Dirty Boy (35 page)

“Max isn’t here,” Story told Kelan Phillips as she stepped aside to allow him entry.

He gave her the once over, lifting a brow at the apron she wore, and smiling when he got to her bare feet. “Good to see you’re up and about.”

She grinned at him. “And cooking. Max should be home in half an hour. I can set an extra place if you’d like to join us.”

“Don’t mind if I do. What’s on the menu?”

“Seafood lasagna, a tossed salad, toasted sesame bread, and a peanut butter ice cream pie.”

Kelan whistled. “Max is a lucky fucker.”

“If you say so,” she said noncommittally.

It had been a month since she’d agreed to stay with Max for the extra six weeks. A month filled with romance—flowers, picnics, outings, and lovemaking. True to his word, he handed her a grand every week. And true to her word, after seeing to the minutes on her phone with the first amount of money, she took one hundred bucks and put the rest in a shoebox in the closet she was using. Kayleigh’s name also hadn’t fell from her lips.

Story had two weeks left to her dreamy time with Max, then she’d head back to Dallas.

He was already talking about the next movie he was scheduled to shoot.

“Hey, what’s the frown for?”

Story blanked her face. “Oh, um, I forgot to do something. Would you care for a drink?”

He cocked his head to the side. “If you join me.”

She thumbed the direction of the kitchen. “I’m drinking a glass of wine.”

“I require something a little stronger.” Not waiting for her to offer, he headed to the bar across the room while Story returned to the kitchen. “This is more my style,” he told her as he walked back in, holding a glass with an amber liquid.

She sipped from her glass. “Max likes vodka.”

“Max
loves
vodka,” he corrected, tossing more of his drink back. He took a seat at the counter. “So what’s the story with you and him?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re here. He’s not filming. You’re playing the sweet little housewife and he’s acting like the jealous boyfriend.”

“There is no story, Dr. Philips. Not that it’s any of your business either way.”

“True, but I’m Max’s friend. We’ve known each other since high school. I don’t remember the last time he looked so…
happy.
Carefree. Believe me I know he’s one of the most egotistical assholes around.”

“Max is not—”

“You’ve always come across as no-nonsense and wise beyond your years, so you know what I mean. Believe me, I
know
what Max is because I’m a lot like him. The difference is I don’t have the excuse of a Kayleigh to keep the wall I do between me and finding that special someone. He does.” He gulped a little more of his drink. “I don’t think he’s considered what he’ll do when he’s forty and his cock isn’t functioning as well as it once did.”

“And you have?”

Kelan snickered. “Long enough to wonder if Max has wised the fuck up and will give in to his feelings for you or if he’s going to continue as the porn star and let you slip through his fingers. He’s nine years away from forty. If he lets you get away, I don’t think you’ll wait that long for him.”

Story sighed, hoping confiding in Kelan wasn’t a mistake. But she had no one else. Well, except Max, and he was biased. He’d never give her advice in
her
favor. “He says he intends to retire at thirty-five. I think he feels as if that’ll make a difference in two weeks when I’m supposed to leave.”

“Does it?”

“It can’t,” she said softly. “I can delude myself into thinking I’d be okay knowing there’s an end in sight. But it would wreck me. I couldn’t bear knowing he was with other women. Especially after the past few weeks. So, no. It doesn’t make a difference. I’m still leaving. I didn’t stay to change his mind about what he wants to do. That’s unfair to him and to me.”

“Why did you stay?”

“Because,” she mumbled, no longer able to meet the doctor’s eyes.

“Because you love him.”

She shrugged, unable to deny it but not wanting to voice her feelings either. Speaking them aloud would give more weight to them, make them more meaningful and real. As long as she kept the words to herself, she could pretend otherwise.

“Have you ever considered Max’s reaction if you were the porn star and he the lover waiting in the wings? Or if you wanted to be a long-term porn star where you fucked different men?”

“In passing,” she admitted. “With the first scenario, Max wouldn’t have gotten with me. With the second one, he’d flip. The man is so controlling. He steamrolls everyone.” Guilt washed through her that she’d spoken badly about Max to his friend. Or anyone for that matter. If she had a problem with him, that was between the two of them. She didn’t need to badmouth him. “Forget I said that, Dr. Phillips.”

“Forgotten already,” he said easily. “And, please, call me Kelan.”

“You have a cool name.”

“As do you. But yours is more unusual than mine. Story is quite unique.”

“Blame my mom for that. She said that I was a story in the making. Whatever that means. After all, aren’t we all?”

Finishing off his drink, Kelan leaned forward on the counter. “Here’s the thing, Story. Max
does
steamroll everyone. I’ve seen him do it dozens of times. Hell, he does it to me. Life’s easier if you agree to what he wants. Believe me, when you leave, Max won’t be happy, and I already foresee you’ll be miserable.”

“Yes,” she agreed, seeing no reason to lie.

