Small warning: Mature content ahead :)
Another small warning: There is references to physical abuse.

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Max's POV

From her balcony's door, I peered inside before lightly knocking on the ajar door. Valerie's soft eyes flickered from the book in her hand, meeting mine, and an immediate smile curved her lips. She discarded the book and rose gracefully to her feet, meeting me halfway as I pushed the door open and stepped into her room. I had promised to meet her after my supposed meeting with Lilly, per my lie, but considering everything that unraveled afterward, I returned late.

I had texted her if I could drop by, I had missed her like crazy over the past weeks, and she replied that her mother was home but that I could come through the balcony like previous times.

She was wearing the red striped PJ that I adored on her, her red slippers contrasting softly against the carpet, and her beautiful ginger hair cascading around her face. One look at her and I was a gone case, unable to grasp how she had entered my life out of nowhere and become such an integral part of it. She consumed my thoughts, day and night. I couldn't comprehend how her presence made breathing easier, how my heart was learning more than just how to pump blood these days. Much more.

Somehow, in some twisted way, she had woven herself into the very fabric of my being.

Lost in my thoughts of everything that encompassed her, Valerie stopped across from me, her eyes soft and inviting. "Hey," she murmured before tiptoeing and gently pecking my lips, for a second too long.

Her rare display of affection took me by surprise, my eyebrows knitting together as I tried to comprehend that she had made the decision to kiss me all on her own. She read the confused bewilderment on my face, lines etching her forehead as a pink hue spread across her cheeks. "What?" she whispered.

"You'll be the end of me, won't you?" I mumbled. She gives me whiplash, seriously. One second, she's punching my stomach and hitting my face, the next she's asking me to come over and kissing me.

She narrowed her eyes at me, "Do you like to exaggerate everything?" She said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

A smile broke over my lips as I moved closer, my hand wrapping around her arm, pulling her to me. Without warning, I captured her sweet lips in mine, knowing a mere peck wouldn't ease my intensifying hunger for her. I tasted my favorite taste in the whole world, so sweet, so addicting. I felt like a narcotist taking his drug shot after being starved for years.

I deepened the kiss, my tongue delved in and explored hers. She surrendered to me, a low soft noise that unraveled me at the seams, climbed up her throat, and her hands moved over and up my arms. My palm pressed into her cheek, my fingers hooking below her chin, tilting her face just right so I could delve deeper and take all she was willing to give.

I savored the warmth of her mouth, the soft, intoxicating rhythm of her response. Her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me closer, her nails grazing my scalp and sending shivers down my spine. The little intimate moment we shared at the auditorium left me more desperate and starved for her, it raised a primal urge to overstep every limit and boundary and make her mine forever.

I felt the electricity surge beneath the tips of my fingers as they caressed her face and neck, the voltage exceeding the normal limit, ready to explode and ignite a fire within my chest. Every muscle in my body tightened, my skin burned, and the only remedy would be to have hers bare against mine.

My hands left her face, traveling down to the back of her thighs, grasping them tightly and pulling her up. Responsive to my every touch, she wrapped her legs around me, hooking herself into me as I moved her back toward the bed. I never broke the kiss, never got weary or fulfilled. My hunger increased as I nibbled and sucked, leaving no spot in her mouth unexplored.

Her back hit the mattress and she moaned softly against my lips, a sound that sent fire through my veins. It licked every living nerve of my being, and I was sure I'd go mad if I didn't take all of her today. I wanted so much. I wanted to feel and caress every inch of her body, to taste it, to lick and bite every corner. I wanted to lose myself in her entirely.

Logic eluded me, it made me overstep my boundaries, and my hand slipped beneath her shirt, feeling the warmth of her skin, the curve of her waist, and the rise and fall of her chest.

I wanted to memorize every part of her, to imprint her into my very soul, I wanted so much, god, I was going crazy and I couldn't stop or pull back. I kissed a trail down her neck, biting gently, feeling her pulse quicken beneath my lips. She arched against me, her body responding to every touch, every kiss, and it drove me wild.

I pulled back just enough to gaze into her eyes, and in them, I saw a reflection of what's in mine, same wildness, same need, same hunger, and something so different, so unique, ready to learn and explore, unable to comprehend the intensity of what she was feeling, almost like she was experiencing it all for the very first time.

Maybe she really was experiencing it all for the first time...

"Valerie," I whispered, my voice heavy and tight, choked with emotions I was terrified to confront, "Tell me to stop."

