Max Temptation (7 page)

“You must have a really good
private detective.” He looked back up at her, and raised an eyebrow.

She nodded because she did. “
I do, I had him followed this past year. I needed to know where he was. I just got that folder from my guy last week.” That was the main reason she forgot about him. She was too worried about what was going on with her and Max that she forgot about her crazy ex. He made her feel so safe, and loved that she overlooked all the sorrow and pain she had in her life.

“I called his parole officer and he said that Joe hasn’t checked in with him in over
two months. He’s already issued a warrant for him, and was about to contact you to let you know he may be looking for you.”

He had found her, and not with just one man on her arm
, but two. Joe had always been a jealous man and when she was modeling he would want to sit in on her shoots to make sure nothing funny was going on. She’d told him he was paranoid and nothing would happen. One time she’d had to get close with one of the male models and Joe beat the crap out of the man sending him to the hospital.

“I guess we figured that out last night, right?” she said and shivered.
She didn’t want to think about what would have happened.

“We did, like I said I can keep you in a safe house.”

She smiled at him again, her phone vibrated in her hand and she glanced down at it. Her heart raced when she saw Max’s name. “I will be okay with where I am.” She stood up, and he did the same with the red folder in his hand.

“I understand,
but you can call me at any time.”

“Thank you
, Detective Moore.”

He inclined
his head once and walked past her.

S
he swiped across her phone to answer it. “Hello, Max,” she said and grinned.

“Hello
, beautiful, how are you doing?”

H
er heart pounded fast in her chest. She grabbed her coffee and winked at Joy as she walked out of the coffee shop. “I’m good. I just met with Detective Moore. I gave him everything I had on Joe.”

“What did he tell you?”
For once Max didn’t sound happy. He was her charmer and they never really had a fight.

“Just what we know, that Joe is here and most likely after me.”

Max didn’t say anything and she sighed.

“Max, can we talk later I need to get back to work.”

“Yeah, call me when you know what time you’
ll be able to get off. Will you stay with me tonight?”

She knew why he wanted her to stay, and it wasn’t because of sex. It was because he wanted to keep her safe, she rolled her eyes.
“Fine,” she said, she didn’t want to cause drama. “Goodbye, Max.” She pressed the end button without hearing him say anything back to her.

Back in her office, she place
d her hot Black Tie down and sat in her chair. She just wanted the day to be over with, and yes go home to her men. She was just happy her boss wasn’t there yet, she didn’t feel like getting yelled at.

Chapter Seven

F
ive o'clock came too soon, and most of the office staff had left. Megan still didn’t get yelled at from her boss, he never came back to work. At the law office, people would start to leave at about four-thirty, usually leaving her and her boss as the last ones to leave. There was a security guard, and she knew if she wanted he would walk her to her car. She pulled out her phone, and called Jennifer.

“Megan!”
her best friend yelled, and she smiled.

“Are you okay?” she asked and when she heard the babies crying in the background her smile widen.

“You bet, hey I was going to call you. I wanted to know what happened with the sexy Detective Moore.”

Megan laughed, that was why they were best friends. They understood each other and loved one another no matter what.
“I need to tell you something, but I want to tell you in person not on the phone.”

“Holy shit,
you’re pregnant!”

“What? No! W
hy would that be your first thought?” She wasn’t ready to have children, not yet.

“Fine I was going to invite you and your men over. I want to meet Jax and I want to warn him.”

Megan rolled her eyes, she loved that Jennifer wanted to protect her, but she didn’t need it. “I can’t speak for them, but I will be there. Love you Jen, bye,” she said and then hung up. When she walked out of her office, she stopped when she saw two men standing by the elevators. Max was the first to start to move toward her, and she grinned as she met him half way. She dropped her purse and wrapped her arms around his neck, she stood on her tippy toes to kiss him. She needed to feel what he made her feel, right then. She felt as if she was losing herself.

Max wrapped his arms around her back and pressed her closer to his hard
, warm body. When he was with her she felt…loved. She hadn’t felt love in a long time and it was amazing.

He was the one to pull away from her and she kept her eyes shut.
“Megan, are you okay?”

S
he nodded, and opened her eyes. “Yeah, I need to go and talk to Jennifer. I want to tell her that Joe is back.” She didn’t worry too much about her friend because she had Phoenix, but her ex was irrational.

“Phoenix called me
, inviting all of us over for dinner.”

