Casey gasped, staring around the gaudy room.

“You bastard!” She started to go around him, only to find herself pinned against the door.

“I brought you up here to talk. I don’t plan to fuck you. At least not yet.” Max buried his mouth in her neck, knowing it was overly sensitive. She shivered when his tongue traced to the tip of her ear.

“What are you doing?”

“What you suggested—punishing you. Isn’t that what you wanted me to do? This is certainly the room for it, don’t you think?”

“I think you’ve lost your mind!” Casey struggled against him as his hand slid up her thigh.

“I lost my mind over you a long time ago, Casey. I can remember the first time I tasted that mouth of yours. You remember that night, Casey?”

“Yes.” She tried to turn her head to the side. “I remember.”

“You were seventeen; my tongue was in your mouth; and my dick was hard as a rock. If Ginger hadn’t walked in that door, I would have fucked you with my fingers next.”

“I wouldn’t have let you,” Casey denied.

Max brought his hand to the waistband of her jeans, unbuttoning them. “Sweet thing, you wouldn’t have stopped me. You would have begged me.”

“No,” Casey whimpered.

“Oh, yes, you would have. We both know it, don’t we?” Max’s hand slid inside the jeans he had loosened, finding her moist and warm.

“Yes,” Casey finally admitted when his fingers began rubbing against her clit.

“That’s it, sweet thing.” Max groaned when he felt her thighs tightening on his hand to hold his fingers against her clit.

“Max.” Casey’s hands clutched his biceps.

Max hid his triumphant smile as he bent down to nuzzle the cleft between her breasts, leaving the shirt she was wearing covering them.

“When Mugg married Renee, I knew we would be around each other, but I planned on being a good stepbrother by kind of trying to protect you and watch out for you when I could. Fuck that! You want me, and I sure as hell want you.” Max’s fingers began moving on her faster, teasing the opening to her pussy without entering her.

Casey’s hands dropped to his waist, holding on to his belt like a lifeline.

“Sweet thing, there’s a lot of things I want to do with you, but punishing you isn’t one of them. I’ve regretted not taking that sweet cherry of yours for years when you were older. Then, when I finally got you in my bed, you were more interested in what was in Ice’s office.” Max’s wounded pride was determined to wring every ounce of revenge out of the body withering on his hand.

“Max, there’s something you should know. You might have had to wait, but you weren’t only my first kiss,” she confessed. Casey’s face was twisted with desire, but her eyes blazed with truth.

“You didn’t fuck, Jayce?”

“No, I lied to Penni.”

“You were going to give it to Stump?” His voice hardened at the thought.

“No, I was going to leave. I wasn’t saving it for you, Max, but I never could bring myself to give it to any other man. I would have found another way to get the information I wanted. I told myself that was the safest way to get it because it gave me the excuse to do what I wanted to do.”

His fingers pinched her clit then rubbed harder, the friction ruthlessly driving her toward a climax.

“Max, someone is watching behind that mirror.” Casey stiffened, trying to pull away.

“It’s okay. He keeps an eye on the room to make sure none of the girls get hurt. How did you know?”

“Tell him he shouldn’t light a cigarette, or tell the bar owner to get a better quality two-way mirror.”

“I’ll mention it to Henry.”

“Oh, God, you have to stop.” She pled with her lips while her eyes and pussy begged for relief.

“I will in about sixty seconds,” Max told her.

“Sixty seconds?”

“That’s when you’re going to come for me, sweet thing.”

Her hands tightened on his belt as if to save herself from drowning.

“Don’t call me that. You call every woman you meet or fuck that name. It keeps you from having to keep their names straight.”

“I know their names. I don’t need names to remember women. I remember their faces.”

Casey laughed at him. “You liar. You recognize their breasts. It’s the first thing you stare at on a woman. You are a horn-dog! I bet you’ve watched so many strip shows you couldn’t remember them all.”

“You’re right about that. The Predators do business with the owner, so we’re here a lot. Grace threw a fit when she found out. Figured I’d save you the trouble of finding that out from her.”

“That’s why you brought me inside?”

“That and you were cold,” Max admitted.

“Grace doesn’t mind that Ice comes inside?”

“Naw, he told her he wouldn’t watch.”

“Does he?” Casey gasped as her body began shuddering after Max thrust a long finger inside her.

“What do you think?” Max rubbed his thumb on her clit to extend her climax while he continued to finger fuck her tight pussy. “You can only watch the same tits and ass swing so much before you don’t even notice them anymore. But these little beauties…” Max nuzzled closer to her breasts. “These, I’ll never get tired of.”

“I think I need my head examined because I believe you.” Casey lay limply against him. “Do me a favor. If we ever see the man behind that mirror, don’t tell me.”

“I won’t, but Jackal might.”

Chapter 16

“Can I help you?” The salesman approached as soon as she walked through the large furniture store. Max had told her to take a look around, that he would meet her in a few minutes.

“I need a new mattress.” Casey followed as he turned, leading her toward the side of the huge store.

It had been several years since she had shopped for furniture, and then it had been at a cheaper store in town that had secondhand furniture. She couldn’t bring herself to buy a used mattress, though. Besides, with Max’s discount, if she bought the cheapest one, it shouldn’t put a dent in her savings.

As they crossed the store, they passed a row of chests. One in a rich dark cherry caught her eye. Stopping, she ran her hand over the smooth wood.

“It’s beautiful.”

“It’s one of our best sellers in the store. There’s a six week wait, since it’s made by hand.” The salesman touched the corner of the table where the intricate carving was raised.

Casey couldn’t resist running her hand across the top of it one more time, enjoying the feel of the cool wood against her fingertips before coming to a stop at the price tag. Flipping the piece of cardboard over, she stared down in disappointment at the hefty price.

“I’d love to have it, but I can’t afford it,” she admitted, beginning to move away from the beautiful piece.

She saw Max coming down the aisle toward them.

“Hi.” She smiled when he came to a stop next to her.