Max grinned hard. “Thank you.” He pulled his wallet out and paid for it before anyone could change their minds.
“Thank you, sir.” The woman pulled out a pad and pen. “Now, if you give me your address I’ll have it delivered in a day or two.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’ll take it with me.” Max picked up and cradled the statue. He shot her a wide smile before heading toward the door.
Alicia laughed as she led the way into the cold night.
Once Max secured the statue in his Hummer he climbed into the front seat and started the car.
“I thought that woman was going to drop her teeth when you said you wanted to take it with you.” Alicia snapped her seatbelt into place.
“I don’t think that bothered her as much as when I just picked it up and walked away with it.” Max pulled the truck into traffic and headed to his house. “Her face turned white as a sheet.”
Alicia laughed again. “You do make quite an impression. Carrying that three foot statue like it was a child is something to behold.”
“Hey, I needed to get it home and it’s not very heavy. The artist herself carried it to the table.” He glanced at her as he made his way through the streets. “So, did I look like a he-man carrying it around?”
“Only if you had thrown it over your shoulder and made growling noises at people who passed by.”
“Growling noises?” He took a left turn onto his road. “Isn’t that a bit much?”
“Are you kidding? It would have been a real Kodak moment.” Alicia looked around before looking at Max. “How did we get here? I thought you were going to take me back home?”
“Sorry.” He gave her a toothy grin. “I wanted to get the Tear safely home.”
“What about me?” She twisted in the seat and gave him a disgusted look. “I wanted to get my treasure home, too.”
“I know and I’m sorry. How about you spend the night tonight? I promise to behave myself.”
“Tonight?” She swallowed. Him behaving wasn’t the problem. “I’d rather get back to my place.”
He knew he had to handle this delicately again. Or maybe the best thing was to just storm her defenses until she screamed her submission. He liked the sound of that. Now what should be his first move? “Okay, but can we drop off my statue first? It won’t take long.”
“I guess.” She seemed hesitant.
“Great.” If only she knew. He climbed out and retrieved the statue. “You coming in?”
“Um, no.” She mouthed through the window.
“Oh, come on. Don’t you want to get a look at this Tear?” He knew that was the one carrot she couldn’t resist.
She bit her lip, then with a shrug she opened the door and climbed out. “I’m bringing mine with me too.”
“Don’t blame you. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to it.” He led the way to the cellar where he kept the other Tears. Placing the statue on the floor, he kneeled in front of it to see how the Tear was attached. “Can you hand me that tool chest over there?”
Alicia picked up the yellow box and carried it over.
He pulled out a pair of needle nose pliers and detached the stone so he could get a good look at it. Light reflected off it splashing red all over. “It sure looks like the real thing.”
“May I?”
He nodded and handed her the stone.
She took it to a small workstation and placed it under a large mounted magnifying glass. Max used it for computer work as well and other small detailed work.
“Wow, this one could be a clone of the others.” Alicia looked up at Max. “Without my equipment I can’t tell the difference.”
“I expected that. Remember the legend.”
“What?” She leaned her hip against the table. “The story of someone crying them? If that were true then they shouldn’t be perfect stones.”
“Why do you say that?” Max closed the distance between them.
“Because each person’s DNA is different. Mothers have more than one child, but the children aren’t identical, unless they are twins.”
“And you can’t see how the Tears could be like twins?” He leaned his hip against the table as well. Just inches from her. “Have you checked the stones for any DNA? I bet you’d find traces if you looked. And you’ll find the Tears are more like twins.”
Alicia dropped her gaze to the floor.
“You’ve done it already. Haven’t you?” He couldn’t stop the grin that slid across his face. “What did you find?”
“That there was DNA traces in the first stone. I’m waiting for the results on the second one.” She glared at him. “And I’ll have this one tested as well to see if it matches.”
“You’ll find an exact match,” he said. He wrapped his arms around her.
“And if I don’t?” She placed her hands on his chest. Using a slight pressure, she tried to break his hold.