With her hands over my shoulders, holding me closer, her chest heaved, up and down, and her eyes were like liquid, like fire and she shook her head, "No, don't," She urged and my heart broke, it broke because I couldn't imagine anyone harming her, "Don't stop," She whispered as she pulled her head up, capturing my lips again.

A low groan rumbled from the base of my throat, her invitation releasing the predator in me who wanted to eat his prey alive and leave nothing behind, "What do you want me to do," I asked, teaching myself how to be patient, how to be careful, because I could easily ruin all of this with one wrong move. I could easily hurt her and I'd rather die a thousand times before I cause her any harm.

I smoothed down the hair on the side of her face, gazing down at her, grasping at the edges of control, and waiting for her to lead me through. Breathless, she gazed up at me with something unknown, unfamiliar, too pure, so innocent and I wanted to kiss all of her pain away, "Touch me...like you did in the morning," She whispered, so shyly, unable to phrase what she wanted in exact.

I lowered my head and softly kissed her lips, smiling faintly against them as I took my sweet time. My hand moved, it fell from over her cheek, down to the curve of her neck, before it gently carressed her breast from over the thin material of her shirt, her breath hitched when my thumb moved over her hardened nipple and I bit back a groan at the sensation.

Achingly slow, I rubbed my thumb over it and didn't know if I could last longer with these torturous thoughts clouding my mind, didn't know if I could keep going as slow and calm.

Patience wasn't one of my virtues. All I wanted was to rip her clothes apart, take her breast into my mouth, and bury myself deep into her warmth. I wanted to fuck her hard and rough, to take her from every damned position, to have her come on my mouth and cock till she can't feel anyone but me, taste anything but me, remember anyone but me...

The image of all that eluded my control and I kissed her deeper, my teeth grazing her lower lip as I cupped her breast and flickered her nipple with my thumb before I pinched it. The sudden speed in my actions made her moan into my lips, a soft squeak of pleasure as her nails grazed at the nape of my neck.

"Tell me if I go too fast," I murmured against her lips, hoping she'd guard me if I lost control. She hummed against my lips, "You aren't," She murmured. I was on sensory overload as I explored every inch of her breasts before I glided my palm down her stomach. I felt myself hesitate when I reached the hem of her shirt, scared I'd lose her to bitter memories afterward.

I edged my head back, just enough so I could gaze down at her. She pried her eyelids open, her liquidy eyes staring up at me, "If you feel uncomfortable, just tell me to stop," I managed to speak, my voice thick and hard in restraint. My thumb traced slow, deliberate circles over the exposed area of her stomach, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my touch, "Just say it, and I will."

She shook her head, "You don't make me uncomfortable," She gazed at me with a trust that broke my heart, because despite the genuineness of my feelings for her, I lied still. I lied to her today, the weight of that deception crushed me and I am unable to forgive myself still, so would she?

Would she still look at me with those trusting eyes if she knew where I had been, if she knew that Nikolas had left the guy a bloody mess on the floor? If she knew I had been complicit, that I had known everything and lied still, would she trust me again?

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Valerie's POV

I didn't know what I was doing, couldn't comprehend what I was craving —and god, I was craving everything he is.

His touch, his kisses, his warmth, and his skin, all pressed up against mine.

His mouth, his hair, his scent, his eyes; god those eyes, I'll never be able to explain them. Words would fail me every single time. How could I describe the soft pecks scattered here and there, like the leaves of a spring garden, like the deepest forest, green and mysterious, with sunlight filtering through the canopy? But beneath all that, in their depth, there is a devil, waiting for the right moment to be unleashed.

They reflected everything he was. The innocent but not so innocent, the bad tucked under layers and layers of good. A dance of shadow and light, of black and white.

My pulse went haywire when his palm descended down, teasing at the edge of my pajama pants before it slipped beneath it.

When his hand moved between my legs, I stopped breathing.

When his experienced fingers touched me over my panties, I whimpered, my hands fisting over his shirt, trying to hold into anything or else I will go slipping away.

Max's hand stilled at my reaction, his muscles tensing up, "Should I stop?"

"God, no, don't you dare," I whimpered again, pressing the back of my head against the mattress, trying to make sense of everything I was feeling, so very new, so pleasurable and unfamiliar.

A raspy chuckle left his mouth at the desperation in my voice and he moved those damned fingers again. When I thought it couldn't feel any better, he proved me wrong by moving aside the scrap of fabric and pressing his index finger directly on my clit.

