Hut’s Hamburgers was an institution in Austin dating back to the 1950s, and nothing about it had changed since long before Lexie had first come here ten years ago. Still the same linoleum floor, still the same mementos on the walls…still jammed full every day of the week with patrons from across the spectrum.
“Ah, grease…” Max sighed. “There’s something about the smell of a grill and French fries sizzling in artery-clogging glory.”
A laugh bubbled up from Lexie’s throat, and it felt wonderful. Here was something solid, something familiar.
Max waited until they’d given their drink order, then pounced. “Okay, spill it. Tell me what’s wrong.”
Lexie tried for casual. “I met someone, that’s all. Or thought I did.”
“Someone?” He leaned closer, staring. “You never meet someone. Guys hit on you and you never notice. I try to fix you up with guys who could become someone—you run like a rabbit at the first sign of the real thing.”
“What would you know about the real thing, Max Lancaster? You never date a woman more than once.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “We’re not talking about me.” He cocked his head, then whistled softly. “Son of a gun. You did it, didn’t you? You met a guy who got past the wall.”
Lexie wanted so badly to tell him everything. She’d never hidden a thing from Max before—but she didn’t know whom she’d met. Just that she’d never felt that way before—ever.
“Lex—” Max’s tone was serious now. “Talk to me.”
She met his gaze and was shocked to feel tears brimming. “He was incredible, Max,” she whispered. “I’ve never—”
Max clasped her hand across the table. “Oh, hell, kid. I always knew you’d fall like a ton of bricks one day. Who is he?”
“I didn’t fall for anyone,” she protested. Then she burst into tears. “He was gone when I woke up, Max.”
Max’s voice turned deadly, like the big brother she’d always wanted. “That’s it. I’ll kill him. What’s his name?”
She couldn’t tell him. She was too ashamed of being a fool. And truthfully, she didn’t know whom she’d met that night. Certainly not the cold stranger who owned Poseidon. She would never have given that man a second look.
“I don’t know,” she whispered.
He shook his head slowly. “Good God.” He squeezed her hand tighter, his eyes filled with concern.
After a minute or two Lexie pulled away, sniffing hard. Max pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it. She accepted gratefully.
“So what are you going to do?” he asked.
“What can I do?” She pasted on a smile. “I feel like such a fool.” He couldn’t know how much.
“Don’t beat yourself up, Lex.” Max glanced uneasily toward where he’d last seen the waitress.
Lexie stifled an honest laugh. Like most guys, Max would rather take a bullet than deal with tears. “You’ve done your friend duty. I’m fine now. No more tears, I promise.”
She was surprised to find out it was true. She did feel better. Her best friend and comfort food—what more could anyone want? Suddenly she was ravenous. “I want onion rings, a shake—the works, Max. This is gonna cost you.”
He grinned and shrugged. “I’m not sure if I ate today, so I’ll just consider that you’re saving my life—and that, my friend, is priceless.”
Lexie laughed again, and somehow she felt stronger. More hopeful. She could do this. Max was, indeed, priceless. Their friendship had gotten both of them through many hard times, living off Chinese noodles for weeks on end, scraping every penny to make their dreams happen.
But the thought sobered her. Her dream was happening, but Max’s had been stolen.
By Dominic Santorini.
Even as she thought it, she didn’t want to believe it. “Max, would your Easter egg be enough proof of the theft?”
“It would be a start.”
His blue eyes fixed on hers. “Why are you asking, Lex?” Then his gaze narrowed. “No. No way. You’re not considering doing something stupid at Poseidon, are you?”
“Well, I—”
“Don’t even think about it. This is my problem, and I’ll work it out. Don’t you dare jeopardize your contract with them, trying to be my champion. You’ve worked too hard to get this shot.”
“So have you.”
“Stop thinking what you’re thinking—right now, you hear me?” When she didn’t answer, he leaned closer. “Look, you’re the best friend I ever had, but I’m a big boy. I’ll work this out.”
