47

Cadence

Iwasn’t asleep. I heard what Maximilian said.
He said he was falling in love with me, but how? And why?
What am I supposed to say to that? How can I say I love him when I’ve never been in love? My marriage was one of lust, never love, although he told me again and again.
It feels different with Max. It feels… good. Right.
I feel good with him, like I should be here. That it’s where I belong.
The realization terrifies me. It confuses me because I’ve never belonged with anyone. I’m my own person, capable of taking care of myself. I’ve never needed anyone but with Max—
I don’t need him. I can’t, because where will that leave me if he lets me down?
But what if he doesn’t? What if Max is the first person to care enough not to let me down?
I wake up to a warmth pressed against my back, and the heavy weight of Max’s arm pinning me in place.
It’s a very different sensation than waking up with Novi holding me the same way.
It’s enough to make me lie quietly with him, enjoying being held rather than looking for a way to escape.
I’ve perfected the escape but maybe it’s time to work on staying. Of starting something new.
With Max.
The thought makes me smile as I wriggle against him—not to escape but to wake him up. His breathing hitches and his hand flattens against my stomach as he pulls me tighter against him. “No,” he growls.
“No, what?” Another wiggle, pushing against him, the hardness pressing insistently against my ass. Max grinds against me before rolling away.
“You’re going to kill me,” he rasps. “I’m going to fuck you so slowly that you’ll beg me for more, but it’s going to wait until we get home—”
“Home?” The word is foreign; home seems like a different land, a different world than the perfect bubble I’ve found myself in.
I wish we could stay right here in the condo. Dexter and even Nick can stay as well. I like them, I like their company and they make me laugh. Plus, they seem to like me…
“Flight’s in an hour, babe. You’re the one who said you wanted to leave early.”
Dimly, I remember saying that, but now I’m kicking that Cadence with everything I’ve got for not guessing I was going to want to stay in Max’s arms all day.
How would I ever guess that? How would I know the drunk guy in the elevator three nights ago would make me come four times?
Four.
And I still want more.
But it’s not just sex. It’s good, but I’ve had my share of satisfaction in the bedroom—
Actually, I really haven’t. Not a lot of men have treated me like Max.

He roughly rolls me onto my back, making me laugh. “You giggle,” he accuses. “I love it.”
“That was not a giggle,” I protest, smiling up at him despite the stutter of fear of his use of the word. Love.
I think I’m falling in love with you.
His hair is a mess, sticking straight up in part, but his eyes, as sleepy as they are, look down at me with— “It was a very sophisticated laugh,” I manage.

How can Max look at me like that? Like he… like he wants more than just to have sex with me.
“Sophisticated, my ass.”
“I like your ass.” To show how much, I grab him with both hands as Max climbs over me on the way to the bathroom, hard cock brushing my stomach.
“Come and watch me jerk off in the shower, because that’s all the action you’re getting until that plane touches down,” he invites, sauntering naked to the bathroom. “And that’s your fault for wanting to leave early.”
“I’ll pay for the pilot to go sit on the beach for a couple of hours,” I call.
“It’ll take longer than that for me to get my fill of you.” I hear the water start in the shower before Max pokes his head out. “My father texted and said he booked the condo for this afternoon, so we’ve got to get back anyway.”
“Text,” I moan. “I can’t believe I lasted this long without my phone. I haven’t even checked email since we left.”
“You can use mine.” Max points to it on the bedside table and rattles off his passcode.
“It’s so strange not knowing everything that’s going on,” I tell him as I pick up his phone slower than I would have expected. This is the link back to the real world. I should want to check in with Tatiana, to find out any updates on the Tingel deal, if there is any further threat from Preston.
Two whole days away. That’s a first.
I don’t hate it as much as I thought I would.
“Do you have a need to know everything that’s going on?” Max reaches an arm up to grasp the doorframe, leaving him stretched out and open for me to…
I stare. I can’t help it. Max is built, with ripples of muscles drawing my eyes as I drink him in. Long and lean with a sprinkling of hair along his chest, dipping down—
“See something you like?” Max drawls. I tear my gaze away to see his smirk.
“No.” I throw a pillow at him. “Go away.”
“Feel free to join me,” he offers with another grin before disappearing under the water.
He doesn’t shut the bathroom door.
He told me his password.
I’ve never been one for dating, but I think both are pretty important.
So is the hiccup of my heart when I think about flying home with him. Not just excitement about what will happen when we get there, but what’s going to happen when we get there.
What will happen to the Max and Cadence who spoon together at night and who joke and tease in the morning?
The tightness in my stomach overrules the stutter.
Maximilian Stonee and Cadence Quiler. Who started this weekend with an agenda that did not involve falling for each other.
At least I had an agenda. I’ve kind of forgotten what that was now.
I punch in Max’s code. Maybe he only wanted to get into my pants, and if that’s the case, he certainly succeeded, charming the literal panties off me and—
A flurry of notifications fills his screen.

