I haven’t been on a double date since high school, but it appears I’m doing it tonight. Lia had messaged Lucian during our meeting this morning, and since he rarely says no to his wife, the deed was as good as done. Truthfully, I think the bastard was vastly amused at the prospect of seeing me squirm for an evening. I also believe it’s a big possibility that he and Lia want to observe how Rose and I are as a couple. I’m not sure why it was such a surprise to either of them. I might have no intentions of acting on it, but there is no denying the chemistry that crackles when I’m with her. Even Luc had noticed it.

After Rose was so upset over her clothing this morning, I’m wary of what will happen this evening, so I hurry through my own dressing. I slip into a pair of dress pants and a button-up shirt but leave off the tie. We’re going to Leo’s for dinner. The Italian restaurant is a favorite of mine as well as Luc’s.

Rose’s door is open when I reach it, and I quickly take in the room, not seeing any sign of her. I note with some relief that the bathroom light appears to be off. Then I spot a glow coming from beneath the walk-in closet door. My gut clenches as I move quickly toward it. I push it slowly open and hiss audibly. She’s standing there in a lacy black bra, tiny matching panties, and thigh-high stockings. Her back is to me and I am having a hell of a time tearing my eyes from her tight ass. My hands clench as I fight the urge to touch her. I clear my throat but still my voice is husky as I ask, “Need some help picking an outfit?” Without waiting for her reply, I step around her and peruse the row of clothing hanging there. When I spot a short, black sheath dress, I pull it from the hanger and put it in her hands. A quick glance shows her eyes fixed straight ahead and beads of sweat dotting her forehead. Oh, baby, where are you? I think as she seems oblivious to my presence.

I’m not sure what comes over me, but I know at that moment that I need to do something to shock her back to the present and force whatever thoughts are filling her head to flee. I cup her head gently in my hand and lower my lips to hers. I lick the seam of her mouth, coaxing her to let me in. She’s still for a moment then suddenly her breath flutters out as her lips part. I waste no time thrusting into the nectar waiting there. When I feel her tongue seek entrance into my mouth, I’m lost. I lower my hands to her ass and pull her snugly against my hard length. “Max,” she whimpers as I knead her flesh.

“I’m right here, sweetheart,” I groan as I trail kisses down the slender length of her neck. Before I can think better of it, I sink my teeth into the tender skin of her shoulder and feel a shudder wrack her slender frame. “What are you doing to me?” I ask, not really expecting an answer. I lower one side of her bra and feel weak in the knees when her raspberry nipple pops free. Fucking hell, has anything ever looked sweeter? Just a taste, I promise myself as I palm a perfect handful before sucking the taut peak into my mouth. Her fingers sink into my hair, pulling me closer as I nip and suck her into a sensual frenzy. My other hand is slipping across the supple skin of her stomach, and well on its way to the apex of her thighs when the music begins playing nearby. The song is so out of place that I pause, trying to decipher what’s going on. “What the hell?” I grumble as I look around.

Rose leans her forehead against my chest as she giggles. The sound is so carefree that I’m instantly captivated, regardless of the raging hard-on that is threatening to punch through my slacks. “I … set an alert earlier,” she wheezes out.

I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date. I’m late …

I stand still, listening, and then I begin to chuckle as well. The song from Alice in Wonderland—“I’m Late”—is the tone that she chose. Raising a brow, I say, “Only you would think of that.” As I pull back to put some space between us, I can’t miss the irony that yet again, I’ve been cock-blocked in my own home. Either some higher power is trying to save me or serve up death via blue balls. To distract myself from the painful issue in my pants, I hold the dress up that had fallen to the floor during our embrace and help her into it. Having all of her major parts covered right now is crucial to my survival. “You look beautiful,” I say truthfully when I’ve zipped the dress into place.

