Bedding the Bachelors Box Set (Books 1-3) (46 page)

“If ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ were candy and nuts we’d all have a Merry Christmas. You’ve got to make the time for this, Max. I know a woman who runs a dance studio right here in Vegas. She’s my lawyer’s sister. I can put you in touch, if you want.”

He grinned. “Candy and nuts, huh?” Out front, Max popped the trunk to his car and placed the packages inside. Before shutting it, he leaned against the back end of the car, folded his arms over his chest and looked at her. “Sounds like a fancy way of saying you want me to get off my ass so you can help me out. Does this mean we really are friends?”

I don’t want to be your friend, she instantly thought. I want to be more. But she’d settle for that. “You’ve helped me. It’s the least I can do to help you. I’m not sure if I’ve even given you anything that will work, but it’s an idea.”

He reached out, cupping her chin in his hand. She caught her breath and held it, heard the pounding in her ears as her heart rate intensified. Max pulled her closer to him until their hips touched. Her hands found his arms.

And then he kissed her.

Deep.

Long.

Hard.

There, on the side of the street, in front of the baby boutique, Max Dalton kissed Grace Sinclair with the tenderness of a lover.

Not a tomcat.

Not a bad boy.

But a man capable of putting his family before his career.

A man who loved his parents, who wanted a dog, and who made her feel whole.

A man capable of making all of Grace’s dreams come true, whether he wanted to or not.

Max’s Magic Rule #15:

The best performances happen when you’re not trying so hard.

After dropping off the baby supplies, Max and Grace stopped by the hospital to check on Melina, who was resting peacefully with Rhys by her side. For over an hour, Grace talked with her friends, noticing how Max, who sat beside her, couldn’t seem to keep his hands off her. Whether it was to stroke her hair or rub her back or hold her hand, he didn’t seem to care what message he might be communicating, either to her, Melina or Rhys.

And what he was communicating was that he cared for Grace and enjoyed her company.

It began to dawn on Grace that not only had she been wrong about what kind of man Max was, but maybe she’d been wrong about whether he’d want to build something even more special than friendship with her.

Suddenly, there was no longer a doubt in her mind it was what she wanted.

As they walked to the hospital parking lot after saying their goodbyes, Grace stopped beside Max’s car, took a deep breath and said, “In case you’re interested, I want more than just an orgasm from you.”

Max tilted his head to the side and frowned. “You mean you’re considering me for the position of your baby’s father?”

“No,” she said quickly, wincing when he frowned and his eyes blazed. “Not that you wouldn’t make a wonderful father. But I need to think about some things. Put my baby plan on hold.”

His shoulders seemed to relax slightly. “Why?”

“I think you and Melina and Lucy might have been right,” she whispered. “I mean, I still want a family. A baby. Sooner than later.”

“Is there a ‘but’ coming?”

“
But
I think I was rushing into having a baby because I was lonely. All my life I’ve just wanted to be normal. My parents died when I was ten. My body refused to give me an orgasm with a man. Not normal. And I guess I saw the same thing happening down the line with a family. I was so afraid I wouldn’t find the right man that I wanted to skip over any pressure to do so.”

“And now?”

She glanced away but forced herself to say, “Now I’m thinking I’ve found the right man after all.”

He folded his arms across his chest. Not encouraging. “Why the sudden change of heart.”

“It’s actually not that sudden,” she said. “I’ve always liked you, but your reputation scared me. It still does. But if you feel the same way, if you want to give us a try beyond sex… I don’t know, maybe we can run us up a flag pole and see what salutes.”

He failed to crack a smile. “Say it straight.”

“What?”
I’ve made a mistake. He’s just standing there, when he has to know how hard this is.

But maybe that’s what he needs. To know someone cares enough, wants him enough, to get through a little discomfort to get him.

“Tell me exactly what you’re saying so there can’t be any confusion.”

“I’m saying I want to get to know you better. I want to spend time with you. A lot more time. I’m saying if you gave me a chance, it would be easy to fall in love with you.” She resisted glancing away at her discomfort. “I know that sounds silly. We’ve only been hanging out a few days but—” She lost the battle and her gaze darted to the sidewalk at her feet.

