One Timer: An Nashville Assassins Novel Read online

  I rap my knuckles against the door and rock back on my heels as I look around. It’s a nice neighborhood, just as he described.

  It isn’t Nashville, but I could live here.

  When I hear the door handle jiggle, my lips curve up and my heart almost stops. Here we go.

  But instead of Maxim answering the door, it’s Stella Brooks.

  My heart drops to my gut, through my colon, and out my ass.

  Stella Brooks should be a model. She is absolutely stunning, with one hell of a body. Her metabolism is real good, and that frustrates me. Her hair is long, dark, and lustrous. Her makeup is always applied flawlessly, her hair styled to the same level, and even her lounge outfit is chic. My shirt never matches my PJ bottoms. Hell, neither do my socks.

  Stella annoys me greatly, which is sad since I have known her for as long as I can remember. Our parents are best friends, and my sister is engaged to her older brother. I do love her. But mostly, I’m jealous that she’s everything I’m not.

  I have a feeling this is about to be a shitshow.

  Stella pulls in her brows, and my jaw is on the ground. She recovers well and grins as she gushes, “Posey! What are you doing here?”

  I clear my throat. “I could ask you the same thing.”

  We stand there, staring at each other. Almost in a standoff. Both our parents would shit pucks if they knew we were here. She bites her lip and blurts out, “Please don’t tell my parents. I’m supposed to be on a school tour with some girlfriends. But instead, I came to see Maxim.”

  I should call her parents right now.

  I force myself to swallow, and I feel the emotion taking over. “Funny, I came to see Maxim too.”

  She eyes me, but before she can say anything, Maxim is beside her in all his beautiful glory, wet from a shower. “Posey!” he gushes before moving around Stella to wrap me in a tight hug. “I did not expect you!”

  I hug him tightly, pressing my face in his neck, fighting back the tears. The scent of soap is fresh on his body and in his hair, making me a bit dizzy. “Surprise.”

  “Yes, so much so,” he says, pulling back and looking down at me. “I wish you had called. I would have told you Stella was here.”

  I can’t look at her, but I feel her staring at me. He doesn’t have to say it for me to know I’m not welcome. This is what I get for being spontaneous. “Oh, it’s okay. I was just passing through.”

  “Where are you staying? Can we have dinner tonight?”

  Well, I wanted to stay here, but I can tell that’s out of the question. Run, Posey, run. Instead, I say, “Actually, I’m leaving in a bit. I had a meeting and wanted to surprise you before I flew out.”

  He just stares at me with a grin on his face. I wait for him to invite me in, but it’s Stella who asks, “Do you want to come in?”

  I will not cry.

  If she feels comfortable inviting someone into his place, then this isn’t new. I knew they were fooling around for a minute there, but I thought it had ended. Guess I was very wrong. “Thanks, I’m good. I just had to talk to Maxim real fast.”

  I don’t know what I am doing. I almost feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience. What am I thinking? That I’ll tell him I love him and he’ll leave Ms. Perfect?

  Maxim perks his brow as he runs his hand along his forehead, catching some of the water drops left from his shower. “Alone?”

  I shrug. “Yeah.”

  He looks at Stella and sends her a soft smile. “Go on, baby. I’ll be in soon.”

  “Oh, okay. Are you going to come in after you chat, Posey?”

  I shake my head. “My car should be here in a few,” I lie, and surprisingly well. “But it was great to see you.”

  “You too,” she says, but she doesn’t move. “Please don’t tell my parents.”

  Oh, for Pete’s sake. “I won’t.”

  I might tell Shelli, though.

  But, really, I know this isn’t Stella’s fault. She doesn’t know how I feel. Not too many people do since I have a hard time admitting it. Stella is just living her life, being confident, and making sure the guy she likes, likes her. I should channel my inner Stella.

  With a grin, Stella says, “Thanks.” She then heads inside, shutting the door behind her.

  Maxim reaches out, taking my hand in his. Jolts of heat run up my arm, leaving me breathless. “So glad to see you. I wish I had time to spend with you.”

  I bite my cheek. “Yeah, I didn’t know you’d have company.”

  “It was spur of the moment. She wanted to come, and I missed her.”

  I force a swallow. “Are you two together?”

  He shakes his head. “No, we’re just hanging out. You know how it is.”

  Actually, I don’t. Some would have said we were just hanging out, but maybe I’m the only one who thought so. “Oh. I thought you had stopped talking.”

  Maxim grins. “We did for a short time, but I like her a lot. She is just young and in Nashville. She can’t move here.”

  I almost scream that I could, but I can’t say that without explaining the real reason I’m here.

  He squeezes my hand before pinching my chin with his other. “What did you need to speak to me about?”

  I look up, getting trapped in his brown gaze. I want to be like Stella. Or hell, Shelli. To go after the man I want. But the words are stuck in my throat. I gaze into his eyes, and I swear I see desire and feelings swirling deep inside them. My heart is beating so fucking fast that my vision is a little hazy, but I say, “I love you.”

  His lips curve more, his eyes bright. “I love you too, Posey. I miss you ter—”

  I shake my head, cutting off his words. “No. I’m in love with you.”

  He narrows his eyes in confusion. “What?”

  “I’m in love with you. Have been for a while.” I take a deep breath as I gaze up at him. He is just staring at me, this puzzled look on his face. “I came here to be with you. I want to be a part of your life. I want to see if this can work. I feel that we—”

  “Posey,” he says, cutting me off, and I press my lips together. “I am flattered, but I don’t feel that way about you.”

  Oh, look. There’s my heart, shattered on the ground. “What? But—”

  “Surely you didn’t think I did? I never acted as such.”

  “We slept in the same bed.”

  “Because we are friends. A sleepover, yes?”

  Oh, the smart Posey who is watching this is urging me to turn away. But the dumb Posey says, “You said I was pretty.”

  “You are,” he says, squeezing my hand. “But I’m not attracted to you.” I pull it from his grip, crossing my arms over my chest. “Please don’t take offense. I care for you greatly.”

  I shake my head, and all at once, my feelings are crushing me. “But you don’t love me.”

  “No, I don’t,” he says softly, and I feel as if he is staring a hole in my face. “You are a good girl, a great friend, but I don’t like you like that.”

  “You like Stella?”

  He nods. “Very much so. She is more my type.”

  “Because I’m not.”

  He holds up his hands. “No, I don’t mean it that way. You are a very pretty girl, Posey, but not my type.” I close my eyes as I turn away. I open them again and focus in on his bare feet, and the petty part of me wants to step on his toes. Make him feel the pain coursing through my body. “I think of you as a sister.”

  Well, talk about a slap in the face.

  I tear my gaze from his bare feet and up to his beautiful face. Even through my tears, I find him stunning. My eyes settle on his lips. I hate that I never got to kiss him. “A sister,” I say, drawing out the words.

  He grins, and it’s as if he doesn’t realize he is wrecking my world. “Yes, my little, awesome sister.”

  It’s funny that the one part of him I’ve always wanted to press my lips to is now, basically, a weapon.

  A weapon causing the demise of my heart.