Page 19 of Dirty Secret

CHAPTER 7

Heidi

Ugh, Felipe. Total vag-blocker.

I glared at the phone hoping I suddenly developed telepathy to warn Felipe that I was going to kill him if he didn't hang up and not call me for the rest of the day. This was my first kiss in years. I knew how pathetic that was, but still, I didn't care. The man I lusted after for months was rubbing his very skilled lips over mine until I shivered in delight.

The phone stopped for a moment and my shoulders relaxed. Relief. My telepathy skills were active and now I could get back to my dream coming true—all over Max's face.

The vibration began again. I watched with sorrow, knowing that I needed to answer it. Max's luscious mouth had to wait. Never had I regretted something more than promising to babysit Felipe's nephew today. Not that I didn't like little Marco, but kissing Max was like the most decadent brownie, topped with the creamiest ice cream, sprinkled with the juiciest strawberries, and then smothered all over Max's lips.

His kiss made all other previous kisses from ex-boyfriends seem sad, lacking, and not at all tasty.

"Shouldn't you answer that?" Max's voice rumbled down my neck. How could one man cause so many goose bumps and my nipples to harden every time he spoke?

"I should."

Only, I didn't want to. Instead, I stood there. No, that's not true. I wasn't entirely standing either, more like leaning against Max. Gripping his gray T-shirt and feeling up his torso with my boobs because I knew once I let go, I'd fall. And falling was tremendously lonely.

Max lifted his hands to my cheeks, tilting my face up toward his so I was no longer talking to his chest.

The way he looked at me, I wanted that, always. My heart craved it.

"Should you?" His gaze danced over my face. His blue, magical eyes had the power to help me forget about everything else but him.

"I don't want to . . . but I need to."

The phone started up again, and I began to wonder if my voicemail wasn't working. The one time I need my voicemail to work, it stopped. Even my phone was vag-blocking me.

"Okay," Max said, and that single word was the ax that ripped us apart.

He stood back, and I forced myself to stand up straight despite the chill from the loss of him.

I reluctantly picked up the phone, swiping it to answer. "Hello, Felipe."

"Heidi. How's my favorite cookie maker?" I heard an edge in his usual pleasant voice.

"I was about to put something in the oven." There was an edge to my voice, too.

I glanced at Max out of the corner of my eye and found him trying to stifle a chuckle with his hand.

"Great! Marco loves your cookies. Hey, I wanted to ask . . . Would it be too much trouble for you to take Marco to the zoo today? That's all this seven-year-old will discuss. According to him, and not facts, there are no zoos in Chicago. Despite the fact that his family took me to the Lincoln Park Zoo when I visited him last year."

Based on Felipe's speech, I assumed Marco was near him.

"Of course, I can. It's right down the street from me. I love the zoo."

"Good. Because we are about five minutes from your place, and I already told him you would. Bye."

Felipe quickly ended the call. I sometimes wondered if Felipe was as tricky as my father? At least Felipe used his charm for good instead of evil.

"The zoo, huh? Is Felipe taking you out to the zoo?"

After placing the phone down, I saw uncertainty in Max's eyes.

Did he regret the kiss? Why should I fathom that a sexy as sin man like Max would hold any interest in me? He probably thought I was some lonely Washingtonian socialite getting her jollies from the help.

"No, I'm taking his nephew. Felipe has a meeting today, and I promised I'd babysit. His sister, her husband, and their son are visiting from Chicago. Felipe promised to give them a break today to enjoy the sights but forgot he had set up an important lunch meeting."

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