That was it? ‘Okay’? Maxima had no idea why, but she kinda felt let down. He hadn’t tried very hard to argue her out of her position. And not that she’d have caved, but it would have felt good to know she was so desirable he’d make an issue out of wanting to sleep with her. She supposed he’d find another willing partner to play his games easily enough that not getting into her bed wasn’t going to bother him very much. How depressing… She hadn’t even been entirely honest. She’d slept with men she knew she didn’t love, but she’d always felt more than mere friendship, she supposed. And more than simply lust. And Maxima hadn’t been sharing living quarters with them at the time. Fortunately, since she couldn’t think of anything to talk about and her companion didn’t seem interested in starting a new subject of conversation, the cab pulled up in front of a wonderful building on the Upper East Side. The area was quite nice, and full of up
“Oh… My… God… I think my tongue just had an orgasm.” Billie moaned as she bit into the Salted Bourbon Caramel and Dark Chocolate tartlet, freshly prepared by Maxima for a ‘tasting marathon’. Her fourth in less than a minute. Maxima couldn’t remember when she’d felt so gratified. Four days after she’d moved into Liam’s place, she was already experimenting, cooking with recipes she knew as she got comfortable with the stove and playing with the ingredients to try new, original combinations.“Girl, you are a freaking food genius!” Billie swallowed, trying to control herself, and gave in, reaching for another tartlet.“I know you needed a guinea pig, and I was happy to help, but this is my last one. Stab me with that chef’s knife if I even try to reach for another one after this.” She popped the treat into her mouth and closed her eyes as she devoured it.“I am going to have to spend the next week at the gym to make up for it,” she said, openin
“Honey, I’m home!” Liam felt like an idiot announcing his presence in his own house, but he didn’t want to startle his temporary roommate. He stepped inside and felt his nostrils quiver. What was that amazing smell?“Hi, Liam!” a cheerful voice answered him. “You’re home early.” He put down his briefcase. He’d never thought of his home as cold before, but walking into it now, Liam noticed a huge difference. The space felt warm, lived-in, and whatever that woman was cooking, his stomach wanted some. Dragging his tie off, Liam moved closer to his kitchen. He had never thought a woman could look so sexy in an apron. The image reminded him of moms and old ladies at Christmas dressed as Mrs. Claus. But on Maxima? The red-and-white striped apron was about the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. Liam stared in amazement. Never had there been so much activity in his kitchen so long as he’d lived here. He’d grilled the odd steak, and a woman or
When she’d settled herself on the other side of the big farmhouse table, Liam poured the wine, then raised his glass.“I would like to propose a toast.”“Let’s hear it,” Maxima said in a curious voice.“I toast to our mutual success.” She smiled at him, and they both drank.“You were a big hit at dinner the other night, by the way,” he told her.“Really?” Liam reached for a tiny ‘vol-au-vent’, a small hollow case of puff pastry stuffed with crab and some kind of sauce, and popped it in his mouth.“Oh, wow! Max, this is fantastic,” he said thickly. “I kinda hated crab… up until now.”“Thank you! I’m glad you like it,” she said, taking a sip from her glass. “So… my presence was a success… Great!”“They all loved you. Howard is convinced you’d be the perfect hostess at any company function. He’s beside himself with excitement.” Howard Shields wasn’t the only one beside himself with excitement, and Liam got the feeling his fake future wife had picked up
‘Yes, Liam, it is. Tougher than you can possibly imagine.’ Maxima couldn’t believe she said those words out loud. Liam looked so hurt at her words that she wanted to take them back. Say something else… a white lie, maybe. But Maxima was essentially an honest person, and tough didn’t even begin to describe what it was going to be like to spend an entire weekend with Liam when everyone thought they were an engaged couple. It was bad enough to share an apartment that he was rarely in. What would it be like if they had to share a room? Or the same bed? The kiss was still tingling on her lips, and in truth, she’d barely tasted the food she’d worked so hard preparing. All Maxima could taste was Liam. If she could turn the experience of kissing him into a flavor, she’d be the most successful caterer in history. Who could resist the taste of passion? Why hadn’t she said ‘no’ when this ridiculous charade was first suggested
