shower. Lucky for him he had no sapping traces of a hangover but he did have a figuratively sour taste in his mouth thanks to how things had been going all week. Or make that a few months or so of the same thing happening night after night. Partying, clubbing, staying out until the early hours of the morning. This life of dissipation had become far too familiar to him for a long while and yet no matter how many women tumbled into his bed or how many rounds of alcohol he consumed, he still couldn’t stem the emptiness inside. Why was he doing this to himself? Hours later, that was the same thing his best friend James Ransom asked as they faced each other across the desk in James’s spacious high rise office. James and Maxwell had been friends since their days at Harvard, even playing on the same college baseball team. Their friendship had endured even years after as both had reached their thirty-fifth year. James was as single as Maxwell but didn’t have the same wild proclivity for women. A renowned attorney with whole corporations and celebrities on his client list, James was attractive and dark-haired while Maxwell was just as handsome but with a thick mop of golden curls he tried taming with severe cuts that only drew more attention to the almost beautiful edge to his good looks. Maxwell topped many ‘eligible bachelor’ lists though James always teased that Maxwell went through so many women it was a wonder anyone considered him fit for marriage at all. “You’re the quintessential bad boy, Max,” James noted with a slant in his white smile. “Wasting your very expensive and accomplished education and silver-spoon background on this path to debauchery.” “Stop, James. Jesus,” Maxwell groaned playfully, placing his hand to his head with a grimace. “You’ll start sounding too much like my father. Maybe like him you think I should take more of a dedicated role in his mighty conglomerate.” James shrugged his broad shoulders. “As your best friend and lawyer I can honestly say you’re one of the most intelligent men I know. You can excel at anything you set your mind on. It’s a shame you can’t dedicate it to more worthy pursuits than attempting to run through the city’s adult female population.” “Now you’re beginning to sound like my mother,” mocked Maxwell, but James merely chuckled and shook his head just as there came a buzzing from his desk. “Yes, Amelia?” James asked, depressing the button to speak to his secretary. “It’s Lily, Mr. Ransome. Should I send her in?” James told her yes and sat back with an almost apologetic grin directed at Maxwell. “Some of us have to work, buddy,” he murmured. Not budging, Maxwell spread out his hands. “I’ll try not to be too much of a distraction,” he replied just as a knock sounded briefly on the door and at James’ command, a woman entered, holding a file to her chest. Maxwell’s eyes sharpened as they fell on the employee. She greeted her boss with a smile which faltered somewhat when she turned and noticed Maxwell. “Oh I’m sorry, Mr. Ransom. I thought you were alone; you did ask me to see you at eleven to discuss the Chase Foxworth case file. Good morning, Mr. Craig.” Maxwell merely nodded though his gaze remained speculative as he ran it deliberately over the shapely woman from head to foot. He noted the blush staining her cheek and smiled secretly. Maxwell hardly ever switched off his wolfish mode; he was always on the look-out for conquests and the lovely Lily had caught his eye the minute she joined James’ firm as a paralegal. She was a bit curvy and much too sedate for his tastes but then Maxwell could tell there was great potential beneath her dowdy skirt suits and frumpy heels. Her dark auburn hair was luxurious and thick even in its austere chignon and her eyes behind her black simple frames were a bright, captivating green. There was something about her that called to the dominant and the ravisher