“This is nice,” I offer with as much casual friendliness as I can muster.
“Yeah, I don’t know if you know, but Eric’s kind of important.”
Chuckling, I follow him to the entrance. Max holds the door and we walk into a shiny lobby with modern chandeliers and a directory. “You have to buzz him or something?”
“This’ll be a pain in the ass on the day of shooting until everyone gets upstairs.” He pushes a button and we wait.
“Max, that you?”
“Hey, Eric, yeah. We’re down in the lobby.”
“Come on up!” The elevators whoosh open and the buzz of the speaker silences.
He takes my hand and leads me. This is new, we don’t walk around holding hands. As we step onto the car he sees me watching him and blinks to our hands, letting go and running his fingers through his hair. “Sorry. Didn’t realize I was doing that.”
“It’s okay,” I mumble, chewing my lip and holding my latte with both hands. “So the elevator opens when he pushes a button from his apartment?”
“And that’s the only time it will go up, too. They have a fob that senses them getting on it.”
“How safe is that, though, when you’re running in an emergency and you forget your fob?”
“All the elevators go down no problem. It’s the going up that needs clearance.”
“Huh,” I nod with approval. Another whoosh and we’re standing in an entrance hallway with only one option. “This is their floor, just theirs?”
Max chuckles, “Must be nice to be the Falcons’ star player, right?”
“I love your place.”
He locks eyes with me, smile fading. “Thank you. I like it, too.” His gaze drops to my bottom lip because I was biting it and didn’t know. “Did I tell you it used to be my dad’s when he was my age?”
“Really?”
“He and my mom fell in love there. I’ll tell you their story sometime.”
The door opens and that famous smile beams at us under damp and wavy chestnut brown hair, matching eyes sparkling with happiness at greeting family. “Max! Sorry to make you wait out here. I had to get some clothes on. Just took a shower. Hi, you must be the amazing producer my cousin told me about! I’m Eric.”
Charmed and grateful he’s such an open guy, I shake his hand to introduce myself, “Natalie Noe, nice to meet you.”
“Great to meet you, too, Natalie. Come in, come in!” He waves us inside a beautiful space with floor to ceiling windows so high above Atlanta that we’re presented with a spectacular view. “So what’s this scene you want to film here? Are we talking lights, huge crew, what?”
As I scan the apartment standing by his side, Max’s body is relaxed, arms crossed and weight rolling on his heels as he explains, “No, this won’t be like the photo shoots you’ve been on, Eric. The crew is only like five people. Not a ton of set up. But it’s a party scene so there will be a lot of extras.”
“Background,” I correct him with a smile.
He grins to Eric, “That’s right, their title changed to background like thirty years ago, but we still call them extras if we’re not careful. Stupid that they switched it. Both sound bad, you know?” He glances to me and I nod. “Anyway, they’re all my film school buddies who will be the background players. They’ll respect your space more than normal people who don’t know what it’s like to have to clean up after a shoot and break down all the equipment. Mind if I look around?”
“Go right ahead.” Eric sweeps his million-dollar hand through the air. Glancing behind me his eyes light up. “Wren!”
CHAPTER 16
N ATALIE
I turn around and see a very pretty brunette, curvy as hell, hair damp like his is. She glows with a secret glint in her eyes and I realize instantly they had sex right before we arrived. Probably in the shower, because she looks slightly embarrassed as she crosses to meet me. “Hi, I’m Eric’s wife, Wren Cocker, nice to meet you…”
“Natalie Noe, hi! I’ve heard so much about you.” We shake hands and I notice a tattoo of tiny birds on a slender branch that travels up her middle finger. Admiring I twist her hand so I can see the detail. “I love this! I’ve always wanted to get a hand tat. Nice placement.”
She grins, “I liked that choice. Eric sees this a lot.” She holds up her middle finger to him and he laughs. “It doesn’t have the effect I want it to, though. He just laughs at me.”
