Bedding the Bachelors Box Set (Books 1-3) (31 page)

“Max—”

“Are you with me, Grace?”

She hesitated, her anxiety and doubt apparent. Then, tentatively, she nodded.

“Good,” he said, feeling like he’d crossed over some kind of finish line when in reality the race had barely begun. “Now, I’m assuming Lucy knows you’re with me and is heading back to your hotel on her own?”

She nodded again, seeming to have gone mute. He smiled and kissed her forehead. “Have you ever parked?” he asked.

“Parked?” she asked with a crinkle between her brows. She looked over at his car, a sleek black Audi.

“Yeah, as in, made out in a car. Until the windows got all steamy. Until you were ready to rip off your clothes and do it regardless of who might come along and find you.”

She swallowed hard, and Max couldn’t help himself. He reached out and lightly caressed her throat with the pads of his fingers. She shivered.

He clenched his teeth to contain his own moan.

She was as responsive as hell. He couldn’t wait to see what else made her shiver. And shake. And scream.

“In college,” she whispered, her eyes getting drowsy with memory.

“Then let’s get in the car, Grace. Because I want to hear more about what you were like in college. Including what you liked then, what you like now, and what you think you might like but have been too embarrassed to admit.”

Max’s Magic Rule #6:

Always leave them wanting more.

Good Lord, Grace thought. I’m in a parked car with Max Dalton. And he told me he needs me. He wants me to give up control so he can give me a big O. So why am I sitting here pressed against the passenger door? And why isn’t he reaching over the center console and touching me?

Max, who’d just pulled his car into a lookout point with a stunning view of the Las Vegas Strip, turned toward her. “Locals call this place Love with a View. I’ve never actually been up here but I’ve meaning to check it out.”

She gazed at the twinkling lights and far-off desert scape.

“It’s pretty,” she said. She tried to relax and started with unfolding her hands from her lap. Her palms were sweaty but she resisted wiping them on her skirt.

She wasn’t sure how he planned on starting to steam up the windows, but when he asked, “So, what were you like in college?” she blinked in surprise.

“You really want to talk about that?”

“It’s a good place to start.”

“Start what?”

“Start talking, Grace,” he said gently.

“I thought you wanted to make out and steam up some windows.”

“We’ll work our way up to that. You said you had your first sexual experience with your college boyfriend. What was his name?”

Grace just stared at Max, not sure why they were working their way up to anything. And really not sure why working their way up meant telling Max her ex-boyfriend’s name.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “He’s really not relevant.”

“So humor me.”

“His name was Neil.”

“And you said Neil was a good lover. That you enjoyed sex with him for… two years, wasn’t it?”

“A little less than that considering we went out six months before we actually had sex, but that’s about right, yes.”

“Since you waited until college, waited six months with Neil, sex is meaningful to you. Did you wait for religious reasons?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t want to give myself to just anyone.”

He nodded, his eyes darkening, and she wondered what he was thinking. She was obviously willing to give herself to
him
. “Before that, before you had a boyfriend, did you experiment with sex? Make out in high school?”

“Not really,” she said.

“Did you masturbate?”

She felt her face getting warm but tried to appear composed. “Sure.”

“You never had any problem getting off by yourself and that’s still true?”

“Yes, it’s still true. But I’ve got to tell you, Max. This is starting to feel like a routine doctor’s appointment. And I’m not turned on at all. I—”

She gasped when Max reached over, put his hand on her thigh and leaned in close. “Concentrate, Grace. Because I’m betting if I put my hand down your panties right now, you’d be wet. Shall I find out?”

She swallowed hard, concentrated and realized he was right. She’d been in her head, focusing on the seeming mundane questions he was asking her, but her body was obviously going where Max wanted. She was wet. She actually ached. But that didn’t mean she wanted to talk about sex with him.

Listening to him say sexy things to her, fine.

But her? While she could surprise people with her sexuality and her piercings and her other secrets, one thing she’d never been good at was talking about sex. The only thing that mattered during sex was action, whether she could make a guy feel good and whether he could do the same for her.

