The Marriage Mistake (18 page)

His current speechlessness made the price so well worth it. Even better when she finally turned.

He hissed in a breath. The fabric in the back started at the curve of her buttocks. She’d begun the evening with a naughty game she intended to win. She tossed her next comment over her shoulder. “If you don’t like it, you can always take it off.”

He didn’t say a word.

The Canaletto restaurant was filled, but they were immediately ushered to a cozy table outside near St. Mark’s Square. The gorgeous cream colors and glowing lights gave an air of intimate elegance, and overlooked the Grand Canal where gondolas floated past and murmurs of low conversation drifted in the air. Feeling as if she was transported to Venice, Carina relaxed and ordered a glass of Montepulciano and enjoyed the earthy richness on her tongue. Anything was better than allowing it to loll out of her mouth like an idiot.

Why did he always have to look so . . . perfect? Where
Sawyer was all raw sex and darkness, Max reminded her of a polished playboy, with an easy charm and elegance bred in his bones. His suit had been replaced with a dark blue silk shirt, casual slacks, and low-heeled leather boots. His Vacheron Constantin watch gleamed burnished silver around his wrist as he reached for his wine and took a deep swallow.

The plan was simple. Use her time over dinner to seduce him. Unfortunately, she realized he decided to play his own game: memory lane. “Remember the time you brought that guy home from school and Michael and I followed you to Sam’s Cafe?” He shook his head as if pretending to remember. “We hid in the bushes and when the dude leaned in to kiss you, Michael jumped out. Scared him so bad he left you there, so we had to take you home.”

The image still stung. The humiliation of having Michael stalk her with his sidekick seriously undermined her dating life. “And your point is?” she asked dryly.

“Sorry, just remembering how overprotective your brother is. That’s all.”

Point taken. By throwing her big brother into the conversation, it was a definite seduction killer. Also a direct reminder of the stakes involved. She needed to up her game. Carina took another sip of wine, licked her lips, and smiled. “I had a date with Sawyer this evening.”

He stared at her. The stunned expression on his face
soothed her confidence. “What are you talking about? Sawyer asked you on a date?”

“Yes.”

He gritted his teeth in masculine temper. “When?”

“I went to see him in his office. I told him I was stepping out of the deal due to my mistake, and that the figure I gave was impossible.”

A vicious curse escaped his lips. “You were supposed to let me handle it.”

Carina lifted her chin. “If I make a mistake I fix it, Max. You should know that about me by now.”

He rubbed his forehead. “I do. I just wish you didn’t feel like you always have to take on the world by yourself in order to prove you’re worthy.”

The statement hit her full force. He did know her, more intimately than any other man. “Well, it’s done now. Sawyer agreed not to let my blunder affect the negotiations.”

“Did you feel you had to go out with him? Did he pressure you?”

“No. I wanted to.”

He jerked back. “Sawyer is out of your league, Carina. Stay away from him.”

He may have repeated her own thoughts but it still pissed her off. “You don’t know what league I play in any longer. How long have you been friends?”

“Long enough to know he’s not right for you.”

“Then who is?”

He practically brooded at the direct challenge, focusing his attention on his wine. She hoped for a bit of jealousy to throw him off, but once again, he backed off from a challenge by hiding behind a twisted sense of honor. “Let’s change the subject, shall we?”

“Sure. I got a Brazilian wax today.”

He choked on the piece of bread in his mouth. Eyes watering, he lowered his voice. “Are you kidding me? Don’t talk about stuff like that.”

The sweat beading his brow told her he was uncomfortable in other aspects. “Why not? If you insist on topics of conversation that portray me as a little girl, I guess I have to remind you I’m all grown up.” She winked. “Wanna see?”

A flush crept up his cheek. “No. And don’t let anyone else see, either.” He shifted in his chair. “You’re playing a screwed-up game with me and you’re not thinking of the consequences.”

“Let’s go over the options then, shall we?” She put up her hand and ticked off the items with each finger. “We’re both consenting adults. Attracted to each other. It’s only for one night. And we move on. What’s the problem I’m missing?”

The waiter set down matching plates of Chilean sea bass baked under a hard salty crust. The Yukon potatoes were chopped and served tableside, dripping with oil, garlic,
and herbs. She speared a flaky piece of fish and moaned over the gorgeous texture and crisp skin. “Damn, this is good,” she said.