From out of nowhere he bursts into a sprint, jumps over the damn couch, clears it, lunges for his wife as she screams and tries to get away. They fall to the ground with her laughing so hard I can’t stop smiling for her. Max and I exchange a look and he shrugs on a grin, “See why I had to perform the ceremony?”
The newlyweds stand up, Eric helping Wren fix her shirt. “Baby, you want to flash the new girl? Have some dignity!”
“Shut up!” She smacks him and shakes her head to me. “He’s nuts, ignore him like I do. Max, give me a hug.”
He obliges, lifting her up and planting a kiss on her hair before he sets her back on the ground and motions for me to come over to him. “Natalie look, this is where I’d have Marnie enter. Jaden will see her from over there, where he’s standing with his brother. In between them would be the party, everyone having a good time, normal stuff, and then bam, they see each other for the first time.” Max locks eyes with me for emphasis. His expression changes as we hold a look, a slight frown appearing. “Can you picture it?”
Hyper aware of how handsome he is when he gets excited, I nod, frowning, too. “Totally. Can totally picture it.” Clearing my throat I step away from him so I can clear my head, too. “I love how there’s a rise here, a step that separates your living room and kitchen area. This could be more dynamic than if the floor was all one level. You’d have some extras up here, and it would read really nicely on camera, I think. Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Background,” he smirks, correcting me.
“You’ve been waiting to do that, haven’t you.”
“I knew you’d say extras sooner or later, but I didn’t think it’d be that soon!”
Laughing I slide a long fingernail under my bangs to straighten them, something I tend to do when self-conscious. “Whatever. Background, fine.”
Max chuckles and walks to Eric who’s standing with his arms crossed, watching us. Wren has sat down in one of the leather lounge chairs, her gaze on me. She smiles as I meet her eyes, while Max tells his cousin, “I think it’d be perfect, man. You really cool with it?”
Eric makes a don’t-be-ridiculous face. “Of course! We can hang out with Ethan or Emma at their places. They’ve been on us to visit more anyway. But with the season started up I’m traveling all the time. Wait, do we have an Away or a Home game the weekend of Dec. 5?”
Wren checks her mental calendar, eyes on the ceiling. “Home. So we’ll hang out with your brother or sister. Or what about Eleanor and Dion?”
Max and I light up, remembering at the same time as we lock eyes, “Oh yeah!”
Wren looks at us, “What?”
He walks over, motions my way. “I ran into Eleanor at Trader Joe’s and she wanted to set me up with Natalie!”
As Wren’s confused glance switches from him to me, I explain, “Eleanor’s a friend of mine. We were counselors for a summer camp a few seasons and we still keep in touch.”
“No way! Eleanor’s my best friend! That’s amazing.” Wren looks at Max, “So that’s how you two met?”
“Nah, she hijacked my interviews, total coincidence. Happened after the fact. Wild, huh?”
Eric’s eyebrows are up on a grin as he crosses his arms. “There are no coincidences.”
Max eyes him, “Okay, Buddha.”
Eric offers, “Why don’t you guys stay for lunch? We can call Eleanor and Dion up, see if they want to join us.”
If my heart wasn’t trapped by my ribs it would be on the ceiling right now. But then it would splatter on the floor a second later as I suddenly real
ize I can’t let this couples-lunch-fun-time happen, and keep my feelings for Max at a safe distance.
Safe for him.
Safe for me.
If Paul finds out where I am, I don’t know what will happen. I’m taking a huge risk as it is. And the fact that I’m starting to feel very attached to Max, when I have to vanish the second his film wraps, is torture.
“I’m sorry, I have to be at work soon.”
Those green eyes I can’t stop looking at lose their light. “Oh right. Sorry, Eric. I’ve only got this beauty on loan. Her main gig is demanding most of her time. I’m just happy she gives me as much of her calendar as she does.” He flashes a smile, but anyone breathing could see that he’s disappointed in turning the invitation down.
“Another time. So the place is yours. Anything else you need to check out?”
