Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Zoe
I walk into Lily and Ethan’s penthouse for what seems like the millionth time this week. My sister rushes over to greet me, enveloping me in a lavender-scented hug. “Yay, I knew you would make it.”
She makes it sound as if I had a choice. Her text was very demanding, and if I didn’t come, she’d have one of Ethan’s agents drag me out of our parents’ house. How is that optional? I blame Max and his busy schedule for this. He’s not available, therefore I have nothing to do and my sister thinks I’m a loser who needs saving.
I force a smile, hoping it passes as genuine and not the kind of smile you give when you’re trying not to step on a Lego. “Of course, Lil. You know I always love coming to visit.”
She smiles, thinking I’m actually being genuine.
That’s one of the things I learned during my debate team years, to school my face and make sure everyone believes my lies. I have the best poker face; such a shame that I’m a terrible player, though.
“You’re coming to brunch tomorrow, right?” she suddenly asks.
“I wish I could, but I agreed to go to the farmer’s market with Mom,” I lie, because if everything goes well, Max is going to be free tomorrow and we will . . . I don’t know what we’re doing. It’s a Saturday so he might come up with some crazy idea, like bungee jumping or getting a tattoo.Anything is better than this.
Listen, it’s not that I don’t enjoy seeing my sister—I do. But ever since the breakup with Tom left me friendless, these get-togethers have started to feel like I’m invading her privacy.
Lily and Ethan just got married, and instead of being in their so-called ‘honeymoon period,’ they have to deal with me. I think it’d be best if I disappeared from their sight for a few weeks, but knowing my sister, she won’t let that happen. She claims it’s the least she could do for me since I’m always there for her. But I’m here for her because I love her and she’s my little sister. I have to look out for her .
I follow Lily into the expansive living room, my eyes skimming over the familiar faces gathered there—Ethan, Caleb, and his new date who will probably disappear by the end of the weekend. And then my gaze snags on him. Max McCallister. I frown. What happened to “let’s avoid being in the same place?”
He hates that I ignore him, but I really don’t want people to make a big deal of our arrangement. We’re friends with benefits . . . great benefits even. Not that we’ve done much since that night at his penthouse. Lately it feels like all we do is text each other just to make sure the other is alive.
“Hello, everyone,” I say, greeting them and staying as far from Max as possible.
“Zoe.” Max inclines his head in greeting, one corner of his mouth ticking up in that infuriatingly sexy smirk. Oh no, he’s going to be teasing the fuck out of me. I can feel it in my bones. “I had no idea you’d be joining us for game night. Ready to lose again?”
My mouth opens slightly, seriously? He didn’t know? We texted about it, he agreed to . . . I can’t remember what he agreed to though. Behave, not tease me or . . . He’s going to ignore our agreement, isn’t he? In exchange I’ll give him the blow job of a lifetime—whatever that is.
I shoot him my fakest smile. “I’m a glutton for misery and all that.”
“I would’ve never guessed it,” he says casually.
“I was thinking we should start with Pictionary,” Lily says, and I suppose that’s my cue not to say anything back to Max .
I plaster on a smile, hoping it looks more enthusiastic than it feels. Inside, I’m cringing. Pictionary? Really? My eyes dart to Max, and I catch a flicker of the same sentiment in his expression. We shouldn’t be here. Maybe if he hadn’t had a last-minute emergency yesterday we could’ve . . . I don’t know what we were planning on doing today but this wasn’t it.
“Sounds great,” I say, my voice a tad too bright. Max’s eyes meet mine, and there’s a moment of silent commiseration before his usual smirk reappears.
“Want anything to drink, Zoe?” Ethan asks from the bar as he pours Macallan into some tumblers.
“Cosmo, water . . . poison,” I mumble the last word under my breath. As I said, I love my sister, but I think being here is a bad idea.
“You like tequila,” Ethan says. “I’ll make you a blackberry paloma—we learned that from our mixology class last week.”
“We did,” my sister says, smirking and flirting with her husband. Somehow, I think something happened during the class or after. These two are disgustingly in love—and keep fucking like rabbits anywhere they go. I wouldn’t be surprised if she tells me that they did it in the janitor’s closet or somewhere in the middle of the class.
I’m not shaming her, only a little jealous that she has someone who loves her so much, he can’t seem to keep his hands to himself.
“The grapefruit soda has high-fructose corn syrup,” Max says, sounding casually. “Isn’t that like, bad for you, Zoe?”
Thanks to him, I go from a fun drink to a just plain glass of water. I glare at him, but he shrugs with a smugness that makes me want to throw him from the balcony.
“There’s food on the table,” Ethan deflects the conversation. “Pizza—gluten free—and some finger food we picked up at the store.”
“Thank you,” I mumble, but my voice gets lost as Lily begins to explain the rules of Pictionary.
I choose not to pay attention since everyone knows what Pictionary is and head for some pizza. When I’m back in my seat, I notice Max’s intense gaze boring into me from across the room, and the sinking realization that getting through another night here while maintaining my sanity is going to be an uphill battle. But I’ll grit my teeth and bear it.
