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“That’s what I said.”

“Maybe we should make it an early night?”

“Why, are you not feeling so well?” Mallory stumbled. “Me too. I’m not used to drinking so much so fast.”

“You’ve had a tough time lately. But liquor isn’t the answer.”

“What is?” She squinted at him.

“You might want to set up an appointment with Dr. Strauss.”

“Doctor Who?”

“Dr. Strauss is a therapist.”

“You think I should see a shrink?” Mallory wrenched away from him and got carried along in the crowd. “Wheee,” she said as she was whirled into a group singing Journey’s “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’.” She sang at the top of her lungs, throwing her arms around two strangers as they belted out the chorus.

“Excuse me,” Max said, breaking in and dancing her back toward the exit.

“I’m just letting my hair down, Max.” She laid her cheek against his chest. “Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?”

“I’m showing off my assets, hoping to get some more sign-ups for tomorrow’s class.”

Mallory slid her hand over his bicep. “You’d have better luck if it wasn’t nine o’freakin’
clock in the morning.”

“I was hoping to get the after-yoga group.”

“Although, with your pecs I’d follow you anywhere.” She petted them. Or did she? Hopefully that was all in her head. “This place is wild. The colors, the skin. God, I’m so horny I could short-circuit my room vibrator.”

Max coughed nervously. “Mallory, you’re killing me here.”

“Do you know Sam fucks like a machine?”

“What?” Max barked.

“But he’ll break your heart.” Mallory nodded sagely and tried to climb up on a table to dance to “La Vie Bohème” from the musical
Rent
.

“This is the weirdest mix,” Max said as he picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the nightclub. “Watch your head.”

“Wow, I can hear again,” Mallory said when they entered the hallway and the door shut behind them. “Hey, Axe,” she waved to the doorman, over Max’s broad shoulder. “It’s back to the vanilla wing for me.”

“Did you have fun?” Axe gave her a thumbs-up.

“It was amazing.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“He’s such a nice man,” Mallory said to Max. “Why are you carrying me? I can walk.”

“This is faster.”

“So why did we have to leave the party?”

“You’re looking a little green around the gills, and I didn’t like how some of the more predatory members of our club were looking at you—especially after you made your vibrator announcement. We don’t allow our members to play with strangers after they’ve imbibed too much.”

“You’re looking out for me.” Mallory gave him a noisy kiss on the cheek. “That’s so sweet.”

“I’m not that sweet. I’m hard as a rock from having you plastered up against me.”

“Can I see?” Mallory tried to peek, but he held her firmly to his chest.

“If you weren’t drunk, you could do a lot more than look at it.” He shook his head. “Your sister would kill me.”

“She doesn’t have to know.”

Max set her down in front of her door and took the keys out of her unsteady hands.

“It’s the no frater … no fr … no screwing around with her sister, right?”

“I didn’t say it was easy. Or that I’m not tempted.”

“Rules are made to be broken. Ask Colleen—she breaks them all the time. That’s all she
ever did when we were kids. She was the troublemaker and I was the good girl.” Mallory made a face. “Can I tell you how sick and tired I am of being the good girl?”

“Is everything all right?” A woman opened her door and stood out in the hallway. She was in a puffy bathrobe and bunny slippers. She managed to make it look stunning. Long black curls danced to her shoulders. All Mallory could focus on was her pouty red lips and big blue eyes. She looked like a doll.

“I know you,” Mallory said, shaking her finger.

“Sorry to bother you, Anya,” Max said. “I’m just putting Mallory to bed.”

“I’ve had too much to drink,” Mallory said. “But you look so familiar.” She blinked her eyes, because her vision was a little blurry.

“I get that a lot,” Anya said. “Do you need me to look in on her?”

“Yeah, if you would,” Max said.

“No problem. I’m still on Paris time anyway.”

“Oooh-la-la,” Mallory said and then laughed. She was so funny.

Max opened her door and guided Mallory inside.

“I really appreciate this, Max.” She hugged him when he closed the door behind him. “It’s so nice to be taken care of for a change. Anya doesn’t have to look in on me. I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Oh, let her. She’s new and she doesn’t have many friends here. Some of the women here can be real judgmental.”

“They don’t like her? How can you not like someone wearing bunny slippers?”

