“Dinner was great. Thanks again,” Max said softly, as if she could sense the charged air between us.

  “I should be thanking you. You saved me.”

  I was talking about my business deal. But I was also talking about something else. Something I wasn’t quite ready to put a name to. Being with Max…it was making me look at my life differently.

  I snaked my hand across the table to gently grasp hers. She curled her hand to the side and laced her fingers into mine.

  Her skin was velvet. I rubbed my thumb along the back of her hand, surprised by the fact that it felt so natural to be holding her.

  Our eyes met. Was this a good idea? I honestly didn’t know—but I knew that I wanted to see where it would go, especially when it felt so damn good.

  The spell was broken when I had to sign the check, and we both seemed to realize it was time to leave. But I was reluctant to let the night end.

  “Do you have time to walk off that meal a little?” I asked, pointing to the boardwalk.

  The corner of her mouth kicked up. “Yeah, that would be nice.”

  We set off together side by side and I swore I could feel electricity bouncing between us. Once again, I followed my heart, reaching out to grasp her hand. She squeezed it in response, still staring ahead.

  It struck me that I never held hands with anyone. Not even back when I was a lovesick teenager, and especially not once I grew up. But holding Max’s hand felt so right, almost necessary, like it wouldn’t make sense for us just to stroll close without doing it.

  “I had fun tonight,” Max said in a soft voice. “Thank you.”

  “We seem to have a knack for turning a bad situation into something good.”

  “And a good situation into something better.” She laughed, a beautiful, melodic sound.

  Maybe it was the night air, or the way Max was looking up at me, or the way her hand felt in mine, but something came over me and I couldn’t hold back any longer—I couldn’t even remember why I’d want to. I turned to face her, stopping her in her tracks, then gently raised my hand to palm her cheek. I wanted to give her a moment, to see if what I was feeling was one-sided or if she was as desperate to kiss again as I was. Max held my gaze and tilted her chin up, ever so slightly, telling me in no uncertain terms that yes, she wanted it too.

  I lowered my lips to hers and brushed her mouth, gently at first, not wanting to overwhelm her with the intensity I was feeling in the moment. But Max didn’t give me much of a chance to prove that I was a gentleman at heart, raising up on her tiptoes and circling her arms behind my neck. Her tongue brushed against mine, sending a shockwave down my spine. We kissed like no one was watching even though the boardwalk was crowded with people.

  All I could think about was what was going to come next. What had to come next. But then Max pulled away abruptly and brought her hand to her mouth, frowning.

  “Are you okay?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m … I’m fine. But we shouldn’t have done that. We agreed not to complicate things, right?”

  She looked up at me with a guilty expression, like she was the one who’d crossed the line.

  “We did,” I sighed, trying to calm my racing heartbeat. “And if you think we should stop, then we’ll stop.”

  I left out the part where I most certainly didn’t want to stop. All I really wanted to do was invite Max back to my place to see what happened when I peeled her clothes off. We could do that without things getting complicated, right? Or was I just trying to convince myself of that because I wanted her so badly?

  “We need to be smart,” Max continued. She gestured between us. “That can’t happen again, right?”

  I could’ve sworn she sounded hopeful that it would… but I had to take her at her word.

  “Right. We made those rules on the Brilliance for a reason.”

  Max glanced around the boardwalk then back up at me. “I should probably go now … it’s getting late.”

  I realized I hadn’t looked at my phone once the entire meal, and I had no sense of what time it could be. I pulled my phone out to check.

  “It’s almost midnight,” I said in shock.

  “Yup, time flies when you’re eating falafel.”

  With you, I wanted to add.

  We turned to go back to the parking lot, and I remembered we’d taken separate cars. Our next few minutes together would be the last until the engagement party.

  After a night of easy conversation, I felt like I was struggling to find something to say as we got closer to the lot. All I could think about was how amazing it had felt to kiss her again.

  Max pointed to a red Fiat in the front row. “That’s me. Thanks again,” she said.

