She took another bite and shrugged. “Well, not just your body. You use your charm, too.”
“Cut it out. You’re pissing me off.” He tried not to squirm in his seat with the idea she thought his looks got him places. “I didn’t help build an empire without some brains.”
“Of course you have brains. That’s where the lethal charm comes in—you know when to use it. If you only had brawn, it would be easier to shrug off.”
Why was he engaging in this ridiculous conversation? He tried to take the high road but his mouth opened. “I give women the respect they deserve. Always did.”
She swiped her mouth with the napkin and sat back with her arms crossed in front of her chest. The movement pulled that conservative blouse tight against the heavy swell of her br**sts. “What about that time Angelina got that new video game, and you convinced her to lend it to you for a whole month?”
Max sputtered with outrage. “She was being nice to me!”
“Yeah, right. Michael said she followed you around like a puppy in school the whole time. When you solved the game, you gave it back to her and barely spoke to her.”
He shoved the paper plate in the bag and crumpled it up. Irritation whipped through him at the memory. He never meant it like that. He was always nice to Angelina, he just didn’t want to date her.
“And how about that time you got Theresa to do your science report? Michael said you just had to sit with her at lunch and she wrote the whole thing for you.”
“Why did Michael tell all these lies about me?” he grumbled. “This stuff never happened.”
Carina lifted her chin in triumph. “How about this morning?”
“What about this morning?”
She smirked. “Weren’t you supposed to attend the party Saturday night at Walter’s house?”
He ignored her and cleaned his desk, but a sputter of unease flared in his gut. “Yeah. So?”
“You told Bonnie you were stressed and overworked and needed someone to go in your place. She jumped right in and offered to represent La Dolce Maggie.”
“How does that make me the bad guy?” he grumbled.
She smiled. “Because then she asked if you would go with her to the opera, remember? She had an extra ticket. You patted her on the shoulder, told her you were busy, thanked her for going to the party in your place, and left her with a confused expression on her face. Face it, Max. When it comes to women, you are bad news.”
Shock kept him mute and dumb. With triumph, she rose from the chair and threw out her lunch. “I was busy,” he explained. “And I did not pat her on the shoulder. I don’t do things like that with women.”
Somehow, she seemed delighted with his objections. “Yes, you do. You humor them with the hope they may have a shot with you. Then you pull the rug out from under them. It’s a classic Max move I’ve been seeing for years.”
Enough was enough. He was not that sort of guy and it was time she realized that. “Carina, I don’t know what kind of man you think I am, but I don’t pull crap like that. No matter what your brother told you.”
“Michael didn’t have to tell me anything. I noticed this for years. You did it with me, too.”
“What?” His roar escaped before he was able to rein his emotions in. Outrage trembled in every muscle as he stared at her. “I never made an inappropriate move on you.”
A strange expression flickered across her face before clearing. “No, of course you didn’t. But you can’t help it, Max. You flirt, and charm, and make women feel like they’re the goddess of your mortal soul. We get wrapped up and then feel shocked when you move on to the next woman.” Carina shrugged. “I was young. I had a crush on you once. I got over it. No biggie. I’ll get your report and be back within the hour.”
She left him while his head reeled like a cartoon character who got whacked and little birdies floated above. Her matter-of-fact confession rocked his world. Of course, it was all untrue. He didn’t do things like that to women. Right?
The memory of the party tickled his conscience and whispered him a liar. He remembered, though he wanted to forget. Back from her third year at college, she exploded before him with a youthful energy and passion that stole his breath. He remembered the little black dress she wore in place of her usual baggy T-shirts that made his mouth dry up. Remembered her laugh, and adoring expression, and sassy conversation that always stirred his interest and made him relax. He told himself he was just being a little protective of her because she was like a sister, but his body didn’t react like she was family. He’d grown uncomfortably hard and imagined doing some very bad things. Alone. Without the little black dress.
His thoughts freaked him out. He realized he treated Carina like a woman during dinner—a woman he was interested in. When the blonde in the garden approached him, he didn’t hesitate. She was the type who knew the score and engaged in full play.
The kiss had been full of intention, but flat. Max didn’t care until he heard the small gasp behind him. Carina’s eyes still haunted him. Dark depths filled with pain—betrayal.
He expected her to cry and run. He prepared for drama. Instead, she met him with her head held high and a look of good-bye on her face, handing over the glasses of wine with fingers that trembled. And she left. The grief surprised him, but he buried it quickly and went back to the blonde. He never looked back.
Until now.
His conscience pricked. Max wondered if she was right. Did he treat women like objects to conquer in order to get what he wanted? He liked to believe he indulged them. He loved to pamper and treasure and spoil. Sure, he refused to go too deep, but that was only so he could protect them from getting their hearts broken. He was honorable and exactly unlike his father. He remained emotionally distant, but every want was met, and he always remained faithful.
At least, until the breakup. Much better to cut off the relationship than lead them on. No, being honest may be a little rough, but Carina was dead wrong. Funny, that was the first time she admitted her feelings for him. The easy rejection of her youthful mistake stung his ego, but it was for the best. She acted as if he were an annoying mosquito slapped away and forgotten within a few moments. Was he that easy to get over?
Why was he even thinking about this now? They’d always be friends. It was enough. It was perfect.