Jennifer Probst - The Marriage Mistake

She smiled. He sucked in his breath at the transformation from innocent to temptress—from the mysterious glint in her eyes to the seductive tug of her lips. “No worries. I’ll be having as much fun as you tonight.”

With a toss of her head, she left him on the dance floor and walked right into Edward’s arms.

Son of a bitch.

Jerk.

Carina burned with righteous anger that ran thick through her veins. She smiled up at Edward as he replaced Max, and tried to immerse herself in the dance. How dare he get all caveman on her? Especially after casually informing her of his intentions to bed the lovely Laura, as if she were just some buddy of his he liked to brag about his conquests with? Oh, she was so done with his pompous ego and inability to see the truth.

That woman was a facade. Try to push past her flawless skin and witty conversation and you’d find nothing but smoke, no heart. After their conversation, she’d run into Laura in the office parking lot, who was practically hysterical from the stray dog that wandered by the building.

Her face filled with horror at the mangy mutt, and she’d obviously called security in a panic. Carina had to jump in and intercede before the poor thing got carted away to doggy jail. She’d knelt down and whispered, and after a bit the dog came tentatively over, and even gave her a half lick. Obviously a sweetie pie without a mean gene in his body.

Laura didn’t care.

She shuddered and pointed a long fingernail toward the dog. “I hate animals,” she stated. “They’re so messy and dirty and needy. Carina, please don’t touch it. It probably has diseases. Let the control people take it away.”

And just like that, Carina discovered why Max dated Laura. Another deficiency. A big one. Max adored animals and could never be comfortable with a woman who didn’t love Rocky and want a houseful of pets. The man was a major pain in the ass, but he had a mushy heart.

She fought back a groan. Oh, Dio, she was doing it again. Getting upset over Max’s choices. Involving herself in his life to the demise of hers. When would she ever learn? Carina took a deep breath and relaxed. Edward slid his hands to rest on the small of her back just like Max. The heavy warmth settled against her skin in comfort. She loved the feel of a man’s arms around her—the possibilities of intimacy and an exchange she craved with every cell in her body.

Sure, there was no crazy zing like when Max touched her. She doubted any other man would make her light up like a Christmas tree gone haywire. But it didn’t matter. There was enough chemistry to take it to the next level tonight. Edward was attractive, funny, and she wanted to feel his lips over hers, craving to experience the intoxicating passion of intense kissing and foreplay.

It was embarrassing how badly she ached for a sense of danger and roughness. Most men treated her so sweetly, as if she was a delicate flower about to break. The slow slide of lips and tentative exploration of tongue frustrated her to such an extent she usually broke off the embrace. Maybe Edward would finally be able to satisfy her darkest cravings for less . . . politeness. What would it be like for a man to want her so badly he’d take her without permission? Goose bumps flicked over her skin at the naughty thought.

Hopefully, she’d find out. Tonight.

The evening passed in a blur of social niceties, fine wine, and occasional glances toward Max. She kept her distance, but when she came out of the ladies’ room, she noticed the two men at the bar, deep in conversation. Carina took a hard right and involved herself in chatter with some older ladies in the bakery business, determined not to run into Max again. Working with him was bad enough, but now he stuck his nose into her personal business. Her face burned at the memory of his bra comment.

“Carina?”

She turned, and Edward linked his hand casually with hers. “I’m so glad I decided to come to the party. I’m having so much fun,” she said.

“Me, too. Are you ready to go or did you want to stay?”

She smiled. “Let’s go.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” She swallowed hard at the tantalizing promise and hurried to the car. By the time she buckled herself in, a light mist of rain hit the windshield, which suddenly turned into a fierce storm. Edward remained quiet as he eased his way over the wet roads toward her apartment.

Her fingers fisted. Should she invite him up? Too soon? Too dangerous? Questions and scenarios flitted past her, making her wish she was more experienced with men. By the time he pulled up to the curb, nerves knotted her stomach. He shoved the gear into park. “Wow, it’s getting rough out there. Why don’t I walk you to the door?”

Her instincts raced. No, inviting him up wasn’t wise. She didn’t know him that well. But a good make-out session in the car sounded perfect. The hammer of rain pounded around them and cloaked them in a heavy fog of darkness. “No need for you to get all wet. I’ll say good-bye here.”