“I know. The polenta is cooked perfectly. Try it paired with the tomato.”

“Okay.”

They ate in reverent silence for a while, each lapsing into a food-induced coma of pleasure. Finally he roused himself and took up the conversation. “Let me tell you all the reasons we shouldn’t have an affair.”

“One-night stand.”

“Whatever. First, your brother trusts me to protect you and I would lose his loyalty. Second, our mothers know each other and they’d freak. Third, you technically work for me, and that could blur the lines between us in business.”

“Michael and our moms will never know. Our work relationship won’t be affected since I’ll be with another division. Why shouldn’t we indulge ourselves? Wouldn’t it be better if you were my first sexual experience rather than someone I don’t know?”

Anger spit in waves around him. “Don’t throw away your virginity for some society crap that tells women to seize the day. It should be special, with someone you love. Not used on a physical fling with no future. The answer is no. You can argue and cajole and tempt me all you want. I am not going to sleep with you or engage in a short affair that could ruin our whole foundation. I won’t risk it.”

Raw need burst from her belly and strangled her. It wasn’t going to work. Her one-night fantasy was just that—a fantasy. Deep down, she just wasn’t worth the risk to him. Another experience that told her she wasn’t the type of woman to drive a man so mad with desire he’d break the rules. Even half-naked and throwing her pride away. Dear God, even her seduction attempts were centered around a logical conversation of assets and liabilities for an affair. Humiliation burned. She craved to crawl into her bed, pull the covers up over her head, and cry. Just like she’d done so many times in her past when she realized Maximus Gray could never want her in the crazy way she did him.

The dream wafted away in a cloud of smoke, almost like a mirage. Max gazed at her with concern. The same damn look he always gave that could never satisfy or scratch the surface of her darkest fantasies.

Maybe someone else could.

An image of Sawyer flashed in her mind. A man interested in her like a woman, not a childhood friend. With him, she may be able to experience everything she craved. Maybe it was time to take the leap into the unknown. She was so tired of going to bed night after night alone. Lonely and unsatisfied at twenty-six years old. How sad was that?

Slowly, she blotted her lips with the napkin and forced a smile. “I guess your decision is made.”

“Trust me, this is best for all of us involved.”

She nodded. “Understood. There’s one thing you must promise me though.”

“What?”

Carina lifted her chin and met his gaze. “Let me go.”

He blinked. “I’m sorry I upset you,
cara
. Please don’t tell me I’ve lost your friendship. It means everything to me.”

She forced back the tears that burned her lids. “You’ll never lose me completely. In a way, I think I’ll always be a part of your life. But I can’t play this game anymore. I need to move on and make my own choices, on my own terms. Tonight, you made the decision to cut the ties between us. You lost your right to tell me who to sleep with.”

He gritted his teeth and leaned forward. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to disrespect yourself in order to get back at me.”

A humorless laugh escaped her lips. “
Dio,
how arrogant. And you have every right to think that, because I’ve given you so much power. But not anymore. I won’t sleep alone tonight. And that’s not because I’m disrespecting myself, you bastard. It’s because I’m finally claiming what I’ve wanted for a long time. A man who makes me explode with pleasure and can take me places I crave to go. A man to hold me and give me orgasms and share the night with. You gave up that right tonight.”

“Carina, don’t.”

She pushed her chair back and stood. “If you have any respect for me at all, you’ll leave me alone. I deserve that,
Max.” Carina put her napkin down. “Thank you for dinner.”

“Wait.”

She paused. Seconds ticked by. The sounds of the busy restaurant flowed around them, the click of silverware and glasses, the ringing of laughter, the slide of the boats cutting through the water below. She waited as he seemed to struggle with his demons. A muscle in his jaw ticked.

A turning point hung between them. Her heart pounded and she waited for his final decision. His carved features twisted into a tortured expression and he opened his mouth. His words hung in the air like a cartoon balloon, blank until the artist sketched in the final ending.

His mouth closed. He gave a curt nod and she gazed at an unemotional stranger who made his decision.

“I won’t bother you again.”

Her throat tightened but she kept herself together. When she walked away, she refused to look back.

•   •   •

What had he done?

