Chapter #3 - Kissing is a Cover

*This writing is the Copyrighted Intellectual Property of Elaine White*

Copyright © 2015 by Elaine White

***

Chapter 3

Hadley was breathless, as she and Maxx stilled against each other. She wound her fingers in his hair and held him close, as she basked in the afterglow. She leaned her head against his shoulder, as they caught their breath, while she wondered what on earth she had been thinking. She should never have allowed events to take off as they had. She could so easily have played coy and made him want to see more of her, by being mysterious.

Instead, she had panicked that, by rejecting him, she would lose her story opportunity and now she was in major trouble, but she couldn't let it get to her. She had to use it to her advantage. She had his attention, now she had to use it, to get exactly what she wanted from him; a way into his life, so that she could get the real inside story on just who Maxx Mackenzie was.

Suddenly, amongst all the rationalisation and planning that she was doing, she remembered something that made her laugh, despite herself.

“What's so funny?” Maxx asked, sounding caught between annoyed and intrigued.

“I heard those friends of yours say it was your birthday.” Hadley confessed, a little embarrassed by the hidden meaning of her words. “Happy Birthday!” She smiled to herself, glad that Maxx smiled back at her.

It sounded ridiculously like she'd let them get carried away, in some sort of birthday gift to him. But, for the life of her, she couldn't think of anything else to say. He'd fried her brains and she was incapable of any logical thought, so technically it was his fault.

“That's some birthday present. How about a repeat performance later, before I have to leave?” He wondered, teasingly

She hoped that meant good things, for her potential story. Then, he cupped her chin and kissed her, lingering for a response.

Hadley blushed in embarrassment, trying to remember why she was there, though in light of her latest experience, she was struggling. When she didn't say anything, he took the hint, that she was waiting to see how the rest of the night panned out, before giving into him again. At least, that's what she hoped he assumed, because, if not, she was in serious trouble. Though, she suspected she was already in knee deep.

Maxx backed over to a table, in the empty function room, fixing his clothes as he went. She had the rather awkward timing of catching him removing the condom he'd worn and throwing it into the nearby trash bin. But still, that wolfish, approving smile was on his face, the whole time, as he eyed her up, across the room.

Hadley pulled herself together; she pushed the skirt of her dress down and pulled up her panties, while fitting the top half into place. The straps didn't want to stay put, and the bust hugged her breasts until she could see her nipples showing, but that couldn't be helped. Her bra was on the floor and she wasn't going to fumble around with it, while Maxx watched.

Maxx held his hand out to her, as he backed into a seat. It was a casual offer, not demanding but invitational, as though he would like her to sit with him, but she didn't have to, if she chose not to. It was unsurprisingly gentlemanly of him, compared to other men she knew.

When he caught Hadley's moment of hesitation, he smiled lazily and turned his hand, until it looked like he was waiting to shake hers.

“I'm Maxx Mackenzie,” he introduced himself, in a very flirtatious manner, as he sank into his seat and stared at her. “A fairly well off art gallery owner, with no interest in exercise or healthy living. I like a drink, I smoke cigars and cigarettes, and I love to sit back with a good book and a cognac.” He recited, as though he was one of those Lonely Hearts ads in the newspaper.

It made her smile, as she made her way, rather unsteadily, towards the table, where he was sitting.

“I hate long walks on the beach, love listening to, but not being in, the rain and I relish the electricity of thunder storms.” Maxx continued, as she placed her hand in his. His smile softened, as he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of her fingers. “I don't like dancing or public displays of affection and I'm known to be jealous and possessive of what's mine. Call it unreasonable, if you will, or an unfavourable trait, but it's the truth.” He confessed, while using his loose grip on her hand, to draw her closer.

Hadley got the message loud and clear; he wanted a repeat performance or something close to it. But she wasn't nearly ready for more; her brain and body were still struggling to accept that their last encounter had actually happened. “Well, it's very nice to meet you.” She said, playing along with his odd little game.

“I'm Hadley Mendez, half Colombian and half American. I don't like the sand either,” she confessed, as she backed away and sat across the table from him. Unluckily for her, the table was a booth, and the seat was one single bench that circled the round table.

Maxx slid around the bench seat, until he sat right next to her, reaching up to brush a strand of dishevelled hair from her eyes.

Hadley reached up to remove it from its ponytail, letting it fall around her neck. Much to her surprise, Maxx groaned, low in his throat and brushed her hair back from her shoulder, while leaning towards her. He kissed her neck, nipping lightly with his teeth. It felt wonderful, but she knew she couldn't let him keep doing that.

