The Marriage Mistake (20 page)

“Oh, God,” she moaned. Her body trembled in her aftermath. He kissed that swollen mouth and dove in for another taste. “That was so good.”

“I’m not done with you. Do I hear an apology yet?”

A satisfied smirk curved her lips. “I haven’t waited all these years for that, have I?”

Dio,
where had she come from?

“You always were a bit of a brat. Let’s play, shall we?” He dipped his head and found her nipple through the silk fabric. He used his tongue to dampen the fabric, then moved it aside and sucked. Whisper-soft touches over her pussy only added to the torture, and soon she panted and arched against his hand, begging for more. “Ready to apologize?”

“Yes.”

“Too late. I’ll tell you when I’m ready to accept your apology.” He tugged on the tight bud and swirled his tongue, then moved to the other breast. He played and pushed her right back to the edge, until she lost all pride and begged. The litany of his name on her lips shook through him and raw possession beat through his blood. One more swipe of her clit; a bite at her nipple, and she dived over again.

She shuddered and gave him everything. Too far gone to play anymore, he unzipped her dress and pushed it to the floor. Her glorious body staggered him. Heavy breasts crowned with ruby nipples. A soft swell to her hips and stomach. Endless olive skin and a bare pussy from the waxing she tortured him with. Her lips glistened wet and pink under his stare, and he muttered a curse and swept her in his arms. He pushed her down on the bed and stripped, placing a condom at the bottom of the bed.

She lay back and watched with hungry eyes that only hardened him further. “You’re so beautiful,” she choked out.

He shook his head and joined her on the bed. “No, you’re fucking gorgeous. Beyond anything I ever dreamed of. But you still owe me for that torment of the Brazilian.”

Her hands stroked his back, his buttocks, his thighs. Her gentle hands and sting of nails tortured his stamina. Dear God, he may not be able to last much longer, but he wanted her to be so aroused and wet, she’d never feel any pain when he took her for the first time.

“Do you like it?”

He kissed her deep and the rich scent of coconut from her body cream rose to his nostrils. “I need to investigate further.”

Her eyes widened.

“Orgasm number three.”

“Max, I don’t think—oh, God!”

He pushed her thighs apart and buried his mouth against the crease of her pelvis. No hair marred the perfection of her womanhood laid bare for his exploration. He pressed open-mouth kisses over her mound, down her thighs, over her belly. Used his fingers to separate her lips. And tasted.

Her cries grew frantic and sang in his ears. Her flavor of musk and earth and arousal overwhelmed him and he took every last drop, every thrust into her channel, every
lick across her clit as a bestowal of his humbleness for her gift. Soon, she came again, and Max knew he was done. With trembling fingers, he grabbed the condom and ripped open the package. Sheathed himself. And slid back up her body.

Her dark eyes were blurred and hazy, and her body shuddered from her orgasms. “Baby, look at me.”

She fought for focus. “You win, I’m sorry.”

Her magnificence floored him. Would another woman ever compare? Was he wrecked for the rest of his life, as he pursued someone who could give as much as Carina?

“Ready for more?”

“Yes. Show me what I’ve been missing.”

He pushed in one inch. Another. She gripped his shoulders and asked for more. Sweat pricked his brow and his muscles tightened with excruciating agony. God, she was so wet and hot, but he didn’t want to hurt her. One more inch and he was almost halfway there. If he didn’t die first.

“Damn you,” she croaked out. “More. Don’t give me this careful bullshit, Maximus Gray. Take me now!”

He gritted his teeth and bore down. Then plunged.

Mine.

Wet satin and so tight he’d dived into heaven and hell. She wrapped her legs around his hips and dug her heels in deep. Head flung back into the pillow, she asked for more. And he gave it to her.

Every deep thrust squeezed him with blinding heat and need. He set a steady rhythm that soon exploded into a crazy ride of lust and want. Desperate, Max grabbed for the control to slow, but she wouldn’t let him. She cried and begged and demanded until he let go of his control and give them what they both wanted.

She tightened beneath him and exploded.

He followed her over. The orgasm splintered him into jagged pieces and he shouted her name.

He rolled and tucked her into the curve of his arms, pulling the sheet over them. He pressed a kiss into her tangled hair.

This virgin had just blown his mind.

•   •   •

Carina surfaced from the best sleep of her life. The room remained dark, and time blurred. Her muscles ached like a pleasurable morning-after workout. She stretched and hit a rock-hard chest.

