The Attraction Equation (Love Undercover) Read online

  “Laugh all you want, chuckles. But I would like one—just one—holiday without expectant stares and secret smiles that fool no one.” Or a shit ton of comments about how a woman would loosen him up.

  “And the answer you came up with is…me?” Her incredulous tone made her opinion of his powers of thought obvious.

  He shrugged. “I had a limited selection.” Damn. He’d let her needle him into a jerky comment.

  She bit her lip and scrunched her toes in her flip-flops. Idly, Max observed how she’d painted her toes every color of the rainbow, plus a few shades in between.

  “You’re bat-shit crazy if you think I’m the answer.”

  Still observing her toes, her comment took a second to sink in, and he suddenly caught her tone. She didn’t see them as a couple any more than he did.

  Good. That meant things wouldn’t get messy when the charade ended. He conveniently ignored the attraction aspect of the situation. Shutting that down should be easy enough.

  Max’s watch alarm went off, so he knelt back down to scrub at the stain. “I’ve done the math. It all adds up. This is the best option.”

  “You did the math”—she made air quotes with her one free hand—“while my dog tore through your apartment and you dealt with the Super and our neighbors?”

  Max flashed her a quick grin over his shoulder. “I’m fast with numbers.”

  Now that he had a definitive plan in place, his spirits were improving by the second. He had an answer to his dilemma. A talkative, argumentative, rule-breaking solution with drool-inducing curves, but he had all the power because he knew about the dog.

  “And if I refuse?” she persisted.

  He kept scrubbing. “Your friend Sabrina loses her apartment.”

  Despite not looking at her, he could still feel the heat of her glare. He wouldn’t let that happen, of course, but Gina didn’t know that. Desperate times… Besides, he could help her, she could help him. Win-win.

  She huffed. “I don’t like lying to people. Especially mothers.”

  Max headed for the kitchen. “You had a mother, I assume? Didn’t you ever lie to her?”

  Again, she bit her lip and he turned away, forcing down his physical reaction to the small gesture. It didn’t escape him how lush those pink lips were. She might not be his type personality-wise, but his family would definitely believe his having a physical attraction to her. Very little acting would be needed in that department.

  Leaving the rags in the sink to be cleaned later, he put away the bottle, careful to set the label facing out, and Gina didn’t seem to notice. Good. He went back into the living room to continue picking up. Normally, he’d wait, but he wasn’t trying to impress this woman, and she hadn’t commented so far—a refreshing surprise he was happy to take advantage of.

  Gina was the perfect solution. He’d bailed her out with the dog. She’d be gone soon. And she lived close enough that they’d appear as though they were staying together without her ever needing to set foot in his apartment. After this, anyway.

  Really, the plan was perfect.

  “So how long would this…charade…last?” she asked from the doorway. Resigned reluctance edged her voice.

  He grinned. Got her.

  …

  “Until Christmas, maybe as late as New Year’s,” Max answered, continuing to put away the mess.

  That wouldn’t be too bad. Not that she was agreeing yet, because seriously—what was with this guy and the obsessive cleaning?

  Gina frowned at the judgmental thought. Everyone had their thing, so who was she to question him? She couldn’t stand for roof water to touch her anywhere. If it dripped on her head, it bugged her until she could take a shower.

  So yes. She could understand his quirks. In fact, maybe she should help him clean. Feeling good about her plan, she picked up a pillow and set it on the couch.

  “What would I have to do?” she asked, watching him flip over the pillow she’d just fixed so the zipper faced down. She frowned. Oh, that wasn’t offensive at all. She could totally pretend to be with a guy like him.

  Yeah, right.

  She glanced at the scruffy dog in her arms and thought about Sabrina and Mateo. Apparently she had zero choice.

  “The usual girlfriend stuff. We’d need to do a test run first, obviously.”

  Seriously? “You have a line of girls to interview for this position?” She couldn’t help the comment.

