Shit. There Kari went again, doing that wicked little hip movement for Hoffman, making her dress swing up a little too high as she did some dirty dancing.

"That's one hot babe, Derek's dancing with. Who is she?"

Max looked over the table at Ted, a defensive lineman who struggled every week to tip the scales at two hundred and fifty. Ted had the gall to ogle Kari while Max sat there and waged war within himself to keep from knocking the table out of his way and taking Hoffman out for the count. Max looked back at the dance floor and took one more look at Kari's long legs in those high heels and the way her body moved as she wriggled her hips as if she wasn't the mother of his child.

Hoffman's hand slipped down her waist, close enough to her backside to make Max clench his teeth.

Beaner, the tight end for the Condors, shifted in his seat and said, "I could watch that ass all night long."

Max felt his blood pressure rise before he slapped his hand flat and hard against the table.

All three guys looked at him.

"Another word out of any of you and I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Beaner grinned.

The other two remained silent as Max slid out of his chair and headed for the dance floor.

"What's up his ass?" Beaner muttered.

"I think we're going to see some fists flying tonight," Ted said over the music.

Max came up behind Cole and tapped him on the shoulder. Cole turned around. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if I could borrow Rebecca for a minute."

"Sure," Cole said as he turned toward some of Condors' biggest fans, Rebecca and her friends.

Rebecca rolled her eyes. "I do have a mind of my own."

"Want to dance?" Max asked.

Rebecca lifted her chin. "Am I being used?"

"Afraid so," Max answered truthfully. "Or you could think of it as doing me a favor and I owe you one."

"Anything I want?"

"Anything but that," he said as her gaze fell below the belt.

"What the heck," she said, squeezing out of the booth and straightening her tight skirt. "At least I'll get a dance out of it. Cole's been doing nothing but boring me to tears whining about some girl playing hard to get. Been there, done that," she said. "The woman's wasting her time."

Cole looked over his shoulder at Lindsay and Kari.

Max raised a questioning brow, wondering why Cole was letting Lindsay make a fool out of him.

"I've already had a talk with The Terminator," Cole said, reading his mind. "He knows that if he touches her he's going to be out for the rest of the season." He gave Max a smack on the back. "Good luck."

Max headed for the dance floor. Rebecca followed.

Snoop Dog's "The Next Episode" started up and Rebecca wasted no time grabbing Max by the waist and grinding her hips against his, taking full advantage of his dilemma. Rebecca took the lead, making him wonder if he should have handled this the old-fashioned way and asked Hoffman to step outside instead.

As Rebecca worked her magic, he caught Kari watching him out of the corner of her eye. He wasn't into playing games. He knew he was being childish, but that didn't stop him from grinning at Rebecca as he worked his hips in a move he'd perfected back in his college days.

Five minutes later, Max realized Kari was gone. His fingers curled at his sides as he left Rebecca to fend for herself and marched off the dance floor. According to the guys at the bar, Kari and Hoffman had left together.

Max exited the nightclub and welcomed the cool breeze that hit his face. A woman he didn't recognize giggled as one of his teammates helped her into his car. Kari's car was gone. Hoffman had been driving a shiny red Mustang. It was gone, too.

For the first time since he and Kari had met in Dr. Stone's office, he realized it was over. He'd screwed up big time. First, by asking her to marry him; it was a chicken-shit proposal, and he and Kari had both known it the minute the words flew out of his mouth. He'd hoped to pressure her into saying yes by having Molly there. Looking back at the club, he decided to hell with it and he headed for his car. He wasn't totally dense. He knew what Kari had really needed was a declaration of love. But he wasn't good at that sort of sissy sensitive shit. Hell, he wasn't even sure if he'd know love if it smacked him upside the head.

He was an older brother, a protector. He was also his mother's only son. And now he was a father. He had way too much responsibility for one man. He didn't have time to sit around trying to figure out all this lovey-dovey crap. Maybe if he watched a few of those love stories his sisters used to watch over and over as they sobbed in front of the screen, he'd understand what women really wanted, what made them tick, because he didn't have a damn clue. All their talk of shopping and fashion styles hadn't helped in the least.

And love songs for Christ's sake. What was that about? Was he really the last unicorn? The only guy left on the face of the earth who had no inkling of what true love was?

To think he'd thought he and Kari had something good going. He thought they had a chance to make a go of it. Kari was the first woman he'd ever proposed to. The only woman in the world he'd ever considered spending the rest of his life with. And she didn't want anything to do with him. Running off with Hoffman was the last straw. A man could only take so much rejection.

By the time Max pulled his car into the garage twenty minutes later, he felt emotionally drained. The house was quiet and dark. A note from Breanne was taped to the door, saying she wouldn't be home tonight.

Max sighed, opened the door, slid off his leather jacket and tossed it to a cushioned bench, too tired to bother with it. A deep loneliness seeped into his veins as he made his way upstairs.

He entered his bedroom and shut the door behind him. He yanked off his shoes and socks and then began to unbutton his shirt.

"What took you so long?"

Max pivoted, turning toward his bed. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he began to see a silhouette.