My hips shot up, like I'd been struck by lightning, the electricity surged through every nerve in my being, my heart felt like it was about to burst, my breathing getting heavier and heavier, the air leaving my lungs in the form of whimpers and moans, ones he kept swallowing into his mouth, his hot perfect mouth.

His fingers kept moving with practiced ease, finding the rhythm that drove me wild. My hips bucked against his hand, seeking more, needing more. He broke the kiss, his breath hot against my ear as he whispered, "God, you're so beautiful, so perfect."

I shivered at his words, my body responding to the tenderness in his voice. He rubbed tiny circles around the sensitive flesh, his fingers so warm, so harsh and soft, all at once, gentle but firm; they moved like they knew every part of me so well, knew where to hit the right places as they slid lower to tease the moisture pooling in my core.

The groan he let out raced up my spine, and I shivered, writhed underneath his torturous touch, "Oh fuck, you're so wet," He rasped, dipping his head into my neck, his teeth grazing my skin, in an attempt to hold himself back in any way he could.

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, my fingers diving through the back of his hair, every touch felt more sensual, amplified, every one of my senses going on override. The ache between my legs was getting worse, throbbing harder as ripples of this foreign pleasure danced inside of me, building up in my stomach and chest.

He was taking me to places I'd never been to before, sensations I'd never experienced.

I never had a boyfriend before David, never kissed a boy but him, and no one touched me but him. Before him, there was no one. And after him, there couldn't be. I felt so broken, incapable of experiencing what other girls did, almost like he physically broke something within me on that dreadful night.

Thoughts, dark and painful, threatened to break through, ready to take over the pleasure and push me back into the depth of that pit but I got distracted when I registered the hard ridge pressing into my hip. The feel of Max's hard-on rubbing up against me felt so erotic, so euphoric I couldn't think straight.

I became desperate, the need to touch him building up within me furiously. My own naughty thoughts shocked me but before I could comprehend them, I moved on instincts, on the high of the sexual tension rising in me. My hand lifted as if possessed, running down his chest, feeling the edges of his abs before it slipped into his waistband and toward his boxers.

He edged backward, the devil in his eyes taking over, darkening them to the point I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, my brain was slowly melting, this couldn't be the same brain that got me into med school, no way, I even forgot what each organ was supposed to do because every one of mine was malfunctioning.

Are hearts supposed to drop into your stomach? I guess not. Do you feel them beating so loudly in your ears? Do lungs stop contracting, suffocating due to a simple touch? Do stomachs get heated up, like a pool of warm warm liquid?

Max's hand curled over my wrist, and pulled my hand up, forbidding me from touching what I was dying to feel, "But—" I tried to say but was stopped by the change in his finger's rhythm, faster, and harder.

"Today is only about you," He said gruffly, "We can do me later," he added with a wink.

He did something with his fingers, fuck, I didn't understand but it was good, so good I gasped. How was he able to find all of my pleasurable points in one go?

"Keep looking at me," The edge in his tone made me flutter my eyes open right away, staring at him as he gazed down at me, with minimum control, with need, with pain and happiness, all mixed up together. His movements matched the rhythm of my heartbeats, accelerating, and amplifying, and I felt the pressure build and build—

He gazed at me like I was so precious, so perfect, like he wanted to tuck me far away from everything, from everyone.

I was chasing a high I'd never known, like climbing a very high mountain, but also similar to slipping down that same cliff, believing that I would find solace at the top of the ridge or at the bottom of the ocean.

"Max, I—" I didn't know what...

I felt the edges of reality blur, the boundaries between us dissolving as his touch pushed me closer to the edge. My breath hitched, my heart raced, every nerve ending on fire. The intensity of it all, the overwhelming sensation, was almost too much to bear.

"That's it, baby," He rasped, the sensation sweeping over me like a hurricane, "Keep those eyes on me," I tried to keep my eyes focused, but I was flailing, "I want to watch you come apart for me, Valerie," And that all it took as I crashed. I fell and floated, my back arched, my nails dug so deep into his shoulders I was sure they'd leave a permanent mark and Max captured my mouth, silencing the pleasurable sound that came out uncontrollably loud out of my throat.

I felt like I could black out, lose myself to the achingly beautiful sensation but Max's warmth, his gentle touch over my cheek pulled me back. My cheeks flushed as I opened my eyes and looked at him, "That was—" I couldn't even find the appropriate words.

"Just the beginning," Max resumed them and I gulped down at the promise in his words. My legs felt like jelly, and my stomach had stupid butterflies like I was a teenager again.

