Page 37 of Maximus (Gold Team #4)

It took less time than I’d thought for Liam and Elijah to nod off. But even after they were asleep, I stayed. I needed the comfort only my boys could give me.

They’re here. They’re safe. And we’ll be all right .

Everything had changed with Max. And it had happened so fast, my head was having a hard time keeping up with my heart. I didn’t believe in love at first sight, and what was happening between us, certainly didn’t happen at first sight.

I barely suppressed the giggle threatening to bubble up when I thought about that first day I met Max—the first time I heard his deep, rough voice from behind my front door. And when I let him in, good Lord .

No, it was not love at first sight, but it was something , maybe lust, maybe awareness. But there was no denying that I’d felt something when his icy blue eyes took me in. Just like now, I’d been drawn to him.

On that thought, I slowly rolled out of bed, leaned down and kissed Elijah’s cheek, walked to the other side and kissed Liam’s head.

I couldn’t get Max’s words out of my head.

You’re gonna be okay. God, I hoped he was right.

Liam had taken the brunt of Jay’s abuse—my little boy had done his best to protect his little brother.

Love and pride swelled in my chest as I forced myself to forget all the reasons why Liam had needed to protect Elijah.

I quietly slipped out of the room to find Max waiting for me in the hall.

“Hey,” I whispered.

Max didn’t return my greeting, not with words anyway. His gaze took me in, but this time it was different. It wasn’t contemplative, it was heated.

He tagged my hand and led me to the bedroom, closing the door and locking it behind us. Then he walked us to the bed and quietly undressed me.

This was different, too. Gone was the frantic need. This was reverent, slow, gentle. But once my clothes were in a heap on the floor, he shucked his at a much faster pace.

Max eased us onto the mattress and settled over me, his hips cradled between my thighs, my arms wound around his neck. I’d never wanted a man so badly in my life. Never needed to feel a man’s touch so desperately. But he didn’t move, he just stared down at me.

“God, you are so beautiful,” he told me.

“So are you.”

His mouth curved into a smile before he lowered it to mine. Our lips touched, and much like the way he’d undressed me, he kept the kiss gentle—coaxing, teasing, light.

My legs tightened and my heels dug into his ass trying to get him closer but he wouldn’t budge.

“More,” I mumbled against his lips.

“Slow.”

“Max.”

“Slow, honey. I want to savor you.”

Well, who am I to argue with that ?

And slow he went.

Max licked and nipped my neck, down to my breasts where he paid an ungodly amount of time teasing my nipples until they ached.

Only when I started lifting my hips, trying to find friction did he move lower, kissing over my belly, stopping to dip his tongue into my belly button.

Who knew that could feel so good? As much as I wanted him to go faster, I finally got to explore unrushed.

My hands traveled over his broad shoulders, his muscled back, relishing his smooth skin.

I loved the feel of all his strength under my palms. Loved how his muscles twitched and bunched under my touch.

By the time Max’s mouth made its way between my legs, I was a quivering mess. My hips lifted off the bed when his tongue flicked my clit.

“Stay still.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“Try, honey.” One strong arm went over my belly holding me in place, the other went to my thigh, pushing my leg farther open, and his tongue went back to my clit.

Holy sweet Jesus. If Max wild, quick, and dirty was hot, Max taking his time was scorching.

I burned from the inside out. His tongue worked magic, edging me closer and closer to release.

His hand holding me open skimmed closer to my center and I lost the battle, the anticipation was too much.

I knew where that hand was going and I squirmed in excitement.

“Hurry.”

“Slow,” he reminded me.

I hadn’t recovered from the vibration of his word on my clit when he filled me with two thick fingers. Then he curved them up, found the place inside of me that drove me crazy, and I shattered.

On and on, my orgasm rolled through me. His fingers relentlessly kept rubbing and one orgasm slid into two.

Impossible, but nonetheless, it happened.

Max Brown pulled off a double with nothing more than gently flicking my clit with his tongue and his fingers.

Genius.

Then he was over me, kissing me senseless with the taste of me on his lips. A deep rumbling moan filled the room and I wasn’t sure if it’d come from me or him. Either way, the sound fueled my desire.

I needed him now.

Right now .

