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More than she wanted to give. She couldn't do this, couldn't give up her soul to him.
"Max, please," she begged, knowing what he wanted, and also knowing she couldn't do it. Not again.
"Give it to me again, Shannon," he commanded in a voice that would normally piss her off. But this excited her, this mastery he had over her senses. Relentlessly he moved against her until she felt it build within her once more. Her eyes widened as the shock of realization swept over her.
"I'm coming, Max. Oh, sweet mercy, I'm coming!"
He kissed her, hard, deep, plunging his tongue inside her mouth to match the rhythm of his still-rigid cock. And he came again with her, grinding his mouth against hers until she couldn't tell which of them was groaning.
Breathless, she dropped her head onto his shoulder, trying to calm the frantic beating of her heart. He released his hold on her buttocks and let her legs drift down, keeping his arms around her until he was certain she was steady on her feet.
Yeah, right. Like she'd ever be steady on her feet again after what just happened.
He held her like that for awhile, stroking her back, running his fingers over her skin and pressing light kisses against the top of her head. She wanted to stay in this position forever, without words, without reality creeping in and stealing away what had to have been the best sex she'd ever experienced.
The most emotional sex she'd ever experienced.
Which was precisely why she needed some distance from him. This had been way more than she'd expected and too much to handle.
Now would come the part she hated the most. That awkward, not sure what to say after the sex part.
Already, the realization hit that this had been a huge mistake, that having sex with Max would cause nothing but trouble. She barely knew him, they were supposed to be working together, and the last thing she needed was the constant embarrassment of being reminded what had transpired tonight.
What was even worse, deep inside her lurked the theory that he'd done this, had gotten so close to her, because of some need to wriggle his way into her family, to get close to her brothers, her sisters, and her.
She was certain this whole fucking thing had been business to Max.
Well, she'd played that game before and wasn't going to again. Never would she allow a man to trample her heart on his way to the top.
Trying to be as cool about it as possible, she fixed her dress and her hair, wishing she could summon up a cold bite of air right now to cool her aching flesh. Although she knew she'd just made an error of epic proportions with Max, her body was still flushed with the aftereffects of hot and fiery lovemaking.
No, not lovemaking. Sex. Fucking. That was all it had been.
Too bad it had been with someone she'd never want to be with. Max was too controlling, and she liked to reign over her own world. No, they definitely would never make a viable couple.
"Well, that was fun. Thanks," she said, hoping she came off relaxed and unaffected.
Just treat it as casual sex, and it'll be fine. Close your heart, keep things business-like and cool. Then, maybe it won't hurt.
Max had been adjusting his pants and glanced up, a confused frown on his face. "Huh?"
"I said, this was fun. But I really have to get back inside."
"That's it? It was fun? Thanks for the fuck, gotta be going now?"
She refused to even consider the hurt look on his face. He was just annoyed because he didn't get to say it first. "Um, yeah, that's pretty much it." When he didn't respond, she continued. "Come on, Max. You know as well as I do that this was nothing more than two people with great chemistry who mutually scratched their sexual itch. Now it's over. I hope you don't think I intend to let this affect our business arrangement."
"Business arrangement," he repeated, as if she was speaking some foreign language.
"Yeah. You remember? Business? The reason we're here tonight?"
"I know why we're here tonight. I also know that what just happened was a helluva lot more than a sexual itch. And I think you know that, too."
"Do I? We're adults here, Max. I'm a big girl. Don't feel like you have to bring me flowers or take me to dinner just because you fucked me." She tried for a light laugh, hoping she succeeded. "You were fantastic, really. But I don't need a man in my life. Well, except for the occasional...you know."
"Are you actually buying all this bullshit you're spouting?"
No, but she hoped he would. She blinked, trying to look innocent. "I don't know what you mean."
"I admit that most men would fall for the let's-just-have-sex-but-no-relationship line, and in fact would be grateful for the out. But I'm not that kind of man. We're no way near to being finished, Shannon. In fact, this was just the beginning."
Okay, he may have been a fantastic lover, but really, did his ego have to be as huge as his dick?
"No, Max. We're finished." She turned, intent on making her exit through the doorway, except she forgot that she'd slammed the wrought iron loveseat against the door and couldn't possibly move it without using her powers.
Powers, now that she recalled, Max had clearly seen. And hadn't batted an eyelash over. Well hell, if he wasn't going to ask about them, she sure wasn't going to offer any explanation.
