Maximilian was being stalked. But since it was her doing the stalking, Maximilian had no problems with it.

“Wait!”

He heard her loud and clear, but he didn’t bother to slow down, the idea that she was running after him giving him an unusual sense of satisfaction. Why that was so, of course, was something he would rather not think of.

She was huffing and puffing loudly, and if looks could hurt, she would have managed to stab him several times in the past ten minutes already.

As he turned around the corner to head towards the lab, he heard her cry out.

Maximilian stiffened.

Damn.

He spun back and saw her face contort in pain as she gazed down at her feet. He belatedly noticed that she was wearing three-inch pumps, and color darkened his cheeks. Dammit, Maximilian thought. He wouldn’t have forced her to run after him if he had noticed her shoes.

Walking back to her, he cupped her elbow, and when she looked up, he apologized to her with a faint grimace, saying gruffly, “I’m sorry.” He expected her to rant at him, but instead a slow, impish grin broke over her lips.

What the---

“I’m sorry, too,” Seri answered cheerfully. “Because I didn’t really hurt myself or anything. I just figured you were the type of guy who’d stop for damsels in distress.”

Well, fuck. Maximilian knew he should be pissed at being successfully played, but instead he found himself smiling faintly. She definitely had him there, he mused.

Her lips were still curved in a smile, her gaze twinkling with laughter. She had the most amazingly pink lips, and they looked ripe and plump enough to kiss.

And he would have, he thought, if he didn’t know she was trouble with a capital T. Even though he found her sexy as hell and he wouldn’t mind having a taste of her sweet little body, Maximilian had also long made a rule about keeping his life free from chaos.

“I suppose,” he said, “this is about you and the other guy?”

Seri clenched her hands nervously at the almost aloof note in the other guy’s voice. “Yes.” Just thinking about how she had carelessly revealed how things were between her and Vassi had her breaking out in a cold sweat, and if she was unable to convince this stranger to keep his mouth shut---

She swallowed again.

Think positive, Seri, she told herself. Failure was not an option, and she had to do whatever it took to convince this guy not to say anything about what he saw. Or he thinks he saw, she thought hopefully. Maybe she could convince him to think that he had misunderstood things.

With this in mind, she squared her shoulders and raised her gaze to meet his.

The militant look in her gaze was easy to read, and Maximilian was surprised at feeling a sense of irritation. What made that damn stepbrother of hers so special that she seemed willing to go to any lengths to protect their secret?

Not in the mood to hear her speech about how much her stepbrother meant to her, he said brusquely, “If you’re worried about me saying a thing, don’t be.”

“I see.” Her mouth opened and closed, Seri unsure whether to trust a stranger’s word, especially this one, who hadn’t exactly been a gentleman the first time they met.

His irritation growing at the look of distrust in her eyes, he said sharply, “I’m not the type to gossip, and I’m certainly not interested in whatever it is the two of you do in private.”

“You make it sound so sordid,” she gritted out, “when it’s not like that at all.”

His lip curled. “Really? Then what was that on your hands the previous time we met? Sticky vanilla ice cream?”

Reddening at his sarcasm, she spat, “You really are an asshole.” Argh! This guy was really a jerk and not to be trusted.

He glared back at her even though in truth, he was more furious with himself than her. The way his body was reacting to her, the way his cock was hot and throbbing under his pants – he wanted this girl.

And yet this girl wanted a guy who had clearly put his own pleasure over hers.

Maximilian’s teeth gnashed. Even just having to think about this girl with someone else was enough to put him in a murderous mood, and looking at her, he snapped, “If there’s nothing else for us to discuss, then I’m going.”

And without another word, he turned his back on her and continued to the lab. He heard her footsteps resume a moment later, and as he entered the lab, he heard the door swing open again, the girl following him inside.

Nervously looking around, Seri mentally sighed in relief when she saw that the lab was thankfully empty. Hurrying towards him, she said determinedly, “I’m not done talking to you.”

Looking at her over his shoulder, he said with a derisive smile, “But I am.”

D’err mo. How she hated this guy! She would have cheerfully strangled him if she could, but Seri managed to restrain herself. Taking a deep breath, she began, “I think you’ve misunderstood a couple of things---”

“I probably didn’t,” Maximilian answered coolly as he took his lab coat from the hook. Glancing at her, his lip curled as he said, “Actually, I most assuredly didn’t, considering the, err, sticky state of your fingers---”

Aargh!

