The next morning, we had breakfast in his dining room, chowing down on cereal and pancakes. I’d been surprised when Max had made the coffee and pancakes himself. I would have bet he had a housekeeper or maid, but he said he only had a housekeeper that came in every other week. After having been in the Army, he said he had no need of anyone to take care of him.
It had been fascinating watching him move around the kitchen. He knew where everything was, and the pancakes he’d whipped up had been absolutely delicious. I’d gone back to my room and showered, and as I’d put on a dress and some strappy heels, I remembered that I’d forgotten to tell him that Sandy had called the night before. I didn’t really want to talk about her, but I knew it was rude to not give him the message. I left my room and hurried down the corridor to give him the message.
I could hear music playing in his room, and I paused to listen. It only took me a few seconds to realize that this was wasn’t a stereo playing music. It was Max singing and playing his guitar. I opened the door slowly and walked in carefully so as not to disturb him. He was sitting on a gray couch on the far side of the room and his eyes were closed as he strummed. The song sounded familiar to me and my heart started thudding as I realized he was playing “Hallelujah.”
He sounded just like Jeff Buckley as he sang and I couldn’t believe how soulful his voice sounded. As I stared at him, I couldn’t help but think of Brandon. Brandon and I had loved this song. We’d loved it almost more than life itself. This was Brandon’s song.
Don’t go there, Charlotte, a voice whispered in my head. Stop. You cannot live in the past. No more.
“Do you know any other songs?” I spoke up before I could stop myself. Max’s eyes flew open and he looked up at me in surprise.
“I didn’t hear you coming in.” He stopped playing and put the guitar down. “What are you doing?” He looked me over and I walked over to him, loving the way his eyes took me in. “Nice dress. Pantyless?” He grinned as he tilted his head to the side as if it were an important internal debate he was trying to figure out the answer to.
“I have panties on. No easy access today.” I did a little twirl before heading over to him. “I had a message for you. I wanted to give it to you last night, but uh, other things happened.”
“Oh, what’s the message?” He looked at me curiously.
“Sandy called that she wouldn’t make it last night,” I said and stopped right in front of him. “So I guess she’s not over the rumors she heard about me.” I stared at him poignantly, hoping he would give me more information about his relationship with her.
“What rumors did she hear about you?” His hands snaked around my waist. “What do you think you know?”
“I’m wondering if she was the woman you were sleeping with that heard the rumor that we were engaged?” My hands slid up his black T-shirt to touch his chest. His skin felt warm to the touch, and I ran my fingers up to graze his nipples. He reacted swiftly by pulling me into him, and I gasped as I felt his fingers on my ass. Before I knew what was happening, he was picking me up and carrying me over to the bed and dropping me onto the mattress. He got onto the bed next to me and I felt his lips on mine.
“Or is she another woman?”
“She’s another woman,” he said as his hands slipped between my legs and moved up my thigh. His sharp intake of breath made me laugh as he groaned. “You lied. You’re not wearing panties.”
“Oops, I must have forgotten to put them on.”
“You didn’t forget.” He chuckled as he touched me lightly. “Fuck, I’m so hard.” He groaned and then kissed me hard for a few seconds. “But we don’t have time right now.”
“What?” I asked disappointed. “Why not?”
“We’re going out.”
“Where are we going?” I asked him, feeling frustrated as I sat up on the bed. I watched as he pulled his T-shirt off and pulled a crisp white shirt on. “Do you have to work? Do I need to wear something a bit more professional?”
“No, you look fine. You look beautiful.” He smiled. “I have a shareholders meeting today. I kind of can’t miss it.” He laughed. “As the CEO, they expect me to be there.”
“Oh, ha ha, true.” I blushed. “Do they expect me to be there as well?”
“No, but I want you there,” he replied. “We’ll have some fun.” His eyes lit up as he surveyed me. “Maybe even a lot of fun.”
“What does that mean?”
“I think you know.”
“Max! It’s your office, and it’s a shareholders meeting. We can’t get up to hanky panky.”
“Hanky panky?” He laughed. “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
“Max.”
“What? I own the company. We can do what we want.” He licked his lips. “It will be fun.”