  “My pleasure.” I sounded so formal. “Let me know if you need anything else before the engagement party. Just text me. About anything, really. Do you want me to schedule hair and make-up for you?”

  “Why, are you worried?” she laughed at me. “It might come as a surprise given how I usually look but I’m actually really handy with the hairdryer and spackle. You’ll be surprised. I promise you, I’ll look like the perfect nice girl to bring home to your family.”

  “I didn’t mean to suggest that you—”

  “Stop, I know what you meant,” she said, placing her hand on my arm. It felt like static electricity prickled along my skin. “You were being generous. Too generous, as usual. I’m fine. But thank you.”

  She didn’t move her hand away for an extra beat, and I had to hold myself back from swooping down to kiss her again.

  “We’ll talk soon,” she said as she backed away from me. “Figure out times and all that.”

  “Yup, you got it.”

  I was impressed that I managed to sound normal, because all I could think about was how I could still taste the sweetness of Maxine Simon on my mouth.

  15

  MAX

  “Whoa.”

  I was worried that I looked over-styled in the black tuxedo dress, with my hair slicked back in a chignon and cat’s eye–style liner on my lids, but based on Theo’s expression it must have all come together pretty well. I wasn’t exactly comfortable all dolled up, but I knew it would’ve been worse if I was wearing one of the princess dresses I’d tried on at the dress shop.

  And the way Theo looked? Let’s just say I had to pretend that it was no big deal. Even though I thought his everyday casual vibe was drop-dead sexy, the dress-up version was jaw dropping. His hair was coiffed, freshy cut I assumed, and the tux made him look like an extra-buff James Bond. I caught a hint of something spicy around him, and I wished I could nuzzle into his neck to try to identify the source of it. Was it aftershave? Cologne? Just him? I felt like I deserved to know.

  Every time our eyes met, I worried that he could tell what I was thinking. That damn kiss. I’d tried to write it off like it didn’t matter, but the truth was it had nearly rocked me out of my boots. I’d cut it off but only because I felt like I had to. Our rules had dictated no complications, and kissing that way would only lead to more. I felt like I’d been way more into it than he’d been, so I pulled away first.

  “You look … just, whoa.”

  “I guess that’s good?” I grinned at him.

  He nodded slowly, taking me in again. “Um, yes. Most definitely. Stunning.”

  I did a silly little curtesy and blushed. “All thanks to the dress, and you.”

  “Nope, I’m not taking an ounce of credit. That is all you.”

  “You clean up pretty well too.” I said in the understatement of the century, then stepped back and beckoned him into my little apartment. “Do you want to come in for a minute? It’s tidy for a change.”

  He gave me a crooked smile. “I wish I could, but we need to get going. My mom hates, and this is her phrasing, ‘dilly-dalliers.’”

  “That’s adorable,” I laughed. “Okay, I’m ready then.”

  I grabbed my fancy little purse and followed him out to the parking lot. I froze when I saw a limo idling by the sidewalk.

  “Is that yours?”

  “If I wanted it, it could be. But no, my friend owns the business and we do swaps all the time. This way you and I can both enjoy a few glasses of champagne and we don’t have to take some sketchy Uber at the end of the night.”

  “I feel like I’m going to prom,” I said as the driver held the door for me.

  “That means you have to slow dance with me by the end of the night.”

  I settled into the buttery leather seat. “That was part of the deal, right? To sell the whole girlfriend thing?”

  “I was testing you,” he said, moving in beside me and giving me another hit of his scent. “You passed.”

  “I’ve been studying up,” I joked.

  The limo went quiet, and I could feel Theo’s eyes on me.

  “Sparkly,” he said, pointing at my bare legs, which were peeking out from the slit in the skirt.

  “What?”

  “You look sparkly, right along here.” He leaned over to point to my inner thigh, where my leg was crossed over my knee. His finger came close enough for me to feel the heat of it but stopped short of actually caressing my skin. “It’s nice.”