She gives me a soft smile, before smoothing the fabric across her waist. “Thanks, you look pretty hot yourself, counselor.” She eyes me for another moment before adding, “You do realize that we’re going to have to be convincing tonight, right? That means making two people who know us very well believe that we’re in love, or at least something akin to it.” She appears uncertain as she asks, “Will you be able to do that? Pretend you have feelings for me? I know I’m not the type of woman you’d usually date, and they’ll be aware of that, as well. Maybe if you imagine I’m someone else, it’ll be easier.” She looks so damn forlorn now. It breaks my fucking heart to know that I’ve done this to her with my studied indifference. After that kiss, how could she still think I’m not attracted to her? I want to strip her out of that dress and fuck her till morning. She honestly believes I could never love her. Her parents have made sure that her self-confidence never had the opportunity to grow and blossom, and I’ve unwittingly reinforced those feelings of inadequacy with my fierce need to protect my heart.

Even though I know it opens me to a vulnerability I haven’t allowed in years, I pull her into my arms and speak with complete honesty. “You may not have moved in here because we were in a relationship, but the fact I don’t want you to leave has nothing at all to do with fooling our friends. You terrify me, baby, and it’s everything to do with you. When we meet Lucian and Lia for dinner tonight, it will be because you’re my date and I want you by my side. You’re a gorgeous, intelligent woman who keeps me on my toes with your sassy mouth and incredible body. You’re who I want to be with tonight, no one else.” And fuck me if that isn’t the absolute, shocking truth.

An impish light enters her eyes and I’m not at all surprised when she jokes, “You were thinking of me during your one-man show, weren’t you?”

Puzzled, I stare at her, trying to figure how what she’s talking about. “Pardon?” Then she steps back and lowers her hand to the level of her groin before making an unmistakable hand gesture. I groan, letting my head fall forward. “I thought you were actually going to let that one go.”

“Are you kidding?” She smirks. “I’ve thought of that a million times since then. Do you have any idea how sexy that was?” Wiggling her brows, she adds, “And trust me, you have nothing to be embarrassed about from what I saw. That wasn’t a simple choking of the snake; it was more like trying to corral your dragon. Or would you prefer beast? Either is pretty accurate.”

I shake my head as I’m hard once again. This woman is going to be the death of me. Still, what man wouldn’t want to have their cock referred to as something huge? “Out. Now. Car.” I order with a tap on her ass for emphasis. I take her hand and pull her from the closet and out to my car. We’re probably going to be late, but knowing how Lucian and Lia are with each other, I doubt very seriously that they’ll even notice.

---

The hostess leads us to a private table in the corner where our friends are waiting. Lucian has his hand resting possessively on the nape of Lia’s neck. Her face is flushed and her eyes are glowing. Either those two have had a quickie in the back or they’ve been discussing the logistics of it. If ever two people could give me hope for the future, it’s them. Lucian Quinn, once the king of ‘get it and quit it,’ is now a dedicated husband and a doting father. I’m certain it wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t met Lia. He would have continued through life as he was, never suspecting his soulmate was just across town at the local college.

Lucian gets to his feet and kissed my cheek before clasping Max’s shoulder. Lia and I hug as if we hadn’t just been together a few hours earlier. When we’re seated across from them, I’m surprised to feel Max take my hand under the table. I instantly feel warm, not because he’s touching me, but because it’s not for the benefit of our friends. They have no idea that underneath the tablecloth, his finger is tracing circles in my palm as we laugh at Lia’s tale of Lucian’s diaper changing disasters.

Lia watches us as if she can hardly believe what she’s seeing; Lucian looks faintly amused, but I also see a hint of curiosity in his gaze. Regardless of Max’s earlier assurances, I can’t help but wonder if his friend is thinking I’m way out of my league. Max is a lawyer, for God’s sake, and I’m … well, I’m the daughter of Hoyt and Celia Madden. That’s all I’ve ever needed to know in order to open doors and blend into society. Now, it seems as if I’m simply Rose Madden, currently broke and homeless friend to Lia Quinn. Yeah, on paper I’m not exactly a catch. If Lucian knew everything that Max does about me, he’d probably be advising his friend to run for his life.

