Once we reached the back, Max used my forward momentum to spin me around and force me up against the wall in front of him. He then put two arms on either side of my head, caging me in. "Tell me what the hell that was."
I was in a state of shock. The dominance Max exuded was hot as hell. Pair that with his proximity and I was damn near orgasmic. "I was . . . I was defending you."
"Don't bullshit me, Lily. That's not all you were doing. What you said, did you mean it?" His voice was stern, and it made me even wetter.
"Which part?" My brain was short-circuiting, and it was allowing incredibly stupid shit to come out of my mouth.
He bent his elbows and brought his body in tighter to mine. His voice was a deep whisper when he finally spoke. "Do you really think I could do better than you?"
I met his gaze, though the way his eyes seared into me, I was finding it difficult to breathe. My chest rose and brushed against his hard body. My nipples puckered immediately, and my tongue darted out to moisten my lips. "I know you could do better than me, Max. You always could have."
He brought his hand up to cup my jaw. "Lily, when are you going to get it? There is no better than you."
I barely had time to process his words before his lips crushed against mine, the hand that had been on my face now twisting in my hair, holding me firmly in place. I couldn't hold back a moan of sheer bliss as he rocked his erection into me, making it clear that he still wanted me. In every way.
He moved both hands to cup my ass and lifted, causing my legs to instinctively wrap around him. His mouth was everywhere: my lips, my jaw, my ear, my neck. My skin was ablaze wherever he touched me. This was the feeling I'd been missing. I was finally alive.
"I want to make one thing very clear," he murmured, his lips against my skin. "You and I are going to have a do-over. I'm going to take you against this wall, just as I did in that airport a year and a half ago. But this time, when we’re done, I get to keep you." He pulled back slightly to meet my eyes. "Do you understand? You'll be mine, Lily. Only mine."
I summoned all the strength I could and returned his gaze with passion equal to his. Maybe greater. "Under one condition." He looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to name my terms. I smiled at him, a smile meant to hold all the promise in the world. "You'll need to be mine too."
His eyes darkened with hunger, and something else I could only describe as love. "Doll, I've been yours since the day we met."
And with that declaration, we wasted no time picking up where we’d left off: all mouths, hands, and throbbing need.
"You wore a fucking skirt on purpose, didn't you? When you put it on this morning, you prayed it would end up around your waist."
"Damn right I did," I replied as I pushed one hand into his hair and dug the nails of my other into his shoulder.
Max's hand drifted beneath my skirt, which had already been hiked up when I wrapped my legs around him. "This is in my way," he muttered as he ripped my thong from my body.
The warm air hit me at the apex of my thighs, and I briefly thought I would lose it right there. I needed him inside of me. Right then. So I pushed toward the ground with my legs, a silent plea for him to put me down. When he complied, I ran my hand down his stomach, toward his waistband, easily unbuttoning his jeans so I could pull down his zipper. I reached into his jeans and immediately found his straining cock. No boxers. Glad some things never change. I ran my hand over it, wanting to touch him freely, like I used to before I told myself he wasn't what I wanted. I couldn't have been more wrong.
Max suddenly reached into his pocket to withdraw a condom.
"Always ready, aren't you?" I jested.
"A guy can hope."
I took the foil wrapper from him, ripped it open with my teeth, and leaned back against the wall so I could reach down to sheath him with the thin latex. Once I had rolled it down his hard length, he lifted me back up into his arms as I guided him to where I needed him most.
He wasted no time thrusting inside of me. My back bowed and I stifled a loud groan by digging my teeth into Max's clothed shoulder as he stroked me steadily, forcefully from the inside.
"Look at me," he commanded.
I lifted my head.
"You're going to watch me so that you never forget who does this to you, who makes you feel this good."
I didn't respond, but did as he instructed, taking in his piercing blue stare that seemed to see right through me. The feel of him pushing into me was euphoric, and I hated that it would eventually have to end.
"Who do you belong to, Lily?"
"You," I hissed, barely able to get enough air into my lungs to respond.
"And why do you belong to me?"
"Because you love me," I answered, honestly.
His rhythm faltered slightly, letting me know that my answer had surprised him. "Who do I belong to?" His question was soft, almost unsure, like he wasn't certain what I was going to say and was rattled by the unsettling feeling.
"Me. You belong to me."