“You should stick to solitaire.” The crinkles at the corners of his eyes showed his amusement.
“I can’t concentrate with that thing staring at me,” Casey retorted.
Max laughed, making no move to cover himself.
“Why so many piercings?”
Max picked up another slice of pizza as he looked at his cards. “For the same reason my back is covered in tats: Colton.”
“Colton gave you the tats and piercings?”
“The son of a bitch catches me drunk. The first tat he gave me, I was drunk off my ass. When I woke up the next morning, the bastard had given me a tramp stamp. Had to get someone else to cover the ugly thing. Then Colton decided he needed to learn to pierce—his tattoo shop gets a lot of requests for them—so he caught all the brothers drunk. It became a contest to see who could handle the most piercings. I was drunk and stubborn enough to want to win the fifty-year-old bottle of bourbon he put up as a prize.”
Casey winced in sympathy at the pain he must have felt when he sobered up.
“Was it worth it?”
“Fuck no, especially since I didn’t win.”
“You didn’t win? You mean someone else has more piercings than you?”
“Yeah, I passed out. What really pissed me off was the fucker that won didn’t even share. Said he needed it all for the pain.”
Casey laughed so hard she had tears rolling down her cheeks.
“It’s not funny!” Max took another card.
“Yes, it is. I can’t believe Colton suckered you all into getting your dicks pierced, not once but over and over again.”
“He’s an evil fucker.”
Casey laid down her hand, showing Max her cards.
“Bet you can’t win another one,” Max taunted, taking the cards and dealing a new game. It took four more games for him to realize he couldn’t beat her.
“You cheated.”
Casey shook her head at him. “How did I cheat? You dealt the cards. I guess I got over seeing you naked,” she teased.
Max picked up the pizza box and cards, placing them on the floor. “Then I guess I need to show you something new.”
Max lay back on the bed before he easily rolled her on top of him, his cock lengthening. Holding her by the hips, he lowered her onto his cock. “Ride me.”
“You’re not wearing a condom,” Casey protested.
“You on the pill?”
Casey gritted her teeth. “Yes, but…”
“I’m clean, but if you want me to pull out, I will.” He folded his arms behind his head, staring up at her as he waited for her decision. His cock plowed deeper inside her, racketing the heat level up to torture level.
Casey’s hand flattened on his hard stomach as she sank down onto him. “Next time, wear a condom,” she snapped.
“You going to fuck me mad?” His hands curved around her ass, moving her on him faster.
“Yes.”
“Cool.”
“Shut up!” She ground her clit down on him, nearly making herself come.
His eyes were on her breasts as she moved up and down on his cock, fucking herself.
“Slow down or I’m going to come.”
Instead of slowing, she sped up, determined for Max to lose control.
He sat up, gripping her ass harder and plunging into her to the hilt. Both of them gasped as their bodies rocked while they came, and then her head dropped to his chest.
“Why is it that, every time we have sex, I feel as if the world stops, and nothing matters but us?” Casey regretted the words as soon as they came out of her mouth, afraid Max would think she was pressuring him for more than he wanted to give.
He brushed her hair away from her flushed cheeks. “Every time?”
Casey nodded, her eyes shying away from his, becoming even more silent when Max remained quiet.
Lifting her off him to lay her back on the bed, he then stretched his big body, relaxing back.
Casey stifled her hurt at his silence. The last time they had slept together, he had tried to hold her. Now he was the one rolling to his side, obviously going to sleep.
She bit her lip. Bolstering her courage, she curled against his back, placing her arm around his waist. When Max stiffened yet didn’t move away, Casey knew, deep down, Max harbored a lingering hurt. She was willing to put up with the distance he was trying to place between them to heal his broken trust. She was going to prove to Max that he could give that part of himself that he had given before, and she wouldn’t throw it away again. She would have to sacrifice her pride, but gaining Max’s trust would be worth the price.
Chapter 18
“Where are you going?” Gianna asked as they passed each other in the lobby of the bank.
“I’m fixing dinner for Max’s kids tonight. If I run to the store during my lunch break, after work I’ll go to his house and have it done before he gets there with them.”