by Neesa Hart
“It wasn’t your fault.”
She inwardly cringed. He could never understand the flood of self-condemnation that had engulfed her when her marriage dissolved. Max didn’t make colossal mistakes. It was beyond his scope of experience. “Whatever. The point is, I had a really hard time putting myself back together after he—after it was over.”
“I know.” His gray eyes studied her. “Philip told me.”
“He tells you a lot, doesn’t he?”
“He loves you.”
“I know he does.” She managed a slight smile. “He loves you, too.”
With incredibly gentle fingers, Max tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Sidney, no more stalling.” He seated himself on the edge of his desk. “Talk to me.”
“I’m afraid of what might happen to me if I get involved with you,” she admitted.
“I’ll take care of you.”
“Oh, Max. Don’t you see? I don’t want you to take care of me. I’ve just started to feel like I’m pretty good at taking care of myself. I’m not ready to turn the job over to someone else.”
That made him frown. “I didn’t mean—”
“I know. It’s not you. It’s me.” She couldn’t hold his gaze any longer. “This is all moving a little fast for me.”
“I’ve known you for ten years.”
She laughed a little. “You’ve barely spoken to me, and now, suddenly, you want…” She couldn’t continue.
“It’s not sudden. I’ve wanted you for a long time, but things were never right for us.”
Her gaze flew to his. “Max—”
“It’s true.” He leaned closer. “It’s complicated, and I’m not sure I understand it. I’m not very good at explaining myself. I don’t have to do it very often.”
“I don’t think—”
He cut her off. “We’re going to be together all weekend.” His gaze narrowed. “If I have my way, really together. I want you to understand that. I don’t want to play games.”
“I’m feeling overwhelmed.”
“I tend to have that effect on people.” With his fingertips he gently traced the curve of her eyebrows. The touch made her shiver. “I decided last night that I’m tired of waiting. I’d prefer to know exactly where I stand with you.”
She was drowning in the intoxicating sensation of his clean scent filling her head and his warmth wrapping her in a sensory cocoon. “Max, please.”
“Please what?” His voice had dropped to a seductive whisper. “Please stop? Please don’t stop?”
She shook her head, trying to clear it. “I don’t know.”
His lips turned into a beautiful smile that stole her breath and made her heart skip a beat. “Don’t worry.” He reached for her hand, then raised it to press a kiss to her wrist. “I’ve waited this long, and I may not like it, but I can wait a little longer. I can wait until you’re ready.”
Sidney drew a steadying breath.
“A few more hours won’t kill me.”
“Hours?” she choked out.
His smile widened. “Did I happen to mention that in addition to ‘Mad Max,’ my adversaries call me ‘Max the Relentless?”’
“I’d heard that.”
He tipped his head so his mouth was a hairbreadth from hers. “You’re about to experience it firsthand.”
Her knees almost buckled. “I might not survive.”
He pressed a swift kiss to her lips. “Don’t worry,” he said again. “You won’t get hurt. I promise.”
Her lips burned from the slight contact, but the words penetrated the fog in her brain to leave her with an uneasy feeling. “You can’t guarantee that.”
He evidently decided to ignore her protest. He shrugged. “I’ll let you make the choice, Sidney. Just don’t wait too long to make it.”
Or, she thought, you’ll make it for me.
Chapter Four
To her utter relief, Sidney barely saw Max for the rest of the day. She had ample time to consider her reaction to the man as she and her staff prepared for the evening’s event. Max’s guests proved to be relatively undemanding during the daylight hours, which, Sidney considered, was a good thing. In her current muddle, she wasn’t certain she could have adequately handled a major crisis.
More than once, she chided herself for an overactive imagination when Max’s staff seemed to study her with undue curiosity. For the most part, she’d known these people for years through her relationship with her uncle. They knew of her long history with the Loden family, and surely found nothing odd about her third-floor rendezvous with their boss. After all, Philip had left her in charge for the weekend. Everyone knew it. Guilt alone was making her think everyone knew she harbored thoughts of jumping their boss’s bones.
