22

I laugh. I can’t help it. “You want to kiss me now?
“I want to kiss you all the time.” He doesn’t wait until I respond but gets up from the seat and prowls over to me. Heart hammering, I watch him come, knowing there’s not much I can do to stop him.
I don’t want to stop him.
I want Max to kiss me just the way he promised.
He leans on the armrests and bends over until his mouth—those lips—are only inches from mine.
I have trouble breathing.
I close my eyes as his lips rest for a moment against my temple. Slide down to my cheekbone. Move lower to press against the corner of my mouth. “You smell—”
The plane hits a pocket of turbulence and suddenly Max is leaning on me—one hand sliding down and caught between the armrest and my hip, the other coming to rest on my chest.
My breast.
“Oh, wow.” He laughs, pulling away only to have the plane lurch again. He loses his balance, ending up on his knees before me. “I didn’t mean—you smell incredible, by the way—”
I lean in and kiss him.
It’s not the kiss he promised. There’s nothing soft or gentle. I go in hard, mouth open. Wanting. Needing. Demanding.
Max steps up to meet me.
There’s a clash of teeth before the angle is right, before his lips slot over mine, his tongue already in my mouth.
I groan. I can’t help it.
It happens so fast; his mouth is magical, transporting me to another time, another place. His lips are as unbelievable as a fantasy film, but they’re real.
I hope they’re real because my entire body is focused on what is happening here. Focused and reacting… My hands find his shoulders, plunge into his hair, so soft under my grasping fingers. And I’m sliding forward, wanting to be closer, as close as I can…
I don’t hear the flight attendant come in. Don’t hear her clear her throat, try to get Max’s attention. Don’t hear anything because now I’m on the floor with Max, propped between the seat and his strong thighs, one of his hands on my ass, the other—
“Please fasten your seat belts!”
I freeze, mouth still on Max’s, breathing in his breath. “Fuck,” he murmurs, his lips still against mine.

Maximilian
It’s not easy buckling a seat belt when you’re as hard as Captain America’s Vibranium shield.
Cadence, of course, looks as unruffled as a tube of Pringles, even though, not a moment before, she was thisclose to dry humping me.
At least I think she was. I would have been all for that.
And now she won’t even look at me. She sits back in her chair and buckles her seat belt, without even a hint of a smile on that perfect face, that perfect mouth that I now know what it tastes like.
I want more of her taste.
“Cadence,” I finally say.
“Maximilian.” She glances up, oh so casually, amber eyes darkening to the colour of a fine Scotch.
“What the hell was that?”

Finally, those lips curve into a smile. Not a smile—a smirk. “I thought you wanted to kiss me?”
“I did, but I didn’t expect…”
“Was it not to your liking?”
Was it not— “Get over here and ask me that,” I growl.

“The seat belt sign is still on,” she says pertly.
I laugh. I have to laugh or else I’m charging the four feet between us and yanking her out of that seat to kiss her again.
I could kiss her while she’s in the seat, but I want that body pressed up against me again. The feel of her thigh straddling me… “We’re going to have a good time this weekend,” I manage.
“Are we?”
“I’m going to damn well make sure of it,” I promise.
That’s when she finally meets my gaze and I can tell that kiss rocked her as much as it did me.
Cadence is quiet as we deplane. The hot sun beats down on our bare heads as we cross the tarmac. Security in their black shirts stand watching us, each one bigger than the last.
I fight the urge to take her hand and content myself with carrying one of her bags. “Have you ever been here?” I ask.
She only shakes her head, gaze skating from one thing to another. It almost looks like she’s nervous.
That’s when I take her hand. “Everything okay?”
“Of course.”

She seems to have relaxed by the time the van pulls up in front of Moon Resort—Grace Bay. “This is yours?” she asks, studying the lemon-yellow buildings, the riot of pink and purple bougainvillea against the bright green rows of ficus.
The pool lies calm in the distance like the water is resting under the hot sun.
“It’s one of the properties the company owns,” I clarify.
“It’s beautiful.”
“It’s a beautiful place. Wait until you see the beach. But first—” —I wave at Henri, the manager— “Let’s show you the condo.”
I haven’t been here in a few years and the company man in me scours the place for any issues on our way to the elevator, and then up to the fifth floor.
Cadence waits behind me as I unlock the door. I don’t give a preamble as I push it open for her. “After you.”
I can’t see her face, but I know she’s impressed. It’s an impressive place.
“Holy shit, are you finally here?”
“Dude! It’s about time.”
Cadence jumps back as Nick and Dexter erupt from where they’ve been lounging on the couches, bottles of beer in hand.
I forgot to mention to Cadence that the boys are staying here, too.
And I forgot to tell them about Cadence. “Whoa…” Dexter halts in place when he catches sight of Cadence, but Nick keeps coming.
“What do we have here?” If Nick was a dog, he’d be sniffing Cadence’s ass. She looks as disgusted as if he actually tried it. “Bring us a treat, did you?”
“A treat?” Acid drips from Cadence’s tongue.