Play a Game With Me Read online

  She padded out to the kitchen. Dinner was next on the agenda after all the energy they expended, but the kitchen was empty. She walked to the living room and caught a glimpse of him pacing by the pool, his phone to his ear, and a scowl on his face. She read his lips when he said, “No, Mother,” but then he turned. His shoulders stiffened, and his free hand yanked at his messy hair.

  Max shook his head and snapped the phone off. Tess trotted away from the window and hustled back to the bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed, hoping he would come looking for her. When he didn’t appear, she rooted through his suitcase for an extra T-shirt and slipped it on. Seemed the only things he brought for her were skimpy lingerie, a sexy red corset and one very tiny bikini she was sure wouldn’t cover a fraction of her breasts.

  She tiptoed out to the kitchen. He leaned against a counter, his chin against his chest and his eyes squeezed closed. She walked up behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his back.

  He turned in her hold and hugged her. “Sorry.”

  She leaned away from him and gave him an inquisitive look.

  “My mother called. Some people from California are in town, and she wanted me to meet them and their daughter. God, the woman didn’t want to take no for an answer. I told her I wouldn’t be in town until Sunday. She insisted I return for dinner tomorrow night. It at least gives us tonight and most of the day tomorrow.”

  Tess stepped back. She wouldn’t cry. Tears filled her eyes, and she defiantly wiped them away on the back of her hand. She sucked in her breath, placed her hands on her hips and said, “Blue.”

  Max’s eyes widened, and he reached out for her. She avoided his touch, turned, and stormed out of the house, heading for the car and her trench coat. She yanked open the door and pulled out the coat—a shield from his lack of consideration for her feelings. Then she slid into the back seat.

  “Tess, please understand.” Max pulled open the door and climbed in next to her. “Don’t you want to spend tonight in my arms? It was all I thought about this week.”

  “Take me home, Max. Your mother needs you. I suggest you decide what you want the most because you can’t have both, and that’s what you’re trying to have at my expense. I gave up my weekend to be with you because you mean something to me. Apparently, all I am to you is easy sex. Was this weekend supposed to get me out of your system?”

  A sad sigh left Max’s mouth when he flopped his head against the seat. “It’s complicated. I don’t want to be my father. He ignored my mother and made no effort to hide his mistresses. For years he allowed the company to go downhill, spending all his time and money on different women. Over the last few years, I’ve worked hard to restore credibility to Westfield Industries and build it back into a competitor in the marketplace. I’ve made it a point to be transparent in the way I work so my mother doesn’t interfere. I don’t want to create any problems now when I’m trying to figure out a way to get her out of the business completely.”

  “I’m not sure I understand. You allow her to control your love life in the hopes she leaves the business alone. Is that it?”

  “Something like that. For the time being, I don’t want her to know I have a love life—let alone I’m seeing anyone. I don’t want her attacking you if she discovers who you are. I promise I’ll do my best to figure this out. I really want to get to know you better. If I call her back and tell her I won’t be home until Sunday night, will you stay with me? No games, just enjoying each other’s company—and that includes more than sex.”

  Tess looked away and counted to ten, not wanting to appear relieved. She schooled her face then she gave him a small smile. “I’d like that, Max if you promise to turn off your phone after you call her. No calls, emails or texts. Otherwise, take me home now.”

  He pulled out his phone and dialed his mother. After a tense conversation, he jabbed the off button and tossed it on the front seat of the car. He held out his hand. “Ready for some dinner?”

  Chapter Seven

  “I’m starving. I worked up an appetite this afternoon.” Max squeezed her hand, and she followed him into the cabin. He hadn’t asked her to take the coat off, so she walked into the bedroom and hung it in the closet. She returned to the kitchen in his T-shirt.

  “What can I help with?” She marveled at the way he moved around the space like a chef in one of those food shows.

  He placed a large salad on the table and said, “I’m heating the grill. I found that salad and a couple of delicious steaks in the refrigerator. The housekeeper also left a nice red wine and cheesecake for dessert.”

