Page 94 of Puck Me Secretly

“Katrina is one hot smoking piece of ass.”

It did not go unnoticed that he called her by her name and did not reference her as the fox.

“Seems like her social calendar is already booked up.”

He rolled his eyes. “With the old dickwad that won’t leave his wife for her? She can do better.”

“So, it’s true. She’s actually sleeping with Baxter?”

“Keep your voice down.”

Baxter, although not hideous, was in his mid-forties. He kept himself in shape and was technically good-looking, but his personality could use a transplant. I caught sight of his wife. She stood off to the side, next to the Christmas tree. She wore a plain cotton dress with a slouchy cardigan and she exuded misery. I couldn’t believe she was Baxter’s wife, but then again, I also had no comprehension how someone as beautiful as Katrina could end up with someone like Baxter.

“How are they even together?”

Calder’s expression was dark. “Kat could do much better than him. He treats her like crap. He expects her to stop and drop her life every time he wants to get laid.”

Kat?

“Too much info, Calder.”

“It’s true. He gets her to do his bidding at work and she sits around and waits for him to call. It’s depressing.”

I tilted my head. “You got all of that from spending time with her at the gala?”

“We might have hooked up a few times since then.”

My mouth parted. “Calder!”

“What? She deserves to be treated better than he treats her.”

“What kind of stuff does he get her to do at work?”

Calder took a long sip of his beer. “Just watch yourself.”

“Excuse me?”

He turned his bleary gaze onto my face. “I’ve got your back, Roar. Don’t forget that.”

“Why?” I found this conversation bewildering.

“Your dad bailed me out of a tough situation, a couple years back and that bought a lot of my loyalty.”

“He did?” I couldn’t keep up.

“And for that, I’ve got your back.”

I wanted to ask him who or what he was protecting me from, but before I could ask, he slapped me on the back. “Go get him, Tiger.”

Calder walked away from me and disappeared from view. I swung my attention back to the front door.

Max was standing in the front foyer.

He was alone!

The coat check attendant took his coat, and I held my breath as he glanced around the room. His gaze sucker punched me. I should have done something like give him a flirty smile or a small wave, but instead I stood there staring at him like the lovesick idiot I was.

Someone moved to greet him. He laughed, and I caught a flash of those perfect white teeth. I took that time to study him. He wore a black cashmere sweater that showed off his broad shoulders. He also wore a pair of dark jeans that sculpted that ass.

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