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He snorted. “Have we met? Games. A million times over.” Max reached over to trail a finger down my stomach. My breath hitched but his gaze was on my face. “Riley did enough girl chasing for both of us. Girls were too much work. They wanted you to bend over backward to impress them.”

“Not worth the effort?” I sympathized.

His finger stilled just below my navel. “No. They weren’t.”

“Speaking of gifts…thank you for the desk. It’s beautiful.”

Max’s expression brightened. “I’m glad you like it.” He sent me a sly look. “Did guys bend over backward for you, Coyote? Just to get some…” He ran a finger down my body to flick my clit with shocking precision. I grabbed his hand and held it away. It was too late, because restless energy was already stirring inside me.

“Not really. But,” I amended. “I never made them work for it. I hung out with a lot of guys.” If I’d expected Max to be judgemental or surprised, he was neither. “There was one pretty romantic overture, though. When I was in the school play, Jared Thaler on stage crew wrote me a song.”

“You did drama?”

“My first and last performance. On opening night I forgot my lines and the girl who was supposed to feed them to me told me to say ‘penis facial.’”

“And I assume that wasn’t part of the script?”

“Of
Death of a Salesman
? Nope.”

He laughed. “That’s why you’re afraid of being on stage?”

“Pretty much. The principal thought I was drunk, and I had to sit through an hour of interrogation before he was convinced I’d really just screwed up.”

“What’d your mom say?”

“She went to see the principal and told him he was full of shit. I got a week’s detention and my mom got a warning.” Remembering it made me smile. “She always had my back, even before I had hers. I couldn’t see everything she did for me.”

“Well, you do now. That’s what matters, right?”

“Yeah. What about your parents?”

His eyebrows drew together. “I don’t think they had my back the way your mom did. To be fair, they were busy with their own shit. They mostly ignored me. I can’t complain, a lot of people had it worse.”

I wasn’t so sure. One of my friends in high school had neglectful parents. They didn’t give a shit what she did, or with whom. One night after we’d snuck out to drink under a bridge, she told me she wished they were harder on her. At least if people acknowledge you, she said, you knew they cared.

I didn’t know what I would’ve done without my mom’s support. It was impossible to imagine growing up without that presence, that love.

“Sometimes people do the best with what they have at the time,” I said finally. “You going to go to their anniversary party? Maybe it’s a chance to reconnect.”

“I don’t know, Payton. Phoenix is supposed to launch in a couple months. The timing sucks.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Max…your parents have one thirtieth anniversary. What’re you going to miss, a couple days?”

“Something might happen here.”

“So? That’s why you have Riley. And me.”

His eyes moved over mine. “Yeah? I have you?”

I wondered at his words, if the sharpening in his eyes and the expression on his face meant what I’d started to hope for.

“Yeah.” I watched the light play on the ceiling. A whisper of a touch caressed my side, from my shoulder to my waist. I gasped as my breasts tingled, and I looked over to see Max watching with sudden intensity.

“Can I have you again now?” he murmured.

Chapter 23

People are liars

“I’m not acting it out.”

“Come on!”

I shook my head. “No way.”

“Some of us need to live vicariously through you,” Charlie insisted. She popped the last piece of cookie in her mouth and licked her fingertips.

When I’d got into work this morning, Charlie had been waiting. I’d violated the girl code by failing to text her back last night after Max had dropped me off at home.

In my defence, it was a miracle I’d been able to get up the stairs and unlock my door. Max Donovan was inexhaustible. After three rounds of pulse-shattering, mind-blowing sex, I’d barely found my house in the dark.

“I told you. We hooked up in San Diego.”

“Did you even use Jorge?”

“Except as an express route to humiliation, no.” I told her how Max had found it in my bag and she burst out laughing.

“And he was cool with that.”

“After raking me over the coals for it, yeah.”

Her expression held grudging admiration. “So are you dating?”

“No. We’re…hooking up.”

“Friends with benefits.”

I winced.

“Enemies with benefits? That can be hot.”

“Maybe co-workers who have deep and profound mutual respect but also talk about their dreams and really, really like to get each other off?”

Charlie sent me an arch look. “That’s not a thing.”