  “Sounds delicious.” Tess perched on the stool and yanked on the T-shirt to cover all of her bottom.

  Max reached over and caressed her leg. “If we hadn’t been interrupted, you would be sitting here in a very sexy corset and matching panties, and I would be feeding you grapes and wine because your hands would have been tied behind your back.”

  “Mm. Why don’t we save that for tomorrow night? After this meal, I’ll even stop talking again. I rather enjoyed the game and can’t wait to see what else you have planned.” She caressed his cheek. “The not kissing part was harder, however.” His lips parted in a wicked smile. Overwhelmed with desire she clutched the edge of the stool, and held back the desire to leap into his arms.

  He played with the edges of her sleeves, and his hesitation indicated he carefully measured his words. “Tess, I enjoyed the game, but for tonight we’ll forget it and enjoy each other’s company. Tomorrow if you’d like, we’ll try some version of it, but I don’t want you to feel like you’re only a sex object to me.”

  “Thank you, Max. Knowing you’re doing all this for me makes me happy. I’d enjoy resuming your game tomorrow. Promise me you’ll let me reciprocate in the future. I imagine bossing you around would be a real high.”

  He laughed. “Deal. Might be fun.”

  “What would you like to do?” he asked after the two of them cleaned up the dishes.

  “I’d like to skinny dip in the pool. Late at night, my friends and I used to sneak into the pool at our summer camp and swim naked. One night we were having a good time and heard a noise in the bushes. Turns out we were never caught because the night watchman kept an eye on us and didn’t turn us in. That night he couldn’t move fast enough when we discovered him masturbating, and he ended up getting tangled in the rose bushes. We never went swimming at night again.”

  “Shit. Was he arrested?”

  “I suppose so. The people who ran the camp didn’t publicize what happened. It would’ve been bad for business.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Fifteen.”

  “You still went to summer camp when you were fifteen?”

  “It was a riding camp. I wanted to be on the Olympic equestrian team and train horses.” She couldn’t hide the hitch in her voice or the slump of her shoulders. One of the many lost dreams that she tucked away after her parents divorced. “I moved to Italy with my mom after my parents split. I grew up fast. Finished high school at a private academy and went away to college.”

  “Well, then skinny dipping it is. I must admit I haven’t been skinny dipping since my teen years either. The summer I turned sixteen we spent a month in Maine. One night I snuck away from the house and met other kids down on the beach. I never stood naked in front of girls before that night. All the other guys seemed comfortable running around buck-naked, so I stripped down and tried not to gawk at all the breasts so I wouldn’t get hard. An eighteen-year-old named Lacy helped me relax, and before I knew it, we were in the shadows having sex. She enjoyed being my first and showing me how things worked. I enjoyed her taking charge and doing things to me I’ll never forget.”

  “Was she the only one you had sex with that summer?”

  Max’s face turned a bright red, and he bent his head to rub his forehead.

  “You’re blushing.”

  “Lacy told her friends about me, and they all wanted to fuck m
e. By the time I left Maine, I had a number of notches in my belt.”

  It was her turn to laugh. “Come on, studly.” Tess peeled the T-shirt off her body. “Let’s go for a swim. I have a desire to gaze at your naked body.” She yanked his shirt over his head and helped a laughing Max shuck his shorts on the way to diving into the pool.

  The cool water sliced over her heated skin, a side-effect of always being around Max. It didn’t help when his powerful strokes swirled waves around her as he circled like a shark. She’d be his prey for another round of sex. When she attempted to swim away and he captured her, her wish became a reality.

  ****

  The next morning she stretched in the large bed. Max slept peacefully on the other side, content. His messy hair made him appear younger and carefree. She slipped out from under the covers and tiptoed into the bathroom, carrying the discarded T-shirt she had worn last evening before they went skinny-dipping. That had been so different than she remembered from her teenage years. Instead of a bunch of giggling girls, she had Max and his glorious body to slide against under the water. It hadn’t taken long for them to leave the pool and make love under the stars.

