Jennifer Probst - The Marriage Mistake

A turning point hung between them. Her heart pounded and she waited for his final decision. His carved features twisted into a tortured expression and he opened his mouth. His words hung in the air like a cartoon balloon, blank until the artist sketched in the final ending.

His mouth closed. He gave a curt nod and she gazed at an unemotional stranger who made his decision.

“I won’t bother you again.”

Her throat tightened but she kept herself together. When she walked away, she refused to look back.

* * *

What had he done?

Max stared at the jumble of plates on the table and clutched at the edges of his sanity. He grabbed his wineglass, drained the rest of the liquid, and signaled for a refill. The evening turned into a disaster and he wasn’t even sure why a crazy panic pumped through his veins.

He’d made the right decision. Fuck, the only decision. There was no way he could take Carina to bed for one night, claim her virginity, and go back to business. Why couldn’t she understand that?

I’m not sleeping alone tonight.

Sawyer.

Her final words haunted him. Would she seek his friend out to prove a point? Was she attracted to him? What did she mean by “dark desires” or “fantasies”? His fists clenched in his lap as an array of images taunted him. Carina naked with another man. Carina moaning, head thrown back, biting down on that lush lower lip as some stranger pushed inside of her. Carina murmuring another man’s name.

He fought the rage and madness and reminded himself to calm down. First off, she talked a good game, but he doubted she’d go through with it. She’d probably flirt a bit, dance, maybe even kiss someone to satisfy her curiosity. All he needed to do was keep his distance and an eye on her. He wouldn’t interfere, and she’d never spot him.

When her experiment ended, they’d go back to New York and maybe things would calm down. She’d date some nice man who was worthy of her and didn’t have any hang-ups. Someone nice and younger and respectable. Not an older, jaded, screwed-up male who had commitment issues like him. Being with her in any capacity was a guaranteed disaster. He’d hurt her and would never be able to stand himself. He’d lose Michael’s friendship, respect, and his career.

A one-night stand just wasn’t worth it. Not even with a woman who soothed his soul and made him crave to be a better man.

“Did you enjoy your dinner with Max?”

Carina sat in a private skybox above the Tao nightclub. Sawyer met her at the door where the famous twenty-foot Buddha statue greeted guests. Shocked at the dueling contrast of raw sexuality and soothing spirituality the club offered, Carina knew she’d made the right decision. Skimpily clad females bathed in huge marble tubs of rose petals, while the red walls and candlelight warmed the senses. It was a place to lose herself and her inhibitions. The hip-hop music whipped the crowds into a frenzy, but Sawyer immediately took her elbow and guided her upstairs to a suite hidden behind lush velvet curtains.

Champagne chilled in delicate flutes and bouquets of flowers filled the room with exotic scents. Obviously soundproof, no loud music echoed in his sanctuary. A chill skated down her spine at the question.

“Yes, it was fine.” She sipped her champagne while her companion ate her up with his gaze. The leashed intensity in his eyes rattled her but she refused to cower. Sawyer Wells was getting lucky tonight, and so was she. End of story.

The look on Max’s face had finally slammed the door on their past.

“What are you thinking about?”

His command shook her out of the trance. “Nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

The truth pulsed between them. Suddenly, her simple flirtation spun into the express lane. As if he knew the question went much deeper, he waited for her answer. The night stretched before her with endless possibilities—and she was sick of coming in second place with a man. In that moment, she relished her freedom and the choices before her. This time she wouldn’t choose wrong.

“I’m sure.”

His lips twisted in a smile, and suddenly he loomed over her. All that sensual heat swarmed around her. “I’m glad. Tonight I want to give you pleasure. I haven’t been this intrigued by a woman in as long as I can remember.”

Goose bumps peppered her arms. Several glasses of champagne flowed into more, until a pleasant buzz tickled her ears and the world became beautifully blurry. She sensed a close to the evening that would end up in his bed and fell into chatter. “Do you bring all women up to your club to seduce them?”

“No. Most of them try to seduce me.”

“How do they do it?”

Sawyer chuckled. “You’d be surprised. But I don’t want to talk about other women. Do you like music? Dancing?”

“Yes.”

“Shall we check out the club, then?”

She vibrated with pleasure. “I’d love that.”

He led her out from the curtains, down the stairs, and into the main room. The music ground through the speakers in a dirty hip-hop rhythm. Her blood heated from alcohol, she linked her arm through his and he negotiated the throng of people with ease. Women in short glittery skirts and high heels shook their hips. Men grabbed hips and buttocks and thrust back and forth in a public display of their wares. Lights blinded and flashed. The earthy sexiness of half-naked bodies, perfume, and sweat filled the air, and something deep inside her shook free and released.

Freedom throbbed in her veins and heat burned inside of her as she danced. Sawyer grabbed her and pulled her close, and she slid her arms around his neck. With each beat of the music, their bodies touched, slid, and reconnected. The glorious smell of him tempted her to take the final step. Her eyes closed.

His fingers tangled in her hair and he spoke against her ear. “Come to my room.”

The word yes hovered on her lips.

Her lids slid open. She needed more time to decide. She ignored his question and continued to dance, letting the music pulse through her.

Her gaze connected with a pair of piercing blue eyes behind Sawyer.

Max.

