Max (The Casanova Club Book 12)

by Ali Parker

  I tried to think of something to say other than wow. No words came. So I just stood there and gawked at her like a fool.

  Piper stopped on the second to last step and smiled bashfully, dipping her chin to her raised shoulder. “Is this all right for what you have planned?”

  “All right?” I breathed, holding out a hand to her. She took it, and I guided her down the last couple of steps. “It’s perfect. You’re perfect.”

  “Stop.”

  “I mean it. I’m trying to think of something clever to say. Which, for the record, is kind of my shtick. And for me to be at a loss of words when it comes to quick commentary?” I arched an eyebrow and shot her a wicked smile. “That’s a compliment of the highest regard.”

  Piper laughed softly. Her floral perfume flooded my nose and tickled my senses, putting me on high alert as she walked ahead of me to the door of our suite. Her hips swayed, and I wondered if she was deliberately putting on a show for me with her ass.

  If she was, she deserved an encore.

  And a raise.

  She stopped at the door and put her back to it. Her sexy smile stopped me in my tracks. “So,” she mused, “are you going to come clean and tell me where you’re taking me?”

  “Nope. You’ll have to wait and see for yourself. It’s not far.”

  Her smile became suspicious, and I liked the devilish twinkle in her dark eyes. “If it’s anything like La Bouche, I’m going to leave you in my dust and get a drive-thru burger and eat it in the hot tub on the roof. Just forewarning you.”

  “I can cancel our plans. Because that sounds like a pretty damn good date.”

  She laughed and pushed at my chest. “Yeah, right. Like I’d stuff my face with a burger in a bikini in front of you.”

  “Why not? That sounds hot.”

  She rolled her eyes, turned around, and pushed out into the hotel hallway. “Men are impossible.”

  “You started it.”

  Outside the hotel, we met the driver of our limo. We got in the back of the car, and I poured us each a glass of champagne. Piper sipped hers delicately and strained to look out the windows as we pulled away from the curb and out into the traffic.

  Her curiosity was endearing.

  “You’re not going to guess it,” I told her.

  She clicked her tongue. “I wasn’t going to try.”

  “Uh huh.”

  She stuck her tongue out at me.

  Chuckling, I extended my champagne glass to hers. “Here’s to an evening that is guaranteed to be a hell of a lot better than La Bouche.”

  “Screw La Bouche.”

  “Indeed. Screw ‘em.”

  We drank to our second date as we approached our destination, Pier 39.

  It rose up before us, twinkling with lights from the businesses and the carnival rides. Piper let out a surprised gasp when we pulled into the lot, and then she shoved her drink into my hands as she scrambled to twist around in her seat. She practically pressed her face to the glass as we came to a stop.

  “Really?” She looked over her shoulder at me.

  I nodded.

  She let out an excited giggle and looked back out the window. “What’s with the big guards at the entrance?”

  I pushed open the door and stepped out. I held out a hand and helped her out after me. Then I straightened my jacket, put an arm around her, and gestured at the entire place with my other arm. “I’ve rented out the entire pier. It’s ours for the night.”

  “Just ours?” Her eyes widened.

  “Yep. Just ours. Everything is open but there isn’t a soul in sight. Whatever we want, it’s ours. Rides. Food. Merchandise. Anything.”

  “Shut. Up.”

  I laughed. “I take it this is a step in the right direction from La Bouche?”

  Piper rushed forward, pulling me along behind her. The guards at the entrance dipped their chins in greeting. She called a gleeful hello to them over her shoulder and proceeded to drag me into the park.

  Her eyes danced with the changing lights as we passed the bakery and coffee shop and carousel. She pointed at the magical horses in a circle. “We’re definitely going on that later. Oh my gosh. This is amazing. This… this is what childhood dreams are made of!”

  “Slow your roll, girl,” I said, pulling her gently into me.

  She caught herself and pressed both hands flat to my chest as she gazed up at me. The freckles across the bridge of her nose were so darn cute, I could have traced their pattern with my eyes all damn night.

  “The evening starts with dinner,” I said.

  She grinned and bit her bottom lip. “I’m listening.”

  “Come with me.”

  Chapter 13

  Piper

  Pier 39 stretched out before me like a sea of splendidness. There were carnival rides and games scattered all over the place, along with pop-up coffee, slushy, snow cone, and popcorn stands. The whole place felt electric with the flashing lights and upbeat music that flowed through speakers mounted to nearly every building. As Max and I walked hand in hand across the wood planks of the pier, I couldn’t help the bounce in my step at the upbeat tunes.

  I smiled over my shoulder at him and was about to tell him that I felt like a little girl at Disneyland when we rounded a corner and stepped into a clear open space at the edge of the pier. Waves rolled quietly below, crashing gently against the posts supporting the pier, and white twinkle lights clung to the railing, casting romantic and ambient light upon our dinner spot.

  There was a table set for two in the middle of the opening. It was surrounded by carnival rides and games with cartoon images that grinned at us from beneath canopies of yellow and pink. It was simply set with a plain white tablecloth and a setting for two with a single candle in a mason jar and a rose laid across the table beside it.

