Maximus Read online

  A less flexible person would have been trapped into choosing which body part he would gain control through. Tits or cunt. When he stops advancing, I stop retreating. His eyes look down onto my upturned tits, then he slowly retreats and I slowly advance until we are standing normal again. I don’t trust my voice to answer him.

  Knowing I’m close to falling under his spell but not there yet, the handsome hottie hooks his finger under my chin and lightly lifts it so my eyes cannot avoid his as they try to penetrate through my shields and reach the wildness he knows lives there. I take another deep breath, careful to avoid my tits touching him, and prepare myself to look into his eyes, unblinking and undaunted, but not completely unafraid.

  Staring into those soft brown eyes that are pure decadent chocolate, I slip a little further into his danger zone. He stares until I get lost in them, hypnotized by him, then he leans down to kiss my lips without closing his eyes and I wait with excited anticipation for it. But when his thumb captures my chin and pinches it for control, I blink and the spell is broken. Turning my face away, barely avoiding contact with his dangerous kiss, I put my hand firmly on his chest.

  He stops as soon as I touch him, and his lips hover on my cheek. I feel his hot breath against my skin and the word "steamy" comes to mind.

  He waits a few moments and I know he has not relinquished his dominance. He is simply telling me it is his decision to comply with my wishes. If he wanted, he would take that kiss and I would thoroughly enjoy it. He leans back, stands quietly, intensely watching me, allowing me to decide when I am ready to face him again.

  I keep my hand firmly on his chest and we both know it’s to keep me away from him. When I look back into those sinful eyes, he is grinning at me. He is enjoying the hunt.

  "What’s your name, Baby Girl?" His tone is soft as down.

  I close my eyes to shut him out and "Boom" Aurei’s face flashes then disappears when his fingers lightly touch my jaw, testing my response, I know that if I don’t look bravely into his eyes, he will kiss me for sure so I open them to find him ready to do just that, but something in my eyes has changed and he hesitates. His eyes travel back and forth between mine, questioning if I will let him linger longer or if I will freak out and fight. My poker face finally slides into place and I lock it down tight. His eyes soften and smile at me as his fingers trace my jawline, knowing I’m not going to freak or fight and he still has time to seduce me.

  "My name is Siri." My voice is husky and sexy sounding. Damn being a Nympho! I’m barely hanging on. Don’t go too far! I coach myself.

  He leans down again, not for a kiss, knowing my face will turn away, but to rub his scuff down my jawline as he moves his mouth to my ear.

  My fingers curl on his chest as my pussy drenches itself. I bite my lip thankful he can’t see and I grip the railing.

  He says so softly in my ear I have to strain to hear him, making me shift my focus to that one super sensitive spot. "I’m Quintus."

  "Quintus...." I hear Aurei’s voice call him Cassy. "I’ve heard about you, Cassy."

  He chuckles at that. "My reputation proceeds me." He says smugly, then tries to push me a little further down that path of no return, but my hero has rescued me. He widens his feet, while he smells me, then he hunches his hot as fuck, badass body to press against mine. "Then you know I’m irresistible."

  My hand on his chest turns into a forearm and I resist with every ounce of strength I possess and we both know who has come between us.

  He stops unwilling to force himself on me, but not giving up. As he moves his lips back along my jaw, his breath tickles my skin as he asks, "What’s Maximus doing?" He pauses and lets his breath blow on my lips as his hand traces my jaw again. Tickling me with the promise of sensuous sensations.

  I answer him truthfully. "Luckily ... he’s napping."

  "Luckily … he is." His fingers drop onto my shoulder and start to draw an imaginary line down towards my breasts. He tips his head so he can see my tits, but he keeps his face touching mine. "It’s a shame I wasn’t here first. I don’t need to nap in-between fucks."

  I close my eyes and I whisper back. "You need to go."

  "What if I don’t want to go. What if I want to come instead?" He lays his hands on both my arms and strokes my skin with his thumbs. His touch is making my knees weak and he laughs, knowing he is winning the battle raging in my body.

  Chapter Nine

  I begin to push harder on him with my forearm, knowing my heart is in control. But he’s such a beast, he doesn’t budge even an inch. Still with his next words, I know he knows my heart is winning too.

