“What did I say about calling me man?”
“You never said anything about it. You said you disliked being called bro.” She licked the rim of her glass delicately. “Man.”
Max closed his eyes, determined not to fall into her trap. Tonight was about more than sex, more than the attraction that brewed between them. He and Julia belonged together and he wasn’t going to lay a finger on her until she admitted it. He decided to try another tact. “Baby, look at me.”
She did, drawing on her bottom lip, the little tease.
“You have every right to doubt me after what I did…”
Julia waved a careless hand in the air. “It’s in the past. Let’s not dwell on it.”
“I’m gonna dwell on it. Now I’ll ask you again, would you like to go outside and talk? I’ve got things to say to you and I’d rather not say them in front of the men’s toilets.”
She shook her head. “I’m waiting for someone, remember?”
Max’s patience was wearing thin. “You better not be thinking about going home with that blond douchebag.”
Julia smirked. “And what if I am?”
Right, fuck it. Enough was enough. He took the wineglass from Julia’s hand and set it on a nearby table.
“What are you doing?” she demanded.
Max didn’t answer. He clamped his hands around her waist and hauled her over his shoulder.
“Let go of me, Neanderthal,” she shrieked, thumping him with her fists.
He patted her butt. “Oh, baby, there’s no one around, you can admit you love it. Me dragging you back to my cave and—”
She sank her teeth into his neck.
“Ow!” Whatever romantic scenario Max had been planning, getting bitten hadn’t been involved. He swiped his free hand against his neck.
“Put me down or I break the skin.”
“No.” Max tightened his grip on her ass. “The games end here, Jules. They end tonight.”
“What about my wine?”
“Listen to what I have to say and I’ll buy you all the wine you can drink.”
There was a short pause. “Fine.”
He carried her out into the winery courtyard and placed her down on the smooth white cobblestones next to a rose garden. Despite their unconventional entry, the courtyard was the perfect place to make a romantic gesture. It was covered in fairy lights, and the smell of roses hung in the air. Max took Julia’s hand. “Jules?”
She glanced up at him, her nose stud shining like a tiny pointed star. “Max what are you doing?”
He brought her fingers to his mouth. “Winning you over. Badly so far, but if you’ll give me one more chance…”
“One more chance to do what?”
His heart in his throat, Max slid his hands around Julia’s hips and lowered his mouth to hers. He kissed her in the softest, lightest way possible, so she couldn’t mistake it for anything other than what it was, a declaration of affection. Of love. Of course, after a minute or so Julia’s hands were in his hair and his tongue was in her mouth and they were making out with the intent of two never-been-fucked teenagers, but the original gesture remained valid. When he was about four seconds from losing consciousness Max pulled away. Julia’s lips softened into her rarest, most beautiful smile, one completely without defenses. “That was nice.”
Max took her hand and pressed it to his chest. “Jules, you have to know I lo—”
“Hey, Connor!”
They turned to see Halloran standing in the doorway looking supremely pissed off. “Me and her were talking, you know.”