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Max’s life was immaculate.
He worked tirelessly to keep every object he touched unblemished and polished. Even Markov’s code was pristine.
Which is why his mental attraction to Lila Rossi made absolutely no sense.
Lila was complete chaos. She wasn’t dirty, per se, but she never hesitated to jump right into a situation feet first, announcing her arrival with a splash.
Lila upended everything he’d held dear.
She was doing that now, eating spaghetti at his house and spilling some of the red sauce on his white place mat.
“My grandmother knitted that place mat.” Max gripped his fork. “That’s wool. I don’t know if I can get the stain out.”
Lila responded by plucking up a meatball--with her fingers!--and dropping it onto the place mat. “Oops.”
This girl was infuriating. Max had rarely felt such strong emotions as he felt around Lila; he was normally logical, with an air of clinical detachment to everything he approached.
That, he reasoned, was probably why he was attracted to her.
Max was a rule-follower. Lila didn’t care a whit for anyone’s opinion, and rules were her playthings.
But now there was a meatball on his placemat. “Pick that up.”
Lila’s smirk perched on her lips. “And if I refuse?”
“I’ll not cook for you anymore.”
“Oh, noooo. We can’t have that.” Lila speared the meatball with her fork and stuffed it into her mouth, smacking the meat against her molars. Max could hear every disgusting bite.
“Must you act this way?” Max sighed. “Must you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’ll be brief.” Max would not be brief. He decided then and there to tear down Lila’s defenses. “We are dating because we have a mutually beneficial arrangement: you represent me in your public relations firm and I built Markov 2.0 for you. You proposed that we date for some unknown reason to me, and I agreed because it would be good PR to entertain a relationship with a socialite.”
Lila folded her hands under her chin and rested it on her wrist. “Go on.”
“But…” Max didn’t want to be seen as vulnerable in front of Lila. That would weaken his position in their relationship. Wouldn’t it?
Max decided to take the chance. He hated being dishonest, and keeping this news from her felt like lying.
“I think I’ve fallen in love with you, Lila.”
Lila’s gorgeous, green eyes widened. Her face blanched. Good. Max had expected her to react in such a way. He wanted her nonplussed and off her game.
“W-What?”
Max adjusted his glasses, looking at her from the corner of his eye. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. You are coarse, crude, and a compulsive liar. By all accounts, I should hate you.”
Lila swallowed. Max couldn’t tell if he’d touched her deeply, but he wasn’t done.
“But I don’t.” Max shook his head. “I have no desire to break up with you. Indeed, I hope our relationship continues to grow and we can be genuine with one another.”
Max sat back, wondering how she’d planned to respond. Lila had never gone so long without interrupting him before, so he knew she was mulling over his words.
Lila’s mouth worked for a moment. Max had never had the desire to kiss her and didn’t have it now, but he could appreciate her aesthetics. She worked very hard on her makeup.
“I see,” Lila finally said, just when Max was beginning to grow anxious. “I have approached this relationship all wrong.”
Max’s shoulders slumped slightly. “I would agree with that assessment.”
Lila peered at him from under her lashes. “I don’t love you. Not yet. But… I could learn?”
That wasn’t one of her tells, but Max still had no idea if she was telling the truth or not. But if he couldn’t trust Lila, who could he trust?
He extended his hand. “Shake on it.”
Lila laughed and took his hand. “Sure.” She pumped his hand once, twice, three times, and released it. Max felt something slimy on his fingers and glanced down at them.
Spaghetti sauce.