Seduce Me by Jo Leigh

make big money. He simply hadn’t realized how big. Not until he’d earned a spot at the heavy hitters’ table. The dollar figures being thrown around were ridiculous. Enough to tempt anyone. Whether he stayed with his firm or went elsewhere, he’d have it made financially. But he’d be expected to work his ass off. Normal people didn’t stay at the office past ten every single night. He shuddered to think of the divorce rate in the legal community. And that was the other thing. Someday—not soon, but someday—he wanted a family.
    For now the hard work wasn’t a problem. That didn’t mean he was willing to trade the rest of his life for a fat bank account and a corner office. His love of the law had always been his motivation to become an attorney. And making good money and having nice things, like his loft, his expensive suits and a great wine collection, sure helped.
    It was a great deal, actually. He’d become accustomed to nice things. Between the cash and the flattery, it was tough to stay centered and make the right decision. If he got a bad vibe from a firm, no sweat, he’d turn down even the most extravagant offer. But whether he should stay with Latham or jump ship was a lot more complicated. He’d be dealing with some of the smoothest talkers in the world. Despite the treacherous road ahead, he was ready to get off his ass and start the ball rolling. Talking himself up wasn’t his favorite thing, but he could do it when it counted. Hell, he’d had the perfect opportunity to brag about his accomplishments to Natalie. After all, the case had been all over the papers. But he hadn’t said a word to her about it.
    Natalie.
    He thought about her quite a lot. He’d discovered that a film she’d talked about was on the tube tonight. It was called M. Just M, and it was about to begin. Although he’d known it was shot in black and white, he hadn’t realized it was in German with subtitles. That would mean paying attention, and he wasn’t sure he had it in him. But he’d give it a few minutes.
    A few minutes was all it took to get him hooked. The opening scene was more ominous and gripping than anything he’d seen in ages. The only thing missing was popcorn, and wait, he had some microwave bags in the kitchen.
    It took him twenty minutes to find a place he was willing to pause, and as he pressed the magical popcorn button on his built-in microwave, he thanked whoever had invented the DVR.
    Then he thought about Natalie again. About how he’d gotten off to the memory of her doing that crazy little dance for him. And how he’d felt when her legs had wrapped around his waist.
    The microwave beeped, and he didn’t bother with a bowl, but he did grab a beer. It would have been fun to watch the movie with her. He considered calling her, but that wouldn’t be smart. Not in the long run. She was actively looking for a husband, and he didn’t want to mess with that.
    He’d been an experiment and now she was back in her own orbit. The end. Pity, though, because he’d enjoyed her company. He didn’t have many people in his life he could say that about. Not anymore.
    On the other hand, Natalie was a grown-up and she could make her own decisions. He might call her, although not this minute. Maybe after the movie. He wouldn’t mind watching it a second time with her.
    The popcorn was good, but it wouldn’t hold him. Max left the movie on pause so he could order takeout curry from Spice Thai on Astor. Just as he picked up his phone, it rang. It was his cousin Paula. He’d left her a message on Saturday about the mix-up with the cards.
    “I’m so sorry,” she said after they’d exchanged hellos.
    “It’s okay. It turned out fine.”
    “This shouldn’t have happened,” Paula said. “The woman who runs the printing company has already made new cards—with the correct pictures this time—but listen, how would you feel about me preemptively setting you up with someone? I really think you’ll like her,