3. Chapter 3
Chapter three
D anusia adjusted the hand towel on the rack after wiping down her brother’s marble countertops.
She’d insisted on cleaning the kitchen on her own, telling Max that it was only fair since he’d cooked. He’d looked like he was about to argue and she’d given him the look, the one she used on her big brothers and sister when she was absolutely adamant about getting her way.
Max took the hint and left.
Thank goodness for small favors. She couldn’t believe she’d set herself up for disappointment like that. He’d been right about one thing; she’d let her imagination run away with her.
Oh, not about her sibs, but about the connection she’d thought she’d made with Max. He might find her sexy; he didn’t have a reason to lie about it anyway. But they weren’t friends and even if they had sex, they weren’t about to become lovers.
Men like him did not have full-on relationships with women like her. The fact was she knew most people didn’t want to. No matter how hard she tried to fit in, her intelligence made most people give her a wide berth. It was hard to make friends, even in the academic community. She was lucky her roommate had stuck with her through college. Even though Rebekah was four years older than Danusia, she’d never let that get in the way of being the younger woman’s friend.
Rebekah was the only person in Danusia’s life that didn’t push her away, or treat her like she was different, or a freak. In fact, she treated Danusia more like a little sister than her own siblings. The main reason for not going to Rebekah when Danusia realized she didn’t want to stay in the apartment alone had been her fear of finally wearing out her welcome with the other woman.
So, she’d come to what she’d believed to be Roman’s empty apartment and ended up sharing with Max. The one man who she found more interesting than even her doctoral thesis.
Max was no more interested in being real with Danusia than her brothers and sister. So, what? She was used to being lied to and kept at a distance, wasn’t she?
If they weren’t smothering her with protectiveness, her family kept her as far away as possible. Even her parents and baba had insisted she attend a university too far away from them for her to live at home.
For her own benefit of course, the physics and chemistry departments were second to none. Thank God, she’d been placed in a room with Rebekah her first semester. Homesick and terrified by the campus living, Danusia had glommed onto a kind and extremely patient Rebekah, who helped the younger girl navigate her strange new world.
Rebekah had steered Danusia toward the lab when she was feeling out of place and taught her that no matter her age, sex, or circumstance, this was somewhere she would always belong.
So, Max wasn’t going to be her boyfriend? That wasn’t some big surprise, was it? And it didn’t mean Danusia had to abandon all the plans she’d been making since showing up in Roman’s apartment and discovering it wasn’t as empty as she’d expected it to be .
She’d never had good sex, much less any in the amazing category. She just knew Max would be amazing. Even if she wasn’t all that great at it. She could learn and a man like him, he could teach her.
She was tired of fantasies and loneliness. She didn’t know how long she had in the apartment with Max, but she was going to take advantage of whatever time she did have.
With that in mind, she went looking for her brother’s liquor supply. Not that he’d ever offered her a drink, though she’d been of legal age for more than three years now. Everyone in the family except her mom and baba treated Danusia like she was still a teenager. Mom and Baba? Wanted her married.
A harsh laugh sounded. Right.
She was better off married to her studies and, one day, to her own research.
She found Roman’s alcohol supply in a cabinet in the living room. She supposed it was considered a mini-bar, but all she knew was that he had a truly impressive array of alcohol from all over the world.
Even some good, old fashioned, Ukrainian potato vodka, distilled and bottled by an official distillery even. She was sure there was a bottle of her papa’s efforts in there somewhere too, but that was too special to drink on a whim. Or without permission. She pulled the vodka with the black label out of the cabinet and poured a finger each in two high ball glasses.
"Indulging in a nightcap, professor?" Max asked from behind her.
She hadn’t heard him come in, but this just meant she didn’t have to go looking for him. Turning, with a glass in each hand, she extended one toward him. "Join me."
"I don’t know if that’s such a good idea." He eyed the drink like a snake set to strike.
Interesting. What did he have to be wary about ?
"Sure it is. How can you turn down vodka distilled in Ukraine?"
"Do you swear in Ukrainian like your brother?" he asked instead of answering.
"Sometimes." Worried, she asked. "Do you not drink? Should I have not offered this to you?"
"I can hold my liquor just fine, but every soldier knows better than to drink when they need to keep their head."
"Why do you need to keep your head?" Was he planning on going out?
