Turn It On: Turner Twins, Book 1 (8 page)

Yet she had to be honest—as horrible as she felt right now, the fear that had increased each time she received another call faded mercifully with the knowledge her secret was out. She’d managed to keep the prank calls from her whole family. For some reason, she had wanted to tell Ryan,
wanted
to confide in him, but she’d thought it was too small of an issue to bother him with. It was only a few prank calls. The police had assured her there was nothing anyone could do to deal with the situation other than screening calls. According to them she wasn’t unsafe, just being annoyed. She didn’t think she should mention the calls to Ryan.

Obviously she’d thought wrong.

Max sat quietly until the door beside her opened. Ryan hoisted her bag over his shoulder before holding out a hand. Wordlessly, he led her to the entrance of a tall apartment house. By the time they were in the elevator, tears had begun to form.

He punched the button for his floor with more than adequate force before pinning her to the back of the lift with his body and taking her lips in an assault that left her breathless and needy. She closed her eyes and tangled her fingers in his hair, accepting his silent chastisement for not sharing with him, answering with powerful desires of her own. The bell rang, the elevator doors slid open and Ryan pulled her out, his lips hovering over hers. He walked only far enough to press her back against the hallway wall before dropping his mouth on hers again, binding her wrists together in his clasp. Max kissed him fiercely, needing his touch to chase away the rest of her anxiety.

Ryan dropped his head on her shoulder and slowed his breathing. His hand rose to cup her cheek. Max remained still, welcoming the warmth of his body against hers, the gentle caring in his touch.

“Don’t keep secrets that hurt,” Ryan said quietly. “I’m here for you. Not just for coffee and laughing and Italian food. You should have told me. Understand?”

Max nodded, meeting his gaze as he lifted his head. He brushed away a tear lingering in the corner of her eye. “Good.”

He hurried her into his apartment. Max glanced around curiously until he blocked her view, caging her against the hall closet. “Ryan, are you planning on hanging me up for the night? Or gluing me to the wall?” she teased, trying to lighten the mood.

He tugged at her light jacket. “I’ll tell you what I am planning, so there’s no further confusion. First, I’m sending you to my room to unpack while I reheat the dinner I made at your house. After we eat, I’m taking you to bed and making love to you until you forget everything else and sleep like a baby. And I’m planning on waking you in the night to make love again.” As he spoke he removed her outer layer and slipped opened the top buttons of her blouse. Her heart pounded as the back of his knuckles brushed her skin.

She stared at him, blood rushing through her as she considered his words. Considered the proprietary expression in his eyes and on his face. The day had turned out to be an emotional roller coaster. She’d longed to see him since his call, longed for his kiss and his embrace. The past days she’d thought hard about what getting involved with him would mean. He was more than she’d imagined and everything she wanted. It wasn’t because being with him wiped away the fear right now. She wanted him in spite of the fear clinging to her soul.

It was past time for this to happen.

“What if I told you I’m not hungry for dinner?” she whispered.

Fire rolled through his eyes and ignited something deep within her. “Good.” He swept her into his arms and carried her through the apartment. His gaze stayed steady on her and she brushed a hand over his cheek, nodding her approval. The walls passed in a blur of beige and brown until she was lowered carefully onto a cool cotton quilt, Ryan joining her on his bed.

Around her was dark wooden furniture, the deep mahogany colors of the bedding and the curtains creating a neat and tidy haven. His military background was apparent in the room, softened only by a few personal touches on the dresser and walls. Then she couldn’t see anything as he possessed her lips once again.

Ryan took the lead and demanded a response, nibbling and licking, biting and soothing away the snap of pain that followed. His hands cradled her head, angling to new directions as the whim took him, his tongue in possession of hers, stroking, teasing.

Lighting her on fire.

Breathless, she pushed him away, sucking in oxygen in the hopes the spinning would settle and let her see more than stars swirling around them. He lowered his mouth to her neck, his fingers completing the journey down her blouse, unbuttoning, and pulling away the fabric until her body lay exposed to his assault. Leaning back, he let his gaze fall on her torso. A groan of desire escaped him as he cupped one of her lace-covered breasts in his hand.

