AN: Last week's PS was lower than I expected. Oh, well, let's see this week.
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[Morning] [8:30]
Max woke up early. Her cheek was pressed against warm skin, her breath slow and steady as she clung to Alex like a koala. One leg tossed over his waist, arms wrapped around his torso, and her head rising and falling with each of his breaths.
She blinked sleepily, eyes adjusting to the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. The room smelled faintly of chocolate, sweat, and shampoo. Her body ached in the best way: tender hips, sore thighs, and that deep, full ache that came with a night of being thoroughly handled.
Alex was still asleep, mouth slightly open, hair messy, arm snug around her back. His heartbeat thumped under her ear, calm and steady.
Max smiled lazily. She nuzzled into his chest and let out a contented sigh.
"You're awake," he mumbled, voice raspy with sleep.
"Yeah." She kissed the spot right over his heart. "Didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't," he said, eyes still closed. "I like waking up like this."
They lay in silence for a bit, tangled together, warm under the covers.
Max traced small circles on his skin. "I feel like a puddle of goo. Like my bones melted."
"That's the goal," Alex murmured. "You good?"
"Mmm-hmm. Sore. Happy. Horny again, but mostly happy."
Alex cracked one eye open. "You're insatiable."
"I'm twenty-four now. I'm supposed to be in my prime, remember?"
He laughed softly, then pulled her in tighter. "Okay, Prime Max… guess I'd better keep up."
Max lifted her head, grinning. "You'd better. Birthday perks don't expire until midnight."
Alex met her smile with a kiss, slow and lingering. The kind that said good morning, I missed you, and I'm not done with you yet, all in one smooth brush of lips. He ran his fingers up her spine, pulling her just close enough that there wasn't a breath of space between them.
She melted into it, sighing against his mouth. Her hand slid up to cradle his jaw, thumb stroking the stubble on his cheek.
When they finally pulled apart, she stayed close, nose brushing his. "I think I love morning Alex."
"Yeah?" he whispered, voice still rough. "What makes him better than night Alex?"
Max pretended to think. "He's warm. He's clingy. He makes me feel like a cherished little spoon."
Alex chuckled. "Little spoon, huh?"
She nodded, still pressed to him. "Yup. Even when I'm climbing you like a tree, I demand little spoon energy when I wake up."
"You drive a hard bargain."
"You love it."
"I do," he said simply, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I love all your ridiculousness."
She kissed him again, quicker this time, but with a playful bite to his bottom lip.
"So…" she murmured, trailing her fingers down his chest, "how long until breakfast? Or are you going to keep cuddling me into a coma?"
Alex rolled her gently onto her back, hovering above her with that teasing smirk she knew too well. "Depends."
"On what?"
"Whether you want waffles first…" He dipped down, kissing the side of her neck, "…or round two."
Max shivered and grinned. "Waffles after. Prime Max has priorities."
Max arched into him, laughing softly. "You're making that face again."
"What face?"
"The smug, I'm-about-to-ruin-you face."
Alex grinned. "That's just my standard morning face."
He kissed her again, deeper this time, slower. Less "good morning," more "don't move." His hand slid under the covers, fingers resting low on her hip, anchoring her in place as their bodies aligned naturally, instinctively.
She moaned into his mouth, threading her fingers through his hair, tugging gently. He moved like he had all the time in the world, like there was nowhere else he'd rather be than right here, waking up right beside her.
Eventually, he pulled back just enough to look at her. He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek and tugged it behind her ear. "You still sore?"
"Yeah," she breathed, "but like… the good kind. The kind that makes you want more even though you know you're gonna regret it later."
Alex brushed his lips over hers. "We'll go slow. I'll make it easy."
She raised an eyebrow. "You never make it easy."
"Challenge accepted."
His mouth found her neck again, soft kisses, slow heat. She let her eyes flutter shut, arms wrapping around his shoulders, letting herself sink into the moment.
"You're trouble," she murmured.
"I'm your birthday trouble," he whispered, and the grin in his voice made her stomach flip.
Before Max could tease him back, a low buzz-buzz rattled against the wood of the nightstand.
Alex groaned, forehead dropping to her shoulder. "Ignore it," he muttered, already kissing along her collarbone.
Another buzz.
Then a third.
Max exhaled a laugh. "That's not a 'leave me alone' buzz. That's a 'check this right now' buzz."
Alex rolled off her with a groan and reached for his phone, squinting at the screen. His body went still.
"Rachel," he said, already swiping to read the message. His brows furrowed. Then lifted.
"What is it?" Max asked, propping herself on one elbow.
He sat up, running a hand through his messy hair. "C.S. Lewis Company just reached out to the office. They're looking to sell the Narnia IP."
Max blinked. "Wait, seriously? The Narnia?"
Alex nodded slowly, rereading. "Yeah. They went bankrupt last month. Desperate for cash. She thinks it's a short window, like, if we move now, Wilson Studios could get it before the vultures circle."
"Holy shit." Max sat up, the blanket falling to her waist. "That's… huge. I mean, I read the books and don't ask why I read fantasy children's books... I just do. And they were awesome. Make a movie?" She was very excited and looked at him like a lost kitten with sparkly eyes.
"What's up with that look?"
"What look?"
"Haaa. Fine. Consider it your birthday gift. But it'll take time," Alex shook his head.
"Wait! You are kidding?" She narrowed her eyes.
"Am I?" He smirked.
"That's a very expensive gift."
"Yeah, well… I've been told I'm a very generous boyfriend."
He was already moving, legs swinging out of bed. "Well, I need to call Rachel. Get the team on it, fast. This could be the deal of the decade."
Max gave a small smile, even as her body protested the sudden loss of his warmth. "Guess breakfast and round two are postponed?"
Alex looked back at her, regret flickering through his face. "I'm sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you."