“Eyes on me, Grace.”

When she raised her head, he was finally smiling. “It’s not silly.”

“Then what is it?”

He strode toward her. “It’s fucking fantastic.” Gripping her arms, he pulled her into his body so the breath whooshed out of her. He hugged her tight, then pulled back and kissed her deeply. “Do I look scared to you?” he asked after he raised his head.

“You look happy.”

And she
felt
happy. Stunned by the knowledge Max actually wanted more from her than just sex. Even if it didn’t last long, she was taking the ride.

“You say that now, but wait until I get you back to my place.”

“What will I be saying then?”

“For starters, how about Please, More, Harder, and Please.”

She giggled, feeling more carefree than she could ever remember. “You said please more than once.”

“So will you. Now
please
, can we get in the car so we can get started?”

She nodded, then clasped his hands in hers. “We can go back to your place and just talk all night. If that’s what it takes to prove I respect you and think of you as more than just a sex object, then definitely.”

He raised their hands and kissed hers. “If I say thank you for the offer but now that I know you want more, I’m more than happy for you to think of me as a sex object, will that be okay?”

“To quote someone awesome I know, that would be fucking fantastic.”

***

The drive from the hospital to Max’s condo was significantly different than the drive to his parents’ house. Shorter, of course, but almost transcendent, as though they were traveling in their own private bubble. As he drove, Max never stopped touching Grace, whether it was holding her hand or caressing her thigh while they were moving, or pulling her in for a kiss every time they stopped at a red light.

She began to crave those brief stops far more than she’d ever thought possible.

She wanted to hit every red light in Vegas just so she could experience an endless variety of Max Dalton kisses, from sweet to blazing hot. She liked that he kept her guessing about what was coming, never knowing if this time he’d nip her lip or plunge his tongue in her mouth or tease her with the barest of forays. The silence in the car added to the intimate atmosphere. Grace felt drugged on the look, the smell and taste of him.

She’d never ached this badly for a man.

She was confident she’d never feel this way about another man again.

And she hoped she wouldn’t have the chance to find out.

The next time Max stopped, Grace decided to take the kind of kiss she wanted, and it was full-throttle. When she pulled back, Max looked as dazed as she felt. She turned toward the windshield, expecting to see a green light and angry drivers barreling around them. Instead, they were pulled up in front of Max’s condo.

“You didn’t tell me we were here.”

“You kind of distracted me.”

“Just kind of?”

“Let’s go inside and I’ll let you
definitely
distract me. Sound good?”

“Depends. Does anything go?”

“Baby, when it comes to you, I want everything. And I’m more than prepared to return the favor.”

***

At Max’s words, Grace’s eyes actually glazed over. With a muttered curse, he got out of the car, opened her door and helped her out. As soon as they were inside, she dropped her purse and he pushed her up against the door. Hands clamped on her hips, he took her mouth even as he shook with the intensity of his feelings. He could barely believe she was here, not just in his arms but in his life, wanting more from him than just sex.

Their tongues tangled and her hips undulated against him in an uninhibited display of desire. He wanted to rip off their clothes and nail her against the door. Hammer into her. Fuck her until he got her out of his system and then do it all over again.

And he would.

But first he was going to give her something else. Something he’d never given a woman before.

He was going to give her all of him exactly the way she needed it. And that was going to require a little more finesse. He pulled away, smiling when her mouth followed his and she linked her fingers behind his neck, refusing to let him go. He rewarded her by cupping her breasts and playing with her nipples, wishing he could make their clothes disappear on command so he could get to the delicate piercings that drove him fucking insane.

When he finally tore his mouth from hers, she lifted her lashes and stared at him in confusion, her cheeks flushed and her breathing ragged. “Why’d you stop?”

“Because we’re going upstairs, and while I’d normally carry you there, I need you to stay here while I take care of a few things.” Her eyes instantly rounded and he smothered a laugh, picturing the wild assortment of
things
that must be running through her mind. “Don’t worry. You already told me you’re not into whips and chains.”