“They look down on her because of her weight.”

“Huh?”

“She’s a plus-size model.”

“Of course she’s a model. She’s gorgeous.”

His arms went around her and she felt safe and snug wrapped up in his arms. “I’m glad you’re not like those bitches. You’re something else, you know that?”

“I’m not that drunk, you know,” she said, her hand wandering down to his ass.

“Drunk enough,” he said and tilted her chin up so she was looking at him. “If you want to play when you’re sober, let me know. I might have a way around the ‘don’t fuck my sister’ rule.”

“Play what?”

“Anything you want. I’ll teach you self-defense in my dojo, but after that if you want to sample the wild side of Couture, I’ll be your personal guide.”

“What about Colleen?”

“She knows her way around already.”

“Gorgeous
and
funny,” Mallory giggled until she hiccupped. “I want your hands on me.”

Max groaned and held her against him.

“Oh,” she sighed. “You
are
hard.” She pressed against his erection.

“You’re killing me.” He dropped a chaste kiss on her forehead. “I’ve got to go before we both wind up hating me in the morning.”

“I wouldn’t hate you.” She swayed a bit when he put her at arm’s length.

“I want you to have all your wits about you when you and I hit the sheets.”

Mallory moaned, a soft little sound that had Max’s eyes fixated on her mouth. “You said ‘when,’ not ‘if.’ ”

He guided her to the bed and gave her a slight push so she sprawled out on her back. Kneeling, he gave her a wicked grin as he slowly took her boots off. “You’re probably not going to remember any of this.”

“I will if you stay with me.”

He eased her under the covers and went into the bathroom to get her a glass of water.

“If you regret any of this tomorrow morning, don’t. You deserved to get a little crazy.”

“I’m not crazy.”

“I know.” Max helped her take a sip of water. He put a jar of aspirin on the bedside table next to the vibrator. “But don’t be embarrassed. I meant everything I said.”

“Max, I don’t like my life,” she said, her lower lip quivering.

He sat next to her on the bed. “What do you want to change?”

“Aside from my ex and his drugs?”

He nodded. “We’ll figure something out.”

“I’m one big ball of stress and regret. I feel like a kid looking in a candy store window. I can see all the goodies, but I can’t reach them.”

“You just have to go through the door.”

“What if the door’s locked? What if I don’t have any money? What if the store is closed?” Mallory sat up and grabbed his shoulders. She swayed as a wave of nausea hit her. “I didn’t think I drank that much.”

“Let’s give the metaphors a rest for right now. You don’t have to solve all your problems tonight. I’ll see you in the morning. Nine sharp. Don’t think I’ll go easy on you.”

She slid her hands up to his cheeks. “Max, thank you.”

He kissed each of her palms and got off the bed. “We’ll see how you feel tomorrow.”

She watched him leave, before lying back and enjoying the bed spins.

Anya knocked on the door at seven a.m.

“Don’t hate me,” she said. She held up a large coffee and a handful of creamer cups and sugar packets.

Mallory staggered back to the bed and sat down.

“Max said you wanted to go to his nine a.m. class.”

Mallory tried to get words out, but all she could do was stare at Anya. It just wasn’t fair that someone was so pretty so early in the morning. She had on snakeskin pants, a matching belt around a black silk shirt, and boots that Mallory would kill for.

“You look like you could use a shower. If you want, I can put together an outfit for you. If that’s not a little creepy, having a stranger go through your things. It’s what I do. I’m the Queen of Accessories.” She gave a hesitant smile.

Mallory tried to give her one back, but it hurt too much.

“I’ll just go,” Anya said and put the coffee down on the night table.

“Wait,” Mallory croaked. “I’m sorry. I’m so hung over.”

“It’s okay. We’ll talk later.”

“Thanks for the coffee.”

Anya waved as she closed the door.

“I liked your slippers,” Mallory said to the room. She had to work on her timing.

A long shower and the coffee helped. Mallory felt like a human being again. She grabbed a pair of sweats and a T-shirt and went out into the hallway, hoping to remember which door was Anya’s.

The first few doors no one answered. One really irate man slammed the door in her face. She couldn’t blame him. Finally, Anya opened the door.