One of the housemaids sauntered by, offering Sidney a jaunty smile. “Cripes,” Sidney mumbled to herself. “Two more days of this and they’ll have to have me committed.” More likely, two more days of close proximity to Max and she’d turn into a complete simpleton. He had that effect on her. He enveloped her. How in the world, she wondered more than once, could anyone fail to notice the way the man sucked up all the available oxygen and space in a room. He was like a human firecracker—he inspired awe when properly handled, and he had the potential to be positively deadly.
Sidney had worked herself into a nervous sweat by the time she put the finishing touches on a tray of handmade chocolates. The combination of stainless steel and granite in Max’s ultramodern kitchen did nothing to chill the slight fever on her flesh.
Unmistakably strong, tanned hands came from behind to rest on either side of her, pinning her to the counter. Sidney pulled in a ragged breath and tried not to surrender to the urge to melt into him.
Max whispered against her ear, “I hope you brought something to wear to the party tonight.” His breath fanned her face.
Sidney kept her voice light. “My uniform.”
He nuzzled her ear. “I’d rather you attended. I’m looking forward to—” he paused almost imperceptibly “—dancing with you.”
“I don’t let my staff fraternize with guests.”
“You’re the boss.” He twined a curl of her hair around his forefinger. “You get to make your own rules.”
“I like to set an example.”
“Sidney—”
She turned to face him. “Not now, Max. I’m busy.”
He licked a dollop of chocolate from her fingertips. “Soon, Sidney. I’m not a very patient man.”
“You told me you’d let me decide.”
He looked like he wanted to argue. Instead, he took her hand in his and pressed it to his chest. “Dance with me tonight,” he murmured.
The statement was simultaneously seductive and suggestive. It sent a tremor of heat up her spine. “I don’t think—”
“One dance,” he said. “Just to tide me over.”
“Max—”
“Say, yes, Sidney.” He leaned closer. “Or I’ll kiss you in front of Eddie.”
Too late she noticed the man standing patiently near the door of the kitchen, waiting to deliver the chocolates. He had that carefully blank expression she’d come to recognize as Philip’s eavesdropping look. She drew a deep breath and leaned back against the counter. “I’ll be busy all evening.”
Max’s mouth kicked up at the corner. “I’ll find you.”
Of that, at least, she could be sure.
MAX LEANED against the bar, idly listening to the music as he studied Sidney’s profile in the warm glow of the Chinese lanterns. Tonight’s event was far less formal than last night’s festivities. Sidney’s staff had transformed his terrace and broad gardens into a charming recreation of a Victorian boardwalk. His guests strolled along the planked walkways, stopping to sample hot pretzels and fluffy cotton candy. Barkers, clad in striped jackets and straw skimmers, enticed customers into gaming booths where everyone, miraculously, won a prize. His sister Natalie sat, deep in conversation with her husband. She wore the cheap rhinestone
necklace he’d won for her like it was the rarest treasure on earth.
And Greg, he noted, was busy impressing Lauren with his pitching skills. Only Colleen, the older of Max’s sisters, seemed unwilling to join the festive mood. She’d been sullen and frustrated when she’d found him alone in his office last night. Sidney had just left when Colleen had invaded his third-story sanctuary to give him a blistering lecture on his responsibilities to his guests. He had no business, she’d argued, hiding up there while she and Natalie entertained on his behalf.
Max had soundly advised her to mind her own affairs, and he still regretted the harsh tone he’d used. Twice today he’d tried to find her to apologize, but, typical Colleen, she’d deftly avoided him—a ploy she used when she found him particularly vexing.
Of course, he admitted as he took a sip of his mineral water, she’d had an easier time eluding him due to the decidedly distracted state he’d been in since he’d found Sidney running his kitchens and, for the weekend at any rate, his life.
