Chapter 119 Closer

Chapter 119 Closer
"That's what this is all about," she said. It wasn't a question.
"That's what it's about," he said. "Not my father. I could have made peace with my father. But watching my mother — watching what she was and what she became, and knowing that Damon had his hand in the thing that caused it—" He looked up.
"I'm not interested in killing him. I want him to lose everything. The same way she lost everything. I want him to watch it go, piece by piece, until there's nothing left and he understands exactly what he did and why it came back to him."
"And then?" she said.
"And then whatever's left of him can do whatever it wants," he said. "I'll be done."
Valerie thought about the years of it. The planning, the scale of what he'd built, the patience of it—Lindsay in Damon's orbit, himself in her house, and Cardini bleeding Damon's businesses from a distance over years.
"Steady hands, warm heart," Max suddenly said gently.
“What?" Valerie asked.
“My mother used to say. And she said I was working on the first part," he said.
"Were you?"
He looked at her for a moment. "I thought so," he said. "I'm less sure lately."
She didn't ask him what he meant by that. She didn't need to.
Soon, they both fell into silence, and the silence stretched on. It wasn’t awkward exactly, but it was thick.
Max looked at her differently now. His eyes moved over her slowly. He knew she didn’t have much on under that robe—just her underwear. His gaze stayed on her longer than usual. It made her skin feel hot.
Then he glanced over at the coffee table, where the plates from earlier were still sitting. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“Wonder if there’s any of that chocolate syrup left,” he said casually. “You made quite a mess with it earlier.”
Valerie’s face warmed. She let out a short, embarrassed laugh and shook her head.
“You’re never gonna let me live that down, are you?”
Max didn’t answer right away. He just looked at her again, eyes darker now, drifting from her face down to where the robe crossed over her chest.
Then he stood up slowly and walked over to the coffee table. He picked up the small bowl of chocolate syrup that was still sitting there and swirled it with his finger.
“I’m thinking,” he said. “I really liked watching you play with this earlier. I’d love to continue where you left off… but this time I do the playing.”
Valerie’s breath hitched. “Max…”
He came back to the bed, holding the bowl. “Lie down.”
She hesitated for a second, then lay back on the bed. Her heart was beating hard.
“Max… the deal is still on,” she said quickly. “If we end up fucking tonight, you let me go. That was the agreement.”
Max climbed onto the bed and moved between her legs. He pushed the robe all the way open and spread her thighs wider with his hands.
“We’re not fucking,” he said calmly, looking down at her. “I gave you my word.”
Valerie swallowed as he settled between her spread legs. Max hooked his fingers into the waistband of her black lace panties and tugged them down just enough to expose her. Then he dipped his fingers into the warm chocolate syrup and brought them to her mound.
She gasped when the sticky warmth touched her.
Max took his time, spreading the thick syrup slowly over her lips and across her mound, circling her clit, spreading it everywhere until she was glistening and messy. 
He lowered himself between her spread legs, his shoulders holding her open. He looked up at her, eyes burning.
Then he buried his mouth between her thighs.
Valerie cried out the second his hot tongue dragged through the sticky mixture. And he took his time, savoring it. He sucked gently on her clit, then licked lower, cleaning up every drop while making more of a mess with his tongue.
“Oh shit— Max!” she gasped, her hand flying to his hair and gripping tight.
Max kept licking and sucking, eating the chocolate mixed with her juices like he couldn’t get enough.
“Goddamn, you taste good,” he growled against her, voice muffled. “Sweet as fuck.”
Valerie’s back arched hard, thighs trembling around his head as he ate her.
Max lifted his head just enough to grab the bowl again. Without warning, he tilted it and poured the rest of the warm chocolate syrup straight down between her legs. The thick liquid ran slowly over her clit and between her folds, dripping down onto the sheets.
Valerie gasped sharply. “Oh my god—”
Before she could finish, Max dove back in, sucking her even harder, the wet and filthy sounds getting louder.
“Fuck— Max!” Valerie moaned hard, her hips bucking against his face. Her hand tightened in his hair, pulling him closer as her thighs started to shake.
Max pushed her legs wider apart and buried his tongue inside her, then sucked hard on her clit again.
Valerie’s moans turned louder, almost desperate. “Shit… I’m—I'm getting close…”
Max pulled back just enough to growl against her. “Tell me when you’re about to come.”
She nodded frantically, panting. A few seconds later, her whole body tensed.
“I’m gonna come— Max, I’m gonna come!” she screamed, right on the edge.
Max stopped instantly. He pulled his mouth away completely and sat back on his heels, leaving her throbbing and dripping.
Valerie’s eyes flew open. “Max?!” she gasped, panting hard, her hips still twitching. “What are you doing?”
She tried to close her legs, but he kept them spread with his hands.
“I was so close,” she complained, glaring at him, flushed and frustrated. “Why did you stop?”
Max wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, breathing heavily. He reached down and palmed the very obvious, thick bulge in his jeans.
“Because I’m already this fucking hard,” he said. “There’s no way I was going to let you come if I couldn't bury my cock inside you, Valerie. And I’m not fucking you, remember?”
Valerie stared at him, still panting. “But we had a deal—”
“Yeah, exactly. Your deal,” he said, squeezing his erection through his jeans. “You made sure I can’t fuck you without letting you leave. So if I can’t come, you don’t get to come either. That’s your punishment for making that stupid deal.”
“You’re such a petty bastard,” she snapped, still flushed and aching.
Max gave her a satisfied smile. “Maybe. But you’re staying, baby.”
Valerie let out an angry, frustrated groan and dropped her head back on the bed. “I hate you right now.”
Max chuckled. He looked down at her — robe open, thighs spread, covered in chocolate and her own wetness, pissed off and unsatisfied.
“Get some rest, Val,” he said, still smiling as he headed for the door.
“You’re really just going to leave me like this?” she called after him, voice full of disbelief.
Max glanced back with a smirk. “Yep.”