Who Gets to Marry Max?

by Neesa Hart

  “Oh, good grief. Please call me Sidney. What time did you get summoned out of bed this morning?”

  He tugged at his tie. “I’m normally a very early riser.”

  A smile played at the corner of her mouth. “I see.”

  “Max pays me extremely well,” he muttered.

  “I’m sure he does.” Sidney indicated the mound of paperwork with a sweep of her arm. “Still, by the time you finish going through this, you’ll be wanting a bonus.”

  Max, she noted, stood rooted to the floor, staring at her with a wary look in his eyes. She smiled at him and quipped, “That’ll be all right, won’t it, Max? The bonus, I mean.”

  He merely nodded. She picked up the thick packet of information from the IRS and handed it to George. “Here’s what they sent me. I have to confess, it might as well be Greek.”

  George scanned the letter, then flashed her a bright smile. “Oh, this is actually quite good news, Miss Grant, er, Sidney. Max was under the impression that you were being audited.”

  “I’m not?”

  George shook his head. “This is an information request. We’ll have this settled in no time.”

  “Good,” Max said, “then Sidney is free for the day.”

  George nodded. “Absolutely. I’m sure everything we need is here in her, uh, files.”

  That made her laugh. She supposed there was something vaguely resembling a manila folder somewhere in the clutter of her table. “Very tactful, George.”

  He pushed the wire-framed glasses up the bridge of his nose. “If we need anything, we can always call you.”

  Sidney looked at Max. “Am I going somewhere?”

  He looked relieved to have the conversation back on concrete terms. “I told you, the manager of the hotel is expecting you at eleven.”

  “What hotel?”

  “The Carlisle.” When she said nothing, he added, “Greg’s engagement party. I’m thinking of having it there.”

  “Oh. It’s a nice place. What do you need me for?”

  His expression turned strangely piercing. “That’s something I’d like to discuss with you,” he said carefully. “If you have time today.”

  Her eyebrows lifted. “You pretty much made sure I would.”

  Max nodded. “We can discuss it in the car.”

  He had, she noted, neatly ducked the issue. “I have some errands I have to run this morning, and I need to stop by the charity luncheon Kelly is handling for me and make sure she has everything she needs.”

  “No problem,” he said. “I’ll go with you.”

  “You’re going to run errands?” Good Lord, could this day grow any stranger?

  “No,” he said with careful patience, “I’m going to accompany you. You’re going to run errands.”

  “I see.”

  Max nodded. “When can you be ready?”

  Sidney thought of resisting him, then an image of his strained expression at Sunday night’s dinner party popped into her head. Poor Max. When had someone taught him that every problem was his alone to bear? She felt her heart open a little wider toward him. “Give me thirty minutes.”

  He looked relieved. “Whatever you need.”

  Sidney shook her head and padded toward her bedroom. She was kicking off her shoes when Max stepped through the door. Startled, she glanced at him. “Max, this is my bedroom.”

  His gaze traveled to the bed, then back to her. “I’m painfully aware of that.”

  “Was there something else you wanted?”

  He hesitated, then nodded. In two quick strides, he reached her, placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her to him. “I just wanted to make sure we’re clear on this,” he murmured, then covered her mouth in a kiss full of hunger and need.

  Stunned, Sidney stood still for a second, then yielded to his firm persuasion. With a slight groan of triumph, Max wrapped his arms around her, locking her to him in a firm embrace. She eased her hands up his chest, twined them around his neck. The intensity of the kiss enveloped her. Cast adrift in a sea of sensation, she clung to his shoulders for support. Kissing Max Loden, she decided, was a little like drowning—she felt simultaneously disoriented and weightless. As abruptly as it began, he ended it. When he lifted his head, she had to blink several times before he snapped into focus.

  He wore the same fierce expression. “I didn’t want you to be confused,” he said softly. “Not about this, at least.”

  “Oh.” She was dimly aware that she sounded like an idiot, but couldn’t seem to form a coherent thought.