She bit her lip. “If that’s what you like… ”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Let’s just start with you and me tonight.”

She shivered at his implication they’d be working their way to other things. With a smile and sigh, she leaned back against the door.

“Give me a few minutes and then come up,” he said.

She nodded and he headed upstairs to his bedroom. He immediately opened his closet and pulled out the box he used to hold various shit he accumulated over the years, mainly things his mom and Melina gave him and he was too sentimental to throw out. He grinned as he grabbed several scented candles, then tossed the box back onto the shelf. He reached into his pocket and took out the lighter he always carried simply because he used it in a variety of magic tricks. Lighting the candles, he positioned them next to the bed.

Grace wanted to have sex in a bed with lit candles around her. He was giving her that. But that was the only bit of ‘normalcy’ he was going to allow her. Fuck normal. He wanted Grace, kink and all, challenging him and making him work for everything she could give him.

Hearing a noise, he turned. Grace stood in the doorway, eyes wide with disbelief. “Max?” She blinked a couple of times, her voice rough with emotion.

He strode up to her and swung her into his arms. “I know it’s just a few feet, but I’ve wanted to carry you like this for a helluva long time,” he said. Bending, he kissed her as he walked. Then he gently lowered her.

He slipped her shirt over her head then undressed the rest of her, thoroughly kissing each patch of exposed skin before baring the next. He spent a long time at her breasts, sucking her nipples hard and tonguing her piercings until she was shifting restlessly, alternately pulling him into her body and pushing at his shoulders, not wanting him to stop but also wanting him to move on.

He urged her onto her stomach and focused on her tattoo, kissing down her spine from the top of one bird’s wing to the bottom of the other. He straightened and ran one finger down the same trail. “This tattoo. What does it mean to you, Grace?”

She stiffened and turned her face into the sheets.

“Dixie?”

She took a deep breath. Released it. Turned her head so he could once again see her sweet profile but kept her eyes closed.

“It’s a peacock,” she said quietly. “Peacocks are beautiful but their plumage and dazzling color? It’s all show. They look like they’d be able to fly forever, but they can’t. They can only fly a very short distance.”

So he’d been right in his interpretation; the tattoo on her back represented both flight and inaction. To Grace, she was a peacock, a grounded bird always longing to fly a little longer. A little farther.

He leaned down to kiss her lips and closed eyelids. Then he kissed up and down her spine once more. When he was done, he said, “Maybe ordinary peacocks can’t fly for long. But don’t forget I’m a magician, Dixie. Together we’ll fly so high you’ll think we’ve gone to heaven.”

She turned over to face him and he lowered his head, kissing her again and again until all hints of sadness left her. “Undress me,” he said even as he unsnapped her jeans and began to tug them down her legs. Eagerly, she obeyed.

Soon they were both naked and he was kneeling next to her. He felt his expression turn savage as he took her in. Her tousled hair, beautiful eyes, and puffy lips. Her tight pink nipples, creamy flesh and closely trimmed patch of blond fuzz at the juncture of her thighs.

“Fucking beautiful,” he growled. He gripped his dick and pumped it several times, once again overcome by the need to shove himself inside her but still fighting it. She watched and lifted her hands to cup her breasts, fingers closing around her piercings to delicately tug.

His breath froze in his chest.

“Spread your legs for me,” he said. “Show me your pussy.”

Her body jerked and her eyes went round but she immediately obeyed, spreading her bent knees wide so he could see her slick pink lips and the tiny hoop piercing the hood of her clit. His fist picked up speed and his mouth began to water. Abruptly, he covered her body with his, fists braced into the mattress as he took her mouth. When she was lost in his kiss, tongue dueling with his for dominance, he lowered himself so his chest pressed into hers and his hips forced her thighs even farther apart. She gave a keening cry as her tight little nipples stabbed into his chest.

He ripped his mouth away. “Jesus, you’re hot, Grace. I bet you’re so hot between your legs you’d burn me if I touched you.”