  He ignored her. “I have an office Christmas party coming up. Assuming we pass that one, you’ll come with me to my parents’ house for Christmas.”

  Why did she suspect he’d have a checklist in his phone prepped and ready to aid him in his assessment of her performance? Which meant she’d better do a bang-up job. Fan-freaking-tastic.

  “I have plans with my own family for Christmas,” she felt obliged to point out. “This dog is a gift for my younger brother, Mateo. I’m going to surprise him.”

  Max paused. At first, she thought guilt might have him rethinking his plan, but then she realized he was just recalculating the options. “Where do they live?” he asked.

  “Brooklyn.”

  He nodded. “Fine. Christmas Eve with my family. It’s tradition. My siblings and their spouses will all be there, too. Then I’ll take you to your family afterward in time to surprise your brother.”

  Darn. The guy had an answer for everything.

  “How old is this brother?” he asked.

  “Ten. We’re sixteen years apart.” Why had she felt the need to explain that?

  Max’s jaw tightened with, what? Guilt?

  Ha! Good. She hoped he oozed with guilt.

  “That’s quite a gap.”

  She shrugged. “I was a teenage pregnancy.”

  She waited for some judgmental comment, but none came. Instead, he went back to cleaning, and she couldn’t just stand there and watch. Picking up a framed picture off the floor, happy to see the glass hadn’t broken and it hadn’t scratched the hardwoods, she studied it. A younger Max stood in the center of two women and two men—his siblings by the way they resembled one another. He was laughing, appearing carefree and happy.

  Attractive smile, she noted, a real one, as opposed to the ones he’d tried on her earlier, the ones that didn’t reach his eyes. Her stomach clenched in the oddest way as she gazed at his face in the image. What would she have said if he’d turned the charm she suspected lurked underneath on her, rather than played the blackmail card?

  Noting an empty spot on his glass bookshelf, she placed the framed photo back in what she assumed had to be its rightful place.

  “That’s not how that—”

  Gina only heard Max’s objection in a vague way. She tilted her head to look at the picture on the shelf from a different perspective—his, hopefully—then reached out and turned it to just the right angle.

  Turning, she smiled at a man who could apparently still looked hot with his mouth wide open. He closed it with an audible snap. Ouch. His poor teeth. She managed not to chuckle, oddly happy she could silence the man who seemed to have a serious issue with needing order. She also filed that fact away for future use, should she need it.

  “What about kissing?” she asked.

  He stilled, then frowned. “I haven’t taken any surveys, but I hear I’m not half bad.”

  He held that serious expression while she stared at him, then broke into a grin this side of wicked. “Yes. I expect we might have to kiss as part of the…uh…show.”

  Her cheeks warmed. “How much kissing?”

  “It depends on the situation, I guess.” He continued to clean, as though the question didn’t merit worrying about.

  But she was already worried. If she couldn’t get over this weird and seriously annoying awareness he kindled in her, kissing could be…problematic. “What about other PDA?”

  He paused. “Like?”

  “Holding hands, snuggling, whispering sweet nothings in my shell-like ear…”

  Max snorted a la
ugh, apparently sweet nothings were not on the top of his list.

  On a roll, she ignored him and continued. “There are other logistics to consider.”

  “Such as?”

  “What am I expected to wear to this shindig? What day is your office party, because I’ll need to check with work?” All of her jobs in fact. “Will I be expected to know anything about you? What about gifts for your parents? Will you sign for both of us?”

  Max held up both hands like she held him at gunpoint. “Okay. Okay. Let me think about it and figure out the details. How about we meet tomorrow to talk about it?”

  Gina rapidly did a mental scan of her schedule. “I work from ten thirty to seven. Can you meet around nine? That should give us enough time before I have to leave.”

  His forehead furrowed like he had to seriously think about how her timing impacted his schedule. “I think that will work.”

  “Fine. Meet me in the park then.”

