Indiscretion: Volume One (6 page)

We stood in silence for a moment before I told him, “I met her in the Tribute showroom where she works.” I grinned, remembering the unfortunate incident with her skirt. Well, unfortunate for her. “I should probably go say hello.”

“Right on,” Paul said easily. “I’ll chat up the redhead. The brunette has a ring on. You play a good wingman and maybe at least one of us can get laid tonight.”

We made our way toward the girls, weaving in and out of the tables when I realized I hadn’t fully decided how I was going to handle the Chloe situation yet. I certainly wasn’t done trying to get closer to her, but still, I had
some
pride. I would just have to see how it went. I was pretty sure she probably hadn’t shared news of our little rendezvous with many people, if anyone at all. Chances were she’d feign politeness so she wouldn’t rouse any suspicion with her friends. I wasn’t above using that to my advantage. I pushed shoulders back and smoothed a hand down my shirt as we approached.

Chloe’s back was facing us. When we got close, her friends looked up at the pair of us, smiling broadly. Chloe turned around and gave me a forced smile. ”Max, I wasn’t expecting to see you here tonight,” she said in a strained voice.

“I guess we’re both just lucky we ran into each other.” I smiled big in her direction, daring her to challenge me. “Paul, this is Chloe Griffins and…”

“Beth.” The redhead offered her hand to Paul, ignoring me altogether.

“Jackie,” the brunette said and gave a nod in our direction from the other side of the table. I recognized her as the very intoxicated bride-to-be from the bar in New York. The grin on her face told me she probably had some idea of who I was as well.

“The pleasure is all mine,” Paul said smoothly as he took the seat between Chloe and Beth, leaving me to take the only remaining seat on the other side of Chloe.

I tried not to grin as Paul immediately struck up his own conversation with the two women closest to him. Anticipation coursed through my veins. Perfect, now Chloe and I could talk amongst ourselves.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Chloe

“Is this your first time at Geddy’s?” I inhaled deeply, willing my body not to reveal the nervous anticipation I was feeling.

I couldn’t believe it when I saw Max at the back of the room earlier, hot as ever in a pair of dark denim jeans and a short-sleeved, button-down shirt. It was all I could do not to run off stage, and now he was forcing me into conversation. I couldn’t sit here all night in awkward silence.

“It is.” He nodded. “It’s been a long week. Thought I’d get out for a couple drinks.”

“I know the feeling,” I said, giving him a pointed look. “I certainly didn’t expect to see you here tonight. Doesn’t really seem like your kind of place.”

“I didn’t expect to see you singing on stage,” he replied with a smugness to his tone.

“Touché.” I smiled. “How do you like The Harborside?”

He gave me a slow, knowing smile. “Are you stalking me, Ms. Griffins? I don’t remember ever mentioning where I was staying.” He raised an eyebrow.

My gaze moved to the table. “Small town. People talk.” I shrugged and the neckline of my baggy top fell off my shoulder.

“Or people ask,” Max hinted, leaning in and grabbing the piece of fabric and moving it back into place. His fingers rested a moment longer than necessary against my collarbone. I let out a breath when he finally removed his hands and leaned back in his chair. “It’s a nice place, but it’ll pale in comparison once my complex is finished,” he said with an innate confidence that was probably bred into him.

“A modest man,” I quipped, rolling my eyes.

“No, a confident one,” he corrected. “Say what you want about my father, but he only builds the best.”

My forehead crinkled in confusion. “I wouldn’t have said anything about your father. I don’t even know him.”

“Well, believe me, there is a lot that could be said.” He didn’t even try to mask the melancholy in his voice. I’d noticed the same thing when he mentioned his father at the show home, too. “When did you learn to play guitar?” he asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

“My mom gave me my first guitar when I was six, and I’ve been playing ever since.”

Max continued looking at me intently. The need to fill the dead air was there like it always was when I was uncomfortable or nervous, so I continued. “After my mom died, I kind of became obsessed with it. I always feel more connected to her when I play, even though she’s gone.”

“I’m sorry, that’s horrible,” he said with a sad smile.

I shrugged like it was nothing. “It was a long time ago.”

“And your father?”

“He’s been gone even longer, but that’s for the best.” It sounded harsh, but it was true. It would be a cold day in hell before I made excuses for that man.

Max didn’t say anything for a minute but quietly nodded. He seemed to understand that I didn’t want to discuss my father and changed the subject. “So, how long have you been playing guitar here?”

“A couple of years, I guess. It was a little extra coin in my pocket at first…but I have fun doing it now. I remember how nervous I was the first time I got up on that stage. You would’ve thought I was performing at Wembley Stadium or something.” I laughed.

“It takes guts to put yourself out there. I get the impression that’s not something you like to do often.”

I suppose I deserved that after our conversation at the show home, but it still irked me. He didn’t really know anything about me. I didn’t like people making snap judgements.

When I told him as much, he responded, “You won’t go out with me because you’re scared.”

“I am not scared,” I argued, balling my fists in my lap. “Did the thought ever cross your mind that I just don’t want to go out with
you
?”

“I’m gonna have to call bullshit on that one, gorgeous.” He leaned closer and whispered in my ear, “I’ve seen how you respond to me, Chloe. When I touch you, when I look at you. There’s definite chemistry between us, and for you to pretend it doesn’t exist tells me that it scares you.” He leaned back casually into his chair and took a slow pull from his beer.

Damn it. Who was I kidding? I really needed to work on my acting skills. “That’s not true. I don’t shy away from things that scare me. I never have.”

“Well, if that’s true, why don’t we have a little wager then? If I win, you go out on a date with me. If you win, I’ll leave you alone. Deal?”

There was a definite challenge in his eyes, but I couldn’t help but nod.

His face came an inch closer to mine. “I have to warn you—I never lose.”