Max stared at the jumble of plates on the table and clutched at the edges of his sanity. He grabbed his wineglass, drained the rest of the liquid, and signaled for a refill. The evening turned into a disaster and he wasn’t even sure why a crazy panic pumped through his veins.

He’d made the right decision. Fuck, the only decision. There was no way he could take Carina to bed for one night, claim her virginity, and go back to business. Why couldn’t she understand that?

I’m not sleeping alone tonight.

Sawyer.

Her final words haunted him. Would she seek his friend out to prove a point? Was she attracted to him? What did she mean by “dark desires” or “fantasies”? His fists clenched in his lap as an array of images taunted him. Carina naked with another man. Carina moaning, head thrown back, biting down on that lush lower lip as some stranger pushed inside of her. Carina murmuring another man’s name.

He fought the rage and madness and reminded himself to calm down. First off, she talked a good game, but he doubted she’d go through with it. She’d probably flirt a bit, dance, maybe even kiss someone to satisfy her curiosity. All he needed to do was keep his distance and an eye on her. He wouldn’t interfere, and she’d never spot him.

When her experiment ended, they’d go back to New York and maybe things would calm down. She’d date some nice man who was worthy of her and didn’t have any hang-ups. Someone nice and younger and respectable. Not an older, jaded, screwed-up male who had commitment issues like him. Being with her in any capacity was a guaranteed disaster.
He’d hurt her and would never be able to stand himself. He’d lose Michael’s friendship, respect, and his career.

A one-night stand just wasn’t worth it. Not even with a woman who soothed his soul and made him crave to be a better man.

“D
id you enjoy your dinner with Max?”

Carina sat in a private skybox above the Tao nightclub. Sawyer met her at the door where the famous twenty-foot Buddha statue greeted guests. Shocked at the dueling contrast of raw sexuality and soothing spirituality the club offered, Carina knew she’d made the right decision. Skimpily clad females bathed in huge marble tubs of rose petals, while the red walls and candlelight warmed the senses. It was a place to lose herself and her inhibitions. The hip-hop music whipped the crowds into a frenzy, but Sawyer immediately took her elbow and guided her upstairs to a suite hidden behind lush velvet curtains.

Champagne chilled in delicate flutes and bouquets of flowers filled the room with exotic scents. Obviously
soundproof, no loud music echoed in his sanctuary. A chill skated down her spine at the question.

“Yes, it was fine.” She sipped her champagne while her companion ate her up with his gaze. The leashed intensity in his eyes rattled her but she refused to cower. Sawyer Wells was getting lucky tonight, and so was she. End of story.

The look on Max’s face had finally slammed the door on their past.

“What are you thinking about?”

His command shook her out of the trance. “Nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

The truth pulsed between them. Suddenly, her simple flirtation spun into the express lane. As if he knew the question went much deeper, he waited for her answer. The night stretched before her with endless possibilities—and she was sick of coming in second place with a man. In that moment, she relished her freedom and the choices before her. This time she wouldn’t choose wrong.

“I’m sure.”

His lips twisted in a smile, and suddenly he loomed over her. All that sensual heat swarmed around her. “I’m glad. Tonight I want to give you pleasure. I haven’t been this intrigued by a woman in as long as I can remember.”

Goose bumps peppered her arms. Several glasses of champagne flowed into more, until a pleasant buzz tickled her ears and the world became beautifully blurry. She
sensed a close to the evening that would end up in his bed and fell into chatter. “Do you bring all women up to your club to seduce them?”

“No. Most of them try to seduce me.”

“How do they do it?”

Sawyer chuckled. “You’d be surprised. But I don’t want to talk about other women. Do you like music? Dancing?”

“Yes.”

“Shall we check out the club, then?”

She vibrated with pleasure. “I’d love that.”

He led her out from the curtains, down the stairs, and into the main room. The music ground through the speakers in a dirty hip-hop rhythm. Her blood heated from alcohol, she linked her arm through his and he negotiated the throng of people with ease. Women in short glittery skirts and high heels shook their hips. Men grabbed hips and buttocks and thrust back and forth in a public display of their wares. Lights blinded and flashed. The earthy sexiness of half-naked bodies, perfume, and sweat filled the air, and something deep inside her shook free and released.