She nodded and moved out
of his arms, she glanced past the man who had stolen her heart to his twin brother. He was about twenty feet from them, with an unreadable face. “Yeah, I know.”

“Okay well we’ll
meet you there.” Max lean down and kissed her cheek, but she didn’t take her eyes from Jax.

“Actually I think I want to ride with Megan.
” Jax spoke for the first time, and it caused goose bumps to cover her body.

Max looked at her over his shoulder, and she nodded.

“Its fine,” she said and smiled at him and he nodded.

She watched Max disappear when the elevator doors closed, but
her heart didn’t return to a normal speed because she felt eyes on her. She turned her attention the Jax and his dark green eyes were on her.

“You are in love my brother, are
n’t you?”

S
he bit her bottom lip, but didn’t answer, because she hadn’t said what she felt for Max out loud.

Jax grinned
that wicked grin of his that held so much promise behind it. “I hope one day you will look at me like that.” He walked toward her, and picked up her bag that still lay by her feet. When he stood up straight she felt the undeniable pull to him. She reached up and ran her fingers down the stubble on his jawline.

“Maybe if you play your cards right, you’ll get that look.” She winked at him and swa
yed her hips as she moved past him knowing he was watching her. She smiled when she heard his laughter behind her, and in the elevator they didn’t speak. She never was the type to be nervous, but he had her beyond nervous.

*
* *

Max parked his car outside Phoenix’s house, and
smiled because he was one-hundred percent in love with Megan. The only thing he was worried about was her ex-boyfriend. What he found out about Joe made his blood boil, and his protective instincts flared to life. She was the reason he wanted to be a better man, she gave his life meaning he hadn’t known he needed. He got out of his car, and walked up the walkway to the front door. He didn’t need to knock because Mark greeted him.

“Max,” the older man said as he held the door
open. He had been with Phoenix since he’d known his oldest friend.

“Hey where is Phoenix? I need to talk to him alone.” He wanted to get his advice on what he was feeling because it wasn’t that long ago he went thought this.

“He’s in his office upstairs.”

Max nodded and ran up the stairs to the office. He didn’t knock when he entered, because Phoenix would have known he was
there.

Phoenix was sitting behind his desk with his eyebrows arched. “What the hell is going on with you? You look like shit.”

Max narrowed his eyes, and walked toward the bar. He needed something strong to calm him down. His heart was beating so fast he was afraid it was going to break through his chest. He reached for a crystal glass the amber liquid poured flawlessly and he drank it down as if it was nothing. “I remember it wasn’t long ago you were where I am standing. The only thing that is different, my girl isn’t pregnant.”

“You are in love with Megan?” Max turned around to face his friend
. “If you have learned anything from me, then don’t let her go. Don’t be afraid to tell her what she means to you.” Phoenix had almost lost Jennifer because he was scared he would lost his soul for her, and he would have if she wasn’t a Nephilim. Having angel blood in her saved her soul to never be drained.

“I don’t understand what I am feeling, I do want her in my life.
” He believed what he said, and Phoenix shook his head as he laughed.

“Can you see your life without her?”

He couldn’t, his chest ached when he tried to think what his life would be like.

“I am telling you to tell her, don’t hold anything back.”

“I need to figure what I feel before I tell her, I don’t want to hurt her.”

Phoenix just blinked at him then shook his head. “Whatever,” he
said as he studied Max’s face. “What else is going on?”

Max sighed and pour more of the Whisky. “Do you know about Megan’s past?”

Phoenix liked to do complete background checks on people and
Max figured he’d done one on Jennifer’s best friend. Phoenix stood up, and walked toward his black filing cabinet. He pulled out the second drawer and drew out a blue folder that said, ‘MEGAN H.’ on the outside. He walked over to Max and handed him the heavy folder. “This is what I have on her.”

He glanced down at it, but didn’t open it. He wouldn
’t betray her trust like that. If he wanted to know something, he would wait for her to tell him. “I don’t want to look, I just wanted to know if you know about Joe Roman.”

Phoenix’s eyes darken
ed, and he slowly nodded. “I do,” he said, his voice deep and dangerous. “My wife told me most of what I know about him.”

“He is back and after Megan.”

* * *

Megan pulled out into traffic, she felt Jax staring at her and it
made her feel uncomfortable, even more so because she was driving his car. He looked at her as if he was undressing her and was doing naughty things to him.