"We're a long way from finished, Shannon." He stepped over and easily moved the loveseat out of the way, opening the door for her. She smoothed her dress, hoping she didn't look near the mess she felt like, and sailed through the doorway.
The evening had been winding down when Max had danced her onto the balcony earlier. Now, it appeared as almost everyone had left, with the exception of her parents and Kaitlyn, Logan, Melissa and Aidan.
They looked at her and she read the knowledge in their eyes. Well she'd be damned if she'd offer any explanation. In fact, let Max explain to her brothers what he'd been doing to her out on the balcony. But she wasn't going to stick around for the inevitable third-degree.
"Night, everyone!" She smiled and waved as she strolled past them, grabbed her bag and walked out the door, desperately hoping that Max wouldn't follow her.
The late-night air had cooled as she walked outside and gave the valet the ticket for her car. Blissfully relieving cool air.
Which swept right up her dress, reminding her that her panties still resided in Max's coat pocket.
Screw it. Let him keep them as a souvenir. She snorted. Yeah, right, like he'd even give a second thought to what they'd just done.
But it had been fabulous. Admittedly, the best sex she'd ever had. And more. But the more part was nothing more than a flight of afterglow fancy. There was no connection between them. Never would be. Max was a driven businessman, and she was equally driven.
They'd just be driving in opposite directions.
"Are you all right?"
She whirled around at the sound of her mother's voice.
"Of course I'm all right. It's just been a long day and I'm tired."
"What happened with Max?"
"Nothing." The last person she needed grilling her right now was her mother. "Why aren't you inside giving Max the third degree, instead of me?"
"Max doesn't need to provide this family any explanation. He's talking business with Logan and Aidan right now, and that's all."
Leave it to her mother to tell everyone to mind their own business. "Well, that's fine. I'll get an update from him tomorrow, then."
Her mother lifted a stray curl off Shannon's shoulder and said, "I'd say you got something else from him tonight."
She'd never get used to discussing her sex life with her mother, even if they did have an open communication nearly unheard of in most families. "Really, Mother, I don't want to talk about it."
"He cares for you."
"No he doesn't. He doesn't even know me."
"He knows more about you, about us, than you think."
"What do you mean?" How could he know? Then again, he hadn't blinked twice when she'd summoned the wind to close the door and move
the furniture. Most men would probably want an explanation for how that happened. Max hadn't asked.
"He has powers of his own, ma douce."
"What kind of powers?"
"That is for you to discover on your own."
Well, hell. Nothing like being completely in the dark about things. Now her mother knew more about Max than she did. "I don't want to know any more about Max Devlin than I already do."
Angelina laid her hand over Shannon's heart. "Your heart and soul speak louder than your denials. You feel something for him."
"I swear if one more person tells me that tonight, I'm going to scream."
"Don't be ridiculous. You can't run from your heart, Shannon. You know that. Give Max a chance."
"No." Where was her damn car, anyway? She did not want to have this conversation with her mother, and absolutely refused to think about Max anymore tonight.
"He is your destiny."
"I'll decide what my destiny is."
"Mon dieu, are all my children as thickheaded as their father?"
Shannon laughed at her mother's frustration, and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Probably. I'm sorry, Mama, but I don't buy into that destiny stuff. I make my own choices. Always have, always will. Max doesn't fit into my life. He never will."
Patting her daughter on the cheek, Angelina gave her one of those I-know-something-you-don't-know grins. "We'll see, won't we? Your car is here now. Get some rest. Je t'aime, ma belle."
"Je t'aime, Mama."
After Angelina stepped back inside, Shannon shook her head and headed to her car, more confused than ever.
Try as she might to ignore what happened tonight, her body still burned for Max, her heart squeezing her chest in a funny way that she'd never experienced before.
No. She would not feel for him. She was stronger than her emotions. She'd prove it to herself and to her family that she was going to create her own destiny.
Right now, she needed a bath, a stiff drink, and her bed.
Where, with any luck, she wouldn't be dreaming of Max and wolves.
Chapter Seven
"You've been avoiding me. I wanted to talk about the party, but I didn't see you at all Sunday. And today you've been holed up in here with your door closed. What's going on?"
Shannon looked up at Kaitlyn, who leaned casually against the doorway to her office. Damn. She'd managed to avoid her family the entire day. Hell, she'd even managed to steer clear of Max, who fortunately had been busy with Aidan. "I was tired Sunday. I ran some errands, then I went to bed early."
