Page 33 of Sexy Bad Valentine

CHAPTER ELEVEN

EVIE

Holden Ross is a nice man. A very nice man, who happens to be completely boring. At this point I’m considering going stag to Hannah’s party and taking my chances with Neal and his roving hands. It’s either that or fall asleep.

Okay. He probably isn’t that bad. I might have at one stage even thought he was the kind of guy I should date, but that was before Maxwell Holt.

I don’t know the CEO of Puppy Love though. I don’t know the Forbes list millionaire, or the playboy bachelor who has been the object of crushes worldwide. Only what Google tells me I should know about him. Other than that, I don’t know him at all.

I did know a guy named Max though. A guy who walked dogs that he wasn’t entirely fond of, and loved Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and cared deeply for his sister. I might have even fallen for him, given the chance.

But he was a charmer, and as it turned out, a liar. Was anything he said true? Was anything we did together more than just an opportunity to sleep with me? I suspected it, and practically threw myself at him anyway. It’s not like he had to go so far.

I haven’t seen him since that morning when I found out who he really was. If I never see him again it will be too soon. Unbelievable. He’s not even here and he’s ruining my date with Holden. A lovely date at that. Or it should be.

“So what do you think?”

“Sorry?” I try to tune back into what Holden is saying, leaning closer to him to appear interested. How much longer does this have to go on anyway?

“I was just talking about the cabin I rent every winter for a couple of weeks. Shadow and I like to get away from the city and just enjoy a slower pace. Sometimes we’ll go hunting.”

“Hunting?” My stomach turns.

“Right. Duck season is over this year, so we’ll probably head out soon for some geese. Have you ever been?”

“Sorry. It’s not something I would enjoy.” Abby would have a few large words for this man if she heard him talking about ducks like that. Is it possible I picked the worst of the bunch? Or were they all just awful?

“It is more of a man’s sport. That’s true.”

No, it’s definitely this guy. At least he isn’t making a fool of me like Max did. “Listen, I think...” Something catches my eye across the room. Maxwell Holt. What’s he doing here? I don’t recall his presence being required in the contract. There was no mention of the CEO-slash-dog walker attending the first date.

He holds a sheet of white cardboard in his hands. It’s blank. Still more interesting than Holden though. Unbelievable. I shouldn’t be interested in a single thing Max does. Not anymore. Not after the way he lied to me.

He turns it around and holds it at chest height pointing to the words on it. I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.

“Um, I was going to say...”

That piece of cardboard flutters to the ground, revealing a new one. I’m in love with you.

He’s in love with me?Playboy bachelor and liar, Maxwell Holt is in love with me? What does he think? That I’m just going to fall into his arms because he says sorry and spouts a few words about love? I bet he doesn’t even know what the word means. I glare at him, give a shake of my head, and mouth, “So?”

He holds up one finger, signalling me to wait before digging a marker out of his pocket and pulling the lid off with his teeth while he balances the cardboard on his knee. Eventually he holds it up again. So I love you. And I’m pretty sure you’re in love with me. We belong together. You and me.

“You lied to me,” I say. “Worse, I didn’t question it. I knew how this would end and I didn’t stop it.”

“Sorry?” Holden screws up his face in confusion.

“Not you.”

“Not you,” Max says at the same time I do, approaching us. “I did lie to you, Evie. And maybe I shouldn’t have, but the truth is up until recently there’s only been one woman I’ve loved and that’s my sister. Until you I would have done what Dee asked and kept my distance, but you are something else. The moment I met you I was lost. Everything I thought I knew changed almost in the blink of an eye. No one expected that of me.” He takes a chair from a nearby table and plants it beside me, before seating himself and addressing Holden, “Sorry, man, I won’t be long.”

“That’s okay,” Holden responds. It’s clear he has no idea how to react to Max inserting himself into our date.

“Where was I?” Max takes my hand.

For some reason I let him. “No one expected you to change.”

“Right.” He nods. Behind us a couple of voices murmur in agreement. “So, no one believed me. And everyone wanted me to leave you alone. My sister was willing to sue you. I did try, believe it or not. I avoided you that first taping, which is why Kelly has run this entire thing. I went out for coffee, just so I wouldn’t be there when you came out.”

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