Romance Impossible(74)

"You did exactly what you were supposed to do," said Max, reaching out and touching my arm. The warmth of his fingertips seeped through my chef's coat. "You acted in good faith. You trusted someone. That's nothing to be ashamed of."#p#分页标题#e#

"I have to blame myself," I said. "Somehow. Otherwise..."

"Otherwise it could happen again," he said, softly. "Otherwise you can't control it. You can't protect yourself."

When I looked up at him, finally, my eyes were brimming with tears.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Please." He swallowed, hard. "Don't apologize. I didn't mean to make you cry, but please don't apologize."

"You didn't," I said, taking a deep breath, trying to fight down the lump in my throat. "I just...I feel like I'm back to square one. I hate this."

His fingers trailed up my shoulder, still just a friendly touch, I thought, but that didn't stop the goosebumps. "Every time the wound gets reopened, it's like this. But every time, it takes less time to heal again." A smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. "I promise."

"Who could possibly break your heart?" I asked, trying for a teasing tone, but not quite succeeding. A tear was trickling down my cheek. His fingers reached the collar of my coat, and drifted past it, to my neck.

Oh. Oh.

He was cupping the side of my face now, his thumb brushing the tear away. "You'd be surprised, I think," he said.

"Nothing about you surprises me anymore," I lied, as he ducked his head down closer to mine.

"Well, then," he whispered. "We can't have that, can we?"

His lips were so soft and warm, pressed up against mine, and I felt like I hadn't been properly kissed in years. In a way, it was true. New York had happened so fast, and ended up abruptly, that I barely had a chance to feel it. This was so, so different. He kissed me with a sense of urgency, yes, but restrained. His hand splayed out on the small of my back. I hooked my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, scooting closer to the edge of the crate.

His free hand rested on my knee, the pressure reminding me to part my thighs and make room for him. A moment later his body was pressed against mine, and I forgot to worry that he'd have a sudden attack of conscience and leave me here. I forgot to worry that I wasn't ready for this.

I forgot to worry that it would change everything.

He undid my chef's coat with practiced fingers, pushing it aside to reveal the thin camisole I wore underneath. It was almost certainly still damp with sweat from the heat of the kitchen, and I felt briefly embarrassed, but what was the point?

"Jill," he whispered, his mouth blazing a hot trail down the side of my neck, to my chest, leaving me with nothing to do but sigh. I tilted my head back, letting my eyes fall closed even though I wanted to fight it. I wanted to see him, every part of him, forever - but for now, I had to close my eyes.

There was still too much bulky fabric between us. I undid his coat as best I could, in the small space between our bodies, and he shrugged it off his shoulders with a small movement. His muscles rippled underneath my fingers. I wanted to touch him everywhere at once, and this was happening too fast, and somehow too slow, all at the same time. Hastily, and a little awkwardly, I wriggled out of my pants and let them slide down past my ankles.

Wrapping my legs around his waist, I felt his fingers edging underneath my thighs, lifting me up. Once I was angled more towards him, my pelvis tilted back so that I was resting on my tailbone, one of his hands grasped me possessively, in the place where I craved his touch the most.

I hissed.

It took so little, just the slightest of touches through the fabric of the panties, quickly soaked through, and I was twisting and moaning and begging incoherently.

"Shhh," he whispered, punctuating it with a flick of his thumb that sent a shock of pleasure up my spine. "The neighbors will hear, love."#p#分页标题#e#

The feelings only twisted higher, and when it finally peaked - shuddering and shivering through my whole body with a force that felt like an earthquake - I let out a hoarse yell. I couldn't help it.

His eyes shone in the darkness.

"Do I have to gag you?" he whispered.

"Maybe," I panted, jerking my hips towards him. I was shameless and I didn't care.

This was what he made of me.

Max shoved my panties aside, and the cool air hitting my over-heated flesh made me hiss again. Did I used to be this loud in bed? Who knows? Who cares?

A second later, he was pressing against me, the blunt hard heat unmistakable and unforgettable, and I'd never wanted anything more in my life.

His hands found their grip around my waist, and he just stayed there for a moment. I watched his chest rise and fall with each harsh breath.