Page 4 of Dirty Secret

CHAPTER 2

Max

I'd seen her before. But she knew that, didn't she? When the door first opened, I almost turned around and walked away before she slammed it in my face.

She had seen me.

This woman knew everything that was wrong with me. My stomach churned from what I had done.

"I'm Heidi . . . Heidi White."

I stared at her wide and inviting hazel eyes. She's even more beautiful close up. And her home, chic but warm, was like something out of a magazine.

The layout was the same as mine, but that was where the similarity ended. The last time my house was considered stylish, Ronald Reagan was president.

The only things up-to-date in my place were the pipes. My dad made sure the pipes were in good shape—he saw them as the bones of the home. He considered anything else in a house superficial. And now that it's my home, I never really considered fixing it up.

But looking around this place, perhaps I might consider some do-it-myself projects over the weekends. That way if I manage to find time to date again and was lucky enough to bring a woman back to my place, she won't feel like she stumbled onto the set of a Back to the Future remake.

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. White."

I'm anxious. It's obvious in my tone, but I don't care how weird I sound. To finally see Heidi up close . . .. Well, she's more stunning than I realized.

Despite slamming the door in my face, she acted as if nothing happened. Heidi put on a good act but didn't all these rich Washingtonians? Based on her clothes, her house, and the fact that her assistant, Debra, referenced my wealthy lawyer client so I would come running, I guessed she took advantage of her upbringing. Money made a lot of things happen in this town, but power got you everything.

"Please, call me Heidi." She smiled and my heart tripped over itself.

I didn't want to be here. Yes, from afar, Heidi was nice to look at. And, yes, it may have been a while since I had my pipe lubed, but rich folks like her didn't mix with people who got their hands dirty for a living.

Watching Heidi pretend she wasn't repulsed by me hadn't made the moment any easier. But my eyes were the real traitors. They kept staring at her damp golden hair that was falling like rope over her shoulder. I willed my arm not reach over and wrap it around my hand, to pull her close. It was all so tempting.

"Okay, Heidi. Now, let's get down to business," I said with a shake of my head. Focus, Max. "Where is this leak of yours?"

Taking a breath, Heidi fists her hair, flinging it over her shoulder. My eyes bounced up to find her smirking at me.

She had to know.

"In the basement."

She motioned to the other side of the stairs, but I didn't have to look. I knew where the basement was; it was the same as my home. But I was sure her basement wasn't piled with boxes of old toys, decades of old receipts from clients, and workout equipment that was gathering dust.

We moved past a large round table in the middle of the room, a vase of colorful flowers sprouting from the center. She opened the door behind the stairs and turned on a light, revealing plank steps that led down.

To my surprise, the basement was bare—just pipes, cinder blocks, and one wall of exposed brick. The decor consisted of various wet boxes scattered around, random pieces of furniture, a laundry area, and a clothesline dripping water that ran through the middle of the room.

I'm glad she hadn't updated anything, it made my job easier. I could easily access the pipes to fix them and get out of here in time for lunch.

"Right here. I couldn't tell until I shut the water off, but I noticed this as I was looking at the pipes." She pointed to a thin pipe.

Shining my flashlight up, a horrible realization settled in the pit of my stomach. Instantly, I understood the problem.

"Hmm, I might be down here for a bit to make sure there aren't any more leaks. So, you'll be without water for about an hour. Is that okay?"

She nodded. Her smile was sweet, and she was totally unaware that I was lying to her.

This whole project, what really had to be done, was going to take much longer than an hour. If her other rooms were as bad as the basement, this project would take weeks. But I wasn't going to be the plumber to fix it.

"All right. I'll be upstairs in the kitchen when you're done," she said with a curve of her lips.

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