by Reese Ryan
“Of course.” Quinn tucked her hair behind her ear, embarrassed that she’d read more into the fact that Max had saved her number in his phone. “The list is in my portfolio.”
“Good. See you tomorrow.”
Quinn watched as Max trotted down the stairs. She locked up behind him and returned to the bedroom where they’d stood together moments ago.
She kicked off her shoes, stripped out of the gorgeous, pricey dress—a reminder of what almost was—and removed her makeup. She slipped on the white T-shirt that smelled faintly of Max. The soft, brushed cotton caressed her naked skin, abrading her already taut nipples and making her fully aware of the throbbing between her thighs.
Max hadn’t kissed her, hadn’t laid a hand on her there in the apartment. Yet, just being near him, her body ached for his touch.
Squeezing her thighs together, Quinn sucked in a deep breath and released it, trying to ignore the shiver that ran down her spine.
She slid beneath the covers, her body exhausted and ready for sleep. But her anxious mind won the battle. Quinn tossed and turned most of the night, inappropriate thoughts of Max filling her head.
Ten
Max stood by the bar in his parents’ outdoor kitchen, quietly surveying the small crowd of friends and family. His mother was still over the moon about her anniversary gift and the prospect of establishing a new restaurant in the same space where her family’s diner once stood.
“Mom hasn’t been this giddy since Davis was born.” Zora sipped her sweet tea.
“She was pretty happy when she learned that Savannah and Blake were pregnant again.” Max nodded toward his sister-in-law, who stood on the other side of the space rubbing her protruding belly as she chatted happily with Quinn.
Quinn.
Aside from a cursory greeting when she’d first arrived, he’d tried his best to ignore her. But he couldn’t seem to resist stealing glances at her.
She wore a basic, sleeveless minidress. But the cut of the dress gently hugged her full breasts, round bottom and curvy hips. The hem grazed her thighs and highlighted her toned muscles. And the deep turquoise color popped against her dark brown skin.
Her hair was twisted at the nape of her neck. Just a few strands hung loose near her temple, giving him an unobstructed view of her face. Quinn’s broad smile was as bright as the midday sun. And something about the sound of her laughter filled his chest with a warmth that reminded him of those nights when she’d snuck to his loft over the barn to hang out with him.
“She’s stunning, isn’t she?” Zora commented quietly.
“Savannah?” He sipped his tea to cool the heat rising in his neck. “Yes, pregnancy definitely agrees with her.”
“You know who I’m talking about.” Zora could barely stifle a giggle. “The last time I saw that forlorn a look, it was when Cricket was staring at the pork chop in Davis’s hand,” she said, referring to Kayleigh’s golden retriever.
Note to self: stop staring at Quinn like a lovesick fool.
Max finished his glass of tea and set it down on a nearby table with a thud.
“Actually, I was just keeping an eye on Savannah. She’s probably uncomfortable out here in the heat. I’ll take her a glass of tea.”
He excused himself, retrieved two glasses of sweet tea from the beverage table, then made his way to Savannah and Quinn.
“I thought you ladies might like some refreshments,” he said with a smile as he approached them.
“Yes!” Savannah proclaimed, fanning herself with one hand as she reached for the glass with the other. “Thanks, Max. You’re a sweetheart.” She took a long drink from the glass.
“How about you, Quinn?” Max held up the other glass.
“Sure. Thanks.” She flashed an obligatory smile. That brought the total number of words she’d spoken to him so far today to four.
Savannah excused herself to go and check on Davis, who was playing with his cousin Benji’s twins, Beau and Bailey. The kids got along well, but occasionally someone didn’t want to share. Right now, that was Davis.
Max and Quinn stood in silence as she slowly sipped her tea and looked anywhere but at him.
“How was the apartment?” he asked. “Did you sleep well?”
