Tempt Me (Temptation Series Book 1)

by Kally Ash

  She was right. He did have to get back to running things. He nodded. “Do you want anything? A drink? Something to eat?”

  Gigi put her hands over her growling stomach. “I haven’t had dinner yet.”

  “I’ll send someone out to get you food.”

  Chapter 12

  Gigi had stared into Max’s bourbon-colored eyes, wondering what was going through his head. He was being an irresponsible fool. Why would he wait two weeks just so she could babysit Erin for him? Surely he’d be able to find someone to fill the position of nanny in that time. There were hundreds of people out there looking for live-in nanny positions, so why was he offering it to her when she didn’t even want it in the first place?

  I always get what I want in the end, Gigi. You should know that.

  She sat back down behind his desk, unconsciously snuggling into the suit jacket hanging on the back. It smelled like Max—part woodsy, part earthy and one hundred percent masculine. She picked up her textbook and found the spot where she’d stopped reading. Pulling her notebook closer, she started making notes. Time slipped by like it always did when she was studying, and she looked up when there was a knock on the office door.

  She stood up and opened it. A young guy was standing there with a large brown paper bag in his hand. “Gigi?” he asked.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m Jeremy. Max asked me to get you some food. I wasn’t sure what you’d like so I got a steak, fries and steamed vegetables. There’s also a tiramisu in there for dessert.”

  Gigi took the bag from him. She wasn’t expecting something so elaborate. “I thought he would have told you just to grab some fast food from somewhere,” she muttered.

  “He specifically said not to get you shit food.” Jeremy shrugged. “I have to get back to work, but enjoy it.” He smiled and left. She shut the door behind him and returned to the desk. Pushing her notebook out of the way, she opened up the bag.

  Once she’d laid out the feast, she ate quickly, unaware of how truly hungry she was. She was scraping the bottom of the tiramisu container with a spoon when Max stepped into the room.

  His eyes seem to devour her for a second before his expression slid back to indifference. “How was dinner?”

  She placed the spoon back into the container and leaned back in the chair. “Delicious. Thank you.”

  He nodded, folding his arms over his chest and leaning up against the wall. In that position, his shirt strained against his muscular arms and broad chest. Gigi couldn’t help but admire the view in these few minutes of peace. “Has Erin been any trouble?”

  “No,” she said, making sure her eyes were on his face. “She hasn’t stirred, but I think that has to do with the soundproofing in this room more than anything.”

  He looked at his daughter then returned his gaze to Gigi. “I know it’s not ideal having her here. I had absolutely no choice though.”

  “You don’t have to justify yourself to me, Max. You did what you had to do to care for Erin.”

  “I know,” he said quietly. “It doesn’t mean I don’t feel like shit for doing it. She’s a baby. A nightclub is no place for her. She deserves to be at home.”

  The words “with her mom” had remained unspoken, but Gigi heard them in the longing in his voice. “Max?” she asked, the question she’d wanted to know the answer to since she’d met him poised on the tip of her tongue. “Where’s your wife?” He’d shut her out before. Perhaps now that they knew each other a little better, he’d tell her something more. “You said before that you were no longer together.”

  His expression darkened, and she was sure he was going to tell her to mind her own business again. Instead, he uncrossed his arms and shoved them into the pockets of his slacks and looked down. “She’s dead.” His words were uninflected, which was strange. Her death had to have been in the last seven months. Either this was how Max dealt with grief, or they weren’t that close to begin with.

  “I’m sorry.”

  He looked at her. “Me too,” he said. “I should go. Do you need anything else?”

  “Can I have the key to your apartment?” One of his brows rose. “So I can take her home when…if she wakes up before you shut the doors,” Gigi explained. “She needs to be at home.”

  “You’ll stay with her?”

  “Of course I will,” she replied quickly, wondering whether he actually believed she’d just drop Erin off and leave.

  Both of their heads turned when the little girl let out a small cry. Max was over there in a heartbeat, picking her up and cradling her to his chest. Gigi stood back and watched him, seeing how much he loved his daughter, and seeing what a shitty situation he’d found himself in. Max turned around and looked at her.

  “Here, strap her into her stroller while I pack up what you can take home with you,” he said. When he was done, he pressed his apartment key into her hand, his hand lingering. For a second, Gigi couldn’t breathe. She knew she shouldn’t be attracted to Max. He was hard and demanding and potentially her new boss, but she couldn’t deny the short, sharp burst of electricity that sparked between them when they’d touched.

  “You should get going,” he eventually rasped, clearly as affected as she had been.

  Gigi forced her head to bob up and down then worked on getting her brain and legs to start functioning together again. A few seconds passed before they did, then she was wheeling the stroller down the hallway to the door she had come in through at the start of the night.

  “Not that way,” Max said too closely behind her. She stiffened when she felt his warmth against her. “I’ll take you out the back door so you don’t have to deal with all the assholes out there.”

  “You mean your customers?” she asked with a smile.

  His face remained serious. “Yeah. Them. Come on.” He turned and led her in the opposite direction. They arrived at a thick metal door with the words ‘Emergency Exit’ written across it. He pressed against the metal bar in the center. It opened up into the alleyway behind the club. “I’ll be home as soon as I can,” he said.