'I would love to see you, Billie. What is stopping you from meeting me?’ She stared at the words glaring at her from her computer screen.“Yes, Billie. What the hell is stopping you from meeting this wonderful, sweet man? Haven’t you had enough of losers? What the hell is wrong with you, girl?” she asked herself bitterly, then left the cursor blinking and went in search of something to eat. There were all the obvious reasons, like men in general being bad news. The men, her clients, ended up divorcing, men like the current scumbag who’d hidden his assets offshore along with his current girlfriend. Or the male lawyers she spent too much time with… Or Liam, her own brother, whom she loved dearly, who’d rather invent a fantasy fiancée than try to have a relationship with a real woman. Returning with a doggie bag of Maxima’s treats, Billie sat back down at her computer desk. Oreo, the black-and-white cat she’d found rooting around in the garbage three y
‘Do you even know she fell in love with you from the first moment she saw you? All those years ago, up until she went away, that amazing woman had been in love with you!’ Billie’s words spun round and round in his head like the lyrics of a song. And they kept tormenting his brain endlessly, bringing to the surface all kinds of emotions he’d thought long-lost and forgotten. ‘In love with you…’ Liam wasn’t so damn clueless like his sister thought he was. He’d always suspected that Maxima felt something for him. He thought she had a huge crush. Because… who didn’t have a crush on him at that time? Whenever he was home from college, Billie’s high school friends would come around their house with crazy excuses just to see him. It was an injection of self-esteem. Maxima was a normal presence, so he never saw that as a sign of something more than it was: Billie’s best friend and their neighbor. She used to eat with them or organize study sessions with Bi
“One bed… You must be joking…” she murmured and stopped in her tracks. “There’s only one bed…” It was probably the stupidest thing she could have said, but the two of them were standing there inside the door of the suite on Friday night of the corporate retreat, both staring at the mammoth bed that dominated the room. Seemed like someone should mention it.“Well… Looks like it.”“Is this your doing, Liam?” Maxima asked in a trembling voice. “My doing? I don’t get it…”“Is this your idea?”“No, Max, it is not,” Liam replied and sent her a half-guilty, half-pleading look from under his eyelashes that were far too long and lush for a man. “Ehm… If you find this situation too complicated, I could request two beds. But word would get around.” Maxima gave him a worried look.“No! Don’t do that...” Liam glanced down at the floor dubiously.“I suppose I could… Uhm… sleep on the floor.”“No. It’s uncomfortable, and you will be miserable. You need your rest, like ev
“I may not tell you this enough, but… I love you, Mrs. Stove,” Maxima cooed as she removed a tray of absolutely perfect profiteroles from the oven. “People may say that a stove is just a stove, but you, my dear, are a work of art. Thank you!” Maybe the saying “You get what you pay for” wasn’t always true, but in this case, the expansive range was a dream to work with. Her hair was still slightly damp from her shower, and an apron covered the denim shorts and blouse she wore. She’d always taken time to freshen up and dress in her nice clothes when she’d been working in restaurants, but now that she was working from home, Maxima saw no reason to change her ways. If she made sure to shower and change and put on makeup before Liam got home, that was coincidental. Purely coincidental. Maxima heard the key in the door, and her foolish heart fluttered.“Liam…” she said slowly, and pressed a hand over her chest. She was really going to have to do s
“Are you going to be home for dinner tonight?” Maxima called to Liam as he headed off for work. He paused and turned to face her.“What’s for dinner?”“I’m trying out a new recipe. ‘Cheesy Asparagus Stuffed Chicken’. I’ll use fresh mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes. For dessert, I’ll go for a Vanilla Cake with strawberries. So, are you in?”“My pants are getting super tight, Max,” Liam replied, sighing. “I skip my workouts so I can eat your food.”“You make it sound like that’s a bad thing.”“I feel like I’m living on the set of Julia Child’s cooking program. People aren’t meant to eat so much butter and cream and wine.”“Oh, nonsense, Liam! If you use all these things in the right proportions, then you’re good to go. Besides, Julia Child and her husband both lived into their nineties, if you must know. So, I’ll take butter and cream over a bag of potato chips any day. Healthier and tastier.”“I don’t eat potato chips, Max.” She put her hands on her hips.“If you’re
However, there were things Billie needed to get straight now that Timothy was no longer some faceless online confidant. Like the fact that they’d met under false pretenses.“What made you e-mail me the first time?” she asked him out of the blue.There had been no photograph accompanying her profile. Even Liam wouldn’t stoop that low.Timothy thought for a few minutes.“To be honest, I don’t know. That was a while ago. I kinda liked your profile. How straightforward you were... Like, ‘This is who I am and what I want’. No apologies. It was straight-up. You communicate directly… Almost like a man.”Billie looked into his frank, innocent blue eyes and knew she had to tell him.