"I’ve got five good reasons."
"Care to share them."
"Not really."
She looked at her drink, then back to him, trying to understand his reticence, but respecting it. It might be time to go to Plan B, getting herself tipsy enough she wouldn’t care if he was slightly lubricated or not.
Then without warning, Max took the glass and slammed it back like a shot. He held his breath for a second and then let it out slowly. "Those Ukrainian moonshiners know their stuff."
She giggled. Which she never did, and she hadn’t even had a drink yet, but she followed his example, swallowing against the burn of the strong distilled alcohol. "Papa says his grandfather made some of the best potato vodka in the world. Good for your liver."
Max gave that ultra sexy laugh again. "Right. Does your father distill his own?"
"I’ll never tell."
"You can tell me, I’ll keep your secrets." He gave her a serious look, like he was making a promise.
But she wasn’t going to read anything into the words. She was done wearing those fantasy inspired rose-colored glasses .
She took his glass and turned back to the cabinet. "Like another?"
"I think one is enough. For both of us."
"You do what you like, but I’m having another. If you don’t mind being out drunk by five-feet-six-inches of academia, that’s on you."
She poured again, this time two fingers of the clear liquid into her glass and then slammed it back.
Max made a sound that was suspiciously close to a growl and then he grabbed the bottle and poured his own double shot.
He grinned wildly at her. "Here’s to Ukrainian brainiacs and Marine grunts."
She didn’t call him on the fact that he admitted to being a Marine and her brother was supposedly Army and yet they worked together. She simply nodded and gave him her own crazy smile, the alcohol already hitting her.
He shook his head after. "If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to get me drunk to have your way with me."
Smart man. "Is it working?"
"Doesn’t matter."
"You don’t think?"
"No matter how much I want you, or how drunk you get me, I’ve got enough control to stop myself screwing my friend’s baby sister."
She didn’t lie and say Roman wouldn’t care. They both knew he would. He wanted her settled down with another brainiac, off in a lab somewhere where she wouldn’t worry her family, hence the blind dates from hell.
He didn’t want her to get more embroiled in his life, through his associates , or any other way. "Don’t worry…I won’t share your secrets," she said, repeating Max’s words.
He shook his head. "Not going to happen. "
"That’s what I said. You don’t have to worry about me telling tales." She wasn’t a blabbermouth.
"We’re not having sex." Well, that was blunt.
But she could be blunt too. "You want me."
" Yes ." That single word held a wealth of meaning.
He really wanted her, like seriously, really. Of course, the growing, and quite impressive, bulge in his jeans said so even more than his affirmative.
"I’m right here." She pulled her t-shirt over her head and dropped it on the floor. Blunt was good. Action was better.
He made a strangled sound in his throat and stepped back. "Ain’t going to happen." But his eyes ate her up.
And that was so hot, she couldn’t help posing a little. She might have felt stupid but for the alcohol and the way he watched her, like he was a sailor on leave and she was the first woman he’d seen after getting off the ship. No, even hotter…so hot, her skin burned.
Her jeans came off almost as easily as her top. She stepped out of them. "Really?"
She thought maybe it was going to happen. Max’s body for sure wanted it, no matter what his mouth said. She stretched and did a little turn. "All yours for the night."
" Shit. Piss. Damn . You shouldn’t have done that." He spun away and practically sprinted for the guest bedroom.
"Where are you going?" she demanded, even the warmth from the alcohol not equal to the chill of his blatant rejection.
"Bed, where you should go too…in the other room, not mine." He was babbling and it would be cute except for what he was saying. "Goodnight, Danusia," he called over his shoulder as he disappeared do wn the hall.
Danusia stared down at her nearly naked body. Okay, she wasn’t a nearly six foot tall supermodel like her sister, Elle, but she wasn’t horrific either. And they hadn’t done anything yet, so he couldn’t know she wasn’t a perfect sex kitten between the sheets.
Oh, she’d be happy to try, but no amount of reading made up for practical experience and hers had been pretty dismal.
Her alcohol muddled mind couldn’t decide what she’d done that had sent Max running. He’d said he wanted her. His body had shown it. Oh, how it had shown it.
But he’d also said he had five reasons. Five reasons for not having sex with her .
She needed to find out what those were.
Because she wasn’t about to give up on the first man that could hold her attention when there was new data to decipher.