This time though, she knew things were different. Usually she just had to relocate as a precautionary method, this time she had actual proof someone tried to breach her system and the information she had gone digging for was top level. Information that went—not to be melodramatic—all the way up to the White House and therefore some seriously important people would be committed and dedicated to making sure this information never became public. So she had to disappear, at least for a while.
This time she wouldn’t be alone when she disappeared, she would be with Max Howard, whoever the hell that was. The thought of being with someone while she ran was comforting, but she would be with a complete stranger. If what Trina said about him was true, he was as gifted as she was with a keyboard and an internet connection. That also meant his attitude was probably as bad as hers. For as gifted as she was on a computer, she was equally horrible with people.
Her plan to run away was getting more complicated by the second.
~
Max was grumpy. Thanks to Trina’s master computer whiz, hacker, programmer and all around computer genius--just like him—he was on the road in his black on black Land Rover, headed for a home in the Los Angeles suburbs. Blaine, what kind of name is that for a girl? He’d bet she was some twenty year old with green hair, piercings and stars tattooed all over her body. “Damn,” he smacked the steering wheel and exited the 101. This was the last thing he needed with his brother missing and the other two headed into the eye of the storm to rescue him.
He needed to be in Boulder, not babysitting some snot-nosed hacker out in California. He hated feeling helpless but he had to admit that Trina, Reece and Tag were much better skilled and equipped to bring Levi and the others home. Dammit that thought didn’t make him feel any better. But he said he would pick this Blaine person up and keep her safe. And he would.
After a series of twists and turns he pulled up to a split level home with brick façade and a small yard with colorful flowers. Hacker Blaine lived here? Was this hacker some middle aged grandma or a housewife bored with PTA and bake sales? His big truck came to a stop in her driveway and he lowered his big body to the ground, scanning the block for anything that looked out of place. An outdated car, a man or woman over or under dressed for this neighborhood at this time of night. So far everything looked calm.
He knocked on the door and waited. He knocked again and waited some more. Finally, several minutes later the door swung open and he saw a gorgeous dark-skinned woman with waist length golden brown braids. He groaned when he spotted a few strands of hot pink mixed with the sexy brown color, but that groan turned carnal as he took in her ass hugging green yoga pants and a leopard print tank top that drew his gaze right to those plump tits.
“Judging by your lack of social skills I’m guessing you’re Max?”
“If I wasn’t Max, I’d probably say I was now.”
Arms crossed, inadvertently pushing her breasts even further out, she looked at him thoughtfully. “I guess you’re right.” She slammed the door in his face.
“Dammit.” He knocked and rang the bell until the door swung open again.
“Yes? May I help you?”
Max tried counting to ten but patience with people had never been his strong suit. “You can stop fucking around and let me in so we can get started.” He brushed past her and ignored the vanilla and peach scent wafting from her sweat slicked body. “How far along is your scrub?”
She pushed past him in the narrow hall and led him to her data room. “The scrub has been completed three times, cracked and burned. Everything is broken down and currently sending enough CO2 in the air to shave a few more years off the planet. We need to let it burn and then we can motor out of here.”
He looked around and noticed two boxes and two suitcases sitting near the front door, everything else was covered in sheets or packed in boxes. “What about the rest of this stuff?”
Her smile was big but it never reached her eyes. With a shrug she explained. “This stuff will sit here a few weeks or a few months while the homeowner continues to get rent checks. Then one day someone will come and put it all in a moving truck and it’ll be like I never lived here.” She did say she hated it but Max could tell this was a woman tired of running.
He nodded. “Right. I’ll put this in the car while we wait.”
“No. We take that when we’re done here. One trip and we may get away without my neighbors noticing. Two and someone will come and offer help.”
“You’re shitting me?”
She smiled wistfully. “I shit you not, Maxwell.”
“The name’s Max.”
She smiled innocently. “Sure thing, Maximilian.”
He growled at her and she laughed. “You’re a real comedienne, Blaine. Is that even your real name?”