“I,” she tried to remember where she'd left off, and tried again. “I don't smoke, but I do like the odd glass of wine. I'm a sucker for red tulips and marshmallows; not so much a chocolate and roses girl.” She continued, try hard to distract herself from the hot mouth, drifting down the length of her neck.

“Why?” Maxx muttered, while dragging himself away from her.

“What?”

“Why marshmallows?” He asked, actually looking genuinely interested, as she turned to look at him.

So, Hadley figured she'd tell him the truth. “Because they're so light, that I can convince myself they're like air, so I'm not breaking my diet.”

“Please tell me you're not on a diet,” he groaned, leaning his forehead on her shoulder, as if in despair. It was ridiculously cute, but she decided to focus more on the important question of just what he meant by that.

“Why?” She wondered.

“Because you're on the skinny side of perfect.” He complained, lifting his head to gaze into her eyes. His chocolate eyes drew her in, until she was speechless. But then he sighed, as though in defeat, and crushed his lips to hers, in a hot kiss.

Hadley found herself responding, without thought for consequences or what was right. Kissing Maxx felt right; it was all she wanted to do. She tilted her head into the kiss, gave up control to him and caught the back of his head in her hand, to hold him close.

***

Maxx had to drag himself away from Hadley, the moment he felt his hand surrounded by her soft thighs. He was getting dangerously close to undressing her again and he didn't want that. Well, he did, but that wasn't all he wanted.

He wanted…no, needed…to know this girl. He had to understand her and find some way of keeping her around. He'd only had a brief taste of her and already he felt like an addict, who could never get by, if she got up and left. If this girl walked away, Maxx knew that he would spend his whole life craving her, but never able to satisfy that craving in anyone else. Only Hadley would do, now and he hated it. He hated that he had no control over himself, that just looking at her, made him want to spend days with his mouth locked on hers and his hard cock buried deep inside her.

No-one else would ever taste so sweet.

Forcing himself away, he licked the taste of her from his lips and sat back, to give them some space from each other. Hadley's brown eyes stared at him, with such need and raw emotion that he wanted to dive back in and finish what he'd started. But he didn't; he had more control than that.

Instead, he turned his mind to other matters. Like her reaction to his full name; most people either ran away, wanted money or tried to get closer, to get gossip from him, when they realised who he was. He was intrigued to see that Hadley didn't seem to register any meaning behind it or connection to his profession or his father's reputation, as most people did, upon their first meeting. That intrigued him, but also made him wonder what rock she had been hiding under.

“I should probably have asked you, already,” Maxx began, realising something important. “But are you here with anyone, tonight?”

“No.” She smiled at him, though she still looked a little dazed from their kiss.

“And will you be leaving with me, tonight?” He asked, unable to stop himself, as he gently brushed the hair back from her shoulder. She looked…ravishing…with it hanging loose, down the back of her neck. There was no other word for it. It fell in light waves that seemed to mimic the curves of her body. It made him hungry.

“Your friends,” Hadley said, turning away, to look at the table, as she changed the subject. “What are they…your entourage? Bodyguards? Secret agents? Work colleagues?” She asked, teasingly, amusing him as he sat at the table and watched her.

Maxx was only more intrigued by her; who was this mystery woman, who knew nothing about him or his father? He watched her like a hawk, for any sign of who she was or what she was about. “I believe they would be considered both work colleagues and bodyguards.” He answered, deciding how much to tell her and about what.

“Wow…you must be pretty big news to have bodyguards. What do you do?” Hadley acted excited and impressed.

Hadley acted it so well, in fact, that Maxx was tempted to believe that she knew nothing and was bowled over, by the fact that he had such an impressive group of people looking after him. But there was something…something he couldn't put his finger on…that said there was no way in hell that he could be this lucky. He did not choose a random club, to visit for his birthday, only to find a near perfect woman, who had no idea who he was or knew about his father. And that near perfect woman would never let him fuck her in the back room of a club, after her display of initial hesitation, without knowing who he was first.

Just what Hadley actually was, or who she was, was still a mystery to him. But it was a mystery he was willing to solve.

“Let's say I'm in the…arts business. I handle pieces of art, take part in transactions and have a very fine collection of my own.” Maxx agreed to keep the casual conversation going and allow Hadley to keep her secrets, for now.

“That sounds wonderful.” She sighed, leaning her elbow on the table, to rest her head on top of her hand.

