gave her arm a gentle squeeze before releasing it. “Look, I promise you won’t see me again. I’ll make sure I leave before you get here at night. I won’t arrive until after you leave in the morning. You’ll never know I’m here.”
My heart will know. She straightened her spine, ready to tell him again to get out of her house. He continued speaking before she could say a word.
“I know you’re angry at me. I know I hurt you. I regret that more than I can ever tell you. But that was five years ago, Karessa. I’m a different man now. I want the chance to prove that to you.”
“I have no interest in you proving anything to me.”
“Okay, fine. But let me keep working here. After your house is finished, I’ll leave Fort Worth and be out of your life forever. Deal?”
Karessa wanted to say no. She wanted to demand again that he leave her house. But if he were really hurting financially and needed this job to survive, she couldn’t turn him away. “I won’t see you at all? You’ll come in the morning after I’ve left and leave before I get home?”
“I promise.”
She stared into his eyes, trying to determine whether or not he told her the truth. His eyes looked sincere. However, they’d looked sincere in the past when he’d been lying to her.
She’d have to watch him very closely.
“All right. You can keep on working here. But I want you to leave now.”
“Sure. Whatever you want.” He ran one fingertip over her cheek. “Thank you, Karessa.”
She stood in place, her hand pressed to her cheek, and watched him walk out the front door. That simple, unexpected touch had been enough to bring back all the yearnings he’d been able to stir in her so easily.
Tears filled her eyes. Damn you, Max. Damn you for hurting me. Damn you for coming back into my life and making me hurt all over again.
Max tossed back a shot of Chivas and poured another one. He downed the second shot as quickly as the first and poured a third. Crossing the room, he sat on the edge of the bed and stared into the glass. Instead of seeing the amber liquid, he saw Karessa.
God, she was stunning.
Her hair had fallen almost to the middle of her back five years ago. Now, it fell to her shoulders in soft waves. It had lookedtousled, as if she’d just risen from bed after a long, intense session of sex.
Max groaned as blood rushed to his cock. He set the glass of Scotch on the nightstand with a loud thump . Don’t think about sex, man!
But the seed had been planted. Memories of making love with Karessa swam through his mind. Her ivory skin shiny with sweat. Full, round breasts with big pink nipples. Long torso. Legs that went on forever. A tight, wet pussy…
He loosened the thin towel around his waist and palmed his hardening cock. Closing his eyes, he remembered burying his shaft inside her, thrusting over and over. He remembered how she’d arch her neck and moan softly before she came. She’d wrap her legs around his waist and pull him even tighter to her. Or she’d push him down and impale herself on his cock. She’d liked the power of being in control of him—of moving the way she wanted, the way she needed, to climax.
He pumped his cock, his strokes slowly gaining speed as the memories continued. They’d made love after their first date. They’d made love during their first date, unable to keep their hands off each other. He’d kissed her for the first time in the restaurant over dinner. Luckily, they’d been in a dark corner behind a large potted plant. If the maitre d’ had seen Max’s hand on Karessa’s breast, he would’ve thrown them out of the restaurant.
It would’ve been worth it.
She hadn’t pulled away from him when he’d cradled her breast in his hand and thumbed her nipple. Instead, she’d parted her lips and touched his lips with her tongue. He’d loved her taking the aggressive role. He’d deepened the kiss as she slid one hand over his thigh to tickle his shaft with her