  "What about a threesome? I would be down for that. Do you think Maximus would go for it?"

  The vision of those two gorgeous males making a girl moan like a whore is what fantasies are truly made of, but the thought of what Aurei would really do if he saw me with another dude scares the living hell out of me and I suddenly see My Golden God’s Dark Deity face front and center.

  Holy Fuck! What am I doing? If Aurei came out right now.... Oh Fuck! No! I’m not doing this! Ever! It must be the damn wine making me act stupid!

  I put my other hand on his chest and lift my knee until it touches his balls. Then I say between clenched teeth. "Back ... the fuck ... up. You are playing a dangerous game. He will rip you to shreds if he finds us like this."

  The cold reality of my words ring true and we both know it.

  "Yes. He would definitely try." His eyebrows twitch once. For a moment I worry that he won’t stop, but then his hands fall to his sides. I watch his flat tongue as it lightly touches his top lip then he sucks it gently against his teeth, and slides it back into his mouth. I recognize the sexual tell. He likes to lick a wet pussy down deep and dirty! Damn!

  The vision of these two totally dominant, badass men, one Golden God, one Dark Devil, in a battle without rules sobers me. "Goddammit! What were you thinking? Back up, Motherfucker!"

  He grins. "I thought I was very clear on what I was thinking. What were you thinking?"

  "I wasn’t!" I frown at him. "Fuck! You are charismatic! He was right!"

  He grins and I see that smug look I know drives girls mad!

  Completely in control of myself now, the accountant asks, "Are you going to be his publicist?"

  "Yes, I’m going to take the job."

  "Good. Then you need to know this about me. I’m untouchable." One eyebrow raises as his expression questions that statement. "I am!" Both eyebrows raise knowing I’m not. "Fuck! What the hell is it with this bloodline and me?" I ask the air and look away.

  When I look back, his eyes are hooded and one side of his luscious lips is lifted into sexy as fuck smirk. His eyes latch onto mine and narrow ever so slightly. He clearly knows the effect he has on women. Comfort like that comes only from years of experience and I wonder to myself how many women have tried to slap that smirk off his face.

  "Damn! You are one sexy Son of a Bitch!" I shake my head, then tell him with firm resolve. "But make no mistake, Quintus. I am untouchable!"

  He grins and finally takes a step back. We eye each other from a safe distance and come to some sort of unspoken truce, then he nods at my choker. "That is a very nice, very expensive necklace. Did Maximus give it to you?"

  "Yes, he did." My fingers glide along the flat plate where the inscription hides. Aurei’s words come back to me and I see him again on one knee when he said. 'You are perfect for me. Will you accept this gift as a symbol that our Us equals our beautiful thang?' His commitment to me with such a gorgeous gift that everyone will see makes my eyes tear up now and I feel almost ashamed of the feelings Quintus stirred in me. I hear Aurei’s voice. ’Every time you touch it, you will know that you are mine and I am yours. US!' I have to remember that! If finally fucking has opened the flood gates of feelings and I’m vulnerable to seduction, then I need to use this simple tactic to center myself. I rub the flat plate again. "Sweet Zeus!" I whisper. I would never do anything to jeopardize our beautiful th
ang!

  Quintus has tipped his head as he watched my emotions play openly across my face, then he asks, "Why would Maximus chose someone like you?"

  His question pisses me off and the implication that I’m a whore stands front and center between us. "Just because I’m 'the girl everyone is talking about' and I didn’t squeal and run when caught naked, doesn’t mean I’m a whore." I spit at him.

  He smirks. "Doesn’t it?"

  I stand my ground and affirm the truth in the face of that name. "No! It doesn’t!"

  He crosses his arms and studies me. "Now I really want to know why Maximus chose someone like you."

  "You’ll have to ask him," I snap.

  He sincerely says, "I’m asking you. Why do you think he chose someone like you?"

  His voice isn’t condescending. He seems genuinely interested, so I humor his curiosity. "Who’s asking? The cousin who wants to fuck his girl, or the publicist?"

  He chuckles. "Can it be both?"