  Walking through, she peered over her shoulder at him. His features were cast in shadows, making him appear even more mysterious. He handed her the bag he’d packed and she slung it over her shoulder.

  “Call me when you get there,” he called out as she made her way down the long alleyway.

  Gigi had been living in New York City for four years, but she had never walked the streets alone at night before. The fact that she had Erin was a small consolation, since she wasn’t truly alone, but being a single female with an infant made her easy prey for anyone looking for a target.

  Thankfully, the fifteen minute walk to Max’s apartment building was uneventful. There had been a lot of people walking around in clothes that said they were either on their way to a bar, or were going to another one, but she didn’t notice anyone studying her too carefully. Pushing the stroller into the elevator, she pressed the button for Max’s floor.

  As the door slid open smoothly, she got the keys out ready to open the front door. Once inside, she slid the bolt across, dropped the bags and took Erin from the stroller. The little girl had slept through the entire thing. Quietly, Gigi took her into her nursery and put her to bed.

  Back in the living room, she took out her study notes and textbook, placing them on one end of the couch. She then took off her shoes and padded into the kitchen. She rummaged through Max’s cupboards, finding a packet of teabags, and made herself a cup. Mug in hand, she checked to see if Erin was still asleep, then decided to have a look around the other bedrooms in his apartment.

  If she took the job, she would be living here with Max, in one of these rooms. She poked her head into the room closest to Erin’s and immediately stepped back. It was Max’s, and she felt as if she was intruding somehow. From the quick glimpse she did get, it didn’t seem to suit Max. It was too bright, too stark and industrial. For him, she would have chosen darker colors, heavy, warm fabrics and maybe some leather furnitur
e thrown into the mix.

  Back down the hallway, Gigi pressed against the only remaining door she hadn’t seen behind. It was just a single room, and it was decorated in much the same way as Max’s. As she looked around the space, she could imagine her books lined up on the small desk, the comforter her mother had given her when she’d left for college on the bed.

  As she stared at the empty room, picturing all of her things in it, she realized that Max was right. The announcement for the placements on the internship was at least two weeks away. That meant she could earn four thousand dollars in that time. As a struggling student with loans to repay, she’d be a fool to pass up the opportunity. Turning off the light, she shut the bedroom door and made her way back to the living room.

  She really had to check in with Jen and let her know where she was. She curled up on the couch and looked at the time. She didn’t want to call in case she woke her roommate up. Unlocking her phone, she tapped into her text messages and started a new one to Jen.

  At Max’s place, looking after Erin. Don’t know when I’ll be home. Hope you’re feeling better.

  Gigi hit send and placed her phone beside her. It was barely a minute before there was a small beep.

  Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Maybe if Max got laid he’d lighten up a bit. Do me proud, Borello.

  Gigi huffed in frustration, punching out an angry response.

  I’m not sleeping with him, Jen! I’m watching his daughter while he’s at work. That’s all. Good night.

  Jen was obviously feeling better if she was in such a provoking mood. Thankfully, there was no reply to that last message. Gigi picked up her cup of tea and flipped open her textbook. She stared at the page until all the words began to blur together. She rubbed her stinging eyes, recognizing the signs of tiredness. She put her cup down along with the book and got a little more comfortable. She’d just rest her eyes for half an hour then get back to studying.

  Chapter 13

  Max slid the take for the night into the safe and twisted the dial. The opening had gone really well. They’d nearly doubled their projected profit, all his staff worked and worked hard and there hadn’t been any security issues. All in all, Max felt pretty damn proud of himself. It had all come together perfectly.

  He looked at the time on his phone. It was half past four, and he was the last one there. He’d sent everyone home at four when they’d closed the doors of Temptation for the night—or morning—whichever way you looked at it. Pulling the suit jacket from the back of his chair, Max slid into it and paused when he smelled Gigi on it. She must have leant up against it while she was studying. He inhaled deeply, catching the sweet, fruity scents of her shampoo.

  Flicking off his office lights, Max strode down the hallway to the rear entrance. Making sure he had the keys for the building in his pocket, he set the alarm and slid outside. It was still dark, but he could already feel the heat of the day infiltrating the pre-dawn. He’d thought LA was bad in summer, but it had nothing on New York, although the heat and humidity were different here. Keeping his head down, Max walked back to his apartment. The streets were empty except for a few groups of club goers making their way home, and the street sweeper doing the rounds.

  He was home in less than fifteen minutes. He pulled out the spare set of keys for the apartment building and let himself in. When he got to his place, he slid the key into the lock, the teeth chattering along the tumbler too loudly in the near silence. There was just one lamp on in the living room, and Max shut the door softly behind him so he didn’t disturb Gigi.

  She was asleep on the couch. There was a cup of what looked to be tea sitting beside the couch and her textbook was on the cushion beside her. Picking the book up, he put it on the floor, then took the blanket from the back of the couch and laid it over her body. Then he did something really fucking stupid.