“Okay.” She waited. He shifted in his seat and suddenly looked uncomfortable. Carina pushed past the procession of voices screaming in her head that she wasn’t good enough, sexy enough, or woman enough for Edward to want to kiss her. She closed off her natural insecurities and inched closer in the seat.

“I had a really good time.” Her tongue licked her lower lip. His gaze sharpened, and the tension twisted a notch. Thank God, he seemed interested. Maybe he was shy? Fine, she’d make the first move. It would be good practice for her.

“Umm, I did too.”

She moved another precious inch. His brown eyes filled with a strange mixture of longing and unease. Carina closed her eyes and took the leap.

Her lips touched his.

For one awful moment, he didn’t move. Her heart pounded in fear of his mixed signals, but then carefully, as if afraid to scare her, he kissed her back. Warm lips moved over hers and she relaxed under him, inviting a more intimate exploration. Her arms came up to touch his shoulders and she willed him to surrender to the embrace and hopefully take them deeper.

He ignored her signals, kept his hands firmly in his lap, and retained a gentle, almost reverent tone to the kiss. Her heart dipped in disappointment. Slowly, she opened her lips under his and gave him full access. Skin burning for contact, heart beating, she made a low moan deep in her throat in an all-female cry for more.

Edward pulled back.

His breath came uneven. A slight touch of panic touched his expression and he gave a short laugh. “Wow. I’m sorry, Carina, I didn’t mean that.”

She jerked back. “You didn’t want to kiss me?”

His hands shot out to grasp hers in a soothing gesture. “No, you misunderstand. Of course, I wanted to kiss you. It’s just that Max warned me and—”

“Max?” Every muscle stiffened. A roaring echoed in her ears and she shook her head to clear it. “What did Max say to you?”

Another laugh. “Nothing, really. Max just explained you’re new here, and to take it slow, and that you’re not ready for anything, well anything, well—”

“Sex?”

He dropped her hands like she scorched him. The panic was back, this time full-fledged. Carina watched her sexy make-out session wither away like a neglected plant turned into a weed. “No! I mean, of course we’re not going to have sex. Hell, Max would kill me!”

She rallied even though it was the Civil War all over again and she was definitely on the Southern side. “Max has nothing to do with me,” she stated calmly. “He’s an old friend of the family, but he doesn’t control what I do, and would never interfere with your job. If you’re interested in me, that is.”

Seconds passed. She waited. Prayed for a little gumption from this man who could be more than a first date. Longed for him to yank her back in his arms, cover her mouth with his, and declare he didn’t give a shit about Max. Instead, a slight chill formed around them that had nothing to do with the sudden rain. She’d lost.

And Max won again.

“I’m sorry, Carina.” Misery etched every feature. “I love my job, and I really, really like you. But Max made it clear you need a permanent relationship and I’m not ready for a commitment.”

She gathered up her composure and wrapped it snugly around her. With a cool smile, Carina nodded. “I understand, I really do. Thank you for a lovely evening. And don’t worry about feeling awkward in the office. Let’s be friends.”

The word stuck in the back of her throat like a glob of peanut butter but he brightened at her statement. “Yes. Friends is perfect. See you Monday.”

She slid out of the car and ran to her door. Fitting the key in the lock, she flipped on the lights and stepped inside. She peeked out the window and waited for Edward’s car to pull away. Then without missing a beat, she grabbed her keys, and ran to her car. Her hands shook as she started the ignition and put the heat on full blast to take the chill out of the air. Water dripped in a puddle on the seat, but she ignored her discomfort. Anger burned bright and clean until there was only one goal in her mind. One thing to fix the entire ridiculous disastrous night.

Kill Maximus Gray.

Max listened to the steady beat of rain against the window while he sipped his cognac. The liquid danced on his tongue and licked with a fiery sweetness. Instead of soothing his nerves, his fingers clutched the snifter with agitation.

She’d been right.

Again.

As if sensing his disturbance, Rocky emitted a low mutter, blew out his breath, and resettled with the bulk of his body on Max’s feet. The comforting warmth soothed him a bit, and he dropped his hand to pet his head—a hulk of sharp bones and ugly lines that made him one of the homeliest dogs he’d ever seen in his life.