The Billionaire Playboy's Regret (Lark and Max) novel Chapter 19

She was sitting at the kitchen table pretending her mother was not smirking at the other end while she sipped a cup of coffee. Max boldly descended the stairs, grunted at her for leaving him to sleep all alone and then said he’d be back in ninety minutes to go on their hike.

He then passed her the phone she left on her nightstand and smirked telling her Douglas had called and he’d answered it. “Call him back and I’ll smack your ass,” he’d said before kissing the top of her head and Everly’s cheek and wishing her a good morning. He winked as he bounded out the front door as if it was natural for him to be there first thing in the morning.

“You let him sleep up there?” Everly hissed with wide eyes. “Really?”

“They were both there, Mom. Ollie was there and so was Max. You started it by telling Bobbie I was crying. She gave them all scoldings this week and then told them I was heartbroken, and they needed me because you told her you were worried, I was going to take Doug back.” She met her mother’s gaze straight on, “I won’t by the way. Anyway, they climbed the damn drainpipe and somersaulted into my bedroom like a pair of circus performers.”

“You didn’t kick them out? You were pretty pissed at them all week.”

“They are going to therapy. They want to fix our friendships.”

“You agreed?”

“Yes, mostly for Ollie’s sake.” She knew she was lying through her teeth. She forced the thought of how she’d left Max when she’d wriggled out from under him and took the coldest shower of her life.

“You gave in pretty quick.”

“Meh, they brought a bottle of the bourbon Olivier gets. Getting wasted on expensive liquor felt like a clever way to end my work week.”

“And having Max Villeneuve waking up in your bed on a Saturday morning is a good way to start a weekend?” “Mom!”

“Oh, come on, Lark. It’s me. I know you better than anyone. He’s your wet dream. You refused to speak to him for nearly twelve years because he makes your mind putty and your resolve weak. You knew back then if you didn’t cut him out of your life you were going to wind up a spinster with cats pining after a man you believed never wanted you. Those were your exact words when you begged me to take you to look at colleges in an entirely different state! Now, explain to me again, how it is, Max Villeneuve, wound up sleeping in your bed all alone with you this morning when Ollie was not there.” “She was there! She is on a breakfast date. I assumed they would both leave at the same time. He didn’t.”

“Did you cop a feel?” She wriggled her eyebrows playfully.

“Mom!” she gulped her coffee quickly and pushed away from the table.

“Sit back down Lark.” Her mother’s tone was laughing.

“I am not answering your question.” She slowly lowered back to the chair.

“So, you did?”

“No, I did not!”

Her mother grinned broadly when she answered after saying she wouldn’t. “Why not? If I was in bed with my crush and he was built like Max Villeneuve, I’d have copped a feel.”

“You changed that boy’s diapers,” Grady made a face of disgust as he entered the kitchen hearing the tail end of the conversation, “and I pray to god I never hear those words from my wife again.”

“Come on, Grady. Help me out here. If you were in bed with your childhood crush and she was still a solid ten, you’re saying, you wouldn’t touch her?”

“I’m definitely saying that!” he grimaced at the duo and poured himself a cup of coffee. “I would never touch a woman without express consent. I still ask you after how many years of marriage before we have s*x if you’re okay with it. Do you really think I’d cop a feel on a sleeping woman?”

“Okay, if you knew there would be no repercussions and she definitely wanted it?” Everly clarified her question.

“My childhood crush was a single mom who lived on our street. She sported the biggest boobs I ever saw on a woman, and she would always collect her mail in her bikini. If she still looked like she did in my youthful imagination, she wanted it, and I was not getting in trouble?” He chuckled as Everly raised an eyebrow, “I’d do far more than cop a feel.”

“You are both sick,” Lark shook her head at her parents, fighting her giggle as her dad kissed her mom’s cheek before plunking down between them.