Authors: Jo Leigh
Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Contemporary Women
What a family Natalie had. Hell, half of them were bat-shit crazy, but they sure weren’t people you could ignore. Bigger than life. The kind of characters books were written about.
No wonder Natalie loved movies so much. Look who she’d grown up with. Look who she’d turned out to be.
He thought about their first night together. How brave she’d been. Scared to death, but willing to seize the moment. She’d been thrilling. He’d never thought of a woman in that way before, but it fit her. She was a whole different kind of courageous.
Whatever else happened, he was going to keep Natalie in his life. Someway, somehow. It didn’t matter what form it took as long as the thread between them didn’t break. That was doable, no matter what offer he accepted.
And tonight with any luck, he’d be with her.
Between now and six, when he had to be at the train station, he was going to make a list of all the things he wasn’t willing to negotiate. Then he’d start going down the list of firms. Carefully. Thoughtfully. Like he’d promised.
On Sunday, he’d still be at it. Giving himself the time to look at every angle. His meeting with the senior partners at Latham was scheduled for Monday at ten-thirty. They would make him an offer, and the ball would be in his court. There would be no room for a mistake.
18
L
AST
NIGHT
HADN
’
T
worked out.
Natalie had been equally sad and
glad. No, that was a lie. She’d been sad and scared.
Max’s dinner with his family had gone late, and by the time he’d reached Penn Station, she’d been in bed, exhausted from having had too little sleep and being strung out emotionally. Who knew what she would have done if he’d showed up in person.
At least she’d gotten more sleep than expected. Probably because her body wanted nothing more to do with her thoughts. Work had been a blessing, because she’d had two great tour groups and had caught their enthusiasm while she’d been with them. The moments in between, when her defenses were down, the roller coaster was right there, midswoop.
They’d made plans for Max to come over, and now that his arrival was imminent, she questioned her sanity. Twice she’d almost called to cancel, but this was it for them. Their last night together.
She’d see him on Monday at Lviv, but that marked the official beginning of their friendship. Tonight was the end of their affair, their swan song, and like an addict, she had to have one more hit.
Her reflection in the mirror confirmed that her anguish was written all over her face. She’d try to pretend it was simply the result of insomnia and working too much, but Max was no dummy.
So she’d planned an evening that would take the most pressure off. The idea of talking about their situation tied her stomach in knots, so she had a Blu-ray disc in the player.
Roman Holiday.
Befitting and encouraging. Even Audrey Hepburn didn’t always get to keep the love of her life.
Oh, God. She couldn’t think of Max like that. She couldn’t be that masochistic.
He was due any minute. She’d ordered a pizza to be delivered soon, as well. Maybe at the same time. The bed trays were all set up, the remote was on her bedside table. The beer was still in the fridge. Everything was in place.
Including a full box of tissues within easy reach of her bed, because who was she kidding?
She paced around the house, stopping at the appropriate windows to look for him on the street, and paused in her bedroom. She’d thought about wearing only her kimono to greet him, but nixed that idea quickly. Now she was beginning to doubt what she had gone with.
It seemed utterly ridiculous to have put on her La Perla underwear underneath a simple shift. She peeked down the scoop neckline and decided her boobs looked as good as they ever had. No. This had been the right choice. Not to turn Max on, but to make her remember that she was brave, and that she could do this and even if she blubbered like a fool, she could still walk away proud.
The doorbell made her jump. Adrenaline screamed through her veins as she flew down the stairs. It was Max.
He pulled her straight into his arms, right there on the threshold, and kissed her as if he needed her more than air, more than anything.
She let herself sink into him. Her thoughts scattered into a million bits, but each one was about Max. His taste, the way he smelled, the fact that she would know him from the touch of his hand on her back, or the shape of his ear.
A circumspect cough behind him pulled them apart, and Max paid the red-faced delivery kid before they went upstairs.
There was no undressing as they got on the bed, no more breathtaking kisses. But his fingers brushed hers when he took his plate. A smile that was so bittersweet it made it hard to swallow.
“It’s not as if I’m going off to war or anything,” he said as they settled in place for their viewing party.
“Right,” she said, borrowing his light tone. “We’ll still be in walking distance.”
“I’ve figured out that we’re sort of equidistant from Katz’s. So, I see a lot of early-morning bagels in our future.”