“So how is the whole living together thing going?” Lia asks. “I bet it’s been a big adjustment.” I’m puzzled for a moment when I see her face redden, and then it hits me. She’s remembering our earlier conversation about Max’s cock size.

I rub my forehead as if in pain and say, “It’s been a huge adjustment, but Max has been so patient with me. He’s good at anticipating my needs even before I’m aware of them.”

Lia chokes on her sip of wine, and Lucian pats her on the back as he looks from his wife to me. The twitch of his lips lets me know that he’s noticed the double entendre in our conversation. Max’s hand flexes against mine under the table as he says, “Behave,” under his breath.

As the evening progresses, I find myself relaxing and falling a little more under Max’s spell. I’ve mostly only known the reserved man, but tonight, he’s showing me yet another side. He’s charming, considerate, and funny. Overall, he’s the perfect date. I am finding it more and more difficult to remember that this isn’t real. When his arm settles around my shoulders and he drops a kiss on my brow, it seems so genuine. I know he desires me; he’s admitted as much. But there’s something else in his eyes tonight when he looks at me. I’m fully in the moment with him when I feel it. That tingle you get when you’re being watched. I do a quick sweep of the restaurant and see no one familiar. I’m ready to shrug it off as I gaze beyond Lucian’s shoulder and see my ex-boyfriend Jake staring daggers at me. And he’s not alone. It looks as if he’s also on a double date. He has his arm around a dark-haired girl who I luckily don’t recognize, and there is another couple sitting in front of them. Freaking wonderful. Out of all of the restaurants in Asheville, he had to be in this one. I see their waiter dropping off the check and realize with relief that they’re preparing to leave. I lean in to Max and say, “I’m going to the ladies’ room. Be right back.” Normally, Lia would have accompanied me, but she’s just placed a call to their nanny, Anna, to check on Lara, so I wave her off as I leave the table.

I go straight to the last stall and close the door behind me. I’ve just flushed the toilet when the sound of the outer door opening and women’s chatter fills the room. I’m not in the mood for polite conversation with strangers, so I stay where I am, hoping they’ll make it quick.

When I hear a snide voice say, “Did you hear Jake saying his psycho ex is here tonight? The woman is a nut job. I can’t believe she hasn’t been locked up somewhere by now.” I freeze, unable to move and am barely breathing. Oh dear God, she’s talking about me.

“No!” another voice gasps out. “Why didn’t you point her out to me? I knew you two were staring at someone, but I had no idea it was her. Didn’t she try to kill him?”

“Hell yes, she did,” the girl I assume is his girlfriend says. “She carries a gun and will put a bullet in anyone who gets in her way. A total trashy redneck.”

“Girl, you better hope she doesn’t want him back.” The other girl laughs.

“I’m not worried about her.” The girlfriend snickers. “Jake wouldn’t have her back if she begged. He said it was bad enough that he had to worry about her waving a gun around all the time. But he said the real mess was what she looked like under her clothes.”

“So maybe he should have given her a gym membership.” The friend chuckles. “Of course, he was probably afraid to risk pissing her off.”

“Oh no, that’s not it,” the girlfriend interjects. “She’s covered in scars from where she cuts herself. He said he’d been forced to hide every sharp object in his apartment for fear of what she’d do if she found them. She’s a fucking sicko.”

“Damn.” The friend whistled. “Poor Jake. They were together for quite a while. Why in the world did he stay with her?”

I can almost see the girlfriend shrug as she says, “He felt sorry for her. Plus, he was afraid of what she’d do to him when he did. That’s why we had to sneak around for months until he worked up the nerve to end it with her.”