“The apartment is perfect.” She turned to face him. “Grandad is thrilled I won’t be making that long drive back and forth every day. We’re grateful to your family for providing it. That’ll buy me time to find another place before Cole begins demolition.”
Why was the mention of his brother’s name like a bucket of ice water being poured over his head?
“I’m glad. And I’m sure we can help you find something else between now and then,” he said.
“It was nice seeing Benji again.” Quinn nodded toward his cousin and his fiancée, Sloane Sutton—the mother of their twins. “He has a beautiful family and he’s done well for himself.”
Benjamin was a tech genius who’d moved to Seattle, where he’d developed a healthcare tech app that he’d sold for more than two billion dollars a couple of years ago. And he and Sloane—Benji’s older sister’s best friend and his long-time crush—had hooked up at Blake and Savannah’s wedding. Which had resulted in the twins and eventually their engagement.
Benji and Sloane’s wedding was in a few weeks. After their honeymoon in Greece, their little family would spend a year in Japan while Benji oversaw a project for the company that had purchased his app. After that, they planned to settle down in Magnolia Lake where Cole was building a custom home for them.
“The marriage bug is hitting your family hard,” Quinn teased. “Pretty soon, you and Cole will be the lone bachelors. Unless of course...”
“No, I’m not seeing anyone.” He restrained a smile. “If that’s what you’re asking.”
“I wasn’t, at least not for the reason you’re probably thinking,” she said quickly.
He folded his arms, amused. “And just what do you think I’m thinking?”
She pressed a hand to her forehead and groaned. “God, this is awkward, isn’t it?”
“It is.” Max chuckled. “I was pretty shocked to see you come waltzing into the conference room that day, but the truth is it’s good to see you again.”
She sank her teeth into her lower lip and nodded. “It’s good to see you again, too, Max.”
He held her gaze, neither of them speaking. This time, the silence didn’t feel uncomfortable.
“Zora,” he said finally. “You forgot that Zora is still single, too.”
“Is she, though?” They both turned toward where Zora sat on a sofa with Dallas, the two of them laughing. The corners of Quinn’s mouth quirked in a soft smile. “I’ve been watching them for the past two days, and they behave like a couple if ever I’ve seen one.”
Max studied his sister and her best friend. “I’ve mentioned as much to Zora before. She insists that what they have is a classic bromance. She just happens to be a girl.”
“Cute explanation.” Quinn laughed. “I’m not buying it, but it’s cute just the same. Then again, dating must be tricky when you live in a small town and have four older brothers.”
“Guess I hadn’t really thought about that.” Max rubbed the back of his neck as he watched Zora and Dallas. “But my sister is no pushover. She has never had a problem standing up to any of us. That includes my parents and my grandfather.”
“I don’t doubt that.” Quinn smiled. “That doesn’t mean she doesn’t care what you all think. You’re her family, and you’re important to her. Of course, she wants your approval. The same goes for Cole.”
“I doubt Cole much cares what any of us think.” Max glanced over at his younger brother, who was playing with the kids. “Not everyone has that luxury. Some of us have obligations to fulfill.”
He looked at Quinn and couldn’t help the tinge of jealousy that arose at the
sweet smile on her face as she watched Cole with the children.
“Children are an excellent judge of character, and they adore him,” Quinn said. “He’s a good uncle and a good friend.” She turned back to Max. “In fact, he seems to get along well with everyone except you. And if you don’t think that bothers him, you don’t know your brother very well at all.”
“Did Cole ask you to talk to me about—”
“Your dysfunctional relationship?” She laughed bitterly. “You must know Cole’s much too proud for that. I doubt he’s even willing to admit to himself how much it bothers him that nothing he does is right in your eyes.”
“That isn’t true.” The accusation stabbed at Max’s chest and heightened the guilt he already felt.
Yes, he was hard on his brother, but it was because he loved him and wanted the best for him.
