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“I won. That means you can’t kiss me,” I say in a low and unsteady voice. Every inch of my body longs for him, almost painfully so.
“Don’t worry, Emilia. I won’t kiss you again until you ask me to.”
Until. Not unless.
Somehow I find my voice. “What makes you think I will?”
“You want to. You would never have taken the bet otherwise.”
“Maybe I just wanted a chance to kick your ass.”
“You wouldn’t have taken that chance if a part of you didn’t want the kiss.”
“Know-it-all.”
Max tilts his head to the right, scrutinizing me. “I don’t know if I can be just your friend. I’ll try, but as you can see, I’m failing repeatedly.”
“You don’t seem to try very hard.” Nervously I lick my lower lip, and Max follows the movement with his gaze. His proximity does unspeakable things to me.
“That’s right. I’ll be honest with you, Emilia. Until now I didn’t make an effort in my relationships, and now I think I know why. I couldn’t see them going anywhere. But with you… it’s different.”
“What are you saying?”
“That you’re fun, sweet, and always on my mind.” He lifts his hand to cup the side of my head, then drags the backs of his fingers down my cheek, moving them along on my jaw. He stops short of touching my mouth. “Part of that is desire, but it’s more. I like to be around you, to see you smile. To make you smile. You’ve grown into an amazing woman, Emilia.”
“Stop being such a fancy-pants charmer,” I whisper.
“You have no idea how much I’d like to charm this bathing suit off you. But I’m not bullshitting you.”
I know he’s not. He’s kept that boyish honesty I loved about him—even if it annoyed me at times, such as when he informed me my pixie cut sucked. Now, though, I have no idea what to do with his information, and judging by his expression, neither does he.
“Max, I….”
He puts a finger on my lips, silencing me. Unfortunately, feeling the warmth of his touch awakens all my senses. I become painfully aware of my hips grazing against his muscular thighs, of our mouths being only a breath away.
“Don’t say anything,” he says. “We’ll just see where the pieces fall into place.”
His eyes have that glint of mischief and determination I know too well. Only now he decidedly delivers it in a very grown-up Max way, which warms my heart… and other parts. Instantly, I know all bets are off.
Chapter Thirteen
Emilia
My grams always used to say, “when one door closes, you kick the shit out of every other door and window, until one opens.”
Her own version of when one door closes, another one opens. She was never a believer of good things just falling into one’s lap, and she raised me the same. So when the repair shop informs me that my car’s repairs will be twice as much as I anticipated, I allow myself to panic and fret for a few hours, and then I make a plan. I call a few of my patients who asked me if I’d be willing to do sessions at their homes, and offer my services. Home sessions are usually a pain in the ass, because I don’t have all the necessary equipment, but it can work in easier cases. I end up with three evenings booked. It’ll be a stretch fitting everything in, but I’m in no position to turn anything down.
What’s a girl to do when she has too much on her plate? Arm herself with her two best friends and a sugary, caffeinated drink while on lunch break at work. At least this girl does. My version of wine and a girls’ night out.
“You are insane,” Evelyn says, and Abby nods vigorously as we enjoy a coffee on our lunch break on Tuesday. We’re in the small backyard of the clinic. It’s a beautiful April day with the sun shining almost unnaturally bright. Except for two snow-white clouds, the sky is a divine shade of blue. I wish I could be outdoors the entire day, soaking in the light and warmth of the sun. It’s beautiful.
“No, I’m trying to pay for my car’s repairs,” I reply.
“You need to let off steam, or at least have a breather now and again,” Abby insists. They both offered to help financially, but I vehemently refused
. That’s not what friends are for, and I don’t take handouts.
“I know what you need,” Evelyn says wickedly. “I bet Max wouldn’t mind helping you let off steam.”