I won’t look at them. I shouldn’t look at them.
I can’t help it, especially when I see most of them are from his father.
Get rid of that bitch and meet me at Tingel. We’re heading up ASAP when plane is back. I’m finishing this deal myself but you’re coming to watch to see just how it’s done.
You better get numbers for what she’s asking so we can counter. If you’re any son of mine, you’ll take advantage of the opportunity.

It’s your own fault when she tosses you aside but at least we’ll get Tingel out of this.
How… how did he know? How did Dalton Stonee know I offered to buy Tingel Island? Max had no idea so how could his father? Either Max is a good actor or…
I stare at the steam billowing out of the bathroom, my stuttering heart flatlining.
Or Max told his father that I was interested in the property. He had an entire day to do so. How many times did I see him on his phone?
This was his agenda.
Keep me distracted. Get my head out of the game so his father had the time to play catch-up.
Another notification flashes as I hold Max’s phone, sick to my stomach at how he used me.
That I had the same agenda doesn’t register through my hurt and disappointment, and anger—anger at Max and a great wave of rage at myself.
This is why I don’t do relationships. I don’t do cuddling in bed and laughing together; I don’t do friends and dance at weddings and walk in the moonlight.
I don’t do it and I sure as hell am not going to do Maximilian Stonee again.
I scan the text, without really seeing more than a few words: idiot, worthless, knows nothing about business. I text a response, my thumbs flying over the screen even as the water turns off.
How dare he?
“Hey, maybe I should have brought you in here with me, and then we might have had time to—” Max says, appearing in the doorway with a towel slung around lean hips, water droplets glistening on his chest.
A few minutes ago, the sight would have sent me running to him, but now…
“Cadence? What’s wrong?” He crosses to the bed in three steps, snatching his phone out of my hands and glancing at the screen. “What did—? Fucking hell! What did you do?” He glares at me, all of his soft affection and hard desire vanishing in an instant. “You texted my father?”
“You told him about Tingel Island? I told you—I trusted you!” I rage, scrambling out of bed and searching for any clothes. Because this is going to get nasty and doing it naked will make it that much worse.
“Patel told him when he was trying to clean up my mess,” he insists. “Said he liked your offer better, but he’d give Moon another chance.”
“You did not make a mess,” I cry, pushing away the news that Patel liked me better. “You were respectful and considerate and—”
Max glances down at the phone in his hand. “You told him that?”
“I told him he’s an ass, and you’re a much better man than he is.”
He’s reading the full text. “You… threatened him?”
“He deserves it. But maybe I shouldn’t have bothered knowing that this was your idea to bring me here, to spy on me. To find out more. To use me!”
I clutch Max’s shirt against me, panting with fury and hurt.
Disappointment.
“Use you? How can I spy on you when you don’t even have your phone?” Confusion laces Max’s words. “And I had no idea there was anything to spy on. I wanted you here even before I found out you were trying to get that bloody island.”
“You… wanted… me here?” Emotions roil in my stomach like bad alcohol. “To find out what I know,” I burst out. “You used me.”