Max stepped into the shower and turned the water on as hot as he could stand it. He scrubbed at his skin, using the entire bottle of liquid soap. He ran the loofa over his shoulder and winced. Son of a bitch, that was tender. He’d been surprised at the speed and strength in which the angel had hit him. To learn he’d tangled with a Ronnin warrior had been less than stellar news.
Max hadn’t anticipated the swift retaliation, didn’t have time to dodge the blow. He rubbed his aching shoulder and slowly rotated it, testing the limited range of motion. “Damn, this hurts.”
He turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, cranking his head around to look in the mirror. A large red hand print glowed back at him, burned into his shoulder blade. “Son of a bitch!” he cursed, grabbing a towel off the rack and wrapping it around his hips. He left a trail of soggy footsteps behind as he marched into his bedroom and pulled on a fresh change of clothes.
Max ran his fingers through his hair as he jogged down the stairs. He grabbed his sunglasses and keys off the counter, stepped into a pair of combat boots, and walked out the door. His scowl deepened as the stench from the garbage bag assaulted him. A swarm of black flies hovered around the plastic, searching frantically for an opening at the tied knot. He walked over to the large oak tree in his yard and broke off a branch with the flick of his wrist. Using it to pick up the bag, he dropped it into the trash can at the end of his driveway.
He was running late. He still needed to stop at the bagel shop and get over to Olivia’s before she left for work. Hopefully the thoughtful gesture would show her what a kind and considerate boyfriend he was. He needed to score a few points with her after yesterday. Maybe I should read a book or something. A book on how to be the perfect boyfriend… Hell knows I need it.
Max pulled into the parking lot of the bagel shop and cursed under his breath. He edged the bike into a “no parking” area and strode into the store. The bell clanged overhead as he swung the door open and scowled impatiently at the long line of people waiting to order their morning coffee and bagel. He walked past the crowd like he owned the place, and cut into the empty place at the counter.
Max rested his hands on top of the glass case as he looked at the bagels, trying to remember which one was Olivia’s favorite.
“Good Morning. Welcome to Karen’s Bagels. What can I get you this morning?” asked the much too cheerful girl behind the counter.
He didn’t bother to look up at the girl. “I’ll take a twelve grain.”
She slid the glass case open, took out a twelve-grain bagel, and placed it in the bag. “Can I get you anything else?” Her light flirtatious voice caught Max’s attention.
“No, thank you.” He glanced up at the beautiful young woman, and flashed her a charming smile, never growing tired of the attention it attracted. What a shame he had to waste it all on Olivia. He could tap a lot of ass with these looks.
The female turned her back to him, shoved a napkin into the bag, and handed him the sack. “That’ll be $2.12.”
Max gave her a ten and winked at her, taking the bag. “Keep the change.” He strode out of the shop past a line of angry scowls, he couldn’t care less. Shoving the sack into his saddlebag, he sped out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell.
As he turned down Olivia’s street, he saw her come flying out of the house wearing a tank top and yoga pants. She was obviously running late for work, big surprise there. He watched her disappear around the driver’s side of the Jeep. Just as he pulled into her drive way, the SUV roared to life and began backing toward him.
Max stood there a moment wondering why they ever allowed women to drive. She must have seen his movement when he stepped out of the way because the Jeep ground to a screeching halt and she leapt out of the car a second later.
“What are you doing here? I almost hit you!”
He grabbed the sack from his saddlebag and handed it to her. “I brought you breakfast. I figured you wouldn’t have eaten yet cuz you’re always in too much of a hurry.” He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.
“Thanks, Max. That’s really sweet, but I gotta go. I’m going to be late for class.” She frowned regretfully as she returned his kiss. He could taste the mint from her toothpaste, smell the hint of Jasmine in her damp hair… Damn, he wanted her beneath him.
Max stepped back and took an appraising look at her standing there in her skin-tight yoga pants. Every shape, every beautiful curve perfectly outlined in spandex. “Maybe I should join yoga,” he teased, resisting the urge to pull her into his arms, but publically groping her probably wasn’t what a “good boyfriend” would do, and he didn’t want to lose his bagel points.
Olivia laughed. “Oh please, you and yoga?”
He gave her a flirtatious smile. “I’d only be going for the view. Oh well, maybe some other time. I’m headed out today anyway, gonna meet up with some friends to go riding.”
“Well, have fun, and be careful.” She kissed him one last time before climbing back into the Jeep.
Chapter Five
Olivia accelerated once she hit the main road, trying to make up some time. She turned too sharp into the parking lot, and her front tire rode up over the curb. The Jeep came to a jerking halt and she scrambled out, rushing inside with her bagel sack and gym bag in each hand.
“Hey, Clay,” she called to one of the trainers as she jogged past, turning into the aerobics room.
“Hey, Liv, running late again I see.”
“Shut up!” She poked her head back out of the door. “And don’t you tell Ronnie either, or he’ll have my ass.”
“I’d sure like to have some of that ass,” he murmured.
“What was that?” she asked innocently, pretending not to hear him.
“Nothing, I said your secret is safe with me.”
