by Lori Foster
She fretted, her bottom lip caught in her teeth. “I want everything to be perfect.”
“You know my friends don’t expect anything special. Feeding them is good enough. Paper plates, burgers off the grill, a few beers and colas and they’re good.”
She dropped her forehead to his chest. “I’ve never really had a party before.”
He laughed. “It’s not a party, so relax.”
Exasperated, she said, “Of course it is! It’s a ‘work for free’ party—and that’s the most stressful kind.” She looked up at him, her eyes dark with worry. “I don’t want them to feel unappreciated.”
Smoothing a finger over her downy cheekbone, down to her mouth, over that plump bottom lip, Miles said, “They’ll have fun.”
Her expression told him he was nuts.
He’d like to think that once she got to know them better she’d realize the truth of it. But he still didn’t know the long-term plan, if she wanted the same things he wanted—or if he was just her “bodyguard with benefits” until the issues got resolved.
“They will,” he insisted. “The ladies like the cats, right? And the guys will swim for sure.”
“So a gazillion feral cats and a pond infested with killer turtles is the lure? I should have realized.”
That dry tone made him laugh. And made him want her.
More.
How that was possible, he didn’t know, since he wanted her all the damn time.
While they still had a little privacy, he kissed her, slowly at first to ease her past her need to race off again.
As usual, though, she nestled against him, her lips parting at the touch of his tongue, her hands sliding up and over his bare shoulders.
With a groan, Miles scooped his hands under her ass and lifted her so that her body fit tight to his. Her arms went around his neck and she tilted her head, drawing on his tongue, making him crazy.
The sound of an approaching car brought him reluctantly back to his senses. Maxi must not have heard it yet, because when he lifted his head, she stared at his mouth and whispered softly, “Do we have time?”
He groaned again. “God, I wish we did.” He never should have started what he couldn’t finish, especially with her so anxious about everything. “Company will be here in another thirty seconds.”
The sultry haze gradually left her eyes, and when it did, she pushed out of his arms with haste. “Blast, busted again!”
“Again?”
“First time I met your friends? You don’t recall them teasing me?”
Grinning, he gave her another quick kiss. “That’s right.” She did have a sultry, aroused look in her dark eyes. Maxi expressed her feelings so openly, it’d be hard for her to hide it.
“It’s not funny,” she grumbled.
“I wasn’t laughing.”
“Baloney.”
“Actually,” he said, “I was thinking how damned lucky I am.” While confusion pinched her brows, he turned to see who was coming up the long drive. “Wow, it’s a damn parade.”
She held up a hand to shade her eyes. “But who...?”
“Looks like the whole gang came. I recognize Cannon’s truck and that’s probably Armie riding shotgun. Behind him is Denver.”
Her reaction was hilarious. She blurted, “I don’t have enough food!”
Miles planted an arm around her to keep her from running off in a panic. “So we’ll order a pizza or something. Don’t sweat it.”
“Don’t sweat it?” she repeated. “Don’t sweat it!”
Distracting her from her panic, he said, “Damn, I can’t believe it, but that’s Sahara’s car, too.”
That distracted her, all right. She gave a despondent groan.
Hoping to reassure her, Miles tipped up her chin. “Honest to God, honey, it’s fine, I swear.”
As the cars parked, Maxi straightened and pasted on a smile, but in an aside to Miles she said, “I was going to change into something nicer.”
“You look great.”
The smile never slipped when she said, “I do not look appropriate for your boss.”
He snorted. “Sahara doesn’t judge. Remember, she liked your rubber boots? But it wouldn’t matter if she didn’t, because I think you’re beautiful.”
She blinked fast, and to his pleasure, her smile turned more genuine and the tension eased out of her posture. Leaning into him, she said, “Thank you. Guess we’ll just roll with it, huh?”
“Yeah,” he said, knowing in that moment that he was a goner. He’d fallen in love with Maxi Nevar, a chameleon who kept changing, but never bored him. “We’ll roll.” Arm around her waist, he led her forward to meet most of the people important to him.
Fallon was with Justice, Catalina with Leese. Cannon and Armie had ridden together, Stack with Denver. Their wives, it seemed, had already planned a day together but said they’d meet Maxi next time.
If Maxi caught the implications in that, namely that the guys assumed they were a couple with plenty of opportunities to mingle, she didn’t show it.
She was too busy gaping. And no wonder. The guys had come prepared to work, meaning they wore tattered jeans or shorts with T-shirts. Seeing them from her vantage point, he realized they made an imposing picture.
Armie, the most outrageous of the group, grinned at her. “I don’t mind you staring, honey, but Miles probably doesn’t like it.”
Cannon gave him a shove, then said politely to Maxi, “I hope we’re not intruding.”
She finally got it together. “No, of course not.” Red-cheeked, she cleared her throat. “Wow, I just... Miles is impressive, you know?”
Barely keeping a straight face, Armie nodded. “That’s why they call him The Legend.”
That earned a few snickers.
Maxi didn’t seem to notice. “I mean, he’s one man. Then I met Justice and Leese and that was astounding. Now the rest of you...”