She covered his hand with her own. “Max—”

“I was going to spend a little more time exploring your sexual history, but I certainly don’t want this encounter to seem clinical. So let’s change the subject. What gets you off?”

She tried to move back, but he caught her hand. “Why do we have to talk about mechanics?”

Without preamble, he slipped his free hand into the crease between her thighs. His hand didn’t get far between her closed legs, but it got far enough. “Because talking about sex gets you hot.”

“No, listening to
you
talk about sex gets me hot, but I’m not any good at it.”

“Or maybe it just makes you uncomfortable. And what we’re going to be doing isn’t about comfort. I’m going to push you, a lot. Contrary to what you might think, I’m not just a sex toy and sex isn’t just about the physical. It’s psychological. Emotional. It’s about tapping into a woman’s fantasies even if she doesn’t know what they are or is unwilling to admit them to herself. I’m going to find out your fantasies even if I have to drag them out of you. Now what gets you off?”

“I—I’m not sure what you’re asking. And can you move your hand, please,” she asked, her voice high and breathy. “I—I can’t think straight when you’re touching me.”

“I’m going to be touching you a whole lot more. Get used to it. Now let me rephrase my question so you understand. When you’re pleasuring yourself, how do you do it? Do you use a toy?”

Okay, fine. He wanted to push her to talk. She could do that. “Some—sometimes. Most of the time.”

“What kind of toys?”

“A vibrator?” Oh no. Was she asking him or telling him?

“Do you ever use a dildo?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I—I don’t know. I don’t need it. I can make myself come with the vibrator and my—my…”

“You use your fingers?” It was the barest movement, but he rubbed against her center. She gasped and automatically reached out with her one free hand to grab his wrist. She didn’t pull him away, however. She just held him. Waiting.

“Yes.” She closed her eyes, focusing on his touch. Her words.

“So you focus on your clit and fuck yourself with your fingers. And how long does it usually take to make yourself come that way?”

“Not long. Maybe… ten minutes?” More like five since she’d gotten the clit ring, but she wasn’t about to tell him that.

“What do you think of while you’re doing it? Who do you think of?”

Her eyes flew open.

“Max—”

“You ever think of me?”

With the barest of movements, she nodded.

“Ah, Grace. That’s good. That’s fucking fabulous. In your fantasies, what am I doing to you?”

Again, she tried to pull away. Again, he wouldn’t let her. “What’s wrong? What are you embarrassed of?”

“Nothing.” Everything.

“Then tell me what I do to you. Do I eat you out?”

His words caused such a spike of arousal that she automatically flinched away from it. Maybe this had all been a really bad idea. “Why are you being so crude?” she asked. He must have sensed the panic in her voice because he straightened and took his hands off her. She barely stopped herself from whimpering in protest.

“You think I’m being crude?”

“Aren’t you?”

“Haven’t men talked dirty to you before?”

“Yes. But with you… I don’t know… I just thought you’d have more finesse. That you’d be more… romantic.”

“When it comes to sex, Grace, I’m whatever a woman needs me to be.”

“And you think I need a man who’s crude?”

“Baby, I think you need a man who’s willing to talk straight. One who’s willing to move beyond what one might expect and get down to business with giving you what you need. To know what you need, I need to ask questions and not be held back by your sense of modesty. I want to give it to you good, Grace, and that means knowing what’ll make you come.”

“Nothing,” she said quickly. “Nothing makes me come with a man and it isn’t as if I haven’t tried. I’ve never been good at talking about sex, but I’m not a prude. I’ve tried plenty of things, with plenty of men, and all of them have failed.”

Max grinned. “You forget you’re in Vegas. And you forget how motivated I am. Make no mistake. You’re about to get lucky.”

“Does that mean we’re actually going to stop lollygagging around and have sex now?”

“I think I’ve got a pretty good handle on what you need and how we’re going to get you where you need to go.”

“What exactly do I need?”

