Page 57 of Red Hunt

All my instincts screamed at me to back down. To go inside and tell him to forget what I’d said.

But didn’t I decide earlier I was done being a coward? Done letting fear stop me from living my life and experiencing it fully?

I jammed my hands into my hips and thrust out my chest. I wouldn’t back down from what I wanted no matter how awkward I was feeling.

His eyes slid to my breasts, only briefly, then up again. He watched me, studied my face, then he laid his hand on my belly and pushed me backward.

When I hit the wall, he walked right into me. Crowding me. Pressing his body against mine. Taking my breath away, but not once taking his eyes from mine.

What started as a tingling turned into throbbing. I arched my back, anything to get closer.

Max trailed his finger along my clavicle…inward, then up my neck while maintaining eye contact.

I thought he would kiss me; instead, he cupped my cheek with his hand, the tips of his fingers slipping beneath my hair and making my scalp tingle.

“For someone who claims to not have much experience in sex, you sure are pushy.”

I swallowed. Was that good or bad? I couldn’t tell by his face since his body blocked out all the light and his voice was almost a growl, sending goose bumps along my skin.

“Yes,” he whispered before his lips touched mine.

Yes? Yes, what? I tried to engage my brain, but he pushed his leg between mine and put pressure there, and my thoughts disintegrated into feeling.

“To sex.” He pecked me on the lips. “But don’t you think you need to get to know me a little better? At least a couple of weeks, maybe a month, minimum?”

A month? Was he kidding? I couldn’t wait an hour before I’d explode, especially with his hand still on my cheek, his leg putting pressure on that place at the apex of my legs, his hand sneaking upward to my breasts under my T-shirt, and his lips touching mine.

Nope. Not even an hour. I went up on tiptoes, immediately missing the pressure of his leg, but when I pressed my lips against his, when I felt his tongue playing with my lip, every single thought went straight out of my head.

This was it.

This was what I wanted.

I wanted Max, and I wanted him now.

34

MAX

That kiss had been a revelation more than anything else. As soon as my lips had touched hers, I was a goner.

I couldn’t believe it when she said the words. I pushed her against that wall to make a point. I’d expected to see fear in her eyes, expected her to shut down, push me away, or retreat.

Instead, she invited me in, pulled me closer, pressed herself against me. And almost dry-humped my leg. And then she kissed me.

Boy.

I wasn’t kidding when I told her we should wait, told her we should get to know each other better, but she would have none of it. Instead, she got pushy again. Told me she knew what she wanted. Told me she was a grown-ass woman who made her own decisions. And what did I do?

I saidyes, ma’am,like a horny sixteen-year-old and followed her lead.

We went back in, so she could grab her stuff. I apologized to Peter since now he had to get everyone else home but pretended Milli wasn’t feeling so well.

Lying.

For a moment, I thought Sharon would demand to drive with us, but Lucas whispered something in her ear, which made her sit back down.

Now Milli was sitting beside me in my truck. She shivered, and I turned up the heat even though it had just cooled enough to be pleasant.

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