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“Are you okay?” Her soft lilt sent my heart stumbling a few beats. I wasn’t used to a woman’s concern, or anyone’s, for that matter. It made me feel special for the first time in too long.

“Better now.” I stepped out, wrapping her in the extra-large towel before circling her in my arms. She looked up at me, wide innocent doe eyes, and my mind eased a little. The anxiety of the past few years fell away and I was suddenly focused on the beautiful woman in front of me. Keeping
her
happy, that was my only focus.

Happy. It was a novel idea. I felt it in her warm eyes and her soft smile. She was mine, sent here to ease my untamed heart. I just had to be the man she deserved.

“Will you tell me about the scar?” she whispered, catching me off guard as her fingertips whispered across the angry slash on my right cheek. My eyes flickered away as my thoughts were pulled back into the past, to a time I’d spent years trying to forget.

“Someone hurt me a long time ago and I swore I’d never be the weak one again.” My fists tightened at her shoulders before I recognized that I might be hurting her and I released, clenching them instead at my sides. I swallowed the heavy feeling in my throat, thinking that at some point I’d have to tell her everything, but no way was that time now, not when I had her to worry about.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me.” She was suddenly in my space again, her arms wrapping around my naked torso, the plain white towel at my waist the only thing keeping me in control. My body seemed to rage like a wild animal in her presence, while for the first time in so long, my mind seemed to quiet. It was peacefully quiet. I found being around her was like inhaling fresh air for the first time. She kept the angry beasts at bay. Instead of days consumed in the library and nights devoured by lifting weights to keep the demons at bay, I now had her.

“That’s why I work out so much. I like to stay fit and strong. I don’t like feeling overpowered,” I mumbled, thinking I had to add something to help her understand, without sharing too much, too soon and scaring her, or worse.

She only nodded thoughtfully before padding out into my master bedroom. Her gaze landed on her clothes, crumpled on the floor from last night.

A grin cocked my lips, remembering what I had planned for today.

“I’m not sure what you had planned today,” she said as if reading my mind, “but maybe I could run home and get some clothes?” She trailed off, holding the towel around her tightly.

I grinned, shaking my head. “I’ve got plenty planned today, and none of it involves you wearing clothes.” I dropped my own towel at my feet. Her eyes glistened as she caught sight of my hungry cock saluting for her, ready for action.

“Maxwell,” she uttered, her mouth falling into a soft O. I immediately wanted her lips wrapped around me again. My cock jumped, eager as ever at the thought. I’d have to get some clothes on if her reaction to my cock was that sexy.

I pulled a pair of navy slacks up my legs, without underwear, thinking I wanted my cock close for relief with what I had in mind, then approached her. “Lose the towel and follow me,” I said, eager to get started.

Elle’s soft eyes fell in shock, her gaze trained on the obvious outline of my dick in my trousers. “You’ve got a one-track mind, beautiful.” I smiled, thinking how sweet and innocent she’d been only yesterday, then after a night in my hands, she was the horniest little sex kitten I’d ever seen. I loved all the sides of her.

I didn’t give her a chance to argue or pout. I stalked out of the bedroom, through the kitchen, then opened the door that led down the short flight of stairs to the library. I smiled when I heard the soft pad of her footsteps behind me. I didn’t check to see if she held the towel. She was a good girl; I knew she didn’t.

Sixteen

Elle

I stood in the cold, shivering and naked in the dim light, wondering what on earth I was doing following a man down the back stairs without a stitch of clothing on into the public library on a Sunday morning.

“We’re cleaning today.” The lights suddenly flicked on and Maxwell came around the corner, a few bleached white rags and a spray bottle in his hands.

“What? Are you crazy?” My eyes flicked to the front window, thankful that at least the shutters were closed. No prying eyes could see me in all my naked, curvy glory. “You want me to clean? Naked?” I uttered, thinking I must be misunderstanding him again.

“Mmm…” He approached and his fingers trailed between my legs, sliding between my still-damp lips and working slow circles at my burning clit. “Yes, I want you to clean naked. It’s easier for me to do this.” One long finger dipped inside and gathered more of my juices, swirling around my clit again and causing my stomach to swim with anxious butterflies. “And this.” His finger left my body and thrust deep into his mouth where he licked and sucked the glistening sex off his finger. “Now stop complaining.” He kissed me long and sweet on the lips and I tasted my own musk on his breath. That alone made me eager to do anything he said, coupled with his lips pressed to mine… He could make me his sexy slave and I’d be a willing participant. “Now get to work.” He landed a swift smack at my ass and arousal tore through me. I was suddenly desperately needy and so ready to play his game.

