Chapter 3
Maximus's face suddenly filled my vision, all fierce good looks and an almost predatory vibe. My mind went totally blank, just a giant question mark and my whole worldview teetering on the edge of collapse, flickering like a busted neon sign.
The rose petal scent was so sweet it was almost sickening, but Maximus's aura was even more intense, dominating the space around me like he owned it.
Wait, did I just make a massive mistake?
For a few seconds, time seemed to freeze while my brain completely crashed.
All I could smell was the heavy, almost choking sweetness of roses, tangled with Maximus's crisp, dangerous masculine scent. It was enough to make my pulse go wild.
Maximus was looming over me, so close I could literally count every one of his long lashes, and in his eyes, I could see my own face, completely lost and panicked.
"I..." I opened my mouth, but my throat was so dry that it felt like it was glued shut. "Mr. Drake, are you... are you getting the wrong idea? I mean, we're just supposed to keep things professional, right? Just work together, nothing more..."
My voice faded away, because the look in his eyes told me he wasn't even listening to my lame explanations.
"A misunderstanding?" Maximus's voice lifted at the end, a hint of teasing in his tone. He reached out and, moving slowly, picked a rose petal off my cheek.
His cool fingertips brushed my skin, making me shudder involuntarily.
"So the wedding was a misunderstanding? The ring too? Or maybe now..." His eyes swept over the bed, covered in red petals that symbolized love and desire, then landed back on my face, his meaning crystal clear. "Is this bed just a misunderstanding as well?"
"This... this is just for show! It's all part of the process!" I stammered.
"Mr. Drake, you've got someone you care about, and me. I'm not after you, I mean, I totally respect your mom! Seriously, we're on the same team here!
"Keeping this marriage squeaky clean is good for both of us!" I nearly bit my tongue. Why did I have to spill the truth right when things got awkward?
"Pure?" Maximus echoed.
Like I'd just cracked the best joke of the night, he let out a low, amused chuckle.
That sound slipped right into my ears, sending a shiver through me and making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
"Annabelle Michael," he said, using my full name for the first time, tasting every syllable with a playful twist. "Who told you I've got someone special in my heart?"
I was stunned. "What? Everyone in Seraville knows... You're famous for keeping yourself pure for your legendary love..."
"Rumors," Maximus cut me off, his fingers slowly crushing the rose petal. The bright red juice stained his pale skin, creating a wild, almost decadent contrast.
"You actually buy that?" he asked.
"Then... what's your deal?" I stammered.
My head was a total mess.
If it were not for your legendary love, then why did he always act like he was above it all, ready to go full monk mode at any second?
Maximus seemed to see right through my confusion, but he wasn't about to give me any answers. His deep eyes just roamed over my face, like a hunter sizing up his trapped prey, with this confident, almost unnerving intensity.
"As for my mother," he paused, his tone oddly subtle, "you sure put in a lot of effort for her."
He sounded like he was jealous.
No way, I must be imagining things. Maximus was jealous over his own mom? That was way too wild.
"I... It's only right," I forced a laugh, trying to wiggle my numb body out from under him. "Your mom's so great, of course I gotta be good to her... Hey, could you back up a bit? It's getting hot in here..."
"Hot?" Maximus didn't back off. If anything, he leaned in even closer, his straight nose almost brushing mine. Our breaths tangled together, the air between us getting hotter by the second.
"Then let's do something that'll really heat things up," he murmured.
Before I could even react, his lips crashed down on mine.
This wasn't the kind of chaste, restrained kiss I'd always imagined from Maximus. No, this was all dominance, punishing, possessive, leaving no room for escape.
It was a deep kiss that felt like a warning and a claim, like he was staking his territory.
My lips were claimed, my breath stolen, the sweet scent of roses mixing with his crisp, dangerous energy, laying siege to my senses.
I stared up at him, eyes wide, trying in vain to push against his solid chest. Under my hands, I could feel the heat of his skin through the fabric and the strong, steady heartbeat pounding away.
Each beat hammered at my scrambled nerves.
Weren't we supposed to just be props in each other's lives? Weren't we supposed to mind our own business? And what happened to that whole "married but living like a widow" deal?
Those Seraville rumors were seriously out to get me. This guy wasn't some saint. He was just like a wolf. And not just any wolf, but one that had been locked up hungry for centuries and finally broke loose.
The kiss seemed endless, stealing every last bit of air from my lungs. Just when I thought I might actually pass out, Maximus finally eased up, letting me catch a breath.
My lips tingled with numbness, my chest was rising and falling like crazy, and my eyes were totally unfocused. I must've looked completely wrecked.
Maximus's eyes were deep and shadowed, flickering with a fire I couldn't decipher. His fingertip grazed my lips, wet, swollen, and flushed, his voice husky. "So, do you still think I'm just for show?"
My brain was pure mush. I shook my head on reflex, then panicked and nodded, and in the end just wobbled my head back and forth like a clueless fool.