Everyone else grinned, too.
From behind them, Sahara said, “It’s like an assortment of delicious man candy, isn’t it? One at a time is shocking, but all together, they steal a girl’s breath away.”
Miles shook his head at Sahara, amused at her idea of dressing down. The sleeveless white sundress with a splashy floral print had a blouse-like bodice, a formfitting waist and a soft, full skirt that hit just below her knees. It looked cool and comfortable, but still expensive and stylish.
No spiked heels this time, but her white flip-flops showed off her hot-pink toenails. She wore white sunglasses to shield her eyes and had her long brown hair in a loose topknot.
A million bucks, that was what she looked like. No surprise there.
The surprise was that she held on to Brand’s arm.
Miles wasn’t the only one wondering about it either, given the way his buddies all watched the pair.
Brand wore his own sunglasses along with a blasé expression.
When Armie opened his mouth, no doubt to say something shocking, Brand beat him to it with a succinct “Shut up.”
Of course, that just got everyone harassing him that much sooner.
Interesting, Miles thought. Sahara had made no secret of chasing Brand...for the agency. She’d chased him and Justice, too, yet it always felt like more than that where Brand was concerned.
Not once had she ever looked at Miles with that same type of personal interest.
Wondering how Brand felt about it, he smiled. “I’m glad you found some free time, Sahara.”
“Surprised you, didn’t I? I hope that’s okay. I needed a distraction.” She waved back at her car. “And I brought goodies.” She handed her keys to Brand and, with sugary sweetness, asked, “Would you mind?”
He took the keys without comment and headed for the car.
Sahara tsked. “He was very gallant to come to my rescue, but he’s still far too moody.” In stern warning, she mentioned, “It’d be shameful of any of you to tease him.”
“He’s still saying no?” Justice asked.
“He is, but I haven’t given up.”
Denver, who was as big as Justice, shook his head. “He’s at the top of his game. I can’t see him leaving MMA.”
Sahara pinched her lips together...almost as if she knew something that the rest of them didn’t.
Seeing that expression, Leese folded his arms and glanced at Miles.
Miles shrugged. He didn’t know any more than the rest of them.
Leese turned back to their boss. “Why did you need rescuing?”
She glanced away, released a long breath and took off her sunglasses.
Everyone went still at the sight of her puffy eyes.
Crying? Sahara?
“I heard from my PI.” Looking nothing like her usual indomitable self, she whispered, “Last week he thought...” Emotion choked her and she had to clear her throat. “He thought he’d found a trace on my brother, but today that turned out to be a dead end.”
Damn. Miles said softly, “I’m sorry.”
Maxi didn’t understand the issue, but she was such a compassionate woman that she looked just as concerned.
Justice gathered Sahara up for a gentle hug. Leese patted her shoulder. Cannon, Armie, Denver and Stack gave their own versions of understanding and concern.
They all liked and respected Sahara a lot. As employees, Miles, Leese and Justice knew firsthand that she was a confident, strong, bona fide badass of a boss who ruled with a tiny iron fist. The rest of the guys knew her in a more peripheral but no less admiring way.
None of them wanted to see her hurt.
“Thank you.” Uncomfortable with sympathy, she slipped the sunglasses onto the top of her head and looked around. “This is beautiful. Who’d like to give me a tour?”
Maxi volunteered, but before they left, Brand returned with an overflowing bag of chips, pretzels, nachos and dip in one arm, beer in the other. He said to Miles as he passed, “There’s more in the trunk.”
The “more” turned out to be food aplenty, drinks, a watermelon and, because Sahara had a sweet tooth, an assortment of cupcakes.
“My goodness,” Maxi said, overwhelmed by the generous gesture. “You brought so much.”
Sahara smiled. “I’m not so gauche as to crash a party empty-handed.”
And to that, Maxi turned on Miles. “See, I told you it was a party!”
* * *
AFTER A QUICK trip around the property to let the newcomers see it all, Maxi poured cold drinks.
Seated in a lawn chair and her sunglasses back in place, Sahara said, “Your idea for goats is perfect. They’ll definitely keep the back pasture cleared.”
“That’s what I decided, too!” Finding a kindred spirit in the goat argument thrilled Maxi. Even better, Catalina and Fallon backed her up.
“Women sticking together,” Leese explained with a grin.
Catalina tried to protest, but she didn’t know anything about goats. She did offer to draw one, though, which Fallon found hilarious. Actually, so did Maxi.
She liked the women a lot and had already relaxed about being underdressed, especially since Catalina and Fallon were dressed similarly in shorts but with cute tops instead of a halter.
Miles said to Sahara, “So you’re a goat expert now, too?”
Too? Maxi wondered. But then Sahara did seem to be competent on almost any subject. Luckily her mood had improved during their walk.
Maxi didn’t remember much about her first meeting with Sahara. Shoot, she’d been drugged, upset, frightened and a little unsure how her reunion with Miles would go. But now, in a much better frame of mind, she found that Miles’s boss was quick-witted, and she dished it out to the guys so rapidly that they almost couldn’t keep up.