“No. We’ll stay out of the bedrooms like I told you. The guest bathroom will be the only one available. I’ll make sure we leave it just like we found it. Natalie will be on my ass if I don’t.”
Grateful he didn’t throw me under the bus about the work-excuse I smile, “That’s right. Do you mind if I throw this cup away?”
Wren motions to the kitchen. “The recycling bin is to the right of the stove.”
“I’m not worried,” Eric shrugs to Max, still on the subject of respecting his home. “I know you’ll take good care of the place. And if you don’t, I know where you live. I know your family.”
Max fakes confusion. “You do? How?”
“I’m not giving away my secrets. Let’s just say we’re close.”
They hug, smacking each other’s gorgeous backs before Max turns to say goodbye to Wren, kissing her hair again, his hand briefly cupping her head. “Great to see you looking so happy. Glad I was a part of that.”
Eric razzes him, “Oh, it’s all about you, huh?”
“I’m the reason you’re both wearing wedding rings!” Scissoring his pointed fingers at their hands he says, “This was all me, don’t you forget it! You better name your first born Max!”
“I can’t wait not to do that,” his cousin jokes as the couple walks us out.
While we wait for the elevator, I tell Wren, “Say hi to El for me.”
“I will! This was such a cool coincidence.” Her eyes flick to Max. “Small world!”
“It’ll feel even smaller when you name your first born after me.”
“Okay, fine.”
“Really?”
“No!” She slides her arm around Eric’s waist. “No way.”
“Come on!”
“Bye Max.”
I pull him on the elevator, and he play-fights me by pretending to attack them. “Why you ungrateful…!” He laughs and joins me in the car, holding the button to make sure the doors don’t close yet. “Seriously though you guys, thanks for this. The production value of the shots we’ll get here, amazing. So good. Thank you for the opportunity.”
Eric makes a face, “Max, cut it out. You’re family. If I needed your loft, would you hand me the keys?”
“In a heartbeat.”
“There ya go. Now get your girl to work.”
We wave as the doors whoosh us back to reality. Max and I ride down, and walk out to his Jeep in silence. As he opens the door for me I turn to tell him, “Thank you for not contradicting me back there.”
Somber he blinks to my mouth, lingers there. “You lied about work.”
“I stretched the truth.”
“You told me on the phone that you don’t have to go in until tonight.”
“And I have things I have to get done at home before then.”
“Ah.” His eyes drop to my hand as he takes it and guides me into the Jeep. He doesn’t look at me again and my stomach twists as I helplessly watch his frown walk around to the driver’s side as he chews on his cheek in thought. More silence on the road home. I don’t think he’ll say another word, so finally, not able to take it anymore, I clear my throat.
“Max, you said your heart is a hard nut to crack so why are you acting like—”
“It’s just lunch, Natalie.” He glances to me, frown deepening.
“I know, but—”
“But nothing. It’s just lunch.” He pulls up to my apartment and instinctually I glance up to A.J.’s window to tell if he’s home. Max starts to get out and I touch his arm.
“Don’t. I can get out on my own.”
He sucks his teeth but doesn’t argue as I climb out. What am I supposed to say?
I don’t want to fall in love with you.
CHAPTER 17
M AX
“So this is where you rest your head.”
Natalie smiles, “That’s a funny way of putting it,” watching me pick up a small elephant statue from a shelf in her living room.
“I’ll take funny.” I mutter turning the creature over in my hands and happy that she finally invited me to work over here. We left things tense. When I got her call my shoulders finally relaxed for the first time in three days.
Setting it down I head for the next room. “Kitchen in here?”
“Make yourself at home, Max!” she teases, following me. “You’re going to think I’m perfect if you keep walking around. We’re very tidy here.”
“It’s pretty bad,” I argue. “What, you didn’t want to leave one napkin out or something, just to appear somewhat normal? Didn’t think I’d get this far in, did you?”
“I didn’t care.”
