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And despite Maks’s insistence that he wants to keep emotion out of the equation, his sad tale and his openness about it tell me he’s still capable of feeling deeply, even if he’s unwilling to form new attachments.
Still, that wall he’s built to protect himself is exactly why I need to keep my guard up. Because I have Sarah to consider. She shouldn’t be exposed to that kind of emotional distance. And though I have a moral obligation to let the father of my child know he has a daughter, it doesn’t feel wise to tell him if his intimacy issues are that bad. For Sarah’s sake, it might be best if he remains in the dark about her.
It wouldn’t be healthy for her to have a dad who’s unwilling to form a bond with her. Better not to have a dad, as she’s learned to live with for the first three years of her life, than to have one who is emotionally unavailable.
“So,” Maks says, pulling me out of my revere.
As I look up, silver eyes scrutinize me with open desire. But they don’t hold the dangerous edge one might expect of a man who couldmake his enemies suffer.
“Now that you know the reasoning behind the offer, will you reconsider?”
This time, when Maks leans forward, I manage to keep my body in check—at least audibly. But his proximity makes my pulse flutter.
I should say no. Walk away. Everything he’s told me so far is reason enough to run. Especially if I want to shield Sarah from him. The safest way to do that would be to remove him from my life completely.
But Zoe’s words about my abstinence ring in my ears. It’s been so long since I’ve had sex. And despite my self-induced chastity over the last four years, I do miss the intimacy of a man’s touch. I am only human, and being a mom doesn’t require me to become a nun.Right?
The fact that Maks was the best sex I’ve ever had is no small determining factor. If I turn him down now, I’ll be depriving myself of mind-numbing pleasure.
What could really be the harm of sex with no strings attached?That’s all he’s asking for. And then I don’t have to worry about how he might affect Sarah. He doesn’t want to be a part of my life, just to share a few weeks of nighttime fun.
I can do that.
Just... not for money.
“What if we compromise?” I offer.
Maks’s eyebrow rises slowly, his expression intrigued. His dashing, dangerous masculinity makes my heart skip a beat.Lord, but he’s gorgeous.
“Casual sex without an exchange of money,” I offer boldly. “It would feel demeaning to accept payment. But I enjoyed the night we spent together, and I would consider it an equal exchange. We both agree to have sex, no strings attached, until one of us decides it’s not working anymore.”
“You think you can do that? Sex without attachment?” Maks asks, his tone playful, though his gaze heats to a silent inferno.
His fingers brush my knee once more, and a jolt of anticipation zings through my body, tightening my core. If I had any doubts about how desperately I need a man’s touch, that just confirmed it.
“Why not?” I ask lightly, ignoring the heat that climbs up my neck at his proximity. “I have enough on my plate with running a business and... juggling responsibilities. I could use a little stress relief.” My lips quirk into a cheeky smile.
Now that the offer’s on the table, I’m actually on the verge of giddy about it. In the last four years, I’ve spent more than one lonely night thinking about Maks and our time together. Not that I would confess that to a soul.
But I want him, maybe even more desperately than I did that night. Because I know what he has to offer, and it makes my stomach quiver.
“It’s a deal. Shall we seal it with a kiss?” His lips quirk in a devilish grin that tells me he knows he’s using the same turn of phrase I did the night he took me to a sex club.
My breath catches as he leans in, his grip tightening around my knee as his free hand captures my chin between his thumb and finger. His eyes flick down to my softly parted lips, the hunger in them filling me with anticipation.
And when he captures my mouth in a confident kiss, it lights my body on fire. His full, firm lips caress mine, moving with them as he guides them open further. Then his tongue strokes into my mouth, deepening the kiss as he tastes me with deliberate slowness.
Core throbbing, I lean forward, melting into his embrace as my blood turns to lava, searing as it pounds through my veins. He’s an even better kisser than I remembered. All the world goes quiet around us as my senses focus fully on the silky caress of his tongue, the commanding strength of his lips, the soft tickle of his five-o’clock shadow brushing my chin.
His hand travels slowly up my thigh, sending a rush of excitement to moisten my panties. But he stops before it turns too intimate for the public setting we’re in.
When he finally breaks our kiss, I’m breathless, my skin flushed, my mind buzzing with unchecked lust. I don’t think anyone has ever kissed me like that, and I’m desperate for him to do it again.
12
MAKSIM
The soft suppleness of Heidi’s lips makes my pulse pound, and the thought of spending the night with her has me throbbing with anticipation. Kissing her was a mistake—only because I now crave her with a desperation that will be hard to contain until we get back to my place.