“I told you I would make you work for my cum today.” He winked.

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m not afraid of a little hard work, then.” I cocked my own head, then spun, pulling the rags and spray from his hands and dropping to my knees on the floor at his feet, my eyes sparkling. “Where should I start, Maxwell?”

His eyes flared as they flicked up and down my body while I waited, my eyes landing at the bulge tenting his dark slacks. So thick and rigid, I could make out the crown of his erection. The engorged tip faintly outlined through the thick fabric had me so wet I half-hoped he’d see me bent over and, unable to control himself, he’d take me right here on the floor.

I contemplated reaching up to grasp his length, at least nine inches in my estimation, and beg him to let me put it in my mouth again. I licked my lips before one large palm covered his length and he squeezed.

He
squeezed.

My eyes nearly bulged from my head as arousal trailed down my thighs at seeing him hold his erection in his own hand. His eyes flickered with amusement when he saw the torture he was putting me through and he squeezed it again, adjusting it to stand straight up, the tip threatening to pop through the waistband at his navel.

“Something got you distracted?” His gravelly voice sent shivers down my spine before he grabbed a chair and planted himself in front of the circulation desk, his hand still caressing his length from the outside of his pants.

“Bend over.” He nodded. “Start cleaning.” His order sent shivers of desire through me before I obeyed. I sprayed and wiped the floor, feeling like his slave, relishing his eyes on my body. I dared not sneak a glance, fearful of his reprimand, yet craving his attention all the same. I twisted in another direction, the wood biting at my knees as I cleaned, thinking this would have been much easier with a mop, but then where would the fun be in that?

He liked seeing me like this, and the truth was, I loved his hungry gaze on me, eating up my naked behind, seeing the sex glisten down my thighs. I wiggled my hips, chancing a glance his way.

His heavy gaze was cast on me, his pants now undone and his erection tight in one fist, tugging slowly, enjoying his time watching me clean for him.

“Don’t know how much longer I can take just watching you,” he grit, his eyes flashing to mine, then back to my round bottom. “So fucking sexy bent over, your pussy bared for me. You’re so fucking wet, sweetheart. Love seeing you so wet for my cock.” He pumped his fist up and down his length, pleasuring himself and sending shocks of arousal coursing through my body.

I turned and crawled my way to him, desperate for contact, thinking the last twenty minutes had been long enough. I reached his heavy body, legs sprawled wide in the chair, his straining erection thick in his heavy hands.

He was beautiful, like a Greek god sent here to drive me mad with lust. Turn the virgin into a whore; that was what Maxwell did. My hands trailed up the smooth fabric of his slacks before reaching his knees, relishing every hard, angled inch of him.

His eyes watched me, riveted, one corner of his mouth twisted up in a sexy half smile. “Come sit on me,” he purred in a throaty voice that had my nerves buzzing with anticipation.

I crawled up his body, feeling his roughened fingers make contact with my waist, thinking how he’d shamed me by making me clean his floor naked, and how I was repaying him by letting him have me. The real me. For the first time ever, without my mess of a life haunting me, I could be here, with him, living in the moment. No one had given me that gift before.

His hands gripped my hips as he positioned me above him, hovering over his giant erection, before I slowly eased down onto it. His head fell back, exposing his throat to my hungry lips. I felt the stretch and pull of my muscles around his length. I trailed kisses up his throat and around the stubbled, cut-steel of his jaw. My fingers dug into his shoulders when his hips jerked, feeling him stab inside me with slow, decadent precision.

“So beautiful,” he whispered before his hand was in my hair and arching my own neck back so he could repay with kisses across my collarbone, up the hollow of my neck, sucking on the delicate flesh beneath my ear lobe.

I sighed, enjoying the feel of him inside me before his fingers tightened, holding my hips in place as he took control, thrusting harder, his pants more ragged and his eyes alive with passion. “I don’t know what brought you here, but I’m never letting you go.” I felt him swell further inside me, growing impossibly thicker before one of his rough thumbs slid between us and connected at my clit. I choked on heaving breaths as he swirled and pinched, his fingers and his words urging my orgasm on until the feelings running through me were nearly unbearable.

