I’d had to peel off my coat and set it aside.
Max may be devastatingly attractive, but I could never fancy someone who acted this formal and stuffy.
“You’ll be home soon,” he muttered more to himself than me.
Other than the ache in my throbbing nose from hitting that lamppost at warp speed, I was actually feeling better. Max was a pleasant distraction—even if he was distant and cold and obviously hating every second of doing the right thing.
He was doing his brother’s dirty work by getting me out of the way, so I didn’t make a bad scene worse.
He’d been right about my glasses. They were toast thanks to his driver thinking he’d stepped out of a Keanu Reeves film.
But my pride had suffered the most, seeing Nick with her. I was still trying to ignore the crushing pain in my chest.
I lowered the cold pack and gently touched my bruised nose. At least I hadn’t broken it after walking straight into a lamppost—the one with a sign proclaiming that spot as the most fun place in London.
“I live in Bermondsey,” I said.
“Carl knows.”
But apparently they’d had no idea I’d been living with Nick. There were so many possible reasons why he hadn’t told them. Maybe it was to protect me from his weird family…though clearly Morgan was being proudly showcased to them and the rest of the entire world.
This did nothing for my confidence. I was merely the shop girl who worked at Harvey Nichols in the evening gown department, ironically selling dresses I’d never be able to afford.
Rubbing my forehead, I fought back tears of frustration at the endless rejection I had to face.
Max shot me a look of concern.
I rested the cold pack on my lap. “You want only the best for Nick.”
“We all do.” He tugged at his scarf and pulled it off.
I watched as he unbuttoned his coat and peeled it open to reveal a T-shirt that showed off his toned abs. His jeans clung to his thighs, showing off their muscular strength. This man looked like he hit the gym frequently.
My consolation prize for a horrible evening was sitting in the back of an SUV with Nick’s big brother and savoring this man candy. I mean, even his chiseled bits were chiseled. That five o’clock stubble on his perfect jaw had a hint of grey that gave him a sophisticated edge. This man had playboy written all over him.
Quite literally…
I stared at his T-shirt, which had “Playboy” written across it. “Bit on the nose.”
“Excuse me?”
I gestured at his shirt.
He peered down at it. “This is a band from São Paulo. They’re called ‘Playboy’.”
“Right.” I gave him a skeptical look and he returned my cheekiness with a heart-stopping grin.
“They’re like Pearl Jam,” he added.
“Okay, the name rings a bell. I think Nick has their latest album.”
“Because I bought it for him.” He paused, staring at me. “How’s your…face?”
“Why?”
“You hit that pole pretty hard.”
“Does it look bad?”
“No.” He didn’t sound convincing. “Do you have a spare pair of glasses?”
“No, but I have contact lenses, too.”
Late-night shoppers were scurrying along the pavement, all looking like they were having a much better time than me. Even with the sky pouring down on them.
He reached into his pocket. “Let me pay for new glasses.”
I reached for his hand to stop him. “No, thank you.” I wasn’t going to accept cash in the back of a car like a tart.
“Maybe we can come to an arrangement,” he said.
“Arrangement?”
“A financial agreement. I’d like to avoid a lawsuit and keep this out of the press.”
“What are you talking about? Anyway, we don’t go around suing each other here.”
“People actually do take legal action in the U.K. all the time.”
“How would you know?”
“I’m a lawyer.” He turned his head to look at me. “In São Paulo.”
“Nick didn’t really talk about you.”
“We’ve been mysteriously kept from each other.” The way he said it made me think he, too, was feeling stung by Nick’s secrecy.
I felt sorry for him. He was clearly finding this charade uncomfortable.
“I forgive you,” I said softly.
He dragged his teeth over his bottom lip. “Why?”
“Well, all that was missing was the handcuffs and a nice spanking.” I gave him a wicked smile.
He went to say something and seemed to change his mind.
My cheeks flushed. “I’m joking, of course.”
He gazed at me intently, his deep brown eyes revealing conflicting emotions, and then he slid into a heart-stopping smile and held it.
My breath caught in my throat.
I looked away and changed the subject. “Why do you have a bodyguard?”
He exhaled sharply. “Carl’s my mum’s chauffeur.”
“Why does she have a bodyguard?”
When he didn’t answer right away, I turned to face him. He looked confused, as though I should know the reason.
“I’ve not met her,” I admitted.
“Mum’s cautious, that’s all.”
“She’s not famous, is she?”
“Not in your circle.”
What the hell did that mean?
“Nick told me that after his dad died, he stopped speaking to his family.”
Max shrugged. “My brother acted out for a while, but he’s fine now.”
“Doesn’t seem fine to me.”
“Look, if there’s any way I can make up for tonight—”
“Maybe you can talk to Nick.”
“About what, exactly?”
“Everything seemed fine with us, and then one day he just left. It was sudden. I know I sound like a jilted lover when I say this, but he’s making a big mistake with that girl.”
“My brother seems to have made up his mind. I’m sure the decision wasn’t easy.” He mulled over his words. “I hope you can find a way to move on, too.”
“I’ve been living with him for six months. I’m worried about him. Morgan can be manipulative.”
“You know her?”
“Only from the Internet.”
He frowned. “What does she do?”
“Talks about fashion and gives make-up tutorials, mostly. Companies pay her to promote their products. Morgan’s one of the most popular influencers out there. She’s even followed by the Kardashians. She’s like Taylor Swift, only instead of writing a sad song about her ex she changes her looks.”
“Taylor Swift is misunderstood.”
I stared at him. “You’re a fan?”
“I’ve had my moments,” he said, chuckling.
I reached for my handbag. “I just don’t want Nick to become famous for being her ex and not a talented footballer. These things tend to stick.”
“That’s why you were there tonight?”
I nodded. “To show him photos, proof of the way she treats her men.”
“She seemed serious about him from what I could see.”