“Is this part of my job description?” I stood up and walked over to him.
“Of course not.” He cracked a smile. “Unless, of course, you think it should be.”
“Well, if you’re telling me that I’ll get fired unless we embark on some crazy sex at your office, who am I to say no?” I grinned at him and he pulled me into him and kissed me.
“You’re a naughty girl, Char bear,” he said as he rubbed my back
I froze. Had he called me Char bear?
“Everything okay?” He looked at me with a worried expression. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
“No, I’m okay. Your nickname threw me a bit.” I ran my hands through my hair. “Someone I knew used to call me that.” I immediately felt guilty for calling Brandon someone I knew. He was so much more than that. But if I mentioned his name, if I said who he was to me, then I’d have to say more and I couldn’t. I didn’t want to.
“Oh, sorry,” Max said and he held me tight and kissed my forehead. He finally let me go and then he looked at his watch. “I need to shave real quick. Meet me by the front door in ten minutes?”
“Sure.” I made my way to the door of his bedroom. “Oh, and by the way, I think I will let you give me a guitar lesson at some point. I didn’t realize you were so talented.”
“I’m self-taught.” He looked shy as he stared at me. “I learned when I was overseas.”
“Oh?”
“On base.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, I used to learn chords for songs the guys wanted to sing. My best friend encouraged me, actually.” His eyes looked far away. “Whenever I ran out of ideas of songs to play, he would give me a long list of songs to learn.”
“Oh, this was the friend who was like family to you?”
“Yeah, he was.” He nodded. “He was the best friend I ever had. We used to call each other brothers.”
“That’s sweet. I’m glad you guys had each other.” I nodded. “I know it’s lonely out there. My . . . well, someone I know, he loved getting letters from me.” I looked away for a few seconds thinking. “I used to send him letters and care packages and cookies every couple of weeks.” I bit down on my lower lip. “I didn’t hear back from him that frequently, but I still sent them. I wanted him to know I was thinking of him.”
“He must have been someone special to you.” Max walked toward me. “Where is he now?”
“Back in Florida.” My heart lurched as my words trembled. “Sorry, let me go and get ready. I’ll meet you in the front in ten,” I said and then I hurried toward my bedroom, tears threatening to fall. Why was it still so hard? Why did it still feel like yesterday? Memories came crashing down on me as I entered the bedroom.
“I’ll always be your first love, Charlotte,” Brandon had said as he’d spun me around the room. “No guy will ever match up to me, and that’s okay. Because I’ll be here to take out anyone that ever hurts you.” We’d both started laughing then because I’d stepped on his toes for the umpteenth time trying to learn how to waltz.
“No one waltzes at their high school prom, Brandon. I’ll be fine.” I’d said, and he’d just made a face.
Then there was the time he’d taken me to Disney World, and we’d been short twenty dollars on the entrance fee to get both of us tickets. Who knew Disney cost so much money? We’d ended up going to SeaWorld instead and he’d bought me a stuffed dolphin to commemorate the day. I still had that dolphin in my parents’ house. In my bedroom. It sat on the middle of my bed. Still. I knew they hadn’t changed anything in my room. They hadn’t changed anything in the house. Memories flooded the walls like rain that had never seeped away.
And then . . . then there was the day he’d told me he’d enlisted. “They’ll give me money for college, Char bear,” he’d said. “I only have to go for four years. That’s nothing.” I hadn’t liked it, of course. I hadn’t wanted him to leave me. But I knew I was being unfair, but he hadn’t consulted me at all. And that had hurt. “You’re young, Charlotte, this isn’t a decision for you to make.”
I’d cried. I hadn’t spoken to him for two weeks. It had been torture. I was being selfish. I had a scholarship to Columbia, and my parents were going to help me with any fees my loans wouldn’t pay for. It had seemed like the best solution all around.
“I’ll miss you so much.”
I hadn’t wanted to let go of him the morning he left for BCT. “Don’t go!” I’d cried, but, of course, he’d had to go. He’d signed a contract. And he’d been excited. With his fresh buzzed crew cut. He’d looked older and more mature for some reason. And my heart had broken into a thousand pieces.
