My heart shouldn't have started pounding when the doorbell chimed.

It was very late morning the next day and I had just started making breakfast. I was somewhat presentable in a pair of dark gray yoga pants and an oversized pale blue shirt but I wasn't exactly mind-blowingly irresistible. With some time and effort, I could probably swing it but if Max Croft was going to agree to my proposed arrangement for a month, he might as well get the real thing from the get-go. False advertising was a pet peeve of mine. At least I'd brushed my teeth.

I went to the door and peeked through peephole. He was so tall all I could see was his chiseled jaw framed by the dark blond hair brushing his shoulders. "Identify yourself."

I grinned when I heard him snort and then sigh out loud. "I'm last night's mistake. And apparently going to be today's too."

I opened the door just as far as the chain would let it and found him blocking the sun. "Guess there's no point in stopping now. Good morning, Max."

Evidence of a long and late night was visible in the slightly reddened edges of his eyes, the shadows beneath them and the dark blond scruff around his jaw. But they made him no less attractive. He was less intimidating in a pair of dark jeans and a gray V-neck shirt but even more masculine now that his ripped build was on display.

Honestly, no man had a right to be this good-looking under any circumstance.

"Good morning, Aiko," he said, his gaze focused on what he could see of my face through the gap in the door. On top of my very exciting (not!) loungewear, my inky black hair was in a hasty French braid and my face was makeup-free. My half-Japanese heritage gave me a luminous, almost ivory-like skin but paired with my other Irish half, it was pale as all get out except for the two pink blotches on my cheeks. Nevertheless, I hardly wore make up beyond the tinted lip gloss and mascara and definitely never first thing in the morning unless I had to appear somewhere somewhat looking more like a human being.

"How old are you again?" he said with narrowed eyes.

I laughed and opened the door fully. "Old enough. Sorry, I wasn't expecting company this early."

"No?" he asked as he stepped inside, looking around. "That's surprising considering you intentionally dropped your cellphone into my jacket pocket last night when you kissed me goodbye."

"Oh, I knew you were coming by," I said, taking the phone he handed over to me. "I just didn't think you'd be up until later this afternoon. But you're probably used to late night parties and prison stints by now."

He scowled at me and succeeded for about thirty seconds. "What if I didn't return your phone?"

I shrugged. "I can track it down with a GPS finder. Most phones come with it nowadays, old man."

His nostrils flared in offense even though he kept his arms to his sides. "If I'm so old, why do you want me so much?"

"Because you're fun and not quite in the grave yet." I grinned, unable to help myself. I turned back toward the kitchen. "Come on. I'm making huevos rancheros for breakfast. Want some?"

"You're a witch," Max grumbled as he followed me into the sunny kitchen area that opened to the dining and living spaces.

Paige made decent money as a corporate event planner and her place was quite sweet for its modest size. The loft bedroom she'd lent me had been the perfect little hideaway for me this spring and summer.

"A witch, yes, but one who can make good food to cure your hangover," I said as I resumed my spot by the counter where I'd been assembling all my ingredients.

"How would you know how to cure a hangover?" he demanded, hoisting himself up on a stool across from me on the kitchen island. "I can bet my entire fortune that you're not big on drinking."

"I'd like to prove you wrong but no, I don't drink much," I said as I started up the stove. "I prefer to experience life sober, that way I don't miss anything. But I've been bunking here with my cousin Paige for the last couple months and she always has a hangover."

"She's out to the gym this morning because she can never miss a session but we'll save her some food." I went to the fridge to look through what other offerings were available and scored some cut up cantaloupes and pineapples. God bless cousins who were diet and fitness conscious—well, maybe except for the drinking. "Do you want coffee or orange juice?"

"Coffee, please," he said. "Black."

I filled a mug and set it down in front of him. He didn't make a move to take it as I stepped in closer to inspect his face. His scratches from last night were scabbing but the bruises had deepened a bit. "Doesn't look too bad. Do you need an Advil or something?"

Our faces were too close because once again, Max's eyes were on my lips and I could see very single one of his long, dark blond lashes.

But he didn't lean any closer and I decided I wasn't going to wait.

"Coffee's good for now," he said quietly, his hand going up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear. I've always considered it a cheesy move whenever I'd see it in books but now I understood its popularity. It was a very charged moment—seductive at the same time as it was tender. My insides were clenching and it wasn't from hunger.

