Captivated (Deep in Your Veins 6)

I rode her through her orgasm, loving the throaty scream that erupted from her throat, and then my own release swept over me. Hard. Fast. So fucking intense I felt it in my teeth. It seemed to go on and on and on, and then the strength left my body in a rush.

I collapsed over her, tucking my face into the crook of her neck. Her arm weakly flopped over my back while the rest of her all but sank into the floor. We stayed like that for long minutes, panting and shaking.

She let out a shuddery breath. “Wow. Just wow.”

Lifting my head to meet her gaze, I hummed. “‘Wow’ works.”

She blinked, and I got the sense that she hadn’t realised she’d spoken aloud.

In all honesty, I wasn’t comfortable with the fact that I’d just had the best fuck of my life. It wasn’t supposed to be that good. I wasn’t supposed to have come that goddamn hard. But it had been amazing. Mind-blowing. Dangerously addictive. And already, as I slowly glided in and out of her, I felt my cock thicken again.

Her brows inched up. “Hmm, someone’s ready for round two. I do like a man with a quick recovery time.”

I felt one corner of my mouth twitch. “Hope you got plenty of sleep yesterday, because you won’t get much of it today.”

CHAPTER FIVE

(Max)

“You going to tell us what’s going on between you and Paige?”

I slid Stuart a sideways glance as I replied, “I wasn’t intending to, no.” It was no one else’s business. And I really had no interest in discussing it with her ex-boyfriend, especially since he’d once talked badly about her. So I went back to scanning the labyrinth of trees around us. I narrowed my eyes each time I saw movement, but it was always an animal of some sort—a snake twining itself around a branch, a bird hiding in a tree, a spider scrambling to avoid us, a boar taking cover behind a bush.

During the short period in which Paige and Stuart had dated, I’d come close to punching him too many times to count … for no other reason than that I’d been blinded by fucking jealousy. Until then, I’d honestly had no idea I had it in me to experience a jealousy so black and deep, but it had hounded me for months.

Even now, despite that her relationship with Stuart ended a long time ago, I still couldn’t think of it without grinding my teeth. It was even worse now that I’d touched her, kissed her, been inside her. Because, as much as I goddamn hated it, I felt a little too territorial where she was concerned. Hence why I’d wanted her in my bed. A place I had indeed fucked her after we gravitated from the living room to my bedroom.

I’d never actually slept beside a woman before. I’d thought it would feel at least a little strange. It hadn’t. I’d liked it. Liked waking to find her there. Liked having that instant, easy access to her body.

“If you two were hoping to keep it on the down low, you’ve failed,” said Stuart. “Anyone can see something’s going on.”

While I really did not want to have this conversation, I didn’t bother to deny that she and I had crossed the platonic line—it was too obvious in the looks we exchanged and how the tension between us no longer held a hum of sexual frustration.

“I’m guessing that ‘something’ started in the restroom at the party,” Stuart added.

“And I’m sensing you have a problem with it. What, are you regretting you let her go?” Because if the guy expected me to step aside to clear the path for him, that wasn’t going to happen. Well … not until after the seventy-two hours were up. Then she was free to do whatever she wanted with whoever she wanted. Which had me grinding my teeth yet again.

Stuart shook his head. “No. Paige was right in what she once said to me—we aren’t what the other needs. We would never have worked as a couple. That doesn’t mean I don’t look out for her.”

“How is quizzing me looking out for her?”

“Max … look, you’re a good friend. A great fucking friend. A man I’ll always trust to watch my back. A man I know is loyal to the bone. But you make a shit … hell, I can’t even say ‘boyfriend.’ When you’re involved with someone, you’re never anything more than a bed-buddy. And hey, that’s not bad. As long as the woman you’re bedding is good with that.”

“Paige and I have an understanding. She knows where we both stand.”

“But is she good with it? I once heard her tell Jude she’s looking for a partner. And you, well, you avoid attachments.”

I sighed. “Look, I get it—you don’t want her to get hurt. You don’t want any of the women to get hurt. I’m with you on that. Like you, I look out for them. But I can assure you I have no intention of hurting Paige. We won’t be involved with each other long enough for that to happen anyway.”