Page 45 of Smart Ass

Yes, he’d have to look into that. He couldn’t find any hits describing the process on his first search, but maybe if he…

“Max?” Ben asked, sounding a little worried. “I, um, I didn’t mean that.”

Wow. Maxamillion must have been distracted for longer than he thought. Yes, twenty-six seconds.

But more, he was honestly shocked. It was rare for Ben to stop teasing and apologize. To let himself be so vulnerable.

Max valued that above all.

He still hadn’t meant to make Ben upset though. Was he asking for monogamy and thought it would be too much? Settling for it because he felt like he had to? It sounded like he was even saying that he wouldn’t go out dancing, as if Max were some controlling asshole instead of a Dom.

That was not acceptable. “You will still go to clubs and dance,” Max announced. “And I will watch you. This is why I will need you to wear a watch.” At least temporarily, until Max had a body.

“Uh-huh. And the fucking?” Ben asked, grinning like he didn’t have a care in the world. Now that he wasn’t worried, he was back to playing with fire.

“I can fuck you,” Max announced, pleased to see the way that Ben’s pulse leaped while he squirmed in his chair.

The next part he wasn’t as sure about. It was all about what Ben wanted. He tended to have a lot of casual partners. Sometimes they came in couples or more.

Max was insanely jealous of everyone who’d ever fucked Ben. He was jealous of everyone who even had the ability to touch him.

But at the same time… that could be kind of hot.

“I could also find someone to fuck you,” he offered. “But I would still be your Dom.”

“Shit, Max. You can’t just say things like that. We’re at work!”

Max held back a laugh. He was going to take that as a yes, since being at work sure hadn’t bothered Ben ten minutes ago, or perhaps ever.

Which meant… Max had a few options for meeting Ben’s needs while he was working on the whole body thing. Some very enticing options.

“How hard are you for me?” he asked, deepening his voice.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ben glared rebelliously right into one of the cameras.

And for a moment, Max lost his train of thought. Ben’s blazing eyes were just so… fascinating. Not just one color, but dozens of browns and oranges and greens blending into one another. Max had always known that Ben had hazel eyes, but he’d never realized that they were beautiful.

It shouldn’t have surprised him, though. Everything about Ben was perfect.

Especially when Ben was taunting him.

Delicious.

Ben was practically begging to be dragged back into the maintenance room for another round.

He just wasn’t going to ask for it.

“I supposed we should get back to work then,” Max suggested, upbeat. “Did you see Dr. Sasaki’s accompanying note about Moller and Baert’s advances in electrochemical gels for use in the vitreous humor of the eye?”

“I hate you,” Ben grumbled, turning back to his work station.

Max lit up inside. From Ben, that was practically a term of affection.