I stepped back, the thought more of an assault than his closeness or his earthy-mint scent that buried into my nostrils.
“It’s not forever. It’s for right now. For survival,” I argued. “It’s doing what I have to do to get by?—”
“Look, I can’t wait around—” The driver’s interruption was truncated when Max shut the car door. I hadn’t even noticed I’d moved far enough for him to be able to do so.
“Then go,” Max snarled.
The driver didn’t need to be told twice. A second later, the engine revved, and he started K-turning his way out of the spot.
“Max,” I pleaded, hating the weakness in my voice, hating how my reserves of strength had been so depleted.
Why was he even here right now? He shouldn’t be. He shouldn’t be worried about me. I wasn’t his responsibility.But if I were…Goosebumps trickled through my veins.
He moved closer. “You need a job? Fine. You can work at MaineStems,” Max said, his low voice rumbling as he towered over me. For some reason, it didn’t feel imposing but instead like a shelter from the storm.
“Doing what? Delivering flowers?” I shook my head.How was I even considering this?“I can’t. I won’t take a handout. I don’t need one.”
“It’s not a handout,” he insisted harshly. “You know I need a driver. You’ve been riding with me all week. I’m not making up the fact that I’m short-staffed.”
I bit into my cheek.Well, that much was true.And the driving was easy, and it settled my mind. And Max was a good boss. Working for him would be a better situation than bartending into all hours of the night. I gripped my bag tighter. Was I really going to consider this?
It wasn’t just the job I needed.
“No,” I heard myself say. “My apartment is in Portland?—”
“There’s an apartment above the MaineStems storefront in Stonebar. You can live there. It’s safe. Convenient. And I’ll take the rent from your pay.” He added that last for my benefit, knowing I’d refuse a handout.
My brows pinched, arming myself with skepticism. “Who lives there now?”
“No one,” he answered smoothly. “I’ve rented it to several employees before who needed time to get their bearings. It’s why I have it.”
I stared at him, lost myself for several seconds in the warm moss of his eyes. There was something about his offer that pricked at me, like a thorn on the stem of a rose. There was something he wasn’t telling me, but at this point, how much of a difference would it make? I had to rely on someone’s charity right now, whether it was Max’s or my old landlord or last boss to take me back, knowing I’d be going out on maternity leave in a few months.
I rolled my bottom lip through my teeth, considering.Rationalizing.It was a steady job. A place to live. Even if it was temporary. Everything about my life was temporary right now. I just needed something temporarily stable, and this…this was so tempting, I thought as my gaze slid down the pulsing cords of hisneck to the stretch of his broad shoulders and the hard planes of his chest.
The offer wasn’t the only thing that was tempting, my hormones whispered, like some kind of little devil on my shoulder.
Swallowing, I ducked my head to the side and then turned my steady, attraction-absent gaze up to his. “It’s just temporary.”
Every angle of his body sharpened. I hadn’t even technically agreed to his offer, but he saw I was going to, and somehow that made my acceptance feel that much more vulnerable.
Max lowered his chin, saying nothing.
“And as soon as I figure out where the baby and I are going to go, you’ll have to find someone else.”
“Understood,” he said, already removing my bag from my shoulder. I stood a little taller without the weight, thinking there was a metaphor somewhere in there to unpack.
“One last thing,” I said, waiting for Max to stop and meet my eyes. “I need you to tell me you’re not doing this because you feel responsible.”
Beggars couldn’t be choosers, but I needed to hear the words. His help, a handout—I could manage my resentment toward either of those things. What I couldn’t handle was being Max’s guilt trip.
My ex-fiancé’s best friend dropped his head for a second before looking up at me with pure anguish. “I’m not doing this for Todd or because of Todd, Daze.” His lips tightened. “I’m not thinking about Todd at all right now.”
Suddenly, I felt the soft weight of a blush on my cheeks and a strange, warm buzz trickle through my veins.
“Okay,” I murmured. “Then I accept your offer.”
Just temporarily.
