The Billionaire Playboy's Regret (Lark and Max)

Lark climbed into the passenger seat of the sports car and tugged the seatbelt over her shoulder. She felt Max glaring at her, and she clicked the seatbelt in place looking at him curiously, "what?"

"I wanted to open your car door. You couldn't wait thirty seconds?"

"It's me, Max. You don't need to open my car door."

He grunted and put the car in drive and pulled out of the driveway he'd backed into. "Next time let me open it."

"Where are we going?" she asked as the engine revved, and he shifted the paddle.

"I thought the nature preserve, if you have no objections?"

"Sounds good." She nodded and looked out the window, feeling strangely uncomfortable and comfortable at the same time.

"I heard you've agreed to join your father's company. He must be thrilled."

"We both are. He's always hoped I'd come back and join him and while I really wanted to make it on my own before I did, it feels like the timing is right."

"You make it sound like you didn't make it on your own."

She shot him a sideways glance, "I wanted to make partner by thirty-five."

"Life isn't a sport with fixed goal posts, Lark." Max shrugged. "Goals and plans change all the time. If you were meant to ever accomplish one singular directive only you miss out on all the exciting changes which can pop up.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean if you don't stop and reevaluate your plans as you grow and change then it means you miss out. Think about it. The person who made the plans to be partner at thirty-five isn't the same person sitting in this car with me today. In all the time you were so vigilantly focused on your career goal, did you adjust it or tweak it to reflect the person you've become?"

"There was no reason to tweak it because it was what I wanted."

"Based on what? A plan you made when you ten?"

"It's been my dream since I was a little girl!"

"I wanted to be the hulk when I was a kid." She rolled her eyes, and he caught the movement and nudged her. "Come on Lark. The dreams we have as kids aren't the same as the ones we have as adults."

"You wanted to be a scientist and you're a scientist."

"Yes, but I don't simply focus on being a one-dimensional scientist. I am diversified."

"Yeah, I've seen how you diversify."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he questioned as they pulled onto the highway in the direction of the nature preserve. "Dad requested I look at your patents this week. There's real diversification from your normal work," she scoffed at him.

He chuckled, "I'm more than a simple s*x toy maker."

"Right. You also do the research."

He laughed, "I also work in cosmetics."

"Cosmetics?"

"Yes. When Mori was in middle school she started really struggling with acne. It pissed me off all the money in the world my father has, and she was still getting these break outs and the girls in her classes were picking on her. I was going to school with a couple of medical students and got their opinions. Then eventually I started working with a couple of leading dermatologists. I created a full brand which is used exclusively in my spas.'

"I didn't know this," she turned to face him curiously. "Really?"

"Yes. The one thing which continues to inspire me, is how the women in my family are impacted by their biology. Yes, I made a fortune with s****I enhancement devices, but my heart and soul remain in the betterment of the lives of women.

"Huh," she was surprised by his revelations.

"I also," he shifted gears again as they took an off ramp, "have been working as a silent partner for a company backing a dating app."

"A dating app?"

"Yes. This woman I met at a fundraiser was telling me she was needing investors and I had her put together a presentation. It made sense."

"A dating app?" she repeated her question. "You're not really a techy guy, Max. You're more chemical explosions and orgasms."

He threw his head back and laughed, "the dating app, as I said, was more of an investment opportunity but it's about providing safe dates for women."

"How so?"

"Every person on the application needs to provide a criminal record check and references." "What?" she was stunned. "No way!"

"It's an exclusive application and it's being beta tested right now. Many of the issues we're facing is the number of men who feel it's a violation of their rights to be demanded to provide such things. Men are very entitled, especially when you're dealing with men who have the minimum income requirement to sign up on the app.

"How do you contribute to the app?"

"Money mostly. I check in frequent enough to make sure my investment remains solid."

"Neat."

"My point is, Lark," he pulled the car onto a dirt road, "when you have tunnel vision on the thing you want, you miss the opportunities which pop up."

"Well, I liked my plan."

"Are you angry it's off track?"

