of the world to know they’d never take the time to make sure Natasha was happy. Still, she’d clearly had a rough evening, so maybe it was time to soften his assessment a little? Nah.
His opinion of Wayne could be summed up in two words: pretentious asshole. The handful of times they’d met in person, Wayne had found a way to mention his super-important medical degree and how he was irreplaceable. Max had resisted a sarcastic retort about his own days at Princeton for Natasha’s sake. And because the douche probably wouldn’t have recognized sarcasm if it bit him in the crotch.
Natasha took a deep breath. “Okay, here’s the question. What are some of the reasons you might not be interested in...sex with a girlfriend? And then you set her free for a bit.”
Whoa. Not what he was expecting. And the thing that came to mind immediately would hurt. It was exactly what she didn’t want to hear right now, so he searched for something that might make her feel better, instead.
“Um, maybe if you have surgery on your love stick, and it’s in recovery?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Or maybe you’re doing some experiment with getting your girlfriend super horny before talking her into a sexy scenario involving—”
“Stop,” said Natasha, putting her hand up to cut him off. “Wrong person to ask. Alya?”
Alya furrowed her brow. “You want me to say it?”
Natasha nodded.
“Okay. He wants to shag other women,” said Alya softly.
Natasha glanced at Max for confirmation, but he said nothing.
Her mouth tugged down at the corners. “You were thinking it, too, weren’t you?”
That had been his first guess, followed by the possibility that Wayne was gay. There was no way to give her an honest answer without hurting her.
“What reason did he give?” asked Max.
Natasha shrugged. “Too tired. Too busy. And he really is tired and busy.”
Max raised an eyebrow. “What kind of blow job can you be too tired for? I’m curious.”
Her face flushed a deep red. “You heard that?”
“I heard it, but I’m having trouble understanding it.”
Natasha smiled a little, but it faded quickly. She bit her lip. Had Wayne, the self-important wanker, made her feel like she had done something wrong? Hell no.
“And he suggested you take some time off to have sex with other guys?” asked Alya.
“He didn’t say those words exactly, but he implied it.”
“Did he want you to report back to him?” asked Max. “Is this a kink thing?”
Both Natasha and Alya burst into laughter.
“I’m pretty sure Wayne is kink-free,” Natasha said with a snort. “He doesn’t seem to be into sex much at all.”
What the hell kind of man wasn’t into sex? A list of all the things he’d be into with Natasha came to Max’s mind, but it definitely wasn’t for her sister’s ears.
Natasha’s expression grew serious. And a little sad. Damn. She took a couple of gulps of fizzy water and glanced at Max as she set down the glass. “I’m really going to regret telling you all this tomorrow, aren’t I?”
He gave her a soft smile. “I’ll be sure to use it against you.”
Natasha met his gaze and smiled back, just a little at first, but then her lips curved up into a full smile. Goddamn. After three years of watching these dickheads come in and out of her life, she deserved so much better than this. A crease had formed on Alya’s brow, and Max was almost sure she was searching for a way to brighten up her sister’s disastrous evening.
Then Alya sat up in her chair. “Hey, this means you can come to Green Island with me now.”
Natasha’s gaze flitted away from his, and a new flush rushed to her cheeks.
“What about Hawaii?” she asked her sister.
“Is going to Hawaii alone really better than a tropical island with your sister?” Alya flashed Natasha a photo spread–ready grin.
Max’s heart pumped faster as he watched this exchange. Natasha on Green Island with them this weekend? Hell, yeah.
“But I had some potential field sites to check out,” Natasha protested.
Alya waved her off. “Don’t angelfish also live on the Great Barrier Reef? I’ll pay for your plane ticket, and my room at the resort has a king-sized bed.”
“I don’t know,” mumbled Natasha, but she was smiling a little now.
“Come on, Nat,” said Alya. “Don’t go on vacation by yourself right after a breakup. Besides, you know I’d feel a lot better if you were there with me.”
Max raised his eyebrows at Alya, and she frowned at him and shook her head. Was Alya trying to guilt her sister into coming based on her own problems with men? If so, the tactic was effective. Natasha’s brow crinkled up, and she sighed.
“I’ve never been to Green Island,” she said slowly. “It’s epaulette shark territory.”
Alya jumped out of her chair. “That’s a yes?”
“I guess so...” Natasha twisted her hair around a finger.
Alya tapped the schedule for the Tropical Bliss magazine shoot before her sister could protest further. “We’re doing an early morning shoot and an evening shoot both days, when the tourists aren’t flooding the island. So when the rest of us are working, you’ll get the reef to yourself for a few hours. Other than that, I’ll have time off. The whole trip should be fun.”
Alya typed something into her phone.
“I’m going to get you booked right now, on my way to Stewart’s, before you can change your mind,” she said then smiled up at Natasha. “He’ll be here in a minute. It’s your last chance to back out.”
Natasha looked from Alya to Max. She bit her lip. “Okay, I’m in.”
Alya’s phone dinged, and she grabbed it and waved. “You won’t be sorry, Natasha. And can you see Max out?”
THE FRONT DOOR slammed shut, leaving Natasha alone with Max. Damn, this evening was taking yet another crazy turn. Max, of course, exuded his usual easygoing charm, as if he regularly talked with women about failed blow job attempts and great sex. He probably did.
The man was so sexy, so tempting...and soooo not a good idea, though sometimes it was hard to remember why. Sure, he’d do dinner and sex without hints about picking up his dry cleaning. But everything
