Landlord Wars(58)

He grimaced at his food. “I might have overreacted last night.”

I wanted to ask Jack more about Elise, but I assumed he’d shared his feelings with Max last night, and that was what mattered. As long as he talked to someone, because there seemed to be a lot of bottled energy going on. “Okay, well, I’m heading off to work. Don’t worry about my sister unexpectedly showing up or staying the night. She’s leaving for Europe soon.”

His hand paused while lifting a glass of orange juice. He set the glass on the counter, but he didn’t look up. “I’m not worried.”

Jack’s body language didn’t match his words, but I wasn’t about to push it. “Okay, well, thank you. And I’ll see you later.”

I raced out of the apartment, balancing the banana, my phone, and an umbrella, as the weather had called for rain, and froze on the landing.

Gwen, Max’s ex, was walking down the stairs. The rooftop had a separate entrance, and that meant she was coming from his apartment.

What the hell?

“Oh, hello,” she said, and gestured behind her. She was all made up in a red A-line dress with a fitted black jacket, her dark blonde hair floating in waves over her shoulders. “Max already left, in case you’re looking for him.”

“No,” I said lamely.

I knew Max had left because he’d left from my bed. But what was Gwen doing at his apartment?

I gave myself a swift mental shake. Even if Gwen and Max’s mother scared the crap out of me, with their cold smiles and rich-woman clothes, Max had been with me last night, and I had nothing to worry about. “Have a good day,” I said and ran down the stairs ahead of her.

I would not be the insecure girlfriend. Max was too cantankerous to be a player. You had to put out loose vibes for that kind of free loving, and he only shared the lighter side of himself with his inner circle. I couldn’t see him cheating.

But that didn’t explain why Gwen was leaving his apartment.





The next day, I texted Max that I was swamped with work and wouldn’t be able to grab lunch. I wasn’t going to bring up Gwen and his apartment. He’d most definitely been with me the other night, and I wasn’t about to start questioning his every move.



Max: I’m deeply wounded to be on the receiving end of your busy schedule.





Sophia: Is this the first time a woman has turned you down?





Max: I plead the fifth.





Sophia: If you think about it, it’s all your fault. You recommended Jack look at the contract, and he only suggested one small change. Now it’s full speed ahead. Victor wants me to oversee hiring employees.





Max: Need help?





Sophia: Don’t you have a company to run?





Max: I like interviewing (devil emoji inserted).





I laughed.



Sophia: If you only knew my nickname for you… Keep your intimidating, handsome presence away. I want to hire people, not terrify them.





Max: Nickname? Suit yourself, but I remain at your disposal for all your future needs.





My mind raced straight into the gutter, and it took a herculean effort to pull it out and get back to work.

I had just wrapped up the last interview and was preparing to close the shop when a tall, handsome figure entered the store.

My heart somersaulted, and an awkward smile pulled at the corners of my cheeks.

There was a reason I’d never dated uber-good-looking men until now. A lot of guys liked the hard-to-get variety, and I absolutely sucked at playing it cool. “What are you doing here?”

Max tucked a hand in his pants pocket—we were going with a navy suit today—and took in the plants that lined the glass wall. They were arranged on hexagonal stands in varying heights that filtered in the sunlight. It was a spectacular sight when I stopped and thought about it.

His brow quirked and his lips pulled into a cheeky smile. “I came to escort you home.”

“Our apartment is only an eight-minute walk away.”

His gaze followed me as I turned off lights and put design tools away. “I’d hate for anything to happen to my girlfriend on her way home.”

I grabbed my bag, walked up to him, and wrapped my arms around his waist. “Like being accosted by a handsome businessman?”

He held me to his large frame. “Especially those handsome businessmen. Unless it’s me. Then you may engage in any and all sordid activities with my full approval.”

I laughed and rose on my tiptoes to kiss him on the lips.

His eyes gleamed. “I like this reception. Maybe I should walk you home every day.”

I tilted my head, looking at him suspiciously. “Don’t you usually park near here?”

He had the withering look of a wealthy man who’d been put out. “Only when I must. I’ve occasionally found golden ticket parking spaces in front of our building.”

“I’ve never seen you park in front of the building.”

He held the door for me as we exited the shop. “That’s because my luck has been lackluster until now.”

“And yet you still parked blocks away,” I pointed out.