‘I’ll meet you at the Siberian tiger exhibit,’ he’d written. Sunday afternoon was her only real day off, and Billie used it to meet the only man brave enough to ask her out. Crazy enough to even contemplate the idea of getting to know her. She looked around, trying to stay focused and calm in the middle of such mayhem. There were a bunch of families, adults, and children, a lot of tourists speaking every language known to man and animals, also from every corner of the planet.“Why did I say yes to him? Why did I agree to meet him here? What happened to ‘let’s have a cup of coffee together’?” Billie murmured, astonished at herself for even showing up. “I must be out of my mind…” All week, she’d scoffed at the very notion that she, an intelligent, educated, sophisticated professional woman, would be seen at such a place. Yet, here she was… She was having her first date with a man who’d excited her on both a deeply personal and an intellectual level
Hey, Y'all!!!!First of all, I would like to acknowledge all the readers (you know who you are) who contacted me outside this profile. Thank you for your support and all the love you showed me through your private messages. This return has been tough, but your motivational texts have helped me a lot. You are indeed the best readers out there. I've seen a lot of 'when is the next update?' types of questions. I just wanted to let you all know that I UPDATE DAILY (sometimes double chapters). I might not do it at the same hour every day, but I have 24H at my disposal. (Remember that I work on this book every single day, on Sundays, too, so I never prepare in advance). I live in Italy, so I always try to update by 6 PM (which is midnight in some of your countries). Therefore, I'm kindly asking for your... PATIENCE. What you can do for me while waiting for the updates is LEAVE A REVIEW. A PUBLIC REVIEW. It would mean a lot to me. Your opinions (good or not so good) always helped me while
Howard patted Liam on the back once more.“This is so exciting, son! Good thing I saw you here, so I can help you with this important choice. Give you some advice. I know a lot about diamonds. I’ve been insuring jewelers for decades. Fascinating business, if I may say so.”“May I help you, gentlemen?” a woman who reminded him a little of a teacher he’d had in sixth grade asked.“Absolutely!” Howard exclaimed. “Liam here wants to buy an engagement ring. But not just an ordinary one. No, no. He wants the perfect ring for his fiancée. So, a good quality one, mind you.”“Of course, Sir.” So, Liam, who didn’t know much about diamonds and didn’t care to know, got a lesson in gemstones and had very little choice but to buy one of them for a woman he had no intention of marrying. Not now, not ever. Since Howard was not only a self-proclaimed diamond expert but also a shrewd businessman, he negotiated a nice discount on the ring they both agreed would look perfect on
Liam smelled the fragrant scent of a woman on the pillow. He woke slowly, wondering where the woman who smelled so good had disappeared to, and as his faculties sharpened, he realized he was sleeping on Maxima’s side of the bed. And that there was a very satisfied smile glued to his lips. He’d known from the moment they first kissed at the dinner where he’d introduced her as his fiancée that he and she would have chemistry. But he’d had no idea their chemistry would lead to this emotional explosion. Maxima was hot… she gave and took pleasure with honest enjoyment. Even after a night where they’d worked around the limited supply of condoms by pleasuring each other numerous times with mouths and hands, Liam still wanted her. Her and her damn rules. When this thing was over and Maxima no longer lived with him, then maybe they could forget all about the rules and have some fun. It was something to look forward to. By
Maxima blinked dazedly. She’d nearly forgotten he’d told her to hold her arms over her head. Watching Liam just now in her disoriented, post-orgasmic state, all she’d wanted to do was to touch him. She’d started to let go. With his insistence that she hold her wrists above her head, all Maxima could do was watch him helplessly as he fucked her... as he took his pleasure. Because that’s definitely what he was doing. She’d fantasized incessantly about what it would be like to be with Liam. But she hadn’t prepared herself to be owned by him. She never would’ve guessed he was this type of lover. Maxima gripped her wrists tighter. Her hips began to move in a counter rhythm to his. It felt sinfully good. A light sheen of perspiration gleamed on his ridged torso. His nostrils flared slightly as he stared down at her. The tempo of their slapping bodies increased in her ears.“You act like you want it good and hard,” Liam said. “But
Maxima did what he’d demanded with gratifying eagerness. The position stretched the skin tight across her rib cage and thrust her breasts forward.“God, you are amazing… Open wider, Max.” Her long, slightly bent legs slid along the bedspread until she was practically doing the splits. He made a rough sound in his throat and inched forward on the bed, drawn irrevocably. Liam reached between her thighs, feeling her wetness. Her softness. Brutal arousal sliced through him. He moved his hand in a taut circular motion, stimulating her outer sex. Maxima cried out in excitement, but his gaze remained fixed on what he was doing. Such a pretty, pink pussy. Liam used his middle finger to penetrate her while he rubbed her clit with the ridge of his thumb. A groan ripped his throat. It was like pushing his finger into a squeezing channel lined with warm honey.“Oh, God…” he muttered, crazed by the sensation. He might want this t