I repressed the extreme desire to gulp and kept my face straight.

Maybe this could work in my favor. I didn’t know how much longer I could listen to my head and ignore my raging hormones. The more I was around Max, the more I forgot all the reasons I wanted to keep my distance in the first place. If I won, he’d stop insisting we go out, and I wouldn’t have to risk him wearing me down. If I lost…well, that just wasn’t an option.

“What do you have in mind?” I asked, smirking.

He leaned in closer. His scent immediately brought back memories of the two of us in New York. “How about a little game of truth or dare?”

I chuckled. “What are we, ten?”

“If you’re not up for it, just say so,” he taunted, a little too amused.

“Okay, bring it on,” I challenged him. “First one to refuse to answer truthfully or complete the dare loses.”

“Deal.” We shook hands and as if to prove his point, Max held on long enough that I had to tug my hand away from him. “Okay then, Chloe—truth or dare?” He wagged his eyebrows.

I looked across the table—my two friends were still in deep conversation with Paul—not paying the slightest attention to us. With nervous energy rolling in my gut, I looked Max straight in the eye. “Truth.”

“When and where was the best sex of your life?”

My heart sank like there was a lead weight attached to it. He couldn’t be serious. Didn’t he know how to play this game? You always led with the easy questions first. What’s your favorite color? Who was your first kiss? Of course he’d make the question sexual. I shook my head. I should’ve seen it coming. Well, I was in it to win it. There was no backing out now. I wasn’t a cheater, so as much as it begrudged me to answer the question honestly, I really had no choice.

I took a deep breath and said as quietly as I could, loud enough only for him alone to hear, “In New York, two months ago, in the private room at On The Rocks. Satisfied?”

A wide grin spread across his face, showcasing his dimple. “I was quite satisfied and apparently you were, too,” he said with cocky ease.

I grappled internally with the urge to both slap and kiss that stupid smirk off his face.

“Well, don’t let it go to your head,” I warned him. “I don’t exactly have a wealth of experience in that department. You could’ve been the worst lay in the history of the world, and I would’ve never known.” That may have been overstating it, but I wouldn’t give this jackass any more ammunition to feed his already healthy ego.

“Noted,” he said and laughed.

“Your turn. Truth or Dare?” I wanted to shift this conversation—fast.

“Truth. Hit me.”

Hmm, I could ask him anything I wanted…my curiosity was piqued. Had he felt the same as I did about our little encounter? My pride and my hormones fought against each other. I wanted to know but was afraid of the answer, so I asked the question before I could change my mind. “When and where was the best sex of
your
life?”

“Well, that’s a hard one, there’s been so many women,” he said playfully. “Let me see if I can remember them all.” He rubbed at the stubble on his jaw as he considered.

Even though I could tell he was messing with me, a sick feeling invaded my stomach. Why had I asked such a stupid question? And for some reason, the answer mattered. I didn’t know why, but it did, and more than just to protect me from a bruised ego.

I looked down at my now fidgeting hands when a stronger, larger hand covered mine. His other hand tilted my chin up so I was looking into those pools of crystal blue.

“The best sex of my life was with you. It was unexpected, passionate, and left me wanting more.” His tone was serious, honest, and heated.

My breath hitched, and suddenly I was hyper aware of my proximity to him. It was like my skin was crying out for his touch. Stark and demanding need took over. My defenses started to crumble. I was drawn to him like a river to the ocean, and it didn’t seem like there was much I could do about it. Fate kept putting us in each other’s way, and in that moment, looking into his eyes and seeing all the passion and lust reflected back, I decided not to fight any longer. A summer of passionate sex with the hottest guy I’d ever met wouldn’t hurt…as long as he came second to my job, and I remembered that it was just about a good time, and the sex alone.

“Chloe?”

I snapped out of my thoughts. “Hmm?”

“Where were you just now? You seemed a million miles away. I thought I stunned you into submission with my confession.” He looked a little unsure of himself, something I wasn’t accustomed to seeing from him.

“It’ll take more than that to make me submissive,” I said with a suggestive tone.

His eyes flared open in surprise, after which I saw only animalistic need swimming in their depths. “I’d love to try my hand at it some time.” He cleared his throat. “Alright then, truth or dare?”

Looking directly at him like I was issuing a challenge, I said, “Dare.”

“Now it’s getting interesting.” Max rubbed his hands together. “Okay, I dare you to kiss me. Now, in front of all of these people.”

My entire body stiffened. I may have decided that I’d have a sex-only affair with the man, but I wasn’t prepared to advertise it to the entire town. Bar Harbor was a small place, and I’d grown up here. Tongues would be wagging and everyone would hear about it before lunch tomorrow. “Forget it. Pick something else.”

“Uh-uh.” He shook his head. “That’s the dare. You do it or you lose.”

Haughtily, I pointed out, “I only lose if you do the next dare.”

“Let’s hear it, then.” And there was that challenge in his eyes again. “What’s my dare? I’m ready to claim what’s mine.”

Ignoring that comment, I gave great thought to what might be the most embarrassing, out-of-the-box thing I could have him do. When it came to me, a slow grin spread across my face. “You’re going to get up on stage and sing and play any song of my choosing.”

Max laughed, but he didn’t look worried. “What if I don’t know how to play guitar?”

“Well, that’s half the fun. You’ll have to fake it.” I wasn’t buying his carefree attitude. There was no way this millionaire in the making was going to get up and embarrass himself in front of all these people.

However, when he stood up and gave me a wink, I started to sweat. Making his way to the stage, he picked up my guitar, positioned the mic higher, and spoke into it. “Pick your poison. What song will it be?”

The place went silent at the sound of Max’s voice through the speakers. I felt Jackie, Beth and Paul’s questioning gaze on me…along with everyone else’s in the place.