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He followed her into his living room, enjoying the sway of her hips, the nearly transparent fabric showing every inch of her rounded ass. His fingers itched to slide beneath the material, skim the supple skin just under the fullest part of each cheek, then back up to the small of her back and her tattoo.
Dammit. Max took a deep breath as she started to turn to face him. The same little smile curved her lips. Anger and determination tightened his gut. Lust, passion, whatever she wanted to call it, would not be enough to make this work. He knew for a fact there was more to her feelings than sexual need. He mentally rubbed his hands together as he thought of the night lying ahead of them. If Anna thought this was some kind of battle, let the games begin.
* * *
Anna’s bodysizzled from the top of her head down to the tips of her cherry red toenails. More than once, she mentally kicked herself for choosing the dress she had. Lord, she’d worn the dress to push Max over the edge, but it had the same effect on her. Each time she moved, the full skirt slid against her overly sensitized skin. She’d been aroused when she showed up at the door. Since arriving, Max hadn’t touched her. He didn’t have to. The look in his eyes when he’d answered the door had sent her senses spiraling out of control, her body craving to scratch an itch. He’d kept his distance all night, avoiding her hands when she’d tried to touch him, even in the most casual of ways. It’d made her more determined, but he’d thwarted her every time.
As she crossed her arms over her aching breasts, she tried to think of something not related to Max, something nonsexual. But it wasn’t working. First, he was standing in front of her smelling like a wet dream come to life. It didn’t help that he’d dressed casually tonight. An old pair of button-down jeans hung on his lean hips, cupping his sex. The University of Georgia T-shirt was old and worn. It emphasized his well-defined chest and abs while highlighting the golden flecks in his chocolate-brown eyes.
“Would you like a glass of wine?” His resonant voice washed over her. She’d always loved the sound of his voice.
“Sure.”
The moment he left her alone, she drew in a deep breath. The soft cotton fabric brushed against her nipples, and she groaned.
“Is there something wrong?” He walked back into the living room, a glass of red wine in each hand.
“No, nothing’s wrong.”
Anna took a sip of wine to calm her nerves. Never in her life had she been this aroused. Especially considering that Max hadn’t even touched her. Yet. The thought of his hands on her, skimming over her skin, sent sparks through her already overheated body. Liquid dampened the lips of her sex, and she fought the urge to squirm under his scrutiny.
“Are you feeling all right, Anna?”
She took another sip of wine.
“Of course.”
Jesus, even Anna recognized the arousal vibrating in her voice. One side of his mouth kicked up knowingly. She should be really irritated that he found it amusing, but it turned her on more.
“Well, then we can go into the dining room. I decided to do something a little different tonight.”
It was then the scent of garlic and tomatoes reached her. All she had noticed before was Max—the way he looked, the way he moved, the way he smelled.
When she stepped into the room, her breath tangled in her throat at the sight before her. The only light came from the multitude of candles he’d placed on every available surface. Tim McGraw’s smooth, rich voice sang in the background, and in the center of the table sat a pepperoni pizza from the local pizzeria.
The effort he went to shouldn’t really charm her, but it did. The time he took picking her favorite wine, her favorite music, and serving pizza on china… It was just sosweet.
Something unfamiliar curled inside her heart, warming her from the inside out. She swallowed her panic. Max didn’t think there was more to their relationship than sex. This was the way he was. He romanced every woman he was involved with. Lord knows she’d watched him do it plenty of times. She’d wondered how it felt to get that treatment, to be the focus of his attention.
And now, after years of watching and yearning, she knew. Delight shivered through her.
Was this what all the women before her felt?
It was a small thing. Sweet, but not extravagant. But it meant something. For the first time ever she felt special, cherished. No matter how she tried to stomp it back, remind herself that it wouldn’t last, it did no good. Lord help her, she didn’t want it to end.
eight
“Why don’t you take a seat?”Max asked, trying his best to keep his voice even. It wasn’t easy, because he knew each time she moved, the fabric of her dress brushed against her nipples, arousing her.
She nodded. He pulled out the chair and she settled into it. Unable to resist, he leaned forward and kissed the top of her head. Before he could grab her by her hair and yank her down the hall to his bedroom, he stepped back and went to his chair.
They chatted about the people they knew, the local happenings, anything he could think of to draw his attention away from those red lips, or the way her breasts swayed each time she moved. Damn, didn’t she know what her going without a bra was doing to him?
Her lips curved as she took a sip of her wine.
Hell, yes, she did.Minx. He was trying to take this to the next level, but she wanted to keep it all sexual.
Thoughts of his plans, images of what he was prepared to do, tumbled through his mind. The woman was a worthy adversary. He knew that going into this. Okay, he didn’t know that last night, or think that. He was so drunk and aroused that thinking past getting between her legs had been beyond his capacity.
