Heat (26 page)

“Oh,” she said, holding on to his shoulders.

“Now then,” he said. “We were rudely interrupted before. Are you interested in taking up where we left off?”

“Yes, Master.”

He grinned. “I love to hear you say those words.”

“I love what you do to me when I say them.”

“Come here,” he said, and positioned her in front of one of the jet sprays. It felt good
against her back. He hopped up next to her on the rim of the tub.

When she went to move in front of him, he stopped her. “Give me your leg.”

“What are you doing?” she said, placing her heel in his palm.

“Straddle the jet,” he said. “I want it hitting your clit while you take me in your mouth.”

It was awkward at first, but with her knee on the tub’s rim and her other hand on Max’s hip, she was able to keep her balance. Still, she wasn’t prepared for the rush that hit her when the spray drummed hard against her bud.

“Max,” she moaned, and feeling like a contortionist she let him guide her head to his cock. He was warm and wet. She sucked on him hard, liking the taste of him at the back of her throat. The pressure against her sensitive core was sweet and arousing. She hollowed out her cheeks and slid her lips over him.

“Yeah,” he groaned, reaching to her breast to play with her nipple. He tugged and rolled the peak between his fingers.

Lust shot through her, making her grind against the jet. The pulsing pull of his finger and the relentless spray vibrating up her core was almost too much. She wanted, needed, him inside her. She let him glide out of her mouth.

“Fuck me, Max. Please.”

“Finish,” he told her, then grabbed the back of her head and pushed into her mouth.

She licked him and took her hand off his hip to stroke him while she went wild on the tip. His hand tightened in her hair. The pleasure drummed into her from the jets and her hips gyrated while her mouth took him in deeper.

“That’s it,” he encouraged. “You have a sweet mouth. I’m going to come in it.”

She was moaning short, raspy sounds. The pulse of water would not stop. She couldn’t bear it. She didn’t want to move away. The orgasm shook her and she tightened her mouth over his cock.

She screamed with him deep in her throat as her orgasm roared through her. He held her there, against the jets on one end and against his cock on the other. Mallory started to shake. Her hand was pumping him wildly and he exploded down her throat.

Before she could recover, he pulled out of her mouth and grabbed her against him into the tub. The hot water soothed the cramped muscle in her leg. She felt boneless, drained, and utterly spent. He guided her hips over his and impaled her on his cock, which was still hard.

“Max,” she sighed, feeling him enter her and fill her.

“Are you all right with what we just did?” he asked.

He trailed his fingernails down her sides. She arched up and down on his shaft, the hot water and the bubbles swirling around them.

“Oh yeah, don’t stop,” she said.

“It’s just a little play,” he said. “Did you like it when I forced you back?”

Mallory nodded. “I would have liked it better if you had jammed your cock inside of me.”

“I would have come in an instant,” he said. “This way, I get to enjoy how wet and tight you are. I’m going to fuck you all night.”

She whimpered when his hand slid between them and his finger touched her bud.

“I want to feel you come when I’m deep inside you.”

“Max …” Mallory dipped her head back when his mouth clamped on her neck.

His fingertips were gentle against her. Each flick of his fingers caused her to gasp and tighten around him. Her neck was just as sensitive, so she was a quivering mass. Unable to stop the shivers, she held on to his shoulders and bounced up and down on him.

“Almost there, my sweet?” he asked, moving his fingers faster.

“Max,” she moaned.

“Louder,” he said, his hands on her hips now. He thrust up hard into her.

“Max,” she repeated over and over again. Each thrust brought her closer to that edge.

“This is not a one-night stand,” he ground out. “I’m going to have you every which way for the rest of our lives. You’re going to know my body as well as yours. Do you want that?”

“I want that. I want you.”

“Then take me,” he said. “I’m yours.”

She grabbed his hair and crushed her mouth to his. His fingers dug into her ass as they plastered themselves together. His second orgasm shook into her and toppled her into the abyss of indulgence. They moaned into each other’s mouths until their driving bodies slowed.

“We’d better get out of here before we overheat,” Mallory said, trying to catch her breath.