Watching Sidney now, he wondered at the startling effect she was having on him. He never lost sight of his siblings, yet Sidney had managed to wedge herself firmly into his thoughts until he found himself dwelling all too often on thoughts that were having a predictable effect on his body.
Once again, he felt the familiar kick of desire in his gut. With measured care, he set his glass down on the bar. He’d sensed the heat in her that morning in his office. Her ex-husband, damn the bastard, had made her unsure of herself, but with each minute of the day, Max had felt more certain that the timing was finally right.
The thought sent satisfaction flaring through him. He made his way across the terrace with unflappable determination. How in the world, he wondered, had he waited this long?
Sidney started when he slipped up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist. “I’m ready for that dance now,” he whispered in her ear.
She let out a shuddering breath. He liked it. He liked thinking of her a little off balance. It occurred to him that she’d breathe like that while he was making love to her. With measured precision, Sidney shook her head. “I don’t think we should. Not now.”
Max edged closer to her. “I think we need to. Right now.”
“Max—”
He turned her in his arms so he could see her expression. The slight glow in her eyes coiled through him, relentlessly stoking the fire that licked at his belly. “Now, Sidney.”
She swallowed. “I distinctly remember you saying that you wouldn’t push me.”
His lips twitched. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that men bent on seduction say all kinds of things they don’t mean?”
“I’m pretty sure I heard that somewhere.”
He slid one hand down her back to fit her against him. “Besides, I think I’ve exercised remarkable patience. I resisted temptation all last night, and I’ve waited ’til now. What more do you want?”
Her breath caught as she studied his face. Her expression turned suddenly serious. She stroked the line of his jaw with the tip of her index finger. “Oh, Max,” she said quietly, “so much more than you could possibly imagine.”
His blood turned to lava. For a few, startling seconds, he flailed about, searching for balance. He muttered a soft curse. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. He always stayed in control. Control was crucial. But his brain and his heart didn’t seem to be cooperating tonight.
Sidney placed one hand on his shoulder. “What’s the matter? You look a little rattled.”
“I’d like to know why you’d wait until we’re standing in the middle of a crowd to say something like that to me?”
“Paybacks are hell. You’ve had me reeling since early this morning. I thought maybe it was your turn.”
He rubbed his hand at the small of her back. “I told you I didn’t want to play games,” he warned.
At the warm look she gave him, he felt something inside him rattle loose. “I’m not.” Sidney brushed her fingers on his shirt sleeve. “I’m really not. I just think it’s kind of sad that you’re always wondering what someone wants from you.” She tilted her head to one side. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you that you’re an interesting, dynamic individual who’s worth knowing just because you’re you?”
Max stared at her. “No.”
“Then someone blew it,” she said firmly. “I’ve been thinking about this all day.”
“That was my plan.”
“It was very effective.” Her lips tilted into a smile that kicked his body temperature up another notch. Her hand moved along his shoulder, gently caressing him through the fabric of his tuxedo jacket. “But here’s the thing. You told me what you wanted this morning. Now I want to tell you what I want.”
Images flooded his brain. Images that had his clothes feeling too tight and too warm. The woman was making him crazy. Worse, he was pretty sure he liked it. “Are you trying to drive me to bedlam?”
“I thought your car was already parked in that garage,” she teased.
“Two more days of this and it will be,” he assured her. “I want you desperately. I didn’t realize how much until I got this close to you.”
Sidney sighed, a soft exhalation of breath that wended its way into his heart and left him yearning. “Oh, Max.”
“Desperately,” he said again.
“That’s just it. Something tells me we shouldn’t, but I want it, too.”
With a soft curse, he tugged her toward a secluded arbor, shielded from the party with a curtain of honeysuckle vines. “Why don’t you tell me about it while we dance?”
Her soft laugh ricocheted off his nerve endings. “Because we’d never finish the dance, and you’d probably embarrass yourself, and me, in front of your guests.”
