“That doesn’t matter, Max—I mean, Mr. Cole.”

He grabbed my hand, and it was warm and soothing on my skin. “You can call me Max,” he said with a tone that made it sound like I was being ridiculous for maintaining the formality between us.

I looked up at him, knowing he was right. I was being ridiculous. Using his last name wasn’t going to insulate me from getting hurt. Not anymore.

I took a quick breath, crossing over that invisible threshold. “Max, I told you I want out. I can’t stay at C.C. and face the people who work there or the clients. I can’t do anything but get surgery, move back to California, and find a way to move on with my life quietly. After I’ve filed for bankruptcy because my student loans will eat me alive. But if I’m lucky, people will forget about me in a few years.”

“So you’re giving up. You’re going to run away.”

“You left me no choice, Max,” I spat his name. Truthfully, he should’ve been honest with me from the beginning. Knowing about that book would’ve changed everything.

“I left you the choice to trust that I know what I’m doing and that I would not hurt you, Lily.”

“I want the surgery. I’m doing it now. And I’m leaving C.C. This is what’s best for me. Not you, but me.”

Frustrated, he shook his head. “No.”

“What?”

“No. I’m not letting you throw it all away, Lily.”

“Seriously? You’re going to tell me how I should deal with this mess you’ve left me with?” How dare he.

“Yes. Because you’re making a mistake. And you do have backbone. You can stand up to anything anyone throws at you, Lily. And you have a promising career ahead of you. This issue will blow over, people will move on, and they’ll see what I see in you after you give them a chance.”

“What do you see in me?”

He cupped my cheek and stared into my eyes. “A very intelligent, feisty, beautiful woman, whose only mistake was getting involved with me.” He bent his head and gave me a soft kiss.

I blinked at him, completely shocked, my body going tingly and nearly limp from the feel of his lips. “Why did you do that?”

There was a knock on the door. “Max, you in there?” It was Adeline. “We’re already running late and the limo is waiting.”

“Your girlfriend is waiting,” I said bitterly.

“She’s not my girlfriend, and she decided to surprise me by showing up here, instead of at the venue.”

Frowning, I gave him a “whatever” shrug.

He gave me a look, walked over to the door and opened it. Adeline instantly noted me standing there.

“Who’s she?” Adeline asked.

Of course, Adeline wouldn’t remember me.

“Lily,” he replied. “A very close friend. And I’m afraid I won’t be joining you tonight because something important has come up.”

Adeline’s jaw dropped. “You can’t make me go alone. What will the press say?”

He shrugged. “Tell them that Maxwell Cole stood you up.”

“Nobody stands me up.” She rolled her eyes.

“Then tell them anything you like, but I’m afraid I’ve got to stay here with Lily to work out a few things.”

“What could possibly be so important that you’d flake on me for…” Her disgusted gaze completed the sentence.

“That’s between Lily and me, but if you really want to know,” he leaned down a little, “I’m hoping to convince her to be more than friends.”

Adeline looked like she was about to implode with shock. “But…but…”

“Let me walk you out,” he said.

As for me, I stood there trying to make sense of his words. What the hell?

He left the room, and I sat down in a leather armchair wedged into the corner near his bookshelf. Wait. This couldn’t be right.

“Adeline is gone. And I sent my maid home.” Max stood in the doorway, still in that beautiful tux, his freshly shaved face looking like he’d never been more serious in his life.

I stared at him. Speechless.

“Say something,” he demanded.

“I can’t.”

“It’s fairly simple. It’s either yes or no.”

“What about my…”

“You have no idea how much I like you, Lily. Do you?”

“No.”

But…my face and my…well, face.

“I knew the moment you walked into my office there was something different about you.”

“So why didn’t you say anything sooner?” I asked.

“I’d planned to, but you ran me out of your hotel room in Milan. What was I to think?”

Made sense, I supposed. “But you and I…we can’t work.”

He shook his head. “So you mean, simply because I have this issue I’m not in control of, you wouldn’t consider me.”

“Don’t put it like that—it doesn’t make any sense.” It really didn’t. He was my boss. He had issues. There was a huge shit storm of scandal coming our way, too.

He stepped closer, reached down to grab my hand, and yanked me up. “You honestly can’t see how hard I’m trying to fix myself? And did it ever occur to you that you’re the only reason it’s working this time?”

He pulled my body against him, and as much as I wanted to push him away, I really couldn’t. He felt too…too…perfect. Every nerve ending lit up with pulses, especially between my legs.

“Give me a few weeks, Lily. I’m close to breaking through this. I can feel it.”

I wanted to. I did, but it felt like he was asking me to walk through a minefield with him, and frankly, my mind couldn’t accept he really wanted me.

He went on, “I’ll work through this issue with the press, and the fact you’re my employee. The only thing you need to do is trust me and give me a chance. What do you have to lose?”

“Getting hurt by you.”

He dropped his hand. “So you believe Nancy Little? You really think I misled those women and then tossed them aside or that I’m responsible for her sister’s death.”

I didn’t know what to believe, but it was time to answer that question. He needed to know how vulnerable I felt around him.

“I kicked you out of my hotel room because I knew the moment you touched me, I wanted more. And I don’t want to fall in love with someone who can never love me back.”

He nodded. “You really believe I couldn’t possibly be interested in you?”

“Not a man like you with the world’s Adelines throwing themselves at your feet.”

He shook his head. Then something snapped, and that side of Maxwell Cole, the side with a temper, showed itself.

“Fucking hell, Lily. You really are fucked up.” He grabbed my wrist and yanked me along.

“What are you doing?” I said, digging my heels into the blond hardwood floor, my tennis shoes squeaking as he dragged me.

“I’m taking you upstairs.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m going to spend the rest of the weekend fucking some sense into you.” He whipped me over his shoulder, and I grunted with the impact. “Max, we’re not in the Stone Age.”

He slapped my ass really hard.

“Ouch!” What the hell?

“Shut up. I have had enough of your crap,” he said.

My crap?

He got to the top of the stairs and turned the corner.

“What crap? Put me down.”

“Your constant undermining and self-deprecation. You’re hot, Lily. Really hot. Especially that mouth of yours. And your fucking little attitude especially gets my dick hard.” We got to his immaculate bedroom—at least, I think it was his with the bright white walls, light gray curtains, and minimal decorations—where he slid me down and pushed me back. I landed on my ass on his king-sized bed.

He undid his bow tie and went to work on his shirt. “But obviously your hang-up is getting in your way. So as one fucked-up person to another, I owe you a little therapy of your own.”

He pulled off his shirt and tux jacket in one swoop, revealing the perfection of his chiseled torso—ripped pecs and abs with those black tribal tats on his upper arms.

God, he’s breathtaking.

Obviously, if I’d really been against what he was doing, I would’ve said so. But the fact was, having this man “fuck some sense” into me wasn’t something I wanted to turn away from. I wanted nothing more, and he probably knew it.