to her knees in front of him and sucked him into her mouth without finesse or preliminaries. He released a hoarse groan as her tongue circled him, discovering his texture and the best way to give him pleasure.
Before she brought him all the way to release, he stopped her and pulled her back to her feet. Placing a hot, sizzling kiss on her lips, he lifted her and deposited her on her back in the middle of the mattress. She kicked off her shoes. He followed her down and as his weight pressed her into the mattress, she ran the sole of her foot along his calf.
His fingers hooked around her underwear, stripping it down her legs. While he cast it aside, she took off her bra. The contact between her sensitized nipples and his hard chest set off a chain reaction of desire.
She lifted her hips toward the hand that teased between her legs, urging him to touch her with wild gyrations and garbled pleas. A half sigh, half moan broke from her as he slid his finger into her wetness and penetrated deep. She shuddered as he began to stroke her, each movement of his hand driving her further toward fulfillment. But that’s not the way she wanted to go. Her nails bit into his wrist.
“Not like this,” she gasped as his teeth grazed her throat. “Make love to me.”
“If you insist.”
He moved between her thighs, impaling her with one swift thrust. Hard and thick, he filled her over and over, the friction driving her crazy with wanting. Together they climbed. Higher and faster than ever before. When she came, the sensation rolled over her, wave after wave of intense pleasure. She floated back to earth in slow motion, the thundering of her heart keeping time with Max’s thrusts as he surged toward his own climax.
Fascinated, she watched him come. His facial muscles locked in concentration. His eyes, half-closed, snagged with hers. He set his mouth against hers and plunged his tongue deep in a sexy kiss that stole her breath. Then his body drove into hers one last time and spasmed in release.
With her arms wrapped around his shoulders, Rachel held on to him and absorbed his aftershocks. Loving Max like this was easy. They knew exactly how to communicate in bed. She’d lost hope at being able to do so anywhere else.
All too soon, Max pushed away and dropped onto his back beside her. He lay with his forearm across his eyes, his chest rising and falling as his body recovered. Unsure if he would welcome her touch now that their frantic coupling was through, Rachel rolled onto her side and tucked her arm beneath her head.
Five minutes passed before he spoke.
“I’m glad you stopped by.” Voice neutral. Expression hidden behind his arm. His mood an enigma.
“Me, too.”
As much as she longed to cuddle up beside him and feel the reassuring weight of his arm settle around her, she’d made too many mistakes to hope that he felt tender or affectionate toward her.
“I was hard on you earlier,” he continued. “I’m intolerant when I don’t agree with someone. It’s a bad habit of mine.” He shifted his arm off his face and set it above his head. His gaze locked on the ceiling. “Or so my mother tells me.”
“You were right to be angry. I screwed up. I should have been more up front with Hailey and with you. If I had, none of this would have happened.” She paused. “It’s my fault that Hailey gave Brody twenty thousand dollars. It’s my fault that you gave him a hundred and five thousand. It’s not right that he cheated you and I intend to get that money back.”
At last, Max looked at her. The iron in his gray eyes made her wish he hadn’t.
“How do you intend to go about that?” he demanded, his hard tone warning her he’d better like her answer.
She drew her knees up and bumped his thigh with them. The grazing contact eased the tension between them. “I’m going Biloxi to ask for it back.”
“He went to a great deal of trouble to get the money in the first place,” Max said, rolling onto his side so that they faced each other. “Have you considered what you’ll do if he won’t just give it back?”
She offered him a wan smile. “I was hoping you’d come along. I need your help.” She held her breath and waited for some sign that he wasn’t going to kick her and her crazy idea to the curb. “Please.”
“You’re asking me to help you?”
“Yes. I need you. I can’t do this alone.”
Max’s arms snaked around her body, pulling her flush against him. With her thigh trapped between his and her head settled on his shoulder, his lips glanced off her forehead. “I’m glad you finally realized that.”
The closer they got to Biloxi, the quieter Rachel became. And it wasn’t just that she stopped talking. Her entire body stilled as if by remaining frozen, she could become invisible. Max kept glancing her way as they picked up a rental car at the airport and drove through the city.
He longed to reach out and offer her comfort, but she’d locked herself away and drawn the shutters. His fingers beat a tattoo on the steering wheel. The previous evening’s connection had faded with the advent of dawn. She’d stood at the foot of his bed and worried the inside of her lip while he made arrangements for their flight to Biloxi.
“Say the word and we’ll get right back on the plane and go home to Houston,” Max offered.
In the seat beside him, Rachel started as if he’d jumped out and yelled “boo.” Beneath his scrutiny she struggled a long moment before mastering the trace of panic in her dark blue eyes. Seeing her vulnerable for even that short second disturbed Max. She was awash in anxiety and trying like crazy to hide it. He was used to her strength and determination. Is this why she was so scared to ask for help?
“We’ve come all this way,” she said. “We’re not going back without that money.”
Max nodded. He liked the way she said we, including him as part of her team, and appreciated what it had taken her to let him in.
“It’s going to be okay. I won’t let him hurt you ever again.”
“I’m counting on that.”
To Max’s surprise, she reached out and grabbed his hand.
“Is that why you brought me along?” he teased. “Muscle?”
She stroked up his biceps, wrapping long fingers around his upper arm. “Well, you certainly have enough of them to qualify for that. But that’s not why you’re here.”
“Then why?”
“Because I knew you’d want to come.” She glanced his way and encountered his frown. Her elaborate sigh filled the car. “Fine. Because I wanted you to come. You make me feel safe in ways that no one ever has before.” She pulled a face. “Happy now?”
“Deliriously.”
Rachel’s directions brought them into a commercial section of Biloxi. Max parked the car in a visitor’s spot in front of Winslow Enterprises. As they entered the front door, he watched her gather courage. By the time they’d arrived at the front desk, her spine was straight and her eyes glinted with determination.
“Hello,” he said to the receptionist. “I have an eleven o’clock meeting with Carson Winslow.”
Rachel jerked in surprise. He could feel her gaze upon him.
“And your name?”
“Max Case.”
While the receptionist spoke into the phone, Rachel grabbed on to Max’s arm and drew him toward a seating area. “Why are we meeting with Brody’s father?”
“I called him with a business proposition.”
“Why?”
“You didn’t seriously think Brody was going to just return the money because we asked him to, did you?”
From the expression on