“Will you shut up about that?” she hissed, but the damn guy only shrugged as he put his lab coat on. When he started to walk towards one of the counters, she hurried after him again. “What do I have to do to make sure you don’t say a word about what you think you saw?”

Dump your stepbrother, Maximilian thought, and date me.

But because that was yet another foolish thing he shouldn’t even be considering, he simply decided to ignore her words and instead settled on his seat. Opening the wall cabinet in front of him, he took out a tray of test tubes and placed it down on the table. When he looked up, it was to find the girl standing right next to him, her face just inches away from his.

Her sudden proximity caught him off guard, and he stiffened on the stool. With her this close, the flowery scent of her perfume tantalized him, and the hint of round, pale breasts exposed by the sweetheart neckline of her dress had his fists clenching.

Fuck.

Maximilian was unable to stop his cock from slowly growing larger…longer…and harder.

Fuck.

He shifted on his seat, trying to do his best to make his erection unnoticeable, but his actions backfired, the movement drawing her attention. When she started to look down, he realized that she was just seconds away of realizing how she had aroused him---

Fuck.

He reached for her quickly, cupping her chin and forcing her to look at him. “Why are you so keen on protecting your stepbrother?” It galled him to have to talk about another man with her, but it would be even more dangerous if she realized how her nearness affected him.

Seri yanked her chin away from his hold. “Don’t touch me!”

“Why not?” he asked silkily. “Or is it that you’re one of those girls who like it dirty---” When she lifted her hand to strike him, Maximilian didn’t even flinch, his eyes only gleaming in challenge as he murmured, “I find you prettier when you’re mad, you know. If you hit me, I can only promise to make you even madder---”

“I very much doubt,” Seri spat between clenched teeth, “you can make me any more angrier than I am now---”

He said carelessly, “Oh, I definitely can, and I won’t even have to resort to spreading the word about the naughty little things you’ve been doing in class.” Before she could answer, he made his move, catching her by surprise as he took hold of her hand, his grip tightening as she immediately tried pulling away.

“All I have to do,” he said softly, “is make you hold my dick, just like you held his, and force you to make me come.”

Seri gasped, unable to believe that a stranger was telling her such things.

“But unlike your stepbrother, I promise to return the favor, sweetheart. I’ll make you come like---”

Finally recovering from her shock, she used all her strength to wrench her hand out of his hold. When she was free, she quickly backed away, warning him with a glare, “I’m going to kill you if you ever touch me or say things like that to me again.”

“Give me a chance, sweetheart,” Maximilian purred. “I only need you to be in my arms for five minutes---”

The hooded look he sent her felt somehow dangerous, and Seri couldn’t help taking a step back.

The way she paled only partially satisfied Maximilian. Good, he thought grimly. She had finally remembered that he was a man. But it wasn’t enough.

Standing up, he took a step towards her and she quickly took another step back. He flashed her a knowing, arrogant smile, saying, “So how about it, sweetheart?”

Seri took one look at the guy’s face and knew immediately that he was going to try to kiss her.

No way!

She spun around, intending to leave, but he caught her just before she could reach the door and spun her back to face him. Stiffening at finding herself caged in his arms, she hissed, “Let go of me.”

“Make me,” Maximilian challenged, all the while doing his best to not think about how it felt to have her body pressed against his.

Seri gasped, “You---” But she ended up gasping again as he started to lower his head towards her.

“I can guarantee I’ll have you purring in pleasure,” he murmured, “like a sweet little kitty…”

As the distance between their mouths grew smaller, Seri frantically tried shoving him off her, her hands pushing against his chest.

But she was no match against his strength, and his head keep lowering.

“I’ll claw your eyes out,” she threatened, “if you try anything.”

Maximilian only smirked. “It won’t be rape.”

She started to scream, but the sound was lost in the hand that had suddenly covered her mouth.

“Scream,” he warned her, “and I’ll make sure everyone knows about you and your stepbrother.”

Seri whitened.

As Maximilian released her, a cruel smile formed on his lips. “If you give me a kiss…” His gaze dropped to her mouth, and Seri, who had been wetting her dry lips, froze. “Just one kiss, my tongue in your mouth, and your tongue in mine, and I’ll call it quits.”