“I love you, Char bear.” He’d blown me a kiss as he’d gotten into the car and driven away. It had felt like my life was ending in that moment. Only later did I find out how much worse that feeling could be.
And then he’d completed training and he’d come back home on a short visit. He’d looked thinner, more muscular, but happy. He’d been making friends. And he felt a camaraderie with his squad. He also really liked his sergeant, a man that had been from Pensacola and also loved country music. I’d been happy for him, glad he was finding a purpose in his life that he hadn’t before. I bought military history books and we discussed previous wars; we played Battleship, we lay under the stars and looked at the moon and talked. We did all those things you do with someone you love spending time with.
And then came the call that he was going to be stationed in Afghanistan. He couldn’t tell me exactly where. But there was an address I could write to that would make sure he got whatever packages and letters I sent. I didn’t want him to go. I’d begged him not to go. Afghanistan. Just the name sent chills down my spine.
“It’s not a tourist destination, that’s for sure.” He’d laughed and pulled me into a hug. “So don’t worry. I don’t expect you to visit.” I hadn’t laughed back. It wasn’t funny. Him being in the army was so much more real to me now. I was proud of him—of course, I was proud. He was a watchdog for my safety, for the entire country’s safety. He was a fighter, a hero, a selfless gentleman in a sea of rogues. And I’d written him weekly. Sent him packages monthly. And I’d prayed for him every night.
Every single night.
Knock knock.
“Hey, Charlotte?” Max opened my bedroom door and walked in. “You okay? I’ve been waiting for you for the last fifteen minutes by the front door.”
“Oh yeah, yeah, sorry.” I rubbed my forehead. “I was thinking about something and lost track of time.” I grabbed my handbag up and took a deep breath before turning to him. “Let’s go.”
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Subject: When?
Dear Charlotte,
All I can think about is you riding me in front of this crowd of snoozers. You wouldn’t believe how hard I am right now.
Max
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Subject: Not right now
Dear Mr. Hard,
There must be over two hundred people in this conference room. I won’t be riding you anytime soon. Sorry.
Charlotte “Wet Panties” Johnson
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Subject: Hard Cockadoodle doo
Dear Ms. Wet Panties,
I know that is a lie as I know you have no panties on right now. I want to lick up your juices.
Max “Thirsty” Parker
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Subject: Sorry not sorry
Dear Thirsty Boy,
I’m afraid to say I put panties on in the bedroom. What do you think, I’m sort of boardroom whore?
Charlotte “Good girl” Johnson
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Subject: Liar
Dear Leg Twitcher,
Do you need me to call a doctor? I can feel your legs twitching as I verify for myself that you have no panties on. Stop giving me dirty looks or the board and shareholders might wonder what’s going on. Aren’t you glad you wore a dress now? And that these tables offer us so much privacy?
Max “Wet Fingers” Parker
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Subject: Stop
Max!
Stop it right now. If I throw my head back and start moaning, you will make both of us look like idiots.
Charlotte
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Subject: Come for me
Dear Tight Pussy,
Come for me. I can feel that you want to. You’re so bloody wet. I apologize in advance if I have to wipe my fingers on your dress.
Max “my zipper is undone” Parker
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Subject: Hungry?
Dear Do you really expect me to cop a feel,
I cannot believe you just sucked on your fingers. In a meeting. What are you thinking? And how could you exclaim, “yummy”? People are going to know what’s going on!
Charlotte “Not grabbing your cock” Johnson
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Subject: Lap
Dear Ms. Still Wet,
I want you on my lap right now. Look down and you’ll see my cock. Very hard. And very willing and ready. Sit that plump ass on my lap and ride me.
Max “About to bust a nut” Parker
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Subject: Keep Dreaming
You do know that that could be cause for arrest? Are you out of your mind? Put your cock back in your pants. Omg, are you jacking off? Max!!
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Subject: Touching not jacking
Dear Prim as a Rose Charlotte Johnson,
A couple of strokes is not jacking off. You should know that. But thank you for helping out with the situation. I’m about to drop a pen. Get ready.