“Let it go, baby.” His fingers worked smaller circles as he thrust deeper. “Let it all go.” His lips met my ear and the sizzling sensations of his warm breath chasing across my skin sent my orgasm spiraling down to the tips of my toes and coursing endorphins through my brain. I collapsed on his hard body, feeling so thoroughly loved with the feeling of him buried inside me, rubbing sensitive nerves and chasing his own orgasm. He left me lightheaded with pleasure until his own body tightened beneath me, his hands clutching at my neck and hair as his climax climbed through his body, his head thrusting back in waves of primal release.

I watched him, eyes riveted as his full lips parted, the dark slash of his eyebrows framing the high cheekbones and dark line of his eyelashes. My fingertips trailed up to tease the bow of his top lip, my thumb darting across the slash of his cheekbone. “You’re so beautiful,” I uttered, thinking out loud.

His heavy bellow caused my own cheeks to turn up in a smile. “Hardly. Must be something wrong with your eyes.”

“There isn’t a thing wrong with my eyes.” I sighed and curled up into his chest. “You’re just not used to getting compliments.”

“Well, that’s probably true,” he said before his hands circled around my cool back and sheltered me from the chilled air. “But you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” His head dipped and I felt him take a long inhale of my hair. “Smell like strawberries,” he gruffed and I felt his softened erection twitch inside me.

“Strawberries turn you on?” I giggled and wiggled on his lap.

“When they smell like you, they do.” He took me in a long kiss then, pressing his lips with bruising force, his tongue tangling with mine and showing me, in every single way, that I was cherished.

Seventeen

Elle

Later that night, after having messy sex on his apartment floor and ordering takeout from the only place in this tiny town that was open, Maxwell walked me home across the small downtown to my two-story walk-up, that in all honesty, kind of gave me the creeps too. I felt Maxwell’s body tensing as we approached the small sidewalk that led up to my place, the streetlight broken out, the night darker than the rest of the well-lit neighborhoods surrounding the square.

I swallowed, thinking about all that had happened between us the last few days. I’d hardly been home since he’d swooped me out of here after Tony had shown up. He’d told me a little about his scar, that felt like an achievement of some sort, and he’d taken my virginity…I’d given it to hm. I was a different woman now, I could feel it. More confident, composed. More grown up somehow.

“Maybe you should think about staying at my place.” Maxwell gruffed as we approached my dim stoop. I fished in my bag for the keys before Maxwell huffed, swinging the door wide open. “So much for fucking safety.” I could hear the anger in his voice. He really was worried about me.

“It’s okay, I’ll talk to the landlord about it,” I made an excuse as I followed him up the stairs. We reached the landing and I was about to thrust my keys out to open the door to my side of the floor when Maxwell pushed it open without resistance.

“Gonna talk to him about this too?” Maxwell growled as we stepped into my apartment, finding it ransacked.

“Oh my god,” I whispered and placed a hand over my mouth. The cheap couch cushions were slashed, silverware and dishes pouring out of the cupboards and broken across the kitchen counter.

“You’re moving in with me,” were the only words Maxwell said before he clasped my hand and yanked me down the hallway. I stood dumbfounded as he pulled clothing from the dresser and closet, stuffing it into the few bags I had.

“Should I call the police?” I stammered, feeling dumbfounded and utterly violated.

“I’ll take care of it,” he grit before his hand locked with mine again. “Anything else you need here?” His eagle eyes darted around the room, cataloging the small life I’d lived in this town the last few weeks. Maybe it was time I picked up and left again. The past was only following me, no matter how hard I tried to escape it.

“Hey.” Maxwell shook me from my thoughts. “You listen to me. Whoever did this will pay. We’ll call the police just so there’s a record, but believe me, this is personal. Nobody fucks with what’s mine,” he grit and fear coiled in my stomach, not realizing until now what he might be capable of. I shook my head, shock starting to quake my fingers as I wanted nothing more than to be wrapped up in Maxwell’s warm bed above the library and hide out until everything was over. But when? When would it ever be over? As long as
he
was alive and pulling me back in, I would always be running from something, no matter what Maxwell thought he could do.