“What are we eating?” she asked.
“I thought we’d have drinks and appetizers here, and then if you wanted a more substantial meal, we could head up to the resort.” He sat down beside her, stretching one arm behind her, then pulling her against him. “Or we could stay here for the night,” he said in a gruff voice that left no doubt as to which choice he preferred.
He pressed a kiss to her temple, his lips warm, his touch both sweet and arousing at the same time.
“We’ll see,” she said playfully, knowing exactly what her body wanted, what she finally accepted she was ready for. She took a long sip of the velvety, rich wine before pulling the silver top off of the selection of hors d’oeuvres. “Oh, I love brie and crackers.”
He immediately leaned forward and cut a small piece of cheese, placed it on a cracker, and held it out for her to taste, his gaze intent on hers. She opened her mouth, and he slid the cracker onto her tongue, his fingers trailing over her lower lip as he pulled away. Her body trembled at his deliberately sensual touch, her breasts heavy and tight, her sex wet and needy. She chewed the creamy, crunchy snack and moaned. “Delicious.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Is it? I wouldn’t know.”
She grinned and picked up a cracker, added a slice of brie, and lifted it toward him. He opened and pulled the food into his mouth along with her fingers, sliding his lips along her skin before releasing her with a pop. He grinned while chewing and swallowing.
“Good?” she asked.
“Mouth-watering,” he said, sexy lips lifted in a seductive grin.
She laughed. Laughed! She’d done more laughing today than in the recent past. She bit down on her lower lip. Had her life been that boring? Routine, maybe. No, she thought, hating the admission. It had been boring.
“What is it?” Max asked, those unique amber eyes focused on her. Today they seemed rimmed in a rich brown. As usual with Max, he was attuned to her mood changes and thoughts, even if he wasn’t aware what those thoughts were.
She glanced down. “My own laughter took me by surprise.”
Max’s brows furrowed. “Go on.”
“I just realized it’s been too long since I’ve laughed in my everyday life.”
“Can we blame the asshole?” he asked, obviously trying to lighten the mood.
She shook her head, although she couldn’t contain a smile. “I think the blame falls right here. I let my life get away from me. I let him control things and change the things about me and my life that made me happy.”
“Have you asked yourself why?”
She didn’t have to ask. She already knew. If she stayed with Lucas and let him mold her to fit his needs, she was in no danger of falling hard for him. No danger of becoming so emotionally attached that it would hurt when he left.
Was she ready to share something like that with Max, a man who accepted her as is and who she could fall for way too easily?
She blew out a deep breath. “I have and it’s complicated.”
He reached out and brushed her hair behind her ear. “Well, we wouldn’t want complicated to mess with the here and now.”
“That’s it? You aren’t going to push for an explanation?”
“Nope. I’m going to do something else instead.” His golden eyes glittered with determination and more than a hint of desire.
“What might that be?” she asked, leaning in. The closer she got to him, the more she could inhale the masculine scent that drove her crazy.
“I’m going to make sure you focus on having fun now and every day we’re here. I don’t want you to forget what it feels like to live life. And enjoy.”
Her heart beat faster at the prospect, because it had been so long since she’d done just that, and Max seemed to understand.
“Where do we start?” she asked.
“With fantasies. Nothing more fun than some fantasy play, right?” he asked with a sexy wink.
“Umm, right?” She ran her tongue over her dry lips. “When you say play, do you mean the kind of play you did at Paradis?” she asked, naming the sex club he belonged to.
His jaw tightened at the question. “What do you know about the club?”