Page 26

Nine

Micah closedhis eyes as Maddie caught the hot fluid with a cloth napkin. She cleaned him up, wiped off her hand, balled the napkin and threw it onto the table. She’d never done anything like that—ever—and she was unexpectedly roused.

But she was also resolved. She’d needed to give this to Micah, to even the score and put a cap on their night from the past. Their most recent conversation confirmed again that messing around with him would lead to nothing but heartache. He was in love with his career. Why she even bothered to argue it with him, she didn’t know. “You would have gotten where you are in Hollywood, too. Don’t kid yourself that a woman would have held youback.”

Micah paused to calm his breathing as he tucked himself back into his pants. “I don't believethat.”

“What about Lulu?” She was taking a stab in the dark, but she’d heard Fudge and Micah talking about the woman during the car ride from the airport. It was evident Micah had feelings for the woman, whoever shewas.

“Lulu?” Micah laughed. “Lulu has never held me back, though she’s a major factor in my decision to not date. But it’s not for the reasons you’d think.” He paused. “Lulu’s my mother.”

“Oh.” She blushed. “Whoops. I thought I’d stumbled on a woman you were seeing on a regular basis.”

“Good guess. I do see her on a regular basis after all. But she’s honestly the only woman I can say that about.”

She sat back in her chair, attempting to put everything in perspective. He was a player. A self-declared gigolo. At least he didn’t denyit.

And she couldn’t deny that she was mildly interested. More than mildly. More like wildly.

But she knew herself. She was too into him already. It wouldn’t take much to make her fall for him. As Bree had said, he would make hercry.

She sighed and then leveled an even stare at him. “I can’t date you, Micah.”

His eyes hinted amusement. “Who said anything about dating?”

“And I definitely can’t do that withyou.”

He leaned forward, challenge written all over his face. “Whynot?”

“Are you serious? To just be a random number in a group of women? A notch in your bedpost that doesn’t mean anything?”

Micah put his hand over hers, his touch burned like fire on her skin. “You wouldn’t be random. You’re Maddie from the party.”

“God, Micah, that’s just…gross.” She slid her hand out from under his. “I’m not against one-night stands in general, but you said it before. You’re different. You’d be different.”

Micah leaned forward and placed his hand on her leg under the table sending electric shocks throughout her body. “If by different you mean the most insanely hot, wicked pleasure you’ve ever felt, then yes, I’ll agree.”

His fingers moved in circles on her leg, and her mind filled with unwanted images of the insanely hot wicked pleasure Micah promised.

Shaking the fantasies out of her head, she removed his hand from her thigh. “Though I imagine what you say is true…” He winked at her and she had to look away. “That’s not what I meant. Most hook-ups you can love and leave. But not you. I’d see you everywhere after and I’m not talking about in person. And it would make me a major hypocrite. I don’t approve of how you use women like Kleenex—”

“Hey, no one’s ever complained.”

“I’m sure they haven’t.” His cavalier attitude about the whole thing just reinforced her decision. “And I’m sure you aren’t used to hearing these words, but I'm not interested, Micah. Not in the least.”

Okay, that was a lie, but he didn’t need to knowthat.

Micah fixed a somber stare on her for several long seconds and she began to wonder if he knew she was exaggerating her disinterest. But finally he said, “It’s too bad you feel thatway.”

She took the last swallow of her beer, trying to drown the cloud that had settled around them. She hadn’t meant to take this to such a serious place. It wasn’t like they were breaking up. Strange how it felt like they were. “Hey, you were fun.” She patted his knee to lighten the mood. And to get in one last grope.

Micah grabbed her hand and moved it to the growing package in his pants. “I can still befun.”

“Oh no, no, no.” She pulled her hand away blocking out the knowledge that he was hard again, suppressing thoughts of what she could do with that knowledge.

“Then what was all this?” He waved his hand, referring to Maddie’s under-tablegift.

Shit.She’d given him the wrong idea. That hadn’t been her intent. She was trying to end things. Not make him want more. “I owedyou.”