  Another frown. “Why the park? Why not my apartment?”

  Control freak, much? She held up the now calm creature she still cradled in one arm. “I have to take the dog out before I leave for work.”

  Max paused in a last sweeping glance over the room, now back to its perfect order, to glance at her. “You’re going to leave it in an apartment all day? It’s going to pee everywhere.”

  Why did she get the impression that his concern was more for the dog than the apartment, despite the word choice? Her instincts couldn’t be right, though. “Don’t worry. I have a midday break and my job’s not far from here. I’m going to let him out before I go to my afternoon job.” The evening job, unfortunately, took longer. She hoped the fluffball could hold it for four hours. “And I have him penned up in the bathroom to save the carpets, just in case.”

  “With plenty of water for him, I hope?”

  He was concerned for the dog. How… Gina paused. She almost thought the word adorable, but no way could she apply that term to Max Carter. Smoldering. Sexy as hell. Irritating as all get out. But definitely not adorable.

  “Of course, with water,” she assured him. “And toys and a pee pad just in case. A comfy little bed. I’ve practically made him a palace in there.”

  Silence descended between them. What did one say before leaving the man blackmailing her over the holidays? Lovely to meet you? Have a nice night? Thanks for using my brother’s happiness against me? “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she finally settled on.

  Max gave a slow nod. “In the park at nine.”

  He followed her to the door and closed it behind her. The soft snick of the lock seemed to echo down the hallway. Gina sighed then glanced down at the bundle in her arms. “What did you get me into?”

  The dog stared back with soft brown eyes, his tongue lolling out of his mouth in a goofy, doggy grin.

  “You’re not as innocent as you want me to think,” she accused.

  At least Sabrina still had a place to come home to and Mateo still got the best Christmas present ever. However, if she was going to make it through the holiday, she’d better come up with some terms and conditions of her own to present to Max tomorrow. Limiting the touching would be top of the list.

  Chapter Four

  Max gazed around the park. Holiday decorations—wreaths, giant ornaments, and tinsel—graced the ten lampposts edging this side of the park. Strings of lights decorated the trees. The décor seemed almost odd given the unusually mild weather they were having today, more like spring than winter.

  However, the comparison only registered on his periphery as he scanned the area for Gina’s long dark hair, or for a sight of the small fleabag in her possession.

  Despite the dog, after he’d thought about things more when Gina left last night, he had to admit he’d come up with a damn good plan. One with an end result of his family leaving him alone about his love life, maybe for a while if he could stretch the lie. He only needed Gina for the one appearance. After that she could be conveniently “busy” for all family occasions.

  Eventually he’d have to “break things off,” as his family would get suspicious when Gina kept being a no-show. Still, a few months’ break was way better than what he’d been dealing with.

  He gave his watch a quick glance, and he resisted the urge to shift his weight from side to side. He always had his second cup of coffee promptly at 9:00 a.m. His personal assistant knew not to schedule meetings until 9:15. At this rate, he was going to be late. Not a huge deal, but not ideal.

  “Max!”

  His body tightened in response to the sound of Gina’s sultry voice calling his name, even from across the park. Damn. He’d been hoping the inconvenient attraction from last night had been an aberration. A frustration induced anomaly. Apparently not.

  Whatever. He could ignore his baser urges.

  He glanced over his shoulder and burst out laughing as he caught sight of her walking toward him, the dog tucked under her arm, her outfit a sight to see. “I think your reindeer is missing his red nose,” he called.

  Given the unseasonably warm weather, she wasn’t sporting a coat. This meant he had full access to view her ridiculous outfit: a green dress with a fluffy skirt that ended mid-thigh, edged in puffy red stuff, red-and-white striped stockings, green booties with toes that curled up, and…yep, a tinkling sound as she walked told him bells were attached to the tips of her shoes. She was only missing the jaunty hat.

  Of course this woman was an elf for her job. That fit like her yoga pants last night. Perfectly. How could she live like that—with seasonal jobs—in New York City, no less? The idea of it made him shudder.

