Page 66 of The Forbidden Trio

He tilted her chin with one finger. “Aster? Do you remember that last time, when we were both home from college?”

“It was nine years ago, Max,” she said quietly, but every cell in her body trembled at the memory of his touch, his scent, the way this man had made her feel. The way he was making her feel at this very moment.

He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I still remember every single moment. I tied you up with my leather belts. It was one of the hottest moments of my life. I’ve never forgotten it.”

“We almost got caught when your dad came home early.”

“I liked that part, too. The thrill of it. So did you, if I remember correctly.” He paused, lowering his tone. “I can feel you shivering under my hands right now. I can hear your breath hitching in your throat. You want this as much as I do. Us. Kink. Tell me I’m wrong.”

God, her legs were going to go right out from under her, remembering that night. They’d been twenty, both home visiting from college. Max had taken her out to the garage where his father stored his car collection. The driver was on vacation, and they’d used his apartment upstairs. They’d had a little wine, and had ended up in bed, not for the first time. Max and those leather belts had been the start of her exploration into kink. And in the years since then, she knew he’d been visiting the BDSM clubs in Europe, in San Francisco.

One big hand cradled the back of her neck and her body wanted to explode.Neededto.

She looked down. “No, you’re not wrong.”

When she looked back up at him his expression had shifted. There was something hard and demanding there, and she liked it.

Wanted it.

Needed it.

Neededhim.

He pulled her in harder, until she could feel his thickening shaft against her stomach, and a small moan escaped her before he took her mouth with his. That’s what it was: taking. Claiming. And the submissive in her was melting, desire running like an electric current through her limbs, her stomach… everywhere.

He deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring, as strong as the rest of him, yet still so soft and wet. And she grew wet, had to press her thighs together as she groaned into his mouth.

His hands went into her hair, one hand snaking behind her neck, his fingers buried against her scalp as he gave a small pull. She pressed her hips into him, needing more. Needing everything.

When he slowly pulled away she realized her eyes were closed. It was several moments before she could manage to open them. He was watching her closely, a small smile tilting the corners of his lush lips. His hand was still in her hair, cradling the back of her head. And all she wanted was to lean back, to let him lower her to the floor and fuck her on her mother’s thirty thousand dollar Aubusson rug.

She blinked hard. Jesus. Things were about to get very, very complicated.

“This is… a lot, Max. Shouldn’t we… think about this?”

He stroked her cheek, his fingertips scalding her skin as he looked at her, watching her closely. His strong jaw was covered in a little stubble, and she ached to run her fingers over it, to feel the roughness she knew was there, on his chin and inside him, in contrast to his calm exterior.

“If you want me, have me. It can be as simple as that. Or rather, you know who and what I am.I’llhaveyou. You know that’s how it has to work. And we both already know you like it that way.”

His words went through her like liquid heat. But she had to use her head. Didn’t she?

“I… I need a little time to absorb this before I can even have an intelligent discussion about it,” she said, pushing away from him. “There’s a lot at stake here, Max. And I don’t even know if we’re on the same page, really. It’s a little bit of a shock having you back here, permanently. It’s not like we’re going to fool around, then not see each other for a year or two. A lot has changed.”

“A lothaschanged,” he agreed. “Which is why I don’t think we need to resist this intense, incredible chemistry between us. But yes, we should talk, and it should be soon.”

She pushed her long brown hair back from her heated face. “What about tonight? Is that okay?”

“Of course. Why don’t we plan to have dinner? There’s this new sushi place that’s supposed to be really good.”

“Sushi sounds perfect.”

He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. She shivered, wanting more than anything in a way she could barely control, to grab his face and tell him to do whatever he wanted to her. But if it were only one night, a few days, a few weeks, it would never be enough.

She could never get enough of this man.

This man who was her stepbrother.

It was an impossible situation. Wasn’t it?

---