“Hey, sorry for before.” Mallory pushed a hand through her hair, self-consciously.

“No worries—come on in.” Anya paused after closing the door. “You’re not wearing
that
, are you?”

“What?” Mallory looked down. “I’m going to a self-defense class.”

Anya tilted her head. “Yeah, but you’re wearing gray and white. It washes you out.”

“I don’t really have exercise clothes.”

“Well, good thing for you, I’ve got the key to the sample room. Come on, girlfriend—we’re going to deck you out in some bling.”

“I’m not really the bling type,” Mallory protested, but she allowed Anya to lead the way. She took her down several corridors and they were in the conference section. People dressed to kill were milling around, and Mallory couldn’t help feeling a little shabby.

“This way.” Anya unlocked two doors and led her into a cavern of a room.

“Oh my Gucci!” Mallory said. She hadn’t seen this many name brands since the outlet store had a sale.

“You’re a size ten, right?”

Mallory tugged on the waistband of her pants. “On a good day.”

“Let’s try the twelves—these tend to run small.” Anya tossed her a gorgeous peacock-blue tank top and matching pants, with emerald-green racing stripes up the legs.

“These are colorful.”

“The tank won’t ride up your tummy and the fabric will wick sweat away from your body.” She was sorting through sunglasses that had rhinestones on them.

Mallory chucked off her boring clothes and put on the lush fabric. “Oh man, I’m going to be spoiled. I don’t even want to know how much these cost.”

“For our guests, we rent them out. The designers donate a bunch of stuff so they can get some new business.”

“Who designed this?” Mallory found a three-way mirror and turned around to check out that her rear wasn’t enormous.

“It’s actually a prototype. One of our instructors is working on his own line.” Anya handed her a pair of Yves Saint Laurent sunglasses.

“I like it.” Mallory turned so the rhinestones flashed in the lights. “I feel like Cinderella.”

“I always wanted to be a fairy godmother.”

“You are awesome.” Mallory hugged her. “Can I buy you lunch? I want to know why you look so familiar to me.”

Anya went over to a stack of catalogs and pulled out one. She handed it to Mallory.

“You’re famous!” Mallory said, pointing to a photo of Anya, who was wearing a burgundy maxi-dress.

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

“You’re Colleen’s friend.” Mallory smacked herself in the forehead.

“You know Colleen?”

“She’s my sister. But we’re keeping it hush-hush.”

“My lips are sealed.” Anya twisted her fingers by her mouth as if she were turning a key. “I don’t remember you from the wedding.”

“Colleen’s wedding to Alfie? You were there?”

“I caught the bouquet. Not that it’s done me any good.”

“I couldn’t get the time off. It happened so fast. Was it a nice wedding?” Mallory’s guilt swamped her. Her only sister’s wedding and she didn’t go. Maybe David was right: she was a workaholic.

“Did Colleen design these?” Mallory asked, running her hand down the fabric.

“No, there would be holes cut out of the booty if she had.” Anya rolled her eyes.

“So assless chaps aren’t hot this year?”

Anya shook her head. “Although, if Colleen set her mind to it, they could be.”

Mallory shivered. “She would rule the world.”

They laughed together. Mallory made a mental note to spend some time with Colleen. It would be part of her life rebooted.

“I bought jeans from this place because of you.” Mallory handed Anya back the catalog.

Anya put it with the others. “Thanks.” She smiled sheepishly.

“I’ve never met a real model before.”

“Well, if you talk to some people, they’ll say you still haven’t.” Anya said it with a smile, but Mallory was familiar with the pain behind it. Didn’t she used to put on a similar face when asked how things were with her and David? And just like that, Mallory’s mood crashed. For a moment she had forgotten. All yesterday did was postpone the inevitable. Why was she still here? She should go confront David and get her life back. But her knees buckled and she quickly sat down.

“Then they’re idiots,” Mallory said, hoping Anya didn’t notice her momentary lapse. She unscrewed the lid off her water and took a deep gulp.

“Yeah, they are. There’s a great Thai place on the third floor called Lotus. Want to meet there around noon?”

“Sounds good.” Mallory forced herself up so she could twirl once more in the mirror. It really was a cute outfit. “Now, I just have to face Max.”

“You’ll do fine.”