Page 21 of No Mercy In Red

Chapter 19

Connor

Ilasted all of five fucking seconds before I had pushed away from the chair and decided I was going after her. I was done playing games with Maxine, done with the subtle glances across coffee cups and watching her through tiny cameras. I was done with waiting for her to make a move, pretending like I was a good guy that stuck to normal boundaries. I wasn’t a good guy, not when it came to her. She had driven me to the edge of insanity by not showing up Friday afternoon at Melinda’s. But now she was just fucking testing me, skipping her morning coffee. She never skipped her morning coffee, she had truly broken the last of my control this morning. I had barely made it through work, constantly snapping at idiotic callers asking me if I knew their fucking passwords. I’d even been called into the office by the boss, telling me that I should take a half day because my ‘negative energy’ was disrupting the workplace. Fucking asshole. I had spent all weekend watching her, I had watched her destroy Chris, watched the ruthless beauty at work. It hadn’t scared me, it hadn’t repulsed me, it had made my want for her even stronger. Watching such a beautiful woman become such a lethal work of art, it was incredible. She had consumed my entire thoughts all weekend, watching her in her apartment, the way she spent most of her weekend—after a small jog—with her beautiful hair placed in a messy bun on her head. She lived in nothing but baggy t-shirts and panties, only putting on pants to answer the door to the pizza delivery guy. I had imagined how she would lookin one of my t-shirts, the way it would look draped over her body. I had watched her sleep in her bed, the way she slept on her stomach, her face smushed into her pillow, little snores escaping her. I was utterly fucking done pretending that I wasn’t entirely, desperately obsessed with her. The chase was over, it was time to catch her. Have her. Own her.

I followed her from the café, keeping my distance just enough to avoid suspicion – but close enough that I could see her. The tension in her body, the way the glanced over her shoulder like she could feel me. When she reached her apartment building, I watched from across the street as she fled inside, the slight tremble in her hands as she repeatedly bashed the button to the elevator. I didn’t have the patience to wait for it to make its way back down to take me up to her floor, so I took the stairs, two at a time, flight after flight, my pulse pounding with each step. By the time I reached her floor, my blood was running hot. I saw her down the hall, chest heaving as she fumbled, trying to get her keys into the lock. My body moved before my brain did and I pressed my hand against the wall next to her hair, caging her in. She gasped spinning towards me and I watched as her pupils dilated. Breathless. I wouldn’t hurt her. Never. But I needed these games to fucking end, she was driving me insane. Her breathing matched mine, our chests rising and failing in synchronisation. I could see it in her eyes – this wasn’t fear, it was excitement, exhilaration.

Her mouth was slightly parted, and fuck, those red lips were even more perfect up close, the way her lipstick had slightly smudged from where my thumb had stroked.

“Tell me, have I consumed your thoughts the same way you’ve consumed mine?”

My hips pressed slightly against hers, letting her feel how fucking hard I was for her. Her little gasp sent a sharp pulse of heat straight through me.

“Tell me to leave, Maxine.” My voice was rough, unsteady.

I watched her carefully, every muscle in my body drawn so fucking tight I thought I’d snap. The way she stared into my eyes as I spoke, this was it, this was where could break me completely. The girl that I had become so infatuated with, without even so much as a conversation, had my hear in her fucking hand and she didn’t even know. But I would, I’d leave and never look back if she told me to. I was an obsessive bastard, but I wasn’t like those other men, I would never hurt her. And if she wanted me to go, I’d go and never bother her again. I may still watch her from a far, but as far as she’d be aware, it would be like I never existed. I made a silent prayer to a god I didn’t believe in that she wouldn’t tell me go.

I held my breath, waiting for her to answer. Searching her eyes for a clue, anything.

“I… I can’t.”

My restraint shattered and I crashed my mouth into hers.

She melted against me, her fingers digging into my hoodie, clutching at me like she couldn’t pull me close enough. Her taste was sinful – dark and rich, coffee and need, the lust curling hot and violent between us. My hand slid to the back of her head, threading through her silky black hair as my other hand pulled her closer by her waist, letting her feel exactly how hard I was against her. She whimpered into my mouth, her nails scraping along the back of my neck as she pulled me closer, and fuck, I wanted her desperately. I kissed her harder, my tongue exploring hers, consuming her like she was my own brand of oxygen. She pulled back, gasping for air, her eyes wide and glassy. I stared at her, utterly in awe as my eyes swept over flushed cheeks and swollen lips. My cock twitched painfully at the sight.

She hesitated. Fuck. She was going to tell me this was a mistake, for me to leave. But instead, she turned and unlocked her door, slowly stepping backwards inside, looking at me with a dark glint in her eyes.She reached out, curling her finger at me, beckoning me to come inside. I didn’t hesitate, following Maxine into her apartment, excitement coursing through my veins. The door slammed shut behind us, my mouth back on hers before it even clicked into place. I grabbed her by the thighs, lifting her effortlessly until her legs wrapped around my waist.

“Connor,” she gasped.

Hearing my name spill from her lips was how I would imagine it would feel to hear the angels sing. It raked down my body, setting my nerves alight. Her hands slid under my hoodie, nails dragging over my skin as I carried her towards the couch. I tossed her down, watching how her body bounced from the impact, her hair spilling around her face. She looked up at me with wide, dark eyes, legs slightly spread, her dress riding up her thighs. My breath caught in my lungs at the sight of her.

“Strip.” I demanded.

Her lips curled into a devious smirk, “Make me.”

I growled low in my throat, grabbing her ankle and yanking her down the couch toward me. She squealed, laughing breathlessly before I pinned her down to the soft cushions.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret, I usually like being dominated,” I murmured against her throat. “But you’ve been playing games with me, Max. Driving me fucking insane.”

She paused.

“You didn’t show up Friday.” My mouth brushed the side of her jaw. “And then you weren’t at Melinda’s this morning.”

She moaned softly as my hand slipped beneath her dress, dragging my knuckles along the inside of her thigh. “So now, I have to punish you.”

Her moan turned into a sharp breath when I slipped my fingers beneath the edge of her panties, “Do you want this?”

“Yes,” Her breath was shaky. “God, yes.”

I pulled her panties down her legs and dropped them into the floor.

My mouth hovered at her ear, “Good.”

I pulled her hips to the edge of the sofa, sinking to my knees in front of her and dragged my tongue up the inside of her thigh. She whimpered, hips lifting toward me. My hand pressed her back down.

“Stay still,” I growled. “Be a good girl for me, Max.”

I parted her thighs wider, dragging my tongue from her knee, right to the edge of her pretty little pussy. I lifted my head, letting my breath tickle over her as she writhed beneath me. Fuck. Her pussy was perfect, and I couldn’t wait to taste her. I could already see how wet and ready she was for me. I stood abruptly, her head shooting up to look at me.

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