  She knotted her hair on top of her head and stepped into the tiled space. There were too many knobs for all the fancy shower heads, so she used the one along the sidewall and left off the others. The hot pulsing pinpoints relaxed her muscles, and she closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation.

  “You aren’t using the best one.” Max slipped in behind her and engulfed her in his strong arms. “Remember the design of the hot tub?”

  Tess nodded. His touch triggered her hunger. Lord, she couldn’t get enough of him.

  “Well, the man also created an erotic shower besides other things in this house that would make the most promiscuous lady blush.”

  “Really? I did notice all the different showerheads. What else can you do with a shower, beside have a bench?”

  “Place your feet on the red tiles on the floor.”

  Tess looked down and moved her feet over the tiles she hadn’t paid attention to when she entered. The different color seemed out of place in contrast to all the other tiles.

  “Now put your arms back around my neck and lean against me.” She did as he asked. Max took hold of her waist and slid his feet next to hers so she couldn’t close her legs.

  “Hold on tight,” he whispered in her ear. He reached over to the wall and pressed a button. A spray of water shot up between her legs and she gasped. He repositioned her against him, so the pounding water hit her clit.

  She tried to move away from the sensation, but he held her still. His hard cock pressed against her ass and she whimpered as the water teased her sensitive bundle of nerves. He adjusted the pressure and said, “I guessed this is what this little spray might be used for. Tell me what it feels like?”

  “Painful and pleasurable at the same time.” She tried to move her hips to the side. He held her firm and lifted her leg, so the water caught her square on her swollen flesh, and she couldn’t move. She gasped, whimpering at the building ache between her legs.

  “Are you close to an orgasm?”

  She gripped his hair and nodded.

  He locked her tight against his hard cock, and she cried out, “Max. Please, Max.” Her body shook as wave after wave of intense shudders coursed through her. She yanked on the back of his hair and said, “No more.” She sagged in his arms. He turned off the spray and cradled her against his chest.

  When she stopped shaking, he whispered in her ear, “I’d like to fuck you now.” He swooped her up and carried her out to the lounge in the sun. Deft fingers sheathed his cock, and he gave her a moment to admire the view before he shifted her legs off each side of the seat. “I owe you an extra orgasm.” He bent his head and sank his tongue into her wet flesh. His thumb rubbed her clit, and her legs vibrated next to his face. She struggled to move away from his mouth, but he held tight and licked and sucked until heat danced up her body and she couldn’t control her shiver. He kissed her quivering flesh, stroked his tongue over the ultra-sensitive skin then reared up like a stallion.

  “Max, please, I need you inside me.”

  He gathered her up in his arms, supple breasts against his hard chest. He impaled her on his cock. She pressed tighter and clung to his neck while he yanked the cushion off the chair and placed it on the ground. With her still in his arms, he lowered them onto it and moved his hips to sink deeper inside her. She moaned against his neck. Warm kisses trailed down her neck before he continued to seduce her body with a slow rhythm.

  “Oh, Tess, I love the way you respond to me. You are one hell of a lover, sweetheart,” he whispered in her ear, and his thrusts became more powerful.

  Tess wrapped her legs around his waist, and he plunged deeper. She met his thrusts with counterthrusts. She grabbed his face and pulled it down, wanting to ravage his mouth with her tongue. He picked up his pace and her whimper vibrated against his lips. Her hands fell away from his face, and she arched her back as another powerful orgasm roared through her body.

  Her hot muscles tightened around Max, and he surged into her one more time before his own climax overwhelmed him. He collapsed next to her. Sated he pulled her supple body against his so he could stroke her hair.

  “I love starting my day with you in my arms.” He cuddled closer.

  She hoped he’d think of her as more than a lover when they left this idyllic cabin. Could this morning possibly be the turning point where he would decide he needed her as more than an occasional lover? Maybe the rest of the weekend would help him realize how much he meant to her.