“And what do you do?” He asked her, curious to find out if she would tell the truth.

“I'm a novelist. Unsigned at the moment, unfortunately, so I guess it would be more accurate to say I'm an aspiring novelist.” Hadley explained, with a light giggle that didn't seem to fit with the fiery, feisty girl he'd just been with, a moment ago. “Writing is my passion, but I just haven't found the right publisher. You need an agent to get a publisher and a publisher to get an agent. And no-one takes unsolicited mail, these days.” She shrugged, as though it was a sad fact that she'd had to accept.

Maxx was impressed with how well she could lie, but she had one little tell that gave it all away. She looked away and couldn't meet his gaze, whenever she lied. So he knew that writing was her real passion, but she wasn't a novelist and she wasn't waiting for her big break. But he wasn't going to let on that he knew that, just yet.

They sat and talked for an hour, about her unemployment and how she was looking for a new career. Maxx never asked what she used to do and she didn't offer up any suggestions. He feigned interest and asked lots of questions, about what kind of stories she wrote and what she was currently working on, curious to see if she would trip up and get caught up in her own lies.

Surprisingly, she was a class act. She didn't once stumble or fall into a mistake; she kept to her lie and, yet, she always managed to bring the subject back to Maxx and his life. He didn't mind so much, liking that someone was taking an interest in him and what he did, rather than grilling him about his father and his shady business. He would figure Hadley out eventually, but there was no hurry.

After an hour together, however, Maxx broke off the conversation, mid-sentence, when he kissed Hadley quiet. She reacted instinctively, as he knew she would, and all it took was one arm around her, to grasp her thigh, before she was encouraged to move.

She climbed over him, straddling his lap and sitting high on her knees, as they kissed lightly. He didn't like the distance between them, so he pushed her constrictive dress out of the way and drew her tight ass onto his lap.

“I'll have to leave soon. I have urgent business in the morning,” he explained, pulling her closer, so that she had no other choice than to press against him and accept the kiss he initiated. It was very seductive and slow, just like most of the other things running through his head.

He didn't know who she was, but he was constantly billed as unfeeling, professional and sadistic by the newspapers, so he wanted to prove to this mysterious girl that he could be passionate and sensual, too. Whatever she said about not knowing who he was, had been a lie and he knew it, but he wanted to know why such a beautiful, innocent looking girl was lying to him. And why she'd let him inside her.

Hadley kissed away from his lips and down his jawline, gradually moving down his neck. He could feel a strange tension in her, that hadn't been there since they first walked into the room, so he decided to take it from her. Tension didn't belong in anything they did together.

Maxx pushed her dress further up her thighs and explored beneath the taut fabric, where he found her already wet for him. He touched her, just briefly, and heard the gasp of surprise, by his ear. “Will you give me one last birthday treat, before I go?” He whispered to her, shifting his body beneath hers, until he only had to undo his zip, to get inside her again.

“Take me home with you and I might.” She bargained, in that low, husky voice he loved to hear. Then she pulled back, to hover her mouth over his, playfully, in the promise of a kiss that would never come.

He knew then that she was the most interesting girl he'd ever met. No-one else confounded him the way this lying, scheming, seductress did.

Maxx smiled, looking forward to the game of cat and mouse he'd unwittingly begun to play with her. He caught her thick black hair in his hand and pulled her down, until he could kiss those pink lips.

It was the first he'd noticed that she wasn't wearing any make up. Yet, she was still, easily, the most attractive woman in the building. He kissed her with desperation and need, devouring whatever he could of her.

Maxx was a suspicious person by nature, but something about Hadley made him like that she wanted to go back to his house, rather than give him anything else for free. She was gorgeous and when they came together, it was like an explosion of hot, heady sexual satisfaction, of the likes he'd never known before. He didn't mind so much giving in to her wish.

Besides, hadn't he just told himself, that morning, that he wanted much more than just to be forced into a relationship or marriage. But that one day, he was sure that he would find a girl he wanted and who wanted him, whether he was ready? Wasn't Hadley the most perfect, sweetest thing he had seen in a long time? How could he say no?

So she was a liar. That was a small price to pay for the roaring heat between them. And she was keeping secrets; who didn't? He would discover them, eventually.

He broke the kiss, curious about how far she would take this thing between them, to get whatever it was she wanted. “Do you have any idea who I am?” Maxx asked, wanting to see her reaction to a direct accusation.

Hadley shrugged and smiled, as if she didn't understand the question.

