Beautifully Brutal (Southern Boy Mafia #1) (12 page)

He regarded her for a moment. She was pissed at him, but that wasn’t unusual, either. Their relationship was … complicated.

From the first time he’d made her come on his dining room table, Max hadn’t been able to get enough of her. She knew it, too.

Unfortunately, there were times that she got too inquisitive for her own good, and he’d had to resort to sex to get her to back off. Otherwise, he would be forced to kill his own men for betraying him. As it was, she was asking too many questions, making friendships with the men who worked for him. She was getting in over her head, but she didn’t seem to care.

Getting her to back off required too much effort.

He much preferred the sex.

Sure, he was insatiable, didn’t think he’d ever get enough of her, but the fact of the matter was, he was using sex to keep her from going too far.

He knew what she was after, knew everything she’d figured out thus far, and some of it concerned him, but he was beginning to be blinded by his emotions, something that’d never happened to him before. What he felt for Courtney was vastly different than anything he’d ever felt for another woman. And he’d known that from the instant he’d met her. With every encounter since then, his need for her had only intensified.

“Spread yourself for me,” he instructed.

He didn’t want to talk about himself, didn’t want to talk about the shit day he’d had. Didn’t want Courtney finding out that he’d fucking killed two fucking people just a few short hours ago. He’d executed them in their own kitchen, watched their blood splatter across the pristine white surface, and he’d walked away completely unscathed.

That was what happened to people who crossed him, people who didn’t follow through with their promises. Although he had people who would do his dirty work for him, there were times when handling the situation himself was the only way to get the point across.

But their deaths didn’t bother him. Not in the least. And sure, sometimes he worried about the fact that he didn’t feel anything. Not when it came to taking a life.

When it came to Courtney, that was the only time he
did
feel. And he’d started to crave that, to crave
her
like a drug, always wanting more, needing more.

His eyes slid down between her thighs as she used her fingers to separate the slick folds of her beautiful pussy.

“You’re wet,” he told her.

“Yes.”

“Because you like showing me your pussy?” he asked, not looking up at her face.

“Yes.”

Reaching into the desk drawer in front of him, Max retrieved the item he’d purchased for this specific occasion. He took his time removing it from the plastic packaging.

He held up the thick dildo for her to take.

She leaned forward, taking it from him, and he noticed the slight tremble in her hands.

“Scared?” he asked.

“No,” she said assertively.

“Good. Now I want to watch you fuck yourself.”

Her sharp intake of breath made his cock thicken more. He was hard as fucking stone, aching to be buried in her warm body, but he held himself back. His need was too great, and he didn’t want to hurt her.

Max placed his hands on her feet, gently squeezing the leather that encased her ankles as he watched her take the large blue dildo and slide it through her slit. Her juices coated the end of the toy as she began teasing herself.

“Push it inside,” he commanded. “Fuck yourself with it.”

She shifted, propping herself up with her other hand before inserting the tip of the dildo in her pussy.

Max watched the head disappear as she gasped.

“You like that?” he asked, eager to whip out his dick and stroke it, but he refrained.

“Not as much as I like to feel you inside me,” she said breathlessly, continuing to force the toy deeper.

Max bit his tongue as she began to fuck herself in earnest, driving the toy into her pussy, the wet sounds echoing in the otherwise silent room.

“Max,” she cried out.

“Make yourself come, Courtney. Make yourself come all over my fucking desk.”

She continued to fuck herself, but he sensed that she was holding back.

Reaching for the toy, he got to his feet. When the chair moved out of her reach, she held her legs high, still open to him. He took one of her feet and planted it on his chest, the other falling to the side, offering him an enticing view of the toy sliding in and out of her slick pussy.

Max stared down at her delicious cunt as he fucked her with the toy. He wasn’t gentle, driving it in hard, then retreating, at the same time his dick throbbed, pressing against the zipper of his slacks, frantic for the feel of her slick, smooth walls gripping him.