“Didn’t she catch you two together?” the friend asks. Their conversation fades away as they leave the bathroom. Air. I need air. I slump down on the closed toilet lid and try desperately to get myself together. Skin prickling all over. I don’t want anyone to know what I just heard. Heart palpitating. I’m in shock that Jake would share something so personal with the girl he cheated on me for. I’m going to be sick. No. Keep it together, Rose. Think of Max. Think of being in his arms. Think of the words he said earlier tonight, just after he’d nearly brought you to orgasm. ‘You’re a gorgeous, intelligent woman who keeps me on my toes with your sassy mouth and incredible body. You’re who I want to be with tonight, no one else.’ Was a single word Jake said to me true? He’d pretended to be so incredibly supportive and understanding, when all the while, he was anything but. To him, I was a joke. Knowing that he’d betray me like that with others is devastating.

“Rose, are you still in here? We were getting worried about you.”

I jump as I hear Lia’s voice. I have no idea how long I’ve been gone from the table, but obviously, it’s been a while. Getting to my feet, I flush the toilet to give myself an extra moment before opening the door. I plaster my public smile on my face before rubbing my stomach. “Remind me to skip the lasagna the next time,” I groan. “That stuff is so rich that it’s running right on through.”

Lia grimaces, seeming to attribute my strained expression to overindulgence. “The check’s already been taken care of if you want to rush Max home before you have to …”

I can’t help but laugh as she leaves her sentence hanging. I wash my hands then throw an arm around her shoulders. “It’s a bodily function, chick. I know you’d rather talk about Max’s enormous cock, but I simply don’t have the time tonight. Don’t worry, though, I should feel better by tomorrow, and we can discuss it over lunch. Why don’t you snap a picture of Lucian’s tonight and we can compare them?”

As expected, the combination of bathroom talk combined with Max’s asset size has her overlooking everything in her haste to escape from me. She is nearing a sprint back to the table while I follow at a more leisurely pace. Max is on his feet and waiting for me when I arrive. He looks at me in concern as he asks, “Are you okay, sweetheart? I was getting concerned.”

“I’m fine,” I attempt to reassure him. “Just a little full from dinner.” Showing yet another reason she’s a great friend, Lia has pulled Lucian from behind the table and they’re ready to leave. She probably told him I’m in serious danger of soiling my underwear in his friend’s restaurant. God, I love that girl.

We all say our good-byes. Lucian and Lia live only a few blocks away, so they leave on foot while Max takes my hand and steers me to where his car is parked. Ever the gentleman, he opens my door and waits until I’m belted in before shutting it. He’s quiet as he navigates the downtown traffic. When we’re in the quieter residential area, he asks, “What happened back there?”

I roll my eyes. I’ve never been quizzed so thoroughly about a bathroom visit before. “Do you want a verbal or a written report?” I ask dryly.

He ignores my snide remark. “You looked as pale as a ghost when you came back to the table. Something upset you.”

“Yeah, about a five pounds of pasta,” I snap. “For the love of all things holy, can we please not talk about this? Even I have some limits and giving you an in-depth look into my bathroom habits is one of them.”

I see his lips quirk, as his shoulders appear to relax. He’s accepting my explanation, and I’m beyond grateful. He’s the last person I want to know what Jake said about me. Plus, if I’m completely honest, a part of me is terrified that he feels the same way.

Does he find me disgusting? Now that he’s seen my scars, can he ever truly want me? How do you desire someone who’s so very far from perfect? Max is the epitome of handsome. Why would he settle for damaged goods? He won’t, Rose. He’ll kick you out eventually.

I feel a sharp pang as it hits me with the force of a lightning bolt. I care about him. Maybe it started out sexual, but he’s a good man. One of the best I’ve ever known. I ache to know what it feels like to be the woman who he finally gives his heart to. But that’ll never happen now. He knows how screwed up I am. And like Jake, he feels sorry for me. It seems I’m destined to be a burden to those I care about. How much longer can I continue to do that to them—and to myself? The answer to that question haunts me as the car moves through a darkness that rivals the bleakness of my soul.