Page 48 of Serving the Mogul

Hard.

Abruptly, Maximus stiffened and jerked back, pulling out of me.

Dazed, I cried out and reached for him. He didn’t come back to me, nor did he move farther away. Movement caught my eyes, just barely, then he came back over me, weight braced on the one hand. His other hand…I shivered as I realized he was fist-pumping his cock.

“I forgot the damn rubber,” he muttered. Then he groaned, and I felt a hot, wet splash over my belly.

Maximus shuddered, his body jerking as he finished.

Then he stretched out over me, the slick wetness of his release still on my belly. He didn’t seem to care, and oddly, neither did I.

“I’m sorry.” His words were muffled against my neck.

“What for?”

“I forgot to grab a damned condom.” He pushed up onto his elbow and met my eyes. “I’m clean, but I can have blood work drawn—”

“No.”

I touched a finger to his lips. Something inside me clenched tight, a hopeful, silly wish, and I shoved it away, buried it even as I smiled at him. “It’s okay. And I’m on birth control. I’ve got a hormonal implant, so we’re clear there.”

His eyes remained on mine for a long moment, then he dipped his head to kiss me. It was slow and surprisingly sweet.

As he rolled onto his side and pulled me into the hard curve of his body, my heart quivered.

What have I gotten myself into?

* * *

Once a month,usually a Sunday, my family got together at Dina’s house. That meant excellent food and even better desserts.

Ready to clear my head and cool off in the pool, I left my home an hour early and listened to an audiobook during the drive so my mind wouldn’t wander to the dilemma I couldn’t figure out.

“You’re early!” Dina greeted me at the door with a quick hug and pulled back, her smile fading as she caught sight of my face. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Sure.” Flashing her a smile, I shrugged. “Just not sleeping well…too excited about the project with Roseann, and I might have another in the pipeline too.”

“Ohhhh…” Her eyes sparkled. “Tell me more.”

“No.”

Giving her an arch look, I sailed past her into the kitchen. For once, my paranoia about discussing potential jobs too soon came to my benefit.

“You’re no fun,” she declared.

“Oh?” I sailed past her down the hall that led to the kitchen. “Well, I guess I’ll take my sangria-making stuff home then.”

“You’re absolutely fun. The best sister ever.” She circled the island to grin at me, her hands braced on the surface. “Need anything?”

“Nah.” I eyed the dishes on the island, sniffed the air. “Taco bar?”

“Taco bar. Your sangria will be a perfect match.”

We worked in peaceful silence for a while, Dina with the rest of the food, including flan for after, and me mixing up a mega-size pitcher of sangria.

By the time our parents arrived, I was relaxed and had put Maximus out of my mind.

“Dina tells me you landed a job renovating a shelter,” Warren Siegler, my father, said, meeting my eyes as he passed the platter of corn shells to my mom. “That could be big for you.”

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