“But, Max—” She glanced away, trying to marshal her arguments for why it made sense for her to snoop around.
Her gaze strayed to the hall beside the bar toward the couple just then walking by—
And every thought fled as she met Dominic Santorini’s piercing stare.
Oh, my word. Dominic and Ariana. What were they doing here? Slumming?
“Lex, what’s wrong?”
She couldn’t speak. Just then, Ariana spotted her and waved, then pulled at Dominic’s sleeve. Lexie tensed, wishing she could somehow vanish.
But it was too late. Dark eyes fixed on her, he turned to follow his sister.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost—” Max craned to see what was spooking her, then whistled. “Well, well, the big boss man himself. I saw Santorini once, speaking at a conference.”
“Max, you won’t—”
His jaw flexed. “Relax, Lex. I’ll play it cool. I’m not about to tip my hand until I’m sure.” A dangerous glee danced in his eyes. “But I wouldn’t mind an introduction to the babe who’s with him. Know her?”
Lexie could barely speak. “She’s his sister.”
Tawny eyebrows lifted. “How interesting.”
“Max, she’s—” And then it was too late. Ariana was almost beside her.
The raven hair swung around Ariana’s shoulders, and one pair of dark eyes glowed with pleasure. “Lexie, I am very glad to see you. I don’t know anyone in Austin yet, so it is a wonderful surprise to see someone familiar.”
Lexie darted a glance at the other set of dark eyes, as stormy as Ariana’s were pleased. Heart thumping at the warning there, she rose and hugged the woman. “Hello, Ariana. I’m glad to see you, too.”
She turned and gestured toward Max, who had already risen to his feet, his eyes fixed on Ariana. “This is my friend, Max Lancaster. Max, meet Ariana and Dominic Santorini.”
Max shook Dominic’s hand, and Lexie had to admire his aplomb, knowing that Max probably wanted to rip into Dominic’s throat. “Santorini.”
Dominic nodded just as curtly, his eyes barely moving from Lexie’s face. “My pleasure.”
It felt like a spotlight, his gaze. If she’d been a bug on a pin, she couldn’t have been more uncomfortable, even avoiding meeting his eyes as she was.
“Ms. Grayson, it is a surprise to see you again so soon.”
She dared a glance at him, then wished she hadn’t. There was something hot and angry in his gaze.
How dare he? She wasn’t the one who’d lied, wasn’t the one who’d been so rude this afternoon.
Max broke the moment by reaching for Ariana’s hand. “Ms. Santorini, whatever brings you to Austin is welcome indeed.” He lifted her hand to his lips with his practiced charm, and Lexie wanted to smack him.
She didn’t have to. Ariana withdrew her hand quickly, her cheeks flaring bright red. “I’m visiting my brother.”
One look in those anguished eyes and a look of chagrin crossed Max’s face. “I only meant to say that you brighten this little backwater.” He withdrew carefully, and an awkwardness filled the air.
“Well, I—” Lexie desperately wanted to keep Max from noticing the charge leaping between her and Dominic. She could barely breathe.
“We had better take our seats.” Dominic rescued them all. “Lancaster, good to meet you.” He nodded and turned toward Lexie. “Ms. Grayson, I’d like to meet with you again and straighten out some details.�
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He was surely talking about the gala plans, but she couldn’t be certain. Those black eyes raked her just short of indecency. And the heat and anger hadn’t cooled.
She was all too aware of Max’s curious glance and Ariana’s perusal. She swallowed hard. “I thought you wanted me to coordinate with Mr. Stafford from now on.”
“I changed my mind.” The deep voice was as much command as explanation. “Call my secretary tomorrow and let me know when you are available. I will do my best to accommodate your schedule.”
She needed this job. Surely at his office he wouldn’t—
“Yes, all right,” she stammered. “You’re the boss.” She couldn’t meet his gaze again, too afraid Max would put two and two together, too worried about being alone with Dominic.
So she glanced at Ariana instead. “I’m glad to see you again, Ariana. I hope you enjoy the food here.”
