BONDS OF JUSTICE

“Control it?” A gentle tease.

Her hands fisted at his waist. “You think I should just let go.”

“No,” he said, sipping at her mouth between words. “Everyone’s a little edgy their first time.”

“So you’ll—”

“How about instead of rushing it,” he murmured, “we do what feels good? No expectations, no end goal.”

“But I want to finish.” A stubborn look.

Affectionate hunger rocked through him, at once savage and playful. “Yeah?” He couldn’t help his smile. “Alright.”

Her eyes widened, as if she’d read something on his face that worried her. “Max?”

But he was already swinging her up in his arms and placing her on the bed. Coming down over her, he settled himself in the vee of her thighs. “Wrap your legs around me.”

“That feels . . .” Breathy, almost shocked. “Your jeans . . .”

He shifted against her delicate flesh, knowing the rough material would intensify the sensations. Giving an inarticulate cry, she arched her body. It was all the invitation he needed. Dipping his head, he took one dark little nipple into his mouth and sucked hard, even as he insinuated a hand between their bodies, reaching for the tiny bud in the liquid-soft center of her that could give so much pleasure.

Her fingers dug into his shoulders as she tried to pull him closer and push him away at the same time. Shifting his attention to her neglected breast, he began to play with her clitoris, hard then soft. There. He felt it the instant she reacted, modified his stroke to what brought her the most pleasure, lifting himself off her enough that he could stroke downward to rub at the sensitive entrance to her body as well.

She was wet, slick. He couldn’t resist the temptation to dip his finger within. That was all it took.

A choked scream. Her body arching bowstring tight.

He could feel the edge of the pleasure that pulsed through her, wanted only to bury himself inside her, feel those muscles clench around his cock. Sweat beaded along his spine as he stroked her down from the orgasm instead.

The single thing that made it bearable was that he’d done this to her, to his smart, sexy, stubborn . . . and vulnerable J.

Rising to brace his palms on either side of her when she slumped onto the bed, her chest heaving, he took a kiss. Another. She gave of herself without hesitation, her body limp beneath his, her skin sheened with perspiration. “Feeling more relaxed?” he murmured.

Sophia lifted her lashes to see pure wickedness in the gorgeous bitter-chocolate eyes looking down at her. “Yes, thank you.” Her own lips curved—something that felt sparkling, new, and sublime in its perfection. “Did I rush you?”

“A little, but I plan to get my revenge.” Another Max kiss—as if he had all the time in the world to taste her. “Now, just lie back and enjoy.”

Right at that moment, she couldn’t have done anything else. Intellectually, she’d known about orgasms, but it was quite a different matter to have one tear through her body. “Is that what it’ll be like when we have sex?”

“Yes. Exactly. So don’t worry.”

She thought she caught a strangled edge in those words, but Max had dipped his head to kiss his way along her collarbone and it became difficult to think. Managing to raise her arms enough to touch his back, she pulled at his T-shirt. “Will you take this off?”

He raised his head. “You okay with that much tactile contact after what we just did?”

It was tempting to say yes at once, but she took a moment to think about it. “Yes.” A strange feeling in her chest, a mix of pleasure, anticipation and . . . laughter. “You’re wonderfully blockheaded.”

His laugh sounded startled out of him. Getting up to straddle her on his knees, he grinned. “Guess being wooden’s taken on a whole new meaning around you.” He stripped off his T-shirt with an economy of motion that struck her as very male. It was as he twisted to throw the T-shirt off the side of the bed that she caught it.

“Wait.” Rising up on her elbows, she tried to see around to his back. “What is that?”

To her surprise, color streaked across his cheekbones. “A memento of my misspent youth.”

She was even more curious now. “Show me.”

Muttering under his breath, he leaned down to kiss her instead. “You can look at it later.”

“But—”