“That means you’re going to be vulnerable and he’s going to pounce on you. Before you know it, you’ll be agreeing to his terms.”

“No, I won’t. I’ve held my ground so far.”

“Yeah, because you’re here in his bed. You have him. When you leave and you’re all alone, you will have days when you think having a part of him is better than having none of him. Max is smart. He’ll wait for you to reach your lowest point before he makes his move.”

“So what are you suggesting? That I stay?”

“Hell no. You have the stubborn fuck almost where he has to be to take his slice of happiness. But you have to put the nail in his coffin. Let him know if he doesn’t do as you ask, he’s going to lose you for good.”

Kelan glanced at his watch, thought for a moment, and then stood and made his way next to her. At first, Story thought he wanted a better view of her salad and homemade dressing. Then, the front door opened. Kelan waited a heartbeat before he bent down. “Ready. Set. Annnnd go,” he whispered just as Max growled, “Get the fuck away from her before I kick your fucking ass.”

The closer it came for Story to leave, the worse Max’s mood became. He had two weeks to convince her that they could make things work. But, so far, his hints had been in vain. So, tonight, he intended to ask her point blank to stay. He had a pre-engagement ring to prove he’d be ready to commit in four years.

He’d expected an evening where he finally got her to do what he wanted. What he hadn’t expected was Kelan standing in
his
kitchen whispering to
his
girlfriend.

Wearing a shit-eating grin, Kelan strolled around the breakfast bar and grabbed his glass. “I was complimenting your little buddy on how pretty she looks.”

“Kelan—” Story began in warning, a blush staining her face.

“First off, she isn’t my little buddy. Secondly, keep your fucking compliments to yourself where she’s concerned.”

“My apologies. I didn’t realize she’d moved from live-in fuck buddy to girlfriend.” He glanced at Story, unperturbed by her glare. “So you’re okay with him going back to work?”

Max charged toward him.

Story ran forward and inserted herself between them. “Kelan, shut up,” she snapped.

“Kelan?” Max choked. She sounded too familiar with that motherfucker and he felt like a lunatic. If she’d let Kelan fuck her, familiarity would be the least of Max’s worries.

“Since he told me to call him Kelan, Max,” she huffed and focused on Kelan again. “As for you, stop being an ass. We don’t have any label on our relationship.”

Which Story fucking hated, but it sounded as if she was almost defending Max.

“I see. Sooo, does that mean you and I can go out on a date?”

“If you want me to kill you,” Max growled. “What the fuck are you doing here anyway?”

He produced a pair of tickets and held them up. “Basketball tickets. Court-side.”

“You’re on your way, as usual, I take it?”

Kelan’s habit was to drop in on his way to the game. Normally, he’d stop by the studio, early enough for them to grab food and beer.

He nodded.

“I can’t go. I have to talk to Story.”

“Dinner will be ready in ten minutes,” Story announced, moving away from him and heading back to the kitchen.

He followed her progress until he caught Kelan’s grin.

“Story so graciously invited me to dine with you two this evening.”

Clenching his jaw, he nodded. “I need to talk to you in my office.” After excusing them, Max led Kelan away. He didn’t speak again until he’d poured drinks for both of them. “Don’t hit on my girlfriend
ever
again.”

Kelan seated himself. “Girlfriend, hmm? That’s news to me. I think it might be news to Story, too.”

“She doesn’t know yet. I’m telling her tonight.” He debated on whether or not the next bit of information was any of Kelan’s damn business. “I’m offering her a pre-engagement ring.”

Kelan choked on the scotch he drank. “What the fuck is that?”

“A ring to prove my commitment to us.”

“This isn’t high school, Max. A
pre
-engagement ring?”

“This is as much as she gets right now. I’m not asking her to marry me. I don’t need her pressure when I’ve already decided to retire in four years.”

“Four fucking years?” he asked incredulously. “Get fucking real. If she hasn’t gone for it up till now, she won’t go for it at all.”

“Then I’ll move on to Plan B where she’ll have no choice but to deal with me.”

“Max, can you stop with the dirty play for once and deal with her as she deals with you? Honestly. And what is fucking Plan B anyway?”

“Feeding her placebo in place of her birth control pills,” he stated without flinching and without remorse. “Instead of allowing her to take them, I’ll deliver them to her each morning. If she wants to play hardball, then I can, too.”

“She’ll know the difference. The placebos are white.”

Max nodded. “Thanks for the tip.”

Kelan scowled. “Do you even want to be a fucking father again?”

Did he? He didn’t know. He only knew his desperation increased. Story wasn’t budging and he
knew
she loved him. It was in her words. Her actions. Her eyes.

When the stakes had never been higher, he couldn’t lose now. That would mean losing her.

“Max, think long and hard about this. It didn’t work when Kayleigh got pregnant against
your
wishes. This is a shit plan that will blow up in your fucking face.”