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He doesn't need any encouragement as he takes over the kiss, plunging his tongue inside my mouth. When he strokes it against mine, I feel it everywhere, from my core to my toes to the strands of my hair. My world centres around his tongue and how he uses it. He conquers my mouth, and I wonder if he would conquer other parts of my body the same way.
"Fuck," Max mutters against my lips. "You taste like sugar and sin."
My stomach swoops at his words, and I squeeze my thighs together. Here I am, breaking my own rules, but I don't give a damn. All my fucks have fucked off to the distant land of No Fucks Given, and the only thing that matters is the heat emanating from Max's body and his taste on my tongue.
And then Max is pulling away, leaving me panting like a cartoon character with my tongue halfway out of my mouth.
"Fuck, I can't do this, Eva," he growls.
Reality comes crashing back down on me, along with a hefty dose of embarrassment. I put some space between us, shocked that I allowed myself to get so wrapped up in the intoxicating spell he weaves around me with his deep voice and molten eyes—with his very presence.
Shame slams into me, and I pull my tattered barriers around me, sliding into professional mode. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have—"
"I don't mean the kiss, Eva. Never that," he says gruffly. "Because I want to do that again. And again." His eyes darken with intent. "But I can't. Not until I come clean with you."
Come clean with me? My stomach clenches and my heart shrivels in my chest. Oh, fuck. He's married. He's dying! He's an alien from a distant galaxy. Okay, maybe not the last one but—
"I'm the owner of Sutherland's department store."
My jaw goes slack and almost lands in the remains of my chocolate eclair. The alien thing may have been preferable. "I-I don't understand. You can't be the owner because you ... you'reMax."
"IamMax. My real name is Max Sutherland. Lincoln is my middle name. I inherited the business when my father died. For the most part, I ignored my responsibility to Sutherland's before that because I had other ... priorities. But two weeks ago, I sat around a table with my CFO and a bunch of executives, and it was clear our profit margins were nowhere near where they should be. I decided the best way to discover what was going wrong was to investigate myself."
"So, you've been spying on us. On me," I state, hurt and anger bubbling to the surface. "All that stuff about how good I am at my job was to butter me up? Get the gullible sales assistant to give you the lowdown on what's going on with the plebs at the bottom?"
"Eva, that's not what—"
I hold up a hand to stall him. "Any other secrets I should know? Are you a government spy? Are you one of those weirdos who likes pineapple on his pizza?"
"Not unless you count me being the owner of this place, too," he says, waving a hand around us.
I stare at him, lost for words.He owns Chocolat y Caramel too?How much money does this guy have?Now his weird exchange with Jess makes sense. He didn't want her to blow his cover.
"I wasn't kidding earlier when I said my true passion was in pastries. I've designed this place from the ground up. Everything sold here is meticulously made to my recipes."
"This is what you meant earlier about not following the career path your father wanted for you. You were supposed to take over Sutherland's," I whisper.
"My father left the business in the hands of executives who've ignored their responsibilities. But I'm guilty of doing the same, and I'm trying to put things right."
My skin feels tight over my face as I say, "You're not who I thought you were, Max. I thought we had a connection, things in common. But we're as opposite as it gets. You're a gazillionaire, and I'm just a girl scraping by. You're a successful businessman, and I'm a sales assistant. I understand you're doing a job, but I wish you hadn't made my colleagues and me unwitting pawns in your little spy game."
I push to my feet. I need to get out of here. I'm a jumble of emotions. Betrayal and shock churn in my stomach, and the memory of that amazing kiss turns to ashes in my mouth.
"Eva—" Max reaches for me, but I step back.
"I-I should go. This was a mistake and—" I bite my lip as a thought occurs to me. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't report me to the store manager for behaving unprofessionally." My eyes widen, and I laugh a little hysterically. "Shit, what am I saying? You're his fucking boss. You'remyboss." I suddenly feel nauseous. "I hope we can forget what happened with the ... the kiss. Both of them. Because quite frankly, I need this job."
"Eva, I kissed you too, and your job isn't at risk—"
"Okay. Good. That's good." I nod abruptly. "And don't worry, your secret is safe with me. I won't blow your cover. I'll see you at work on Monday, Mr Sutherland."
Before he can reply, I take off like the hounds of hell are snapping at my heels.
Chapter7
Max
The next week is hell.While I'm more convinced than ever that I need Eva in my life, she's all business at work on Monday. She's polite and friendly, but she no longer meets my eyes, and the smile that always lights me up inside is absent. Her unease is obvious as she flits around, keeping busy and staying out of my way.
