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“Whatever happens, Mallory, I’ll always be there for you,” he said, and gathered her close.

Max fumbled to get the ringing phone before it woke up Mallory. “Yeah?” he croaked into it.

“Mr. Spencer, it’s Christine from The Oaks.”

“Yeah?” He sat up when he saw the clock said seven thirty in the morning. No one called this early with good news.

“I’m sorry. Your father passed away. He went peacefully in his sleep.”

“Oh.” Max felt numb. His emotions closed down and for a moment it felt like he was floating above his body, watching the events unfurl. “I see. Thanks for calling.”

“Which funeral home did you want us to contact?”

“Uh … I haven’t thought about it. I guess the one we used for Mom. I think it was Pascale’s Funeral Home in Middletown.”

“All right, we’ll contact them.”

“Thanks.” Max hung up the phone and flinched when Mallory put her hand on his shoulder.

“What happened?”

“My dad. He passed away,” Max said quietly.

She threw herself into his arms and he buried his face in her hair. She smelled like sunshine and light and maybe if he hid himself here, he could escape the reality. He allowed himself a few indulgent minutes before taking a deep breath and pulling away.

Her soft blue eyes were full of sympathy and shining with a coat of tears.

“Hey,” he said, brushing her cheek with his finger. “None of that. You didn’t even know the man.”

“I know that he was your father. That’s enough for me.”

Max huffed a short laugh. “He wasn’t a likable man. He pretty much made all of our lives a living hell. Drove my sister away to California after knocking her around over a baseball game. My brother went down to Texas before he killed the old man. My mother died to escape him. They said it was an allergic reaction to her medication, but in the back of my mind, I always thought …” He shook his head.

“Max,” Mallory said, hugging him again. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

He sniffed. “I’m going to tell you something that my sister and brother don’t even know. When I was in high school, my father beat the crap out of me when he saw my Home Economics project.” Max gestured to the bank of sewing machines in the other room. “Called me a fag.”

Mallory’s mouth dropped open in shock.

Max shrugged. “He wasn’t the only one with that opinion. So I learned how to fight before I started sewing again. Next time he came at me, I let him swing until he got tired. He couldn’t touch me—I was that fast. So he waited until I went to school and backed over my sewing machine a few times with his truck.”

Mallory’s lips trembled. “That’s an awful thing to do. What did your mother do?”

“She was at work. When she found out she just sighed and told me to use the school’s machines. He had beaten her into submission years ago. He had a series of strokes after she died and couldn’t live on his own. My sister, Jessie, recommended euthanizing him.” Max smiled at her wince. “My brother, Ken, found The Oaks and we admitted him. I visited when I could, but Dad never recovered enough after the strokes to speak. It was a matter of time.”

He rested his cheek on the top of her head. “Shit. Just like the old bastard to put a black cloud over what should have been a wonderful morning. Come on, let’s get dressed and I’ll drive you to work.” Depression pulled at him. He was also surprised that there was a great deal of relief, too. The guilt about that almost crushed him.

“You don’t have to,” Mallory said. “You must have a hundred things to do. I can put on my big-girl panties and drive to the hospital by myself.”

Max found a grin. “I like it when you don’t wear any panties.”

The slug she gave him on his arm warmed him with an unexpected affection. He didn’t want to be numb. He wanted to feel alive. A chapter in his life had just ended, but Max had a feeling he was sitting next to a new chapter. And she was beautiful. Swooping her up into his arms, he kissed her until they were both breathless. No longer numb, Max’s body flared to life.

He carried her into the shower, her gorgeous legs wrapped around his waist. Adjusting the water temperature to a nice warm thrum, he climbed in with her. Pressing her against the wall, he said, “I want to be inside you.”

“Yes.”

His cock was rock hard from her sweet kisses and he slipped inside her hot warmth, swallowing her gasp with his mouth. Max fucked her in a hard, driving rhythm that didn’t leave room for thought or regret—just a clean burn of joy and relish. Her hands clutched the wet hair at the base of his neck.

“Max!” she cried.

He drove into her faster, watching the water cascade down their entwined bodies.

“So beautiful,” he breathed, licking droplets from her neck.