He was punishing himself, denying himself the pleasure because he didn’t fucking deserve her. But he couldn’t bring himself to walk away. He fucking needed her.

“Oh, God, Max. I’m… Fuck. I’m gonna come!”

Max plunged the silicone toy into her cunt, over and over, fucking her harder until she fell back onto her elbows, her cries of pleasure bouncing off the glass windows.

“Fuck yes, Courtney. Come for me, baby.”

Her legs tensed, her pussy clamping onto the toy, nearly pulling it from his grasp as she screamed his name. Max tore the toy from her pussy, tossing it to the side as he leaned down, hefting her legs over his shoulders while he lapped at her sweetness, licking her as she trembled on his desk. Only when she came again, this time in his fucking mouth, did he give her a moment’s peace.

Not that he intended for that to last long. He had a hell of a penance to pay, and he was serving his time by indulging in Courtney’s pleasure. Not to mention, the night was still young.

Chapter Fourteen

When he says he wants to talk …

don’t believe him.

Present day

April 24th

Courtney knew that showing up at Max’s nightclub—aptly named Devil’s Playground—was a risk, but it was one she had to take. Considering she didn’t know how else to get on his radar—something she never thought she’d willingly do again—this had been her only option. Even then, she wasn’t sure if he was there tonight, but she kept her fingers crossed as she stepped through the doors and down the dark hallway that led to the club proper.

“Have you been here before?” Jayden asked excitedly, walking beside Courtney.

After Casper had laid out her assignment, Courtney had known exactly what needed to be done, and since she’d promised Jayden a night out on the town when she was back, it had been a way to kill two birds with one stone. And it gave her a reason not to have to be alone with Max, should the opportunity arise.

She hoped it didn’t, but she had every intention of getting him to notice that she was back.

“A few times,” she told her friend. “You?”

“Nope. First time,” Jayden answered.

“Brace yourself.”

The sounds of the club reverberated off the narrow walls, the sensual thump of the bass infusing Courtney’s blood. The visual stimuli came next as they walked into the multi-floor, cavernous space. Above them, along the outer walls, were hundreds of scantily clad bodies lined up around metal railings, while down on the main floor, hundreds more.

They were packed tonight.

“This is hot,” Jayden said, a wide smile on her pretty face.

“Come on, let’s get a drink.”

It took some time to venture over to one of the many bars, but they finally managed, squeezing through the hordes of writhing bodies. The musky scent of sweat and sex mixed with the sharp odor of cigarettes and booze, making Courtney’s head throb. It didn’t help that the music was so loud she could hardly hear herself think.

They stood beside the bar, waiting their turn while they surveyed the crowd.

Ten minutes had passed before the bar cleared enough for them to approach, and when they did, two men standing close by offered to buy their drinks. Courtney considered the repercussions of the evening should Max actually be there and find her accepting a drink from a stranger. And just as quickly, she blew it off. Max was getting married, so why the hell would he care if she was being hit on by another man?

“What’ll it be, doll?” the dark-haired man, who had introduced himself as Jordan, asked, his dark eyes raking over Jayden slowly.

Jordan and Jayden. Now that was a serious tongue twister.

Jayden smiled, a seductive tilt of her lips. “Jack and Coke.”

“And for you?” Jordan’s blond friend, Michael, asked Courtney directly.

“Fireball and RumChata,” she said, trying not to look around when she felt eyes on her.

Michael’s lips twisted, and Courtney knew what was coming. There were two different names she’d heard for that particular drink: cum shot or cinnamon toast crunch. She wondered which he would request.

“Jack and Coke and a Cinnamon Toast Crunch for the ladies,” Michael requested when the bartender made his way down to their end of the bar. “And two Coronas.”

He’d picked the sweet route. Nice.

Rather than agree, the bartender met Courtney’s gaze and then nodded his head toward something over her shoulder.

She turned, coming face to chest with… “Leyton.”

Shit.

“Mr. Adorite would like to see you in his office,” the massive man informed her, leaning in so that she could hear him.

Well, that answered the question of whether or not Max was there.