"There is more?" I whispered.

The innocence behind my question made him smile, so boyish and devilish and everything I didn't know I wanted and needed, "Oh, if only you knew what I am going to do with you, Valerie," He said, his thumb tracing my lower lip ever so tenderly, his gaze focused on my lips and lips only.

They flickered back to my eyes, "That's for later though," He said, leaning and softly pecking my lips, "Step by step," He added, his level of understanding leaving me speechless.

He fixed the pants off my PJ, moving into his back before he snuck an arm under my body, pulling me closer, tucking me to him like he never wanted to break apart. I gazed at him with so many mixed feelings, "Where were you my whole life?" I whispered, the words leaving my mouth without my permission.

His lips twitched, "Pleasuring other girls," He said, ever so casually, "I had a duty to society, you know—"

My moment of admiration died so fast. I shot him a glare before curling my hand into a fist and punching his chest, "The way you make me change my mind so fast," I grumbled and he chuckled amusingly. I was about to pull back but he pulled me back in.

The thought brought a bitter feeling to my chest, how he'd shared such intimate moments with god knows how many girls, while it was my first time ever feeling anything like this. I will never consider David as my first time, he isn't, he'll never be. True, I was drugged on that night, but I remember it all, I felt it all and it didn't feel anything like this.

Max read the troubling tumultuous thoughts raging in my head. He brought his hand up, smoothing my hair away from my face, gently and soothingly running his hand through my strands. He edged his head, his forehead pressed against mine, and his eyelids dropped down as he sucked into a deep breath.

"Strawberries," He hummed in satisfaction, erupting a low chuckle from me with his obsession with my smell.

He pecked my lips, "You even taste like strawberries," He mumbled against my mouth.

"You're lying," I said, my eyebrow playfully arching.

"How so?"

"You're allergic, and I suppose your parents figured that out at a very young age, which means you don't know what strawberries actually taste like," I said.

He smiled at my comment and shook his head, "I don't," He admitted, "Since I couldn't have it, I always imagined it to taste so good, like nothing I've ever had before," He said, "And that's how you taste."

His lips brushed mine, ever so tenderly, unable to break the spell that bound them to me, "So good, out of this world, ethereal even," He murmured, "So, the real question is," He added, his eyes gazing into mine, so deeply, almost like he could see that broken part of me, almost like he could help me mend it, heal it, "Where were you my whole life?"

I brought my hand up, it rested on the side of his head, and the tips of my fingers slowly brushed over his hair, "I had to come at the right moment, to stop you from plummeting to your death, remember?" My words erupted a very loud frustrated sigh out of him, and his annoyance pushed a smile into my face.

"How many times will I say that I wasn't going to jump," He grated out, his eyebrow raising in defense.

I shrugged, "I know what I saw."

He shot me a glare, "You annoy me so much."

My smile widened and I tapped my hand over his cheek, "You annoy me too, kidney boy."

A low sigh pushed out of my lips as I thought back to earlier today, my smile wavering, "How was your sister?" I asked, feeling utterly guilty for not trusting him, "Is everything okay?"

Max kept silent for a second too long, his gaze flickered away from my eyes, staring down and he nodded his head, "Yeah, all is fine," He said, his eyes falling on mine again.

The sudden shift in his expression gave the message that he didn't want to discuss it so I didn't pry further, respecting his boundaries.

"My mother asked me about you yesterday," He said, attempting to change the subject as well.

A smile curled at the corner of my lips at the mention of her and he added, "She wants to have you over for dinner again," His shoulders seemed to relax a bit as my smile widened. I nodded my head, "I would love to," I said, honestly.

His mother was just so nice, so warm and kind. I admired her, a lot. A part of me even envied her strength, how she seemed to have it all figured out, how she flawlessly raised this boy next to me. True, he has a vulgar mouth that spurts all types of nonsense at the most inappropriate times, but he is also so respectful, so attentive, so soft, and just as fierce.

He was making me care for him, and worry about him, a lot, too much more— than I'd ever like to admit.

"We can arrange it whenever you want," Max suggested and I nodded my head, agreeing.

He was becoming a constant in my life, and it felt calming, relaxing, it felt...safe. Like I didn't have to constantly look over my shoulder, I didn't have to be anxious every second of every day, I could breathe, my brain could take a break and I could be not so broken anymore, I could be —happy again.

The peacefulness taking over me, adding to the fact I couldn't sleep well over the past two weeks, weakened my body, and my eyelids felt heavy, dropping down in exhaustion. Max pecked my lips once more, "Goodnight, Valerie," he whispered, ever so soothingly.