  “Max,” I whispered. My hand fell free from his as I gazed at the setup. “I can’t believe this.”

  “Do you like it?” I could hear the apprehension in his voice.

  “Like it?” I stepped out into the clearing and reveled in the lights and the music and the effort he’d put in to make this happen for me. For us. The thoughtfulness warmed my heart. I spun back toward him. “I love it.”

  Max gave me his classic good-boy smile and raked his fingers through his hair. I pretended not to notice the way his shoulders slumped with relief, and I tried to capture the memory for future reference. He’d cared a lot that I liked this.

  “Thank goodness,” he said, laughing nervously. “I went from one extreme to the other with this, compared to La Bouche, and I was worried I’d completely missed my mark.”

  “Missed it? You hit it dead center. This is awesome. Seriously.” I moved toward him and took both of his hands in mine. “This is very special.”

  His eyes danced between mine, and the air felt suddenly thinner, like one of these games was sucking the oxygen up all around us.

  I let out a fluttery laugh and drew my hair to one shoulder.

  Max guided me to the table with a hand in the small of my back. I liked his touch, warm and confident. He pulled out a chair for me and tucked it in when I took my seat. Then he draped a soft white napkin across my lap. His fingers grazed my thigh, and I sucked in a sharp breath between my teeth.

  Surely, this could not be happening.

  After all this planning not to feel something for this man, here I was… feeling.

  Max settled into his seat and then raised a hand and gave his wrist a quick flick.

  From somewhere behind me, a man in a black suit appeared. He stepped forward with a bottle of wine and managed to fill my glass before I realized it was Jonathan.

  I took a sip of wine. “Were you in on this little secret from the start?”

  Jonathan’s mustache twitched. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Max and his driver shared a knowing look.

  “Thank you for your part in it, Jonathan,” I said. “This is amazing.”

  Jonatha
n nodded. “An amazing woman deserves an amazing evening. Isn’t that what you said, Mr. Fisher?”

  My eyes slid toward Max.

  He sat on the other side of the table and grinned. I might have been wrong, and it could have been a trick of the lights all around us, but I could have sworn Max was blushing.

  My date lifted his wine glass. “Amazing indeed.”

  I sipped my wine and held his gaze over the rim. Despite all the lights and the games and the splendor of it all, the best sight on the pier was the man before me.

  Jonathan slipped away and left Max and me alone to enjoy our wine. The stars filled the sky above like they were trying to compete with the pier’s lights down below, which cast wavering multicolored reflections on the dark surface of the ocean all around us.

  “I’d better warn you, Max. I’m very good at carnival games.”

  Max stroked his stubble. “Is that so?”

  “It is. Some people call it dumb luck, but I call it skill. Hard-earned and admirable talent.”

  “Admirable, huh?”

  I grinned. “Yes.”

  “I would love to see you put your money where your mouth is after we eat.”

  “Oh, I intend to,” I said, leaning forward. Max leaned forward, too. His smirk dared me to push the flirting to the next level. “I’m the kind of girl who wins prizes for the guy at carnivals, not the other way around.”

  “Well, in that case, let it be noted for the record that I have always wanted a stuffed panda from a carnival game.”

  “Then a stuffed panda you will get. My date gets whatever he wants. No exceptions.”

  Max laughed and began scouting the games within sight. His eyes were peeled for a panda.

  “Calm down, panda boy,” I said. “Mommy will take care of you.”

  Max’s laughter doubled, and he shook his head at me. “I take it back. Suddenly, I’m a little frightened of what Carnie-Game Piper is capable of.”

  I widened my eyes dramatically. “Great things, Max. Great things.”

  I loved the way he laughed. It consumed his whole body. Tears appeared in his eyes, and little wrinkles crinkled the sides. His dimples were swoon-worthy and his lips—I couldn’t think about his lips. It would lead down a road I couldn’t come back from.

  Jonathan made his return when we were finished with our first glass of wine. He poured us another before slipping away, only to reappear with a cart. On top of the cart were two brown paper bags with grease stains on the bottom.

  I narrowed my eyes at Max. “What’s this?”

  “Dinner.”

  “Obviously,” I said dryly.

  Jonathan handed me a bag.

  I pulled it open and peered down into the depths of salty, cheesy, wonderful smelling goodness. Inside was a burger wrapped in tinfoil and a side of fries. Little ketchup packets were placed along the bottom.

  I bit my bottom lip and grinned up at Max. “Was this the plan from the beginning?”

  “I may have switched gears after the drive-thru burger comment.”

  I pulled my food out of the bag. My stomach growled obnoxiously. I pretended not to hear it and hoped the men didn’t either. Then I set to unwrapping everything and so did Max. Jonathan told us he’d be back to top off our wine and remove our garbage when we were done.

  The burger was so massive and stuffed with delicious toppings that I had to hold it together with the foil it was wrapped in while I ate. It dripped with barbeque sauce, mustard, mayo, and relish. The lettuce was crisp and fresh and the slice of tomato thin and juicy. The flavors exploded along my tongue, and I savored every bite, taking breaks to indulge in some fries.

  “I think this is the best burger I’ve ever had,” I managed to say between bites.

