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I pinch the bridge of my nose. Prescott Huxley. A man whose marital devotion is legendary. No way is he seducing anybody who isn’t his wife.

–Mom: Besides, why would she want to keep some random stranger’s baby? It’s weird. I only had babies with men who were really nice. Not that I’m saying there’s anything wrong with you, but you CAN be a bit grouchy.

Incredible—Mom honestly has no clue where my “grouchy” personality comes from. But she is speaking from experience, since one of her pregnancies came from one of her numerous affairs. Out of the seven sons my parents “raised”—using the loosest definition of the word—she only gave birth to four, including me. She supposedly freaked out over the fourth, afraid it would make her “tummy look bad,” but Dad coaxed her into it because it was his baby. He’s awfully attached to his “flesh and blood,” even if he has no desire to actually raise a child.

“You want to change first?” Max asks, pulling me out of my gloomy thoughts.

“No. Go ahead.”

She nods, then slips into the bathroom. She’s probably going to put her barely there top on again.Crap. I should’ve gone first. It’s easier to hide a stiff cock when you’re lying down with a sheet over you.

The impact might not be as intense the second time around. Seeing the same face every day gets stale. People fall in love at first sight, not at hundredth sight.

I pull up a short message from Finn.Sorry to dump not the best news,but the rumor is that there’s another player going after Ohimesama.That’s why their executives and owners were behaving arrogantly.A serious player,capable of financing the deal.

I text him:Who?

–Finn: Dunno. I overheard some lawyer talking about it at a bar. I don’t think he knew I was eavesdropping, but it sounded like he was helping facilitate it. Supposedly, the executives are approaching this with a “forward-looking posture.”

Irritation pierces through me. Why the hell are they wasting my time by withholding information? If something’s giving them pause, they should’ve told me so I could address it.

–Me: Nobody from Ohimesama said anything to me. Bastards.

–Finn: It’s possible they’re trying to get a feel for how we do it versus how the other guy does it. You know how they aren’t crazy about restructuring.

–Me: Another PE?

–Finn: Maybe? But not a whisper about it anywhere.

I scowl. Private equity might seem huge, but it’s much smaller than people expect, with lots of booze-greased gossip flying around. Besides, you can’t hide major due diligence for an international deal like this. And Finn’s well connected.

–Finn: Better not be Calvin.

I can hear the grinding of teeth. Calvin is Finn’s rival in all things—and a complete dick. To make things worse, he’s a fairly capable dick. I’m not a fan, but my dislike stems from loyalty to Finn rather than anything personal.

–Finn: I’ll let you know if I hear anything.

–Me: Thanks. Same.

I plug the phone into the charger, pull off my glasses and run a hand down my face with a sigh. It’s been a long day. Jet lag is a bitch, although it isn’t so bad once your body is no longer in one time zone. I turn around, then almost jump at the sight of Max standing on the other side of the bed, her arms crossed.

Her hair falls messily around her shoulders. She blocks my view of her breasts with arms crossed over her chest, although the top’s still too flimsy to cover her properly. The placement of her arms pushes the breasts up, forming a stunning cleavage. She probably has no idea. If she did, she’d never stand there in that pose.

Where did she buy that, now that I think about it? Did she wear it to bed with Slick, too?

The possibility bothers the shit out of me for some reason. Despite what she said about his being in Charlotte that week, I can’t shake the feeling that the guy’s a lying piece of shit.

Maybe you just want him to be.

I scowl. The thought makes me seem like a horrible human being, but at the same time, it’s my policy to be honest with myself. I want Max to be… What? Not deceived? No. That’s too simple. But I can’t pinpoint what else is there. The feeling is too new and uncomfortable—something entirely too dangerous because it isn’t something simple and clean…like lust.

“You want that side?” I say, gesturing at the section near the bathroom door.

“Sure.”

“Okay. Let me change, then we can turn in.”

I head to the bathroom and strip off everything, then put on a pair of boxers. I prefer to sleep naked, but that would freak her out.