"And definitely some breakfast which is coming right up," I told him with a smile before making my way back around my side of the kitchen island.

The fifteen minutes or so that it took me to finish cooking were spent in relatively easy conversation about random things. Neither of us approached last night's proposal, saving it for later. When the food was ready, Max got up and helped me carry the plates over to the eating area on his side of the kitchen island.

"This alone has made the trip here this morning well worth it," Max said after he was nearly halfway into his food.

I snorted. "So much for me thinking it was the sheer pleasure of my company that dragged you out of bed today."

Instead of a dry retort, Max surprised me by smiling brightly before he nudged my arm with his. "There's that too."

Warmed up by the affection, I grinned up at him. "Does this mean you're agreeing to my proposal? One month, you and me and whatever happens between us?"

Max groaned. "It's a bad idea, Aiko. It might sound like fun and games to you but you're inviting complications in your life you don't really want. I don't want a one-month relationship with me to ruin the rest of your life."

I rolled my eyes. "Every girl seems to date a bad boy at least once in their lives. I'm overdue for one."

"No."

"Are you sure?" I asked softly, turning toward him that our bodies were now both curved toward each other, my knee bumping his, the length of our forearms pressing against each other. I could feel the warmth and hard contours of his muscles and liked it. Very much. "I can't change your mind?"

Seduction had never been in my skillset.

But it had been easy enough to read Max. As a writer, I was adept at observing people's reactions and body language. The slight catch in his breathing, the way he couldn't stop staring at my mouth and the fact that he couldn't seem to keep his distance from me all pointed to the fact that while his brain was shutting down the idea, his body was entertaining it. And Max had a well-established history of giving in to his less intellectual instincts. I just needed that to work for me.

"You should stay away from bad boys," he said with a hard swallow. "You're too good for the likes of one."

"Ah, Max," I said with a light laugh. "Your noble side is showing. Careful, other people might see."

He glowered at me. "Do you ever take anything seriously?"

"Yes. I take everything seriously," I answered as a-matter-of-factly. "This is the first time I've deviated from my usual."

"Which should probably reinforce the fact that this isn't a good idea," he said. "Why do you want this anyway? And I'm going to need more than just your standard 'It's-part-of-my-to-do-list' BS."

"It's not BS. It's really part of a list but it is admittedly vague," I said before taking my time with a couple more bites of food while I formulated my explanation. "My reasons are pretty simple. Slightly inane but simple."

"Inane would be the last word I'd associate with you so I'm all ears," Max said, downing a big gulp of coffee and turning to fully face me. "Spill."

"It's been a couple of years since I finished my very successful series and my agent and publisher want a new project," I said. "I've started some concepts but I'm still in a rut. I came out here this spring and summer for some inspiration. A change of scene. I need fresh ideas. And my agent insists I need to round out my stories and characters with a little more humanity."

"Let me guess," Max interjected with a droll look. "They're all perfectly independent and emotionally unaffected like you."

I shot him a withering look. "No. Yes. Maybe a little. I wrote what I knew then, okay? I was sixteen when I started and unlike teenagers my age then, I had no interest in boys or relationships. I wanted my heroine to conquer the world and she did that in the story. My readers love her but I've been told she can be a little hard to relate to. So she needs to be a little more human. A little more vulnerable. And there's no better way to be vulnerable than to be in love, I'm told."

"Of course," Max scoffed.

"I'm not looking to fall in love at all but I need to understand romance. Attraction. Intimacy." I kept my eyes on him even as my voice dropped. "And I decided I can only learn a good variety of it from a man of prolific experience such as yourself. I have a feeling you can show me more than just those things."

"You bet I can show you variety."

I laughed and smacked him on the knee. "That's not what I mean. At least that's not all that I mean. I've seen you in bars many times the past couple of months. You sure live big and you sure live wild."

Max feigned a reprimanding expression. "Were you stalking me?"

I raised a brow. "Dude. I'm out at these bars for hours without drinking alcohol. People-watching has been my only preoccupation. All I had to do was sit there and Google you. Your exploits are well-documented."

Max sighed. "Fair enough."

"The point is, you can show me how to live with a little excitement. To live my life just a little bit differently from my usual even for just a month." I gave him my most winning smile because this really should be a no-brainer. He could make bank teaching the course of living on the edge.

Max still didn't look convinced. "Do you honestly think it'll change your writing?"