  Max, however, seemed satisfied. He studied her face, then released her. “I’ll let you dress.” And he strode from the room.

  Sidney dropped to her bed. She pressed her fingertips to her still-sensitive lips and met her gaze in the mirror. “Cripes.” The flushed face and oddly sparkling eyes bore little resemblance to the weary reflection she’d seen moments ago. She had a vague feeling that she’d just survived a hurricane.

  Sucking in a breath, she thought about Saturday night, when he’d asked her to dance—when she’d stepped into his arms knowing she was making an irrevocable decision. Since her divorce, she’d carefully guarded her heart, unwilling to make the same mistakes she’d made with her ex-husband. Kelly stayed on her case about her too conservative approach to life. For years, Sidney had used the demands of her business as an outlet for her passion. But something in the way Max looked at her, something about who he was, made her feel uncharacteristically reckless.

  And, she decided as she studied herself in the mirror, she had the distinct feeling that the odd craving licking at her belly was no longer going to satisfy itself. Shaking off a slight tremor of foreboding, she grabbed her robe and headed for the bathroom. Dear Lord, the man was going to be the death of her.

  Chapter Six

  When she joined Max in the living room a half hour later, George was still issuing quiet orders on the phone. Max stood, hands in his trouser pockets, with his back to the room, staring out her window. Sidney crossed to him and laid her hand on his shoulder. He glanced at her with the same odd look he’d worn when he’d left her bedroom. “Ready?” he asked.

  She nodded. He reached for her hand and enclosed it in a fierce grip. “Thank you.”

  Sidney hesitated. “Max—are you sure you’re all right?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “I don’t know. You seem—intense.”

  That won her a slight smile. “More than usual, you mean?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  He pulled her toward the door. “I’m fine now,” he said softly. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come.”

  He issued a final few commands to George, then pulled the door shut with a soft click. Sidney paused at the landing. “What are you talking about?”

  “This weekend—” He shook his head. “I handled it badly.”

  Sidney shook her head. “I’m sure it was very difficult for you.” At his confused look, she added, “Helping those families at the plant.”

  His gaze narrowed. “It was.”

  “You were distracted. I understand.”

  “You do?”

  There it was again—that bleak loneliness that turned his silver gaze a colorless gray. With a soft sigh, she rose on her tiptoes to press a soft kiss to his cheek. “I’m sorry you couldn’t find me on Saturday night, but for the record, you could have gotten me up on Sunday morning.”

  “I left the estate at five-thirty in the morning.”

  “You were on your way to an extremely difficult situation. I’m sorry you felt like you had to go alone.”

  He blinked. She shook her head. “That’s what friends do, Max. Wouldn’t you have done the same for me?”

  “That’s different. I’m often up very early.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Stop taking everything so literally. All I meant was that I have no doubt you would have inconvenienced yourself a little just to make me feel better. I would have done the same thing for you.”

  When
he didn’t answer, merely continued to watch her with that strange look in his eyes, she tugged on his hand. “Don’t worry about it,” she assured him. “I’ll show you later.”

  When they emerged onto the busy street, Max’s limousine was parked at the curb. Sidney shot him an accusatory look. “I thought you said the thing was pretentious.”

  He shrugged. “It is.”

  “Then why are you using it?”

  “I’m trying to impress you.”

  She stared at him. “Are you actually trying to tease me?”

  He tipped his head to one side. “If you think I have the fortitude to tease you right now, you’ve grossly overestimated me.”

  Giving the car a dubious look, she shook her head. “This really wasn’t necessary, you know.”

  “I know. But the space in the back gives me a chance to get some work done. With rumors of the merger floating around, things are a little crazy right now. I’m trying to keep our stockholders calm without tipping my hand.”

  Yet, he’d made time to call his accountant and spend the morning with her. “You should be at the office today.”

  “This is the next best thing,” he assured her.

