He heard Max’s muttered, “Fuck,” but he only had eyes for her.
And in her gaze, he finally saw something that wasn’t fake or studied.
She was pissed.
Good. Because he wasn’t willing to sacrifice her to Max’s goddamn lust. Or his own.
But he realized being angry just made her even sexier.
Hands on her hips, she glared at him. “I’m not willing to play the whore for anyone and if you think that’s what’s going on here, you’re going to be disappointed. I’m willing to provide you and Max with an escort, which is all he asked. I’m willing to do that for my friends because I love them. Nothing Max said indicated that I would be required to fall into bed with either or both of you. Am I wrong, Max?” Her gaze flicked over Jesse’s shoulder. “Did I misunderstand you?”
“No.” Max’s voice held a hint of amusement. “You didn’t misunderstand me. I don’t require you to have sex with us to complete this deal.”
God damn you, Max.
Her gaze pinned him again. “Then I guess you have a decision to make, Mr. Kanatawa. I’m willing to agree to Max’s terms. If you’re not, then you can take yourself out of the equation. But,” she took a step forward, still not close enough to touch but close enough for him to want her to, “I know that where Max goes, you go. If you decide you don’t want to be part of this arrangement, that’s your choice. But don’t think you’re doing me any favors.”
Turning, she grabbed her purse off the couch and took out her keys before heading toward the front door.
He and Max watched her go, neither of them following her.
Before she disappeared, she looked over her shoulder at them. “I expect you to contact me as soon as you have any details, Max.”
“There’s one more thing.”
Jesse watched Max walk toward her, watched him put his hands on her face. Then he leaned down and kissed her.
From where he stood, Jesse couldn’t see her reaction, couldn’t see the actual kiss.
And he wanted to see.
But it was over in two seconds and Max stepped away.
Jesse saw Mary Alice’s wide eyes, her parted lips, and the flush on her cheeks. Then she turned and headed out without another word.
Max followed her to the door, standing in the entrance until Jesse heard a car start and drive away.
Then Max turned on him and Jesse braced for a fight.
* * * * *
Holy hell.
Mary Alice had let him kiss her.
She hadn’t backed away when she’s seen him coming, hadn’t pushed him away when he’d cupped her face in his hands.
She hadn’t responded either but he had time. Hell, she’d offered herself up on a platter with this arrangement to save her friends, given him the opening he needed.
And Jesse had nearly fucked it up.
His gut rolled with anger. The best thing he could do now would be to go upstairs to his suite. He had a TV in his bedroom and a complete office in the adjoining room. He should go upstairs and shut himself in because if he had to talk to Jesse now, he’d say something neither of wanted to hear.
Or he’d hit him. And that wouldn’t be good for either of them.
“Max.”
He could practically hear Jesse grinding his teeth, trying not to let anything else escape.
Max did the same. And bit his tongue for good measure.
Turning, Max headed away from the living room where Jesse stood and headed for the kitchen. They were still working on this room. They couldn’t agree on anything. Not the cabinets or the floor or even the wall color. Max wanted light, Jesse wanted dark. Max modern, Jesse rustic.
So the walls were unpainted drywall and the cabinets had no doors. At least they had appliances because they’d both agreed on stainless.
Max grabbed a beer from the massive fridge and headed for the stairs at the back of the house.
“God damn it, Max. We’ve gotta talk about this.”
“Nothing to talk about now.” He took the stairs two at a time. “You can give her your decision tomorrow.”
“You practically fucking twisted her goddamn arm to get what you wanted. How the fuck—”
“Fuck you, Jesse.” Max turned on Jesse, the enclosed staircase not the ideal situation for this conversation. Neither of them liked confined spaces but they’d needed a second stairwell in the building, another escape route. “Is that what you really think of me? That I took advantage of her?”
“Didn’t you?”
“Christ, Jesse. I gave her a way to take the offer and not feel bad about going out with us.”
“So you used her fear against her?”
“She’s not afraid of us.” Max shook his head sharply. “You didn’t see her face—”
“No, I didn’t. But you can’t tell me you didn’t see how she shook. She’s frightened, Max. Whether she’s frightened of us or just of what people will think when they see her with us. She’s not a toy or a chess piece. And you’re fucking with her life.”
“She’s an adult, able to make her own damn decisions. She knows what she’s doing. And did you stop to think for one minute that maybe we’re exactly what she wants?”
Jesse sneered. “No. No fucking way. Now who’s being delusional?”
Max’s right hand curled into a fist and he had to make a conscious effort to loosen it.
“Think what you want. I need to do some work.”
He was almost at the top of the stairs when Jesse called to him from below. He hadn’t followed any farther.
“She’s not going to be what you want, Max. She can’t. She’s just not that kind of girl. She has no idea who we are or what we’re like and she won’t be able to handle us. It’s a fucking disaster in the making.”
Even though Max knew where Jesse’s fear came from, it didn’t make him any less pissed off at his best friend. “Neither of us know what kind of girl she is. But I intend to find out.”