“Don't you care?” He wondered, since he could have done all sorts of nasty things to her, in the back room a club, where her screams couldn't be heard. For a woman who seemed smart and sophisticated, considering the things they'd talked about, she wasn't exactly aware of the danger she'd put herself in, tonight.

“Why? Are you a criminal? A serial killer? Do you go prowling bars and clubs, for vulnerable women to seduce?” Hadley giggled, pretending to know nothing about him and convince him that she was just a clueless writer, who barely left her apartment.

He studied her for a minute, cool and calm in his evaluation of her, before replying. She was lying alright; she knew exactly who he was, which only made the risk she'd taken all the greater.

“I might be.” Maxx allowed, since it was possible, curious to see if she would be frightened or concerned by it.

“I don't think so. You said you were an art dealer…that's not exactly dangerous or criminal, is it?” She wondered, with a thoughtful smile.

“It could be,” he confessed, with a wry smile. She had no idea just how criminal it could be. And, for a split second, she did a stellar performance of looking caught off guard, then concerned, before smiling, in a nervous way.

Maxx figured he'd tormented her enough; he laughed it off and cupped her face in his hand, adoring her attempts to deceive him. She was so good that, had he not been focused on her so completely, he might have missed the subtle signs that told him the truth.

“You've nothing to worry about. If I've got to take you home with me, before I get you naked, then so be it. But we have to leave now, if that's what you want?” He offered, giving her what she wanted, for now.

He caught a genuine look of surprise cross her eyes, and then realisation, that said she knew this was her moment.

Hadley smiled, bit her lip and got to her feet, giving him an odd look, that he almost thought was fear. But what exactly did she have to be afraid of?

She backed off a few steps, towards the door, acting coy, until Maxx stepped up close to her and took her hand in his own.

He looked at her, just for a moment, before smiling and leading her out of the back room and onto the club dance floor. His friends were all gathered near their table, dancing with girls or chatting amongst themselves. He gave them a nod and waited for recognition, before grabbing his coat from the booth and leading Hadley out the front door of the club.

She kept unusually quiet, the whole way, and when he glanced at her, she had a look on her face that said she was truly terrified. This time, however, he could tell that he wasn't the one who frightened her…she was scared of herself, and her choices.

Maxx pretended to be unaware of her internal struggle, as they walked a block to his car, with his arm over her shoulder. He played the gullible fool, who couldn't see past her lies, who was simply happy to have a birthday that went off exactly as he had planned it, and better.

But one day, very soon, he was going to figure out all of her dirty little secrets. And when he did, he wasn't going to be let her get away from him, without a fight.

She might think this thing between them was temporary, but Maxx had other plans. He was, after all, a career criminal's son and he'd learned from a young age that a little blackmail could go a long way. As soon as he knew Hadley's big secret, he was going to make sure to use it again her, whether she liked it or not.

***

THE END

I hope you enjoyed this cheeky little tease. For more, you can read Courage in the Kiss, when it's released with Simply Sexy Reads later this year. The situation will have changed and the characters lives are different, but the heat and the chemistry will remain.

Chapter #2 - Kissing is a Cover

*This writing is the Copyrighted Intellectual Property of Elaine White*

Copyright © 2015 by Elaine White

***

Chapter 2

Hadley couldn't stop the soft moan of pleasure that came from the back of her throat, as Maxx released her from his punishing kisses and let his lips dance down her neck.

She couldn't believe how amazing it was to feel his kisses, his hands exploring her body. When he ventured under her dress, the way he looked at her, with those hot and hungry intense eyes, had her breathless. She couldn't even vocalise how good it was, to feel his finger stroking her.

She was already struggling to breathe properly, from the way he kissed her until she was desperate for air. Even then, he only released her long enough to torment her some other way.

He pulled back from her neck, biting his full bottom lip, as he stared, unashamedly, at her breasts, heaving, in an attempt to get air into her lungs. He delved further with his finger, rendering her blind to anything but the shooting pleasure such a touch caused.

She was lost, for what felt like forever, as the reality of what they were doing sank in. This was possible the most erotic, most dangerous, more reckless thing she'd ever done in her life. And good God, it felt amazing.

“Maxx…” Hadley attempted to stop the whirlwind, that had begun so harmlessly with a kiss, before she really lost control of the situation. She had never intended for them to sleep together, never mind in the back room of a club, with a hundred people on the other side of the door. She had only met the guy five seconds ago.