  I purse my lips and look away, then I turn my back to him and lean over the railing, looking out over the pasture as I think about the truth. Why was Aurei attracted to me. My fingers play on my necklace as I consider it. Then, I grin. The same reason I was attracted to him.

  When I turn back to answer Quintus, I see a Hottie from Hell who is going to be responsible for ensuring Aurei is humanized and I am not sensationalized. I take a deep breath and let my years of experience school him. "You’re asking the wrong question, Quintus. You shouldn’t be asking, 'WHY would Maximus choose someone like me?' That’s his business. Nor should you be asking, 'Why would Maximus choose someone LIKE me?' A whore, right? That’s no one’s business, but his too. The question you should be asking right now is, 'Why would someone like Maximus choose ME?'"

  He smiles at me then he looks down at my pussy. His tongue sneaks out to lick his top lip and he asks, "Why the blue heart?"

  "Now you’re asking the right question. Toss me his shirt and let’s talk." He walks over to the chair, takes it off and tosses it to me. I slip it on as he leans against the rail a good three feet away. Aurei’s shirt is so big on me it hides everything, I turn to look at Quintus. "A blue heart means pure, honest love. I held out for it and I found it with Aurei in Alabama, not in Vegas. It’s a complicated story, but all you need to know is I’ve never been a whore."

  His expression accepts my answer at face value. "Why the necklace?"

  "Why not the necklace?"

  "It’s a choker."

  "Yes, it is. So?" I challenge his 'need to know' with my expression.

  "So, it can hide marks left behind."

  "Yes, it could." My expression remains steadfast and I let the innuendo stand between us. He breaks eye contact and looks at the door. My eyes remain on him. "But it won’t."

  He looks back at me with that face value acceptance expression. Again we come to some unspoken truce and after a few moments, he looks back at the door and my eyes follow. "Is it a collar?"

  "Yes."

  "So you’ve been claimed?"

  "Yes."

  His eyes turn to look at me, but I don’t look at him. He tells my profile. "That’s too bad." Then he looks back at the door. "As soon as Antonio called and offered me the job, I asked why? Why would Maximus need someone to run interference for him with the press? He never had trouble handling them before. Then I learned about you, but still I wondered why Maximus would need a full time publicist. The press will soon tire of your story. Then Antonio told me the reporters had been invited to the celebration this year and there is going to be an announcement. The rumor is that Zita is stepping down as CEO of the Liotine Oil Company and Maximus is going to assume the role."

  My eyebrows raise.

  "Ah! You didn’t know that."

  "No, I didn’t. I know he resigned from the Army, but didn’t know why. Are you sure?"

  "No, Zita is extremely tight lipped about the family business. She always has been. But that would explain why the press was watching for him to return to Rome." He laughs. "Then all hell breaks loose when they discovered he has not only returned, but with a stripper too." He laughs harder. "Antonio thought you were only a Cowgirl from Alabama."

  I chuckle with him. "I’m both."

  He says playfully now. "When I asked Antonio who the stripper was, he told me Seary." He nods his head. "I knew exactly who he was talking about. I spend a lot of my time in Vegas and I’ve seen you dance in Been Jammin’s." He smirks at me, but I keep my eyes on the door. His eye devour my hard nipples. pushing against the soft, semi-wet t-shirt. "I know you are untouchable there because I wanted a lap dance." He grins a wicked grin and I see that same intense look Aurei gets. The 'I will have it' look. Aurei’s is thunderous while Quintus’ is tumultuous. "And when I saw you here naked, I thought I would find out if that was the case away from work. Trust me when I say, only the knowledge that Maximus was behind that door kept me from touching your beautiful tits."

  I stare at the door knowing that is the truth, then I close my eyes, turn my face to his and open them. I look him in the eyes and tell him. "Quintus, Aurei and I are a real couple. It’s not a fling. We have a real commitment to each other." I reach up and touch my choker.

  He nods. "I know he’s selective and that choker means exclusive. Does he know you are a Vegas stripper or does he think you are only an Alabama Cowgirl too?"

  "He knows the truth. I shared all my secrets with him."

  "Did he know before Alabama?"