“Exactly,” she said, putting on an easy smile that went south halfway through. She ate a whole veggie slice and missed almost everything that happened on the screen. Another piece was out of the question when he offered.
Their eyes remained locked, though, after she shook her head. A moment later, the pizza box landed on the floor, as did both the stupid trays, and she clung to him with her hands and her legs and her kisses.
Hours later, she quivered through a full-body orgasm as he thrust into her so deeply she felt marked, and together, they came apart.
No description could have captured the moment more precisely.
* * *
H
E
WAS
DRESSED
and ready to go at six-thirty. She was still in the bathroom, still in her robe and putting on the finishing touches of her makeup. Thank God he didn’t have to be at Latham for a few hours, because
shit.
When she walked into the kitchen, she had her favorite mug in hand and tried to hide the small tremor, but he caught it. As if she could fool him now.
He might not be shaking, but there was no doubt he was shaken up. Just last night they’d been in her bed, his body and hers connected, and not just through kisses and sex. It was hard to believe he had no idea when that would happen again. Or if it should.
He put his empty mug down. He wanted to kiss her properly, but that wasn’t a good idea. Instead, he pulled her close and rested his forehead against hers. They shared the same mint-and-coffee breath as they stood there. He wished he could exit on a witty line, something reassuring and hopeful. Instead, he said, “You’re amazing. I should have said that every day. And I’ll see you this afternoon.”
She sighed, her fingers clutching the bottom of his jacket. “You’re amazing, too. Go out there and grab your moment and the future you’ve always dreamed of.”
He pulled back. “I feel like we should make a date for next week or something.”
She just smiled that lovely smile. “Probably best if we wait and see how things roll out.”
Max nodded, knowing she was right even though he didn’t like it. Before he could do something stupid, he left.
The morning air was chilly, but he didn’t even consider catching a cab. He needed the walk. There was so much to think about. It was tempting to linger on Natalie, on the astonishing two plus weeks they’d been together. If felt as if it had been months instead of weeks until this moment. Now he resented every second he’d missed being with her.
Although seeing his folks and Mike had been a good thing, he couldn’t deny that he’d missed her. It would have been great if Natalie had come with him, but then again, maybe not. He’d needed the time with his family. Especially watching his parents, married for thirty-two years and still enjoying each other’s company more than anyone else’s.
He might never wake up to her again. That thought had bugged him on the train, had risen several times last night, and each time it had come out of nowhere and bothered him terribly. They hadn’t had enough time, that’s all. Two weeks was nothing. There were too many things he needed to learn about her. Everything from her favorite ice-cream flavor to what she thought of the designated hitter.
But he did know that she made him think. In the immediate aftermath of the tort ruling he’d just wallowed in the victory, along with all the other people in his world. It was a cause for celebration. But after he’d met Natalie, he realized that while he was proud of the victory, he wasn’t so proud of the outcome.
It honestly made him wonder what had happened on his way to becoming a hero. He knew that answer. He’d become driven and egotistical. He’d lost friends, deservedly. And he’d forgotten some important lessons.
All the while, he’d been with the bravest, strongest woman he’d ever known. Even though she’d wanted to get married, she’d refused to settle. She’d gone after what was important, not what was easy. Hell, why on earth would she settle for him, after how he’d behaved?
To think he hadn’t immediately called his family when he’d finished with the case was mind-boggling. That he’d avoided Natalie’s questions was more than telling. Not that she’d let him get away with his obfuscation. She’d asked him all the right questions.
But was he asking them of himself? His father had told him to look at all the options. He hadn’t, though. He’d gone through his offers, the firms, the choices that would lead to his dream future. But that picture was pretty damn narrow. Where did his folks fit in? His friends? Natalie?
He’d been so busy thinking about where he’d want to end up when it was all said and done that he’d forgotten to consider who he wanted to be when he got there.
He slowed his step and stopped, blocks past his loft. But that was okay, because his mind was as clear as it had ever been. He was ready for his meeting, and he knew exactly what he was going to say.
* * *
T
HE
KNOCK
AT
HER
DOOR
panicked Natalie a little. Had Max forgotten something? She dabbed at her eyes and quickly checked her reflection before seeing that it was Fred outside. Of course. Max would have rung the doorbell downstairs.
“You okay?” he asked the moment she opened the door. “I just saw Max leave.”
“Other than the fact that it’s over between us, I’m swell.”
“What do you mean it’s over? What happened?”