I wasn’t about to get into what kind of thing or not-thing Max and I were when I didn’t even know myself.

“OK, enough attitude or you won’t get your present.”

She sat up and clapped her hands. “Show me!”

With a flourish, I pulled the Mystique suit from my bag. She grabbed it from me, standing and holding it up in front of her. One hand on her fist and the other hip popped, she could’ve passed for the real thing. And, unlike me, Charlie could fill it out.

“Charlotte.” Our heads jerked around at the low, sharp voice. Avery was standing in the open doorway looking impatient. “Have you seen my…” His gaze settled on Charlie’s outfit. “Shit, what is that?”

He’d evidently lost his train of thought.

Charlie lowered it. “Payton brought it for me from Comic-Con.”

“Huh.”

I took in Avery’s dumbfounded face, delighted. “Can we help you, Avery?”

He shook his head. “I was just looking for my phone.” The impatience was gone, and instead he sounded lost.

“Haven’t seen it,” Charlie replied cheerfully.

“Right.” Scratching his head, he vanished down the hall. We watched him go, a perplexed expression on his face.

Charlie sat back in the chair and reached a hand under her pencil skirt.

“What are you—”

Before I could finish, she produced a phone. “I was in the middle of changing his ringtones to Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez.”

“What would you have done if it rang when it was under there?”

“Pretended I had musical panties?” She flashed me a bland smile.

I glanced at the clock. “I gotta run.”

“Off for more orgasms?”

I shot her a look as I rose. “Enjoy your costume. Maybe Avery will help you put it on.”

She stuck her tongue out at me.

“I heard there was bubbly, but I brought extra in case.” I set the chilled bottle on the kitchen counter in front of Jenna. I glanced around, realizing the office was oddly quiet for a party. “What’s going on? I thought we were celebrating. Am I early?”

Jenna’s dark eyes held mine. “Celebration’s cancelled,” she said under her breath.

The team was at their desks. No meetings were taking place. No pinball or pool was being played. Zero chatter livened up the room.

“Why? And where’s Claire?” The girl always seemed to brighten the place with her infectious smile.

Jenna’s expression clouded. “She’s gone. Talk to Max. Or Riley.” She turned and went back to her workstation, leaving me with my mouth hanging open.

I crossed to Riley’s office, still gripping the bottle of champagne by the neck. “What the hell is going on? This place is like a cemetery. Only less fun.”

Riley didn’t look up. “You wanna shut the door?”

“Not really. What can’t you say with the door open?” I crossed to him and he looked up at me, impatient.

“Claire was let go this morning,” he said under his breath. “She was leaking information on Evolve and Phoenix.”

“What!” I set the bottle on Riley’s desk with a thunk. Claire had been so excited about working here. There was no way she’d do anything to compromise that. “I don’t believe it, Riley.”

“We found out days ago through file-tracking software.”

“What does Max say about this?”

“What do I have to say about what?” I turned to find Max leaning in the doorway in a black hoodie and jeans.

“About Claire.”

He stepped in and lowered his voice. “Riley and I discussed it yesterday. We told her this morning.”

When had they had time…?

It dawned on me. After Riley had brought us back from the airport, he’d followed Max upstairs.

Then Max had driven me to my mom’s like nothing was wrong.

We’d had sex on the boat all afternoon, laughing and smiling and sharing secrets, like he hadn’t just coolly taken apart the team that had been working dawn until dusk for him.

I felt nausea rising up.

“How do you know she was leaking information?”

Riley spoke up. “We found evidence on the computer. Everyone on the team had access to the information, but the person using it leaves marks on it. Like breadcrumbs when it comes through their account.”

“Did you even ask Claire about it? Did everyone agree with your assessment?” I thought about Jenna’s face outside. How upset she’d been. Clearly she wasn’t onboard with this decision.

I wasn’t sure what upset me more. That someone I knew and cared about had vanished from the place that’d started to feel like my second home overnight, or the fact that Max had been responsible and hadn’t said a damn thing to me.

Max pulled the door shut behind him, securing the three of us in the room. “Everybody isn’t running this company,” he replied calmly. “People are liars, Payton. Computers aren’t.”