Nodding with a stupid grin on her face, Blaine turned away and took a few more paintings off the wall. “It is, actually. When I was growing up I loved all those teen shows filled with happy white people with made up problems. There was one show, about crazy rich kids and the dumb shit they do to one another and this guy, Blaine, was a total villain. Think of a Disney James Spader from any eighties movie ever and that was Blaine.” She smiled and shook her head, “I hated that guy but damn I loved his name. I turned eighteen and picked a new name. Blaine.”
Damn he didn’t want to like this woman, but he did. “In that case, it makes perfect sense,” he deadpanned and she double over laughing.
“Thanks Maxim, I needed that.” She continued to laugh until Max’s stone stare nearly cracked. Nearly. “Anyway let’s go stoke that fire so we can get the hell out of here.”
Chapter Two
“So where exactly are you taking me?” Blaine felt as though she’d asked this question at least fifteen times since Max rolled his fancy truck out of her former driveway but still he ignored her question.
“Someplace safe.”
“Real big talker, huh Maximo?” He was as gruff as a bear with a thorn in his paw but he didn’t scare Blaine. “Look I don’t know shit about you and I’m putting a lot of trust in Trina by going with you,” she paused and waited for him to look at her, “but if you’re not going to tell me where you’re taking me just stop the car now and we can part ways here.” The last thing she needed was to be reliant on someone who didn’t want her around.
“The name’s Max. Just Max.”
Her pissed off brown eyes were flecked with gold. “I don’t give a shit what your name is. Just tell me where we’re going.”
Max turned to her and took in the tension around her eyes and mouth. He sighed, knowing this couldn’t be easy for her. As much shit as he’d caused as a kid with his skills, at least he always had Tag, Reece and Levi. From what he could tell Blaine had no one right now. Except him. “We’re going to my cabin.”
“As in a cabin in the woods?”
He would have laughed at her outraged look if she didn’t seem so serious. “Yes, it is in the woods. Technically.” He had a place just outside of Big Bear, technically it was located inside the national forest but a bit of cash and his plot of land was now considered part of Big Bear.
“Technically? What does that mean?”
This time he did smile. “It means the property butts up against a forest, but is not located in the forest.” He hoped she wasn’t one of those terrified females who couldn’t stand to be away from civilization. “Is that a problem?”
“Not for me. As long as you don’t try to kill me and force me to kill you instead, we’ll be alright.”
This time Max did laugh. “You think you can kill me?” He laughed and laughed, gripping the steering wheel as tears streamed down his eyes. “Blaine you’re a funny girl.”
That fiery gaze narrowed in his direction, then she looked straight ahead with her arms crossed. Silence reigned for a tense moment. “First of all, I could totally kill you…without a weapon. Second I am a woman, not a girl. Don’t get it twisted, Maxie.”
He groaned and g
ripped the wheel until his knuckles were white. They drove in silence for nearly an hour and Max was both surprised and impressed. He knew very few women who could stay silent for five minutes, never mind sixty of them. But his eyes were getting tired. “So Blaine”
She cut him off. “I can take the next shift driving if you want. You’re about to pass out and I don’t want to die before whoever tried to breach my system has a chance to kill me.”
“I am not trusting you with my car.” Everyone knew women were horrible drivers and with her temper he had her pegged for a reckless driver. “I can drive. Just talk and help me stay awake.”
“You know what Maxis? Screw you.” She dug in her leather bag and pulled out a set of ear buds, cranking her music and enjoying the lack of scenery on the black moonless night.
His lips twitched at her childish antics, but she was right he was being an ass. And now he’d pissed her off so he’d have to stop for coffee if he wanted to keep this car on the road.
“Why are we stopping?”
He winced at her volume and yanked the ear buds from the jack. “I’m stopping because the stubborn ass woman I’ve been sent to retrieve and protect refuses to help me stay awake so I need caffeine.” His glare didn’t intimidate her, which kind of made him smile, especially when her breath hitched.
