Page 56 of Savage Beauty

“Shh.” The sound is indistinct and, well, soothing. “Shush. I know exactly what it’s from. And if you can’t tell, too skinny or not, I’m still very much attracted to you. I don’t remember the last time I wanted someone so much.” His fingers tangle in my hair, and cool air tingles my neck. Warm, soft lips press over the sensitive skin, and my thighs squeeze together. If he wasn’t lying behind me, I would press my fingers into me and make myself come. “I have a feeling you could gain fifty pounds and I’d still want you. Still think you were the sexiest thing. It’s that mouth. The best kind of unexpected.”

I don’t have any idea what that means, but… “What you’re experiencing can be explained.”

“Yeah?”

He nuzzles below my ear, and I close my eyes, reveling in the sensation. His chest radiates heat, warming my back, his arm comes down along my side, and his fingers slide between my arm and chest. Those fingers twist my nipple.Oh, my. I like that.

“You were saying?”

Right. I was. “God, you can be distracting.”

“Right back at you.”

I let out a huff and try to get my brain to focus on the scientific explanation instead of the physical evidence at hand. “When you’re physically attracted to someone, it’s a sign that your body’s chemicals and hormones are aligned. More research is needed, but it’s conceivable that one day we could submit a blood sample and find a list of chemically compatible subjects.”

“If you ever get around to creating a match making service based on this premise, I recommend you hire someone else to handle the marketing.”

“Are you making fun of me?” His fingers tweak my nipple again, and even though he’s behind me, I let my fingers drift between my legs.

“I would never.”

He nuzzles my neck and shoulder. Something thick and hard presses against my back. His powerful thighs curl up beneath mine.

“And when you have a physical reaction, especially like the kind we had…” The tip of my finger presses into the top of my fold, and it feels… I squeeze my thighs to increase pressure against my finger and in turn on my clitoris.

“You were saying?” His teeth clamp down on my earlobe.

“Dopamine is released. It’s the body’s reward.”

“Huh. So, each time my dick slips inside you, our bodies release dopamine.” He’s pumping his hips against me, and combined with my hand, it feels good, especially with his palm warming my breast. “So, every time we fuck, we get a dopamine hit.”

“Not a hit. More like a surge.”

“Surge. I like that word.”

“The surge of dopamine is released by the nucleus accumbens,” I’m panting now, and my breaths are coming faster, “which is a cluster of nerves near the hypothalamus.”

“Sloane?”

“Hmm?”

“Can you reach for that condom that’s on the dresser?”

I blink my eyes open and see the foil pack.

“Yes.”

There’s something about Max that has me chanting that three-letter word over and over during the night.

* * *

Light pours through the windows. I listen but hear nothing. Max’s side of the bed is empty. I run my fingers over the rumpled sheets, and they’re cool to the touch. He’s been gone for a while.

I throw on a t-shirt and long pajama pants. In the doorway, I listen. The door is open to the bedroom across the hall. The gun cases and Max’s bags are still in there.

“Hello?” I call.

“Hey, beauty.” Max’s deep intonations travel up the staircase, and my muscles instantly relax. My body moves forward of its own accord. “Get your butt down here. I’ve got breakfast for you.”

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