"Not completely but it'll definitely change me," I said. "And I'm okay with that. It's part of growing up, isn't it? Being in relationships, even dysfunctional ones."

"Has it ever occurred to you that what you've seen of me in bars and parties or read online is not the entirety of who I am?" There was something in his voice when he said that but I couldn't pinpoint the emotion.

"Of course," I said. "If all I wanted was a party animal, I could've had my pick of them on my first night out in town. You run a company responsible for thousands of people. Yet you live by your own rules. You play but only with those who know the game. Never innocents based on what I've read."

"They're not my cup of tea."

I snorted. "I imagine you want something stronger than a barely steeped cup. I get it. It lacks punch."

"Don't mistake yourself for lacking punch," Max said. "You might be an innocent but you're not a bland cup of tea."

I laughed. "See? You say the sweetest things."

"I say a lot of things I don't mean."

"Exactly," I agreed, causing him to frown. "If people listen to you closely and reconcile your actions and your words, they'll find that they don't always match."

"That character trait is not to be commended," Max pointed out. "Because that means I can just lie about anything."

I rolled my eyes. "That's not quite what I mean. I like to think I can still tell lies from the truth. It's more on how you act like you don't care when I can tell that you do. Or vice versa."

"Don't credit me with heroic inclinations I don't have," he warned with a faint smile.

"I'm not," I told him. "I'm just saying that you're more complicated than you let on, Max, and that's part of your attraction. And I'm very attracted."

"Are you?" Those damned eyes were on my mouth again and I could feel my heart pick up speed like it was about to race out of my chest.

"I'm sure you own a mirror, Croft," I said. "You know what you've got."

He grinned, looking pretty adorable for a man who reminded me of a lion—and not just because of the golden mane. "And you like what you see?"

"And then some."

Max's stormy eyes locked with mine for so long I started wondering if time had just slowed down. I was suddenly aware of everything—the warmth emanating from him, the faint sound of traffic from the street outside, the little pale scars on his face from minor scuffs, the clean scent of his aftershave, his parted lips and the mental tiptoe that could push him forward or back.

I wasn't anywhere near his taste and looking at me through his eyes, I probably wouldn't see anything remarkable enough to make an exception especially with my current glamorous packaging, but something was pulling him in and I so badly wanted to hang on to that.

"I'm going to regret this but... fuck it," he muttered under his breath before he hauled me off my stool like I weighed nothing, his mouth crushing mine in a kiss as wild as the man giving it to me.

At first, I panicked that he was going to drop me but Max's arms had me locked tight against him that even though my toes barely touched the floor, I was still upright and deliciously draped over his large, muscular frame. When the alarm faded, all my other senses kicked in.

He was so warm and hard and strong that I started to ache with wanting to stay in his arms forever. I'd always felt safe being all by myself but there was a certain allure to a man's protective and possessive hold that I'd never known could exist.

And speaking of things I didn't know could exist... This kiss was nothing like I expected no matter how much I'd read and seen of the act. It wasn't just lips and tongue and mingled breaths. It was the chase, the teasing, the intimacy not just of knowing a man's mouth but what he tasted of, what made him moan and gasp and nibble on your bottom lip and pull you in even closer against him like he couldn't get enough.

Max faintly tasted of coffee and fruit but it was that warm, clean smell of him that intoxicated me. His hands didn't move all over my body but the way he was kissing me deeply and thoroughly was already having the same effect. I felt stripped, roused to an almost painful point of wanting and still hungry for more.

I couldn't stop but Max apparently could and I inwardly resented him for his control.

"That..." Max paused to suck in a few deep breaths, his eyes fluttering close for a second. When he looked at me again, his eyes had a sharp, searing glint to it, consoling me with the fact that I was at least not suffering alone. "That barely scratches the surface of what I'll demand of you, Aiko. It's not going to be the sweet little harmless kisses you read about in teen magazines or Jane Austen books."

He looked so serious and overdramatic that I couldn't help myself. "Don't worry. I buy sexed-up, big girl magazines now and only read erotica."

Max looked at me for a second before running a hand over his face and sighing. "You're impossible. Absolutely impossible."

I leaned close to kiss the tip of his nose. "I'd rather be absolutely irresistible but I'm going to take that as a compliment anyway."

He looked at me resentfully even though he reached up to straighten my glasses on my nose. "I just showed you how irresistible you are, didn't I?"