  Gina grinned. “I’m one of Santa’s Elves at Macy’s this year. I am very important and impressive.” She gave him a haughty look with pursed lips and chin tilted at an angle.

  “Maybe to toddlers,” he couldn’t stop himself from pointing out. “You’re also very green and red.”

  Rather than take offense, she winked. “Toddlers are the best humans you’ll ever meet. And red and green is a fun combo…and festive.” She ran her gaze critically over his suit and tie then grinned back up at him. “Besides, you could clearly use a little color in your life if your apartment is anything to go by.”

  “And what’s wrong with my apartment?” He was probably going to regret asking. He snuck another peek at his watch. 9:02. Late for coffee.

  “Nothing,” she said, pulling his attention back to her. “It’s very nice.”

  Max winced. “When someone says nice they mean meh.”

  “I said very nice.”

  “But?”

  She hesitated. “Do you have something against color?”

  “I like the colors in my apartment.”

  She shook her head, amused, but didn’t expand on her comment.

  He glanced down again. 9:03.

  “Do you need to be somewhere?” she asked.

  Busted. Some FBI Agent I am, can’t even covertly check the time. “Do you mind if we get coffee while we talk?”

  “Sure. Let me just give him a second.” Gently, she placed the dog on the ground, his tiny neck swamped by the nylon collar and leash she’d put on him.

  “Can he breathe?” Max asked. He tried to make it sound sarcastic, but based on her quick, assessing glance, he’d guess he failed, and the concern leaked in.

  “Yes, Max. Despite all appearances last night, I do know how to take care of a dog. I can put a finger between the collar and his neck.”

  “What’s his name anyway?” he asked while they waited for the dog to do his business.

  She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  Max raised his eyebrows, not bothering to hide his smile. He just couldn’t pass up the opportunity she’d left wide open. “Why? He hasn’t introduced himself properly yet?”

  Gina rolled her eyes. “No, smart-ass. He’s not my dog. I got him as a Christmas present for my little brother. Remember?”

  Another twang of guilt twitched through him. He was blackmailing her over a Christmas pr
esent. Deliberately, Max hardened his heart. Gina knew the rules of the building, and she could have waited to get the dog. “We have to call him something other than ‘the dog.’”

  Gina pursed her lips as she considered the rotund creature. “I guess so. Maybe Sparky, or Charlie, or—”

  “T-Bone.”

  Her gaze snapped to his, the corners of her mouth lifting. “T-Bone?”

  Max hid an inward grimace. Why on earth had he given her the name he’d wanted for his own dog when he was a kid? He shrugged, going for casual indifference. “He looks like a T-Bone.”

  She wasn’t buying it. “That’s an awful big name for such a little dog.”

  Why were they even having this conversation? “As an elf, I’m surprised you’re so size-ist.”

  Gina tipped her head back and laughed, a carefree sound that, along with a smile that lit her up like the Christmas lights in the trees, went straight to his dick.

  “T-Bone is fine. Adorable even. I’m just surprised you care.” She chuckled again.

  “I don’t.” The words came out harsher than he intended while he struggled to control his own body, and her smile wilted.

  The dog finished his business, and she collected the poo with a baggy, which she threw away in a nearby trash bin. “Coffee?”

  “You are going to wash your hands after handling that, right?”

  “Not to worry.” She opened the voluminous bag slung over her shoulder and proceeded to fish around inside.

  “Here, hold this.” She handed him her wallet. Then a beat-up notebook. Followed by a handful of pens, a bundle of loose receipts, and a small thing of tissues.

  “Found it!” She produced a bottle of antibacterial gel and slathered her hands in the stuff.

  As Max handed over her things, which she unceremoniously dumped in her bag, he leaned over to look inside. “What else do you keep in there?”

  She snatched the bag closed, cheeks turning pink. “Nothing.”