When Leyton stood to his full height again, she met his celadon-green eyes. “I’m not here to see him, but thanks for the offer,” she lied.

Getting close to Max
was
the plan, but Courtney knew she had to play it safe. If she seemed overeager, he’d know what she was there for. After all, things hadn’t gone well the last time they’d seen one another.

Leyton didn’t budge, peering down at her with a frown on his handsome face. “You know I can’t go back and tell him that.”

“Is there a problem?” Michael asked, inserting himself closer to Courtney as though he knew her well.

Luckily, Jayden and Jordan were deep in conversation a few feet away. “It’s fine,” she told him. “Just an old acquaintance of mine. He was just … leaving.”

Turning her back on Leyton, she pretended to give Michael her full attention while trying to ignore the bodyguard now fuming behind her.

“Courtney,” Leyton drawled out, leaning in closer.

Michael’s eyes lifted to Leyton’s, a predatory gleam in his blue eyes.

Knowing the situation could only get worse, Courtney placed a hand on Michael’s arm. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

Turning to face Leyton, she glared at him, slapped her hand on his arm, and pulled him toward a fairly empty corner. Courtney weighed her options as she squeezed by a couple making out against the wall. She could go with Leyton, pretend she was put out that Max was showing his hand, or she could refuse to go, which would only incite Max’s anger and likely bring him down to the floor.

She decided to go with option two.

“Honestly, I’m not here to see Max,” she told him. “And I don’t want to bother him, so do us both a favor and pretend I’m not here.”

“Too late,” Leyton told her. “Boss already knows you’re here.”

“Damn it,” she exclaimed. “Why’d you go and do that?”

“If you didn’t want Max up in your business, why’d you come here, Courtney?” His tone reflected his frustration, but based on the cool expression on his face, they could’ve been talking about the weather for all anyone knew.

“I’m here with my friend,” Courtney explained. “Girls’ night.”

“And the guy who’s eye fucking you from the bar?” Leyton questioned harshly.

“Don’t know him, but he seems like a nice guy,” she said, glancing over her shoulder and offering Michael a wave and a smile.

“He’s a nice dead guy if Max sees you with him, Courtney.”

Yeah, well…

“I didn’t come to argue; I didn’t come to see Max. So if you don’t mind, I’m just gonna go back to the bar and mind my own business.”

Without waiting for a response, Courtney returned to the bar, standing beside Michael but making sure not to touch him. Leyton hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d said that Michael was as good as dead if Max saw him touching her. Regardless of whether or not Max cared about her, he’d always considered her a possession. And Max Adorite didn’t share. At all.

The bartender chose that moment to bring their drinks. In an attempt to save Michael some bodily harm, Courtney placed two twenties down, but he refused to take it. Without looking behind her, she knew that Leyton was instructing him not to take her money.

Rather than argue, she slipped the bills back into her purse and turned to survey the crowd.

Pretending Leyton wasn’t still hovering behind her, Courtney focused her attention on Michael. It was too loud to actually have a conversation, so she simply smiled and took a sip of her drink. His gaze continued to bounce between her and the big guy standing less than a foot away.

Leyton Matheson, all six foot four inches of him, was a menacing man. Handsome with his dirty-blond hair, bright green eyes, and chiseled jaw, he had an air of danger about him. Then again, he was Max’s head enforcer, so that seemed logical.

Didn’t mean that Courtney was going to allow him to intimidate her.

“Ignore him,” she told Michael, having to yell for him to hear her.

“He’s just gonna come down here,” Leyton explained, stepping closer.

Courtney peered up at him over her shoulder. “I’m sure he’s got more important things to deal with,” she replied. “Doesn’t he have a wedding to plan or somethin’?”

The moment the words were out of her mouth, she knew they sounded childish and petty, but truth was, she couldn’t help it. As soon as she’d learned that Max was getting married, Courtney had punished herself by digging up as much detail as she could. Pictures of the happy couple, articles regarding their pending nuptials, interviews showing how content the two of them were… That little dirt-digging session had ended with Courtney puking her guts up and fighting off tears.

