Page 32 of My Fake Lover

»I belong to you,« I whispered, though I wasn’t really aware of the meaning of my words. They just bubbled out of me, the feeling completely overwhelming me. With a deep thrust, he buried himself in me, and we both moaned. It didn’t matter who heard us. The only thing that mattered was him and me. Us.

Max took me with full passion, and I met him with the same intensity. It was incredible how quickly the feeling of my climax built up inside me, but I held it off as long as I could because I didn’t want it to be over. Max shifted his weight, his chest pressing against mine, sweat pooling between us as he thrust into me again and again, swallowing my screams with his kisses. Our movements were perfectly choreographed. I lifted my pelvis to meet him, and he gasped as he took me as deeply and devotedly as no man had ever done before.

As the orgasm built and washed over me like a giant wave, I had no idea where I was or who I was. Max prolonged my climax with his touches, thrusts, and kisses until I clung to him because I couldn’t take anymore. Only then did he follow me with a long, dark sigh. His weight pressed down on me as he let himself fall a little, and we both had to catch our breath. Gently, his fingers brushed through my strands, and mine traced along his back.

I had suspected it would be good, but I couldn’t have imagined just how good. It wasn’t only because Max was an attractive and experienced man in bed, but this was more. That more was precisely what brought my fear back in full force. Only when you have something can you lose it, so it’s better not to get involved in anything that could ultimately destroy my heart. After a deep breath, I pushed myself out from under him, and he rolled onto his back. I turned away so he could dispose of the condom. Quickly, I grabbed a few of my clothes scattered on the floor and pulled on shorts and a top. I stood in front of the bed and tied my hair back with a hairband, looking at him as he turned to face me. His eyes met mine, and I forgot to breathe.

»I’m going to freshen up quickly.«

»In those shorts? In front of all the guests?« He raised an eyebrow, and I couldn’t help but grin.

»That was my plan,« I replied.

In a flash, he rose and pulled me back into the sheets. I had to laugh as he pressed his mouth to my neck, and his breath tickled me. »No way,« he rumbled against my skin, and I tried to free myself from his massive body, which didn’t work at all.

»Let me go!« I exclaimed, laughing. »That’s not fair play!«

»Nobody said I play fair. I always win, remember?« he whispered. As he looked at me afterward, I recognized the amused sparkle in the light gray of his eyes and became lost again in his intense gaze. What was it about him that made me constantly forget myself in his presence? He sensed the shift in the mood as much as I did and began to stroke my bare thigh upward. His fingers gently touched my inner thigh and met my burning center again. I moaned.

»These shorts drove me crazy the moment I first saw them.« His voice was rough and hoarse. My resolution to gain distance from him and this feeling evaporated as I spontaneously and passionately kissed him, and he returned my kiss with complete devotion.

23

Max

In the shelter of the night, there was not a moment when we didn’t touch, kiss, or taste each other. I couldn’t remember the last time in my life when I had felt such a storm of emotions. Had I ever experienced that at all? Probably not.

It wasn’t just the lust pulsing hotly in my veins, threatening to scorch me, or the urge to sink again and again into Ivy’s perfect, wet heat; it was more than that. But as the sun rose and illuminated the inside of the tent, I knew I would never discover what it was. I had my life, which was safe and good, and Ivy would be able to resume her own with the help of the money. She could even make it better.

The fact that I had revealed myself to her was more of an admission than I could ever make again. I had come so close to asking her for a real date in New York, but I was no simple guy. I would drive her mad, hold her back, and already felt possessive just thinking about Ivy being with someone else.

It was enough that despite everything, I still worried about Ian. It was enough that I looked in the mirror every day and blamed myself for his downfalls.

Ivy was a fun, lively person, and I didn’t want to be the guy who extinguished her sun.

These moments with her here were the best of my life. But they had an expiration date. We both knew that, even though for a brief moment, I had hoped it could be different. And that’s why I had to make the most of every second.

Slowly, I turned around and reached out for Ivy’s naked body lying next to me, but I grasped at emptiness.

Grunting, I opened my eyes and searched first the bedside and then the tent for her. She was gone. Damn it. I had hoped to spend a little more time in our bubble with her before we had to face the others. Today was the big dinner before Ian and Lizzy’s wedding tomorrow. The two of them and everyone else present were undoubtedly excited and nerve-racking. Even yesterday, the entire area was filled with a nervous, tense anticipation that made me restless.

I took a deep breath, fished for the boxer shorts next to the bed, and put them on before slipping out from under the blanket. As I gathered my clothes and bathroom supplies, I could hear sounds from outside. An owl, just like me, refusing to accept that the night was already over, laughing voices passing by our tent, or the soft hum of Far Eastern music towards the lake, likely accompanying some yoga class.

I suppressed a sigh as I got dressed and slipped my wristwatch onto my wrist. God, it was already late morning, I hadn’t slept so long and so deeply in ages. I went outside and shielded my eyes from the sun with my hand. It seemed as if even more people had arrived today. No matter where I looked, there was a swarm of them between the tents, and I longed for my quiet penthouse.

Before searching for Ivy, I stopped at the makeshift washroom to take a quick shower and brush my teeth. I ran my hands through my damp hair and pushed it back. That should do.

I returned my toothbrush, shower gel, and other stuff to the tent and headed for the large catering tent set up next to the dining area. From afar, I heard her voice, and my heart skipped a few beats before it continued pounding fast and hard. A shiver ran down my spine as I thought about her throaty moans from last night, her fingernails digging into my skin as I thrust into her again and again. Deep and... »Max!« Surprised, I stopped and even felt a little caught off guard by my thoughts.

»Chloe,« I replied, managing a brief nod. Inconspicuously, I peered over her shoulders and searched for Ivy in the buffet crowd. She had to be somewhere.

»Nice to catch you alone for once,« she said, and my gaze snapped back to her. Today, her thick blonde hair lay flawlessly on her shoulders, and the dress she wore was more like a second skin. »I’ve thought about you a lot, Max.«

»That surprises me,« I said honestly, for I had hardly given her a thought and assumed she felt the same way.

»Why?« She laughed, but I detected a hint of insecurity in her voice. »You’re an attractive, charming man. You probably have a woman in every city who thinks about you.«

»I don’t think so,« I replied dismissively and tried to move on, but Chloe held my arm. »Are you really with Ivy? Is this something serious?«

---