Landlord Wars(59)

“Yes, well, now my girlfriend works where I park, and this is advantageous.” He leaned in and gave me a lingering kiss right on the sidewalk. “Dinner?” he asked.

I nodded, slightly dazed, and glanced back to make sure I’d locked the store door. My brain fog was in full force with Max around.

He reached for the heavy computer bag I carried and pulled it onto his shoulder. “I hope this doesn’t mean you’ll be working tonight. I had other ideas.” His smile told me exactly what he had in mind—a continuation of the other night—and I was on board.

“Maxwell Burrows, I hope you’re not planning on seducing me?” This was my attempt at playing hard-to-get, and I fooled no one.

He reached for my hand, and that was how we walked down the street toward the apartment.

I glanced at him, my heart giddy. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for a hand-holder.”

Without missing a beat, he said, “There are many things you didn’t guess about me, like my rock-hard abs.”

The grin that came over my face stretched my cheeks from ear to ear. “I suspected those, but only because I might have felt you up in the kitchen when I was scolding you for stealing my chocolate.”

He winked. “Feel me up any time you like. And let’s just say, I like holding your hand.” A hint of shyness came over his features. “It feels natural.”

Being with Max felt natural to me too. And that was the biggest shocker. We were nothing alike, and yet somehow we worked.

We’d made it only halfway home when Max pulled out his phone. I hadn’t heard it ring, but it must have vibrated.

He stopped and stared at the screen, his hand tightening around mine. “Fuck.” Max’s face grew pale, his expression tense.

“What happened?”

He let out a slow breath and closed his eyes. “It leaked.”

“You have a leak?” I glanced in the direction of his building. “Where? In your unit?”

He looked at me, confused. “No, not the building. My parents’ lost fortune. It’s splashed all over the San Francisco news.”

Oh crap. “Wasn’t that supposed to be a secret?”

He blinked several times as though seeing something he hadn’t before. “You didn’t tell anyone, did you, Sophia? A friend, maybe?”

My mouth gaped. Was he accusing me of outing his parents? The thought that he suspected me of sharing something he’d told me in confidence hurt.

I dropped his hand, and he reached for it again.

“Sophia, I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to accuse you.”

“But you did.”

He ran stiff fingers through his hair and let out a sigh. “Only a couple of people know about this, and you’re one of them now.” He looked at me apologetically. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

I studied his eyes. “Was your first thought that I’d spilled the truth because I’m not a part of your world?”

He shook his head. “No—I don’t know. But I realize how stupid it was for me to jump to that conclusion. Please forgive me.” His expression was sincere. He also appeared more distraught than he had at receiving the news.

“I would never willingly hurt anyone, including your parents,” I said.

He pulled me in close and kissed my head. “I know that. It’s one of the reasons I’m so crazy about you.” He leaned back and kissed me on the lips. “I want to finish our date and do an appropriate amount of groveling, but I have to deal with this. There’s a meeting with the family publicist happening right now.”

I nodded.

“Sophia, I’m serious about us. I intended to ask you to a ball that takes place in just over a week. It’s last minute, but I’m hoping you’ll agree to go. I want the world to know the amazing woman in my life.”

I felt slightly shell-shocked and uneasy. At the same time, I was thrilled he wanted to introduce me to people. That had to mean something, right? Though my excitement was dampened somewhat by his earlier mistrust.

We came from widely different worlds, and I wasn’t sure how well those worlds melded. But the sincerity in his eyes overruled my apprehension.

“At least you know how to apologize,” I said, hesitating as I considered his offer. The truth was, I wanted to go with Max and be on his arm, so why hold back? “I’d love to go with you. Just as soon as I figure out what to wear to a ball.”





Chapter Twenty-Seven





Sophia





Between Max’s trying to help his parents put out the fire around their lost fortune and my preparing for ownership of Green Aesthetic, days went by when I hardly saw him. He caught me twice for lunch, bringing a bento box one day and a carne asada burrito the next. The rest of the time, either I worked late, or he was over at his parents’ place, going over the details on how to publicly address the financial debacle.

Max’s questioning me about the leaked information had bothered me, but he’d been so remorseful afterward, I’d let it slide. Max wasn’t the cold person he presented to the world. He was warm and caring, and I was trying to not read too much into it.

The Friday before the ball, I called him while I put away clean clothes in my closet. “How are your parents doing?”