“That’s what I thought. Thanks, C. You’re the best!”
Olivia opened the closet door and flipped on the lights. She grabbed a handful of mats and walked backward, dragging them out. She let out a surprised yelp and spun around when her butt backed into something big and hard. “Clay! Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry. I didn’t even see you there. What are you doing?”
“My next appointment isn’t for another fifteen minutes.” He glanced up at the clock, walking into the closet and grabbing an armful of mats. “Where do you want these?”
She smiled thankfully. “Put them in a row of six long, four deep.”
“Geeze, that’s a pretty big class.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m glad it’s finally taking off. I was worried when I started this that no one would come.” The bell of the front door clanged. “I’ll get it. You just keep pulling mats.” Olivia’s bright smile fell as she walked out of the aerobics room and saw the two customers standing at the front counter. “Can I help you?” she asked with polite distain.
Liam gave her a dazzling smile and her heart unexpectedly skipped a beat. She scolded herself for letting this guy have any effect on her, especially after that asshole stunt he pulled at the bar last night. She’d forgotten to ask Max about his shoulder this morning. It probably still hurt like hell. She returned his smile with a pissed-off glare, just to be clear she hadn’t forgotten about last night.
“My friend Balen and I joined the membership here,” Liam explained, appearing oblivious to her ire. Maybe he was that dense, or maybe he just didn’t care. “We have an appointment with Clay to show us around.”
“Clay,” Olivia called, turning her back to him and walking away, “your eight o’clock is here.” She fought the urge to look back and steal another glance. It wasn’t like her to be rude, but after the way he attacked Max, she didn’t particularly feel obligated to give him the time of day.
Clay walked out, smiled warmly at the two, and extended his hand. “Welcome. My name’s Clay. I’ll be your fitness instructor. So, you guys look like you’re in pretty great shape. What are your goals?” He escorted Liam and Balen past the aerobics room.
“What’s going on in th
ere?” She heard Liam ask. When they stopped in front of the picture window, she tried to pretend they weren’t there, continuing with her warn-up stretches.
“Yoga,” Clay answered. “Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.”
“She’s beautiful,” Balen leaned over to Liam and whispered, but not quietly enough. So obviously Liam had talked about her to his friend.
They came back around an hour later, passing by the picture window again. Must be the end of the tour. She looked up to see Liam standing in front of the glass, watching her. Her eyes locked on his violet gaze and a rush of heat ran through her, head to toe. She couldn’t seem to look away, the intensity of his gaze kept her eyes glued to his. The longer she stared at him, the more he took her breath away.
The others walked on, leaving Liam standing there. A few seconds later, Balen stepped back into view and grabbed a hold of his sleeve, giving it a hard jerk, pulling him off balance. He stumbled once, and quickly recovered, but not before breaking her gaze.
Surprisingly, she felt disappointed when he walked away, and equally disturbed that he could affect her so strongly. A few groans of protest pulled her attention back to her class. “And…rest,” she said, as if it had been her intention to hold the position for so long. On that note, she ended the class a few minutes early. Her stomach was growling and that bagel sounded pretty good right about now.
Olivia sat down in the break room and pulled her bagel out of the sack. How sweet and thoughtful of Max to do this for her. He could really melt her heart sometimes. She pulled out the napkin, and her eyes immediately fell on bright blue ink.
Call me if you ever want to get together and have a good time!
Amanda 555-245-2542
Olivia’s stomach turned, her appetite instantly gone. She wadded the napkin up and threw it in the trash. On second thought, she picked up the napkin out of the garbage, shoved it back into the bag, and threw the bagel away.
***
“I’ll see ya in the locker room. I could use a shower.”
“Better make it a cold one,” Balen taunted under his breath.
Liam barely resisted the urge to jab his elbow into his friend’s ribs for a little payback. Instead, he excused himself, thanking Clay for his time, while Balen finished the paperwork. He was getting dressed when Balen walked in the locker room.
“You gonna go talk to her?” he asked, sliding into a pair of jeans.
“Not today, she’s still pretty pissed at me for hitting her boyfriend last night.”
“You think she really likes that piece of shit?” Balen asked doubtfully, pulling a short-sleeved polo over his head.
“Seems to…” Liam stuffed his sweats and t-shirt into his bag with unnecessary force and zipped it shut.
“You know he’s going to fight hard for her. I would.”
“Yeah, well, he’s not going to have her,” Liam growled, yanking open the locker room door. It swung out of his hand and crashed into the wall with a loud bang. He looked back and saw the door stuck open, the handle buried in the sheet rock.
“Nice…” Balen said sarcastically as he walked through the doorway.
Liam scowled, muttering a curse as he reached out and pulled the door closed. He glanced at the aerobics room one last time as they walked down the hall, disappointed to find it empty.
He looked back as they turned the corner to leave, and something small and fragile crashed into his chest. The scent of vanilla and jasmine immediately surrounded him. He reached out to steady the young woman before she fell backward, and was surprised to see Olivia staring up at him with a stricken look on her face. A wave of heat tore through his chest, setting the blood rushing through his veins on fire. His heart slammed inside his chest. He hadn’t meant to touch her. Holy shit, this was a mistake!
