“My name. It’s actually Maximus, not Max. Nobody calls me Max normally.”
That wasn’t so bad. Not only that, it was like Selena had always known that. He didn’t feel like a Max. Now it seemed wrong to even call him Max, but he had to agree given how he’d introduced themselves when they first met.
Selena chuckled. “You shouldn’t go by Max then. Maximus sounds a lot more impressive. Like some old-timey general.” Her eyes widened. “Like in that movie, you know, ‘Are you not entertained?’”
“Oh, yeah, that movie. I’ve seen it, but I’m not a gladiator.”
Maximus seemed uncertain when he said it. Selena could easily imagine him a gladiator, or at least in a gladiator outfit, preferably one that showed off all those delicious muscles. She liked her sneak peek, but she wanted to see the full movie.
She should thank him for his time and send him away, but she didn’t want to do that. She wanted to do the complete opposite.
Selena stepped forward, almost a saunter, forcing every ounce of effort into a come-hither smile. “You might not be a gladiator, but I bet you’re a champion.” She cringed. “Sorry. That sounded so much better in my head.”
Maximus smiled at her, bright and easy. “I’ll take the compliment for what it is.”
Selena’s heart pounded harder as she continued toward Maximus. She kept expecting him to step out of the way. She didn’t lack experience with men, but she couldn’t claim to have ever been with someone like Maximus.
Why was she resisting? Her entire body thrummed with desire. It was like she was meant to be with Maximus her entire life, which felt weird. She’d always been a bit of a loner, especially after the loss of her mother, but she’d never felt like there was some big lack of a man in her life. Had he hypnotized her somehow? This went well beyond not having had sex for a while.
A low, deep sound escaped his chest. A growl. Maximus was growling at her. She couldn’t remember a man ever growling at her before. It was a turn-on.
Selena stopped in front of Maximus and traced her fingers along his arms, licking her lips. “I’m not the only one feeling this?”
“No,” said Maximus. “Definitely not the only one.”
“I usually don’t do this kind of thing,” Selena whispered. “I don’t think I’ve ever moved this fast with anyone.”
“Can’t say I’m any different.”
The statement gave her pause. She wasn’t sure if he was lying or if it was the truth. She pushed the debate out of her head. It was like he’d said earlier. The past didn’t matter for the moment, only the future in the form of the hunk standing in front of her.
Maximus lifted his hand, his fingers tracing across her cheek. She smiled at the gentle touch, something that fit the hands despite how large and callous they were.
His restraint sent a zip to her center. His nostrils flared, and she licked her lips. This man could have torn her clothes off and thrown her on the bed right then and there to take her, and she wouldn’t have minded. Instead, he stared at her, his pupils dilated, the occasional low growl escaping, his desire obvious. For a moment, she almost thought she saw a hint of light in his eyes. Must have been a reflection.
Selena’s breath caught at the latest growl. It was so primal, and her quivering insides betrayed any faint idea she didn’t like what was happening. The earlier restraint seemed pointless. She wanted more. She needed more.
Their mouths crashed together. Maximus’s tongue invaded, wrestling and twining with her own. Heat spread through her entire body. He cupped her face with his massive hands, but despite him sucking her face off and the passion between the two of them, his touch remained gentle, a caress in the throes of passion.
Before Selena knew what was going on, she was backing up toward the bed. Maximus continued to plunder her mouth, and she was eager to give him whatever he wanted because she knew she wanted the same thing.
The heat became a fire. Her nipples hardened, and her center pulsed with need. She’d never been this attracted to a man in her entire life. She wanted to call her boss up, quit her job, and spend the next month moaning underneath Maximus.
It was insane, but she’d wanted him this badly, on some level, since she’d first run into him. That wasn’t odd in of itself, given his ridiculous muscled body and size, but this went well beyond mild lust to aching desire.
Selena’s breath caught as Maximus scooped her up and then set her down gently on top of the bed. He stared down at her, his breathing ragged. She licked her lips, her gaze fixed on the huge bulge in his pants. She throbbed in anticipation.
Maximus parted her thighs with a knee before leaning over to attack her mouth again. She half-closed her eyes, moaning softly, ready to hike up her skirt and let him have her way.
He tortured her instead, pulling away from her mouth before planting soft kisses on her cheek and down her neck before heading down her chest to nuzzles between her breasts. He needed to rip off her top and bra and get to the good part already. She almost said as much before he shot back up to her head, nibbling her ear.
Another shuddering moan escaped Selena’s mouth. The rest of the world vanished. She didn’t care about Chris, Bill, or stupid bureaucrats. Beautiful tropical island? Unimportant. They could have been together in the middle of the desert, and she wouldn’t have cared. In that moment, they were ready to become one.
“This is nice,” Maximus growled. “Good thing I bumped into you at the office.”
Selena’s stomach tensed. The fire of passion burned through her, but the cold blizzard of reason blasted reality back into her head. Maximus continued nibbling and licking her neck, his hand drifting up her side