  Sidney gave him a warm look. “Have I told you that I think you’re adorable?”

  “Lord, I hope so.”

  Sidney laughed. “Poor Max. I can see I have a lot to teach you.”

  “I’m very much looking forward to it.” The look he gave her curled her toes.

  Charlie had rounded the car and opened the door for them. Max indicated it with a sweep of his hand. “After you.”

  Inside, Sidney saw Lois Stein, the older woman who had been Max’s secretary for as long as Sidney remembered. The mobile office in Max’s limo was complete with a laptop computer and portable fax machine. Sidney waved. “Hello, Lois.”

  “Hello, Sidney. Nice to see you again.”

  Max cleared his throat. “We should get going.”

  Sidney nodded. “Why don’t I sit up front with Charlie? Then you can work, and I can tell him where I need to go.”

  “No.” The resolute note in Max’s voice gave her momentary pause.

  “But—”

  “I want you in the back,” he said firmly. “With me.”

  “But don’t you think—”

  He placed his hand at the small of her back. “I can see I have some things to teach you, too, Sidney. I want you in the back.”

  She gave him a disgruntled look. “You can work better if you don’t have to listen to me chatting with Charlie.”

  “In the back,” he said again.

  “That seems silly.”

  “With me,” Max insisted.

  She shook her head. “Geez, Max, do you always have to act like such a tyrant? You can’t always have your way, you know.”

  “Today I can.” He guided her into the car, then looked at Charlie. “Take Miss Grant wherever she wants to go, Charlie. We don’t have to be at the Carlisle until eleven. If we’re running late, I’ll call.”

  “Sure thing, Max.” Charlie shot her a grin. “Where to, Miss Grant?”

  Her eyebrows lifted. Miss Grant. He’d never called her Miss Grant. Charlie was her uncle Philip’s poker pal and the only other member of Max’s staff who’d been with the Loden family since before Max’s birth. “Charlie, if you start calling me Miss Grant, I’ll forget to answer.”

  The older man slid a casual look at Max, then met her gaze again. “Okay,” he said quietly. “Where do you need to go?”

  She didn’t miss his careful omission of her name. With a slight frown, she gave him directions to her bank. There was something odd, she thought moments later, about writing out a deposit slip for the check Max had given her while beside her, Max transacted a quarter of a million dollars worth of international currency purchases.

  And the rest of her day unfolded in a similarly bizarre fashion. When his limo drew stares in the small parking lot of her local bank, Sidney decided to save the rest of her errands for later, and gave Charlie directions to the site of the charity luncheon.

  When they entered the chaotic ballroom at the hotel, Kelly’s eyebrows lifted so high they disappeared behind her bangs when she saw Max standing near the door, intently watching the activity.

  “We’re going to talk about this,” Kelly said firmly.

  Sidney didn’t doubt that. Kelly would hound her mercilessly. “I wouldn’t dream otherwise.”

  “Soon,” her friend added.

  “Tomorrow.” Sidney handed Kelly back her indispensable clipboard. “We’ll have lunch. You can debrief me about today, and I’ll spill my guts.”

  Kelly glanced at Max, who stood near the entrance of the ballroom, talking on his cell phone. “Did he happen to explain why he went missing on Saturday?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “I’ll look forward to hearing it. How did he tear you away from your private hell with the IRS?”

  “He gave me a team of accountants who are, even as we speak, sorting my files.”

  “God—I love a man with flair. Some guys just bring flowers. Where did he learn to be so romantic?”

  “Believe me, at seven o’clock this morning, I was thinking an accountant in a navy blue suit was enough to make me swoon.”

  “I wasn’t kidding,” Kelly assured her. “You gotta admit, the man has a certain, ah, panache.”

  “You could say that.”

  “Definitely. You’re sure that Fitzwater woman is going to marry the brother?”

  “That remains to be seen.”

  “Yeah, well,” Kelly shook her head, “if she backs out, I think I’ll get in line. You promise you’ll give me a full report tomorrow?”

