Page 44 of Party Favors

Or was Max, like Vella, against people having a lot of money? Given his line of work, maybe he was thinking how many people he could have helped with what Adrian had spent in here.

Strangely enough, despite the fact that I’d defended Adrian every chance I got to my mom and Vella, I didn’t want to defend him to Max.

“I would say he should get to spend it how he wants since he earned it, but he didn’t really do that. Everything he has was given to him.” It was easily the most disloyal thing I’d ever said about my boss.

But I didn’t even feel guilty about it.

“And you don’t respect that?”

“I like it when people make their own way in the world instead of relying on a trust fund.”

“Me too,” he said with a nod. “I find it very impressive.”

His eyes met mine and another charged moment passed between us. The air felt heavy, like something exciting was about to happen, and my brain turned sluggish, hazy, ready to slip into some netherworld where the only thing that would matter would be Max’s lips on mine.

“When it comes to furniture, I much prefer comfort over aesthetics,” he said. There was something in his voice that pierced through my befuddled mind and revved my adrenaline up, even though he was saying something ordinary with no subtext to it whatsoever.

“Me too,” I whispered, and that connection I felt to him, like we were similar in so many ways, overwhelmed me.

He took a step toward me and my heart stopped.

“I’m, uh, going to wash my hands,” I said. “The bathroom is this way.”

Needing to escape, I left the room and went into the guest bathroom, turning on the faucet and pumping out some liquid soap. Max stood just behind me, waiting for his opportunity to do the same.

After I dried my hands off, he entered the bathroom just as I exited it, which caused us to have to brush past each other again, and despitethe fact that we were both fully clothed, every inch of my skin prickled with delight, as if he were making skin-on-skin contact.

“Excuse me,” he said, right as I managed a “Sorry.”

I went out into the hallway and leaned against the wall as I closed my eyes, asking for heaven to give me strength.

Because I wanted to go back into that bathroom and throw myself at Max Colby.

What was wrong with me?

I tried to catch my breath while reminding my overeager body of the facts.

He was out of my league.

I’d had feelings for Adrian five minutes ago and was basically transferring my crush from him to someone else because he’d gotten engaged, which wasn’t fair to Max or to me.

Max had an army of women texting him. I wasn’t willing to be one of many.

But most importantly? He had just agreed with me that he wanted us to be only friends.

I was not going to be this pathetic.

He came out into the hallway and I immediately straightened, smiling at him. “Thanks so much for helping me. I should walk you out.”

Before he could respond, I headed to the front door and opened it. This was better. I knew that Max couldn’t be interested in me that way, and as much as I’d enjoyed talking to him and seeing him, this was it and I had to accept that.

Better to end things now, on a high note, than to have a thoroughly regretful interaction that I’d run through my head over and over again every night just before I fell asleep for the next ten years.

I did allow myself to feel sad that I wasn’t going to get to hang out with him again. I knew that maybe we’d text occasionally until he picked one woman in his rotation to be his new girlfriend, and I’d have to content myself with that.

He got his phone and his coat, which effectively snuffed out any sad hope I might have had that he’d forget them again and make it so I’d get to see him a third time. I drank in his masculine beauty, feeling a little depressed this was my last opportunity.

But when he came over to the door, he stopped. “Now that you’ve fed the pets, are you free?”

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