  How I wished he’d touched me.

  I leaned over to see what he was talking about and sure enough, there was a hint of shimmer along my legs. I’d used a new lotion that had the word “glow” in it, which meant that I was now probably the equivalent of a human disco ball. I shifted my arms and noticed that they also had a shiny sheen.

  “I had no idea there was glitter in my lotion,” I groaned. “Is it tacky? Do I look like a stripper?”

  He threw his head back and laughed at me. “First of all, I don’t have much exposure to strippers so I can’t answer that.” Theo collected himself. “And second, no you don’t look tacky. That would be impossible. You look … luminous.”

  The way he said the word sent a shiver along the back of my neck. His voice went a little raspy, and he cleared his throat.

  “Thank you,” I managed, trying to ignore the wave of heat that rolled through my chest.

  We pulled up in front of a high rise in a ritzy part of town.

  “Have you been to Bloom?” Theo asked me, pointing to the top of the building.

  I shook my head. I’d heard of the club—always packed to the gills with celebrities and socialites, if the gossip columns were to be believed—but I’d never been inside. “Not my scene, really. But I’m excited to check it out.”

  He held my hand as I got out of the limo. “Another friend of mine owns it. James, you’ll meet him.”

  “You’re so connected,” I said, hoping that he wouldn’t let go of my hand. I was starting to feel a little nervous. I hadn’t really thought the whole thing through, but here I was, about to go into an exclusive club on the arm of a guy who usually dated models.

  “We were introduced by a mutual friend who knew we had a lot in common. It’s kind of a brotherhood,” he explained as we waited for the elevator. “We all help each other out. Give advice, act as sounding boards, that sort of stuff.”

  I realized that once I was in the internship, I’d have the same sort of like-minded community to rely on.

  The elevator binged and he pulled me on it, still holding my hand. We were alone, thankfully. I had a few seconds to catch my breath.

  “You okay?” Theo asked me softly.

  I wasn’t sure if I was being obvious or if he could somehow sense my feelings.

  “Why? Do I seem nervous?”

  He gave me a thoughtful look then reached out to smooth a tendril behind my ear, a move so tender that I had to hold myself back from pinning him against the wall of the elevator.

  “No, not nervous. You seem primed, like you’re ready. But I just wanted to make sure you’re comfortable and prepared for the inquisition to come. Because people are going to be up in your business, trust me. Any last questions for me?”

  I had a million, but before I could voice any of them, the elevator doors opened and we were forced to step out into the elegant space.

  “Showtime,” Theo whispered into my ear.

  “And there he is!”

  An incredibly handsome sandy-haired man strode over to shake Theo’s hand.

  “Hey James, good to see you!” He said as they did a shake and bro side-hug. “This is my girlfriend Max. Max, James is our host tonight—he owns Bloom.”

  I shook his outstretched hand, all while wondering if looks were a requirement for their little brotherhood. “Your club is beautiful!”

  “Talk about beautiful,” James said, giving Theo a big smile. “Is this guy treating you right?”

  “Spoiling me rotten,” I answered honestly.

  “As he should. Follow me, I have your party set up in the ballroom.”

  I tried to calm my jangly nerves as I walked behind James. My heels were way higher than what I normally wore, and even though they pinched my toes a bit, I appreciated how tall they made me. The added height and Theo’s compliments felt a little like battle armor. Not that I need it, if his family was anything like his mom. I straightened my back and held my head high as James swept the door open.

  The room was dimly lit, with candles spread around the space to give it a romantic glow. It looked fancy enough to be the wedding itself, with creamy tablecloths, bow-backed chairs, and towering ivory flower arrangements on each table. The far end of the room was a wall of windows that looked out toward the Miami skyline.

  “Wow,” I breathed.

  “Exactly why we picked this space,” Theo replied.

  “We?” I watched him as we walked to a table decorated with a collection of differently sized frames.