“Well I offered to drive and you refused so it’s your own damned fault.” She unfastened her seat belt and hopped from the car before he could say anything so he followed her into the gas station.
“If you drive the way you move, like a whirling dervish, then we’d never make it to our destination in one piece!”
She turned on him, spitting fire. “I’m trusting you to keep me safe and I just fucking met you!” She whispered but her anger was evident, “So if you don’t trust me to drive your precious overpriced hunk of metal, I’ll say thanks for your help and goodbye.”
Max shook his head and made his way to the back of the store for the largest cup of coffee he could find. When he reached the cashier there was no sign of Blaine. “Did you see where my friend went?”
The young kid looked up with a grin. “The hot black chick with curves for days? Yeah I saw her. She bought all the disposable phones we had, a bag of junk food and left. PDQ too.”
Pretty damn quickly? “Shit.” He threw two fifty dollar bills down and threw his stuff in a bag, darting back to the car. The empty car. “Where the hell is she? She couldn’t have gone far in this weather.” In the back of the truck he spotted her boxes but the suitcases were gone. “Shit!”
He didn’t know where she would go because he didn’t know her that well, but he figured she wouldn’t head in the direction they’d been heading. Hopping from the car, Max went around to the back of the store and found her struggling to get her suitcases into a cab. Where the hell did she find a cab around here? Picking up his speed, Max reached her and grabbed the handle right from her. “What in the hell do you think you’re doing!”
She growled at him—growled—and turned, looking beautiful in her anger. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Let my bag go and I might let you keep your balls.” She yanked the handle but Max was taller, wider and stronger than her five foot two frame. “Dammit Max, let go.” Then she let go and he stumbled back.
“Blaine just think, for one damned minute! Where would that cab have come from? You can barely get a cab in LA, forget up here in the mountains. You want to stay safe, then stay with me.” He reached his hand out to help her but she smacked his hand away, grabbed her suitcases and slowly walked back toward his Land Rover.
~
Blaine sat silently in the passenger seat as his big hulking truck plowed over the rough terrain. The road was tiny, barely large enough for their car, and the only light came from the headlights. She wasn’t a woman easily scared but this road even gave her the creeps. Plus she was feeling foolish for sneaking away from Max. The sigh she released was long, slow and tortured, everything she was feeling.
Her problem was Max. He made her react instead of act. Under normal circumstances she would have quickly questioned why there was a cabbie so far from civilization. Every time she closed her eyes she saw how close she’d come to her final foolish mistake. The cab driver was big as shit with a bald head and tattoos. He was either former military or a hired assassin. Maybe both. Shit.
“Thanks Maxima. For saving my ass back there.”
She couldn’t have shocked him more if she tried. Max didn’t think Blaine was the type of woman to apologize often but she seemed sincere so he didn’t question it. “No problem Blaine.”
Great. Still an amazing conversationalist. “So how far are we from your murder shack?” The car came to a smooth stop and she looked around but all she saw was black.
Max had pulled out a small handheld device and his fingers flew over the screen. “We’re here,” he gave her a smug smile.
Looking out the window, she knew why. Calling this place a cabin would be like calling her an IT girl. This place was how the supremely rich ‘roughed it’. It was a cabin, a genuine log cabin, if log cabins came with three stories and remote control access. External lights flicked on lighting up the landscape, showing off a wide wooden porch with a covered grill in one corner, a hot tub off to the side and she could hear a generator running somewhere in the back. “This is your cabin?” Max smiled and Blaine had to squeeze her thighs tight to stop the ache. He was hot even with the long hair and scruffy beard, but when he smiled holy shit did he look like he belonged on the cover of In Your Wettest Dreams magazine. Those blue eyes were as enticing as finding a way into the server of a government program that didn’t officially exist. And those lips, she could tell even under the beard that they were plump and sexy and would taste like candy on her tongue. The man was delicious and she was in trouble. Serious fucking trouble.
