Page 7 of Without Me (Men of Inked 5)
She needed to stop thinking and just feel. The electricity from earlier had returned. It hadn’t been lost entirely, still crackling between us throughout the night. Touching her brought it to the front, reminding me of the reason I had been drawn to her in the first place. Pussy always had my attention, at least for a short time. Max had that unknown quality, the mystery drawing me in and consuming my thoughts.
I thought that, if I had her at least once, the feeling would wane. I just needed a taste to discharge the electric current that passed between us and then I’d be cured. She was a phase, just like the other women in my life.
As my body rubbed against her, the skin of our arms touching, the spark ignited. Our bodies moved together, finding the rhythm of the music, and slowly, her body wilted in my arms. She snaked her arms behind my neck as I drew her closer to my body. Without an inch between us, I brought my lips to hers.
“Tell me you don’t want me, Max,” I said, knowing she couldn’t deny whatever this was between us.
Her lips parted as she stared into my eyes.
“Tell me you don’t feel that.” I brushed my lips across hers before pulling away.
“What?” she asked with an airy voice.
“Your body betrays you,” I said on her mouth. “I can feel your heart pounding in your chest.”
“You don’t,” she said as she dug her fingers into the back of my hair.
I drew her bottom lip into my mouth. She tasted better than I remembered. There wasn’t an inch of her body I didn’t want to sample. As I backed away, I released her lip.
“I do,” I growled.
She stopped arguing and let her body move with mine. I nuzzled my face into her neck; I breathed her in, memorizing the scent.
Nothing else mattered in this moment.
The world melted away as I held her in my arms.
We swayed and stared into each other’s eyes. Her face softened, giving me a glimmer of hope. I finally felt like I had a chance with her. All I wanted was for her to give me a shot, and in that moment, I knew it could happen.
“Max,” I whispered as I pressed my lips to her ear.
My hands wandered from her ass to her back. With one hand on the small of her back and the other cradling her spine, I dipped her. With her neck fully exposed, I dragged my lips down her skin. The softness of her flesh and the hint of perfume drove me mad as I pressed my mouth to her skin to feel her pulse. It thundered beneath my lips, keeping time with the music. Her heart beat in perfect cadence with the rhythm, matching the flutter of mine.
I’d like to say that my dick ached to be inside her, but it was more than that. As I started to fall down the slippery slope of evaluating what in the fuck was happening to my mind, she grabbed my shoulders and pulled herself up. When her lips connected with mine, the thoughts that had started to creep in vanished.
As I held her to me, I returned her kiss with greater ferocity than I had before. Maybe I’d had too many drinks, and quite possibly, so had she, but the sizzle we’d had weeks ago now felt like a volcano ready to erupt.
“Max,” I moaned into her mouth, overcome by the need I felt for her. It wasn’t like I’d never felt need before, but not to the extent I did with her.
Our first kiss had consumed me. Never had I chased anyone before. Ybor City wasn’t my usual stomping ground except for when I played gigs, yet I’d found myself there numerous times over the last few weeks.
I hadn’t dared tell anyone. I spent years making fun of my siblings for being pussy-whipped. The one thing they had achieved that I hadn’t was sampling the goods before having their thoughts dominated by another human being.
I’d only had a taste. One simple kiss had sent me into a tizzy.
As I devoured her mouth, tangling my tongue with hers, I had two options. I could excuse myself and fuck the first piece of ass I could find tonight. There was a possibility that it could cure me. It would be the coward’s way of dealing with the feelings that lurked in my subconscious. Or I could do what I had come here for—conquer Max and put her out of my system forever.
When the music stopped, our bodies slowly came to a stop. As we stilled, the kiss g
rew deeper. My mind had been made. I’d dive right in and fuck her brains out. Based on what her friends had said, she needed me as badly as I needed her.
“Let me take you home,” I murmured as I lingered over her lips.
Her harsh breathing skidded across my face as she contemplated my words. She blinked twice before she replied. “Okay,” she whispered as her body swayed in my arms.
I wouldn’t give her the chance to change her mind. I released her from my hold, touching her on the small of her back, and headed toward Nita and Malia. As we approached, I could see the giant grins on their faces. They beamed with excitement as I winked at them.
“Ladies,” I said as we reached them, my arm still behind Max. “I’m going to walk Max home.”
“Yes!” Malia squealed, bouncing a little bit on her stool. “You do that. She needs to be ‘taken’ home.” She made air quotes.
“Have fun,” Nita said, elbowing Malia in the ribs.
The entire time, Max stood silent, giving her friends a sloppy grin.
“I think she’s drunk,” I said, wondering if I was an asshole. Tomorrow, would she think I had taken advantage of her in her inebriated state? I didn’t want to be that guy. I’d never had to be, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to start now.
“Anthony,” Malia said, beckoning me with her index finger.
I moved in close, placing my ear next to her mouth.
“She’s not as drunk as you’d think. Max can out-drink most people on this planet. Let her think you think she’s drunk. If she’s willing to let you take her home, don’t let her change her mind. She needs what you’re offering.”
I laughed, backing away as I caught Nita and Max whispering back and forth as they glanced at me.
“Got it,” I said, nodding at Malia. “Ready?” I asked as I turned toward Max, grabbing her waist. I wasn’t going to let her escape.
“Yeah,” she answered with glassy eyes and a smirk on her face.
I let Max lead the way, following her movements as we strolled down Seventh Avenue. We walked in silence, nodding at the passersby, focused on our final destination.
When we arrived, I stayed behind her as she unlocked the door. The neighborhood was quiet and only blocks from the center of Ybor. She hadn’t lied: the night I met her at the Ritz she said it was the closest bar to her house. I didn’t know if it was fate or God’s way of fucking with me. He liked to do that from time to time. The fact that she hadn’t gone next door to the King Corona that night could’ve been a cruel joke if I hadn’t found her again.
As she entered the house, she held the door open for me to join her. “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked as she turned the light on and sagged into the front door.
I shook my head. The only thing I wanted in my mouth was her. Every inch of her body needed to be sampled, dirtied, and devoured. I couldn’t wait another minute to touch her. Fuck, if I waited too long, she could change her mind.
I charged, pushing her body into the door. As I molded to her, I rubbed my denim-covered dick into her abdomen. Smothering her lips, I couldn’t resist her any longer. The walk had been torture, but standing in her home made me impatient. I had always been the type to take what I wanted without waiting. Some would think it was a weakness, but it had always worked in my favor.
Her hands drifted underneath my T-shirt. As they glided up my sides, leaving a burning sensation in their wake, I hissed, feeling the sizzle as our flesh connected. She panted as she dug her fingernails into my skin. Her touch branded me. Even when her fingers had moved, the feel of her still lingered, creating a smoldering trail.
I placed my hand on her ribs, feeling the heat emanating from her body, matching my own. The thin fabric of her top did nothing to mask the need that seeped from her body.
“Do you like this shirt?” I asked. I didn’t want to take the time to slowly undress her. If I gave her a chance to think too much, she might change her mind.
“Eh,” she mumbled into my mouth.