  "Yes, he saw me dance before too."

  He looks away, thinking and sounds sincere when he says. "That’s good." We both look at the door again. "Any advice on how I should handle them? The press? You obviously have a lot more experience at it."

  I grip the back of the railing and hunch my shoulders so my tits aren’t pushed forward. "I do have advice. #1. Know that reporters are sharks. Never trust them! Never! #2. You have to control their story. Always have one ready to feed them because if you don’t, they will make shit up and you won’t like it. The last thing you want is a feeding frenzy which is what it sounds like I stirred up when I blew them a kiss, but I didn’t know about the rumor. You’ll have to clean up my mess." I cut my eyes at him and he laughs. "#3. Make Maximus a hero in their eyes. The world needs more real life heroes. It won’t be hard because he truly is."

  "How do you propose I do that?"

  "Give them a Tony Stark." I grin at him, then crinkle my nose. "They will eat it up!"

  "Tony Stark? Ironman?" His surprise is evident.

  I laugh. "Tony’s a playboy, who plays by his own rules and isn’t bossed around by public opinion or them. He’s his own man. He does what he thinks is right and it usually is. He’s also very rich and he makes a difference in the world for good. The Hero." I look at him to see if he gets it. His perfect lips are puckered while he thinks about this. They are as kissable as Aurei’s. I look back at the door. "If you give them a hero, they will love and revere Maximus. #4. Manage his image, but don’t manage his life. Don’t offer advice or pass judgement on his choices. They need to be his. Good or bad. It’s his life to live. Who he fucks and who he has by his side isn’t the story." I look back at him and we smile at each other. "But...." I wink at him and whisper. "Tony Stark truly loves Pepper."

  "I see where you went with that." He grins. "Anything else?"

  "Lastly #5. Shift their focus. Give them a nugget of news." My eyes twinkle. "Introduce yourself as his publicist before the celebration. Flirt with them. Tease them. Make them love you too." I stare back at the door. "Then take charge of the narrative. Remind them the story is about their invitation and the mystery of the announcement. Not me. That’s a dead end story. Let them know that’s what you expect and if it’s not what you get, there will be hell to pay in access to you and therefore access to Maximus in the future." I look him in the eye again. "That’s about all I can think of right now."

  He smirks and blows his breath through his nose, then shakes his head. He looks over his sh
oulder at the sky and stands to leave. "Since your pool is closed, I’m going to head back up to the house before the rain starts again and the thunder wakes Maximus."

  I walk him to the steps and he holds his hand out for me to shake. For some reason I think of TD trying to touch me with a hand shake after I told him Rule #1 was no touching. I smirk at it, then take it. His smile tells me he knows I just trusted him.

  "It’s been a pleasure to touch you, Seary, the Stripper."

  "Siri Wright," I chuckle. "Quintus Liotine, it was nice to meet you."

  He holds my hand and his thumb strokes it. "I better go."

  His skin is warm and feels good against mine. "Yep, neither of us want to explain this meeting to the bear inside the cave."

  He drops his head and laughs. When he looks back up, he says. "It’s a damn shame I didn’t fuck you first." He brings my hand up to his lips and kisses it tenderly, then he lifts my chin with it and steps up to stare into my eyes. "It’s a damn shame!" Then he takes a step back and says, "I can hear you calling me Daddy." He winks a killer wink, then he bounds down the stairs and out into the yard.

  My fingers play with my choker as I watch his fine ass strut away. Damn! He’s a Daddy Dom. When he’s half way across the yard, he stops, and turns a beautiful smile on me. I see the striking family resemblance now. "Don’t mention I was here."

  "Don’t worry. I won’t!"

  He takes a few more steps, then turns again. "Maximus chose wisely."

  I smile at him and he turns away. He takes a few more steps, and I call to him. "Hey, Quintus." He turns to look at me, laughing at our farewell, and a gust of wind blows his beautiful black curls. "You’re gonna kill it!"

  He puts his hand to his forehead and gives me a salute, then walks around the corner to the garage. I hear a rumble, then the garage door rising, then I watch his badass speed away on a Harley. I chuckle, "A biker! I love it!"