He touched her arm, but she pulled away and stood up.

“I think you’re right,” she said. “You should probably go.”

Was this somehow fun for him? Had last time not been an emergency, but instead just a way for him to get off on leading her on?

“No, wait, Olivia …” He sighed. “I should have done this earlier, but you’re so … well, I got carried away. This isn’t … I really …” He stopped and closed his eyes for a second and then looked at her. “I did this all wrong, but can you let me explain?”

All she wanted was to pick him up bodily and throw him out her front door, but (a) she didn’t think she was strong enough for that, and (b) she was pretty sure that was a federal offense. Honestly, right now, (a) was the more significant issue for her. Note to self: take some weight lifting classes.

But as she glared at him, her rage faded. Slightly. He looked so contrite, so eager to say whatever it was he wanted to say. She still felt like this was a trick, that the politician in him was going to come out and give her some bullshit speech he’d given a million other women. But he’d asked if he could explain, without just launching straight into his “I don’t want to sleep with you” stump speech, and maybe that was part of the act, but it was just enough for her.

She sat back down on the corner of the couch and pointed to the opposite corner.

“Sit there. You have exactly three minutes.” She dug her phone out of her pocket and opened the timer. “Starting … now.”

Max sat down where she’d pointed.

“I just thought maybe we should get to know each other better, that’s all,” he said.

Olivia rolled her eyes and stood back up.

“I lied, you don’t get three minutes after all. That’s seriously all you can do? Didn’t you just tell me you were good at talking to people? I get it, you’re not interested, and this whole night was some bullshit, but you don’t have to keep bullshitting me just to protect your reputation or whatever. Trust me, I won’t tell anyone about this.”

Max leapt off the couch and reached for her hand, but stopped just short of grabbing it.

“No, I swear, that’s not it, that’s the opposite of it. I’m really not lying, I do want to get to know you better, but …”

This man clearly thought she was as gullible as every other woman he’d done this to. That whole listening-to-her-and-taking-her-seriously thing had just been an act.

Max looked at the undoubtedly skeptical expression on her face and stopped.

“You’re not buying this, are you?” he asked.

She shook her head. Why had she even given him a chance to “explain” anyway?