"You'd better," she said, but her voice was gentle. She watched him pull on his boxers and pace toward the window, phone to his ear already.
As he started talking to Rachel, rapid-fire and focused, Max leaned back against the pillows and grabbed his pillow, hugging it to her chest. The heat of the moment still lingered, but reality had knocked on the door, and it wasn't leaving without an answer.
She glanced at him... shirtless, hair tousled, already plotting a multi-million-dollar deal while barefoot and half-awake.
"Birthday trouble," she murmured to herself, smiling.
Because as much as she wanted him back under the covers, there was something deeply sexy about a man who could flip from lover to shark in sixty seconds flat.
She'd get her round two.
Later.
But for now, the world was calling.
And Alex was answering.
After the call, he fixed his clothes and hair.
"You really are a shark," she said, chin resting on the pillow. "Tell Narnia I said hi."
Alex grinned as he leaned over to kiss her forehead. "You'll be the first to know if we get it."
He grabbed his phone, wallet, and keys, then paused at the window. But this time, he shook his head with a sigh and turned toward the hallway.
"Good. Use the front door from now on," Max said. "And the window for special nighttime visits."
"Roger that," He opened the bedroom door and walked into the open living space, and stopped dead in his tracks.
Caroline was in the kitchen, barefoot, headphones in, hips swaying to the beat as she towel-dried her damp hair. Her back was to him, and she was wearing nothing but a pair of high-cut blue underwear and zero shame. A mug of coffee steamed beside her. She turned, mid-spin, dancing to some rhythm only she could hear, and froze the moment she spotted Alex in the doorway.
She stared.
Alex blinked. "Uh…"
Caroline's hand slowly moved up to pause the music on her headphones. "Oh," she said, completely unbothered. "Morning."
Alex recovered just quickly enough to lean against the doorframe, smirking. "Nice moves. You were going to twerk, right? Go on. Think of me as an invisible man."
Caroline arched an eyebrow, completely unfazed. "That's your way of saying good morning?"
"It's my way of saying I didn't realize I was walking into a one-woman music video."
She gave a lazy grin, still toweling off her hair. "Well, you're late. The set wrapped five minutes ago."
He crossed the room, still eyeing her with that amused glint. "Shame. I was hoping for a private encore."
"You show up uninvited, you don't get to make requests," she teased, tossing the towel over a chair.
Alex walked over to her, snagging her coffee and taking a sip like it was his, "So, I have to submit a formal request, huh? You got a form or something? I'd be glad to fill it up for a private show."
"No. You just need to bring some rare wine or champagne and give me a call," Caroline said as she stretched her arms, giving him a full view of her topless and slightly moist body. "And you can't just steal a girl's coffee after complimenting her ass."
"I complimented your dancing," Alex said, handing the mug back with a grin.
"Same thing," she said, sipping again, her eyes not leaving his. "But I'll allow it. Because you look smug and rumpled in a way that screams 'I got laid, but I'm still not done.'"
Alex chuckled. "Guilty as charged."
"Max still in bed?"
He nodded, still smiling. "Temporarily."
Caroline's lips quirked. "Mm. Birthday perks?"
"Yup. She's invoking full Prime Max status."
Caroline laughed. "Good. She deserves it."
"Well, as much as I'd like to stick around, I gotta go. An important meeting," He put the cup down on the table and walked to her. He then grabbed her waist, pulled her closer and kissed her.
It wasn't a sweet kiss. It was rough and demanding. It was pure heat. It made Caroline's toes curl and her knees buckle. Her whole body was on fire as his hands caressed her waist. He pressed harder against her, letting her feel how hard he was, how much he wanted her. She moaned into his mouth, gripping his shoulders tighter. His hand snaked up her side until he reached her breast, cupping it gently, feeling its weight before squeezing it softly.
Caroline moaned again and pulled away from the kiss. "Weren't you leaving?" She asked with a smile.
He looked at her for a few moments before sighing loudly, "Fuck..." and letting go of her. "Yes. But seeing you like this, I couldn't stop myself. You look so hot right now that I could just bend you over this counter and fuck you all morning."
"I'm sure Max won't mind," She teased him, pressing her naked body against his. She grabbed his hand and placed them on her buttcheeks and as a gentleman, Alex gave them nice squeezes.
Alex looked at her hungrily, desire written all over his face. But after a moment, he sighed again, "I need to go... or I'll never leave."
Caroline grinned and kissed his cheek. "Have fun at work."
"Yeah, right. With a boner? That's going to be real fun."
"Poor thing. Want me to tag along? Maybe I can blow you on the way," She said, wiggling her eyebrows.
Alex smiled, shaking his head, "No, thanks. I know what you're doing, and it won't work. Now that I've seen you, I'll need the day to cool off. You're playing with fire, woman. Be careful or I will fuck you on this counter right now."
"Promise?" Caroline smirked.
He exhaled slowly, his eyes dark and dangerous, "I'm gonna make you pay for this."
"Oh, yeah? How?"
Alex shook his head, "You'll see when the time comes."
"Hmm... I can't wait."
He turned around, walking towards the front door, "Goodbye, Caroline. See you later. I'm looking forward to our next date."
"So am I. Have a nice day at work, dear," Caroline said with a giggle.
Alex laughed softly, "I don't think I'd call it nice..."
With one last look at her almost-naked form, he left.
Caroline sipped her coffee again, humming in satisfaction. Then she turned and went back to her bedroom. She quickly locked the door and reached for the box under the bed. She opened it and found the little pink egg-shaped toy inside.
A wicked smile appeared on her face, and she pressed the button on it. It started vibrating immediately.
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[7 advance chs] + [16 chs of Two and a Half Men: Waking up as Charlie Harper] [All chs available for all tiers]
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