"Goodnight," I mumbled lowly, sleepily, feeling him fix the blanket over me, tucking it snugly below my neck. Humming in satisfaction, I buried my face into the crook of his neck, his scent enveloping me, intoxicating and comforting all at once as I fell into a deep tranquil sleep.

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Max liked to touch. Everything. All the time.

Whether it was my hair as I tried to brush it, or the back of my neck as he stood behind me, watching me through the mirror. Whether it was my hips, his fingers trailing provocatively, or the way he'd sneakily run his hand over my ass, sending me a playful wink like the pervert he is. Whether it was my stomach, his touch light and teasing, or the tender inner parts of my thighs, he found a way to connect with me physically at every opportunity.

He was addicted, and he was making me just as addicted as him.

After making sure Mom left for work and Reneé was off to school, I opened the door of my room and allowed him out. "We can have breakfast before you leave," I suggested.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, his arm sneaking around my waist, touching me still, "I like this you," He said, gazing down at me as we headed for the kitchen, "The you that likes me and my presence."

I playfully rolled my eyes at him and broke free of his touch so I could move around the kitchen. Thankfully, I had just gotten my salary from my babysitting job and filled the house with all the necessary groceries. My mother was rarely ever home so she never cared to shop for anything.

I remembered how much he enjoyed my pancakes that time I stayed over at his place, so I decided to make them again. Gathering all the ingredients, I started mixing the batter.

"How can I help?" Max asked, his confused eyes adorably flickering around.

I smiled, "You can prepare the coffee," I suggested and he nodded, delighted that I gave him a task.

He finished rather quickly and came up behind me, watching intently as I flipped the batter. His hand found its way to my waist, and he leaned in to plant a gentle kiss atop my shoulder. See, he just has to touch me whenever he could. I took one of the ready pancakes, tore off a small piece, and brought it to his lips. Ever so gracefully, he took it, his lips brushing not-so-innocently over my fingers for a second too long.

He chewed slowly, savoring the taste, and I tilted my head slightly, eager to see his reaction. His eyelids fluttered shut, and he hummed in satisfaction. "Seriously, don't tell my mom, but your pancakes taste better," he said, making me chuckle at his silliness.

He dropped another kiss on my shoulder, "I am hungry," he murmured.

I turned off the stove, having finished the last pancake, "Well, the pancakes are ready," I announced ready to move and prepare the table, but he tightened his arms around my waist, his palm pressing against my stomach, pulling me back to him.

"Not that type of hungry," he murmured, his lips trailing over my neck. His hot breath sent shivers down my spine, weakening my resolve ever so quickly, "Hungry for you."

The playful desire in his voice, mixed with the tender pressure of his hands, made my heart race, "Max," I whispered, wanting to push but also pull him closer, "But— but pancakes," Oh holy shit, this mouth of his is making my brain melt once again, "And...breakfast."

He chuckled softly, the sound vibrating against my skin, "Breakfast can wait," he whispered back, his lips tracing a line from my neck to my ear, "You, on the other hand, cannot."

He turned me around in his arms, so that I could face him. He crowded all of my personal space like he wanted to consume me, pull me into him, and brand me deep in his bones. In contrast to the starved lion in his eyes, he brought his hand up and tenderly ran the back of his forefinger over my cheek, from the top and down to my chin, ever so sensual, "You're even prettier in the morning," He whispered, always speaking what's on his mind out loud, I wish I could do that too.

"Makes me wish to wake up next to you every day," He added, softly.

His finger resumed exploring, going under my chin, down the curve of my neck, brushed my collarbone, and paused by the neck of my shirt. His gaze flickered from my heaving chest, the one rising up and down in anticipation, it fell on my eyes, "Can I?" He asked, taking permission.

I licked my dry lips, trying to gather my lost voice as I asked, "Step two?" I questioned, referring to his words from last night.

The corner of his lips pulled up and he nodded, so devilishly, "Believe me, you are going to enjoy this one," He said.

Holy hell, what is he going to do?

I nodded my head; the excitement, and the desire to know more, explore more with him, was more appealing than anything else. Max's fingers moved, unbuttoning my pajama top. My heartbeats accelerated, and the sudden realization that I would be bare for him both exhilarated and terrified me in equal measure.