“Thank you. I hope you’ll be at the house again soon, Lexie.”
Lexie cut a glance at Dominic’s forbidding countenance, very aware of his dictate that she leave his sister alone.
He might be able to order her around when it came to this job, but if Ariana wanted to talk, she’d listen. Lexie knew all about being lonely. “I’ll look forward to it.”
She smiled brightly, defiantly. Dominic scowled.
Dominic ushered Ariana to a table in the corner, seating her with her back to the room so that he could take the chair with the view of Lexie and the tall, blond man with whom she was so intimate.
His teeth ground together as he heard Lexie’s delighted laughter. He fought the urge to walk back over and smash his fist into Max Lancaster’s face—
Simply because Lexie laughed with him as she once had so freely shared her laughter with a man named Nikos. Because her hand had been clasped in Max Lancaster’s and not his own.
“I’m so happy to see Lexie again. I really like her—” Ariana glanced up from her menu and every bit of pleasure fled from her face. “What’s wrong?”
He realized that he was frowning. Hard. Glaring toward Lexie’s companion. “Nothing.” He straightened, picked up his menu, tried to make sense of the words.
“Nothing? Dominic, we may have spent most of our lives apart, thanks to my mother’s deceit, but a perfect stranger could tell you’re upset about something.” Then she hit too close to home. “You were upset this afternoon at the house. You don’t like Lexie?” Her face showed how incomprehensible that was.
And just how much his vaunted self-control slipped every time Lexie was around. No one had ever gotten under his skin the way she did, and the distraction she presented was unsettling. Dangerous.
If only he could find his way back to the tomboy, but that woman had vanished like mist in the noonday sun.
His sister’s face bore not the smiles he’d hoped to generate by bringing her here tonight, but confusion and sorrow. “I am sorry. It has nothing to do with her.” It was only partly a lie. “There are matters at the company—”
Ariana reached across the table to grasp his hand. “You can talk to me, Dominic. I care about you, and you’ve been so good to me when I’ve made such a mess of my life. Let me do something useful. I can listen, and I’ll never say a word. I worry about you because you’re so alone.”
Dominic recoiled. He’d always been alone. He preferred it. “Do not worry about me, Ariana. Just concentrate on getting well.”
“No man is an island, brother. We are not meant to be alone. All of us need someone to trust, someone to love.”
Just then, Lexie and Max rose from their table and made their way to the door, Max’s arm slung around Lexie’s shoulders.
Her best friend, eh? Inside Dominic an ugly barb twisted. “Trust is a dangerous conceit, little one. Love is even worse. I do better alone.” Then he smiled and squeezed her fingers to take the sting out of his words. “But I do appreciate that you care. I’m fine. I am simply more accustomed to solitude.” He broadened his smile into one he hoped was convincing. “The French fries here are fresh, not frozen. They are an excellent example of the highest form of American decadence—shall we have some?”
Though Ariana’s eyes remained troubled, her lips curved into a smile he welcomed. “Let’s have a lot.”
Chief among his responsibilities was this tender creature. No longing, however fervent, could be allowed to jeopardize those who depended upon him.
“Your wish is my command.”
What a long day it’s been, Lexie thought the next day as she drove back toward Poseidon headquarters near dark. The afternoon meeting had been a long but productive one with two new clients who’d sought her out when they’d heard she was doing the Poseidon gala. Dinner was only a dream; she’d throw together an omelet when she got home.
Bradley had okayed this visit to the game’s designers, telling her that they worked odd hours, mostly at night. She needed to check her designs against the final game images. Most people wouldn’t notice, but to her, details were everything. And if she could find any evidence—
“Evening, miss.” The security guard nodded as she signed in.
“Good evening, Mr—” She squinted at his badge. “Mr. Carlyle. You doing okay tonight?”
“Call me Bob. I can’t complain.” He grinned. “Wouldn’t help if I did.”
“Is it hard, working nights?”