Max grunted and followed her out. They rubbed towels over each other halfheartedly. Mallory could barely keep her eyes open. She stumbled to the waterbed and dropped onto it. Max followed and gathered her up in his arms.

“There’s a mirror on the ceiling,” he murmured against her hair. “You have a great ass. Have I mentioned that?”

Mallory slipped off him to cuddle up against his side. She draped her thigh over his. “You’re sexy too.” She kissed his chest.

He stroked her hair and as his eyes closed he mumbled, “Tell me about your genius plan.”

Colleen had ordered a pot of apple tea and was consulting her smart phone when Mallory walked into Shira’s. The tea smelled ripe and juicy. Mallory poured herself a large cup and shook a packet of sugar in it while she waited for her sister to look up.

“Oh dear God, you’re glowing,” Colleen said, putting the phone down to pour herself a cup of tea. “I took the liberty of ordering the appetizer platter, but feel free to get anything else.”

“I think I’ll fill up on the hummus and olives.”

“That’s what I figured. So tell me why you were grilling me about my charitable donations last night when you could have been drilling Mad Max.”

“I want to open an outreach program and a shelter for abused women.”

“In your spare time?”

“For Max’s mom, David’s mom, and for me. If we’d had a safe place to go where someone understood what we were going through, it would have made all the difference in the world.”

“There are hundreds of places like that. You didn’t go to a shelter. What’s going to make this one different from the ones already out there?”

“Your name.”

Colleen blinked. “You want me to bankroll this?”

“Invest,” Mallory said. “Build community relations. You get a charity write-off. I can pay it forward. Not everyone has a rich sister to run to. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

Colleen blinked rapidly and took a long drink of tea. She cleared her throat and said, “How are you going to staff this? You can’t work twenty-four/seven.”

“I’m going to talk to some doctors and see if we can put a rotating shift there. The local community colleges can send us interns to help with the paperwork and the scheduling. I really think this will better everyone’s life.”

“That’s a little Pollyanna for me,” Colleen said. “What exactly do you need from me?”

“I need you to buy the building and then maybe make a sizable donation to the start-up.”

“What do I get out of it?”

“You’ll get a nice tax shelter, and maybe someone will say ‘philanthropist’ instead of ‘gold digger’ when your name comes up.”

Colleen snorted. “I’ll have to run this by the accountants and lawyers,” she warned.

“You’ll be able to stand on the steps of the clinic at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in a Prada suit and let the world know that Couture is not only interested in fashion, but in supporting wellness programs throughout Connecticut.”

“Alfie would have liked that,” Colleen said, dabbing her eyes.

Their lunch was served and they dug in. Mallory hadn’t realized how hungry she was. Max had given her quite a workout these past few days.

“So how does Max feel about you working your normal job and setting up this clinic? It’s going to take away a lot of time from your relationship.”

“I’m moving in with him.”

Colleen raised an eyebrow. “This is rather sudden.”

“Things move pretty quickly at Couture.”

“I know. But I don’t want to see you hurt. You can stay here as long as you like.”

“Thank you, but I’ve got to get back to the real world. I know Max and I can make it in here. You take care of everything. That’s what you do. But I need to know if we can deal with each other in a more normal setting.”

“This isn’t normal?” Colleen indicated the belly dancer shimmying and juggling scarves around the table.

“Maybe for you.”

“So how is Max planning on supporting a new apartment?”

“He’s got an appointment to show his workout clothes to a boutique on the shoreline.”

“Good for him,” Colleen said. “Money worries tend to put stress on a relationship. Not that I’d know.”

“His savings and my salary can float us for a few months. Besides, we’re going to keep up our Couture membership—in case we need a break from the real world.”

“Honey, this
is
the real world.” She indicated the male sword dancer who was wearing a Hollywood version of an Arabian dancer’s costume and gold nipple rings.

Mallory moved around the table to hug her sister. “Thank you so much for everything. You are my hero.”

“Oh stop, I didn’t do anything. I just sign the checks.”

“Don’t you belittle yourself like that,” Mallory said.

“Sit down—you’re making my mascara smear,” Colleen said.