“I need you,” she sighed. “Please. Don’t stop.”

“Not a chance in hell,” he growled, picking up the pace until they were splashing water everywhere. Her fingers were on his shoulders now, nails digging into him.

“Yeah,” he said in her ear. “Tonight, I’m going to take you into Club Inferno. I’m going
to tie you up, tight with ropes, and I’m going to play with your pussy until you’re dripping wet.”

“Max.” Her voice was strained and he nipped at the sweet curve of her neck, felt her grip him tighter with her thighs. He sucked, restraining from leaving a mark—even though he wanted more than anything to mark her as his.

“Then you’re going to wrap these luscious lips around my cock and swallow me down until I’m ready to come.” He moved back to her mouth, parting her lips with his own and stroking his tongue inside.

Mallory was mewling in pleasure now, and she gripped his cock as she started to shake. He slowed his strokes so he could reach between their bodies. Laying his palm on her curvy stomach, he pulled out a bit so his thumb could find her engorged bud. When he circled it, she came with a shout that had him grinning from ear to ear. He resumed his hard pace, feeling her thick sweetness coat his cock. With a few more pumps, he shuddered inside her.

“God, I needed that,” he said, kissing the side of her mouth.

He helped her shaking legs hold her and washed her gently, going easy on the sore bits.

“Was I too rough?”

“Still trying to catch my breath,” she said with a laugh. “I could get used to this.”

“You will,” he promised, tweaking her nipple.

“Max.” She swatted at his hand.

They finished showering and then helped each other towel off. He wanted to tumble her back into bed, but they were going to be late as it was. Still, he couldn’t help sinking to his knees and pressing his tongue against the lace of her panties.

“I’m going to frame this in rope tonight and lick this until you’re crazy with lust.”

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. “That probably won’t take long.”

He kissed his way up her stomach. “I still want you.” He took each nipple in his mouth and gave it a quick tug. Then he kissed her chin and rested his head against her forehead. “Thank you for being here.”

She laid a hand on his cheek. “There’s no place I’d rather be. Can I do anything?”

He shook his head. “The Oaks are making most of the arrangements. I just need to coordinate with my sister and brother and the funeral home.” Max felt lighter. The shower had washed away more than hours of passionate lovemaking. He was free.

“I’m here for you, whatever you need.”

They were quiet on the drive into work. Mallory was trying to learn the ins and outs of her new phone. He watched her trying to puzzle it out, the tip of her tongue in the corner of her mouth. Reaching over, he placed a hand on her knee.

She looked up, startled.

“I want you to stay with me.”

“Tonight?”

“Well, yes. But I mean on a more permanent basis. I want you to move in with me or we can get an apartment together.”

The phone fell onto the floor and she scrambled to grab it before it slid under her seat. “Wow,” she said. “I need a few minutes.”

“I don’t need an answer right away. I figured you’ll be meeting my sister and brother soon enough. I want to introduce them to you as my girlfriend.”

A tentative smile broke over her face and Max swore she was blushing.

“I spanked your ass red and didn’t see you this embarrassed,” he said.

“Ma-ax,” she drew out his name to two syllables.

“Think it over,” he said, sliding his knuckles down her cheek.

“I will.”

Max dropped her off and after checking that no one was stalking around the hospital, he went back to his truck to make the funeral arrangements. Jessie, predictably, wasn’t going to come down until he told her he was sorry she wouldn’t get a chance to meet his fiancée. She booked a flight while they were still on the phone. Ken’s reaction wasn’t so expected.

“Yeah,” his brother drawled into the phone.

“I got some bad news,” Max said.

“Are you all right?”

“Me? Yeah. I’m fine. It’s Dad. He passed away this morning.”

The silence shook Max until he realized his brother was crying.

“The stupid son of a bitch never apologized.”

Max stared out the window of his truck and watched the patients go in and out of their cars. “No, he didn’t.”

“It’s not fair,” Ken said. “Christ, I hate him so much.”

Max understood.

“I’ve half a mind to piss on his grave.”

“
That’s
an image,” Max retorted.

“When’s the funeral?”