  Theo leaned closer to study them, his finger tracing along the listed names. “There we are. Table one. A fun group.”

  I noticed that he didn’t answer my question as I followed him through the room. Everyone turned to smile and wave at him as we wove in between the tables, and I felt dozens of sets of eyes rest on me.

  “Maxine! Over here!”

  It was clear that we’d arrived at our table by the way Elena was bouncing up and down and pointing at the two empty chairs beside hers.

  “Hi baby,” she said to Theo, drawing him into a hug. She released him then hugged me too.

  Theo smiled at everyone watching us from the table. “Hi folks. This is Max, my girlfriend.”

  I could tell by the way they all greeted me, and the fact that no one seemed surprised that Theo had called me his girlfriend, that Elena had spilled the beans before we’d arrived.

  “Hello,” I waved at them.

  “Gorgeous dress,” someone said.

  “Thank you.” I blushed and reached out to give Theo’s arm a squeeze. The thing felt like a steel beam.

  “Max, this is my sister, Patrice,” Elena said, pointing at a nearby woman who looked almost exactly like her but dressed in burgundy, then continuing around the table, “that’s Patrice’s husband, Tony, their daughter, Amanda, and her husband Gary, and our dear friends Mack and Donna Greenbaum, who also happen to be the bride’s godparents.”

  I murmured each of their names with the hope that I’d remember them all.

  “Maxine and I met briefly but we didn’t really have much of a chance to get to know one another,” Elena said, glancing around the table to make sure everyone was paying attention. “So tell us everything about you, dear. Spare no detail!”

  I laughed as Theo tried to run interference for me. “Now come on, don’t grill the woman. We just got here.”

  “What?” Elena asked. “We’re curious! We can already tell she’s special, we just want to know more.”

  That seemed like wishful thinking on Elena’s part since she barely knew me at all. But there was something warm and endearing about her optimism.

  “Yes, like how did you two meet?” Patrice asked.

  Theo and I glanced at one another.

  “You tell it better than I do,” he said.

  I launched into our origin story. They ate it up, oohing and aahing in all the right spots. Theo even managed to add some new details that made it even cuter.

  “That’s ridiculously sweet,” Amanda said. “I love that someone was finally able to snag this guy. He’s the best.”

  His family agreed with the sentiment, and Theo bowed his head, looking suddenly… shy?

  No, that couldn’t be right.

  “Well, Max makes me better,” he said, taking my hand and bringing it to his lips.

  The kiss was brief, just a whisper of his lips on the back of my hand, but it was enough to send a shiver through me. I kept a smile plastered to my face, not sure what to do with the unexpectedly strong response.

  The music switched from ambient background music to Frank Sinatra, and Elena clutched her hands to her heart.

  “My favorite!”

  Theo gave my leg a squeeze and leaned closer to whisper in my ear. “Excuse me for a minute.”

  He stood up and held his hand out to his mom. “Let’s do this.”

  She beamed at her son and they walked to the empty dancefloor.

  “Watch this,” Patrice said proudly.

  Theo waited a beat then started moving Elena around the dancefloor with shocking grace. It wasn’t just the two of them swaying along to the beat, Theo was actually leading his mom in a real dance. A foxtrot, maybe? He wasn’t lying when he said he was a good dancer.

  “Wow,” I said softly.

  “Right? He’s so graceful. After he sold his first company, he took some time off for what he called ‘personal development.’ He learned to do all sorts of new things, like dancing, cooking, waterskiing, rock climbing … you name it, he tried it.”

  “He’s incredible,” I said quietly, as much to myself as Patrice.

  I slid my phone out of my bag to snap a few shots of Theo and his mom. Even though it wasn’t as good as my pro gear, I could still take a decent photo with it.

  I examined the images, enlarging each one so I could see his face more clearly. The way he was smiling at his mom melted my heart. It was another side of Theo, a softer, more open version that didn’t have any of the oversized confidence he showed the rest of the world.