“I want you so badly. I want to taste your skin, suckle your breasts, kiss my way down the length of your body until I’m buried between your thighs. You drive me insane.” Ryan grabbed her hand and tugged it to his groin, pressing her fingers against the swell of his cock behind his jeans. “You drive me insane with need for you.”

Max closed her eyes and felt. Felt his lips return to nuzzle her neck before he bit her softly then laved away the pain. Felt his kisses flow down the curve of her bra until he suckled her nipple right through the fabric and she gasped at the lightning that shot from his mouth to her core. Felt his response as he thickened and grew more rigid under her fingertips. She stroked him shyly and he thrust into her fingers, a deep moan escaping him. It was all she’d dreamed of, and yet not enough. Her heart beat wildly as she took in all the sensations.

He shifted her on the bed and stripped off her bra in the same motion. She opened her eyes to see his gaze burning down on her as he dropped slowly to lap at one needy breast and then the other. His fingers pinched lightly, raising the peaks to tight nubs that throbbed with anticipation for the warmth of his mouth to return. He sucked harder and she bit her lip to stop from crying out, grasping his head in her hands to keep him in place.

He trailed his fingers like the brush of butterfly wings over the sensitive skin of her belly, slipping under the waistband of her slacks, under her panties. She sucked in a breath as he cupped his hand over her mound. Liquid trickled from her and she squeezed her legs together, the throbbing pulse too much to bear. An edge of uncertainty arose. He was touching her, intimately. Her ex had never done that, not without her being scrubbed and clean. She wiggled, wondering if the awakening excitement she experienced would fade when he demanded she go shower.

He rose up on one elbow to stare at her and she watched his eyes darken. His hand shifted slightly and slowly one finger pressed into her core. Her chest grew tight and it was hard to breath, so much tension and need were wrapped up in the connection between them and still he pressed farther in.

“Oh, Ryan.” She gasped as he flicked his thumb against her clit. Her passage tightened around his single digit and he swore.

“You’re so wet.” He stroked small circles around the hypersensitive skin at the apex of her mound and she quivered. “You’re so hot. And tight.” He pulled out slowly and pressed in again. His pupils were dark pools, mesmerizing, taunting her to take the next step. She let her legs fall open, unable to stop from pressing her hips upward against his hand. She waited impatiently for his next touch, his next glance to light her further on fire. Maxine was torn between the sheer pleasure racing over her body and the unspeakable embarrassment she felt.

Smooth, even strokes followed as he continued to watch her. He opened her pants with his other hand, freeing more room for him to maneuver.

She couldn’t stand it any longer. “Please.” She wiggled away, her breathing erratic, small puffs of air all she seemed to be able to take. Confusion spread over his face as she crossed her arms to hide her breasts.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m…I…” Steam could be rising from her skin from the extreme heat rippling through her. She couldn’t look him in the eye. “I need to have a shower. I’m not…” That’s as far as she could get before her tongue struck to the room of her mouth and froze there.

“You’re kidding, right? I can’t stop touching you, tasting you.” He dipped his head and tongued his way along her collarbone. “You don’t need a shower. You need to lose the rest of your clothes.”

Maxine panted at his words. He wasn’t going to make her wash? She considered for a moment before twisting her body away. She wanted his touch, wanted everything with him, but… “Please can I have a shower first?” she whispered.

He laughed softly. “You think I’m concerned about—”

“I can’t. I thought I could, but I’ve never made love without…” She blushed harder. It was too embarrassing to think about, let alone talk about. The idea of Ryan touching her without cleaning up first made her squirm.

“Damn it, there is nothing unattractive about you. Not the way you look, not the way you move, nor the way you taste. Anywhere.” He brushed a hand over her mound and she wiggled in an attempt to stop him from touching her. A growl rose from him as he cupped her more firmly. He stared at her for the longest time before nodding curtly. “We’ll hit the shower tonight, but this is something else you need to trust me on. I want you, and we’re not always going to be squeaky clean, fresh from a shower. Sometimes we’re going to get dirty and rough and raw. You need to be ready for it. You need to be ready for me.”

