She wanted to giggle, but the tension in her chest was too sharp. Max watched her with that direct, unfiltered hunger, but he didn’t rush her. His patience scared her as much as his strength. It made it all real.She flattened her hand against his chest again, splaying her fingers through the dark hair.He was so warm, the heat tangible under her palm. She let her hand roam, collecting the texture, moving slowly, reverently, feeling for scars and stories. There were more than she could count, most faded and pale, a few newer.Max swallowed, his throat moving slow. He didn’t say anything, so she kept going. Her hand slid lower, down the center of his chest, over his stomach, the hair there thinner, softer. His abs weren’t the sharp bricks she’d seen in underwear ads, but a dense, powerful quilt of muscle, like corded cable under skin. She could feel the tension gathering in her own stomach as she touched his.He was breathing heavier, but he didn’t move.Her fingers hovered at the wais
Suzi recognized that look all too well now.That look in his eyes, the one that made her breath catch and her knees forget how to hold her. It wasn’t just hunger. It was focus. Possession wrapped in restraint. As if she were something precious he planned to unwrap slowly… deliberately.Her fingers curled tighter against the windowsill behind her as Max braced a hand beside her head. He didn’t touch her, not yet, but his body was so close she could feel the heat radiating from him. His other hand came to rest at her waist.“What… what is it you want to do?” she asked, her voice trembling despite her effort to sound steady.His gaze dipped to her lips. “You know,” he said simply.Suzi’s lips parted in a soft inhale, but she didn’t move away.Max smiled at that. “You always do that,” he murmured.“Do what?”“Look at me like you’re not sure if you’re allowed to want this.”Her breath hitched. “I don’t…I mean…I do.”Max’s fingers slid from her waist to the small of her back, pulling her ge
Max watched the way Suzi’s fingers lingered on the windowsill, as if memorizing the shape of it, anchoring herself to something real. He could’ve stayed there, just like that for hours. Watching her explore. Pretending they lived in a world where he wasn’t always one phone call away from blood.But the buzz in his pocket shattered that dream.He didn’t check it right away. He just closed the distance between them again and pressed a kiss to her temple, holding there for a breath. She smelled like vanilla and something floral she probably didn’t even notice she wore. It softened everything inside him. She let out a soft sigh and leaned against his chest.Then the buzz came again, more persistent this time.He pulled back with a reluctant sigh.“I have to take this,” he said, quiet.Suzi nodded without looking at him. “It’s okay.”He touched her chin, made her meet his gaze. “Ten minutes. Stay here, alright?”“Okay,” she said again.He stepped out into the foyer and crossed to the far
Max watched her face in the reflection of the car window as the wrought-iron gates slowly swung open.The mansion beyond was set far back from the road, tucked into rolling hills and framed by old oaks that arched like guardians. Pale stone. Arched windows. A wraparound terrace with wrought iron railings and ivy curling along the edges like nature itself had claimed it as sacred.But it wasn’t the house that stole his breath.It was the way Suzi looked at it.Her lips parted, eyes wide, pupils glinting with a kind of disbelief that made something tug in his chest.“Max,” she whispered, fingers clutching the seatbelt strap. “Are we allowed to be here?”He chuckled.“We’re not just allowed,” he said, offering his hand. “We are expected.”She blinked up at him, tentative as always, like she was waiting for someone to laugh and say it was all a joke.He helped her out, keeping her hand in his. “Come on. Let’s see if it feels like home.”The door creaked open as the real estate agent waved
The penthouse door clicked shut behind them with a soft thud, cutting off the rest of the world.Max’s hand still held Suzi’s.She looked up at him, eyes wide, cheeks a little pink from the attention and compliments she’d received all afternoon.“Thank you,” she whispered.Max didn’t let go.Instead, he stepped closer, letting the hush of the room settle between them. His voice was quiet. “That lavender dress.”Suzi’s eyes flicked down, almost shy. “You were staring.”“I couldn’t help it.” His thumb brushed over the back of her hand. “You looked like something out of a dream.”Her breath hitched. “I looked weird.”“No,” he murmured.Suzi swallowed, and Max saw it—the flicker in her eyes, the pull of hesitation and something deeper. Want. Uncertainty. Trust.So he let go of her hand slowly, gently, but didn’t move away. “I want to make love to you.”Suzi’s breath caught. She didn’t speak right away. Her eyes searched his and they were quiet, unsure, burning.“I…” Her voice trembled. Sh
The boutique didn’t have a sign. Just tall glass doors, a sleek black roof, and a concierge who opened the entrance like they were entering a private club. Suzi clutched Max’s hand tighter the second they stepped inside. The air was perfumed with soft jasmine and something expensive she couldn’t name. Plush white carpets muffled every step, and each clothing rack looked like it held only three carefully spaced items—each one more elegant than the last. “I shouldn’t be here,” Suzi whispered as her gaze darted across the high ceilings and gold-accented mirrors. Max leaned down, brushing his lips lightly against her temple. “You’re exactly where you’re meant to be.” A few feet ahead, two women were already waiting. Suzi recognized one immediately. Daphne, with her sleek dark hair and sharp-edged elegance that made even standing still look like a photoshoot. Beside her stood a blonde woman with bright blue eyes, Lucas’s cousin Tiffany, if Suzi remembered right. Next to her was