Max stepped into the arbor, then pulled her tight against him, all the while asking himself how in the world had he waited this long for the incredible feel of Sidney Grant in his arms?
At his earlier request, the band had begun playing a slow, jazzy song that allowed him to move against her in a way meant to entice. Instead, he found himself caught in his own snare. “You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” he said.
“No, although I seriously thought about it this afternoon when you tried to seduce me in front of Eddie.”
“Was I successful?”
“We’re having this conversation, aren’t we?”
Max sucked in a breath. “Damn, Sidney.” The way she flowed into his embrace gave him a shaky feeling that he was going to have serious trouble letting her go. “Have you always had this talent for mental demolition?”
“Is it affecting you?” An enticing tremor laced her voice.
The sound intoxicated him. “Absolutely.”
“I’m glad.”
Max wasn’t about to question what had brought on her sudden reckless mood—not when he was within hours, minutes, maybe, of getting something he now craved like an addict. She’d tied him into a neat bundle of knots, and at this moment, he realized, she could ask him for just about anything and he’d get it for her. For the first time in his life, he understood how men managed to ruin their lives over women.
He inhaled a deep breath of her scent. Clean and womanly and with the slightest touch of chocolate, it sent his blood pressure to the moon. “Oh, Sidney, I want—”
A sudden clatter at the edge of the terrace arrested his attention. He parted the honeysuckle with a deft swipe, then swiftly scanned his guests to find Lauren and Greg having a heated argument and rapidly drawing a crowd. He muttered a dark curse.
Sidney tensed in his arms. Her attention traveled first to the argument, then to one of her assistants who was already swooping down on the pair, then finally to Max. “You take Lauren,” she urged him. “I’ll handle Greg.”
He frowned. “I’ll handle Greg.”
“No, Max. Trust me. You’ll make matters worse if you strong-arm him right now. Lauren is going to need the kind of reassurance only you can give her. I’ll take care of Greg.”
He hesitated. The argument grew louder. His body was still clamoring for attention, and he felt torn. Shaking his head to clear it, he pressed a hard kiss to Sidney’s lips. “Later,” he said. “We’ll finish later.”
Without comment, she broke free of his embrace and headed for the arguing couple. Max followed close on her heels. Seconds before they reached them, Lauren peeled away from Greg and fled across the lawn. Max shot Sidney a resigned look before he set off in pursuit.
Sidney breathed a quiet sigh as she eased to a stop near Greg. She snatched a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and shoved it into his hand. “Looks bad,” she said quietly.
Greg frowned at her. “Damn Max,” he muttered. “This is all his fault.”
Sidney scanned the crowd, found her staff, and gave them a signal to get the party back on track. In seconds, the band was playing a swing number, each guest found a glass of champagne in their hand, and Sidney’s staff had the party back in full swing. She exhaled a slow breath, then turned to Greg. “Do you want to talk about it, or would you rather I left you alone?”
His tense expression eased. “You’ve been taking lessons from Philip, I see.”
She shrugged. “I just find that sometimes, problems don’t seem so large once I’ve talked through them. If you want someone to listen—” she looked meaningfully at Natalie, then Colleen. Greg’s gaze followed hers. “Someone,” she continued, “who is a little more objective about the whole thing, I’ll be glad to be that person. I’m sure this is very stressful for you.”
He studied her for long seconds, then his lips moved into the easy, charming smile she remembered. “You know, Sidney, you’re an amazing person.”
She laughed at that. “No, I’m not.”
“Sure you are. You just defused a potential atom bomb. I don’t know how you do it, but you’re incredible.”
“I like what I do. I like knowing that my clients trust me to give them a seamless event. It feels good to me.”
His gaze turned speculative. “I’m sure it does.” Slowly, he set his champagne glass down on a small table. “If the offer’s still open, I think I would like to talk to you.”