Chuckling I check out her spotless sink and make a face like it’s disgusting. “There’s food crusted here.”
Natalie’s eyes widen as she crosses over to look. “There is not! You liar. I knew A.J. would never let that happen.”
Pausing at the name, I cock my head. “A.J. a guy or girl?”
She leans her hip on the counter, eyelashes flickering. “He’s a guy. I have a male roommate. Didn’t I tell you that?”
“Nope, you left that out of our many conversations.” I walk to the view. Lots of trees and rooftops of charming homes that this neighborhood is known for. And every night there’s some dude looking out this same window as Natalie walks around in those adorable fuzzy socks.
“You’re gnawing on your cheek again, Max.”
“Who is he?”
“A.J?” When I say nothing, keep staring at their view, she finally answers me. “He’s my roommate, that’s who he is. I just told you that.”
“Where’d you meet him?”
“Work.”
My head swings to her, remembering what Caden told me at dinner. “He’s a stripper?”
She takes the dishtowel off the refrigerator door and folds it. “Yes, he works at Swinging Richards.”
“He gay?”
“Would that calm you down if he was?”
“I’m totally calm.”
She tucks the towel back in place. “Your volume is normal but your tone could cut ice.”
“Bedroom back here?”
“Don’t.”
Feigning innocence I walk through a small hallway covered in black and white photographs. “You take these?”
“I wish,” she says, following me.
“This his room, or do you sleep in the same bed?”
She grabs my arm. “What are you doing?”
“Nothin.’”
Tilting her head she says, “Please don’t do this. I’m so happy you came over and I want to get to work. I haven’t done anything. We’re business partners, remember?”
“Are you sleeping with him, then? Is that what you’re telling me. That it’s cool you and your hot roommate are hooking up every night because you and I are just business partners?”
Crossing her arms, Natalie sighs. “I didn’t say he was hot.”
“You can’t be a male stripper and not be hot!”
Glancing to the floor she slides a fingernail along her bangs, thinking of what to say. “Okay, no, A.J. and I do not sleep together. We have separate rooms. But one time we did have sex and I�
�m only telling you that to be totally honest.”
The embers of jealousy I was feeling explode into a full blaze. Trying to hide it I cross my arms, too. “Really? That’s interesting. Huh.”
“Max…”
“You live with a guy you had sex with before. You still want him?”
“Stop it.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” We stare at each other. She’s getting mad, but I’m fine with that, because I’m pissed off. “Natalie, do you know how hard it’s been not to touch you? And all because of a professional relationship you want to have. Yet here you are living with someone you work with and you had sex with him?”
“That was almost six months ago, and it’s different.”
“How is it different?”
“Because it is! I was drunk, he was there, that’s all that happened!”
Sucking on my lips and nodding repeatedly like someone with a tic I glare at her because the thing is, he’s always here. Every night. Every morning. With her. And this whole time I’ve been in my loft thinking about her—they’ve been cooking meals together, watching TV, just like a couple.
“What an idiot I am,” I rasp, rubbing my face and blinking between the two bedroom doors. Like a shot I pull her to me and kiss her, cupping her head. She responds, arms wrapping around me as our mouths mold each other, jaws unlocking, tongues dancing like they missed this feeling. I know I did. Breaking free I search her confused eyes and growl, “If you’re going to live with him, I’m going to make you remember me.” I dive in for another deep kiss, length hardening with every moan that I inspire in her.
Me.
Not him.
I’m the one making her melt.
These are my arms.
My lips.
My fury.
One of my hands grips the small of her back, the other still holding her head. She’s mine, dammit. He can’t have her. “Which room is yours?”
Catching her breath she jogs her chin to the right. “That one.”
I swing the door open, pick her up and toss her on the bed. “Strip.”
Her eyelids drop, lips parted and moist as she unzips those black jeans, tugging them off, and her panties, while I watch. “Show me your cock,” she whispers, pulling the sweater over her head.
Max Cocker (Cocker Brothers Book 15) Page 7