  ****

  Tess set the bag of beautiful lingerie Max had given her on her kitchen table. The cool, empty apartment depressed her. Because of his mother, they would probably never meet here again.

  Her phone rang, and she retrieved it from the table where she’d left it Friday afternoon.

  “Were you with Maximilian this weekend?” Chris asked without preamble.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “I got a phone call from Aunt Millicent demanding I tell her everything I know about the woman Maximilian was with. I played dumb. Told her I had to get off the phone because I was on my way to pick you up. Good lord, Tess, she’s on the warpath. What happened?”

  “Max took me away for the weekend, and his mother wanted him to return to Boston on Saturday night to meet another prospective bride. He called her back and told her no.”

  “He told his mother no to stay with you. You certainly have gotten under his skin.”

  “Thanks for the alibi. I doubt we’ll be seeing each other again. She’ll be watching him like a hawk, and he hates to disappoint her.”

  “Poor Maximilian. I can relate. Would you like to have dinner with me this week? We need to keep up appearances so Aunt Millicent doesn’t get a whiff of your scent.”

  “Sure. Pick a night. I’m free all week.”

  “Wednesday. There’s an art exhibit opening at the new Hill Gallery if you’d like to go.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll see you Wednesday.” Tess hung up and carried her bag of lacy confections into her bedroom to put away and then take a shower.

  The hot water sprayed against her face. She’d give anything to be back under the stars. Last night the cool water of the outdoor shower hadn’t deterred Max from touching every erogenous zone on her body with his soapy hands. Her lustful cries had pierced the quiet darkness, probably scaring away any wildlife.

  She closed her eyes and let the water pour over her body. Whether she liked it or not, she’d fallen hard for Max. They’d talked most of the night on Saturday, discovering many things they both loved to do, like horseback riding and swimming. He’d been attentive to all her needs. Not to mention being an awesome lover. What he did in the next few weeks would be telling.

  Would he ever feel he deserved to lead his own life? His father’s lack of example and his mother’s control twisted Max’s idea of how his life should be lived. In
the last few years, Tess had managed to escape her father’s idea of how she should behave, but she didn’t have to run a company and live up to certain obligations the way Max assumed he must.

  Drying off, she slipped on her comfortable lounging clothes and went into her studio. Maybe she’d finish her emerald green silhouette dress so she could wear it Wednesday night when she and Chris went out. Hopefully, sewing would take her mind off Max.

  ****

  The rain finally stopped Wednesday afternoon, and Tess went out for a brief run through the park. The clean-smelling air filled her lungs, and her black mood lifted. Max hadn’t even sent her a text since Sunday. She imagined him doing damage control with his mother and sighed, knowing she’d lost this battle with claiming his heart. Maybe it would never happen.

  That thought depressed her again. She ran harder, extending her legs as if she tried to escape a demon chasing her. Damn the man for making her feel needy. Two could play this game of lovers only. The next time she saw Max, she’d square her shoulders and act like nothing had happened between them. If he was going to act like Maximilian, she would treat him like Maximilian instead of her Max.

  Chris knocked on her door at six and Tess opened it, watching for his reaction to her dress. She wasn’t disappointed when he let out a low wolf whistle.

  “Oh my lord, you certainly outdid yourself this time. That dress cradles your breasts, so even a hard-core gay guy like me appreciates their beauty. Holy fuck….” He took her hand and twirled her around in a slow circle. That is the most amazing color. Are you in a corset under the dress, because your waist appears so tiny.”

  “The corset is built into the bodice. That’s why it can be strapless and still have a sleek design, so it clings to my figure.”

  “Well, guys won’t have a chance. They’ll be all hot and bothered whether they see you coming or going. Your bottom is almost as spectacular as your breasts. I’ll enjoy having you on my arm tonight. It’s fun to see the jealous looks from other men when I parade you around.”