Max.

In her bed.

Yes.

Joy bloomed. She wondered her whole life what it would feel like to have Max’s full attention in the bedroom. And damned if her fantasy paled to the reality. He was a fierce, savage lover who demanded all and gave it
back. No wonder she hadn’t felt the urge to give away her virginity until now. Those gentle, polite seductions didn’t make her burn. Max’s fire and dominance satisfied something she never knew she possessed. Her body was wrung out and used as well as her heart.

Tonight was a rare gift of epic proportions. Her heart ached at the thought of the morning, but at least she’d have this precious memory and an in-depth knowledge of her soul.

“Don’t tell me you’re ready for round twenty-four.” He groaned and dragged her on top of him. His jet-black hair was deliciously mussed. The rough stubble around his chin emphasized the sensual curve of his lower lip. And boy could he do wicked things with those lips. Carina buried her face against his chest. A solid wall of muscle cushioned her cheek, and the crisp hair tickled her jaw. She ran her fingers over the whipcord length of his biceps and breathed in the delicious smell of sex, soap, and man.

“Those eight years really suck for stamina, huh?”

He grunted and smacked her buttocks. She yelped, but the pleasant sting only made her more aroused, and she wiggled over his suddenly hardening penis. “Brat. Will you ever be tamed?”

“If those are the types of punishments I get, then I hope not.”

Max blinked with the lazy air of a predator after a
catnap. “I may need more time to recover in between, but I can go for longer rounds without begging stop.”

Her belly plunged and a delicious shiver raced down her spine. She’d never have enough of him—in bed or out. “You’ve had more practice. Give me time.”

He grinned, twisted his fingers in her hair, and brought her mouth down to his. “Slave driver.” He kissed her thoroughly but with a depth that told her he was in no rush, though his body stated otherwise. “You need a bath to relax those muscles. I don’t want you too sore.”

“What time is it?”

“Not morning. They don’t have clocks in the room and I don’t care. You’re mine until dawn.”

His casual command made her nipples peak with interest. With one last pat on her backside, he rolled off the bed and stalked into the adjoining bath. Moments later, the rush of water reached her ears. “I always wanted to use that spa tub, but it looked too lonely for one.” Naked, he walked over to the bed and reached out his hand. The stubble around his jaw gave him a rakish look and reminded her of the delicious pirates from the historical romance novels she loved. “Come with me.”

She inched herself off the bed and tugged the sheet with her.

He grinned. “I don’t think so.” He ripped the sheet from her grip and took in her naked form. “You are too damn gorgeous to waste on the hotel’s linens.” Carina tamped
down on the sudden spurt of modesty and followed him to the master bath. He walked with a masculine grace that set off his rock-hard ass. Her mouth watered and imagined how her teeth would sink into those hard muscles.

Her bare feet coasted over the gleaming marble, and he’d piped in some sexy R&B music. The sky-high ceilings gave her an impression of being bathed in the ancient baths as light poured down from them and a huge wall mirror hung on the opposite side of the wall.

He led her up the few steps and eased her in. The steaming hot water seeped into her skin and melted the stiffness. Fat bubbles cloaked her in a gorgeous lavender scent. He shut off the water and stood before her in full glory.

Dear God, he reminded her of the proud statue of David. Sinewy muscle carved out his shoulders and arms as he rested them on his hips. Rich brown skin gleamed with a fine sheen of sweat. His chest held a swirl of dark hair that narrowed to a thin line down his stomach and beyond. Feet apart, his powerful thighs braced, he held an aura of power and grace, naked and clothed—a man comfortable in bare skin. When her gaze settled on his heavy erection, she experienced her first blush.

“Ah, you do have some shyness left. Let’s make sure we wring that out of you before your next orgasm.”

His dirty words revved her up and already her nipples poked through the suds. He gave a low laugh and
joined her in the bath. Grabbing her hips, he slid her easily over and on top of him so she sprawled on his lap. Her back pressed against his chest, and his fingers circled her breasts, occasionally flicking her nipple with his thumb. Carina moaned and wiggled on his lap. The wet slide of their bodies together and over her intimate parts drove her mad. “Max?”

He pulled her hair over to one side and nibbled on her neck. “You have so many sensitive parts I don’t want to miss any. Clothes should be illegal for you to wear. I’d keep you naked.”

