“No. Not until I’ve said what I wanted to say.”

“You’ve already said everything I need to know in WASP heaven.”

“No, if you remember, I didn’t get to say anything. You packed and left.”

“Oh, right. I bet I’m supposed to think this is cute, huh? The man who’ll stop at nothing to get to me. You don’t see how shitty it looks from my side. Invading my privacy just so you can get the last word, far away from your cronies.” I rolled my eyes. “Sorry if I don’t swoon.”

“Really, Mimi? That is what you think this is all about? Me getting the last word.”

“Isn’t it?”

“I don’t give a shit what they or anybody else thinks about me. I do what I want to do. Alex is your boss not mine. I let you go because I didn’t want to spoil it for you. I knew you were determined to make a scene and I didn’t want to give them anything to gossip about. Eventually, those people are going to be your friends too. Besides, I wanted this to end with a screaming orgasm worth of an empty building.”

I turned my head away, feeling confused. His words were making me think he wanted to be with me, and when I looked at him, it was too hard to stay level-headed. “Okay, so you’re here. What do you have to say?”

He touched my cheek gently and I closed my eyes so that he couldn’t see how much I wanted that.

“There’s so much.”

“Start at the beginning and hurry up about it,” I said between gritted teeth. I was fast losing control of the situation.

“Okay, fine. I wanted to tell you about the development that first night.”

“Bullshit,” I spat.

“See? I can’t talk to you if you’re gonna shut me down like that.” His voice was firm.

“Fine. I won’t interrupt.”

“I wanted to tell you. I thought it would only be right. I felt like an ass. Like I was lying by omission.”

“Because you were.”

“Because I was,” he agreed. “But you were so drunk, and then you started crying. I wasn’t gonna be like, hey, by the way, I’m actually the guy who wants you out of your apartment. If you were me, would you have said it then?”

“No.”

“Exactly because contrary to what you think I’m not that much of a dick.”

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye.

“I don’t know, Mimi. You did something to me that night.”

“What did I do to you? Please, don’t lie to me right now. I can’t take it.”

“I’m telling you the truth. Before I met you, I mean really met you that night, I thought you were a gorgeous pain in the ass. You were holding me back from going ahead with my plans. I had no time for your stupid stubbornness. You were rejecting offers that were well above market price, but when I met you. I started to respect you. Most of the people I know are so rich all they have is money. You had everything. You were funny and smart, and kind, and sexy and beautiful. I liked you from that night on. You were a real person.”

“Jeez, I was finally a real person. I wish I had known. I would’ve bought a card to congratulate myself,” I babbled because I didn’t know how else to respond.

“So that’s what happened.”

“I feel like we’re skipping a really important part of this story.”

“What?”

I finally turned my head to look at him. “The part where you never told me the truth after that. You had so many chances to come clean, Max. Why didn’t you ever tell me the truth?”

“Honestly?”

“Jesus, Max.”

“Because I wanted you to like me, too. I wanted you to get to know me as a person and not some nameless villain. Hell, especially when I knew how much the apartment meant to you. I figured if you got to know me and liked me…”

“You could seduce me out of my apartment.”

“No. You would understand why I was working on getting you out of there in the first place. You would, I don’t know, forgive me or something. But the more time that passed, the worse it got.”

“My heart breaks for you right now.”

“I’m serious.”

“Me too.”

He shook his head. “All right. I’m a dick. Does that make you feel better? I said it. I’m a dick.”

“Yes, Max. That makes me feel so much better. Wow. Thank you. You can go now.”

I was still furious and more embarrassed than ever. “You were just using me, no matter how you try to spin it. Trying to get me to like you. It was all a big lie. You played up what was happening between us so I’d like you more. You were being fake all the time, is that it? Just faking me out just to get my apartment.”

“No! You don’t understand anything. I don’t want your apartment. I’ve already had designs drawn up around your apartment.”

“Good for you,” I said sarcastically.

“You still don’t get it. I don’t care about any of that. I’m in love with you, Mimi Young.”

I stared at him in shock. “What did you say?”

He grinned. “I said, I’m in love with you.”

“Oh.” My heart pounded a mile a minute. I swallowed hard. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out.”

I looked him in the eye, searching for the truth. He looked sincere. He sounded sincere, too. His face was full of what looked like hope and anticipation combined.

“Do you mean it?” I asked. “I mean, really? You’re not just saying that so I’ll give you a blowjob?”

His eyes popped open. “Will you?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know. I might.”

He placed one hand over mine, right over my heart. “I mean it. I started to fall for you from that first night. I told myself it was just lust, but it wasn’t, and I’ve been working my ass off since then to get you to feel the same way.” He shrugged. “It’s lame. I know it is. But that’s what happened.”

I took a deep breath, cold air filling my lungs. “Wow. But I was so drunk.”

“You were mega drunk,” he smirked. “And mega cute and sexy and a phenomenal kisser. That helped, too. I’m crazy about you.”

I smiled, still sure I was dreaming. But no, it was too vivid for a dream. I could feel the weight of his hard body, and the scent of his cologne mixed with our coupling. His hand was warm, and my heart raced so hard I could have sworn my chest would burst.

“I love you,” I whispered, terrified and elated and relieved to finally let it out.

His face lit up, a smile spreading from ear to ear. “You do?”

“Why do you think I was so upset last night? That wasn’t because of an apartment, or because you lied. It was because I’m totally, stupidly in love with you.”

Anything I was about to say was cut off by his kiss. I threw my arms around him and kissed him back.

He loved me. He loved me!

I touched my forehead to his, breathing deep, wanting to take that moment and hold it in my heart forever.

“What do you say we find a way to be together forever?” he asked.

“I think I could get on board with that.”

“As long as you don’t ask me to start drinking coconut water.”

“As long as you don’t ask me to start running.”

“I love you.”

“I love you.” I couldn’t have wiped the smile off my face if I tried. Then, something occurred to me. “Do you like spaghetti and meatballs?”

“Who doesn’t?”

“Think you might wanna meet my mom?”

He grinned. “Mothers love me.”

“Mine’s pretty tough.”

“Like mother, like daughter, then.”

“You sure you’re up to the challenge?” And I didn’t mean just meeting my mother. I meant being together, meshing our lives, creating one of our own. I could see myself with him forever, scary as the word felt. When I looked into his eyes, it didn’t feel all that scary, after all. Exciting, more like.

He kissed me again. “Try me.”

“I’ll ask you that question again after I’ve told you a little story about my grandmother,” I said.

“Baby, there’s nothing you or anybody can tell me that’ll make a damn bit of difference to the way I feel about you.”

* * *