Nervousness rushed all over my chest, it painted my skin red and my fingers curled into a fist at the side. Max's gaze momentarily dropped to my fisted hands, attentive to every little detail of my body, to my every reaction. Almost like he read my mind, he didn't push the top off my upper body, he kept it on, just opened it in the middle to have better access, "Relax," He whispered as he trailed his finger down my collarbone and between the gap of my breasts.

He moved his hand, his touch slow and deliberate as it caressed the edge of my chest before he fully cupped one breast in his hand. I was a gone case afterward. In a span of seconds, he was kissing me, squeezing my breasts, and toying with my nipple between his fingers. My eyelids fluttered closed, basking in the feeling of his warm hand, his experienced fingers, skin on skin, no shirts or fabric separating us and that was a hundred times more blissful.

Tiny bolts of pleasure shot between my legs and I bit my lower lip against his onslaught.

His thumb found my throbbing nipple again and he flicked it up and down. Max didn't miss the opportunity and claimed my neck the second I threw my head back. His lips, scorchingly hot, traveled down, further down and before I could understand a thing, his mouth wrapped around my other nipple and he bit down. Hard. A zap of electricity started from his hot mouth on my breasts and ended up pooling at my core. I let out a sound I thought people only fake in movies, but oh, this wasn't fake...

"Ma—Max... please..."

"Please what?" He murmured against the skin of my breast, his breath heating my skin, "Stop or keep going?"

"Keep...going," How did I not know that my body could experience such a bliss before?

Max's lips curved into a mischievous smile against my skin. He didn't need to be told twice. His hand, his mouth, and his touch were relentless, each movement calculated to drive me wild and insane.

His hand moved lower, skimming over my stomach and settling on my hips. His fingers dug in slightly, holding me in place as his mouth continued its exploration. I almost whimpered when he paused his euphoric attack, "Wrap your legs around me," He said. Oh god, no, he wasn't saying, he was commanding and I did exactly as he wanted.

He carried me up, his lips slamming into mine again as he moved. All I felt after was my bottom hit a wooden surface. Before I could absorb what was happening, Max's urgent hands had already gotten rid of my pants, sliding and discarding them away. My eyes widened and I looked at the table, "We eat here," I mumbled in a horrified tone at the mere thought.

Max smiled as he gazed at me, his lips red and swollen, his hair a bit messy, and the devil in his eyes was going to drag me to the depths of hell. He parted my legs, "And that's exactly what I am going to do," He said with a wink, ever so casual, and I thought I'd faint.

I licked my dry lips at the feral, wild look on his face.

God, he was so beautiful —achingly and painfully beautiful.

But I didn't get to watch him watch me for long.

I didn't get to pause the moment and tuck it away for me to savor later.

Because he lowered himself down, to his knees and his face was between my legs.

"What are you —"

All of my terrified thoughts disappeared when I felt his mouth, that goddamned mouth, so hot and warm against my most sensitive part. I died. I really died. This couldn't be real. I can't be in my kitchen, on the table, my legs spread apart and Max is tasting me...no, no way...

I am either dreaming or dead...

He ran his tongue from the bottom right to the top of my clit. My lips parted to speak, to cry out in pleasure and pain, I opened my mouth to say something, but it remained in a wide 'O'. Max repeated his attack, again and again, not giving me time to think or to breathe.

I gripped the table's edge as my head fell backward, unable to catch my next breath. I was grasping at the edge of control and crashing, failing as I fell down from a very high cliff, one I knew he'd catch me at the very end.

He sucked and pulled at my folds with his teeth, his stubble scratching at my inner thighs. The sensation was enough to bring me to orgasmic bliss. He nibbled on my clit with his teeth, and I jerked up the table as if I were possessed. Told you, he is the devil, and he will drag me to hell, burn me there in its writhing flames with him. He was a sin and he is making a sinner out of me.

He pinned me down with both his hands on my hips as I writhed, ready to unravel.

"You...taste," He murmured against my sensitive flesh, "Just like I imagined..." I could feel myself dipping, on the edge of ecstasy, he was literally devouring me, "So...fucking...good."

My fingers found the soft locks of his hair and I pushed— and pulled...I'm not quite sure. Something wild and unrestrained built inside me so fast, that I couldn't register it, let alone contain it. It was much more intense than yesterday and before my heart could take its next beat, without any warnings, I came so hard, my legs buckling, my body losing all control and my loud moan was not to be contained.

Black dots formed behind my lids and it took me a minute or two or ten to gain back my control, to capture a rhythm to my breathing, and to steady my erratic heartbeats. When I finally managed to open my eyes and gather the scattered parts of my melted brain, I was met with his mischievous gaze.

