Page 12 of Tempting Max

She laughs and her shoulders ease. “Sure.”

“Another P’arête?”

A loud crack of thunder makes her jump, and she laughs nervously. “Sorry, I’m easily startled.”

I give her a sideways glance and grab a glass. “So, I’ve noticed.”

Her cheeks flare with crimson and all I can think about is where she’ll blush next, how I could use my tongue to spread it everywhere.Jesus, Max, get your head out of the gutter.

“Uh, yes, the P’arête,” she lets out a sigh, “it’s still my favorite, though that grapefruit shandy is a close second.”

I smile as I pull the tap and fill the glass with the bright golden Kolsch. Nothing beats the feeling of someone loving my brew. Especially when it’s a someone as gorgeous as Gus.

I hand it to her, and she takes a drink with a moan of satisfaction that hardens my cock so quickly it almost hurts. “So good. Thank you, I’ve been on my feet all night, I’m going to grab a table.”

I nod and let out a breath as she wanders away from the bar and sits down several feet away from me. A quick ten-count and a swig of cold caramel stout puts me back in control.

“Hangdog,” Gus says, eyeing my beer as I sit down across from her at the table, albeit several feet back. Lightning and thunder shake everything around us. “Good choice.”

I lift it toward her in a toast and take a sip. “You’ve got a good eye and good taste.”

Gus lets out a snort as if to say she disagrees with my statement and takes another swig of her beer. “Maybe in beer, in life, not so much.”

Interest officially piqued—I lean forward in my chair. “Want to tell me about it?” I motion toward the window. Sheets of rain fall heavy on the street, slanted by the high winds, punctuated by lightning that illuminates the entire sky. “It seems we’ve got time.”

Gus’ eyes fall to her beer, and she spins the glass around in her hands a few times. “Not really, it’s not a particularly fun story. Let’s just say I have terrible taste when it comes to men.”

My stomach knots a dozen times at the thought of Gus with another man. Any man. Especially one that would make her frown like that. Thoughts of throat punching this unknown dickhead zip into my brain like a struck match and the thought surprises me. Despite my size and the circumference of my biceps, I’m not a violent man. The only real fights I’ve ever been in are with my brothers.

I realized at a very young age that I could do too much damage if I wasn’t careful. Accidentally breaking Liam’s arm in an argument at twelve, was a terrible way to learn that lesson.

But Gus? Gus brings out something feral in me and I have no doubt I would tear a man limb from limb if he hurt her. It’s probably better she decided not to tell me about it.

“What about you?” She asks, sitting back in her seat.

When I catch her eyes slipping to my lips, I lose my train of thought.Does she want to kiss me?My cock hardens against my zipper, and I have to shift in my seat. I scoot my char back even further. “What?”

She bites her bottom lip for a second and it’s so fucking cute, I nearly lose my train of thought. I want to pull her into my lap and nibble on that lip, I want to—hell, I don’t have a train of thought, I have a cartoonishly long fuse that’s quickly making its way to the ACME bomb.

“Do you have good taste in partners?” She asks, taking in my every move like Liam does.

“Oh.” I down half of my beer in one swig, washing away the thought of her straddling my lap, my hands around her waist. “Not so far. Not even a little.”

“Want to tell me about it?” She asks, leaning her elbows on the table. Her shirt falls open a bit and I can see the vanilla skin of her cleavage peeking out of a black lacy bra.

I finish the rest of my beer. “No. No, I don’t.” I spring from the chair, “I’m just going to get a refill.” It comes out awkward and I flee towards the bar like it’s burning down.

I kind-of wish it was, it would be easier than this.

9

GUS

Isip my Kolsch and watch Max as he pours himself another beer. I don’t even care that I’m openly staring. I’ve gotten to see so little of him since I started, that I’m going to enjoy the opportunity while I can.

His movements mesmerize me, the flexing of his muscles, the way he seems so aware of his size and strength, the way he always seems to be holding back. Held back. Everything about him feels like it’s being held in by a fractured dam and fuck me, I’m tempted to be the one that sends it crashing.

It doesn’t make sense. I know I shouldn’t want that—I know I shouldn’t wanthim. But the dreams I’ve been having about him, each one significantly hotter than the last, and the way my body heats whenever he’s near tells me that whatever my brain is saying, the rest of me is not listening.

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