Although it was her approval of his looks that made her smile and allow him to kiss her, she still had a story to get. As much as she had never planned on allowing it, could she really still get her story, without letting him make love to her, right there and then? Would he be insulted at her rejection and walk away, or would he not care? Could she take that risk?

“Shh,” he shushed her, in a distant whisper.

Maxx caressed her neck with his free hand, looking her over approvingly, then, before she could speak again, he tugged her dress down, to expose her bra. He kissed his way down to the hollow of her breasts, before slowly pushing the straps from both shoulders.

“Maxx, I,” she gasped, as she tried to speak again. It was a complete failure, since he silenced her, perfectly, by licking her bare nipple and looking up at her with those playful eyes. It was so beautifully sensual, that she told herself to shut up.

Her story could wait for a little while longer, until she'd explored just how sinfully delightful it could be, to go with the flow and let Maxx take over for a while. He was far from in a hurry, so she wanted to see how long he was going to drag this out.

It didn't prove to be very long. Maxx skilfully sucked on her nipple, while stroking between her legs, as if he knew every inch of her body and just what to do, to help her towards an orgasm.

When he removed his hands from her, completely, Hadley felt a moment of loss and disappointment. Until he undid his suit button and pulled it off his shoulders.

“Fuck, you're beautiful,” he said, eyeing her up, in the dishevelled mess he had created. Her dress was hitched high on her thighs, while the top half was pulled down around her waist, and her bra only stayed on her, because of the back fastening and the straps around his elbows.

Now that she could think and breathe again, she unclipped her bra and pulled the straps off, along with the tight straps of her dress, caught around her elbows. The whole time, Maxx just stood there and watched, as though fascinated by her.

“I will never find that anything less than enviable. How you manage to make something so mundane look so sexy, is beyond me.” He said, with a smile that just about turned her into a pile of mush.

Hadley was already, very evidently, turned on, which Maxx knew for himself. It had been so long since she'd actually had a relationship or any kind of sex, that she couldn't even remember if it had been eight or twelve months. Whatever it was, she was more than ready to break the cycle.

Once her own clothes were taken care of, she reached out and began undoing Maxx's shirt. He quirked an eyebrow at her, but didn't comment, as he reached for his belt and undid it; he tried to tease her, by undoing his pants slowly, but she wasn't bothered. The whole point of approaching him at all tonight, was to keep him around as long as she could. She had to make this moment, this 'chance encounter' something special, so that he wanted to see her again. She had to be someone special.

Realising she had been pretty passive so far, Hadley leaned in and kissed Maxx's neck, as he drew himself out of the confines of his pants. She pushed his shirt off his shoulders, playfully scraping her fingernails down his chest.

He groaned and caught the back of her head in both hands, before crushing their mouths together. She parted her lips, in acceptance of his kiss and let her hands trail down the faint hair of his abdomen and into his open pants.

Maxx made an odd, adorable, growling noise, when she cupped his length in her hand and combined it with a nip of her teeth on his bottom lip. He thrust into her touch, while kissing her, so she gave him what she wanted; she pushed his clothes out of the way and gave him direct contact.

***

“Oh god, Hadley,” Maxx groaned in pleasure, as he felt her hand wrapping around his length. For being unsure, before he kissed her, he was glad to see her taking charge again. He liked that she was feisty and knew what she wanted.

He didn't care what he'd told his father, just that morning, about not wanting a woman in his life, to ruin things for him; the moment he laid eyes on Hadley, he wanted her. Feeling her body, arching against his, as she stroked him, as if he needed further encouragement to rise to the occasion, was beyond addictive. It was bloody hypnotic.

Knowing that he hadn't had to put up with any 'date' formalities, before they both got what they wanted, excited Maxx beyond belief. Why couldn't everyone be the same…just admit to what they want and get it, before moving on?

But, right now, he wasn't sure he wanted to move on. Hadley was a real tiger, using her nails on him, in the most delicate, teasing way, while she brought her mouth back up to his, to kiss him slowly. It was a delightful torment, that promised so much more.

Maxx could have kissed her all day, but there was a much sweeter pleasure awaiting him; he broke the kiss and pushed her dress up past her hips, to pull down her lacy underwear. They slid, rather tantalisingly, down her bare legs, without much provocation, until she was in the most gorgeous state of undress.

“I could look at you, like this, forever.” He admitted, thoughtlessly, as he pulled out a condom from his back pocket and put it on.

There was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, but he chose to ignore both. So either she wasn't used to a man coming prepared, which was disappointing, or she wasn't used to being complemented on her looks; he could fix that last one. She was delicious; her skin was pale and silky soft, while her cheeks and her neck flushed a pale pink.