The waitress brought over another large platter of finger food and they ate in silence for a few moments, just enjoying the meal and the companionship.

“We should make this a regular occurrence,” Mallory said.

“What did you have in mind?”

“A weekly lunch. We can go someplace different every week, so you’re not always stuck
with the bill. It would be good for me to remember to take some time off and spend it with family.”

“I suppose Nefertiti can work it into my schedule,” Colleen said loftily, but the shine in her eyes belied her casual words.

“Speaking of, what’s the story between her and Istvahn?” Mallory said, dipping a pita triangle into the hummus.

“They were Alfie’s and now they’re mine,” Colleen said. “They’re utterly capable and trustworthy.”

“I don’t want to know all that. How long have they been in love with each other?”

Colleen’s mouth dropped open. “What?”

“Watch them together. When one thinks the other one isn’t looking, the tension almost sets the room on fire.”

“Okay,” Colleen said. “I understand seeing the world through sex-colored glasses when you’ve just had mind-blowing sex, but Istvahn and Nefertiti are complete opposites. They drive each other crazy.”

“Exactly.”

Colleen daintily chewed on a stuffed grape leaf. “You’re delusional.”

“Want to make a bet on it?”

“You’ll lose,” Colleen warned.

“If I’m right and there’s something between them, you reinstate Max’s job and he comes off of leave.”

“Those are pretty big stakes. I’d have to get rid of Misty, too, and that’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. Besides, what do I get if I’m right and there are more sparks in a puddle of mud than there are between the two of them?”

Mallory thought about it. “I’ll host Christmas and Thanksgiving at my place so you can just drop in for a few and then leave, instead of flying all the way out to Nevada and back in a day.”

“Hmmmm.” Colleen tapped a nail on the table. “Plus you have to belly dance here on Friday nights for a month. I’ll even let you keep the tips.”

“Deal.” Mallory held out her hand.

After lunch, Colleen rushed off to another meeting and Mallory went to find Max to tell him all about their conversation. He was talking with a bunch of other Doms. It looked as if they were scheduling events. When he saw her waiting for him, he finished up and came over to her.

“I’m glad she’s thinking of helping you out,” he said once she told him everything. “Are you sure this isn’t going to be too much for you?” Max led them down the corridors heading to his former studio.

“I used to think I worked all those crazy shifts at the ER because I was avoiding David. But I was really avoiding myself. I think this shelter will help me as much as it helps the women who come there.”

“I’m proud of you.”

Mallory shrugged and blushed, but before she could respond, a voluptuous woman coming in the opposite direction stopped dead in her tracks and stared.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, looking from Max to Mallory.

“My fiancée and I are club members,” he said.

Fiancée?
Mallory whipped her head to Max. Her hand squeezed his.

“Fiancée?” the woman gasped. “I didn’t know you were engaged.”

“And you are …?” Mallory said.

“Misty Brinks.”

“Oh,
you’re
Misty.” Mallory narrowed her eyes at the woman. “Did you try to get Max fired?”

“I hadn’t realized that …” Misty had the grace to be embarrassed. “I have to go. It was … nice seeing you again.”

She tottered off on her high heels.

“So that was Misty,” Mallory said. “You want to explain the ‘fiancée’ bit? Were you just putting on a show or did you decide to jump the gun a bit?”

“Don’t let Misty ruin everything,” he said, grabbing her arm and leading her into the dojo.

He locked the door and shut the screens.

“I have a feeling of déjà vu,” she said.

“Luckily, I’ve still got access to this place.”

“Why? What do you have planned?”

“Do me a favor: That door is a walk-in closet. It’s got a rack of costumes. Pick one out.”

The walk-in closet was bigger than her first apartment. She saw racks and racks of fancy ball gowns in all sizes.

“Give me a hint here,” she called out.

“Pretend it’s New Year’s Eve.”

That sounded nice.

If it really were New Year’s, the busy holiday season would be over. Sure, she’d still be pulling double shifts, but miracles happen during the winter holidays, even if they’re as simple as people being more kind to each other. Normally if she was lucky enough to have the night off, she and David would stay home and watch comedy shows until the ball dropped. Then they’d have sex and go to bed.