Max sifts his hand through my hair. “I thought we were done. I failed you like I failed my family. I couldn’t get you to trust me.”

I ease myself on top of him and wiggle until his erection is nestled tight between my thighs. “You didn’t fail me. My issues were my own. I was worried you were like my father, but I thought about it a lot when I was sitting with you in the hospital, and I spent a lot of time with the guys downstairs. My father’s violence and your violence are totally different. You have purpose and control, whether you fight for sport, protection, or defense. His violence came from anger and fear. You never hurt anyone without reason; he always did.”

Max strokes his hand up and down my back then palms my bottom and squeezes my cheeks. “What about when we’re together? Our play always sets you off.”

My tongue glides over his bottom lip. He tastes minty and fresh. He tastes like Max. “I was afraid of losing control. I didn’t really understand that ‘Agusta’ put me in the driving seat until you explained it. And now it doesn’t matter because I know I have fight. I won’t be afraid to tell you to stop.” I take a deep breath and bite my lip. “Maybe we could…try again.”

Max cups my head and pulls me down for a long, hard kiss. “Don’t worry, baby. We’ll try again. You need to be punished for springing all my relatives on me like that. But not while you’re like this.”

“Threats and promises.” I push myself down his body and unbuckle his belt.

Max groans. “We should get some rest.”

My restless hands slide his clothes over his hips and toss them on the floor. “No rest. You’ve had a week to rest. Now it’s time to play.” I crawl up his body and flick my tongue over the swollen head of his shaft. “How about this? Any problems with inebriated Makayla engaging in this sort of behavior?” Max’s hands fist on my back, and his body tenses under me.

“I’ll take that as a no,” I whisper.

“You can take it as your two-minute warning. Two minutes and I’m taking over.”

I look up and smile. “I can do a lot in two minutes.” I lick a circle around the head of his shaft and then slide my tongue down its length. “You taste good,” I murmur.

He becomes impossibly hard and I struggle to take him all in. “Makayla, baby—” His body strains upward, and I wrap my hand around his throbbing erection and stroke him in counterpoint to the slide of my lips. His hand sifts through my hair, pulling tight. I suck him hard, taking him deep.

“Fuck. I won’t be able to hold out.” He tugs my head back, and in one smooth wrestling move, he flips me onto my back.

“I thought I had two minutes, not two seconds.”

His eyes rake over my body and the look he gives me is nothing short of carnal. “My bed. My rules.”

“Wipe that self-satisfied smile off your mouth,” I grumble. “You have only the illusion of control.”

Max throws back his head and laughs. “You tell yourself that, baby.”

***

Ten minutes later we lie groaning side by side on the bed.

“What do you mean, you don’t have any condoms?” I moan.

“I didn’t come here expecting to find you naked in my bed. Where’s your purse full of condoms?”

I edge away from him in case the heat of his skin sets me back down the road of no release. “It must be downstairs. Rampage had to carry me up here.”

“Rampage carried you and put you to bed?” Max pushes himself up and glowers at me.

“Why, yes, he did,” I sigh. “I see getting hit on the head has not diminished your overprotective nature in the least.”

“Some things are not going to change. Better get used to it.”

My eyebrows fly up to my hairline. “So, if I want to be with you, I’ll never be allowed to put myself in danger; I’ll have to ensure no man looks at me if I’m naked or in a state of semi-undress; and I’ll have to trust your judgment and do what you want at all times?”

Max gives a satisfied grunt and nods. “And always let me know where you are.”

“I was joking.”

“I wasn’t.”

“Maybe this won’t be a happily ever after.” I fold my arms across my chest.

Max unfolds my arms and leans down to lave my nipple. “It will be if we find some condoms.”

My lips quiver with a repressed smile. “Rampage and I shouldn’t have used them all up. It was quite thoughtless of us.”

Max flips over and lands on top of me, his weight crushing me into the bed. He pins my wrists to the pillow and presses his forehead against mine. “Not funny.”

“I’ll tell you what’s not funny,” I rasp, “aching to have you inside me and not having a condom. Now, get off me. You’re turning me on.”

“Everything turns you on. I almost can’t keep up, and that’s saying something.” Max lets me go and slides off the bed. He grabs his jeans and shirt from the floor and dresses before I can get up.

“Everything Max turns me on,” I correct him.

“I’ll meet you downstairs.”

“You’re going to pound out your frustrations on poor Rampage, aren’t you?” I tug on my clothes as fast as I can.

“He touched my girl.”

“He took care of your girl.” I walk over to him and slide my arms around his neck. “I have a better idea. Let’s go to my place. My house is closer than yours, empty, filled with condoms, and we have never had sex there before. “