She shook her head and looked at her watch. She’d gotten dressed too early, and now she had time before she had to be at work. “Nothing unexpected. I mean, I’ll see him later at Lviv to help Joey squash the lawsuit nonsense.”
Fred followed her into the kitchen as she started to make some more coffee. She’d need it.
“Okay, so it’s not
over
over.”
“It is. I mean, we both knew this was coming. Tomorrow he goes back to work, and then, well...you know.”
She heard Fred shift behind her. As much as she wanted him there, she didn’t want to start crying again. But dammit, listening to her whine about her pitiful life was what Fred was for. Putting down the coffee tin, she turned to face him. “I screwed up. I kept telling myself it was temporary and I could handle it.”
“I know,” he said, sliding in beside her to take over coffee-making duty.
“Max is at the peak of his career, has amazing skills with a solid plan for his future. He’s got motive and opportunity to see his dreams come true. So why in the hell would he put all that aside for me?”
Fred snorted, but didn’t comment.
She watched him set the grinder at the wrong grit and didn’t care. “But I’ll give him credit. He never once lied to me. I knew right from the start who he was and what he wanted out of life. I walked into this with my eyes wide-open, so no matter what, I can’t blame him.”
“Sure you can. Make it his fault. I always do, whether I’m wrong or right. Eventually, you’ll have to take responsibility for your part, but in the meantime, screw it, blame him.”
She mustered a smile. “Too late. I’m already at the taking-responsibility part.”
“Then how about the part where it’s no one’s fault?” He looked at her, his eyes full of pity. “You two clicked. No one can predict when that kind of alchemy will strike. On paper, you guys should have been oil and water. But that’s not what happened. Truth is, you both got lucky.”
She waved at her face, at her puffy eyes. “Lucky?”
“Yeah. There is no way in hell you’re going to end up with some schlemiel now. You’ve had Oliver and you’ve had Max, and sweetie, there is no way you’re going back to the minors.”
“You’re right. So I’ll just go down to the perfect-men department at Macy’s, shall I? I’m sure they have a wide variety, and I’ll customize him to fit my exacting specifications.”
“Look, you’ve got that whole trading-card thing going on. Seriously, you’ve got a great path to follow now, better than most. And you’ll just have to do what everyone in this city does—say yes to every damn date you can.”
“The whole point of the trading cards is to separate the chaff from the wheat. And anyway, that won’t help me forget Max.”
“You can’t know until you try.”
Natalie didn’t say anything. She knew he was trying to help, but he didn’t understand. Max was the most amazing man she’d ever met. Someone whose path she should never have crossed. Yes, he had flaws. She was still bothered about his big victory, not just about how many people had been hurt by the verdict, but that Max had known it was ethically questionable or he’d have told her about it their first night together. And after watching and listening to people on the yacht Friday night, he seemed headed right back into those murky waters. The thing was, though, he wasn’t built for being that kind of shark. He could be as tough as nails, but to be true to who he was, he needed to be on the white-hat side of things. She’d thought long and hard about that and she wasn’t wrong.
“What happened to you two staying friends?”
She leaned against the counter. “If he goes back into the same environment, despite his best intentions, he’ll be buried.”
“Not necessarily.”
“And I thought I was the unrealistic one living in movie land.”
“Hey, I like Max. But I love you,” Fred said, getting a smile from her. “I’d be the last person to push you at him if I thought he wasn’t good enough for you. He’s pretty and I assumed that’s what had turned your head. Game night proved me wrong.”
“The story about his brother in the hospital?” she asked, sighing with the memory.
“Cool as that was, no, that’s not it. It was really obvious that he wasn’t into game night, even after he won. The part he liked best was being with you.”
She hadn’t really thought about it, but Fred had a point.
“And yeah, the hospital story about his brother and father?” Fred pretended to swoon, making her smile again. “Jesus. Killer. That’s the kind of stuff that builds character from the ground up.”
She nodded, thinking about him as a little boy in his Superman suit. “See, that’s the thing... I know that side of Max. That is so him. His dad is still his hero. I think Max might want to be a hero himself. But Friday night on that yacht—you should’ve seen it with the over-the-top Champagne and all the women who were collectively a size two—it was as if we’d stepped onto a movie set, except I was horribly miscast. That’s when I really got it, how different we are from each other. We live in different worlds that should never overlap.”