Max “My tongue will make you come” Parker
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Subject: sgdggfgdfre
Max,
Stop. jbasgufidfre. Huefcihuv. OMG!
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Subject: Quieter Please
Charlotte,
I know I’ve made women lose their minds before. I didn’t know I could make them lose their ability to spell. I’m going to guess that your last email said, Max, omg, your tongue feels so good, omg, lick my clit harder, fuck me with your tongue, don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop. :)
Good job on keeping quiet when you came, though you didn’t have to squeeze your thighs quite so hard around my head.
Max “I can make women come under a table” Parker
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Subject: The woman on the right
Max,
The woman all the way on the right keeps giving me dirty looks. I think she knows what’s going on.
Charlotte “I cannot look at anyone in the eye” Johnson
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Subject: Jealous
Dear Charlotte “tastes like honey” Johnson,
She’s just jealous. Why did you just drop a pen? You wouldn’t??
Oh shit, but you would.
Max “nine-inch” Parker
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Subject: You don’t taste like honey
Dear Max “eight inches at most” Parker,
Did I hear you groaning just now when I had you in my mouth? You do know you were fucking my mouth and not my pussy, right? Though I suppose my head skills are just as good as sex. I didn’t expect you to come quite so hard and fast though. Your cum is salty. Nothing like honey. And you got a bit on my dress. Hopefully, no one notices. When is the first break? I’m bored.
Charlotte “Deep Throat” Johnson
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Subject: Deep Throat
Dear Charlotte “You’ve had nine and a half inches in your mouth” Johnson,
We’re in luck. The lights will be going out for a presentation in about fifteen minutes and we will be changing rooms. I say we’re both in need of another release. You’re going to need to sit on my lap, though. Play the doting fiancée and just pretend to be excited. I’ll take care of the rest.
Max “I’m ready to come again” Parker
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Subject: Presentation
Dear Max Parker CEO,
Shouldn’t you be paying attention to the presentation when it happens? Also, I can play the doting fiancée role well; I used to be an actress. Or rather, I always had dreams of being an actress.
Charlotte “I’m surprised your huge cock fits in my pussy” Johnson
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Subject: I’m surprised it fit in your mouth
Dear Concerned fiancée,
The presentation is something boring my execs put together to impress the board. I don’t need to hear about my life again. I lived it. I know it. Also, I’m glad you recognize that my cock is huge. It’s ready and waiting to come out to play again.
Max “Follow me out of this room” Parker
To: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
From: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
Subject: This is so awkward
Dear Mr. I have a movie made about my life,
I feel so awkward sitting on your lap when everyone around is in their own seats.
Charlotte
To: ArtyCharlotteJohnson@Gmail.com
From: MaxParkerCEO@Parkercorporation.com
Subject: Your ass feels divine
Dear Ms. “I’m about to fuck you hard” Johnson,
We’re sitting in the back row. It’s dark. Just enjoy what’s about to happen.
Max
P.S. Try not to scream too loudly.
I could feel Max’s arms around my waist as we sat at the back of the large theater. He was cupping my breasts through my dress and moving me back on his lap so that I could feel his hardness underneath my ass. There were two men at the front of the room talking about Max and what a good CEO he was, but I found it hard to concentrate as I felt his hands slip under my skirt and move to the center of my thighs. His fingers traced lines along my skin and I could hear him breathing in my ear.
“I’m going to fuck you so hard,” he whispered as he unzipped his pants and let his cock out. I could feel it between my legs now, hard and erect waiting to enter me, and I let out a light moan. His fingers started rubbing my clit, and I closed my eyes and bit down on my lower lip to stop from crying out. He chuckled in my ear as he moved me back and forth on him and I wanted to beg him to enter him.
“I have to get my condom out first,” he grunted, and I felt him searching in his pocket. He quickly ripped open the wrapper and his fingers brushed past my ass as he slipped the condom on. As soon as I knew he had it on, I stood up slightly, grabbed the head of his cock, repositioned it between my legs and sat back down, sliding down on his shaft. We both let out a slight moan as I took in all of his cock and started moving back and forth slowly.
“Fuck, you feel so good,” he grunted. “Move a bit faster.”