He shook off his admiration and caught her waist in both hands. He noticed that she was skinny, more so than he approved of, because she was tall too. He could fix that, as well, so he filed it away for further inspection later and let his hands wander down to cup her pert ass in his palms.

“Are you playing or plotting something?” Hadley asked, somewhat breathlessly, placing her hands on his shoulders, as though to brace herself.

He loved the sound of her voice, all husky from need and naturally low. God, she could sound sexy asking for the time. “I'm undecided,” he confessed, since he could gladly stand there all day and touch every inch of her.

But the day was gone and the night had taken over. When he gently tugged her forward, Hadley leaned back on the wall and tilted her hips towards him, as it to entice him closer. He didn't need the encouragement. But he couldn't decide whether to get on his knees to taste her, or whether to just step closer and let his eager cock guide the way.

***

Hadley thought she was going to lose her mind, as Maxx finally made his choice and eased himself inside of him. He was careful, despite being a stranger willing to shag her in the back room of a club, but it was kind of sweet. He'd spent a heck of a time toying with her, making it clear that he didn't want a cheap, quick fumble.

The way he then pinned her to the wall and thrust into her slowly, while kissing her, made her feel like this was almost a planned, clandestine meeting. As though she was a secret lover that he had been desperate to see and be with.

She smiled, as she realised her journalistic mind was running away with her; she was on a high, from the adrenaline of the moment. And who knew, maybe if she could keep Maxx interested, then she could become that clandestine lover, secretly extracting her hot new story from him, every time they met.

Hadley tightened her legs around Maxx's waist, and wound her fingers in his hair, as he kissed her neck. She bent her knees, laying her calves flat against his back, only to smile at the way he reacted.

“Fuck,” he groaned and sank deeper inside of her, with the move. Just when she thought he would lose himself to the moment, he dug his fingers into the back of her hip, holding her in place against the wall. He met her gaze and thrust harder and faster, taking full advantage of her repositioning.

She knew she shouldn't have done it; she knew she shouldn't be enjoying it, but she just couldn't help herself. She should have stopped him long ago, but when he kissed her…the way he touched her…the way he looked at her…it sent tingles through every fibre of her body. She couldn't ignore the quivering gasps of pleasure that rang in the air, as she clung to him, desperately.

She never thought the night would end this way. But there she was…minutes after meeting Maxx, praying that it wouldn't be the last time they saw each other and that she would get her story. The sexual chemistry that had been brewing between them, since they'd first laid eyes on each other, exploding in a deep lingering sexual experience that she could never regret.

No matter how many times Hadley told herself that it was wrong, that she should never have been in this situation, she couldn't ignore the fact that her body was screaming for his touch. What was so exquisitely exciting, was that Maxx knew that. He knew exactly what she wanted…because it was exactly what he wanted. And God was she glad for that.

***

Come back next week for the last chapter in this teasing short story that could lead to more. ;)

Chapter #1 - Kissing is a Cover

*This writing is the Copyrighted Intellectual Property of Elaine White*

Copyright © 2015 by Elaine White

***

When it comes to writing, I tend to rework ideas, as I'm writing them into a story. So what goes down on paper, as an idea or a plan for a story, might not always end up happening in the story. Example: this short story "Kissing is a Cover" was originally intended to be an introduction short story to a larger novel "Kissing Undercover". Although "Kissing Undercover" may actually happen, "Kissing is a Cover" will not.

Why not?

Because I "borrowed" from "Kissing is a Cover" to add new scenes and more excitement to "Courage in the Kiss". Both stories originally had vastly dissimilar plots, with CITK being a contemporary romance with low heat and a little bit of angst, while KIAC was a short story with bags of heat and chemistry, but very little flesh. Now that I've combined the two, I can honestly say that I love how it turned out. But...you won't be seeing any peeks of how KIAC has changed CITK, until release time.

In KIAC, the names and lives of the characters were completely different to CITK, but I made the names the same, before "borrowing" some parts. Now, although the characters are wildly different in CITK, the names are the same, but don't hold that against me.

For now, I'll be posting my short story here, in chapter increments, for those who may be interested. And, who knows, one day in the future you may recognise certain parts, if you read CITK. ;) 

***

Kissing Is A Cover

Chapter 1

Hadley decided to go to a club, to release some pressure from being newly unemployed. Her life was a disaster; it was about time she relaxed and forgot about the stress, pressure and chaos, and just enjoyed herself.

