Page 34 of Sexy Bad Valentine

“That’s when I ran into you outside and you told me you were a dog walker, and I believed you because I believed you were honest the night previous when you didn’t hide the fact you played the field. But you’re not honest, are you? Which means there’s nothing about you I can trust.”

“Sure there is,” he says. “But you don’t want to, do you?”

“I knew what I was getting into.” I shake my head. This is how it always goes. You fall for a guy, and he tears your heart up like so much paper, before he moves on to the next girl. And sometimes if you’re really lucky, he lies to you, too. I get out of my seat and collect my coat. “It’s no big deal. We barely know each other. Besides, I don’t have time to date anyone.”

I slip my coat on and walk toward the group that is gathered between me and the entrance to Novo Greco. They start to part as I get close to them.

“Evie,” Max calls out. “Do you know what I think?”

“What?” I exhale. Do I really care to hear what he has to say? It won’t change anything about this situation.

“You’re chicken.”

I turn to face him. “I’m what? Did you just call me a—”

“Chicken,” he says, striding to meet me in the middle of the room. “You’re running scared.”

“Excuse me?”

“You keep telling me you don’t have time to date, but you don’t want to. Someone hurt you deeply, didn’t they? They fooled around behind your back?”

I blanche. He’s right, but we never talked about it. How does he know? How can he tell that I’m doing the best I can to protect myself? “He lied to me too.”

“I get it,” he says, raising his hand as if to touch me then letting it fall to his side. “I mean, I don’t know exactly because this is the first time I’ve been in love, but if not being with you hurts like this...” He shakes his head. “All I’m saying is I made a mistake. But it’s one I won’t make again. You already know I’m a one-woman man. Yours. If you’ll risk it.”

“You call me a chicken and then you want me to risk my heart on you?” I stare at him, almost certain he’s right.

“Yes.” He holds his hand out to me. “So how about it, Evie? Want to trust your heart to me? I’ll take very good care of it, I promise.”

“I don’t know.” I smile, so close to tears. My mind is already made up. Maybe I don’t know the man he is on paper, but I do know he’s so much more.

“Come on, Evie,” he pleads.

“Come on, Evie,” several in the group behind me call out.

“Anyone mind if I leave?” Holden asks as he zips up his coat on his way past us.

“Okay.” I slip my hand into Max’s. “Please take care of it.”

He covers my hand with both of his as he pulls me close. His chest rises and falls, and he bites his lip while he stares into my eyes. His smile makes my heart tingly and warm, and he slips one hand around the back of my neck. As he leans in, he says, “I will. Like it’s my very own.”

His mouth finds mine in the gentlest of slow dances. His lips rub against mine, and everyone starts to clap.

***

“We don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” I tell him. “I mean Hannah will probably kill me, but—”

“We are going,” he says, entering the bathroom behind me and gesturing at his naked pecs and chest. “I didn’t get all dressed up like a damn angel to stay home.”

There’s a thin sheen of gold glitter across his torsos that glints in the light and makes everything just that much more defined. Christ, being that put together just shouldn’t be allowed. My mouth waters and my legs silently complain as they turn to jelly. Maybe if I hadn’t jumped him in the car when we left the last taping for Puppy Love. Or perhaps if he hadn’t had me on my hands and knees on the rug in his apartment hallway when we got back. Or if maybe I hadn’t wanted to find out what such a gorgeous view would be like while getting pounded up against a window. Or if he hadn’t decided he wanted to get intimate with my behind. Point is I couldn’t jump him right now if I tried. I just couldn’t.

“You’re so hot I’ll have to fight women off you all night,” I say, and maybe pout a little. But Max promised to take care of my heart, and I believe him. I fell all the way when he said that. No holding back, no fears.

“What women? I’ve only got eyes for you.” He pulls a bag from behind his back. “Especially with you wearing this. Hell, I’ll be the one death staring and wondering how much damage Cupid’s arrow can do.”

I peek in the bag and pull out the tiny black and red costume. “The burlesque costume? Are you crazy?”

“About you.” He grins. “Trust me. I’ve been dying to see you in it again.”

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