“
So…will you let me take you out?”

S
he glanced quickly at him, and saw him grinning.

Her throat went dry, and
she wondered if Max would be okay with it. She knew he wanted her to be his and Jax’s. “Like on a date?” she asked and bit her bottom lip. She was happy when the light turned red in front of her, because she got to look at the handsome man sitting next to her. He looked so much like Max, but yet different. His hair was long, wavy, and black and looked like silk. She wanted to run her fingers through it.

“Yeah, like a date
, but just us. I want to get to know you.”

He was confusing, because he said he didn’t know what he wanted.
“I thought you didn’t want this, you weren’t looking for the long haul.” She tore her eyes away from his perfectly sculpted face and back at the road.

“I don’t know what I want, not completely at least. But I do know I want to know what it’s like to be loved.”

Max had told her that his father raised him, but at the time he hadn’t mentioned he had a twin. He’d told her that his mother died during childbirth. She didn’t know if she could deal with a new relationship, but there was something about Jax she couldn’t explain. She liked that he was playful with her. Max was too when it was just them and he desired her naked. But with Jax he seemed to enjoy making her giggle like a school girl.

“Just don’t hurt me,” she said and heard her own desperation in her voice. She was terrified that after everything was said and done she would be left alone and
shattered.

She glanced at him when she felt a warm hand on her leg, and his face was serious. “Megan, I don’t want to hurt you
, but you need to teach me. I have never been with the same woman more than once and most of the time I didn’t care enough to get her name. I want you to be different, but you aren’t the only one that is scared.”

She didn’t say anything else as she drove because
frankly she didn’t know what to say. She parked Jax’s car next to Max’s, and got out before Jax could help her out. The front door flew open and Jennifer filled the doorway.

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me that Joe was back?”

There were only a few times Megan saw her best friend pissed off, and this was one of those times. Jennifer stood there glaring at her with her hands on her hips and tapping her left foot. That was her give away that she was beyond pissed, she was fuming.

“Jen that is what I wanted to tell you. I thought I should tell you in person not on the phone.” She took a couple of steps
toward her, but Jennifer didn’t move an inch. Megan sighed, “Please don’t be mad at me, I hate it when you’re mad at me.”

That was what undid Jennifer, she covered her face with her hands and sobbed loudly. Megan rushed to her and wrapped her arms around her, she held on to Jennifer tightly as she cried on her shoulder. She looked behind her best friend and saw Max and Phoenix watching them. Phoenix looked like he wanted to rip
someone’s head off, which was his normal look. But Max looked…broken, she wasn’t entirely sure.

“Shh,” she said as he ran her hand down her best friends back. “I’ll be ok
ay. I do have two strong incubi that want to protect me.”

Jennifer lifted her head and Megan wiped away her tears.
“Last time he almost…killed you.” Megan nodded not wanting to deny it. “I can’t live without you, Megan. Who would I go to when Phoenix pisses me off, and who would tell me, ‘you’re the one that married the sex god so live with it,’?”

T
hat made Megan smile because she needed Jennifer as much as she needed her. “Let’s go inside, please.”

Jennifer nodded and reached down to take Megan’s hand in hers. They walked in the house with Jax behind them
, and Max and Phoenix staring at them. Max mouthed ‘sorry’ to her and she nodded. She was pretty sure he didn’t tell her that she eavesdropped in on when he told Phoenix.

“Phoenix I need to talk to my best friend alone. Why don’t you get Max and Jax some
drinks?”

When Megan and Jennifer walked past the men, Phoenix grabbed Jennifer’s free hand and pulled her to him.
He held her with one arm around her waist and the other hand was moving her dark hair out of her face. “Are you okay, darling?” he asked and lowered his forehead to hers.

Megan’s chest hurt as she watch
ed her best friend’s love show on her on her face. She’d never thought that Phoenix was that affectionate, but he was and it made her want that in her life. She knew Max cared for her and even said he was ‘falling for her’, but she wanted more.

She glanced behind the newly married couple to where her men stood,
two set of green eyes were glued on her. She wondered if she could have that with both of them because she couldn’t picture her life without Jax now. She wouldn’t go as far as saying she was in love with him yet, because that would be stupid of her, but she liked him and hungered for him.

Jennifer turned around and reached for her hand again, she pulled Megan out of the room to the
living room. Megan told her friend everything.