Tasha stared at him. With one word, her life would change, the entire direction she’d set in motion blown apart. Was it really the right thing to do?

“Friends?” she asked.

“As always. And lovers. Hopefully soon, parents.” She nodded. Maxwell’s gaze shifted away from her eyes and dropped to where she’d nervously bit her lower lip. “I think this calls for a celebration, don’t you?”

He leaned forward and caught her mouth against his.


Max had been longing for this moment. He understood why she felt they had to talk through the situation, but as far as he was concerned, all the rest of the details were minor irritations they could deal with anytime. As he kissed her, her mouth opening under his caress, he was struck by how perfect it was, to be here in his house for their first time together. The place he’d established as part of his independence. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck, tangled her fingers in his hair and all thought fled, replaced instead by a fever in his veins that threatened to ignite his whole body. Her lips were soft, but her kisses were as demanding as his own. There was no pretending that she didn’t want him, no pretense this was some clinical motion they were going to complete.

Max twisted her on the couch, adjusting so she lay half under him, her body resting on the firm surface, his body resting on hers and his mind boggled. Warm thighs, soft breasts, those lips that continued to drive him mad with slow, wet kisses. The urge to speed up, to eat her hungrily was dismissed in a flash—this was too important to skip the preliminaries. They may have been friends forever, but the lovers bit was shiny and new. Even as eager as he was, he had enough control for that. Maybe.

The kissing went on and on, her mouth beckoning him back. He longed to unwrap her, take this to the logical conclusion, but the distraction of her willing lips was irresistible nectar. She touched and teased with her tongue, a temptress with enough skill to make his knees weak.

Tasha unbuttoned his shirt, kissed along his jaw then bit his neck. He rolled them slightly to one side to let him get at her clothing. He smoothed a hand along the curve of her breast, down her waist, over the swell of her hip until he could cup her ass and pull her close. His cock ached, and grinding against her gave only a momentary relief. He needed to strip her bare, haul her to the edge of the couch and drive in as deep as he could.

Her tongue was doing wicked things to his neck but he wanted more than her lips on his skin. He dug his fingers into her hair and tilted her head back until her mouth was in reach and he could kiss her again. He reveled in her taste, but mostly he enjoyed the eager way she returned his touch.

Their hands were everywhere—opening shirts, tugging fabric from shoulders. They twisted together, staying in contact, feverishly connecting skin on skin as Max sat up and Tasha crawled over him, straddling his lap to return to kissing once more. It was like they were starving, and somehow sharing air would help them survive. He’d lost his shirt, she’d lost hers. Her bra still separated them and he wrapped her close, massaging her back, the warmth of her skin under his palms making him crazy.

It took three attempts to get the damn bra fastener open, and by that time Tasha was laughing, her soft giggles against his lips making him smile.

“Such smooth moves…”

“Distraction—my coordination can’t take it. Holy shit, you’re gorgeous.” Max pulled the straps from her shoulders and stared as her breasts were revealed. He looked up into her eyes, heat reflecting back at him. “Seriously gorgeous.”

He brushed a tender kiss on her lips before leaning back to admire her again. His mouth had gone totally dry.

The full swells of her breasts moved uneasily with her erratic breathing. He cupped one, lifting its heavy weight into his hand as he bent forward to lick the tip. A small sound escaped her. Tasha held his head and pulled him closer, and he gave in to what he’d longed for ever since her birthday. He latched onto the nipple and sucked it into his mouth, playing his tongue over the tip. The peak tightened and he nibbled lightly on the rigid point, pulling off with a slight suction to start all over on the other side.

He was in heaven. Warm skin, lovely heavy tits to enjoy, Tasha making the most fabulous noises in response to his actions. She rocked over him, her crotch heavy against his groin. The heat of her body bled down to entice him with the need to be surrounded by her, squeezing him close. Suddenly the couch was an absolutely rotten place to be, and he seized her under the hips and shuffled upright. Tasha grabbed his neck with a squeal.

“Max!”

“Bedroom. I want to be able to see you and touch you and not worry about falling off the edge of the damn couch.”

