Crazy for Love

“Exactly.” The flash of her smile drew him closer, and Max slid his arms around her body and lowered his lips to hers. His heart turned over at the taste of her, but Chloe pulled back.

“Was all that about distraction, Max?”

“You totally di

stracted me, yes.”

“No, I mean were you trying to distract me?”

“Chloe, for God’s sake, did it feel like I was playing you?”

When she touched her hand to his chest, it felt like a caress, but he knew it was a sign that he should keep his distance. “You said no one’s ever noticed your control issues. Which means that you must be pretty damn good at fooling people, right?”

Fooling people. Tension wound around his stomach and squeezed. Yeah, she was right to be wary. He’d acted his way through countless relationships. “You’re right. I’m good at fooling people. Really good at it.”

“What about girlfriends?”

His fingertips felt numb and his jaw close to cracking. “I don’t want to talk about that.” It was sick, what he did, taking needy girls home like stray dogs. He was weary and exhausted from the constant vigilance.

“Why don’t you want to talk about it?”

“Because it’s ridiculous and it’s over. I haven’t dated in months. I decided to…” Oh, shit. That wasn’t something you blurted out to a woman on a first date, even if the date had been based on fear of sharks and drowning. “What?”

“Don’t you want to call your mom back?”

He couldn’t see her roll her eyes, but he was pretty sure it was happening. “Avoidance much, Max? All right, I’ll let you off the hook. Let’s go.”

He’d wanted to stop the conversation, but he also didn’t want this little bubble of peace to be gone, so Max reached for her elbow before she could step away. “That wasn’t an act and I wasn’t trying to do anything but kiss you, Chloe. I swear. I’ve been thinking about doing that since the moment I saw you.”

“Sure fooled me.”

“You said yourself that I’m really screwed up.”

“True.”

“Come here.”

She turned easily, swaying into his chest and wrapping her arms around his neck. Kissing her pushed away some of the awful tightness in Max’s chest. Whatever he’d done before, whatever lies he’d told, what he wanted from Chloe was real and good. She was real and good.

So he kissed her and held her and let himself forget the mess he’d made of his life. For just a few more minutes.

CHLOE SQUINTED AGAINST the brightness of the cabin lights, caught for a moment in the doorway like a deer facing imminent death.

“Did you two take the long way home?” Jenn asked.

A blush flared to hot life on her cheeks. “I had to find my pants.”

“Uh-huh. You sure are bad at coming up with excuses. The explanation is supposed to make you look more innocent. Not less.”

“Shut up.”

“So…?”

Chloe grinned nervously. She couldn’t help it.

Jenn gasped, “You did it?”

“No! I mean we did something, but not it.”