The man I’d spent yesterday with was gone, leaving this robot in his place. I struggled to find words while Max rested a hip on the doorframe, his arms folded.

So much for the openness I thought I’d seen in him the past few weeks. The progress I was sure we’d been making.

Stupid
.

I rubbed a hand over my face before crossing to the door. “Move,” I muttered.

“Where are you going?” Max demanded, though he stepped out of my way so I could pass.

“I’m not feeling like champagne anymore. If you hear anything from Harmon, you know where to find me.”

“So apparently—you and Avery—are neck and neck—for the dev award,” Charlie shouted, flipping backward in the air and landing on her feet.

I stuck to up-and-down bouncing, my legs and the trampoline absorbing the shock as I jumped with increasing boldness.

“You’re still ahead by five,” she added as she bounced toward me and away from a kid who looked like he was auditioning for Cirque du Soleil.

My wonderful friend had decided today was the day to take klutzy me to an indoor trampoline park over lunch hour. At least she’d given me the warning to wear pants instead of a skirt and bring a change of shirt.

A month ago I probably would’ve said no. But I had to admit, it was a little bit stress-relieving.

“If Avery finds out you’re still beating him—” She lifted her palms in the air, since facial expressions didn’t translate well across the vertical and horizontal distance between us. “The guy doesn’t like to lose.”

I had a week left to focus on drumming up any new business I could. I’d spent the last two days lining up meetings with prospective clients. Which was admittedly easier when I didn’t go to Titan after work.

I hadn’t set foot there since Max and Riley told me about Claire. Neither had Max tried to get in touch with me.

“Thanks for the heads-up.”

“Sure. I’ll do everything I can to slow him down.”

“Maybe you could wear that Mystique costume. He seemed pretty into it.”

“That guy is into anything with body cavities. Three different girls came to see him in the last week. They’re always emailing him, calling for him…”

“And that bothers you?” I kept my face straight as I dared to bounce a 360.

“No! It just makes it hard to get work done,” she said, exasperated.

Glancing up at the clock on the wall, I slowed my bouncing and made my way to the edge. Charlie followed suit, tucking a few pieces of blond hair that’d fallen out of her messy topknot behind her ears.

“That was fun. Thanks for bringing me.”

“Of course!” She reached for her giant Michael Kors tote at the side of the trampoline. “And most importantly…” Charlie pulled out a little box with a cellophane cut-out in the top. “Happy Birthday, Payton!”

I pulled on my shoes before taking it from her. “Charlie, is that—”

“Watermelon! I had to get a special order from the bakery down the street.”

My heart squeezed as I took the green cupcake with pink frosting. “You’re the best. You know that, right? I’m glad we’re going for drinks tonight.”

I led the way out of the venue and out onto the street, pushing my sunglasses on my face.

Charlie hesitated. “As much as I want to, you don’t think you want to see Max tonight?”

My stomach turned. “Why?”

“Because it’s your birthday? Because he’s the closest thing you’ve had to a boyfriend since I’ve known you? Because the last two days you’ve been moping around and everyone can tell?”

I chewed on that as we crossed the street to the subway. “I just felt like I was finally getting to know Max. And we were getting somewhere. But all this stuff was going on and I never had a clue. He fired this girl who worked for him for three years, Charlie. Cool as can be.”

Charlie rolled her eyes. “OK, listen. If you don’t go to Max tonight, I think you’ll regret it. I can’t say any more.”

My brows drew together. “But Charlie, what—”

“No! That’s all you’re getting. Run along.”

The afternoon at work ticked by slowly and Charlie refused to divulge any more info.

I found myself at Max’s apartment at six, my curiosity getting the better of me.

I walked in without an invitation. There was a better chance of being struck by lightning than of Max Donovan answering his front door.

Today he was bent over the pool table in his office. A gray button-down shirt skimmed over his body as he lined up a shot.

“What if I was here to rob you?” I said.

Max didn’t even flinch. “I’ll play you for the bigscreen TV.” The pool cue slid smoothly through his hands, the three ball kissing off the five and landing in the corner pocket. Finally he glanced up. “I didn’t expect to see you tonight.”