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If all she made him feel was that, he wouldn t be sending her away.
Tara also had the most annoying habit of getting under his skin and making him uncomfortable
with choices he d previously been perfectly fine with. Of course he fucking wanted a normal family,
who didn t? Unlike in business, when it came to family, wanting something was not enough to fucking
make it possible.
Tara was no one to him. He didn t have to prove anything to her. He definitely didn t need to
keep her around now that she d revealed the reason she was with him in the first place.
A private detective? I would have known that if I d done a background check on her the day I
found out her last name. But no, I believed she was Maddy s friend.
What a fucking joke.
She said she wasn t married. She said the man in her apartment was not her boyfriend. She d
lied about many things; those could also be lies.
I don t fucking care because she s gone as soon as her car arrives.
He turned when he heard Tara walking down the main staircase. She was freshly showered, back
in the gown from the night before, and her cheeks were pink. Her face was void of makeup. Her eyes
looked puffy as if she d been crying, but she carried herself proudly and met his eyes without shame.
She was easily the most beautiful woman he d ever seen.
And he d never felt like more of an ass.
 I told you I don t do relationships, he said and couldn t believe the words had come out of his
mouth.
 You did, she said simply, and walked past him to look out the window for the car.
He went to stand beside her.  I never lied to you.
She shrugged and continued to look out the window.
Fight it as he did, he couldn t deny how much he wanted to turn her around, pull her into his
arms, and kiss her until they found a way past this. He didn t, though. Instead, he muttered,  I have
nothing to feel sorry about.
She turned back toward him, her eyes flashing with temper.  You think I want an apology from
you? Please spare me. I m not angry with you. I m angry with me. You are the same man I met in this
very foyer and told myself to forget about. You re right. You told me who you were and what you
wanted. I am the one who made up an entirely different and completely fictional version of you. She
waved her hands sarcastically in the air.  I absolve you of all wrongdoing. Are you happy now?
 No, he growled and grabbed one of her arms.  I m not happy with any of this.
She leaned in and growled right back at him,  Good, at least you re willing to admit that much.
 I don t want you here, he said angrily.
 Then let go of my arm, Tara snapped back.
 But I don t want you to leave, he said just as curtly. He tightened his grip on her arm.
 Then ask me to stay, she said, her tone still angry.
A horn blared in the driveway announcing the arrival of the car he d called to take her to the
airport. He and Tara stood in a silent standoff, their ragged breathing the only sound in the large
foyer. Outside the car blared its horn again.
 Is your name actually Tara? he asked softly.
 Yes. Almost everything I said to you was true. The only part that was a lie was how I met
Maddy and why I was spending so much time with her.
 Dyson?
 He s Brigitte s . . . whatever. If last night went how Dyson hoped, they re having breakfast
together right now.
 I won t make you any promises.
Tara said,  Do you know what I do for a living? Normally, I mean? I follow unfaithful men
around and provide photographic proof of their infidelity to their wives. I probably wouldn t believe
any vows if you made them.
Max frowned. He didn t like her answer. He didn t know what he wanted her to say, but he knew
that wasn t it. He needed to somehow get back in control of the conversation.  We ll keep things
casual.
For a moment he thought she wasn t pleased with that idea, but she said,  Casual. Perfect. We
both do what we want when we want and don t worry about what either of us are doing when we re
not together.
Max liked that comment even less.  You re not sleeping with anyone else while you re with
me.
Tara put a hand on one hip and cocked her head to the side.  Casual means you don t have a say
in what I do, or who I do, when I m not with you.
Max glared down at Tara.
She glared up at him.
He couldn t take it anymore; he picked her up and started carrying her back up the stairs to the
bedroom.
She wrinkled her nose at him, her eyes warming as the same need that had overtaken him began
to spread through her.  The car is going to leave.
 Good, he said, breathing in the heavenly scent of her hair and imagining how it would feel on
his thigh as those luscious lips of hers closed around his cock.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered,  Is this your way of asking me to stay?
He grinned down at her.  No, I ll ask by licking that pussy of yours until you come in my mouth.
She hid her face in his neck, but he saw her blush and smile as she did.  That works for me.
They spent the rest of the day making love and napping in each other s arms.
Chapter Twelve
The next day Tara sat across from Max at one of the island s restaurants. The waitress had just
cleared their plates and left the bill. Tara and Max had initially snacked on what was in the kitchen,
but it wasn t enough. Sex marathons made a person hungry. Eventually they d donned the clothing
Max had ordered for them and ventured out: simple jeans and sweaters, along with coats, hats, and
gloves necessitated by the cold winter breeze.
Max reached out and took Tara s hand in his, raising it to his lips. Their eyes met, and it didn t
matter who they were or what they d argued about the day before. For a moment they were simply
two people who had intimately explored every inch of each other and, rather than being sated, wanted
more. The bond between them was as exciting as it was scary. Tara could have gladly spent eternity
looking into Max s eyes.
This is how forever is supposed to feel, Tara thought, then reprimanded herself. But it s not
forever. This could last a day more. Or a week. Don t forget that. No matter how this feels. This [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]