in Gio’s wedding.”

Max gripped the chair tighter. “Which is something else we’ve already discussed. I could not have made my decision more clear.”

Luke looked at Gio. “Did you tell him how important it is to you?”

“Yes,” Gio answered abruptly.

Luke turned back to Max. “Max, we love you . . .”

Max poured himself a scotch and downed it. “I can’t handle this.”

Nick chirped in, “If I still drank, I’d be having one myself, so have one for me.”

“Nick, you said you’d help,” Luke chastised.

Nick stood and crossed over to stand beside Max. “Make it easy on yourself, Max, and say yes now.”

Max took a deep calming breath. Emotions, both good and bad, nipped at his heels, but he fought them back. “Not going to happen. This scene is exactly why I spend as little time in New York as possible.”

Gio stood, his face tight. “Then why are you here, Max?”

“You might think you came back just to see Maddy’s friend, but you wanted to be here. Admit it,” Luke pushed.

Nick jumped on the reference. “There’s something between you and Tara? No wonder you wanted to take my place last night at dinner.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “How did it go?”

Heat warmed Max’s neck. He glared at Nick. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Luke gave Max a pat on the back. “You went to dinner with her? That’s great. Are you going to see her again?”

There was no way Max was going to tell his brothers that Tara was presently not answering his texts. “I don’t know.”

Gio approached. “I met Tara. She seemed like a very nice woman.”

Max rubbed his hands down his face in frustration. “I don’t care what you think of her.”

Luke squeezed Max’s shoulder in support. “Did the date go badly?”

“No, it went really well. Too fucking well. Happy?” Max shrugged off Luke’s hand.

Nick rubbed his chin and smiled. “Too well? That’s so cute.”

“I’m going to wipe that stupid smile off your face with my fist in a minute, Nick,” Max growled.

Luke nodded in approval. “Good. It’s healthy to let your feelings out, Max. Get angry. Tell us off. Let’s work through this.”

“I’m not angry,” Max said through gritted teeth. “Now, I’d appreciate it if you’d all get the hell out of here.”

Gio threw a hand up in the air. “I told you coming here would be a waste of time.”

Nick gave Max a sideward glance and said, “Gio, didn’t you say Maddy asked if she could bring Tara to the dinner tomorrow?”