by Missy Jane
Two Dates Max
Missy Jane
He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me… Okay, the truth is he doesn’t really love me right now, but I have a plan to change his mind. I see the way he looks at me with heat in his eyes. Sean Maxwell might be a confirmed bachelor, but a taste of Ms. Megan Nettle is just what he needs to soften his hard exterior. And once I get him in my bed, he won’t want to leave. There’s nothing some hot lovin’ can’t fix.
But my persistence backfires when he decides he’s too dangerous for little ol’ me. Something in his past is driving a wedge between us, and he’s determined to stay away. That’s not going to happen. This calls for some serious seduction. I’ll use those sparks between us to melt away his rule of Two Dates Max.
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Two Dates Max
ISBN 9781419939358
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Two Dates Max Copyright © 2012 Missy Jane
Edited by Grace Bradley
Cover design by Caitlin Fry
Photography by dundanim/Shutterstock.com
Electronic book publication March 2012
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Two Dates Max
Missy Jane
Chapter One
Lots of people hate Monday mornings, including one hot-as-hell general store manager with the best male ass I’ve ever seen. So, when I happened upon him cussing under his breath at a ridiculous cardboard display for cookies, I decided to spread the joy of my Monday morning happiness his way.
“Good morning, Max.”
He jumped and began to spin around until the cardboard display crumbled to the ground at his feet. I took a step back and pasted on a bright smile as tiny packages rolled around me. His shoulders tensed and I couldn’t help but admire the muscular display of his strong back through his light-blue polo shirt.
“Morning, Nettle.”
I ignored the annoyance in his tone and stepped into his line of vision. His eyes were closed, hiding the baby-blues that filled my fantasies every night.
“Sorry if I startled you. Let me help you clean this up.”
I bent to pick up a crumpled cellophane package and his strong hand landed on my arm. A shiver coursed through me at the contact but he didn’t seem to notice. He had finally opened his eyes and was frowning at me. I widened my smile until my cheeks hurt.
“Don’t. I’ll take care of this shortly. Is there something I can do for you?”
My eyebrows shot up and a whole list of things he could do to me rolled through my mind. As if reading my thoughts, he abruptly released my arm and straightened. I couldn’t help but laugh as I followed suit.
“Don’t look so scared. I’m not going to attack you in the middle of your store.”
He grunted non-committally and put his hands on his hips. I admired the way the stance framed his stockiness for a moment and released a sigh.
“Nettle?”
“Hmmm?”
He cleared his throat and crossed his arms over his chest, causing his biceps to bulge. I licked my lips.
“Nettle.”
“Hmmm?”
“Nettle, will you please stop looking at me like a rib eye on sale and tell me what you need?”
I rolled my eyes and pouted. “Max, when are you going to stop calling me Nettle like I’m a guy on your football team and start calling me Megan again?”
He remained silent for a moment, drawing my gaze from his finely chiseled chest to his face. He was still frowning and his glare wasn’t exactly friendly. Surely there was something in the customer service handbook against that look, but I decided to let it slide and smiled back.
“What’s the difference? You call me Max.”
I snorted and waved his excuse away. Everyone called him Max because of his last name, Maxwell, rather than his given name of Sean.
“Whatever. You don’t even look like a Sean. But, speaking of rib eyes, I’m having a couple of friends over for a barbecue this weekend. You should come.”
He sighed and tightened his jaw, shaking his head slowly. I wanted to stomp my foot in frustration.
“Thank you, but no. I already have plans.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sure you do.”
“I do.”
“Let’s see…” I crossed my arms and tapped my chin with one finger. “Saturday morning you’ll get up early and go to the gym for two hours. Then you’ll stop at the deli on the corner for breakfast, which you’ll take to go to eat at the park a couple of blocks over. Sometime in the afternoon you’ll take a run through the neighborhood right past my house. Thank you for that by the way. Oh, and can you wear the blue shorts ’cause I really love the way your ass—”
“Is there a point to this? Anyone would think you’re my stalker.”
I laughed and waved that away too. “Like I can help it that we’re practically neighbors and visit all the same places. You’re the one who suggested I start shopping at Hardy’s after initiating a conversation with me at the gym.”
He huffed out a breath and bent to pick up the cookies. I squatted down to help, leaning over to allow the best display of cleavage over my tight tank top. I thought I heard him groan but pretended not to notice, turning so he could see the denim pull against my ass as I moved. After all, I’d bought the overpriced shorts with him in mind. He released an exaggerated sigh and grabbed an armful of packages before I could reach for them.
