Page 69 of Crush

The buffering icon appeared.Why don’t you wear that sexy little number you wore to your father’s seventieth?

I felt all tingly to my toes. Complements from Max feltamazing. On a fishing mission, I thumbed in,That old thing?

Yes. Old or not you looked stunning in it.

I pursed my lips and crossed my legs.So, you liked me in that dress?What? I was puffy-faced, sneezing like a motherfucker and in desperate need of some nice words.

His response was instantaneous.I preferred you OUT of it.

OMG. I felt giddy. Our back and forth felt good,normal. Then who I was doing it with sank in and I felt a twinge of doubt. I needed to play whatever the hell was going on with us cooler. I wasn’t a fucking schoolgirl speaking to her latest crush. I needed to remain sophisticated.

Nice. Anyway, I thought you’d see me as a girl who never wore the same thing twice.

Why would you think that?Max messaged.

The poor little rich girl thing?

I think we’ve established that’s not what you are at all,he messaged.

A smile twitched my lips as I typed.Really?

Yes. There’s so much more to you. I didn’t see it at first.

Chewing the inside of my cheek, I toyed with how to reply but just went with,OK, and now you do?

Abso-fricking-lutely.

Tapping my phone against my head, I held my breath, wondering if he’d say any more stuff like that and hoping he did.Anyway, I should go. Get better soon. It will be full on next week and I need you healthy.

With a grin, I replied.Yes, Boss.

He shut the conversation down with a smiling emoji and I held my phone against my chest, feeling the most normal I had for years. After years of feeling like a worthless screw-up, the tide was turning. Whatever was happening with Max seemed to be helping to put what happened with Zander where it belonged; in the past.

It felt like a fresh new start for me.

Considering we got off on the wrong foot, massively. Who would have thought that a man I couldn’t stand initially would make me think about restarting my life?

Unfolding my legs and tugging the covers further up my body, I curled in on myself and hugged a pillow to my chest. My bed still vaguely held Max’s scent and I allowed it to swallow me up.

Maybe Icoulddo normal after all?

*****

Luckily, the cold wasn’t so bad but I didn’t go into work until Tuesday. Max had already assembled the team and they were in themain cabin we used for group meetings.

I arrived on site late due to heavy traffic and I slid in through the back. He noticed me immediately with a nod and I even got a smile while he was talking.

The others in the room must have noticed something was different, as occasionally, one person would turn their head and glance towards the back of the cabin. Straining to see where the Boss’s attention kept lingering. It made mefeel warm inside. They all thought we were shagging anyway, so Lisa in the office said. Wes had also made a few hints but I didn’t care.

After the meeting, Max came to my office with an older woman who he introduced as Joanna Tysak. She was working on the marketing and launch of the new bar we were building. She was a flamboyant lady in her forties and was extremely nice and professional. Max had told her about my father’s party and she asked me loads of questions. What my inspirations had been and which contractors I had used. It was explained that I was to shadow her for the next two weeks, yet another part of the business to be introduced to. Max had said at Daddy’s party that I should think about planning events and things and I suppose, coming up with ideas for a launch party would give me more experience in that area.

During the rest of that week, I started to meet with her at her office to go over some ideas for launch night and how to put together a marketing campaign to raise awareness.

I ran into Max on and off, usually when we were with other people and not alone. He was professional but accidentally-on-purpose would touch me at some point, a brief skim of the arm or a hand to the bottom of my back. I played along and didn’t spur his handsy behaviour. To be honest, I loved it.

We’d text each other in the evenings about a show we were both watching called Brassic. It was hilarious and had been a suggestion from Mia. Max and I also spoke about Mia and Luca who had been out on a couple of dates. Our messages were flirty and he always asked where I was and what I was doing. I loved his sudden interest in me. To be honest, after we’d slept together, I had thought nothing would come of it.

Although it was early days since Max and I had switched from daggers to a flirty friendship, I knew I wanted more than a one-night stand from him; Icraved it.

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