His arms tightened. “Deal?”

She was incredulous. “Are you serious?”

Instead of answering, he reached up to trace her lips and she immediately jerked her head away.

“Ah, so I should just tell the world then---”

Realizing her mistake, she protested quickly, “No!” Searching his gaze, Seri felt her heart sink as it dawned on her that he really was serious. He wanted a kiss in exchange for his silence, and…that wasn’t that big of a deal, right?

Forcing herself to nod, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to keep herself still as she waited for the inevitable. It’s just a kiss, it’s just a kiss, Seri tried to convince herself, but the way her body was stiff with tension told her otherwise.

A part of her almost found it amusing, the way her life was beginning to resemble a typical plot for a shoujo manga. Honestly, she would have laughed…if it hadn’t been happening to her.

More moments passed, and yet…

Nothing happened.

She waited and dreaded, all the while telling herself that this was no big deal because a kiss was just a kiss and it wasn’t like sex.

When nothing still happened, she gradually realized something else.

There was no longer someone holding her back, the arms that had earlier imprisoned her no longer around Seri’s body. Was he gone then? Her heart thudding against her chest, she cautiously opened her eyes---

He was still there, standing a few steps away from her, his arms crossed over his chest.

As their gazes met, Maximilian said mildly, “I was just bluffing.” But the truth was, he wasn’t. He had meant to kiss her. He had wanted to kiss her. But when he saw the way she closed her eyes and looked like she was about to cry over a goddamn kiss, he knew he couldn’t and wouldn’t do it.

Seri’s gaze darted to him nervously, and when he still didn’t make any move towards her, she asked warily, “So you’re not going to kiss me?”

He raised a brow at her, asking, “Do you want me to?”

“Never!”

The appalled look had him scowling, and for one moment Maximilian was tempted to kiss her anyway and show her that the world didn’t start and end with her stepbrother.

Realizing that she might have been too honest in her reaction and risked making the guy angry, Seri forced herself to say, “Sorry, I don’t mean to offend you. I’m sure you’re probably a good kisser and all, but I’d rather---”

“Save your mouth to service your stepbrother?” he drawled cuttingly. He knew he was being a jerk, but he couldn’t help it. It bugged him like hell, thinking about how innocent she seemed and yet knowing reality couldn’t be any further from what he imagined.

“Why do you do that?” Seri demanded hotly.

“Do what?” He stared at her broodingly, still unable to stop thinking about how she could cry over kissing him even while she clearly had the guts to give her stepbrother a hand job outside the bedroom.

“You always make it sound like it’s something gross when it’s not,” Seri accused. “It’s not even incestuous or illegal---”

“Then why do you insist on hiding it?”

She lifted her chin. “We have our reasons.”

Maximilian was unconvinced. “You mean, you’re okay with outing yourself but your stepbrother wants to keep you his dirty little secret, something to enjoy in private but---”

“It’s not like that! It’s because---” Seri managed to catch herself before Vassi’s name could slip past her lips. D’err mo. If she kept letting her emotions get the better of her, she might just end up saying something regrettable.

Forcing herself to take deep calming breaths, she glanced at the guy, asking shortly, “Can I trust you then?”

Maximilian shrugged, murmuring, “Even if I say yes, you won’t believe me anyway so time will just tell, don’t you think?”

Her teeth gnashed at his deliberately ambivalent reply. Mudak. Asshole. But cursing him just didn’t feel enough, and so she glared at him, saying, “Has anyone ever told you you’re an asshole?”

“A lot of times,” he assured her. “Mostly women, and always when we’re fucking because they hate how I’m so good at making them cum.” A pause, before he said tauntingly, “Unlike your stepbrother.”

Aargh!

She cried out, “I’m not joking around here, okay?” Seri started to say something else, but the door behind her suddenly opened, taking her by surprise as it propelled her forward and caused her to totter on her heels.

“Careful!” Seeing her start to fall, Maximilian automatically moved to catch her.

“Ah!” As the door behind her opened completely and someone stepped inside the lab, she stumbled towards the guy, her breasts flattening against his chest and her lips landing over his.

Bo zheh moy!

And then it simply got worse when she heard two distinctly familiar voices speak behind her.

“Seri? Max?”

Misha, Seri realized in shock.

“What the fuck?”

And Vassi.