“It will be too obvious,” I hissed as I moved gently back and forth. He increased his pressure on my clit and I felt his other hand on my hip, moving me faster. “Max!” I gasped as his cock filled me up and I slammed back down on him. I looked around to make sure that no one was watching us, but all eyes were ahead on the screen at the front. I looked up and saw a young Max playing with a toy train, and then a video of him swimming.
“This is a video of your life?” I asked in surprise, turning to look at him for a second. “You didn’t say that.”
“Hmm.” He just shrugged. “I don’t know where they got those old videos from.” He increased the pressure of his thumb on my clit. “Lean forward a bit,” he said, and I obeyed his command. I’m not sure how he did it, but somehow this new position allowed him to thrust into me easier and he was now controlling the pace. I could feel my body tingling as he fucked me hard and I couldn’t stop myself from swiveling my hips and bouncing back into him. “God, I could fuck you forever,” he whispered as he held me to him. “I feel like your pussy was made for me.”
“You’re so romantic,” I said with a small laugh as I felt myself about to climax.
“Come for me, Charlotte.” He groaned as he slid in and out of me and rubbed my clit. “I’m not going to come until you do.”
“I’m close.” I gasped, and I was. I was on the brink of orgasm and I started to increase my pace to slam down just a little bit harder. “Ooh,” I moaned, biting down on my hand. “Oh!” I cried out again as I felt myself orgasming on him. A few seconds later, I felt his cock shuddering inside of me.
“That was amazing,” he murmured. He kept me on his lap, his cock still inside of me. I looked back up to the screen and watched as the video changed to one of him in the army. He was wearing his army uniform and I stilled at the image. That uniform. Oh, the memories. And then, like something out of a dream, the video changed and it was him in the barracks with some other men. And he had his guitar and they were singing. I smiled as I heard his voice, such a beautiful voice, but then the camera focused in on the other faces and I froze. I recognized someone else in the video.
“No,” I whispered in shock. “No,” I said again as the two men faced the camera.
“Hi, I’m Max and this is my best friend, Brandon,” he said and they both waved at the camera. Max had known Brandon? He hadn’t told me. He hadn’t told me!
I jumped up off of his lap. “You lied to me.”
He quickly zipped up his pants. “Charlotte, wait, please, I can explain.”
“No, no, no!” I cried and ran out of the room through the side door. Thank God we’d been sitting at the back so nobody noticed me as I left.
“Charlotte, wait, please wait!” Max came running behind me, desperation in his voice as he caught up with me. “Charlotte, please, let me explain.”
“What are you going to explain?” I shouted at him as I turned to look at him with tears streaming down my face. “Did you know?” I poked him in the chest. “Did you know?” I shouted louder this time. I could tell from the expression on his face that he knew. “So what was this?” I threw my hands up in the air. “What was all this? A sick joke?”
“No, it was never a joke. It wasn’t meant to be like this. I just—I just wanted to meet you. To get to know you. I reached out to your parents to see if I could meet you, but they said it wasn’t a good idea.” He bit down on his lip. “You have to understand, this has been hard on me as well. I wanted to meet you. He talked about you so much. I felt like I knew you. He thought we would be friends, you know. He said that you’d hate me at first, but then—then you’d fall in love with me.” His voice croaked. “I know this doesn’t sound like enough. I know your heart is broken.”
“Do you?” I shouted at him. “Do you really?” I stared at him, all the blood rushing from my face. “It was me that was home that day. Just me. And I opened the door and I knew. I saw their two faces, and I knew. Before they said anything.”
“He didn’t suffer.” Max attempted to grab my hands. “The bomb, well, it killed everyone almost instantaneously.” His face was white now as well. “I was in the infirmary. I should have been in the tanker too, but I’d gotten a case of pneumonia and it had led to some bronchitis, so I was in bed.” His voice choked. “I should have died as well. Some days, back then, I wished that I had.”
“Don’t say that.” I shook my head. “No one should have died, you guys shouldn’t even have been there.”
“We were soldiers, Charlotte. That was our job.” He shrugged. “We were needed there. We were protecting our country.”