Somebody was in his bed.

CHAPTER 21.

Lindsay stood by the bar, waiting for The Terminator to return from the Men's room so he could take her home, since Kari had left without her. It was midnight, and she had a long day ahead of her tomorrow. For the first time in twelve years, she wouldn't be home in the morning to greet the kids at her daycare. Jenny would be in charge while she was at DLS. But in nine months, she'd have a family of her own, and her life would be complete.

As she waited, she saw Cole heading her way. His broad shoulders were hard to miss.

"Come on, sweetheart," Cole said as he jangled his keys. "I'm taking you home."

"I have a ride," she said tartly, "with The Terminator."

Cole shook his head. "Sorry honey, but he and Rebecca left through the back door five minutes ago."

She grabbed her purse and headed out the door. The Terminator wouldn't have deserted her. She scanned the parking lot. The Terminator's car was gone. "Why would he do that?"

She looked at Cole. He lifted his shoulder in a shrug, but the truth was in his eyes. She put a finger on his thick shoulder. "What did you do? What did you tell The Terminator to make him run off like that?"

"I told him the truth."

She arched a brow.

"I told him you were mine."

"Ridiculous. I'm not yours. I'm not anybody's. I'm my own person. I do what I want when I want. I have nobody to answer to. I do things my way."

As she continued with her tantrum, Cole took a gentle hold of her elbow and ushered her to his car. He opened the passenger door, and she slipped in without question, muttering something about men and how they were a lot like dogs except dogs could be counted on.

He shut the door and came around to the other side. He climbed in and started the engine. "Let's get one thing straight right now," he said before they left the parking lot. "You can dance all night long with whomever you want, but as long as you're my girl, you're coming home with me."

She crossed her arms tight against her chest. "I'm nobody's girl."

He reached over and outlined her jaw with one finger. That same finger moved upward to trail across her lips. Shivers coursed through her veins.

"Come home with me," he said, his throaty voice sending another round of tingles up her arms.

"I have an appointment in the morning."

He leaned toward her and kissed her closed mouth. Then he pulled away and smiled at her. "I'm hoping to change your mind."

Her heart thumped against her ribcage. Cole Fletcher always managed to make her feel like a teenager on her first date. "That's not going to happen, Cole."

"Come home with me. In the morning, if you're still set on going to that place, I'll take you there myself."

He didn't stop kissing her, his lips warm and inviting, making her crazy with desire. One last night with Cole Fletcher wouldn't kill her. "Promise you'll take me there in the morning?"

He drew away. "Cross my heart, hope to die."

Kari watched Max in the dark as he unbuttoned his shirt. After turning Derek Hoffman down, telling him the truth, that she had it bad for Mad Max, she drove halfway home before she realized she didn't want to go home. She wanted Max. No more games. That's when she made a U-turn and headed for Santa Monica Boulevard. Breanne had just been heading out the front door when she knocked. Breanne let her inside and wished her luck before heading off for a visit with friends.

"I didn't think you'd ever come," Max said.

"I was halfway home before I realized I couldn't spend the rest of my life never being held in your arms again."

"I'm glad."

He left his shirt on the chair and stepped closer to the bed. "I'm sorry about the situation at the lake," he said as he unbuckled his belt. "I shouldn't have asked you to marry me in front of Molly."

She didn't say anything.

"Did you enjoy dancing with Hoffman?"

"Did you enjoy watching me?"

"You're a tease."

"You're too stubborn."

"I was hoping you would show up long before tonight. What took so long?"

She laughed. "You can't always get what you want, Max."

"I can hardly see you. Are you naked?"

"Completely."

"Then you just proved your own theory wrong. All I ever wanted since I first met you fourteen years ago was to have you naked in my bed again." He pulled his pants and boxers off and climbed onto the mattress, reaching out his hand until he touched her face. He brought his forehead to hers, resting there for a moment. She could feel his breath on her neck. "Tell me I'm not dreaming."

She smiled and reached out for him. She wanted him. She'd wanted him for most of her life and it was useless fighting him any longer. No matter what happened after tonight, she'd be okay with it. "You're not dreaming, Max."

He brushed his hand over her cheek. His bare chest brushed against hers as he leaned over her, reaching for the lamp. He turned it on, leaving a soft glow in the room.

His gaze roamed over her, soaking in her nakedness. She refused to squirm. His eyes met hers. "You're beautiful."

She watched him watch her as her hand rested on his jaw.

"I'm afraid to look away, afraid you'll be gone when I look back."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart." She used her index finger to make a lazy trail over his chest, across one hard nipple before continuing downward to his stomach. "I still have your shirt," she whispered.

"My shirt?"

"The one you loaned me after you spilled punch on my blouse all those years ago."

"No kidding," he said as he nibbled on her ear.

"Do you ever think of Alyssa?"

He tucked her hair behind her ear and nibbled some more. "Alyssa?"

"The girl who broke your heart that same night you took me upstairs all those years ago?"

"I don't even remember what she looks like. I have that dress you were wearing tonight down to a tee though."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah, it is. I don't want you dancing with Hoffman again."