“Did you read the note?” She nods. “I’m not saying I’m going to be any good at being your partner, Lex, but all I do know is that not having you around isn’t worth the pain and misery I’m feeling.” I take a few steps closer to her, testing the waters, and when she doesn’t back away from me, I continue until I thread my fingers through her hair, pulling her closer to my body. “Meet me tonight in the spa. Please. If after tonight you still want me to back off, I will. I promise. I know I don’t deserve this chance, but at least let me try to put things right between us.”
Lexi sighs. I can feel the weight of her body getting heavy between the palms of my hands. I lean in and kiss her eyelids,her nose, her chin, her cheek, the corner of her mouth. The feel of my lips on her delicious skin is amazing. I’ve missed this. I’ve missed this woman.
“This is the last chance, Max. I can’t keep doing this dance with you. It’s all or nothing. What we have between us…” She shakes her head. “I’ll meet you tonight. You have one hour.”
“Thank you. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”
“I’m not convinced, but I have nothing else to lose. You’ve stolen my heart, shredded it to pieces, and now you either piece it back together or leave it broken. The ball is in your court.” She smiles weakly, pulls away from me, grabs the flowers, and leaves me standing in my office like a spare part.
I need to make tonight magnificent.
Chapter 17
Lexi
Standing outside the hotel looking in is making me all kinds of nervous. I’ve stood here for ten minutes thinking of all the reasons I should walk away, but nothing is making me do it. I can’t believe I’ve let Max talk me into meeting him again. What does this man have that makes me unable to say no? I always vowed that I would never let a man control me, use my body, and turn me into a needy mess. Now, I’m all of the above and more. I don’t like this shallow, pathetic, snivelling woman that I’ve become. As much as Max has broken me, he made me feel sexy, feminine, like I could take on the world. That alone has got to be worth me walking into the hotel to find out what he has up his sleeve.
I walk through the doors with my head held high. Thankfully, the reception desk is busy, and I manage to walk right past without anyone seeing me. I don’t know how I’d be able to explain that I’m back after leaving for the day, all primped and preened. Although I know where I’m going, I follow the signs, taking my steps a little slower. The scent of chlorine from the pool is getting stronger the closer to the spa and leisure facilities I get. My heart is beating so fast that I feel like I could pass out. I concentrate on the beat and try to forget about meeting Max.
When I reach the double doors, there’s a note on the door.
We’re sorry for any inconvenience, but due to maintenance tonight, the facilities will be closed. All amenities will be open from midnight.
Kind regards,
Maxwell Loudon, Managing Director.
He’s confident, I’ll give him that. I said I’d give him an hour, not five.
I try the door, but it doesn’t budge. Luckily, I’ve still got my staff pass in my bag. I retrieve it and buzz myself in. The music is playing lightly, the lights are dimmed, and the mood is very tranquil. I look down at the floor and notice a trail of red and white rose petals. I bite my lip with nervous anticipation. What is Max up to? I follow the petals down the corridor. They appear to stop outside the private suite. I knock on the door, but no one answers. I push through and look around. There are fake candles flickering, the music is a little louder, but the piano tones are making the hairs on my arms stand to attention. It’s only now that I see a figure standing leaning against a pillar, one leg crossed over the other, arms folded across his large chest. He’s one sexy motherfucker and he knows it.
“I thought you had stood me up, Lex.”
I take in a deep breath, clench my thighs together to alleviate some of the pulsing ache in my pussy, and walk towards Max. I deposit my bag on a lounger and stop a few feet away from Max.
“I nearly did. I stood outside for a while.”
He nods, looking like I just kicked him in the balls. I won’t lie. I hate liars. No good ever comes from being deceitful. My mum always used to say to me when I was growing up,you need to have a good brain to tell lies, Alexa, because if you don’t, you’ll always trip yourself up. Always be honest, that way you never have to remember the lies you told.
It’s only now that I look around the suite. It’s gorgeous in here. I’ve never been in here before. It has its own jacuzzi, swimming pool, hot tub, steam room… but then I notice a table set up in the corner that has been set up for a meal.
“What do you hope to achieve from bringing me here, Max?” I ask with my back to him.
Silence surrounds us for a couple of minutes until the music ends and another tune kicks in. It’s only then that I feel Max at my back. I jump in surprise. His arm wraps around my waist and he draws my back as close to his chest as he can get me. His warm breath tickles my ear as he says, “Let me love you. Let me show you that I can be romantic. That I can give you more than just sex and a quick fuck here and there.”
I turn in his arms, and our eyes dance across one another’s. The dull lighting only makes his eyes sparkle more.
“Are you just saying all this to get in my knickers?”
Max laughs. “We both know that if I really wanted to get in your knickers, I could.” I laugh. I can’t help myself. That’s exactly the type of thing I’d expect to come from the arrogant Max I first got to meet in that club.
“After what happened to me with Victoria, I made a promise to myself that I would never let another woman wormher way into my life. I never really loved her. I think it was going to be a marriage of convenience, something we could both mark off our lists. She had more to gain from marrying me; she was trying to dig her family out of a financial crisis, but she couldn’t keep her knickers on and fell flat on her face before she got too much from me. She could have crucified my business before it truly got started. If I hadn’t gone home that day with a migraine, well…” Max shakes his head.
When I truly look at Max, this is the first time that I’ve ever seen a vulnerable person staring back at me. He’s stripped bare, no sexual advances, innuendos, no ulterior motives.
“You might not have loved her, but she clearly did a number on you. She made it hard for you to trust again. I get it.”
“I never thought I could feel again… until my eyes floated across you in that club. For the first time in such a long time, I wanted to experience something other than a quick shag with no strings attached.”