She laughed. “I can walk.”

“When I’m done with you, you won’t be able to.”

Her lips latched onto his neck again and a shiver raced down his spine. Damn, she’d found his sweet spot without even trying.

He stumbled to the bedroom, pushing the door aside with his shoulder. He dropped her to the bed surface and yanked the messy sheets to the floor. There were far too many clothes between the two of them still. He stopped for a moment to kiss her senseless, his body covering hers.

When he pulled away she groaned out her pleasure. “I didn’t think we were going to—holy shit.”

He’d stripped off her pants and panties in one motion, opened her legs and dropped between them. She was wet, the curls covering her mound moist where her cream had escaped. He took great pleasure in drawing a finger along her slit, separating her and opening her to his admiration. Her clit peeked out from the folds of skin at the apex of her opening, and he leaned forward to kiss her intimately.

Her hips bucked beneath his mouth, and he laughed. “You need me to restrain you or something?”

She lifted up on her elbows to see him better, her breasts distracting him for a second before he dragged his gaze back up to her eyes. “I’m not used to guys going down on me before I’ve given them head and promised them the moon.”

A jealous pang raced through him. “Assholes. I’m the only one who gets to touch you, ever again. And I want to touch you everywhere.”

The naked hunger in her eyes combined with the naked skin before him was enough of an answer, but she said it anyway. “Feel free.”

He licked her slowly, scooping the taste of her onto his tongue before taking a swirl around her clit. Teasing the sensitive point, loving the moans that rose as he learned what pleased her.

The phone rang, and he ignored it. That’s what answering machines were for. He delved in deeper, opening her with one hand, pulling her curls aside to let him continue to tease with his tongue. Long slow strokes, one after another, until her hips shook and he had to pin her down with his free arm.

Goddamn, he wanted to strip off his jeans and release his erection. Let her wrap her lips around him and see his shaft entering her mouth, her sex. Her ass—he wanted every inch of her to be marked by his touch. More than once. Maybe more than once tonight even.

He slipped a finger into her, relishing the wet heat surrounding him.

“Oh, yeah.”

He chuckled. “Oh yeah to which? This?” He added another finger, pumping them lazily in and out, circling her labia, then pressing in deep. He stroked the front of her passage, hoping to find the places that would drive her mad as he listened carefully for her response.

“This?” He covered her with his mouth again, sucking her clit. He pulled the nub between his teeth and nibbled lightly. “You tell me what you like and I’m game to try.”

“Jesus. How can you talk while you’re fooling around?”

He lapped harder for a moment and her body tightened. He eased off as he felt the first flutters of her core around his fingers. “I like talking when I’m fooling around. I like to tell you the dirty things I want to do to you. You make me hot.”

Tasha growled at him. “Bastard. I was so close.”

“I know, but you’ll get there again. And again. And again.” He attacked, suckling her clit, finger-fucking her hard, and this time he didn’t stop. He carried on until she shook under his touch, crying out her pleasure. Her hips rocked beneath him but he refused to slow down, driving her back up again with his mouth and fingers. This time he drew some of the moisture from her core down between her legs to the star hidden between her cheeks.

He pressed his tongue deep into her sex while he played with her ass and her cries of delight continued. She dragged her fingers through his hair, her knees pulled high and wide to allow him access. He was in heaven, and they’d only begun.

His phone rang again.

A second later, so did his cell phone. His sister’s ring tone shrilled out.

He ignored them both, slipping his finger past the tight muscle of her ass as he slid his thumb into her sex. She squeezed around him and he pinched lightly, to make her squirm.

“Max.”

He licked his way up her body as he returned to her breasts. Blood rushed through him, the need to touch her everywhere and the need to back off for long enough to strip down warring together.

The phones rang again. Tasha cupped his face, forcing him to look up at her. “Max, you’ve got to answer that.”

“Screw the phones.”

She laughed. “I can’t screw anything with them ringing.”

He reluctantly pulled away, staring at her naked body with longing. “Somebody better be dead.”

“Max!” Tasha slapped his chest and crawled backward on the bed.