“Cole is very good at what he does. Family or no, we wouldn’t have engaged his services to renovate the barn or the restaurant if he wasn’t the best man for the job,” Max said. “And the house he built for our parents—” Max gestured toward it “—I honestly haven’t seen finer craftsmanship anywhere.”
“Maybe tell him that sometime.” Quinn smiled softly, then sighed. “I’d better see if my grandfather needs anything. Thank you again for seeing me home last night.”
He nodded. “Anytime, Quinn.”
Max couldn’t turn his gaze away from Quinn as she walked over to where their grandfathers were gathered with some of the other older folks in town. Sloane’s grandfather, Atticus Ames, was among them. He bounced his great granddaughter on his knee, much to Bailey’s delight.
Quinn was beautiful and no less opinionated than she’d been that summer when they’d debated everything from sports to politics.
Now, as then, Quinn didn’t pull any punches. She had no qualms about calling him out on his bullshit, a trait he admired in business and personal relationships.
Max thought he’d eradicated the feelings he’d once had for Quinn. Instead, they’d clearly burrowed deeper, lying in wait for the opportunity to reemerge.
Every moment he spent with Quinn rekindled those feelings and stoked the fire he’d worked so hard to extinguish.
He’d spent a single summer with Quinn Bazemore. So why was it so damn hard to let go of their past?
Eleven
It was the beginning of a new week and Max found himself in another mandatory, impromptu meeting. This one had been called by his brother Parker—the company’s chief financial officer. Max sat at the conference table with his father and grandfather, Parker, Blake and Zora, waiting for Parker to explain why he’d called this meeting when they were already inundated with work and exhausted from the previous weekend’s festivities.
Parker pulled a stack of documents out of a manila folder and handed one to each of them.
Max read the title of the document aloud. “‘Merit-based Succession vs. Birth-Order Succession in Family-Owned Businesses.’ Parker, what the hell is this?”
Everyone else turned toward Parker, but Max glanced at Blake—next in line to become CEO of King’s Finest. There was no anger or confusion in Blake’s expression. Only keen interest.
“Well, Parker?” Their grandfather frowned. “What exactly is this about?”
Parker pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “If you’d turn to the introduction I’ve prepared on page one—”
“I don’t want to read a prepared statement, son.” Their father dropped the document onto the table with a thud without opening it. “If you’re proposing what I think you’re proposing, you’d damn well better have the balls to explain it yourself.”
“All right.” Parker set the document down.
He looked at their grandfather, then their father. Finally, his gaze settled on Blake with a hint of apology in his expression. It was a look they’d rarely seen from Parker before he’d started dating Kayleigh. His sister had teased that Kayleigh had sprinkled fairy dust on Parker and made him a real boy with real feelings.
That wasn’t exactly true.
Parker had always been keenly aware of his own feelings, and still completely ruled by logic. Emotions didn’t factor into his decisions. And he’d been a little too straightforward for his own good. Parker was still that person. His love for Kayleigh had simply shown him the power and usefulness of emotions like love and compassion. And he’d been making an effort to empathize with the people around him. So the pained look on Parker’s face was alarming.
“Blake, you are a phenomenal operations manager. The efficiency with which you run the floor and the way you handle the staff... I’d venture that no one else at this table could handle either as well as you do,” Parker said.
“Thanks, Park. That means quite a bit coming from you.” Blake leaned back in his padded leather chair, his eyebrows lowering as he regarded his brother warily. “But?”
Everyone in the room turned back to Parker, as if they were watching a tennis match.
Parker cleared his throat and shoved his glasses up on his nose again. “You strictly adhere to company standards, and you ensure that your team does, too. It’s one of the reasons King’s Finest is known for producing some of the best bourbon on the market. But the soft center that makes you a great boss and an exemplary husband and father would be your Achilles’ heel as the CEO.”
“Seriously, Parker? That’s what you’re going with? Blake doesn’t have an asshole mode, therefore he isn’t tough enough to run the company?” Zora stared daggers at their brother.