“Nah. Better than being at home. The nights get long since my wife passed.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s all right. Been a year now. I’m gettin’ used to being alone.” His eyes darkened. “Still miss her, though.”
“I’ll bet.” Lexie wanted to sit right here and just visit with him, instead of going forward. Maybe that was better. Maybe fate had put him here just to stop her from making a mistake—
“Well, enough about me. You go on with your plans now. Have a good evening, Ms. Grayson.”
“Lexie. And thank you.” But she wanted to beg to stay. It was only nerves. She wasn’t planning to do anything definite, just keep her eyes open to see if she could find out anything that might help Max.
But she couldn’t stop scenarios running through her ever-fertile imagination, scenes where the nice man behind her read her intentions and suddenly shock troops surrounded the place, yelling through bullhorns for her to come out with her hands up, just before the glass started exploding out of the windows.
She grinned at her own foolishness, shrugged her shoulders and went in search of the gamesters, using her badge and thumbprint as she had before to gain entrance.
Portfolio under her arm, she knocked. The door opened upon a familiar scene. Though the actual setup differed by an order of magnitude from Max’s hangout in their shared workspace, the tone of the place put her immediately at ease.
These people were every bit as crazed as Max and his crowd.
“Hi. I’m Lexie Grayson. I’m the designer for the launch gala for Legend Quest.”
She looked closer and realized that this was a boy, not a man who’d opened the door. If he was fifteen, she’d be surprised.
“Josh Logan.”
“Hi, Josh. May I come in?” He was still standing in the doorway.
“Oh—yeah, sure.” He blushed. “Sorry.” He moved back and gestured her in, his movements the gangly metamorphosis of a boy approaching manhood, one foot in each camp.
“I like your game.”
“Yeah?” He blushed again. “Well, it’s not mine. I mean, I was part of it and all, but we had a whole team.”
“I’d like to go over my drawings with you, to be sure the final product at the gala will be as close as I can make it.”
“Me?” His voice broke. “Well, sure, I mean—”
“Do you have your own workspace?”
“Yeah.” He remained where he was.
“Perhaps we could go there,” she nudged gently.
“Oh—yeah. Right. This way.”
She didn’t even know the names for much of what she saw. Computer
equipment everywhere, with vivid game scenes on the monitors—the place seemed utterly chaotic. Paper airplanes hung from the ceiling, but airplanes more wacky than any she’d ever constructed. The man nearest the door sat at a desk with a huge stuffed purple ape hanging over his partition. Someone had been to Mardi Gras—the poor ape’s color could barely be seen for the weight of all the sparkling bead throws draped around his neck.
She wasn’t really surprised when no one noticed her entrance. She’d spent years feeding Max and his gang while they puzzled over this problem and that. Periods of frenetic activity would be succeeded by periods in which everyone in the room seemed to enter hibernation and vacant stares became the order of the day.
“Nice place.” She turned to Josh, only to find him drifting toward his workspace again. She followed him, and though he blushed furiously every other minute, he was soon absorbed in showing off the wonders of their creation.
Lexie waved goodbye an hour and a half later, but their heads were already turning back toward the problems they’d been contemplating when she arrived. Good thing—it was all she could do to keep quiet.
In some ways, she’d gotten what she came for; she was satisfied that her designs would work beautifully. But she’d also gotten a few moments alone when Josh left his computer to answer a question from one of his cohorts. Heart pounding out of her chest, Lexie had tried out Max’s keystrokes, but as she was hitting the last one, she’d glanced up to see Josh returning. She’d panicked and fumbled for the escape key just as what might have been Max’s Easter egg blinked on—and as quickly vanished.
She could almost believe she’d imagined it…but she was afraid she had not.
Oh, Nikos—
Heart aching, lost in thought, she was halfway down a darkened hallway when she realized she’d made a wrong turn. She was in the executive wing. Only two lights shone through doorways down the hall; from one of them, she heard a voice. Eager to find her way out of this creepy hallway quickly, she headed toward it, hoping to get assistance.
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