He stared intently until she nodded. Then he helped her off the bed and led her into the bathroom.

Ryan peeled off his T-shirt and turned on the taps. He pivoted to help Maxine and found she had already stripped off her slacks and was in the middle of wiggling out of her excuse for a pair of undies. A goddess, naked in his bathroom. She hesitated for a moment before approaching and tugging at the button of his jeans. He fought the urge to take her right then and there, and instead enjoyed the sight. Enjoyed how her flush of embarrassment blended with the rising color of arousal. She slipped his button and zipper open, releasing his cock from the tight confines of his jeans. Commando, he spilled into her eager fingers, his erection growing stronger with the soft tease of her exploration.

He’d had women who were wild cats in the bedroom and ones who were shy, but he’d never had one like Maxine who was such a balanced combination of the two. It was as if she didn’t understand how enticing she was, how erotic her movements were. The way she flicked glances over his body as he reacted to her touch made him hot. The way she nibbled on her lower lip had him thinking up all kinds of things to do the tender curve, and where specifically he’d like to have her place her pouting mouth.

Except he was going to have to go much slower than the fire raging through his veins demanded. He kicked off his jeans then brought her into the shower stall with him, rotating her under the spray, admiring the way the water droplets clung to her full curves. From the sounds of it, her ex had a fucking issue or two, and he’d managed to teach Maxine to dread what should be enjoyable experiences, in and out of the bedroom. Tonight Ryan would practice the fine art of seduction. He was thankful her natural passions seemed to still be intact.

Her curiosity as well. He sucked in a breath and controlled the urge to thrust into her hands as she returned to her exploration of his cock, touching him as thoroughly as if she was using Braille. He dropped a hand over hers and wrapped her fingers around him. He helped her to stroke his shaft the way he liked it, increasing the pressure and the tempo.

“Doesn’t that hurt?” She watched him anxiously, one breast pressed into him as they shared the spray of the showerhead. Her gaze never moved from their joined hands. He hummed inside from the feel of her fingers on him and had to work hard to speak.

“Feels great. Wonderful. Fucking amazing.”

“It looks…”

Ryan slowed their strokes, fighting the urge to come. He wanted to be inside her more than he could bear. “Looks what?”

Maxine laughed. “It looks painful.”

He grabbed the soap and washed her torso, enjoying the smooth swells of her body under his hands. “Haven’t you watched a guy jerk off before? Or helped?”

She fell silent. “You want to know my full sexual history before we go any further?”

Ah fuck
. “Sweetheart, you are all I want, not the guys you’ve been with before. I’m just curious because there is no way I’d resist if you wanted to touch me.” He let his hands slip lower on her body, bringing the soap briefly between her thighs. “There’s no way I can resist touching you.”

“Oh my.”

He slipped a finger between her curls and flicked her clit.

“Oh, do that again.”

He laughed and pressed her back to the wall, nudging her knees apart before grasping her chin. “Watch my fingers. Don’t turn away,” he ordered. Slowly she lowered her gaze and once he was sure she was watching, he separated her russet curls with one hand. Taking his other hand, he skimmed his fingers around her labia, circling the nub of her clit at the apex each time. He dropped to his knees to gain a better view as the sweet heat of her body drew him like a magnet, and he pressed a finger into her core.

Fascination and hunger were both visible when he glanced at her face. He slid his finger in and out. Her passage clung to him and his head spun as he thought about burying himself in her tightness. His thumb on her clit, he increased the depth of his possession. When she rewarded him with a full-body shiver, Ryan slowed enough to add another finger.

“Oh damn, that feels good.” Maxine opened her legs wider, inviting him in, giving him better access to her succulent core.

“It’s going to feel even better.” He thrust his fingers in and covered her clit with his mouth.

“Ryan!”

He held her in place, licking and sucking in spite of her protests until she stopped trying to squirm away and instead relaxed again. The sweet scent of her cream filled his nostrils as he settled between her thighs to tease the hard nub of her clit. Slow circles around the sensitive point with his tongue countered with smooth strokes of his fingers had Maxine quivering in moments.