Alya snorted out a laugh. “Not the hickey. I mean you and Max. You two have been hot for each other forever. I’ve been waiting for the moment of indulgence to come along.”
“Yeah, indulgence,” Natasha muttered.
“More than that. You two are great together.”
Natasha frowned. “We’re not together.”
“What? Youhaveto be.” Alya wrinkled her forehead.
Natasha shook her head. “I’m pretty sure I’m right about this one.”
“Really? Because I was sure that once you two got it going—”
“Nope.” Natasha’s answer came quickly. She had gone over this too many times already.
Alya’s eyes widened. She paused, tilting her head, really looking. “Why not, Nat?”
Natasha bit her lip. This was her sister, after all, the only constant in her childhood whirlwind of international moves, foreign languages and her mother’s new boyfriends. It was the reason Alya had chosen modeling over college in the first place. The money meant that she and Natasha could live on their own, outside of their mother’s chaos. Alya had to understand why she couldn’t go there again.
“This is Max. He’s just so...” She waved her hand in the air, searching for the right word. “So much. So out there. It would be the ugly duckling thing all over again. It wouldn’t end well for me.”
“You arenotan ugly duckling, Nat, and you never were.” The force of her sister’s voice startled her. “That photo was taken when you were coming out of the orthodontist’s office right after getting braces. Damn. You were thirteen, and those tabloids and gossip sites would say anything to get a reaction. You’re lettingthatstop you from even considering Max?”
“It’s not just that,” Natasha said quietly. “I’m already falling for him. After one weekend.”
Alya took her hand. “Natasha, he’s crazy about you. He has been for a lot longer than these last few days. He tries not to make it too obvious, but I see it when he’s not on the job.”
Alya was offering evidence. Reassurance. Did Natasha want to know more, to fan the fires of this attraction to Max higher? She couldn’t resist.
“All right, Alya. I’ll bite,” she said. “How do you know he’s crazy about me?”
“Just the way he pays attention to every detail about you.” Alya squeezed her hand. “Remember that last night when you were out with Wayne? When I mentioned you sounded upset on the phone, he was ready to go out and look for you.”
The tingle of hope inside was spreading too fast to squash it. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because I was worried, too,” Alya said with a snort. “The man does have a reputation.”
Natasha sighed. “Yes, he certainly does.”
“But, Nat, we were on an island with a group of women and men hired specifically for their good looks and allure, and he had no interest in anyone but you. One of the women—Maxine, with the curly blond hair—even asked me if I was with him. I said no and then watched to see how it would play out. She tried more than once to flirt with him when he walked me to the shoot site, and he gave her no encouragement. None at all.”
Natasha had no trouble remembering the looks the women had given Max.
Her sister’s eyes were serious. “He’s different with you.”
Natasha frowned. “But even if that’s true, think of what I’m putting myself out there for. Public scrutiny.”
“You’re right. And there will always be speculation about Max’s life, no matter how he lives it.”
Alya said this in such a matter-of-fact voice that Natasha blew out a hiss of frustration. How could her sister pretend that it didn’t matter when she knew how badly it could go?
“And what happens when it ends?”
“What happens if it doesn’t?”
Natasha buried her face in her hands. Why was her sister being so dense about this? “I can’t fall for Max. I don’t trust myself. You saw how women can’t stay away from him. I’m going to be just like our mother, drowning in my own jealousy and suspicions. I’ve been so careful, and...”
Alya jumped in before she could finish her sentence. “And you ended up with Wayne, who can’t put his big ego aside for one night to celebrate your grant.”