She thought about his question and then shook her head slowly, "no. Not really. I'm hurt and disappointed. I'm angry at how I was treated but I'm not angry about coming home. I could have continued my career with another firm, especially once Dad got through with my ex-employer and got me one hell of a letter of recommendation. Dad has loads of friends in the industry who would have hired me."

"But?"

"But it feels right to be in Dad's office. It feels like this is where I'm meant to be."

"Do you feel you didn't get where you are on your own?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we were talking about how you wanted to get there, partner at thirty-five, on your own. Do you feel you've been given a leg up in the business because of your name?"

"No. I know my work speaks for itself. I'm a damn good litigator."

"There would be no doubt you're damn good at your job," he shot her a grin as they pulled into a parking space. "You've always been geared for greatness, Lark."

She made a face at his words.

"You don't think so?"

"I think you're kissing my ass because of," she trailed off and looked out the window facing the entrance marker to the trail.

"Because of what?"

"Because we're trying this friendship thing again."

He leaned over the middle console and reached out and grabbed her chin and turned her face back to force her to look at him. "Chère, I promise you, if you want me kissing your ass, it's going to my lips fully planted on your perfectly rounded derriere, while we are both naked and it's going to include a whole lot of tongue. When, and it's a when not an if, I pay your gorgeous ass lip service, it won't be because I'm trying to rebuild our friendship. It's going to be because I'm taking it so far beyond friendship, you'll forget your own last name."

Lark couldn't look away from the dark eyes. She could feel his breath mingling with hers and her throat felt as if it were closing off with the emotions, she was feeling from the second of two bold statements he'd made this morning. She was lost in his gaze until her eyes darted to where his tongue licked his lower lip and then her own mimicked his movements. If she leaned forward only an inch their lips would touch. He drew closer and her eyes flitted shut as her heart thudded with anticipation.

The sound of a click broke her from her reverie, and he undid her seatbelt then leaned past her and pushed her door open, his smug grin so wide both dimples were on full display in his cheeks.

"Time to walk, sweetheart. Let's get some fresh air into your brain to clear your thoughts."

She felt her seatbelt zip across her shoulder and watched as he hopped out his own door. She heard his snicker as he closed his door and rounded the car. Lark wanted to smack the arrogance off his face when he stood at the edge of the trail entrance and waved at her to hurry up.

She got out of the car and closed his door a little too hard.

"Hey, my car didn't do anything to you. Be gentle with her." Max frowned at her.

She stomped past him, feeling like a fool for thinking for a half second, he was going to kiss her. What

was wrong with her? Less than twenty-four hours of agreeing to try to be his friend and she was suddenly yearning for his lips on hers. Had she learned nothing over the last twenty-nine years?

His legs were long and easily caught up to her quick pace, "what has you in a snit?"

"I'm not in a snit," she rolled her eyes behind the sunglasses she plunked on her face.

"Yes, you are. You slammed my car door. Your nose is doing that squishy thing you do where you get the

big crease between your eyebrows because you're scowling so hard and," he tugged her ponytail, "you're trampling the path so hard, every small animal in five miles has run for cover."

She smacked his hand away, "can we just walk?"

"Sure. I think though," he was joyful as he easily kept pace with her, "you thought I was going to kiss you in the car, and I didn't and now you're cranky over it."

She stopped and folded her arms over her chest and glared at him, "no. You're wrong."

"Mm," he smiled wide walking backwards, "I don't think I am. For the record, your heart is still broken over Doug and I want you to be one hundred percent certain I'm not a rebound before I let you taste my tongue."

She stared at him in disbelief. "Taste your tongue?"

"Yeah," he winked and then stuck his tongue out, wiggling it fast at her. "You know you want to." She bent down, grabbed a stick, and threw it at him. "You're an idiot."

"Sticks and stones, Lark, sticks and stones." He ducked as she bent down and grabbed a pebble and threw it at him.

Despite her actions she was struggling not to laugh at his antics as he danced away from her and continued up the trail. What on earth were they doing?