“And Brandon lost his life for it.” Pain coursed through me. “He shouldn’t have joined the army. He had his whole life ahead of him. It wasn’t fair. It isn’t fair.”
“I know you loved him, Charlotte. He loved you. He talked about you all the time. He read all of your letters aloud. I looked forward to them almost as much as he did. And when you sent photos, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. So stunning and sweet and funny. You made us laugh on days when there was nothing to be happy about. You brought joy and hope to our lives.” He gave a wry smile. “I know that you thought you were only writing to Brandon, but what you wrote, it gave me a reason to be happy as well.”
“You guys must have been close.”
His blue eyes looked strained and devastated. He didn’t look so powerful and undefeatable anymore. “He was my best friend. The very first person in my life that was really and truly a friend and a brother to me. He was going to come to New York when he got out.” He looked away then. “He was going to work with me.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“There are other things you didn’t know.” He took a deep breath. “I wanted to meet you. When he died, I knew you’d be devastated. I wanted to tell you that he lived a good life at the end. He was happy.”
“You didn’t come to the funeral.” My eyes narrowed. “If you were his best friend, why didn’t you come? And why did you hide this from me?” I thought for a moment. “You knew before we ever officially met who I was, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know you were buying my company?”
“Yes.” He sighed. “But that didn’t go how it was supposed to. My HR office was supposed to call you in about getting you into a different role in the corporation. You weren’t meant to be fired.”
“Oh?” I was surprised. “I didn’t know that. That didn’t happen.”
“I know.” He looked mad. “And trust me, I was going to get to the root of the issue, but then I heard you were going around the city saying you were my girlfriend, and I thought to myself, well isn’t life strange? You can’t make this shit up.”
“How did you find out?”
“The boutique you got the handbag from, well, I used to date the owner. She called me.” He shrugged. “I figured I could have HR call you, or I could see what happened next.”
“So you decided to see what happened next?”
“Yes.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I’m not proud of myself, and if I were to do it again, maybe I’d do it all a little differently. I wanted to come to the funeral, I did. But I was hurting too. I got hurt in Afghanistan, nothing major, but I was in the hospital.”
“Your scar?” I asked him with a slight shiver, and he nodded.
“I wanted to pay my respects, and I wanted to meet you, but I couldn’t go to the funeral. I called your parents, explained who I was, and asked to meet you and them, but they said you’d taken it hard. They said that they didn’t think it was a good idea for you to meet any of his army friends.” He paused. “I tried to understand, I tried to stay away. I wanted to respect their wishes, but I knew Brandon would have wanted us to meet. And I knew the girl that had written those letters would be someone I’d want to know. Maybe it was selfish of me. Maybe I should have just stayed away. I didn’t mean to hurt you, Charlotte. I never wanted to hurt you. I just wanted to meet you. And once I did, I fell in love with your spunk and your spirit. I love the way you’re witty and funny and crazy and over the top, and yet you’re so sweet and loving. I don’t want you to think I’m crazy or obsessed. I know you don’t know me that well, but I’ve known you in my mind for years. And you’re even better in person.” He stopped then and half laughed. “I’m sounding like a crazy man, aren’t I?”
“No.” I finally reached over to take one of his hands in mine. “I think I understand.” I took a deep breath. “My parents haven’t gotten over Brandon’s death, and maybe that’s why it’s been so hard for me to emotionally deal with it as well. You see, they had him five years before they had me. He was their firstborn, their perfect little blond-haired boy, and he was the most loving, sweetest . . .” My voice caught as I thought of Brandon. “He was the best brother a girl could ever have. He did everything for me that he could. He took me out to the movies. He took me shopping. He taught me how to surf. He helped me study. And he loved me so hard. He made me believe that I was special and beautiful and that any man would be lucky to have me.” Tears fell down my face as I spoke. “I loved him so much, Max.” I could hardly talk properly as I sobbed. “I loved him more than life itself. He was the best big brother. We were meant to grow old together. We were meant to play with each other’s kids. We were meant to take joint family holidays together.”
Max pulled me into his arms, and I rested my head on his shoulder and sobbed into his suit jacket, not caring that my mascara was most probably running.
