Young Adult author Aiko Bradley wants some worldly experience and who better to teach her than the worldliest of men-Maximilian Croft?
From his daredevil stunts to his decadent affairs, Max is everything a perfect heartbreaker should be-one that Aik...
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With his notorious reputation, one would think that Maximilian Croft, man-whore extraordinaire, wouldn't be surprised by anything when it came to women.
But he seemed surprised by my declaration.
Dumbstruck, even.
Unfortunately, even that look was attractive on him. Just as attractive as the I-got-into-a-brawl-for-a-woman-I-have-no-business-screwing look. His disheveled hair and scuffed up profile made him look even more deliciously masculine which was probably why he could still screw women he had no business screwing.
But that look didn't last long.
For someone who got knocked around for a good bit after drinking his weight in hard liquor, the gaze he focused on me was startlingly lucid and sharp. There was something perturbing about that nearly imperceptible change in him—one I'd seen a few times when he thought no one was paying attention. It made me think of artists whenever they would pull back from their all-consuming passion to critique their work.
Red flag. There's more to this man than what meets the eye.
There was reason to be concerned, yes, because Max's superficiality was exactly what I was depending on but for the life of me, I couldn't settle with a less complicated man.
If I'm going to live life, it might as well be on razor edge of it.
"Why?"
"Why what?" I asked back, raising my brows. "I need a boyfriend and you've met the requirements."
He didn't respond—clearly, he needed reassurances. "Don't worry. You can still go savage every now and then, let your inner beast out—whatever it is that keeps you secure in your alpha male status. I won't hamper you as long as you keep it out of my way. Should you need me as audience, just ask ahead of time."
It was now his turn to raise a brow at me as if he couldn't believe my audacity. I couldn't either. "And why exactly do you need a boyfriend?"
I shrugged. "Because I've decided that I haven't had one and it's time to cross it off my list. It seems to be a widely assumed essential on the list of female adulthood accomplishments. I don't require a lengthy relationship. Three months should suffice nicely."
Max stared at me and I wondered if he thought I was crazy. Or delusional.
Probably delusional.
Whatever his reputation was, Max's taste in women couldn't be faulted in terms of beauty. He definitely liked them attractive and he wasn't particular if said attractions were shoved in your face—or his, for that matter.
I didn't have much I could shove in people's faces. My attractions were minimal in both variety and size. And based on the way Max's gaze traveled down on me from head to toe, he was taking stock of my modest offerings to determine if I was a bad bargain.