  Some of her silky hair had fallen across her face. He reached out and pushed the stray lock back off her forehead, then let his fingertips trail gently over her cheek. She exhaled and turned her head into his touch. Stunned, Max retracted his hand and straightened.

  He didn’t know what it was about her. The initial attraction was because she didn’t look anything like Chelsea, but there was more to her than that. She was intelligent, but he could tell that under all the bookishness, she had a razor wit and a sense of humor he’d like to explore…if only he could get his head out of his ass about women screwing him over.

  “Damn you, Chelsea,” he said under his breath and moved to turn off the lamp. The apartment was plunged into darkness for only a second before Max’s eyes adjusted. Like in LA, it was never truly dark in New York City. There was always ambient light leaking in from somewhere, making the apartment just light enough to see where he was going without bumping into everything.

  Opening up his bedroom door, he took off his jacket and hung it up. His fingers made short work of the tie and the buttons at his throat. Pulling the tails of the shirt from his pants, he shucked that too, his slacks falling to the ground beside it. In just his boxer briefs, he walked out to the bathroom to take a shower.

  The feel of the hot water on his body made him groan softly. It was hitting all the right spots, washing away the tension in his shoulders and neck. Keeping it brief, he turned off the taps and stepped out onto the tile. Wrapping a towel around his hips, he crept back to his room where he collapsed into bed.

  *

  Max woke the next morning to the smell of bacon cooking and coffee brewing. Picking up his phone from the bedside table, he looked at the numbers. Was it only eight o’clock? He’d gotten three hours of sleep, and it wasn’t enough if he had to work again that night. Putting on a pair of jeans that had been lying on the floor, he staggered out into the kitchen. Erin was playing on the rug in the living room while Gigi was at the cooktop, spatula in hand. She’d obviously made herself a lot more familiar with his apartment than he had, because she was wearing an apron he certainly didn’t own.

  She was singing to herself softly, a wire running from her jeans’ pocket to her ear. She spun around, and she saw him. A blush fanned across her cheeks. Popping the bud from her ear, she said, “I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “I’m not surprised,” he shot back. Gigi blinked at him, clearly shocked by his attitude. When he let a small smile creep onto his features, she relaxed.

  “I’m making breakfast. You interested?” she asked, pulling a mug from one of the cupboards and filling it up with coffee. She slid it over to him.

  “Thanks,” he said, picking it up and taking a shallow sip. He didn’t need any of those fancy-ass creamers a lot of other people took; he liked it hot and strong. “And breakfast would be great.”

  She grinned at him and turned back around to the griddle. He sat back and watched her work, moving smoothly between the cooktop and the toaster, all the while taking sips from her own coffee cup.

  “What were you listening to?” he asked.

  Her blush made a return appearance. “Oh…just a bit of Taylor Swift. She’s—”

  “I know who she is,” he said, cutting her short. “I’ve listened to some of her music.”

  “You have?” she squeaked.

  “Is that so hard to believe?”

  Instead of answering, Gigi spun around and attended to the bacon. A few moments later, she placed a plate in front of him. He looked down at the small feast and his mouth started to water.

  “This looks good.”

  “Thanks,” she replied, placing an identical plate down beside him. She sat down and they both ate. “Max?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Why didn’t you wake me when you came in? I should’ve gone home.”

  “You looked too peaceful lying there. You needed the sleep.”

  She stared into his eyes, and he wanted her to be staring up at him while lying in his bed. He shook his head and focused on eating his breakfast.

  “Gigi?” he asked after finishing his last sip of coffee.

  “
Yes, Max?” she breathed. Her soft voice made him look at her. Her cheeks were flushed again, and he wondered what he’d done to make the color rise.

  “Have you thought about my offer?”

  She met his intense gaze. He needed her to say yes to this. Erin was already used to her, and he didn’t want to go through all the shit of finding another nanny. He just wanted Gigi to agree to take the job.

  “I have.”

  “And?” His reply was too eager, but he didn’t give a shit. She already knew what he wanted so there was no point trying to hide it.

  “You were right.”

  His eyes narrowed. “About what, exactly?”

  “About everything. The internship doesn’t get announced for two more weeks, and I don’t even think I got my application in on time anyway.” She took a deep breath and looked down at her plate. “The fact is, you need someone to help you out now, and for the next two weeks, I’ll be free to do that.”

  “Are you saying yes to me, Gigi?”

  It must have been something about his words that made her turn to him, her eyes wide. Her mouth had parted slightly, and her breathing had grown ragged. She shook her head a moment later, her gaze retreating back to the plate. “I’m saying yes to being Erin’s nanny.”

  “And you’ll move in, too?”

  “I have to speak to Jen about it first, but if it’s only for two weeks, I don’t see there being any problem.”

  Max could feel the smile stretch out on his lips, only this time he made no effort to conceal it. “That’s great news. Thank you, Gigi.”

  She picked up her fork and shoveled some scrambled eggs onto it. She brought it to her mouth, but not before saying, “You need to look for another girl, though, Max.”

  His smile faltered. They were back to that already? “Of course,” he replied. What she didn’t know was that he had no intention of going through an agency to find someone else. He was determined to keep Gigi for himself. “Will you move in today?”