He edged closer, settling himself between my legs, "I always knew you were a screamer, Gingy," he said ever so teasingly.

I fisted my hand over his shirt and pulled him to me, crashing my lips against his. Before I could gather much, my tongue sank into his mouth, finding solace, and finding a home. Reality crashed down on me a bit too late and I abruptly pulled back, my eyes growing a bit wide, bewildered at myself, at what I was doing, at what I kept letting him do to me.

Heaving for my lost breath, Max looked down at me with an unhinged look, "Tasting yourself on my lips, aren't you," He murmured, his voice so low, a dangerous level of low. He hooked his fingers below my chin, "You're a bad, bad girl, Valerie," He rasped and I couldn't understand why every word of his made me want to spread my legs and let him in. This is bad. So bad. I didn't know I was signing off on when I accepted this.

I felt embarrassed, self-aware, and exposed. Redness flushed every exposed skin of my body, my skin was on literal fire and Max noticed all of that. His dangerous smile turned softer and his grip over my chin loosened. He gently carressed my cheek before he leaned closer and pecked it, "You are so adorable," He said, reveling in every reaction I gave him.

His eyes flickered to my own, and I saw a flicker of something unknown. They dimmed slightly, and I failed to understand the hidden meaning woven into his next words, "So much so that my heart hurts every time I look at you."

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After our little, not-so-little, intimate moment in the kitchen, we eventually had our breakfast—the real one, made up of food and ingredients. Before that, I made sure to sanitize the table thoroughly, which elicited an amused laugh from Max as he watched me with a twinkle of playful mischief in his eyes.

Once we were refreshed and ready, we left the house together, stepping into the warm embrace of the morning sun, "What are your plans for today?" He asked as we headed toward where he had his car parked.

"I have a babysitting job in an hour, then after that, I promised Aubrey to help at the shop," I said, "I finish everything around six."

He nodded his head, "Then, it's finalized, I will pick you up from the coffee shop at six and we'll go out."

"To where?"

"A date," He answered, keeping it vague.

My eyebrow raised and he brought his hand up, the one wrapped around mine. He left a tender kiss over it, "I have the right to take my girlfriend out on a date, don't I?" He asked, being so sweet that I wanted to pinch myself because half of what I was feeling couldn't be real.

I smiled and nodded my head, "Yeah, you do," I said, "I will see you at six, then."

He threw an accomplished fist in the air and I had to smack his arm with a chuckle because he had to make a big deal out of everything.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I had planned to go directly to the coffee shop after babysitting, but the kid threw up on me and ruined my shirt. I needed to change into something better since I was going out with Max tonight.

I headed back home and picked up another outfit. I changed into it and looked at myself in the mirror, making sure I looked at least presentable. Deciding to fix my hair and put on a bit of makeup too, the quick drop-by home took me a bit more time than intended.

Just as I was about to close my makeup bag, I heard a sound—more like a squeak of a door. Confused, I looked behind me, straining to listen more intently. My first thought was that Mom had come back early, but she...wouldn't.

My heartbeat accelerated, and I left my room, looking around and checking for any intruders.

When I found nothing, I shook my head at my silly thoughts and went back to my room. Quickly tidying up the mess I had created, I picked up my phone and bag and was finally ready to head out. The second I turned on my heels, I came to a halting stop, the oxygen knocked out of my lungs as my eyes fell into his very familiar dark blue ones, staring back at me with a ferocity that froze me on the spot.

The urge to fight or flee was replaced with one response only: to freeze. Stop dead in the eye of the storm.

He walked into the room, his enraged eyes flickering all over me, a madman who wanted to rip me apart just like he once did, "Sweet Valerie," he said, his voice, his usual nickname, dredging up so many bitter memories.

"Da... David," I whispered, breathlessly.

"How—how did you get inside?" I managed to speak, but still couldn't move.

He took a step closer, "Did you forget all that I am capable of doing, sweetheart?" He said with an arched eyebrow, "Did you forget that there isn't a place I can't get into, a thing that I can't get," His steps were slow, deliberate, each one echoing the dread that had rooted me to the spot, "I always, always get what I want, you know that."

My gaze flickered all over his face, trying to make sense of the bloody mess it had become. Dark, angry bruises spread like shadows across his skin, painting his temple, nose, and jaw in hues of purple and blue. Jagged cuts crisscrossed his cheeks, some still fresh and oozing. Swollen lumps distorted his forehead and the area around his eyes, making it hard to recognize the man that haunted my nightmares.