Retreating to his office, Max figured he’d use this pent-up energy for a purpose.
He never had enough time to do everything that needed to be done. He usually spent his time at their official office in Center City dealing with anything related to their legitimate business dealings. They hadn’t hired an accountant yet because Max wasn’t sure the books were clean enough to pass a third party without raising flags. So for the time being, he handled everything. Damn good thing he had a master’s in business management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and had aced all of his accounting classes.
Didn’t mean he enjoyed it, just that he could do it on his own.
But after an hour staring at spreadsheets, he shoved away from the desk, more frustrated than he’d been when he started.
The books for one of the clubs they’d taken were so fucked up, Max was almost convinced there had to be a third set of books. Or maybe the previous manager really had been that incompetent.
Or maybe this shit with Jesse and Mary Alice messed with his brain more than he’d thought.
He’d been waiting to make a phone call to Larisa Antonoff. As the daughter of Arkady Antonoff, head of the family, she’d be able to help Max broker some kind of deal for Mary Alice’s friends.
Glancing at the clock, he figured it was late enough to call.
He and Larisa had a friendship dating back more than a decade. He’d been David’s heir apparent and she was Arkady’s beloved only daughter. Arkady was never going to be happy with any man Risa brought home, but he’d seen the appeal of having ties to the Oleksy family so he’d allowed Max to be friends with her.
There’d never been anything romantic between them. Not that Max hadn’t considered it. Risa’s cool Russian beauty attracted men like bears to honey. But those men who tried to get close discovered Risa’s claws fairly quickly.
Risa didn’t trust many men and with good reason. But they’d shared a bond of experience.
He knew he could count on her help with this and still
manage to keep him from being pulled back into the life he was trying to leave behind.
Jesse…
What the fuck was he going to do about Jesse?
Jesse hadn’t seen the look in Mary Alice’s eyes when he’d told her he could help. He hadn’t seen the flash of disappointment when Jesse had tried to make Max stop.
Max wasn’t wrong about her. She’d just needed an excuse to be seen with them. And he was going to capitalize on it as much as he could.
And so would Jesse. Jesse had to come around. Max couldn’t believe he wouldn’t.
Opening his desk drawer, he retrieved the burner phone and texted Risa then set it on his desk, not expecting to hear from her until morning. He checked the phone twice a day, morning and night, just to be sure he didn’t miss any messages. He had no idea if she did the same or if she only checked once a day.
But he knew she’d get back to him. She always did.
When the phone vibrated five minutes later, he had to admit he was surprised.
Can’t sleep? Or is something wrong?
And that was Risa in a nutshell. Straight to the point, no bullshit.
Nothing’s wrong. Need a favor. Can you talk?
Several seconds passed. Then a minute.
Finally the phone rang.
“Wow. Three words I never thought I’d hear from you. What’s wrong?”
Max smiled. “Nice to talk to you too, Risa.”
“Yes, yes. I know it’s been a while. What’s wrong, Max? Did something happen? What do you need?”
“I need a favor for a friend. You’re not going to like it, though. It involves a debt to your family.”
“How much? What for? And why?”
Max’s grin widened. “I have this mental image of you with a little black notebook and a pencil, writing this all down.”
Which was ludicrous because Risa barely picked up a pen unless it was to sign a receipt and that barely ever happened because the stores she shopped in all knew her by name and automatically sent the bill to a tab.
“And I have an image of you in your underwear kicked back on the couch watching some sports show with a beer in your hand. We both know how foolish that is because you’re probably sitting at one of your many desks working on spreadsheets.”
He winced. “Guess we know each other pretty well.”
“Which is why I’m trying not to freak out about you needing a favor.”
“Would you freak out a little less if I told you it’s for a woman?”
She paused but he swore he heard her suck in a startled breath. “Well, now I am interested. Tell me more.”
“Nothing to tell yet. She asked for a favor because she knew I might be able to help. I offered because I want her.”
Risa would understand that, Max wanting something in return for granting a favor. That’s how her world worked. Hell, that’s how his world had always worked.
Something else he was trying to change.
“What? You can’t just finesse her into bed? I think I need to meet this woman who makes mighty Max grovel.”
“I’m not groveling.” He’d never grovel. Nothing and no one was worth debasing yourself. “I’m trading favors.”
Risa sighed. “Sorry world we live in, isn’t it?”
Max paused, hearing genuine sadness in her voice. “Something you want to talk about?”
“No. Now, what do you need?”
He thought about pushing her but knew if the shoe was on the other foot, she’d let him slide.
“I need to pay off a debt but I don’t want the debtors to know the debt’s been covered. And I need you to make sure no one knows where the money came from.”
“You sound so business-ey, Max. Makes my heart quiver.”
He snorted out a laugh, shaking his head. “Only you would be turned on by that.”
“You’d be surprised by the amount of women who’d be turned on by a man talking business.”
“Yeah, well, I haven’t met any.”
