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L ater that night, Lily sat engulfed in the comforter on the couch while Max sat next to her, his thigh pressing into hers.

Levi was catching a cat nap on the recliner and Chris and Sara had gone to bed.

Ryan and Shane were back engrossed in the video game again.

Lily was hyper-aware of Max. She had placed her palm on his thigh and left it there. After several minutes, Max had shifted the blankets around both of their laps before he slipped a hand up her leg.

Lily was wearing silky pajamas and felt every burning inch of his hand through the material.

She shifted to ease the ache that was building. His palm slid higher and firmly gripped the inside of her thigh, drawing her eyes to his.

Her lips parted and his eyes dropped to her mouth. He was making her wet just with a hand on her thigh. Nobody had ever done that to her before.

Max left his palm there in the most delicious pressure and lifted his other hand to run his fingertips over her collarbone, sending chills down her spine, making her nipples hard. She felt them thrusting against the material of her thin bra, poking at the silky pajama blouse.

Max noticed and dropped his eyes to her breasts. Her nubs hardened further and when he dropped his fingers away, he let the back of his knuckles graze over her nipples.

Lily jerked and brought the comforter up to her neck. She shifted away from Max’s hands and stood, taking the comforter with her.

In the hallway, she gazed back at him and licked her lips before she continued on her way to the spare bedroom.

Max entered the room behind her even before she could shut the door. He booted it closed with his foot and grabbed her.

She wriggled in the strong hands suddenly holding her. Her eyes were challenging. Her chin tipped. Did he think this was going to be easy?

He growled.

She glared.

He pulled her in to kiss her, but she nipped at his mouth. He lifted his head and she sank the fingers of her good hand into his hair at the top of his head and gripped him hard.

The white brace on her right arm stood out starkly against her skin, but that didn’t seem to faze Max.

He crowded close, crushing into her, his cock hard between them. She moaned when their mouths fitted together again like puzzle pieces. Parted lips pressed and pushed. Teeth nipped, and she slipped her tongue into his mouth. Hearing him groan made her heart sing.

Max placed his SR1911 Ruger handgun on the dresser with a crack—she only knew the model because she’d asked during dinner.

Ripping off his t-shirt, Max jerked it up and over his head. The material floated to the floor leaving him wearing only a pair of low-riding jeans.

Fire leaped into Lily’s stomach and pooled liquid heat between her legs. She ran her eyes over him, then her hand over his wide chest and broad shoulders before she reached downward and caressed the V at his hips, running her fingers through the line of hair that disappeared into his jeans.

He was so freaking sexy. Every inch of Max was powerful, but there was a vulnerability in his eyes when he spoke.

“Lily, does this mean…” his voice trailed off, his growling words were almost addictive and she could picture herself falling into him again.

She knew without a doubt that she could crush him with just one word, but she held back.

She had always loved Max’s body, and had fallen in love with him for the way he always cared for her. The gentleness in his eyes even now stole her breath.

Standing there in her room, she couldn’t help but think about what was going through his head. Did he want to try again? She couldn’t even fathom going there right now.

“No words,” she said softly, firmly. “I don’t want to talk.”

Agony warred in his gaze, but he fought it down and reached for her.

When Lily gasped, Max closed his mouth over hers and tangled their tongues together, leaving them both breathless.

When she sucked in a quick breath, Max swept his tongue inside her mouth, tangling with hers. Lily melted against him and he realized how much he’d missed touching her.

Max hesitated. Was this the right thing to do? Fuck. Blake had just been murdered. But…Lily had filed for divorce first, he silently reasoned.

It took every ounce of his willpower to stop and check in with her.

“How’s your arm?”

“Perfectly fine,” she hissed.

And then she kissed him hungrily as if devouring him, it reminded him of their first desperate kiss during a wine tasting trip.

That trip had been their first time making love beneath the stars in a hot tub within a private suite of rooms he’d abruptly booked. Lily had worn a pink bikini that had made him savage with hunger.

Thinking of her body beneath the silky cream-colored pajamas sent his cock into overdrive.

He needed to own her.

She moaned, her body undulating. Holy fuck, she felt incredible as she arched into his hands. Quickly, Max flicked at the buttons of her pajama top and it parted. She’d worn a lacy, sheer white bra underneath and her nipples poked at the material.

His fingertips ghosted over her breasts, plucking at each nipple through the material…one after the other. Lily gasped and he wrapped her up in his arms, pulling her flush against his naked chest, grinding against her, taking her lips again in a slow, deep kiss.

Aching, she trembled, panting against his mouth as their tongues collided.

Dazed, she strained against him when he broke the kiss and he pressed her face into his neck. Running one hand down her back, he flicked her bra open before continuing his way down to cup her ass through the silky pajama bottoms.

Moaning, Lily lifted her head, seeking his mouth, but Max evaded her.

Lily hissed at being denied, but then gasped when Max’s hands moved further down under her thighs and he power-lifted her, wrapping her legs around his hips. She caught his neck to keep herself wrapped around him.

One big hand slowly traced up her bare back and cupped the base of her neck. Lily moaned when his hard mouth grazed hers.

The time for checking in had come and gone, but she had to at least try before she lost his head.

When Max slid his hand through her silky blonde hair and fisted its length, she drew in a quick breath.

“We’re doing this,” she said, it wasn’t a question. She wasn’t taking no for an answer.