3rd person POV
Weeks later
The moment Max stepped into Vivian’s hospital room, everything else disappeared. He had spent days in Zurich, dealing with chaos, fighting dark games and navigating the dangerous game Stanford had put him through. But none of it mattered now. The second he saw her-really saw her-everything inside him tightened. She was sitting up in bed, her long, dark hair cascading over her shoulders, her eyes wide and filled with something unspoken. Relief. Longing. Something deeper.
“Max,” she breathed, her voice soft, almost disbelieving.
He didn’t speak. He couldn’t. He crossed the room in two strides, his heart pounding as he cupped her face, tilting it up to meet his gaze. He had imagined this moment a thousand times, but nothing could prepare him for the way her lips parted, the way her breath caught as he traced his thumb along her jaw.
“You’re back,” she whispered, her fingers curling around his wrist.
“I told you I would be.” His voice was rough, thick with everything he couldn’t say.
Vivian didn’t give him a chance to say anything more. She surged forward, pressing her lips to his in a kiss that stole the air from his lungs. It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t careful. It was desperate, raw, filled with all the nights they had spent apart, all the fear, all the aching need. Max groaned, deep and low, as he pulled her against him, his hands slipping into her hair, tilting her head so he could deepen the kiss.
The hospital bed was too small, too restricting, and he needed her closer. Without breaking the kiss, he lifted her, her legs wrapping around his waist instinctively. She gasped into his mouth, but he swallowed the sound, carrying her across the room until her back hit the door. His body pressed against hers, his arousal hard and demanding, and she whimpered at the contact.
“I missed you,” she whispered against his lips.
Max’s grip tightened. “You have no idea,” he growled, his mouth moving down her neck, his tongue tracing the delicate skin. She shivered, her nails digging into his shoulders.
“Max,” she moaned, arching into him.
That sound unraveled him. He had been holding back, fighting against the storm inside him, but now-now he couldn’t. He reached for the thin hospital gown she was wearing, pushing it up her thighs, his fingers tracing the soft skin beneath. She trembled, but it wasn’t fear. It was anticipation.
“I need you,” she whispered, her voice barely a breath.
He met her gaze, dark and burning with the same need that was consuming him. “Say it again.”
She swallowed, her fingers threading through his hair. “I need you, Max. Now.”
That was all he needed.
His mouth crashed against hers again, his hands gripping her hips as he lifted her higher, pressing her firmly against the door. Her legs tightened around him as he rocked against her, teasing her with the hard length of him. She gasped, her head falling back, exposing the delicate line of her throat. He took advantage, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses against her skin, marking her, claiming her.
He didn’t stop. He didn’t slow down. He wanted to savor her, to take his time, but the need was too strong. His fingers slipped beneath her gown, finding her bare and wet, and he groaned, his forehead pressing against hers.
“You’re ready for me,” he murmured, sliding a finger inside her, feeling the way her body clenched around him.
She moaned, her hips rolling against his hand, desperate for more. “Max, please.”
He couldn’t wait any longer. With one hand, he freed himself, the tip of him pressing against her entrance. He held her gaze, his breathing ragged. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she whispered, her nails digging into his shoulders.
With one slow, powerful thrust, he pushed inside her, burying himself to the hilt.
Vivian cried out, her head falling back against the door, her body trembling as she adjusted to him. He was thick, hard, stretching her in the most delicious way. Max groaned, his hands gripping her hips as he held himself still, giving her a moment to adjust.
“You feel perfect,” he murmured against her skin, his voice strained.
She exhaled shakily, her fingers clenching around his shoulders. “Move,” she pleaded.
He did.
Slow at first, savoring the way she felt around him, but then her hips rolled against his, her moans growing louder, and he lost all control. He thrust into her harder, faster, his hands gripping her thighs as he drove them both closer to the edge.
Vivian clung to him, her breathless cries filling the room, her body tightening around him with every thrust. Max could feel her getting close, the way she trembled, the way her nails dragged down his back.
“Let go,” he murmured, his lips brushing against her ear. “Come for me, Vivian.”
Her body arched, her legs squeezing around him as her release tore through her, her moan breaking into a cry of pleasure. The way she clenched around him, the way she shattered in his arms, was too much. With one final thrust, Max followed her over the edge, burying himself deep as his release consumed him.
For a long moment, neither of them moved. Their breaths mingled, their bodies still pressed together, hearts racing in sync.
Finally, Max pulled back just enough to look at her. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen, her eyes still hazy with pleasure.
” I want you to stay,” he said, the words slipping out before he could stop them.
Vivian blinked, then smiled, soft and beautiful. ” I want to but I can’t.”
Max exhaled, pressing a kiss to her forehead before carrying her back to the bed. He laid her down gently, then slid in beside her, pulling her into his arms.
For the first time in what felt like forever, he felt at peace.
And as he held her close, he knew-this was just the beginning.