I grinned and leapt off my stool, picking up our empty plates to bring around to the sink. I watched him mentally wrestle with himself as I rinsed them before popping them into the dishwasher. "So? Does that mean I pass muster? Or should we keep kissing until I convince you?"

Again, he gave me one of his long, wordless stares. Like I was some math problem he couldn't walk away from. "I can't do it."

I was honest to goodness disappointed. I scrunched up my nose. "Do I need to woo you?"

He looked a little offended by that. "No. I'm perfectly capable of wooing a woman if I'm interested enough."

"Ouch. That was a little backhanded," I said with no heat because I could see him struggling. Oh, he wanted that kiss. Regardless of what he thought was the right thing to do, he wanted that kiss. And maybe we could start with that. Or have it at the very least.

"Fine. We don't have to date. I can find someone else for that," I said with firm acceptance. "Can we at least have sex?"

"Jesus!" Max groaned, his eyes squeezing shut as if he were in actual pain. "Aiko, stop!"

"Stop what?" I asked innocently. "I'm just asking you to have sex with me. Will you please have sex with me, Max?"

I grinned when he flattened his hands against his ears and stared blankly at the countertop.

I grabbed the magnetic pen and notepad set we'd stuck on the fridge for grocery lists and scribbled a quick note before pushing the sheet across the counter and under his gaze.

It said: Will you please have sex with me?

He looked up with a glare and I started shaking with laughter.

Oh, yes. He looked upset but I knew it wasn't because he genuinely didn't want to do the dirty with me. He did. Frustration was written all over his face.

But Max did have a noble side. Either that or he had a better sense of self-preservation than the world thought. Because yes, I could get hurt. He could get hurt. But people could always get hurt. No one on this earth lived without that risk. Not even me and I was the most risk-averse person I knew.

"I can't stay here if you're going to keep teasing me," he said as he got up on his feet. I noticed him crumple the note but shove it in his front pocket.

"You're the tease," I said unapologetically. "You're the one who scrambled my brains with a kiss then promptly declined my offer of sex. So go if you really mean to say no. God forbid I lose control and just start ravishing you here in the kitchen."

I had a comical flash of Max desperately trying to escape my clutches and my irritation faded. I couldn't fault him for thinking me aggressive. This was the boldest I'd been my entire life. There was no argument about that.

Max rocked back on his heels, his brows scrunching up. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Aiko."

"Duly noted," I said with a sigh before walking past him to head toward the door. I was more disappointed than I expected to be and I didn't really want him to stick around and watch my confidence crumble.

I waited for him by the door, keeping my expression pleasantly neutral. "Well, it was nice knowing you, Max. Thank you for returning my phone. And giving me my first kiss."

He halted walking toward me, his eyes narrowing. "That wasn't your first kiss."

I tipped him a small smile because he'd at least given me a first kiss that was off-the-charts. I didn't have anything else for comparison but I had no doubt it would keep the top spot for years to come. "It was, actually. It's set the bench quite high but I'll happily apply myself to finding something close if not better."

Oh, he did not like that which gave me a small measure of satisfaction. He was losing out on this too.

"I hope for your sake you do," he muttered darkly.

I perked up. "Hey, you've got friends. Care to make an introduction to the only other one who's not married? The geeky sex-god-looking one."

His eyes flashed. "You are not meeting Stellan."

I pouted. "Why not? He's actually more my style now that I think about it. More intellectual than elemental."

"Ha! That's what you think."

I ignored him. "He also seems clever and chivalrous."

"You're in the wrong century, lady."

I smiled and stared dreamily into the distance. "And he wears glasses too! I'm sure he can appreciate a girl who wears glasses."

"I can appreciate girls who wear glasses too!" That was almost a tad too petulant to be cute but he pulled it off, damn the man.

I raised a brow, relentless. "Not once have I seen you with a girl who wears glasses in the two months since I learned of your existence."

"What you've seen of me is hardly my entire existence so don't assume you know everything about me," he grumbled.

"I wouldn't but it's a moot point since you've already denied me the chance to get to know you better so I'm moving on to other, possibly better prospects who might actually be interested," I said so conversationally even though I could see him literally stewing. "Stellan Cartwright seems like a really nice guy. You never know. If we end up married one day, you can be best man and we'll owe you for life. We might even name our firstborn son after you."

"That's enough, Aiko!" His voice wasn't any louder than normal but it came out with such steely force that I had to bite back my tongue. "Men are not as interchangeable as you think they are."