Your own fault.

Yes, or so her subconscious continued to remind her.

“He’d call it off in a minute if you’d take him back,” Leyton stated, his mouth close to her ear.

Courtney’s eyes widened as she looked up at him. “So, he doesn’t…?”
Love her?
She couldn’t bring herself to say the words aloud.

“Sometimes he has to do things, Courtney. Even you should know that.”

For whatever reason, that didn’t make her feel any better.

“You wanna dance?” Michael asked, clearly frustrated by her having a conversation with Leyton.

Turning to face him, she shook her head. “Not yet. Give me a few minutes?”

Unfortunately, Jayden had other plans, and Courtney looked up in time to see her friend following Jordan out to the dance floor.

Crap.

“I’ll take it from here.”

Courtney heard Max’s gravelly voice before she saw him, and her body reacted instinctually, her respiration slowing, her heartbeat speeding up.

The next thing she knew, Leyton was gone, and Max was standing in his place. Courtney’s mouth went dry; her palms began to sweat as she stared up into his golden eyes.

“Why are you here?” he asked, moving impossibly close to her.

She figured that was because it was hard to hear with the music, the bass, and the conversation taking place around her, but even then, she found herself wanting to get away. To protect herself from what this man was capable of doing to her.

“Can’t a girl enjoy the nightlife without having a reason? Maybe I like to dance,” she countered.

“So why aren’t you then?” he snarled, nodding toward Michael.

“Thirsty,” she said simply, holding her drink up for him to see.

“Do you two know each other?” Michael asked, leaning in close to Courtney, his hand resting on her shoulder.

Aww, hell.

Max’s gaze instantly zeroed in on the spot where Michael touched her, and she felt the anger bubbling up from inside him.

She quickly shrugged Michael’s hand off, turning to face Max fully. “Don’t. Don’t do this here.”

As though planned, the song that was playing faded away, and in its place came a much slower, much sexier beat. Without asking her, Max reached for her drink, taking it from her and setting it on the bar before he took her hand in his.

His touch sent electrical impulses firing up her arm, through her body, and ending in a deep, sensual throb between her legs.

When common sense returned and she tried to pull her hand from his, Max tightened his grip as he led her into the mass of bodies. Once they were situated with the others, he jerked her up against him, grinding his hips against hers.

“Put your arms around my neck,” he ordered, his voice harsh and loud in her ear. “And if you want that asshole to walk out of here in one piece, you won’t so much as look his way.”

All thought fled, and Courtney found herself doing as he asked, ringing his neck with her hands, inhaling the seductive, intoxicating scent of him.

Their bodies began a slow, sensual grind, touching from chest to knee. Max’s hand slid down her back, then down farther, firmly cupping her ass as he roughly jerked her against him.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he warned, anger dripping from his words.

“I didn’t come to see you.”

His head pulled back slightly, far enough that he could look into her eyes, and Courtney knew he saw the lie for what it was. How could he not? She was eagerly pressing against him, wanting to absorb him into her skin, to hold him there for eternity. Anything to fill that emptiness inside her, the one that had tripled in size every time she walked away from him.

“Liar.”

Courtney swallowed hard, mesmerized by the golden glow of his eyes, intensified by the strobe and colored lights flashing around them. They were repeatedly pitched into darkness only to be lit up again. But Courtney didn’t need the light to see the intensity in his gaze. She could
feel
it.

Max’s erection dug into her hip as he ground himself against her, squeezing her ass as he kept her body aligned with his. She could hardly breathe for wanting him, but she knew that was stupid.

He was…

Reality broke through the haze of lust, and Courtney pushed him, forcing him away from her as she took a cautious step back, their gazes still locked.

“You’re getting married,” she bit out.

Max didn’t respond, but she saw the fury that warred inside him. He took her hand and pulled her, forcing her to follow him across the floor.

“Max! Stop!” she yelled, but it was useless; he wasn’t listening to her.