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Maxi waved her hand in the air, wanting to dismiss her friend’s concern. “No worries, really. What’s up with you?”
Staci wasn’t nibbling on Maxi’s feigned nonchalance. “Come on. We’ve been through tough times together before, personally and professionally. This isn’t work related. I know you too well. Tell me what’s going on.”
The corners of Maxi’s mouth quivered. The backs of her eyes burned. Emotion swelled in her throat.
“Maxi…” Staci sat forward and gave her a compelling look. “You’re breaking my heart here.”
“Oh!” The word wrenched from Maxi’s mouth on a sob. Her hand flew up, and she covered her mouth, trying to control any further outbursts. Fat drops sprang to life and rolled down her cheeks.
“Jesus, Maxi.” Staci was out her seat in the next instant. She came around the desk and took Maxi’s free hand. Squeezed it tight. “Tell me!”
“It’s just something I have to get over,” Maxi said. “Something that apparently meant more to me than it should have. And damn it, isn’t that always the case?”
She’d sworn off men who were bad for her. Men who used her.
She’d been so convinced from the very beginning that Ryan Donovan, PhD, was not that way. That he was different. Much different, she’d mentally asserted when she’d first laid eyes on him.
How could she have been so wrong?
How could he have turned out to be a player—just like all the others she’d been attracted to in the past?
Staci knelt beside her, still clutching Maxi’s hand. “Hey. I’m no stranger to your relationship woes. Is that what’s happening here?”
Maxi couldn’t hold it in a second longer. Not when it was Staci who was suddenly so upset and worried about her.
With a nod, Maxi painfully confessed, “Ryan and I sort of had this thing going. And now we don’t.”
Staci’s brows knitted. “Why not? He’s an amazing person, Maxi. Honestly. You tapped a gold mine there.”
Maxi stared into tawny eyes filled with confusion. “You really think I was the one to end it?”
“Well…” Staci frowned. “I’ve seen the way Ryan looks at you. And he was incredibly flirtatious with you when we were out with Lola and Alex the other night—just you. So I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have—”
“But he did,” Maxi said, as the stream of tears continued to flow. “He’s back with Elizabeth.”
“No.” Staci shook her head vehemently, sending sleek, straight strands of dark-auburn hair flying about her shoulders. She stood and stared down at Maxi with conviction stamped across her lovely face. “Absolutely, positively, one hundred percent not.”
“I saw them together, Stace. In his office. They were quite cozy. Really cozy.”
“No, no, no.” Staci released Maxi’s hand and began to pace in her pretty, midnight-blue Mary Janes. “Ryan is not like that. Trust me. I know him. He’s genuine. He’s totally the real deal. He’d never—”
“Please,” Maxi couldn’t help but scoff. Then sniffle. “I’ve dealt with enough cheaters in my day. I’m a magnet for them. I thought I’d broken that vicious cycle, but…obviously not.” She reached for a tissue. Dabbed at her cheeks, then blew her nose. Too bad the tears kept falling. “On the other hand, it wasn’t as though Ryan and I had sworn exclusivity to each other. Still. We were, like, nuts about each other. And the sex was phenomenal.”
“Then he definitely wouldn’t go back to the Ice Queen. Seriously.” Staci drew up short and asked, “What’d he say when you confronted him?”
“Confronted him? Are you fucking kidding me?” Maxi gaped. It took her a few seconds to recover. “You know me so much better than that! You of all people know how many times I’ve confronted, yelled, sobbed…and taken back. Oh, no. Hell. No. I refuse to fall apart in front of Ryan Donovan. I’m his boss, Staci!”
Ugh!
That made it even worse!
Maxi wanted to scream at her own idiocy. “I never should have gotten involved with him in the first place. I realize that. But I am not going to let him see all of these tears. I really, really liked him, Staci. I mean…massive like.” Her heart constricted again, her chest pulling so tight that it hurt. “I just thought…” She shook her head, tried to swallow down that lump of emotion still filling her throat. “I thought we had something great going. He’s the perfect guy for me, and I might have even been—”
“Falling a bit in love?”
That accent!
Maxi’s gaze flashed across the room at the sound of Ryan’s voice. He stood in the entryway, his hands stuffed into his pockets, a grave and forlorn look on his ruggedly handsome face.