She laughed but he was doing something very naughty between her legs and the sound turned to a gasp. “I eat too much. Julietta and Venezia always diet to remain thin.”

He squeezed her breasts. “And they have no fun parts to play with. Trust me, Carina, I’ve never lusted after a woman as hard as you. Your curves inspire erotic art and a thousand orgasms.” His words rang true and clear and something relaxed inside of her. Her legs floated apart and gave him better access.

“I think you get a reward for that statement.”

“I think I’ll take it now.” Suddenly he reared up and guided her onto her knees. Excitement at the vulnerable position only made her wetter, and she glimpsed their reflection in the full-length mirror.

He muttered something under his breath and caught her gaze in the mirror.

She didn’t recognize the woman before her. Naked. Kneeling. Her wild hair around her shoulders, bruised lips, and a dreamy look in her eyes. Max looked like a warrior about to claim his woman, and she watched with fascination as he grabbed a condom and covered himself.

“You like to watch?” His husky question ripped a moan from her lips. She nodded, wondering why she wanted to do everything with him tonight, until she collapsed completely sated and spent. “That’s my girl. Hold on to the edge of the tub.”

She clutched at the sleek white marble and held on. His hands rubbed her ass, as if warming her up for something, and then he was inside her in one sharp thrust.

The pleasure was too intense. She gripped harder as he took her deep. The slap of the water in the tub, the visual image of him claiming her from behind, the relentless pull of orgasm, all rose and mixed together in an inferno. His dark eyes turned savage as he met hers in the mirror. “You’re mine, Carina. Remember that.”

He reached between her legs. Thrust again.

She came.

Carina bucked beneath him and let herself soar. The clench and release of muscles; the exquisite pain/pleasure of tight nipples and pounding clit; all sensations dragged her into a new world she’d never experienced. Her fingers grabbed onto the slippery surface of the tub as her body tried to find footing and she wondered if he wrecked her for life.

How many years had she spent dreaming of something she could never have imagined? Those polite kisses with boys before him never reached her core. She’d experienced flutters of arousal with caresses—even experienced orgasms by the thrust of male talented fingers and her own. But Max reached way beyond any surface and dragged every dark fantasy she buried to life. He demanded more than polite responses. Sex was messy and sweaty and bursting with so many delicious contradictions she never realized existed.

She’d never settle for anything less than this. Oh, the woman she could be with the right lover. A deep weariness settled over her and she relaxed against Max, drifting in pleasure for a while.

•   •   •

One bath and a shared bottle of water later, she sat naked in his lap on the elegant lounge chair. A fire crackled and a blanket wrapped them in a cocoon of warmth. Carina rested her head against his shoulder and sighed. The hushed silence wove a sense of closeness and connection between them. Carina spoke in a low voice. “I think I want to quit La Dolce Maggie.”

He ran his hands soothingly over her back. “Talk to me. Is this about your earlier mistakes?”

“No, it’s more than that. I don’t think I’m happy anymore.”

He stiffened. “Because of me?”

“No, you idiot. Because of me. I don’t know if I belong in the business world. I wanted to want it. Just because I’m good at crunching numbers doesn’t mean I want to do that day after day. I hate cubicles and sales and spreadsheets. I don’t have the killer instinct like you and Julietta.”

He blew out a breath. It was a while before he spoke. “I don’t know if Michael is going to accept your decision.”

“Yeah, I know. I haven’t made my final decision yet. I’ll give it some more time and be honest with myself.”

“What do you want to do instead?”

She sighed and snuggled closer. “Not sure. Get back to my painting and get serious. Find a way to combine what I’m good at with something more creative. I’m not afraid to find out anymore.”

“I’ll back you either way, Carina. I think you do a hell of a job at La Dolce Maggie. But you need to be happy—you deserve it.”

“Thank you.” A pang of loss settled over her. She finally felt like she truly belonged with someone who understood her, but her one precious night was almost up. Time ticked steadily. Soon, dawn would break over the horizon and drag her back to reality. She already knew they had no future. Even if they were able to overcome Michael, Max made it quite clear he was not interested in committing to a relationship, especially with her. He stayed safely behind the barriers built since childhood, and cited age, family,
and a bunch of other obstacles in order to rationalize his decision. She hated it but refused to fight. She deserved someone who wanted her enough to overcome the odds. Carina ignored the empty feeling inside and swore to get over it.