“It’s okay, Charlotte.” He stroked the back of my hair. “It’s okay,” he whispered as he comforted me. “It’ll be okay. I really, really hope you can forgive me.” He sounded so stressed out that I finally looked up and into his eyes.
“I think I can forgive you, Max,” I said with a sweet smile. “Is it true that you love me?”
“How could I not love you?” He grinned as he gave me a quick kiss on the lips. “You’re my fiancée, right?”
“I’m your fake fiancée.” I laughed. “And only because I was your fake girlfriend first.”
“I never in a million years would have guessed you would have done that.” And then he chuckled slightly. “Actually, that’s not true.”
“What do you mean, that’s not true?”
“Do you remember the letter you sent Brandon where you told him you pretended to love heavy metal so that you could impress some guy you met in an English lit class?” He grinned at me, and I groaned. “I’m thinking the girl who can pretend to be into Black Sabbath could pretend that a hottie like me is her boyfriend.”
“You’re so full of yourself, Max.” I wiped away some of my tears. “Who said you’re a hottie?”
“You don’t think I’m a hottie?”
“You’re okay.”
“Just okay?”
“Maybe a little bit more than just okay.”
“Okay enough to become your real boyfriend?”
“You want to be my boyfriend?”
“I want to be your fiancé.” He looked at me with loving eyes. “Your real fiancé, but it’s a bit soon for that. I want to woo you first and then give you the proposal you’ve always dreamed of.”
“How do you know I’ve dreamed of a proposal?” I asked and then groaned. “Oh, Brandon. He didn’t keep many secrets, did he?”
“I’m glad he didn’t.” Max smiled at me. “You haven’t answered my question yet.”
“Your question?” I pretended to be confused and he groaned.
“Charlotte Johnson, will you be my girlfriend?”
“I have two questions first.” I took a quick step away from him.
“Ugh, sure, what?” He folded his arms and waited for me to continue speaking. “You’re killing me here.”
“Why were you so hot and cold with me about sex and stuff?” I asked him, blushing slightly as I spoke.
“Hot and cold?” He looked confused and then smiled. “Oh, I was very much hot, but I didn’t want you to think I was abusing my power or taking advantage of you. I wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you.” He grinned. “Hence that kiss by your elevator that night, but I wanted to respect Brandon and the fact that you were his sister and try to wait a little bit. But you’re a little tease and sexy as hell, and I just couldn’t resist any longer.”
“Ha ha, okay,” I said, pleased with his answer. “One last question, who is Sandy?”
“Oh . . . Sandy?” He looked slightly guilty for a few seconds and then laughed. “This is my fault. You assumed something, and I didn’t correct your mistake.”
“What did I assume?”
“You assumed that Sandy was my lover,” he said with a wry grin. “I’ll admit I liked seeing you jealous, but that was never my intention. Sandy was in the army with me and Brandon. In fact, you could kinda say that she and Brandon were dating. A little bit. Not that we would ever have been able to admit it on base.”
“Sandy was Brandon’s girlfriend?” I blinked in confusion. “But you called her from your office. You told her to come over that night.”
“She wanted to meet you,” he said softly. “She wasn’t coming to hook up with me. Charlotte, we were in the office making out. I wouldn’t call another woman. What do you think I am?”
“I don’t know,” I said, but all of a sudden I felt lighter. “So, Sandy isn’t your booty call?”
“No.”
“What about the girl that got upset because she heard about my lies?”
“She didn’t exist. I just made her up to make you feel bad.”
“What about the articles?”
“I leaked the news to the press.” He gave me a wicked look. “I know, I know, I’m horrible. I just wanted to ensure that I could have you in my presence daily. Once I met you, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Obviously, in retrospect, I realize that I could have done things a little differently.”
“I guess I could have as well.” I laughed and leaned forward to kiss him again. “And the answer is yes, Max. I’ll be your girlfriend. In fact, I’d absolutely love it.”
His eyes lit up at my words then and he pulled me closer to him. I felt his hands on my ass and I wrapped my arms around his waist as well. “I think I’m falling for you as well, Max Parker,” I said softly as he kissed me hard. “In fact, I think I already have.”