“It’s mine. Wait until you see the inside.” He hopped out and she followed him.
“Oh shit its cold! There’s snow on the ground Max.” She stood frozen, literally and figuratively, in about two feet of snow. She had on yoga pants and sneakers and instantly her teeth began to chatter and her muscles began to ache.
“Shit.” Turning back to the car, he stalked over to her with that same gruff look on his face she was beginning to think was his default setting. “Sorry,” he barked at her.
Seriously? “Wait, are you pissed at me? If you had told me when I first asked, maybe I’d be—hey what the shit!” Her tirade was cut off when Max scooped her in his arms and carried her to the porch. One hand released her legs while the other stayed at her back. Blaine seized the opportunity to let her body rub against his on the way down. “You’re a strong guy Maxiro.”
He smiled. “You’re the size of a puppy.”
Blaine threw her head back and laughed. “Yep, a puppy with more hips, ass and tits than one woman needs.”
Max raised a brow. “The problem is?” His gaze roamed her body as effective as a caress. An arrogant smile split his face when she shivered and her nipples puckered under that ridiculously sexy tank.
“Oh get over yourself.” Her voice was husky but agitated as she crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s cold as hell out here.”
His laughter was deep and sexy. “You know Blaine, you’re alright.” He opened the door and ushered her in. The orgasmic moan she released made all types of thoughts run through his head, none of them having to do with keeping her safe or rescuing his brother. “Dammit.” He needed to stay focused on Levi, not the bombshell now under his care.
Blaine whistled her appreciation. “This place is warm, for which I am eternally grateful but damn it is spectacular.” She walked through the first level and took in the high ceiling and industrial art that served as lighting in the hall, the sitting room and the kitchen. “A smart kitchen, nice!” Her fingers ran along everything and took in every detail. The place screamed luxury with the plush leather cushions on the teak framed sofa. There was a large TV fixed to the wall, a requisite for a
ny man under the age of 50, and a giant Renoir hung high above two large windows. “Original?” He nodded. She knew he was waiting for her to gush or pump him for information on his wealth but she didn’t need to, Trina had her investigate the Howard brothers before she’d gone into business with them.
“Bedroom?”
“I’d like to shower first but I’m down if you are.” She smiled when she tripped up the stairs and turned, putting a bit more swing in her hips as she climbed. Of course the bedroom he put her in was huge and the big bed screamed wealth. The wood frame was heavy and expertly carved, with intricate flower designs and swirls on each post and the headboard. “Same artist as the light fixtures?”
An impressed smile crossed his face. “Good eye.”
“Thanks,” she muttered. He didn’t need to be so surprised, like she couldn’t know art. She opened the door to the en suite bathroom harder than she needed to and looked around. Too bad she was too pissed to enjoy the beauty. The shower was large enough for at least six people and it had a bench, because you know, showering is such hard work. Rich people, she shook her head but she couldn’t wait to get in there. The tub was large and deep, with candles and soaps decorating the edge. The black and silver marble made the room comfortable and relaxing. It was a beautiful bathroom and that shower was calling her name. Opening the door and turning on the hot water, Blaine removed her shirt and returned to the room. Where Max still stood waiting for her.
She smiled when he saw her. Those sexy blue eyes couldn’t tear themselves away from her boobs. “Are you joining me in the shower?”
“Are you offering?” His voice was gruff but in a different way this time.
She shrugged and hooked her fingers in the waistband of her pants, slowly dragging them down her legs. “It’s big enough.”
Max cleared his throat but his eyes roamed over her body, taking in the details of Blaine in nothing but a sheer black thong and matching bra that showed off those pert brown nipples. “My room is right across the hall. I’ll go see about dinner.” He closed her door behind him.
BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE: The Unforgettable Billionaires: The Complete Collection Boxed Set 1-12 (Young Adult Rich Alpha Male Billionaire Romance) (Alpha Bad Boy Billionaire Romance) Page 26