“Hmm, your choice,” he offered. He ran his fingers up her back, using special pressure points to relax her.
“Anything?” Her voice softened with his massage and she stopped fighting him.
“Yep. Whatever you want,” he agreed. His fingers began to work on her scalp, hitting just the right places to make her more pliable. “So what do I get if I’m right?”
Her head tilted up to give him better access. “What do you want?”
He pressed his lips against her neck. That was a loaded question. “We’ll work it out later.”
She mumbled something, but it came out so much like a moan he couldn’t understand a word. Alicia melted in his arms. Literally. And he hadn’t done anything yet.
“Alicia?” She didn’t answer so he tilted her back so he could look at her face. He had to smile. She was half asleep. He slipped one arm under her legs while tightening his grip with the other and lifted her to his chest. It was easy to carry her up to the guest room. Jacob had already turned down the bed.
“Where are you taking me?” Alicia yawned her words.
“You’re tired, sweetheart. I’m going to let you rest.”
“I’m just really relaxed from that head massage.”
“Humor me.” He pushed the door open and carried her in. A soft sigh escaped her as she snuggled against him. Max didn’t want to put her down but he lowered his burden to the mattress.
Alicia curled up and snuggled with one of the pillows, making him wish he was that pillow. He pulled the covers over her and had planned on leaving, but started thinking that her dress couldn’t be very comfortable to sleep in. He went back to the bed and looked down at her sleeping peacefully. He eased her to her side and unzipped the back, only to find she had nothing on underneath.
Good Lord, what was she thinking?
He held his breath as he eased the dress off her shoulders. It hurt but he managed to remove the dress without ravaging her while she slept. After hanging up the dress, he pulled the covers up to her neck, and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “We’ll have to finish this later, love.”
“Where you going?” Alicia stretched a little when she opened her eyes.
“Letting you sleep.” He sat down on the edge of the bed. “You were half asleep in my arms so I thought you needed your rest.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that to you.” She gave him a sleepy smile. “Guess it’s been a busy day.”
“It’s okay.”
“But I should get home.”
She wouldn’t give it a rest. He looked into her eyes. It was time to show dominance the way only a mate could.
Max took hold of her shoulders and drew her to him. His lips drank from hers. Something like a sigh, then a moan escaped her mouth as her hands found their way to his shoulders.
Good, he planned to keep her on tilt for the rest of the night and he was going to have fun doing it.
He opened the small drawer in the nightstand and pulled out several silk handkerchiefs.
“What are you doing?” Strain laced her voice.
“Trust me?”
She blinked at him, but didn’t answer.
“I want to do this for you, but I can’t have you trying to take control all the time.”
“I don’t do that.” She sounded indignant.
“Oh?” He clasped one of her hands in his and tied one end of the scarf to her wrist. “I remember a wrestling match during one of our evenings together.”
She blushed and didn’t fight when he tied the other end to the headboard.
He tied the ends of two scarves to each ankle and then tied the last scarf to her other wrist. After tying it to the headboard, he motioned to the other two scarves and gave her a smile.
“Guess you want me to scoot down so you can tie them to the footboard?” She tried to show strength, but he knew she was frightened.
“There is no footboard, didn’t you notice?” Max peeled off his jacket and draped it across a nearby chair.
“Well, yeah, but I’m not thinking very clearly now.”
“Don’t be nervous. I’m not tying all the scarves to the headboard, although that does have some merit.” He gave her a wicked smile. “I’m actually going to tie these to the legs of the bed. I promise you’ll have plenty of movement.”
Alicia bit her lip. He didn’t see her do it very often. Twice in one evening made him wonder what was going through her head.
He knelt down beside the right side and tied the scarf. Once he was sure she could handle it he went to the other side and tied it down as well.
“Whenever this gets too much I’ll let you free. All you have to do is say baaa.”
“Like a sheep?”
He sat on the edge of the bed. “I thought it would be odd enough to break the mood.”
“Baaaa.”
“Ha, ha. Very funny.” Max stood up and went to the foot of the bed.
