Page 40 of Take

She raised her chin a bit. “I know.”

I looked away for a second, nodding and said quietly, “Don’t hate me in the morning.” I’d never said that to a woman before because I never cared whether she did or not. But Max . . .

“Oh, I already hate you, so sex won’t make a difference.” I saw the slight twitch at the corners of her mouth and that did it. All resistance and doubts crumbled.

I grabbed her around the waist and in one motion, tore off her panties and had her flat on her back. I locked her wrists above her head with one hand, my legs straddled her, weight pinning her beneath me, helpless and unable to do anything but submit to me.

That was what I wanted—submission. I wouldn’t get it completely, for that I needed her to trust me and that wasn’t in the cards. But I’d take what I could like I always did.

And at the moment—that was her.

I reached over the side of the bed and searched inside my bag for a condom. Quickly, I ripped it open with my teeth.

I didn’t take off my jeans, but unzipped them, pulled out my cock and rolled the condom on. This was sex—raw, uncomplicated and without the intimacy of kissing. From the hard look in her eyes, she knew exactly what I was going to do and I didn’t need to check if she was wet. I knew she was. Her body quivered with anticipation beneath me. Her skin flushed. Her pulse thumped frantically in her throat.

I held my cock as I slid it up and down between her legs, her wetness clinging to the condom. Her legs bent on either side of me and I let her wrists go to put one leg up on my shoulder. “You’re soaking.”

“Must be your glowing personality,” she replied.

I cocked a smile, ran my hand down her leg, over the raised scars to her thigh, across her abdomen, then lower. The second I touched her clit and put pressure on it, her body tensed and I thrust my hips forward and drove my cock inside her.

It was a harsh move, knowing she was already tense and clenched, but I never said I was sweet and gentle, just the opposite and I saw her expression, heard her sharp intake of breath. Shocked at the sudden intrusion. Pain. And then acceptance as desire blazed from the depths of her eyes.

She was fuckin’ tight as hell, clinging to my cock as I moved. I put more of my weight on her, jeans rubbing up against her, my pelvis rocking so it hit her clit with every thrust.

I pulled all the way out then hesitated and pounded back into her over and over again. She was panting, eyes closed, hands curled into the pillow on either side of her head.

I watched her tense with every shove of my cock deep inside. The pain, the relief and then the ultimate pleasure as I did it over and over again until her body quaked and knew she was close.

I pulled out. Her eyes opened and met mine. It was in that second I knew I couldn’t do what I was hired to no matter the consequences. Maybe I’d known all along, but tried to convince myself otherwise. Prove to myself I could if I had to.

But this wasn’t just raw fucking. This was her—Max. And no matter what went down with Drake, I knew killing her wasn’t an option.

“You going to finish me off?”

I flipped her over so she was on her stomach. “On your knees.” She did as I ordered and I ran my hands over her ass. Jesus, it was perfect. A little plump so I had something to hold, to grab, to slap if I wanted to.

I groaned and my finger slid down her ass crack and then between her legs where she was soaking wet. Fuck, that was the best turn on. A woman who was wet as hell. I shoved my finger inside her and she moaned, her front end lowering like she was a cat stretching.

“Hurry.”

I grinned and then pulled my finger out of her and looped my arm in front so I could slap her clit.

“Fuck,” she cried and tried to move away.

I tugged her back hard against me and hit her clit again with two fingers. She tried to sit up and I shoved my hand down onto her neck. “Stay there.”

“That hurts.”

“Yeah. But you like it. You want it. Right?” I didn’t have to ask because I knew she was like me—hiding a part of herself.

But sex was where I’d found release and whether she knew it or not, so would she. It was where I could let go and finally just feel. I wanted Max to experience that. To drop the shield and let the pain in, and with it, the pleasure.

She didn’t say anything and I did it again. This time her body trembled after the pain. I knew she could take it. “Scream, sunshine.” I rubbed her clit back and forth and she moaned. Then I flicked it and her back arched. She was giving in to it, pleading for it, wanting the pain.

“Let go, baby.” I grabbed my cock and slid it down her ass crack. Then with a hard shove, I pushed inside her and at the same time tapped hard on her clit.

She screamed.