“I’ve got this. Thank you, but you don’t need to help.”
“Whatever. I made you jump so I should help you clean up the mess you made.”
He growled. “I didn’t jump.”
“Yeah you did.”
“No. I didn’t.”
“Yup.” He opened his mouth to argue again but then shut it and shook his head. I continued, “Maybe if you weren’t so high-strung this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Maybe if you hadn’t come into the store yelling this wouldn’t have happened.”
Yup. He definitely needed to read the customer service handbook.
“I wasn’t yelling. I just said good morning.”
He grabbed the last package of cookies from my outstretched hand and stood to place it on the display. I also stood and wiped my hands on my ass, trying to draw his stubborn gaze. It didn’t work but I had other tricks up my sle
eve. We stood in silence for a few seconds, staring at the pile of crumpled cardboard and cookies. He’d tried to set it back up, but the little house it was supposed to be looked more like a rundown shack…after a hurricane…and a tsunami…maybe with an earthquake after that.
“Um…”
He held up a hand and shook his head. “Not another word. It’ll have to do for now until I can free up some shelf space. And you,” he finally turned to give me his full attention with a pointed finger for emphasis, “need to stop sneaking up on me when I’m stocking.”
I smiled with teeth and held up a hand with two fingers crossed. He rolled his eyes and I shamelessly stepped into his personal space.
“So, about this weekend…”
He groaned and abruptly turned, heading to a door marked Employees Only. I laughed to myself and walked away to shop for nothing in particular. Getting under Max’s skin was too much fun to resist, especially since I really did want to go out with him again. Aside from being super hot, he was a pretty nice guy, and we’d had an absolute blast the two times we’d gone out…two months ago. He and his stupid two dates maximum rule wouldn’t deter me from my goal. Sean Maxwell was everything I was looking for in a guy. I just had to convince him I was all he needed.
* * * * *
Six hours later I was pretending to clean one of the gym’s mirrored walls while sneaking peeks at Max on the treadmill. He really did have a great ass and the blue shorts molded to it lovingly, accentuating each muscle as it flexed. I was staring so intently at the wondrous sight, I didn’t even notice my coworker Elle until she cleared her throat.
“Ahem. You’re going to have to clean the floor next.”
I startled and looked at the floor then back at her in confusion. “Huh, why?”
“To get the puddle of drool you’re leaving behind from watching Max run.”
I laughed then frowned and glanced at the row of treadmills. “I know I’m pathetic. I just can’t help it with him.”
This time she laughed and shook her head. “Not pathetic at all, hon. Just remember he’s the wandering type.”
I grimaced and gave the mirror one last swipe. I actually had heard that whispered about him in the locker room, but had hoped the skank gossiping about him was wrong. Max and I had known each other for just over a year and I’d only seen him talk to a handful of women. I’d run into him at a club once while he had a date, but then never saw her again and secretly rejoiced.
“You mean he’s a cheater?”
“No, not that I’ve heard. I just mean he doesn’t stay with one girl for long. Actually two dates and he’s on to the next from what I’ve heard.”
A wistful sigh escaped. “Yeah, I know.”
Elle frowned and crossed her arms over her ample chest. “What’s wrong, hon? Is there something going on between you two?”
I snorted and rolled my eyes. “I wish. He keeps resisting my irresistible charm.”
She laughed and uncrossed her arms to hook one through mine. We turned together and headed for the front desk.
“Well, if he can’t see how irresistible you are, then he’s an idiot.”
“Exactly.”
“Anyway, there are plenty of other fish in the ocean. In fact, Declan’s got this friend—”
“Oh nononono, I am not going on another blind date with one of Declan’s friends.”
She laughed harder as I pulled my arm from hers and held my hands up to physically ward off her offer.
“Oh come on, didn’t you have fun last time?”
I snorted. “Sure. If you call getting thrown up on and stranded in the middle of the highway on a Saturday night fun. The jackass didn’t even have the decency to drop me off at a bus stop.”
Her amusement instantly melted and true regret gleamed in her gaze.
“I know. I’m so sorry, hon. If I’d known he was drunk enough to get sick I never would have let you leave with him.”
I shrugged and waved it away. “He hid it well. Declan should have told us they’d been drinking all day. That’s all.”
She still looked upset so I smiled back to ease her mind. Declan had been her on-again, off-again boyfriend the past five years. He was very abusive and I tried to talk her into leaving him at least once a week. Unfortunately, Elle didn’t have the best family and they loved him. They only reinforced all the horrible things he would say to her until she began to believe them as fact.