“What? No blindfold?”
“Thought it would get in the way for what I have planned next.” He walked to the wall and dimmed the lights just a bit. “Would you’d like a little music?”
Soft strains of jazz poured through speakers in the wall.
“You gonna dance for me, big boy?” Alicia pushed and pulled herself up into a somewhat sitting position.
“Is that what you want?” He swayed his hips as he undid one of his shirt buttons. He winked at her before undoing a second one.
“I am a captured audience.” She smiled and settled back. The spark of passion flashed in her eyes.
Max closed his. The music filled his pores, flowing around him and through him. He used it to leave everything behind but the two of them. His mate, even if she didn’t quite know that little detail.
His body moved purposely, slowly. Just for her. His hands worked on the buttons of his shirt. With the last button undone he eased the soft material off his shoulders, letting it slide down his skin.
In his mind he felt her hands sliding in place of the shirt. He opened his eyes and locked gazes with her. She aroused him and he wanted her to know it.
He slid his hand over his chest, swirling a few hairs in the descent to his pants. Alicia licked her lips as she watched in rapt attention. How he wished her tongue was on his body.
Sweat broke out on his brow. He fought to keep himself in check. All he wanted to do was pounce on her. The wolf in him wanted to take control, mark its territory. Take his mate.
The man knew better. He had to handle Alicia delicately. She wouldn’t understand his need to dominate.
He grasped the tip of his belt and pulled so he could release the clasp. It slid out of the belt loops with a little snapping noise. Next he unhooked his pants and eased the zipper down.
A gasp escaped her parted lips.
He gave her a knowing grin. “Enjoying the show?”
“Very much. There’s only one problem.” She paused for effect. “You’re not close enough.”
“I know.” He pulled on one side of the opening, exposing his skin.
She swallowed hard. “You don’t ever wear underwear?”
“Nope.” He wrapped his other hand around the other side of the opening and eased his pants down his groin. Once they were clear he let go and allowed them to drop to the floor. “I find them too binding.”
Max walked to the edge of the bed. His weight made it dip to one side when he sat down. He reached under the bed and pulled out a peacock feather. “Ticklish?”
***
Alicia stared at the feather. What was he going to do? The soft brush of the feather against her breast told her everything she needed to know. The tip puckered with the fleeting sensation.
It flicked against her wrist then the inside of her thigh. Blood boiled in her veins. Desire raced through her body.
Sensations floated across her skin as he brushed it in different locations. Her neck, her stomach, the back of her knees.
Max was feeling the effects too. His arousal stood stiff against his lower stomach. His skin flushed. At least she wasn’t alone in the desire department.
Her body arched when his lips closed around her pebbled nipple. A moan escaped her. “Max.”
“Oh, honey. We’re just getting started.” He climbed on the bed and sat between her legs. Resting his hands on her thighs he leaned forward so he could see her face. “I need to hear you scream my name.”
“I’ll scream it right now.”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it.” He lifted up the feather and brushed it against the sole of her foot.
A giggle escaped her. “Okay. Okay. I’ll lie here and take it like a woman.”
“That’s my girl.” He took the feather and stroked her collarbone. Her body shuddered. Then he slid it across her left breast. With subtle flicks of his wrist he swirled it around her belly button, down the length of her leg, across a hip. Wherever he felt like teasing her.
Alicia’s body arched with the different caresses. If she hadn’t been tied down she would have jumped him. She needed to feel him inside her. All this teasing just magnified her desire for him.
Max fluttered the feather against her mound, drawing another moan from her. “Please, Max.”
“I know, baby, and I promise not to put you through much more.”
“No more, Max. Now!” Her voice came out deep and sultry. It sounded strange in her ears.
He gave her that infuriating smile and pressed his body along hers. “Aren’t you curious what I planned to do to your luscious body?”
She couldn’t help it, she whimpered. “Max.”
He lifted his head and sniffed the air. A growl vibrated in his chest. “Looks like I have to build up your tolerance to this much pleasure.”
“Shut up and kiss me.”