I tipped my head to the side to look at him curiously. "Really? How is it so different from you treating women as if they are?"

Max swore under his breath and looked up to the ceiling as if searching for the face of God on the stucco surface. "God save me from women who are way too intelligent and insolent for their own good."

I smiled. "I know it's a shock to your system but you'll get used to it when you've met enough of us."

"A woman like you is the last thing I need," he said, exhaling long and hard before heading for the door again.

"I have a feeling that a woman like me is exactly what you're due for," I said cheekily as we stood facing each other. "But that's neither here nor there at this point so I'm going to shut up about it."

I extended a hand to him, smiling. "It really has been nice—and interesting—knowing you for about twelve hours, Maximilian Croft. I'll never forget you and I hope you smile if you do ever remember me someday."

He took my hand but didn't shake it. He was just staring at where our fingers curled around each other, his hand—large and strong and tanned as it was—dwarfing my own dainty one.

"I don't think I'll ever forget you, Aiko Bradley." His voice was so soft and reverent I thought he was saying a prayer. Then he looked up at me with those fierce blue-gray eyes and a strong, sudden tide swept over us, taking us under.

I clutched Max's shoulder with my free hand as he caught my mouth in a powerful kiss, his lips seeking, his tongue teasing and his breath filling what it could of my lungs as my own left me in gasps and moans. I was still a little clumsy like I'd been the first time but now I knew to meet his tongue, to suck in his bottom lip, to pull away just a little to drive him crazy before sweeping back in.

"—And I have this gold shimmery dress I can't wait to wear. I've busted my ass off on the stairmaster just so I can show off!"

Max and I froze, his arms clamped around me and pressing me tight against him as the door swung open behind him, boxing us in this narrow gap between it and the wall while Paige strutted inside, loudly talking on the phone through the mic of her bluetooth earphones. We watched, still and silent, as she tossed her gym bag on the floor and headed for the fridge.

"You have to go," I whispered to Max after I recovered my wits, my eyes still on Paige who'd ducked behind the open fridge door to rummage for food, still talking loudly on her call. "Or she's going to hold me hostage all afternoon till I explain why you're here."

"Right," Max said, releasing me gently. "I'll go."

I pushed him out and around the door, safely closing it behind us until we were out on the front steps of the town house.

"Bye, Max."

"Goodbye, Aiko." His eyes were inscrutable as he gazed down at me. "Take care of yourself."

I put my hands behind my back, unable to trust myself not to do more than smile and say it back. "You, too."

But Max had no similar foresight because he suddenly cupped each side of my face and drew me up to my toes to plant a quick, hard kiss on my mouth.

Then he turned and stormed off.

My stomach clenched with a deep ache as I watched him straddle a monstrous black motorcycle parked just two doors down from the townhouse. He shoved a helmet over his head, his visor coming down to cover his face.

I couldn't help but wonder if his eyes had touched me one last time before he sped away and out of my life for good.

***

So, what do you guys think?

One of the things I enjoy in this story so much is Aiko. She's a little unusual but I think in a very good way. She's not a very overt person but she's not shy or reserved either and I like that it surprises Max. And if you're used to so many of my male leads, they tend to be pretty brooding. I have one or two who are a bit more light-hearted and funny and I'm so glad to group Max among them.

Hope you enjoyed!

I love this song from Kodaline. It's all good vibes looking forward to a great adventure. It could be Aiko singing this to Max, convincing him to take a chance. 

Till next week!

XOXO,

Ninya

♪♪♪ Chapter Soundtrack: Brand New Day by Kodaline ♪♪♪

Well it's your hometown
I think I've outgrown
I wanna travel the world but I, I just can't do it alone
So I'm just waiting on fate to come.
Wrap around me
Think about all the foreign places we could be

I'll be flicking stones at your window
I'll be waiting outside 'til you're ready to go
Won't you come down? Come away with me
Just think of all the places we could be
I'll be waiting, waiting on a brand new day

Riding on waves, walking on sand
Digging in caves to find the treasures of the land
And if we find gold
Well, we'll just throw it away
We can write stories bout the journeys that we made
(we could be big in Japan)

I'll be flicking stones at your window
I'll be waiting outside 'til you're ready to go
Won't you come down? Come away with me
Just think of all the places we could be
I'll be waiting, waiting on a brand new day
Waiting on a brand new day