“Max, please.”

The head of his cock nudged my opening and he stilled. “Slow, honey.”

“You keep saying that,” I whined. “But I need you.”

Max leaned back, giving me a clear view of his beautiful face, and my breath caught in my throat.

There was no chill in his eyes, no hard lines on his face—he looked at peace.

Which, due to our position and the proximity of his cock, was a strange thing to think.

But there it was—Max didn’t look like he had a care in the world.

His blue eyes were serene and my heart constricted at the sight.

It was just him and me in this bed, and no one else mattered.

Three life-changing words were on the tip of my tongue. They desperately wanted to break free, but now wasn’t the time. Not when I was so exposed—if he didn’t return the feeling, I’d be crushed.

“I can’t get enough of you. Not your taste, not your scent, not your needy sounds.

Not the way you look at me, not the way you touch me, not the way you make me feel.

” Max’s gaze went from sweet to blazing as he pushed inside of me.

“I’ll give you everything you need, honey, but I’m taking my time. ”

“Will you let me give you everything you need?”

Max froze mid-thrust, his body went solid, and my hands stilled on his back. His muscles twitched under my palms and I waited.

“Eva.” My name sounded rough, like it had been pulled from the depths of his soul.

“You’ve already given me the one thing that no one else ever has.

You make me feel protected. You don’t hide that you care about me.

You’re honest with me. But more than any of that, one thing I’ve never had, not ever, is hope.

You give me that, so you’ve given me everything I could ever need. Will you trust me to give that back?”

“I do trust you.”

Four words that made me want to weep in happiness and fist bump the air in excitement. Thankfully, I did neither.

“If you trust me, then why do I feel like if I make one move, you’ll shatter? ”

“Because until this very moment, I’d never known what it felt like to be cared about.”

“I care,” I whispered, too overcome with emotion to say anything else.

His eyes closed and his forehead dropped to mine and his lips nibbled on mine, effectively cutting off our talk. Because when his tongue lashed out and licked my bottom lip, every part of me quivered from my toes to my fingertips.

“Tighten your legs around me and tip your hips.” Gone was my sweet Max and back was the master and commander of my body.

I did as he asked and his dick slid deeper.

“Goddamn, Eva, so fucking tight.” His hoarse, rough voice sent zaps of electricity through my body, making my hands tighten in his hair and my hips thrust up to meet his strokes.

“Harder.”

“Oh, no, baby, we’re taking our time. By the time I’m ready, you’ll be begging.”

“I’ll beg now.”

Max shoved his face in my neck and I would’ve mourned the loss of his gorgeous blue eyes staring into mine, except then I would’ve missed it when his body started shaking and his laughter danced across my skin.

“Baby, we’re nowhere near you begging yet. But you will be.”

And beg I did.

I begged him every time he brought me to the brink of release then slowed, only to start the climb all over again. And by the time he finally let my orgasm break free, I was a sobbing mess.

Completely wrecked—drenched in sweat, limbs limp, and out of breath. But mostly my chest burned with so many emotions I didn’t know what to do with them.

“I… ”

“You what, honey?” Max asked against my throat where his mouth was still causing havoc on my senses, making it hard to concentrate.

“Nothing.”

Max lifted his head and our eyes locked.

God, I could spend the rest of my life just like this and die happy .

“Do you feel it?” he whispered.

My throat clogged, leaving me speechless, so I just nodded.

“Good. I do, too.”

His thumb brushed away the tears as they rolled down my cheek. This was a whole new side of Max, and I couldn’t decide which I liked best—his hard-edge, tough exterior or this sweet, gentle side. The truth was, I just plain loved Max and all of his many facets.

“So beautiful,” he murmured. “When we get home from Alaska, there’s a lot we need to talk about.”

I wasn’t sure what his talk would entail, but with Max still hard inside of me, his body cocooning mine, I was too relaxed to ask.

“Okay.”

“You feeling okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. You ready for round two?”

A thrill raced up my spine and my pussy spasmed.

“Oh, yeah, you’re ready. Flip over, Eva. I want you on your hands and knees.”

His growled demand did crazy things to my insides—soft, sweet, hard, rough—I’d take Max Brown any way he wanted to give himself to me.