She only had time to sit down on a bar stool, ordering a drink for herself, when she heard a commotion, louder than the usual noise, in the corner of the room. Giving a glance in their direction, to see what the big fuss was, she noticed a group of men all toasting to one lone figure. Strangely, he looked as if he couldn't have cared less for the celebrations or their drunken cheers.

He was oddly familiar and it took Hadley a little while, to think of where she had seen his face before. When she finally had it, a smile slowly crept onto her lips, in wonder. His name was Maxx and his picture had been in the newspaper countless times. He was a notorious criminal's son, reputed to be following in his fathers footsteps, despite the fact that he did so behind the façade of being an art dealer and businessman.

It was actually quite perfect. He was famous without his father, a notoriously rich business man, with a mysteriously quiet life. She could get a great story from him; front page news, if she only got close enough and found out all the gossip from the inside. She might even get her journalism career back on track.

That idiot, who kept stealing her work, wouldn't win after all. She might have quit, of her own free will, after a year of frustration, but she could win the final war, if she only did this right.

They might have one or two stories left over, from old submissions, but they didn't have anything new of hers, to pass off as their own. And since Christian, her boss, had made it perfectly clear that he wouldn't help her save her career, unless she had sex with him, she didn't feel one ounce of regret. She could get a hot new story, bigger than Christian could ever dreamed of, and get him back for being such a slimy pig all the time, trying to keep her locked in the office, by letting someone plagiarise her words.

Her brother, Tad, had once told her the best piece of advice he had been given, as a rookie FBI agent. To get to know everything about a case, he had to become the case, get all the classified details from the inside and hack the system. She had to be the type of person being investigated.

The thought percolated inside Hadley's head, as she watched the numerous men leaving the table they had in the corner, to find a girl to dance with. All except Maxx.

Hadley paid more attention, as she watched him, in the mirror behind the bar. He was sitting by himself, the only person in his corner of the club that wasn't busy either flirting with the nearest person or dancing.

He incredibly handsome, not much older than she was, with dark hair cut into an untidy army hairstyle. He had a mysterious air to him, too; a hidden quality that she could detect behind his dark chocolate eyes, even from the distance they were from each other. And she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to see that mysterious look up close, only able to guess that it would be just as mesmerising as he was.

Her cheeks flushed, as she glanced into the mirror and caught Maxx watching her. He set down his bottle of beer, with an inquisitive tilt of the head, in her direction. Almost as if he knew she was watching him.

Hadley was distracted, for just a moment, as a body bumped against hers.

“Hey darlin',” the male voice said, as the man moved to put his back to the bar, to face her. He was clearly drunk, which she could tell from the sway of his movements and the reek of alcohol coming off him. “Fancy a dance?” He asked, making some ridiculous dancing gesture to her, as he spoke.

“No thanks,” Hadley replied, putting on a nice smile, hoping he would go away.

“Aw, come on.” He goaded her, slipping his arm around her waist.

She wasn't sure why she did it, but she glanced over in Maxx's direction, desperate to be saved from the arm she tried to remove from her waist. He seemed to get the message, because he got up, fastened his suit jacket and walked over, as calmly as if he'd always intended to approach her.

She gave the drunken man's arm a harder push, which forced him to release her, just as Maxx appeared.

“Hey beautiful. Sorry I'm late.” He said, cupping her chin in his hand, as he leaned in to kiss her lips. The touch was brief, but electric, and Hadley couldn't stop her eyes from fluttering shut, for just a second.

The second Maxx released her, from his kiss and from his hold, he turned to raise an eyebrow at the drunk who had been bothering her. He grumbled to himself, as he left, clearly getting the point.

“Fancy getting out of here?” He whispered in her ear, as Maxx sidled up next to her. The sound of his voice was more alluring than she had imagined it would be and she almost wanted to close her eyes and imagine what it would be like in other circumstances. But she had to remember that she was getting close to him for work, not a personal encounter.

Hadley wasn't surprised to find his dark eyes smiling at her, when she turned to look his way. She didn't know how to thank him for intervening or how to answer his question. She didn't feel the same initial wariness that she usually felt, when a man approached her in the same situation. Most of the time, she ignored the men that either asked her to dance or offered to buy her a drink at clubs and restaurants, because Tad had always brought her up to be cautious.

But this time, she didn't feel the usual warning sights going off in her head. All she felt was a strange shiver running up her spine, that said she had to take her chance before it passed her by.

