If I thought meetingMax’s sister without my panties was bad, being invited to her wedding as Max’s date was worse. He knew it. I knew it. The only one who didn’t realize it was Lenny. Although I’m pretty sure my quick escape made that obvious. But a girl has to guard her heart around that man and his all too welcoming family members. Well, member—singular. Who knows how the rest of them would react to me?
And damn my heart for caring.
But how am I supposed to guard it from him when he’s all... well, him? He’s bossy, and arrogant, and demanding. But damn, if it’s not incredibly sexy. And totally Max. But the way I feel when I’m with him... it’s more. It’s... I feel cherished. And I’m not sure he even realizes it.
On that note, I decide it’s time to go while I still have my dignity intact.
I grab my bag from the bottom of the steps and take it up to Max’s bedroom. It only takes a minute to gather my things from last night and stuff them inside. Once that’s done, I pull up the Uber app on my phone and request a car. Thank God, I’ll only have to wait seven minutes for it to arrive. Just as I shoulder my bag, the bedroom door opens behind me.
“Daphne...” His voice holds an authoritative demand that I both bristle at and want to submit to all at once.
Instead, I tell myself to be strong. No feelings. This is supposed to be fun.
“Hey.” I cross the room and lift up to my toes to kiss the stubble on his chiseled cheek. “My Uber should be here in a minute. I had a lot of fun last night.” I brush by him in my attempt to escape, but Max wraps his fingers around my arm.
“Slow down.” He backs me against the wall and pushes my bag from my shoulder to the floor. “Why are you running away?” His dark-blue eyes search mine for an answer he’s not getting.
My hands rest on his hips, and my fingers curl into his sweats. The pull to him is so damn strong, but I hold my ground. “I’ve got a ton to do for the foundation today. Throwing together the event of the year in less than a month isn’t as easy as I make it appear.” I brush my lips gently over his. “I’ll see you in the office tomorrow.” I duck under the arm caging me in and grab my bag.
“Daphne.” Our eyes meet, and I wish he’d just let me leave with a little bit of my dignity still intact. “At least let me drive you home.”
I force a smile. “Don’t worry about it. My Uber should be here in...” I look at my phone, “less than a minute. Bye, Max.”
He doesn’t try to stop me this time, and as I walk down the grand staircase, I don’t miss the sound of something hitting the wall in his room. I think it’s his fist.
He made the rules.
We both agreed to them.
Now, we just need to stick to them.
It’s the only way this can work.
* * *
I’m greeted by raised voices when I walk through the front door of Dixon’s house. Maddie and Dixon are always yelling. It’s still kinda foreign to me. My dad never yelled. If he was mad at you, he ignored you. If he didn’t like something, he removed it from our lives. It was a cold way to handle problems, but in a way, it’s what he’s done this time too. He removed himself from the problem... and from me.
I close the door behind me, hoping I’ll be able to sneak upstairs unnoticed.
But no such luck.
Both Dixon siblings turn their heads simultaneously to see who’s here. Then they talk over each other in a mad rush to enlist me to their side in whatever fight this is. I raise my hand in the air like a crossing guard telling the kids to stop or get hit by a bus. My head is throbbing like I’m the one who’s already been run over by the damn bus today, and I’m not in the mood for that fucker to throw it in reverse and do it again.
Dix stops speaking, but Maddie jumps at the chance to be heard.
“You’re not going to believe what this controlling blowhard is trying to do.” Her face is bright red as her hands move every which way while she’s talking.
“Madison.” I stop her. “I’m right here, and I have a headache. Can you please stop yelling?”
She drops her head. “Sorry. I’m trying to explain to my brother dearest he doesn’t have a say in who I go out with.” Then she spins almost violently to her brother before he can say whatever word is about to come out of his mouth. “It’s not even a real date, Brandon. Watkins didn’t want to go to the wedding alone and asked if I’d go with him. I seriously don’t see what’s the big darn deal.”
“What wedding?” What’s with all the wedding talk today?
Dixon sits on the arm of the couch and crosses his massive arms over his chest. His basketball shorts hang loosely over his legs, and one of those sleeveless tanks with arm holes hanging open to his waist showcases every muscle on his side.
Why can’t I just be attracted to him?
It’d be so much easier.