  “If this day turns out to be as bizarre as I think it will, I’ll be dying to talk to you.”

  “If you’re that desperate, you could always call me tonight—unless you, uh, think you might have other plans.”

  Sidney laughed. “You’re so subtle, Kel.”

  “It’s my forte.”

  “Well, the only plans I have tonight are for an early bedtime and a good night’s sleep. I was up all night trying to make sense of Tick’s notes.”

  “Serves you right for hiring an accountant named Tick.’

  “Thanks for your support.”

  Kelly looked at Max again. “Believe me, you’ve got me totally in your corner.” Her expression turned serious. “It’s about time you decided to quit letting that jerk you married have control over the rest of your life.”

  “Kel—”

  Kelly gave her a gentle shove. “Tomorrow. Right now, you’ve got the great toy tycoon wistfully longing for you.”

  “Wistfully longing?”

  “Just look at that expression.”

  “I hate to break this to you,” Sidney chided, “but that particular expression is annoyance.”

  “Let me tell you something, babe. I got a lot more experience in that department than you do, and the only thing that man is annoyed about is that it’s taking him so long to get between your sheets.”

  “Kelly.” Her voice held a warning note.

  Kelly prodded her toward Max. “Tomorrow,” she said. “We’ll talk about the whole thing tomorrow. I have a feeling the phrase ‘Who Gets To Marry Max?’ is about to take on a whole new meaning.”

  Hours later, Sidney leaned back against the leather seat of Max’s limo. Nervous energy had gotten her through the interview with the hotel manager, but her sleepless night and the latent anxiety of the weekend were catching up to her. Beside her, Max talked on the phone, his feet propped on the opposite seat. His secretary had taken a cab back to Max’s office when they’d arrived at the Carlisle. For the first time since that moment in her bedroom, she was alone with Max.

  He didn’t look at her, but he seemed to sense her fatigue. He eased his arm around her shoulders and guided her head to his chest. With a soft sigh, she closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation of listening to his voice with her ear pressed to his
chest.

  It seemed like seconds later that Max prodded her awake with a soft kiss. “Sidney?”

  She blinked. “Hmm.”

  “Sidney, wake up. You’re home.”

  She had to shake her head to clear it. “What?”

  He smiled at her as he smoothed her hair off her forehead. “Home. You’ve been asleep.”

  “I was?”

  “You were.”

  She glanced out the window. They were in front of her apartment building. “I’ve been asleep for two hours?”

  “About.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Did you stay up all night working on your taxes?”

  “Yes.”

  Max shook his head. “You should have told me.”

  “It wasn’t just that,” she said before she thought better of it. “I haven’t slept very well since Saturday.’

  In the slightly shadowy interior of the car, his eyes sparkled. “Neither have I.” Sidney blushed, which won her another soft kiss. “Rest assured, I’m going to talk to my sister about that.”

  “That’s not necessary, Max. I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding.”

  “Maybe.”

  She squeezed his forearm. “Forget it. It’s okay.”

  Max shrugged. “I called George and told him to have his people out of your apartment by the time we got home.”

  “That wasn’t necessary, either.”

  “It was. I want you to get some rest.”

  She gave him a slight smile. “Judging from this afternoon, you didn’t have to run him off. You notice I didn’t have any trouble sleeping through the ride home.”

  “I didn’t run him off. He assured me he has everything he needs from you. They’ll finish up tomorrow at his office.”

  “I’m pretty sure I forgot to thank you for doing this. In case you didn’t notice, I was drowning before you and George came to the rescue.”

  He lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. “I was glad to do it. I just wish I’d known about it sooner. Philip should have told me.”

  “It wasn’t your problem.” He looked like he wanted to argue, so she cut him off with a slight wave of her hand. “Never mind. Just consider yourself eternally thanked for your help. I’m sorry I was such lousy company this afternoon.”