“That’s bullshit,” Max said, taking up Blake’s cause. “You just said yourself that no one else could run production the way Blake does. By your own logic, doesn’t it follow that if he runs operations so well, he’ll also run the entire company well?”
“Not necessarily.” Parker shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. “How many great players in basketball or football turn out to be substandard coaches or GMs? You’re not going to sit there and tell me that you think your all-time favorite basketball player is a good general manager, are you?”
“Point taken,” Duke said gruffly. “But it’s a hell of a leap to say the same about your brother with no evidence to substantiate your claim.”
“And that proof would come at what expense, Dad?” Parker asked. “Should we wait until the company is in decline before we declare that the experiment is a failure?”
Everyone at the table was outraged on Blake’s behalf. Yet he just stared intently at Parker with an unreadable expression.
“You act as if King’s Finest is struggling. We can afford to absorb a misstep or two,” their grandfather said, then turned to Blake. “Not that I’m saying it would be a misstep to appoint you as CEO, son.”
“It’s okay, Gramps.” Blake put a reassuring hand on their grandfather’s shoulder.
“That’s true,” Parker acknowledged. “But we have the potential to achieve even more if we take a more aggressive approach.”
“What’s the upside of adopting a riskier approach when we’re already seeing phenomenal results?” Zora demanded.
“That’s the same thing we all thought initially when Savannah came to the company with her ideas about expanding our market share,” Blake said quietly. “But she was right and the uptick in sales we’ve seen in the past three years is directly tied to the fact that we took a risk and adopted her suggestions.”
“A project Blake encouraged us to take on,” Max reminded Parker.
“True,” Parker acknowledged. “But would Blake have had as favorable a view of Savannah’s proposal if it hadn’t been delivered by a beautiful woman to whom he was attracted?”
Blake stood abruptly and slammed his hand on the table. “If you want to question my leadership ability...fine. Do it. But don’t bring my wife into this discussion. This has nothing to do with Savannah.”
“That isn’t
a slight against Savannah.” Parker held up a hand. “I hold her in the highest regard, as both my sister-in-law and as the event manager here. We’re damn lucky to have Savannah as an employee and part owner of the company.”
Parker inhaled deeply, then released a quiet sigh. “You don’t have that killer instinct, Blake. Which makes you a great brother and a fine husband and father. But when it comes to our highly competitive industry, it’s a fatal flaw.”
“The liquor business has always been cutthroat, whether it was legal or not. Running moonshine was dangerous business back in my father’s day,” their grandfather said, referring to the company’s namesake—his father, King Abbott. “And surely you don’t think it was easy for me, as a black man, to enter into this business fifty-three years ago.”
“Of course not, Grandad,” Parker said. “Every single person at this table appreciates the sacrifices you made to start this company and establish a legacy for all of us. But we live in very different times. Everyone and their mother is starting a craft distillery these days. And some of the products are remarkably good. I’m not saying we need to regard the other companies out there as the enemy, but we have to take a focused, straightforward approach if we want to achieve our goal of being the best. That’s the goal you established when you started this company fifty-three years ago. I take that seriously. And I’ve proven my willingness to make hard sacrifices on behalf of the company.”
“So now you’re trying to leverage the fact that you were willing to play fake fiancée to Kayleigh in order to acquire her building?” Zora asked, her jaw dropping.
During the acrimonious negotiations to convince Kayleigh to sell her building, Parker had agreed to pose as her fiancé at the wedding of her ex’s younger sister. Which had led to Parker becoming Kayleigh’s actual fiancé.
“Really, Park?” Max laughed. “You’re the one who came out ahead in that deal.”
Everyone at the table chuckled.
“Definitely,” Zora agreed. “Kayleigh is the best thing to ever happen to you, Parker. Plus, she took you on an all-expenses-paid trip to a tropical island. So don’t try to spin this like you’re some self-sacrificing martyr.”