“A partner who wants to play. One who’s willing to push you while at the same time holding off giving you his dick until you’re wild for it. One who’s going to prove he’s not settling, but enjoying every fucking second of that exquisite torture right along with you. There’s no end goal, because you’re not in control of when intercourse actually happens. He is.
I am
. And my whole goal will be to string things out. Find out how far we can go without coming. For us, sex is going to be about experimenting and feeling and getting jacked up hot, but not giving in. We’re going to go for broke until one of us loses control and takes the other. And I’m going to let you in on a secret.
You
are going to do the taking, but
I’m
going to control when it happens.”

She was breathing so fast she was afraid she was going to pass out. She struggled to form coherent speech. “So what you’re saying is the way you’re going to give me an orgasm is by refusing to let me orgasm?”

“By building it up then controlling when it happens. For you and for me.”

“Sounds frustrating for both of us and I’ve had enough frustration as it is.”

“Any frustration you suffer during the process will be worth it, don’t worry about that.”

“Don’t worry about totally placing myself in your hands?” She snorted. “You don’t ask a lot, do you?”

“I’m asking for what I think you need. And Grace that includes canceling your flight tomorrow.”

***

Max watched Grace squirm in her seat. He knew appearances could be deceiving, but damn if she didn’t look like she was about to come without the aid of his fingers, tongue or dick. God knew he felt close to coming himself.

It was beyond fun rattling Grace and tempting her inner vixen to come out and play, even as she struggled to retain that blasted control of hers.

The control she was still clinging to.

“And stay how long?” she asked.

“A week should do the trick.”

She laughed nervously. “I—I can’t stay in Vegas that long.”

“Why not? Melina said you were taking time off from work.”

When she remained silent, he said, “Grace, you’ve got a plan for yourself. One that doesn’t involve California or career. You want me to give you something before you start your plan, but you have to give me a fair shot. One night to give you something all your lovers haven’t been able to? One night to make you feel pressured and like a failure if it doesn’t happen? No way. The way to get you where you want is to keep you in the dark, literally and figuratively.”

“So you plan on keeping me locked in a dark bedroom?”

“I know what I’ve got planned. Other than what I’ve already told you, you don’t and you’re not going to. That’s the point. If we’re going to do this, we’re doing it all the way. And that means total trust by you. And total openness to whatever may come.”

“I don’t know if I can give you that. Total openness? Come on. I have no idea what kink you’re into.” She was obviously striving to be funny, but he didn’t give her the out.

“I’m into a lot of things. But the only thing we’re going to do, or I’m going to do to you, is what you’re into. I will push you to stretch your boundaries and inhibitions, but I will never do anything you don’t like or cause you pain. If I do, all you have to do is say no and I’ll stop.”

“So no is my safe word?”

He paused and studied her. “Sounds like you know a thing or two about kink. You ever need a safe word before?”

“No. And I didn’t mean—”

“I know exactly what you meant and we’ll explore it later, quite thoroughly. What’s your favorite fruit?”

“What?”

“A safe word is one you wouldn't normally say during sex but one you can easily remember. What’s your favorite fruit?”

“Mango.”

“Then that’ll be your safe word.”

She was tempted to give in. He could see it in her eyes. In the way she bit her lip and looked at him as if he was a big slice of chocolate cake—and she was starving. But she held back. Out of fear. Out of honesty. Given her reluctance to talk dirty and verbalize her desires, he was getting that words meant something to Grace. She didn’t use them lightly. And she
really
didn’t want to say she’d give him total control when she wasn’t sure she actually could.

“What about your plans?” she asked, obviously trying to buy herself some time. “Back at the house—you said you need to draw more attention to your show by drumming up press. How will you have time for that and me?”

“I’ll make time.”

“I wouldn’t feel comfortable. That is, I wouldn’t want…”

“You wouldn’t want me to go from touching you to touching another woman?”

“More like the other way around.”

“That’s not a problem. You said it yourself, what I’m going to be doing is about drumming up press. That means being seen with women not having sex with them.”