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senses.
    Max drew away but smiled.
    Libby blinked up at him. “Umm…”
    “I know,” he whispered huskily. “We’d better get going.”
    Max was floored that they’d kissed but he’d felt it coming the moment they met. Something about Libby drew him in, and not just her incredible mouth. It was something more. Something indefinable that seemed to surge between them and get stronger with each encounter. He liked it, but wasn’t sure he wanted it. It wasn’t the right time to get involved.
    Their eyes met across the small space of the Jeep.
    Libby’s full, pink mouth plumped into a smile. “Do you need to pick up anything while we’re in town?”
    “Coffee,” Max said spontaneously. “I only have one scoop left.” He raised his brows mischievously. “I can’t write a word without a cup of coffee setting beside me.”
    “I know the feeling. My creativity hinges on tea.” Libby made a swift turn into the grocery parking lot. She leaned toward him and whispered, “Be careful by the juice aisle.”
    The reference to their skirmish over a carton of juice made them both laugh.
    “I’ll be right back.” Max smiled his way into the grocery store. Never in his wildest dreams did he anticipate any of this. He liked Libby. Liked kissing her. Liked her smile. Liked her lightly floral scent. Liked the tiny diamond piercing in her nose. The pink streaks were growing on him too. He especially liked her break-with-ordinary-but-feminine style; particularly the choker necklace. Something about that thin piece of leather turned him on. He also liked how she made him forget the mistake of Shari. That thought poked his conscience…hard. Was Libby a rebound attraction that would dissolve once his book was finished? The answer made him frown so deep he could feel the creases in his forehead. Libby was beautiful but different. Not even close to the kind of woman he was normally drawn to. She was about to be a shining star in the fashion world and he lived a quiet existence when he was knee-deep in a novel. They were worlds apart in who they were and possibly where they were at in their lives. When he and Shari split, he vowed that his next involvement would be with his future wife and mother of his children. It was doubtful Libby was ready for anything that confining. Even though she got his blood pumping with just a look, it would be wise for him to step away before they both got hurt. That reality wiped away his good mood in an instant.
    Max grabbed a can of coffee and headed toward the checkout. Along the way, his cell phone rang. He groaned when he identified the caller. Not again. “Hello,” he said with little-to-no enthusiasm.
    “How’s it going?” Marco sounded upbeat, but Max knew something was up. Too bad they weren’t on video chat so he could roll his eyes. “Freaking peachy,” he said, unable to curb his sudden black mood. “What are you going to do, call me every hour?”
    Marco laughed. “Nah. Just wanted to give you a heads up that Jean just left my office. She’s starting to pace.”
    They both knew when Jean Symmun paced she would have Marco bug him until the manuscript was on her desk. Max wanted to throw the can of coffee. “Shit.”
    “I know, man, sorry. She’ll probably be back in here bright and early. What would you like me to tell her?”
    To piss off. Max hated this stage of the game. Jean Symmun, the Editor-in-Chief, was a hyper woman who made life crazy from time to time. “Tell her to take two antacids and call me in three weeks.”
    “Yeah, right. I want to keep my job. I’m going to tell her that you’re on the last chapter.” Before Max could balk, Marco hung up.
    Max frowned at the cashier, frowned at the boy who put the can of coffee in a bag, and frowned at Libby when he climbed into the Jeep.
    Libby smiled. When he didn’t respond with the same he noticed a slight dip between her brows like she was trying to determine what prompted his change in temperament. “You’ve