It's a Fugly Life (Fugly #2)(10)

What the hell? How had the news crew come so fast?

My mouth flapped for several moments before I slammed the door shut and pushed my back against the door. “No, no, no.” The chaos was starting all over again.

This is all Max’s fault. I had to get rid of him.



After a very restless night with a very sore arm, I threw in the towel on the whole sleep idea and decided to go for an early morning run on the beach, aka my therapy because it usually cleared my head. There was something energizing about seeing the wide-open ocean right before sunrise when the air felt crisp and crackled with the possibilities of a new day.

So after putting on my blue running shorts and white sports tank and placing my arm into a little sling made from a scarf, I ran north for an hour until the sun came up.

My body tired with sweat, I plunked down in the cool sand with my legs stretched out. I wanted to stay there all day, staring at the calming ocean, because when my thoughts returned to my shop, my life, Patricio and Max, everything felt so damned heavy.

“Whatcha looking at?” said a deep voice.

I swiveled my head to find Max—shirtless, broad chest heaving, tatt-covered upper arms flexing with muscles—wearing only running shoes and black shorts. His lightly tanned, sculpted abs and pecs glistened with sweat, making my heart beat a little faster.

Okay. A lot faster.

Interesting fact: Max’s magnificent body was also a byproduct of his dysfunctional brain, which drove him to relentlessly pursue perfection in all things. The bedroom was no exception. When we’d been together, he’d used that lean, chiseled body and large cock of his to work me over repeatedly. He knew exactly how to move inside me—the timing and pressure of his thrusts, the grinding against my c-spot, the pace of his hot kisses. I’d now been with one other man—Patricio—but he didn’t compare. And part of me believed no one ever would.

But there’s more to a relationship than mind-blowing sex. Friendship, for example. Friendship is—

My eyes stuck to Max’s chest. Damn, he’s ripped. Max had added some extra definition to those chiseled abs. He looked amazing.

Oh, stop.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“You love to run. I love to run. I guess we decided to do it at the same time.”

I lifted a brow. His home was in north Chicago, so my hunch told me he was staying at one of the five-star resorts in town. None of them were anywhere near this beach. “At the same location, too?”

Max didn’t answer. Instead, he sat next to me in the moist sand and stared out at the ocean. “I’m not sorry about last night,” he said flatly.

I shook my head. “You should be.” I pointed to my sling. My elbow was black and blue and swollen.

Max looked at my arm. “What happened?”

I huffed. “Of course, you don’t remember because you were too busy fighting Patricio.”

“He attacked me.”

“Yes, but you kissed me.”

“I won’t apologize for that.” Max looked forward, watching a breaking wave. “But I am sorry about your arm, even if it was Patricio’s fault.”

God. He was so damned…stubborn! Of course, it was what I loved about him, too. His iron will. That being said, “I have to go.” I hopped up and started walking back.

“Lily, wait.” Max got to his feet, grabbed my good arm, and stopped me. “Did you think about my offer?”

“What? No! I was too busy getting knocked over by you two and fending off the press at my front door. Thank you for that, by the way.”

“I texted you a warning when I left. Didn’t you see it?”

“No. I didn’t see it.”

He shrugged his dark brows as if to say: “Not my problem. Next time check your texts.” But instead he said, “Am I the only person who found it odd that the paparazzi happened to be in the neighborhood to film us?”

“You’re not implying that Patricio had something to do with it? Because he had no clue you were going to be there.”

Max shrugged. “Perhaps he was hoping they’d be there to capture your big yes to his marriage proposal.”

I scoffed. “That’s ridiculous. He wouldn’t do that.” Would he?

“The man will do anything to advance his career, and getting free publicity is no exception.”

“If that were true, then Patricio and I would’ve had our pictures popping up in the tabloids every time we went…” My voice faded as I realized there had been a few occasions where we were surprised by photographers. The last time was at a new sushi restaurant he’d taken me to near Malibu.

I’m sure those were coincidences. Weren’t they? Wait…

“You know what? I don’t have time for this. I have a store to open.” I turned away, but Max grabbed my arm again.

“Lily,” he growled, “you didn’t give me an answer about my business proposal.”

“No. I don’t want to go into business with you. There. You have your answer.”

“Then you need more time to think it over, just like you need to reconsider my marriage proposal.”

“What are you doing, Max?”

He didn’t answer my question. Instead he said, “I stayed up all night thinking about how that kiss last night proved you don’t love him. Otherwise you would’ve resisted. So tell me why you insist on marrying him, Lily. And then I’ll leave if you want. You’ll never see me again.”