“Ummm…thank you. For caring so much about what happens to me.” It felt wrong to end things on such an angry note even if I felt angry. Because despite everything, Max held a special place in my heart, and I knew he was doing all this because he cared.
He tilted his head to one side and stepped forward, speaking softly and gazing down at me as if I were his most cherished possession. “I only want to see you live a happy, successful life, like you deserve, Lily. So promise you’ll think about what I said.”
God, he was so good at getting to me.
I sighed quietly. “Fine. I’ll think about it.” I would also think about the fact that he’d popped into my life and asked me to marry him this morning—something I still couldn’t persuade my brain cells to absorb.
Max stepped forward, reached out his hand, and traced the scar along my forehead. I knew what he was doing. He wanted to desensitize himself. Or maybe show me how far he’d come. Once upon a time, we couldn’t be in the same room without him breaking into a sweat.
I watched with fascination while his perfect face—straight nose, full lips, and angular jaw—focused on me. I breathed in his expensive cologne and savored the memories it brought—him holding me close, making love to me, breathing against my neck. Max had been my first kiss, my first everything.
Caught up in the sensual memories, I closed my eyes, wishing that things had turned out differently. Why had I not believed in us? Okay, dammit. I knew why.
Suddenly, I felt his lips on mine. Soft, hot, and sensual. He felt so good, so right. Gentle and strong all rolled into one.
“Lily!” Patricio’s voice roared.
I pushed back from Max and turned my head. Patricio stood ten feet away. Rage sizzled in his bright green eyes.
“You fucking bastard.” Patricio zeroed in on Max and ran straight for him.
Well, that’s something I never thought I’d see. With my mouth hanging open, I watched two completely hot men tumble around on the sidewalk in front of my first-floor apartment, trying to beat the crap out of each other.
Yes, I did understand that the proper reaction would be to panic or feel angered by their immature behavior, but I wasn’t just anyone. Remember, I was once the girl no one looked at except with pity or disgust. Yes, I compensated with my personality and still had lots of girlfriends, but getting male attention felt alien, and this was no exception. Italy’s hottest actor and America’s sexiest bachelor were fighting over me.
This is definitely strange. And so amazingly hot. Wait. Am I evil for thinking that?
Max, a slightly larger man, rolled over Patricio and cocked his fist. Patricio threw up his arm and crosscut Max in the jaw, sending him back. Patricio took advantage of the opportunity and scrambled forward, straddling Max.
As Patricio pulled back his fist, aiming for Max’s perfect nose, I screamed, “No!”
Max thrust his knee upward and launched Patricio forward. Patricio’s fist pummeled the cement below.
Ouch. That had to hurt.
Patricio wailed.
Yep. It hurt.
“You fucking asshole. You don’t deserve her!” Max twisted his body and threw Patricio down, landing a punch straight on Patricio’s cheekbone.
Blood began running from a cut on Patricio’s face, which immediately jolted me out of my shock and into the worst panic ever. They really wanted to kill each other.
“Okay. That’s enough!” I barked, doing an awkward little waving action with my hands. “Stop. Both of you.”
Max and Patricio rolled and grunted, each one trying to get the upper hand.
“Stop! Goddammit!” I tried to grab for an arm to pull them apart, but they were like two feral cats, moving so fast I couldn’t see who was who or what was what.
From the corner of my eye, I caught a neighbor taking pictures through her window. And goodie. We’ll be getting tabloid coverage.
Flustered, I stared down at the two beautiful jackasses and gushed out a breath. Imbeciles. Fighting resolved nothing.
“Stop!” I yelled. “That’s it! That’s fucking it.”
Their tangled limbs and grunting bodies rolled toward me, knocking me to the ground. I fell back, landing with a hard thump on the cement, and hit my elbow to break the fall.
“Fuck!” I groaned and rolled to the side, cupping my elbow.
They didn’t take notice or seem to give one freaking dingle berry about little ol’ me. The bozos continued tumbling around like two schoolboys fighting on the playground.
I peeled myself off the walkway, got to my feet, and rubbed my throbbing arm. Wow. Just wow. They really couldn’t care less about me.
I threw up my hands—Ouch! My elbow—and threw them down. “Fine! You know what?” I yelled. “Fucking kill each other!”
I marched past them, slammed my door shut, turned the dead bolt, and went into my bedroom. The knocking began immediately, but I was not about to answer. Let them have their awesome macho-man contest. Yes, Patricio had a right to be angry, but he should be upset with me. Me! I’d let Max kiss me. And it was wrong. I knew that.