He stood by the bar, set off from the crowd as he stood alone and watched her. Regret screamed for release, for only him, but it was too late and she needed to let him go.

“Yes,” she suddenly blasted at Sawyer.

She waited for Sawyer to kiss her. Instead, he pulled back and studied her expression. Then slowly turned around.

“Let’s go.” Carina gripped his hand and pulled him off the dance floor, but it was already too late. Max loomed before her, every muscle vibrating with pure fury. Her blood heated in response and her panties grew wet. Her body rose to life under his command.

“What the hell is going on?” His words were directed at Sawyer but she jumped between them.

“None of your business,” she hissed. “You promised to leave me alone.”

Sawyer stared at his friend with hard eyes. “Calm down, my friend. You are not dating each other, and she made it clear she’s available.”

“This is Michael’s sister, for Christ’s sake.”

“So? She is also a beautiful woman who chooses her own lovers. I think she has made her choice for the evening.”

His hand shot out and grabbed Sawyer by the collar. “I’m going to fucking kill you.”

Sawyer had no time to react. Her inner demon sprung out and she launched herself at Max, shoving him hard. “You have no right,” she yelled. “Leave us alone.”

“Carina, you have no idea what you’re doing.” He shook Sawyer in a male fit of temper she’d never glimpsed in him before.

“Enough.” Suddenly, Sawyer was free and stepped out of Max’s line of fire. “Carina, darling, please sit here for a moment. I’ll be right back. I need to talk to Max.”

“But—”

“Please.”

Shaking with pent-up emotion, she gave a jerky nod and sat down on the nearest stool. She watched Sawyer drag him away. Why was he doing this? He didn’t want her enough for himself, but refused to give her the opportunity to belong to anyone else. The sick game they’d played over the past few months twisted her in knots.

One song passed. Another. She watched the crowd lose themselves in the music and jumped up from her seat. Screw Max. Screw Sawyer. Screw them all.

She was going to dance.

Carina pushed herself onto the floor and gave herself up to the music.

* * *

Max was used to dealing with a range of emotions. When he was finally old enough to learn the truth about his father, he experienced wrenching anger. Black, coiling fury that twisted his insides and choked him with strength. So, he used his youth to make himself worthy. Enough so that his father would eventually seek him out and claim him as a son. When he failed once again, he experienced the bitter taste of defeat, grief, and a desire for revenge.

Nothing compared to the moment he’d seen Carina in Sawyer’s arms.

He followed Sawyer to his private table, where the scent of Carina still lingered in the air. His fingers flexed and he panted like a boxer going a dozen rounds, refusing to succumb to a knockout. “What are you doing with Carina?”

Sawyer smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt and gave him a warning glare. “The only reason you were able to touch me was because I let you. Once, my friend. Don’t test me again.”

“You have no right to touch her, and I can kick your ass as well as I did ten years ago.”

A touch of a smile curved Sawyer’s lips. “Ah, I remember that. But I was drunk at the time. You won the woman that time. As usual you didn’t keep her for long. This time, I think you are too late.”

Max paced the room in an effort not to jump him and beat the shit out of his old friend. “Listen up. She’s an innocent, and Michael’s younger sister. If you touch her, he’ll fly here in a heartbeat and make your life a living hell.”

Sawyer waved his hand in dismissal. “I’m not so easily cowed if I see a woman I want. A woman worthy of the fight. Didn’t you give her up? I made sure to question your relationship and she told me several times you are not together.”

“Of course I’m not with her! I’d never betray Michael or fuck up her life. You’re into a different lifestyle, Sawyer, stuff way over her head. She deserves better than you or me. She needs a committed relationship.”

Sawyer studied him for a while, his dark eyes cutting through the bullshit and hitting the core. “Carina never stated she wanted someone long term. In fact, it seems the opposite. You have always enjoyed being the dominant partner in your sex life. Why are my choices so different?”

“It’s not all about power and sex with me. Merda! She is a virgin!”

“Why are you so afraid of her virginity? I think you’re more attached to it than her.” He pointed a finger at him. “Have you really looked at her? As soon as I took control she practically melted in my hands. She has submissive tendencies and will do best with a dominant lover, someone to push her boundaries. I normally like a woman who’s a bit more worldly and experienced, but Carina is bursting at the seams for a sensual experience. She just needs the right man.”

“That man’s not you. You’ve never crossed the line with business before. We have a deal on the table.”

Sawyer walked over to the bar and poured two glasses of cognac. “Carina is no longer working on this deal. She quit.”

“Yes, but she still works for the company.”

He handed him the glass and Max threw back the liquid in one clean shot. “She confessed something to me today. She seems on the verge of making a decision about staying with the company or choosing a different future, but I don’t think she’s ready to acknowledge it yet.” Sawyer grinned. “She’s a spitfire trapped in an innocent shell. Once she finds her passion she’ll be unstoppable.”

The idea she’d engaged in such an intimate conversation with Sawyer rattled his nerves. He slammed the glass on the table and raked his fingers through his hair. What the hell was happening? He grabbed onto the only thing left to control. “I’ll call Michael tonight if you touch her. He’ll ruin you and I’ll put you in the hospital.”

His friend roared with laughter and only pissed him off further. “Do you even hear yourself? Carina’s not a toy or a possession but a grown woman. But it seems you know that. You just don’t want to think of her like that because then you’d have no more excuses.”