“I'm Hadley. Thanks for rescuing me.” She introduced herself quietly, feeling nervous.

“Maxx.” He returned, unnecessarily.

She already knew who he was, but she was glad to know that he didn't already suspect that; if he did, then she would never get her story.

Maxx slipped his hand into hers, intertwining their fingers. He quietly led her away from the bar and through to the back room, which was mostly reserved for private parties.

Hadley wasn't sure whether to go or not, but she couldn't help herself. She needed a job, money and a career; it didn't hurt that Maxx was gorgeous, either. Something about the way he looked at her and the tingles that ran through her, when he touched her, said that she would be a fool not to trust her instincts. She could at least get to know him, even if it meant turning down any advances he might make towards her.

She couldn't offer any kind of explanation for her actions; she could barely think of anything other than what he might intend for them, once they reached the VIP room. She knew that she was wrong to be so excited about the thought of him kissing her again, when she didn't know him and she was only getting close to get a story. But she was running out of options.

This could be her big break; neither she nor the world knew anything about him and, right now, that was all that mattered. Not his name or who he was, not whether he was just another guy making another cheap pass at a girl in a club, or whether he was genuinely interested in her. Just that he was a mystery she needed to unravel, if she ever expected another reputable publisher to hire her as a journalist.

But something about the way he held her hand, the way his fingers intertwined with hers, making a perfect fit, said there was much more to their chance meeting than she had anticipated. It felt like a spark rushed through their hands, where they joined, and it made her speechless.

She couldn't give up so soon and just walked away. Not after knowing that touch.

She had to find out whether there really was something there between them, some kind of chemistry. If she didn't, she would regret it right along with everything else she had found herself regretting, in the past few days of her life. And even if it didn't work out, if it meant nothing, then it was all for the better. Because at least then, she could get her story and not feel any guilt for leading on a guy that she had no connection with. She could just make out that it was any other relationship, that failed to work out.

Even if, in the back of her mind, she knew that using this unsuspecting man, to further her career and get a hot new story, was wrong. Even if she knew that using Maxx for her next story was as bad as her abandoned plan of seducing Christian, into finding and shaming the thief who stole her stories.

Hadley had to face facts; she was a hypocrite. She couldn't stand the thought of sleeping with Christian to save her career, but now that she was unemployed, she was walking a tight rope of temptation, with Maxx.

She'd walked out of the frying pan and into the fire, for what? A story, a job, a career? Was it worth it?

***

Stepping inside the back room, Maxx felt a strange apprehension, that he had never felt because of a girl before. He saw the nervous glance she gave the otherwise empty room, as though he had planned a more physical introduction to each other than he had thought to consider, so soon after meeting her. Not that the thought wasn't appealing, when she only looked all the more beautiful, in the brighter lights of the VIP room. Nevertheless, she had brought the suggestion to his mind.

When she unconsciously stepped up closer to him, he couldn't help but want to kiss her. Slipping his hand from hers, he could detect the uneasiness in her eyes, as he brushed a stray strand of hair from them.

The sexual chemistry between them was like a current of electricity, drawing him closer. He gently cupped her face in his hand, kissing her earlobe, playfully, before staring into her eyes. As soon as he realised she was about to say something, he cut her off. He didn't want to hear words.

“Your body can tell me more than your voice can, Hadley…let me feel you.” He whispered in her ear, gently backing her up against the wall.

He spared a moment, to register her faint smile, before kissing her, his mouth overpowering hers easily. She moaned as he let his hands drift over her supple, curvaceous body, in appreciation.

The dress she wore ended mid-thigh, so he took advantage of that and slipped his hand underneath the black fabric. Her skin was soft and her mouth was hot, as they kissed with a kind of desperate passion that he hadn't felt for a woman before. He'd had rushed encounters, moments of need and pure lust, but nothing that set every nerve on fire, the way kissing Hadley did.

A hand swept into his hair, as he cupped his hand around the back of her left thigh. The moan that escaped into his mouth, as he guided her legs apart, was even better. But just as he was going to reach out for what he wanted, the feisty girl in his arms licked his bottom lip and drew her leg up his, until she had it wrapped around his thigh.

Maxx flicked her tongue with his own, until they met halfway in a hungry kiss. He loved that she wanted to be an equal part of their encounter, so he let her have her way. It only made it all the sweeter as he reached between them and slipped his fingers beneath the sexy lace panties she wore.

***

You can read Chapter 2, of this 3 chapter short story next week. Stay tuned...