“Friday night. I can put you and Jessie up in the resort where I work.”

“You work for Colleen Bryant, don’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“I knew her husband, Alfie. Is she the gold digger everyone says she is?”

Max remembered Mallory’s reaction and winced. “I’m dating her sister. And it’s serious.”

Ken whistled. “Okay, I’ll behave. Is the sister half as good-looking as Colleen?”

“Prettier.”

“Well, that’s someone I’ll come back to Connecticut to meet.”

“I’ll see you then.”

He had just gotten off the phone when it rang again. Colleen. He groaned, “Speak of the devil and she will appear.” He answered it. “Yeah, boss?”

“Why is Clint teaching your classes?”

“I’m on assignment,” he said.

“This is the first I’m hearing of it.”

“Mallory wanted to tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“She’s working at Haven General again.”

“What?”

Max took the phone away from his ear and looked at it in distaste at her high-pitched screech.

“Where are you?” Colleen asked.

“I’m in the parking garage right now. I’ve been making rounds looking for David. So far he hasn’t shown up, but this is only her second week back.”

“How’s your head?”

“She’s cleared me for duty,” he said with a smile.

“Good. If it’s not one thing it’s the other. I need you to take over Lindsay’s tantric class this afternoon.”

His stomach felt like he’d swallowed a barbell. “What about Mallory?”

“I’ll send Istvahn over with a crew. We’ll keep her safe. The only way David will get into that emergency room is unconscious on a stretcher.”

If it were anyone but Istvahn, Max would have refused. But Colleen was putting her best man on the job, so he didn’t have much choice. “You got it, boss,” he said, trying to keep the reluctance out of his voice. He’d miss riding home with Mallory, but they had a date tonight that would more than make up for it. He needed time to get the dungeon ready for her anyway.

After he hung up with Colleen, Max went to find Mallory. He had to wait for about an hour before he was able to get her alone. Max explained to her what the plan was.

“Wait, tantric as in sex?” Mallory said.

That’s what she’s concerned about? Not David or her bodyguards?
He stifled a grin. “You’re welcome to join the class and find out.”

“I have to work.” She glanced around to see if anyone needed her.

“I’m looking forward to tonight. You’re not afraid of me tying you up, are you?”

Mallory glanced around again. “Shh, not so loud. What’s going to go on in this tantric
class?”

He pulled her into an alcove with a vending machine that served fruit waters. “It’s a meditation class with a few yoga tenets thrown in.”

“Like the meditation you and I did my first night?” Mallory crossed her arms.

“No,” he smirked. “There are ten people in the class. It’s not a white tantric, though. It’s definitely red.”

“What is?”

“The discipline.”

“Discipline? So are you going to be their Master?”

“Not that type of discipline,” he chuckled. “I haven’t finished my tantric coursework to get certified.”

“You were doing okay with me,” she said as she ran her hand down his arm.

“That wasn’t tantric.” He put his hands on her bottom and pulled her in close.

“This is the stuff that Sting does to make love for hours, right?”

“Yes, but there will be no lovemaking during the session.” He kissed her temple, his lips trailing down to her cheek.

“There better not be.” She hugged him tight, angling her neck so her sensitive spot was exposed.

“You’re welcome to join us. We meet on the weekend too.”

“I’m not the ‘contemplate my navel,’ or any other body part for that matter, type of person.”

“We’ll be doing sexual energy work and breath control exercises,” he breathed in her ear.

“To what end?” She snuggled closer.

“I think one of the goals of the course is the full-body orgasm,” he said.

“I want one of those.”

“Then we should have spent more time exploring each other’s bodies while I was recuperating.”

“Head wounds are no joking matter.”

Voices startled them apart as the door at the end of the hall opened.

“I’ve got to go,” she said reluctantly.

“Istvahn and his crew will keep you safe. They’re no joke.”

“I know,” Mallory said. “He’s been with Colleen forever.”

“Well, now that I’ve officially been released from bed rest I can’t wait to get you back into it. I’ve got a bunch of stuff to do and some work to catch up on. I’ll come and get you tonight. Be ready.” He pressed a quick kiss on her lips and walked down the hall.