He’d startled her too. He could feel her emotions bouncing all over the place, but what he didn’t expect to see in those beautiful emerald green eyes, were tears.
“Are you all right?”
“Of course I’m all right.” She reached up and hastily brushed a tear off her cheek.
“Are you hurt?” His eyes roved over her, searching for any sign of injury—she looked fine. He still held onto her, his hands firmly gripping her shoulders. The physical contact made it difficult to think clearly, yet he couldn’t seem to let her go. His heartbeat drummed in his ears, or maybe it was hers—he couldn’t really tell for sure.
“I’m fine,” she said dismissively. “I just wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”
He struggled to keep the intensity out of his voice. “You’re upset.”
“That’s because you won’t let go of me!”
Abruptly, he released her and stepped back. “I’m sorry.”
“Well, you should be. I think I have whiplash,” she complained, reaching up to rub the back of her neck. “I feel like I just hit a brick wall.”
The corner of his lip twitched, he tried not to smile. “You’ll survive—trust me.” He brushed past her to catch up with Balen.
Olivia gasped, whether from surprise or indignation, he couldn’t be sure. But one thing was for certain, this encounter hadn’t gone any better than the last, and touching her had been a monumental error.
Chapter Six
It was early afternoon when Max pulled back into the parking lot of Karen’s Bagels. He parked in the back this time, out of the eyes of passing traffic, while he waited for that pretty little thing who’d been so helpful this morning. No more than fifteen minutes passed before the long-haired blonde with the hot pink highlights and a matching balled eyebrow ring came walking out the door. She waved good-bye to her friends, promising she’d see them tomorrow.
That’s what she thinks. Max tipped his sunglasses down, looking over the lenses as she walked by. “Hey,” he crooned. “You look like you’re in a hurry.”
The female spun around, and her surprised frown broke into a broad smile when she saw him sitting there, straddling his Harley. “Hey, twelve grain, right?”
“Max.”
“Amanda,” she said, introducing herself.
Whatever. “So, I uh, thought you might want to take a ride with me?” He gave her a seductive smile, one she couldn’t resist. It was too easy, really—hardly even fair, the naivety of these females. She hesitated only a moment before accepting his invitation—amazing, just another sucker for a handsome face.
“Sure.”
If he had a conscious, her trusting smile would have convicted his black heart, and he might have let the female go. Lucky for him, and unfortunate for her, he didn’t. She walked over to him, put her hands on his shoulders, and swung her leg over the back of the bike.
“Where are we going?” she asked as they sped out of the parking lot.
“You’ll have to just wait and see. But I promise you’re going to have a great time.”
Thirty miles down the long stretch of highway, Max began to sense his passenger’s increasing apprehension. They’d been driving for over a half-hour, and unfortunately, that gave her thirty minutes to think about how stupid it was to just hop on the back of some stranger’s bike and taking off to who knew where. The trails were just up ahead, it wouldn’t be much farther now.
“We’re almost there,” he told her, a reassuring gesture to calm her nerves. “Trust me, you’re going to love the view up here.”
They pulled into the park a few minutes later. He parked the bike near the entrance of the hiking trails. “There’s some pretty sweet trails up here, want to walk with me?” His disarming smile visibly eased her tension. He held out his hand, an invitation she could hardly refuse.
She glanced up at him, smiled back, and took his hand. He made small talk with the girl in attempt to keep her distracted as they walked up the ridge. She was easy on the eyes, but not too incredibly bright. It was moments like this that he considered the possibility of Darwin’s Theory. Maybe the old geezer had something after all, survival of the fittest and all that crap. Well, he was
weeding out the dumb cuz this girl had about as much survival instinct as a toad. Who takes off with a guy they don’t even know?—come on. Did she honestly think, even for a moment, that this was going to end well?
Max led her into a clearing about a half-mile up the trail. They hadn’t passed anyone along the way—a good sign—no one to hear her scream. “Have a seat,” he offered, sitting down on a fallen log and patting the place beside him. He leaned back and reached into his front pocket, pulling out a baggie. Amanda sat down beside him. She looked a little nervous. Maybe common sense was finally needling at her.
“You smoke?” he asked, glancing over at her as he sprinkled some weed into a paper and rolled it up.
“Sometimes.” She looked a little surprised when he held the joint up to his lips and slowly licked the edge of the paper, sealing it closed. He gently twisted the ends and handed her the joint and lighter.
“Ladies first.”
She smiled and hesitantly took it from him. Lighting the tip, she drew in a long slow drag. She tipped her head back, exhaled just as slowly, and handed it back to him. He held his hand up to stop her. “You go ahead.”
Amanda took a few more drags. He could tell the moment the dizzying euphoria hit her. Her posture relaxed and her pupils began to dilate. “Hey, this is good shit. What is it?”
“Just something a buddy gave me,” he replied offhandedly.
By now, the girl looked effectively baked. He leaned over and pulled the joint from her hand. “Hey,” she protested, reaching for Max’s arm, trying to get it back.
The Redemption Series Page 4