“Okay, so no more of Declan’s friends.”
“Right. And no more strays from the library either.”
We both laughed as we remembered one of my horrible dates from a few months back.
“So, if you want Max, how are you going to get him?”
I looked back over the nearly empty gym and immediately found him on a rowing machine. His strong arms flexed smoothly and my pulse leapt.
“I don’t know yet.”
“Hmm. Well, then we need to make a plan.”
She rounded the counter to find a pad of paper and pen, then took a seat in one of the rolling chairs. I followed but hopped onto the lower counter that served as our desk space. We were in a square enclosure at the front of the gym. Members walked in and scanned their cards at a small device on the top counter before entering the main part of the gym. Our job was basically to hand out towels and check in guests when the scanner refused to work properly.
“Okay,” Elle continued. “First, let’s go over what we know about him. He works at the grocery store a couple of blocks away, right?”
“Yeah, Hardy’s. He’s actually the store manager.”
“Really? Wow. So at least we know he’s got benefits.”
I gave a small laugh and nodded. “Yeah, so?”
“Well, that position means more career than job, you know? More stability.” I just shrugged and rolled my hand for her to continue. “Second, we know he’s not married.”
This time I laughed out loud, drawing attention from a couple of members. I waved and smiled until they waved back and turned away.
“Elle, that should be a given for any guy I consider. You know I don’t do…that.”
She laughed too and nodded with a gleam in her eye. “I know, girl. You’re one of the decent ones. Okay, so three…um, he’s healthy.”
We turned as one to find him and I immediately spotted him doing chin-ups. I sighed and Elle giggled.
“Oh yeah. Definitely healthy. On to number four.”
“He has rules about dating,” I grumbled.
“Mmhm, and from what I’ve heard he’s pretty strict about it. In fact, if I had to guess I’d say that’s why he keeps giving you the cold shoulder.”
My head snapped back around to face her as I raised a brow in question. “What do you mean?”
She put the pad and pen down and leaned forward as if preparing to divulge state secrets.
“Well, he’s already been out on two dates with you.”
“So?” I growled. “We had an awesome time. I was shocked when he didn’t ask me out again.”
She gave me a sympathetic smile and a pat on the knee. I barely restrained the ridiculous urge to kick her.
“From what Sara said, he was pretty upfront about his rule before they went out on their first date. He basically just wanted someone to hang out with a couple of times.”
“Yeah, but we both know what a whore she is. I doubt hanging out was all they did.”
She giggled and shook her head. “I never asked. But my point is, if he keeps putting you off there must be a reason. I think he realized what an awesome person you are and it scared him. Maybe he’s afraid he won’t be able to get enough of you.”
She sat back with a nod, looking supremely pleased at her reasoning. I smirked and shook my head.
“Elle, he didn’t even tell me about his stupid rule until after our second date. I was pissed and wouldn’t talk to him for a week. Remember when he kept bringing me breakfast? That’s why.”
“Well now, see? That just proves my point
. He’s afraid to go out with you again because he already knows you’re a keeper.”
I shook my head again. “I’ve invited him over for a barbecue, to the movies and to happy hour. It’s not like I’ve proposed. Besides, as often as we see each other, holding on to my mad was quickly becoming awkward. We’re practically neighbors.”
She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Hon, for the serious commitment-phobes it doesn’t take much to scare them off.”
I opened my mouth to answer but was interrupted by a stream of colorful swimsuit-clad older ladies walking through the door.
“Oh great. The mermaids are here,” Elle mumbled under her breath.
I stifled a laugh and pasted on a smile as they headed our way.
* * * * *
A few minutes after I handed the last mermaid her towel, Max walked slowly past my counter toward the double glass doors leading outside. He had his gym bag slung over one arm and his own towel slung over the other. The part of me sick of his indifference wanted to throw a water bottle at his head to get a reaction, but I fought her down and turned to my computer screen instead. Really, it was getting kind of ridiculous and I wasn’t exactly desperate for a date. There was just something about him that drew me in. We really did seem to have a lot in common but if he couldn’t see that it might be time to move on.
As that depressing thought settled on my slumped shoulders, I swiveled in my chair away from the doors. There was no use constantly watching him if he really didn’t want anything to do with me.
“Megan…”
My pulse sped at the unexpected sound of my first name in his voice and I whipped around with my brows raised in question.
He stood leaning against the counter watching me with an unreadable expression.
“Yes?”
His gaze ran over me for a second as if he were trying to think of how to put his thoughts to words. Anger instantly ignited in my gut at what I was sure would be another rejection.