He noticed my confused bewildered gaze and he pointed his finger at his face, "Oh, this?" He said in mockery, "Just a courtesy of your dear boyfriend, and —his father I suppose."

My world came to a grinding halt, a cold dread seizing my chest, "What?" The word barely escaped my lips, my breath hitching, trapped.

He paused when he was so close, right across from me, breathing the same air as me. He loomed over me, his gaze predatory, like a cat toying with a mouse, "What did you think?" he challenged, his voice dripping with venom, "That you'd send him after me and I wouldn't retaliate?"

"I didn't—" I began, but he cut me off sharply.

"Did you forget what I did?" His voice turned harsher, angrier, each word a stab of fear, "Was killing daddy dearest not enough for you," The memories, the terror, they all surged up, choking me, blinding me with tears. I felt them pressing down, suffocating, reminding me that I was broken still, helpless, "I told you, Valerie, I warned you, do one thing wrong and I will kill everyone you care about!"

I could feel the panic rising, my breath coming in short, shallow gasps. I wanted to scream, to run, but my feet felt like they were cemented to the floor.

His eyes darkened, a flicker of true madness igniting within their depths, "I recall Reneé losing her leg, would you like it if she lost her head this time?" His voice dripped with malice, each word a sharp, poisonous barb aimed at my deepest vulnerabilities, "Or if I just killed off your mother? Her presence and absence won't make much of a difference, right?" He mocked.

My heart pounded in my chest, my fingers trembling as I tried to unlock my phone, praying he wouldn't notice, "Or even better, I could start with your boyfriend," he added, his lips curling into a sadistic smile, "I am already dying to rip him apart."

His gaze flicked to my hand, catching sight of my desperate attempt. In one swift, violent motion, he snatched the phone from my grip and hurled it across the room. The crash of it hitting the floor made me wince, but there was no time to react. His hand shot out, gripping my chin with a brutal force as he shoved me backward, slamming me against the wall.

"I thought you were smarter, Valerie," he grated out, his fingers digging into my skin, pressing harder and harder.

I brought my hand up, trying to free myself from his harsh grip. I groaned as I tried to move my legs, to kick him anywhere. I noticed him limping slightly—he was hurt. I should be able to do this. But still, he was stronger, pinning my body against the wall and restricting my movements, his fury overpowering my feeble resistance.

"You had to know I wouldn't stay put if you came after me," He hissed, his breath hot and rancid against my face.

I shook my head, "I didn't...I didn't," I mumbled, my vision blurry with tears, "I didn't do anything."

My denial only seemed to fuel his rage further. Before I could draw another breath, his palm collided with my face, the force so intense that blackness swarmed my vision in an instant. I crumpled to the ground, a sob escaping my lips.

But no, he wasn't done.

He was on me in an instant, his fingers wrapping around my neck, squeezing with a vicious intensity. My eyes widened in terror as he held me down, the weight of his body crushing me against the floor. I couldn't breathe. I writhed beneath him, my nails digging into his hand, desperately trying to claw it away, but it was useless.

He pressed harder and harder, "This is far from done, sweet Val," he threatened, his voice a cold, venomous whisper.

My world narrowed to the pain and the terror. Every breath was a battle, every heartbeat a struggle. My vision blurred with tears, and my thoughts grew disjointed. I could see the madness in his eyes, the enjoyment he derived from my suffering. The room seemed to close in around me, my body screaming for air, for escape.

I was losing my grip on reality, lightheaded, my eyes about to roll back, and only then did he loosen his grip. The sudden rush of oxygen had me wheezing, and coughing violently. "Tell your boyfriend that no one comes at me and gets away with it," he hissed, and my heart shattered, the pieces pressing into my stomach, ripping me apart at the seams.

Stupid, I am so stupid...

His mouth was beside my ear, whispering his sadistic words, trying to imprint them there forever, reminding me that there will never be an escape, "Tell him that is my payback," He hissed, "That he started a war, but I am going to win it."

"There is no escape from me, sweet Val. No corner of your mind, no sanctuary will be safe. I will carve my name into your very soul and make sure that every time you close your eyes, you see my face, hear my voice, and feel my touch."

"This is just the beginning."

His fingers wrapped around my hair from the back, fisting it so hard I could feel the roots scream. But I could no longer feel any pain, not even when he used his grip to slam my head against the floor.

Blackness took over faster than the speed of light, and within seconds only, I slipped away into nothingness.

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