“I’ll have you know that I was madly in love with a farmer when I was twenty-one.” Sahara looked struck. “My God, that was nine years ago.” Smiling, she said, “I still remember him fondly.”
Brand narrowed his eyes on her. “So what happened to him?”
“My brother didn’t like him, so that was that.”
Justice said with surprise, “You needed your brother’s approval?”
“I value his opinion a great deal.”
Everyone turned to stare at Brand, but he held silent.
Sahara looked down at her iced tea, saw it was empty and stood. “If you don’t mind, I’ll go refill this.”
Maxi started to offer to do it for her, but Miles laid his hand over her arm. She frowned in concern. “Something awful happened with her brother?”
“Yeah.” Miles stared after Sahara, too, watching until she disappeared into the house. “I don’t know all the details, and I’ll have to keep it short. Sahara doesn’t need to hear us talking.”
The last thing she’d want to do was add to Sahara’s obvious distress. “I didn’t mean to be nosy.”
Brand said, “It’s okay. She’d tell you herself if today hadn’t been such a disappointment.”
As if trying to convince himself, Justice said, “She just needs a little time to get used to the news. Coming here will cheer her up.”
Miles took Maxi’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Sahara’s brother, Scott, was out on his yacht with his girlfriend, but something happened to them. They found the yacht floating at sea, but they never found any bodies.”
“Oh my God.” Maxi turned her hand over in his, now gripping him tightly. “I can’t imagine anything that awful.”
“Without a body for proof, Sahara won’t accept his death. She’s had a PI on retainer ever since it happened.”
“What makes it even worse,” Leese said, “is that her parents died when she was younger and her brother practically raised her. He was all the family she had.”
“She’s a strong woman, though,” Justice said with admiration. “She was already familiar with the agency, since Scott had taken her there a lot, so she stepped in to run things.”
“After he was declared dead,” Miles said, “Sahara officially inherited the business.”
“That was about a year before I signed on.” Leese gave a small smile. “She’s putting her own stamp on it, that’s for sure.”
“A sexier image,” Miles said, quoting his boss with a crooked grin. “She’s good at what she does, and God knows she loves it, but she’d hand it back over in a heartbeat if she found Scott alive.”
“It’s tragic,” Fallon said. “My heart breaks for her.”
Justice pulled Fallon over onto his lap, cradling her close. She looked very petite wrapped in his arms. “Since you lost your sister, you know how hard it must be for her.”
There was a lot about her new friends that she didn’t know, Maxi realized, but she wouldn’t press. When they wanted to share, they would.
Sahara returned from the kitchen, a thoughtful look on her face. Everyone clammed up, and Maxi felt guilty for inadvertently bringing up her past.
Then Sahara reached them and turned brisk and businesslike. “Your kitchen is charming.”
“That’s one word for it,” Miles said.
Pretending insult, Maxi huffed at him. “I certainly like it.”
“Because of all the wonderful memories,” Sahara guessed. “But I’m sure it’s also difficult. The appliances can’t be efficient or convenient. Since they belonged to your grandmother, and must be very special to you, you wouldn’t want to simply replace them, but have you ever considered contacting a local museum?”
“A museum?” Maxi asked, surprised.
“Yes. I know several curators I could contact for you if you’re interested in do
nating to them. If there’s a museum specific to this area, I’m sure they’d be thrilled to reenact that exact kitchen.”
“Wow. I’d never thought of that.”
“It’d be really cool,” Catalina said, “to see it all set up in a museum, wouldn’t it?”
“Very cool,” she agreed, and then to Sahara, she added, “But I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”
Brand said softly, “Might as well let her do her thing. Once Sahara gets started, she’s like a runaway train. There’s no stopping her.”
Rather than be insulted, Sahara smiled at him. “Yes, I’m very effective.”
“I’m sure that’s exactly what he meant,” Miles said.
Knowing the kitchen was badly in need of an update, but hesitant to lose that link to her grandmother, Maxi considered the idea—and decided she loved it. “Yes, please.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
AS SOON AS LEE, Hull and Billy showed up, Miles got everyone organized. Maxi found it comical, seeing the worshipful way the boys stared from one fighter to another. They could barely concentrate on the instructions Miles gave.
Armie, especially, drew their adoration, which worked out, since he seemed more than willing to joke with them.
“He’s really good with kids,” Catalina said as the guys started to work. “Actually, they all are. But Armie relates really well to them. He’s a terrific dad.”
“You might not know this,” Fallon added, “but Cannon’s gym is also a rec center for at-risk youth. The men pitch in teaching MMA and working with different age groups.”
“They each fit in nights at the rec center around their own training schedules.” Catalina smiled. “It’s one of the things Leese misses most.”
“Justice misses it, too, but he mostly misses competing. We attend events to watch his friends whenever they’re local enough.”
Sahara nudged Maxi. “I think you and I need to get in on that action.”
“Watching a live fight?” She’d love it, but it seemed to be something reserved for significant others—and that, she wasn’t. It almost ruined her good mood, wondering what would happen once Miles deemed her house safe again.