I’d been eyed before. By women and men. Always with a glimmer of seduction or the blatant go-ahead to bring them to my bedroom. But never like this. Never with such disregard for everything I was and everything I stood for. This woman didn’t know me. She was just like the others. Judging a book before she looked between the covers—and being a student, she should know better.
But I was used to people belittling my work and my character. I’d dealt with it my whole life. I knew what it was like to have people call my mother a dirty slut. How it felt to have my father compared to a pimp. But even after all the teasing and taunting that only adolescents could hammer at me, never had I ever felt the need to defend myself so thoroughly.
I returned my attention to Ben, Jade, and Stella. I’d almost forgotten why I was here.
“Sorry about that,” Jade said. “Everly can be a bit uptight sometimes. She’s just stressed out with studying.”
“So, where were we,” Stella asked, leaning against me. From across the table, Ben stared with a curious, but shocked face. “I think we were going to give you a little sneak peek of our skills.” She purred and pawed at me like a cat in heat.
I wasn’t interested in watching a show. I was…confused. Confused at the fact that I was more interested in the bookworm three tables away than the two beautiful women in front of me.
Was it because I was taken aback by her quick wit and innocent smile? Or was it something more? Was it because she saw right through me? She knew I was Max Levin, the porn guy. But she…didn’t care.
I had walked into this café with the intent of meeting and signing two escorts to short-term contracts. Instead, I wanted nothing more than to figure out why that Plain Jane had just woken up my cock. More importantly, why her indifference toward me actually hit a nerve. Women usually batted their eyelashes and looked at me with a dreamy gaze. Not this girl, she wasn’t wooed by my charms or status. And it was fucking intriguing.
“Would you excuse me a minute?”
Ben shot me a quizzical look. “Where are you going?”
“Ladies, would you mind discussing with Mr. Lockwood your boundaries? The type of scenes you’d be willing to film and those you won’t.” I stood and pulled out a draft contract from my pocket. “He’ll also discuss the average payouts.” I looked at him and clapped him on the shoulder. “Page twelve.”
The bookworm had just presented me with a challenge.
I wasn’t done with her. Not by a long shot.
Chapter 2
Everly
I think I might have read the same sentence at least five times.
Something about tort law and insurance? But I wasn’t interested. I was more interested in the conversation going on three tables away. That my two roommates—my best friend, Grace Nolan, and her co-worker/mentor, Sadie Spencer; or rather, Jade and Stella—were actually considering moving from the escort business to porn. I wasn’t surprised. They both had a thirst for life, and Grace had student loans coming out of her ass. I envied their ability to work without a plan, as I needed one. Needed to know at all times where I was going and what I was doing.
Despite my fascination with their career choices, I was even more interested in the six-foot-three inches of rock-solid male who was gentlemanly enough to get out of his seat and help me with my books.
Max Levin.
He was…attractive. The kind of attractive that made you do a double take. The kind that made your heart race and your mouth feel like you’d just walked a hundred miles through the desert. And those eyes, like rich, dark chocolate. Those stopped me in my tracks. The man was sex. Not sexy. Not hot. But pure, blissful, orgasmic sex. The act itself. Because just one glance in his direction made you want to pull out a smoke and puff with pure satisfaction.
Not that I’d given it much thought.
I’d only just met the guy, and I so wasn’t that girl. Especially since he seemed to enjoy the sight of my body more than me as a person. Just one look at him and panties dropped with a thud to the floor. But not mine. No, sirree. Mine were still firmly in place.
But the way he looked at me, I’d never been looked at like that before. Not by a friend or lover or even a creeper wanting to get in my pants. I don’t know what kind of magic he practices with those eyes, but I’d feared that if I didn’t get the hell up, I would fall hopelessly under his spell.
I was sitting in my usual booth. In my favorite café. With the same regulars I saw around me three to four nights a week. We all did the same thing, our noses stuck in books or staring blankly at laptop screens. The muted colors of the floor and booths and walls weren’t distracting and were the perfect atmosphere for studying. But the real reason I came here was the coffee.
I brought the white china mug to my mouth. The cappuccino was perfection. Mostly because my favorite barista was working tonight. She had the special coffee-making skills that never failed to brew the perfect warm indulgence.
As for warm indulgences, I had no doubt that Max’s body would be warm, and strong, and—
No! The minute he opened his mouth, I knew. Arrogant. Too good-looking for his own good. And he knew it, too. Probably had every wannabe looking for their big break spread their legs just for the chance to become a star.
Despite Max being full of himself, it didn’t stop me from fantasizing instead of studying. It didn’t stop me from sneaking a peek at their table every three seconds, bobbing my head to and fro trying to see around the six people who sat in between. Wondering how he conducted his casting calls. If they were filmed. If they required nudity. If they resulted in…
I wasn’t a prude. I’d seen those videos. Of innocent women being coaxed into taking off their clothes and then fucked hard and insensitively in every imaginable hole.
I shook my head. It didn’t matter. In what world would an uptight law student with a fear of coloring outside the lines end up with the porn guy?