Ethan clears his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “Actually, I was thinking we could mix things up and play Charades instead. What do you all say? Not everyone is an artist like you, babe. Max can barely draw a stick figure.”
Max mouths something I can only guess is the word asshole, but there are murmurs of agreement from around the room. I’m okay with it until I get paired with none other than Max. Great.
Max shifts, drawing my gaze like a magnet. He’s grinning at me. “Well, at least this time you’ll win,” he says. The jerk.
I meet his stare head-on, determined not to let him see how much he affects me. “Lucky me,” I deadpan.
It’s just a game. I can handle being Max’s partner for a few rounds of Charades where I have to guess a movie. Movies are my jam. How hard can it be?
But as he makes his way over to stand beside me, his arm brushing against mine and sending sparks skittering across my skin, I’m not so sure. Can we just head to a room and . . . Nope. We can’t do anything other than try to get through the night. Ugh. It’s going to be a long night.
The first round begins, and Max steps up to draw a card from the pile. He reads it, his brow furrowing slightly, then turns to me. “Ready?”
I nod, steeling myself. “As I’ll ever be.”
Max starts acting out the clue. He pounds his chest dramatically and makes exaggerated swinging motions. I try to focus, to guess the answer, but my mind keeps wandering to the way his shirt stretches across his broad shoulders, the flex of his biceps as he gestures.
“Thirty seconds left,” Lily calls out, pulling me out of my head.
“Uh, a monkey?” I blurt out, grasping at straws.
Max pauses, shaking his head. He mimes something else, more exaggerated this time.
“King Kong?” I guess again, growing frustrated.
The buzzer sounds, and Lily announces, “Time’s up!”
Max drops his arms, sighing. “It was Tarzan. Come on, Zoe.” He thumps his chest again. “See, me Tarzan, you Jane. It’s so simple.”
I bristle at his jab. “Well, maybe if your acting skills were better, I would’ve gotten it.”
“Or maybe if you weren’t so distracted checking me out, you could’ve focused on the game,” he shoots back, smirking.
I gawk at him. “Checking you out? You’re so arrogant. I was trying to figure out”—I gesture toward him and then swing my arms like he did—“what you were trying to do.”
Max leans in closer, his smirk widening. “Sure, you were. Just confess that you find me hot and we can move on with our lives, Zo.”
I open my mouth to retort, but Ethan steps in, raising his hands. “Alright, alright, let’s keep it civil. It’s just a game, remember?”
I roll my eyes but bite back my next comment.
I draw a card, my eyes scanning the clue. Great. I have to act out “Romeo and Juliet.” With Max guessing. The universe clearly hates me.
I take a deep breath and start miming, trying to convey star-crossed lovers. I place a hand on my heart dramatically, then mime drinking poison and collapsing to the ground.
Max just stares at me blankly, his eyes narrowed. “Uh, two people fighting?” he guesses.
I shake my head, trying again. I clasp my hands to my heart, then pretend to drink poison again, adding a tragic expression for emphasis.
“Suicide?” Max asks, raising an eyebrow. “Snow White?”
“Time’s up,” Lily announces, barely suppressing a laugh.
I drop my hands, glaring at him. “Romeo and Juliet, you idiot. The most famous love story of all time? ”
Max scoffs. “More like the most overrated tragedy. And I’m the idiot? You’re the one who thought Tarzan was King Kong.”
We stare each other down, the tension crackling between us. I’m acutely aware of everyone else watching, of Lily’s barely suppressed laughter, but I can’t seem to break away from Max’s intense gaze.
It’s going to be a miracle if we make it through this game without killing each other . . . or giving in to this maddening attraction. I just need his mouth, nothing else.
The game proceeds, each round more excruciating than the last. Every time it’s our turn, Max and I bicker, our competitiveness overriding any attempt at civility.
“A horse,” I yell, watching Max gallop around the room.
“It’s cowboy,” he shouts back. “The movie is The Cowboys—with John Wayne.”
We groan in unison, glaring at each other.
Lily giggles, leaning against Ethan. “You two are honestly the worst team I’ve ever seen.”
“It’s not my fault your sister is impossible to work with,” Max grumbles.
I bristle, my cheeks flushing. “Me? You’re the one who can’t act to save his life.”
We’re standing now, facing off like rival boxers in a ring. I can feel the heat radiating off Max’s body, see the fire in his eyes. It’s infuriating . . . and intoxicating.
“Okay, okay,” Ethan intervenes, placing a hand on Max’s shoulder. “Let’s take a break, yeah? Before you two burn the place down with all that tension.”
Max and I look away from each other, both slightly abashed. As everyone else heads to the kitchen for snacks, I slump back onto the couch, my heart racing.
This is going to be the longest night of my life. Stuck here, with Max, pretending we want to rip each other’s heads off, instead rip each other’s clothes off.
I’m not sure which is worse, but I wouldn’t mind getting some sex out of this deal. Oral has been great, but the last time I had a guy inside me . . . Well, it’s been long and after everything we’ve done, I need it.
Need.
It.