just trying to look out for me, and I had to break the poor man’s heart this week.”
“Poor man?” Sounded like she had more feelings for Calvin than Max would like. “Don’t forget how he’s been harassing me at every opportunity and breaking up any chance you and I have to get together alone. He’s not some sort of saint or something.”
“I never said he was, but I don’t like hurting people. I’m not a heartless bitch. And I’d never go on a date with someone else after making out with a person I claim to love.” Her words were clipped and stilted, as though she struggled not to yell them.
“You’re jealous of Jules?” Max couldn’t stop the smile that turned up the corners of his lips. If she was jealous, that must be because he was the one she wanted, no matter what Super Cop tried to pull.
She looked at the floor, avoiding his eyes. “Do you really think she’s in danger?”
“Well, she does,” he replied. “She went as far as buying a hidden camera so she could take evidence to the police about what Jimmy’s doing. Today, she decided she should use it to record his confession about killing Sage, but she wanted to use herself as bait to draw it out of him.”
“Bait?” Rose looked back up, cocking her head to the side. “What do you mean?”
It was Max’s turn to look away. He shouldn’t talk about those sort of things with Rose. It wasn’t exactly romantic. Then again, if they were going to be partners in life, they had to be partners in everything, and he couldn’t keep things from her just because it was uncomfortable to talk about. “She said she’d agree to have sex with him to trick him into a confession.”
“But she really doesn’t like men?”
“No. It would be horrible for her, and I’m afraid Jimmy would end up killing her after getting what he wanted. She can’t be with him.”
“Of course she can’t,” Rose agreed. “You did the right thing by bringing it to Cal. He’ll protect her.”
Max’s hands flexed into fists without any conscious decision on his part. There was Calvin, being the big hero in Rose’s eyes. “I wanted to help her myself, but I’ve been trying to keep an eye on you and now I’m working, too.” It sounded like a lame excuse. Why did he feel the need to be better than the cop?
Well, truthfully, he only wanted to be better in Rose’s eyes. That was all that mattered.
Rose reached across the space between them, caressing the back of his fist. “I thought maybe you changed your mind about us. I haven’t seen you since you left me with Cal last week, and I’ve been wanting to spend time with you. The truth is, I was jealous of Julie. I thought you found someone else in more danger than me and decided to move on.”
He pulled his hand away from her and took a step back, meeting her eyes. Sudden anger coiled in a hard knot in his stomach and he tried to fight it back. “Is that what you think of me? Shit, Rose. All I’ve ever done is care about you and you think I’m...what? An asshole like Jimmy who uses women to make myself feel better?”
Rose shrank back from him. “No. I didn’t think—”
“Damn right you didn’t think!” The anger was getting the better of him. All that time she thought he could kill, and now she still thought he’d purposely hurt her. It was too much to handle.
Max pulled out his wallet and grabbed two dollars, setting them on the counter. He snatched his drink up and headed for the door, turning as he reached it. “If you ever decide I’m a good guy that you want to be with, give me a call. I can’t keep beating my head against the wall trying to prove to you I’m not a bad person.”
“Don’t put this on me.” An exasperated noise left her throat. “You’re the one who keeps pulling the hot and cold act. I’m one-hundred percent committed to this. To you. Every time I try to get close to you, you pull away. How was I supposed to know you weren’t dating Julie? It looked like a
“Poor man?” Sounded like she had more feelings for Calvin than Max would like. “Don’t forget how he’s been harassing me at every opportunity and breaking up any chance you and I have to get together alone. He’s not some sort of saint or something.”
“I never said he was, but I don’t like hurting people. I’m not a heartless bitch. And I’d never go on a date with someone else after making out with a person I claim to love.” Her words were clipped and stilted, as though she struggled not to yell them.
“You’re jealous of Jules?” Max couldn’t stop the smile that turned up the corners of his lips. If she was jealous, that must be because he was the one she wanted, no matter what Super Cop tried to pull.
She looked at the floor, avoiding his eyes. “Do you really think she’s in danger?”
“Well, she does,” he replied. “She went as far as buying a hidden camera so she could take evidence to the police about what Jimmy’s doing. Today, she decided she should use it to record his confession about killing Sage, but she wanted to use herself as bait to draw it out of him.”
“Bait?” Rose looked back up, cocking her head to the side. “What do you mean?”
It was Max’s turn to look away. He shouldn’t talk about those sort of things with Rose. It wasn’t exactly romantic. Then again, if they were going to be partners in life, they had to be partners in everything, and he couldn’t keep things from her just because it was uncomfortable to talk about. “She said she’d agree to have sex with him to trick him into a confession.”
“But she really doesn’t like men?”
“No. It would be horrible for her, and I’m afraid Jimmy would end up killing her after getting what he wanted. She can’t be with him.”
“Of course she can’t,” Rose agreed. “You did the right thing by bringing it to Cal. He’ll protect her.”
Max’s hands flexed into fists without any conscious decision on his part. There was Calvin, being the big hero in Rose’s eyes. “I wanted to help her myself, but I’ve been trying to keep an eye on you and now I’m working, too.” It sounded like a lame excuse. Why did he feel the need to be better than the cop?
Well, truthfully, he only wanted to be better in Rose’s eyes. That was all that mattered.
Rose reached across the space between them, caressing the back of his fist. “I thought maybe you changed your mind about us. I haven’t seen you since you left me with Cal last week, and I’ve been wanting to spend time with you. The truth is, I was jealous of Julie. I thought you found someone else in more danger than me and decided to move on.”
He pulled his hand away from her and took a step back, meeting her eyes. Sudden anger coiled in a hard knot in his stomach and he tried to fight it back. “Is that what you think of me? Shit, Rose. All I’ve ever done is care about you and you think I’m...what? An asshole like Jimmy who uses women to make myself feel better?”
Rose shrank back from him. “No. I didn’t think—”
“Damn right you didn’t think!” The anger was getting the better of him. All that time she thought he could kill, and now she still thought he’d purposely hurt her. It was too much to handle.
Max pulled out his wallet and grabbed two dollars, setting them on the counter. He snatched his drink up and headed for the door, turning as he reached it. “If you ever decide I’m a good guy that you want to be with, give me a call. I can’t keep beating my head against the wall trying to prove to you I’m not a bad person.”
“Don’t put this on me.” An exasperated noise left her throat. “You’re the one who keeps pulling the hot and cold act. I’m one-hundred percent committed to this. To you. Every time I try to get close to you, you pull away. How was I supposed to know you weren’t dating Julie? It looked like a
Similar Books
