Page 41 of Maximum
“I’m afraid so.”
“Christ, I’m sorry, Fleur. Did you see him with another, or did you just hear about it from others?”
I chewed on my lip, feeling old wounds not yet healed. “Pierre and I never had much money, but we’d been saving for the IVF treatment that our doctor said was necessary if we wanted a child. One day when I checked on the account, I saw that money was missing so I asked him about it and he denied knowing anything about it, but that he would speak to our bank.
“He came back with some lame story about hidden fees from the bank, but I didn’t buy it and went to talk to them myself. They gave me the day and place the money had been spent and when I went to the address it turned out to be a local whorehouse.” The pain in my voice was palpable, but the humiliation was still raw as I looked down.
“He went to a fucking hooker?”
“Yes. His excuse was that he’d gotten drunk with some friends who’d wanted a strip show and one thing led to another, but I knew better.” I sighed. “Pierre had a fetish that we fought about, and I knew that he’d gone there to scratch his itch.”
“What kind of fetish?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Fleur, listen, you can trust me. I won’t tell a soul.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
I released a deep sigh. “Pierre wanted to be taken as much as he wanted to take.”
“What do you mean?”
“He bought me a strap-on dildo once.”
“Holy shit!”
“I wasn’t comfortable being the aggressor and even though he begged me, I couldn’t.”
“He wanted you to fuck him in the ass?”
“Do you have to be so crude about it?” I looked away, wringing my hands.
“Sorry. Was he gay?”
“No, I don’t think so. He would always send me articles about how normal it was for men to enjoy anal penetration despite being heterosexual.” I turned to look at Maximum. “Do you enjoy a finger up your anus when you have sex?”
He looked surprised by my direct question and swallowed hard before he answered. “I’m open to most things, but a fucking strap-on dildo is out of the question.”
“What’s your fetish then?”
Maximum’s smile grew. “I didn’t know this until recently, but I have a thing for watching lions mate while taking my woman.”
His flirtatious energy made me smile. “I’m not your woman.”
“Yes, you are.”
I should protest more, but the truth was that I loved having Maximum’s company and that having sex with him this morning had felt incredible. “What does that mean, though?”
“That I’m not interested in other females than you and that I don’t want other men touching you.”
I looked into his eyes. “You’re expecting fidelity from me, but we’re not a couple, Maximum.”
“You know I want to be your man.”
“River once told me that you’re rootless and avoid having a girlfriend. Is this part of your tactic to get me into your bed?”