“Then you’re not looking in the right places. But never mind that now. Give me the specifics and I’ll fix this for the woman you want to get into bed.”
Chapter Seven
Mary Alice opened the door to the second-floor Bella Vista apartment she shared with two roommates.
She really didn’t want to talk to anyone so she tried not to make any noise. She loved Isabella and Damaris like sisters but, like sisters, they’d take one look at her and realize something had happened.
Something huge.
Practically holding her breath, she closed the door behind her and listened.
No TV, no talking. Silent.
Thank God.
Sucking in a deep breath, she practically ran for her tiny bedroom, shedding clothing as she made her way through the small living room. Tonight, she barely noticed the bright colors of the hand-me-down furniture and the framed posters covering most of the institutional-beige walls.
Since she’d been the last to sign the lease, she’d gotten the much smaller room that was no bigger than a walk-in closet, but she didn’t mind. She loved living on her own, paying her own way and being an adult.
And she definitely loved that she didn’t have to face the firing squad of her mom, dad, and older brothers, which she would if she still lived at home in Kensington.
With the door to her room shut behind her, she fell flat on her back on the bed and stared at the paint peeling from the ceiling.
He’d agreed. She still couldn’t quite believe it. Danny would be in one piece for the wedding and Bethann would be able to stop worrying.
Yeah, but have you sold your soul to the devil for them?
Max wasn’t the devil. He just wasn’t a man anyone in her family or her friends would want her to date. And she wanted to do so much more than date him. Not even that kiss had been enough. And it had been one hell of a kiss.
Add Jesse into the equation and she could barely breathe just thinking about the possibilities.
Which would be great except Max wanted her as a business asset and Jesse didn’t seem to want anything at all to do with her.
So where did that leave her?
Lying on her bed alone, wondering what the hell she was going to tell her mom when anyone found out she’d accompanied Max and Jesse to some dinner or function.
With a groan, she pushed up onto her elbows and stared at herself in the mirror on the back of the door.
What did Max see when he looked at her? A woman he wanted or a tool he could use? And did Jesse even see the woman or only the pain-in-the-ass broad who’d barged into their lives and traded her reputation for their help?
Jesus, what the hell was she going to tell Adam and Tristan? She couldn’t even think about telling her brothers. They’d freak.
With a sigh, she stripped off the rest of her clothes and headed for the shower across the hall.
But the more she thought about the situation, the more she realized she was going to need someone on her side. Someone who had shared experience.
Half an hour later, dressed in comfy cotton shorts and a stretched-out old Flyers t-shirt, she picked up her phone. Then put it down with a sigh. Then picked it up again with a huff.
Just do it.
Scrolling through her favorites, she pulled up Kat’s number and, before she could chicken out again, she pressed the number.
It was only nine at night but it took five rings for Kat to answer. She’d almost given up when the call connected.
“Hello, Mally. Is everything okay?”
“Hey, Kat. I’m sorry to call so late but—”
Kat’s laughter cut her off. “It’s nine o’clock and I’m about five years older than you. I’m not quite ready to retire for the night with my hot pad and Geritol. What’s up?”
“Are the guys there?”
“No. Do you need them? I can—”
“No. No, that’s not— I don’t need Adam or Tris. I need to talk to you.”
“Sure. What’s u
p?”
Now that she had Kat on the line, she wasn’t quite sure how to ask what she needed to know. But she needed something from Kat before she started.
“I know this is asking a lot but I need you to promise me you won’t tell the guys that we talked.”
Kat paused. “Are you in trouble?”
“No, it’s nothing like that.”
“Okay.” Kat dragged the word out to at least four syllables. “You’ve got my attention. What do you need?”
“Some advice.”
Another pause. “Legal advice?”
“No.”
Kat laughed. “I’m going to need a little more to go on if you want my help.”
“It’s about your relationship.”
Silence again. “Mally, just spit it out. What do you want to ask me?”
“I guess…I want to know how it works. How you handle two men. At the same time.”
“Are you saying you’re considering dating two men?”
She sucked in a breath and admitted aloud what she’d only been saying to herself. “Yes.”
“Are you going to tell me who?”
“Yes, but you have to promise not to—”
“I won’t repeat a word you say. I promise. But now you have to tell me what’s going on.”
Another deep breath. “Max Burdanov and Jesse Kanatawa asked me out.”
Okay, not exactly the truth but not completely wrong either.
“Hmm. I can see why you don’t want Tris and Adam to know.” Kat’s dry tone made Mary Alice want to cringe. “Are you sure you know what you’re getting yourself into?”
“No. If I did, I wouldn’t need advice, now, would I?”
“True. But, Mally, are you really sure this is what you want? A relationship between three people is a hell of a lot more work than a relationship between two people. Tris and Adam have known each other for years so they already had the base relationship in place. It was strong enough to withstand the mess I made with them at first. How much do you know about these men?”
“I know they’ve been friends since they were kids. I know they’re practically inseparable now.”
Kobo Indecent Arrangment Part I Page 6