She smiled at the man, unable to keep the giddiness out of her voice. She may have been hangry when he ate her food last night, but she was over that now. She had gone to bed hungry, but this morning she woke up to the smell of bacon. Latti had cooked her favorite breakfast to make up for allowing Max to eat her chicken. He also admonished her about being so rude to Max. ‘He’s a great guy, PJ. He is just lonely. Be nice to him.’ Latti’s words echoed in her head. She found herself wanting to be nice to him.
“This is a pleasant surprise. Listen Max…”
PJ stopped herself before she could reveal too much about their personal business. The look she gave Chase left no room for interpretation. It clearly told him to get the fuck out! The man was smarter than he looked because he turned to walk out of her office. She had hoped to be done with him, but Chase wouldn’t let her be great. He stopped when he got closer to Max and held out his hand to shake. That’s when his face changed from the scowl to that of a starstruck juvenile.
“Max, Max Shine? Oh, man what a pleasure it is to meet you. I love you man. Your channel is the only one I trust for my weather forecasts. I can’t believe it. Is that you?”
He nodded his head toward PJ as if to say Max owned her. A slight grin was all he received. With a knowing nod, Chase took his leave mumbling something about celebrities having all the luck.
As Max moved into the room, he shut the door behind him, never taking his eyes off PJ. Already standing, she moved from behind her desk, drawn to him by some invisible force. The smile on his face reached his eyes making them sparkle. PJ’s palms began to sweat, and she felt a flutter in her belly.
“Max what are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you. Listen, PJ, we’ve gotten off to a rocky start and most of that has been my fault. I wanted to see if we could start over. Maybe not forget what happened, but at least I could try to make things up to you.”
She looked at the boxes in his hand and frowned. Just who did he think she was? Was he trying to buy her? PJ gestured toward the gifts and responded.
“I hope you know I can’t be bought.”
“I’m not trying to buy you, PJ. These are owed to you. I feel responsible for your outfit and shoes being stained with wine. I told a friend about it, and she suggested that I replace what I had a hand in destroying. This is that.”
Max handed the two boxes to the reluctant PJ. She took them as if they contained an explosive device, carefully placing them on her desk. As she gingerly lifted the lid on the larger box, she let out an audible gasp.
“Oh my goodness! Sunshine, how did you find this in my size? Wait. How did you know my size?”
She pulled out a crisp white jumpsuit identical to the one that was ruined. She had searched and searched but was unable to find one to replace it. Somehow Max had gotten the exact replica and the correct size to boot. This man was a magician. She ripped at the smaller box and found a pair of shelltoes just like the pair she had been wearing the day they met. Again in the right size. PJ was floored.
“How did you do this?”
“I’ll make you a deal. Wear this tonight when I take you out, and I’ll tell you how I accomplished this over dinner.”
She wanted to say yes, but her past had taught her not to trust so easily. Men always seemed nice at first and then, once they got what they wanted from a woman, they changed into creatures she couldn’t recognize. This was a bad idea.
“No, I don’t think so. Tell me now. Did you go through my stuff? How did you get into the apartment?”
“Hey, it’s okay. I promise it is nothing as creepy as what you’re thinking. I’ll explain tonight. Be ready at 8PM.”
“Now wait a damn minute…”
PJ was quieted by Max’s lips firmly pressed against hers. Oh god, they were softer than she imagined. That mouth was dangerous. It did something to her head when his tongue snaked out and tasted her mouth. She willingly opened for him, wanting more of that tingling feeling that was sparking in her panties.
As their mouths seared together, she got lost in the pleasure. A moan crawled from her inner core as she wrapped her arms around his back. Max’s hands found her backside causing their bodies to almost fuse together. He was the first to pull away before things went too far. He smiled down at her and smacked her on the ass. Leaning in he growled at PJ.
“It wasn’t a request.”
Max turned and walked out of the office shutting the door behind him. Well damn! For the rest of the afternoon, all PJ could do was think about how sexy Max had been when he took control. Never had a man made her wet with the promise of what was to come. She was looking forward to going out with him. Her mind churned over where they would go and what they would do.
But in the back of her mind, she was still a bit nervous, unsure of how this man knew what sizes she wore. She hoped there was a good explanation. Lord knows she didn’t need to make the same mistake twice. Another stalker was not what she needed in her life. Another knock on her door grabbed her attention. This time it was Latti coming to say goodnight.
“Hey bestie. I’m about to head out. Do you need anything before I go?”
“No, Latti. Go home and relax or whatever you’ve got planned tonight.”
“Okay, so I really came in here to be nosey. Did I see Max Shine leaving your office?”
“If you don’t mind your business.”
“You are my business, bestie. It is my job to know all the things about you. That way I can foresee things coming and be prepared.”