  Max nodded, chewed, and swallowed. “Burgers was a good call.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He smiled. “You’re not what I had in mind at the beginning of this process, Piper. Not even a little bit.”

  “Uh oh. Is that a good thing?”

  He nodded and drowned a fry in ketchup before popping it in his mouth. “It is. You’re full of surprises. And please, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re so normal.”

  That was a new one when it came to compliments. “Normal is good?”

  “Normal is refreshing. A guy in my position—I hope this doesn’t sound wrong—but I tend to attract a particular type of woman.”

  “Oh?” I asked, waiting for him to come out with it.

  “You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

  “Most definitely.”

  He sighed but smiled. “Gold diggers. I attract gold diggers. Or women who only want to be in the tabloids and the media. Or women who think being with me will help launch their modeling or acting career.”

  “Oh God.” I grimaced. “That sounds like cruel and unusual punishment for you.”

  “So you get where I’m coming from? Normal is refreshing. Normal doesn’t walk into my life very often. And I’m grateful for it.”

  I didn’t really know what to say, so I ate another French fry and smiled at him.

  Max had finished eating. He packed up his wrappers and tucked them into the bag they came in. Then he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. “What about you? Am I what you expected?”

  I crossed one leg over the other and bounced my foot to the music playing around us. “Honestly? I gave up on expecting anything a while ago. Expectations are never met with something like this. But I can tell you what I thought of you the very first time we met. At the Casanova Club. At the reception desk.”

  His eyes were the darkest shade of blue I’d ever seen them. They glittered with mischief and the lights of the games. “By all means.”

  “Well,” I said slowly, pushing aside my empty bags and wrappers so I could lean forward, too. “I thought you were handsome. Like, stupid handsome. And I thought you were trouble. And I thought you were way out of my league.”

  He leaned back when I said the last part. “What? Me? Out of your league?”

  I nodded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Um, yeah.”

  He laughed and shook his head. “Fuck. Funny how different things are on the other side of the road, huh?”

  I shrugged. “I guess. I was intimidated. Big time. Especially walking into the room afterward where all of you guys were. You were kind to me. And you were the only familiar face in the room. I felt… I don’t know. I felt instantly at ease with you.”

  Max softened. I couldn’t explain it. His eyes softened, his lips softened, and he looked down at the table. “Thank you.”

  I downed the rest of my wine and popped up to my feet. “Come on, hot shot. Let’s go win you a damn panda. Because nobody puts Baby in a corner.”

  Max and his roaring laughter followed me across the boardwalk to the carnival games, where we began our steadfast search for the best and biggest stuffed panda we could find.

  Chapter 14

  Max

  Piper hadn’t been lying when she said she was freakishly good at carnival games.

  She swept every game we came across, whether it was dart throwing, balloon popping, ball hurling, ring tossing, or hammer smacking. After one particularly well-earned victory, she threw her arms in the air above her head and spun in a circle. The wine sent her a little off kilter, and she stumbled a couple of steps.

  I caught her elbow and steadied her.

  Piper swept her hair away from her rosy cheeks and laughed openly. “I should have warned you before we started that not only am I amazingly talented at this, but I’m also a really poor winner. I mean, I don’t have a humble bone in my body.”

  Being around Piper made it impossible not to smile. She made me feel like the literal sun was shining out of my ass and I was on cloud nine.

  “Humble winners are usually humble because they never win,” I said.

  Piper steadied herself with a hand on my shoulder. “Good point. Whew. Can we sit for a minut
e? I think all my victory endorphins are getting to my head.”

  I led her to a bench close by, and we faced the carousel about fifty feet away.

  Piper pointed across the pier at it. “When I reorient myself, we’re going on that.”

  She wouldn’t receive any arguments from me on that. I’d had my eye on the carousel all night. And I had one game plan of what we would do once we got on it.

  I’d been waiting for the perfect moment to kiss her.

  And this sure as hell felt like it might be it.

  It wasn’t going to get any more romantic than this.

  Piper let out a contented sigh beside me before slumping low on the bench and leaning to the side to rest her head on my shoulder. At first, I was unsure if it was an invitation for me to get close, too. So I stayed stone still, terrified that any movement might scare her off, like she was some sort of bird.

  Piper wrapped both her arms around mine and nuzzled in closer to my side. “Were you and Holly born here in California?”

  “No, actually. Oklahoma.”

  She lifted her cheek from my shoulder and smiled at me. “A country boy? I didn’t see that coming.”

  “It never felt like home.” It felt like a cage.

  “How long ago did you leave Oklahoma?”

  “As soon as I was able and fresh out of high school. I got a scholarship and came to LA to start school. Holly followed two years later after she graduated high school.” I chuckled softly as I recalled how different things used to be back then. “She didn’t have any money when she came to LA. Our parents wouldn’t let her have a job while she was in high school because they didn’t want it to distract her from her studies. Realistically, I think our father just wanted to make sure she was home and not out with boys. And close by to grab him a beer from the fridge when he told her to.”

  Piper’s thumb trailed a small circular pattern on my arm.

  “Sorry,” I said. “You don’t need to hear all the nitty-gritty bullshit that was growing up in a small town with small-minded parents.”