This guy was a six-foot-something hunk with black hair and dark blue eyes and Danger, Keep Away stamped all over him.
She was still floundering in stunned silence when he pulled out a wallet and extracted a card which he shoved on the table between them.
His driving licence.
‘Just in case you still have any doubts,’ he drawled.
Mia didn’t answer. She pushed the driving licence back towards him. ‘I didn’t realise you would be coming over,’ she stammered.
‘No,’ Max soothed. ‘I made sure to warn Nat and his assistant to keep my arrival under wraps.’
‘Why?’
‘I didn’t want you to get any time to work out how you might avoid my questions.’
‘What questions?’ Mia asked. It still wasn’t sinking in. Izzy’s brother?
Izzy had mentioned Max in passing. ‘Bossy’ had been the term most frequently used when it came to a description.
Over five months as they had become firm friends, Mia had gleaned a picture of someone who lived for work and ruled his much younger sister with an iron fist. An autocratic, humourless bore with a God complex.
Sitting here now, she was inclined to believe every aspect of that picture that had been painted in not so many words.
Hackles rising, she linked her fingers on the table and looked at him without flinching. He might be able to bully Izzy but there was no way he was going to bully her.
It took a lot of will power to maintain eye contact, and she had to yank herself back from the feeling that she was sinking into the depths of his steady, veiled, darkly mesmerising gaze…that somehow he had the power to scramble her brains.
‘Where is she, Mia?’ he asked softly.
He leaned towards her and she automatically leaned back to create distance between them.
‘I don’t know,’ she said quickly, too quickly, because instead of thinking about her denial he smiled very slowly.
‘Nice try, but I’m not buying it.’
‘What makes you think that I know where Izzy is?’
‘For a start, you’re her close friend, and close friends confide. My sister would never have disappeared without telling someone where she was going. She certainly hasn’t said a word to either myself or her brother and Nat is as much in the dark as I am, which really only leaves you.’ He had ordered one of the local beers, and after Rae deposited their drinks on the table he tilted the bottle to his mouth, although his eyes never left her face, not for a second. He took his time drinking and then he lowered the bottle and broke the lengthening silence between them.
‘Secondly,’ he carried on, as though there had been no interruption to what he had been saying, ‘your face is giving the game away. You know where she is, and I need to find her.’
‘Don’t think,’ she said coldly, ‘that you can bully me into telling you anything I don’t want to.’
‘And don’t forget you work for me.’
Mia gasped. Yes—she worked for him! Of course, the second he had revealed his identity she had subliminally joined the dots, but on some other level she had not consciously registered that she was his employee.
She was registering it now and working out just what that involved.
As a landscape gardener, she had worked for herself for the past five years and had made a good enough living, but this was the first really big job she had ever taken on. And, more than that, she had found herself doing much more than the landscape gardening for the hotel and she enjoyed the additional responsibilities.
She enjoyed liaising with some of the suppliers, sorting out invoices when Izzy had too much on and, after the whole business of Jefferson and the effect he had had on Izzy, she had stepped up to the plate and got involved in most aspects of the business.
And she had been compensated financially for her efforts.
She knew that Max remotely controlled everything, so she knew that he would be well aware of her various responsibilities, and the fact that her pay cheque had been bumped up twice since she had started working for him.
What he wouldn’t know was that she had used that money to get a bank loan to cover some vital repair work on her house. It was a loan that would have to be repaid.
She felt the heavy thudding of her heart as she belatedly recognised the consequences of having her pay stopped for whatever reason.
She would survive, but it would be tough, and she would have to go cap in hand to her parents for help, which was something she was loath to do.
Furthermore, she had been planning on this job leading to bigger and better things.
Word of mouth could be a powerful tool when it came to getting business in these parts. Were she to move on to bigger jobs—landscaping for hotels or offices—then she would be operating in a much bigger ball park and she could really see her earnings multiply.
But for that to happen she would need a damned good reference.
And where was that reference going to come from? The very guy staring at her now with brooding intensity, waiting for her to spill the beans.
‘Are you blackmailing me?’ she asked. She licked her lips and knew that she probably looked as nervous as she felt.
Max shrugged by way of response and sat back, his body language indicating someone utterly at ease with the situation.
No wonder Izzy had launched into a degree she didn’t enjoy after her brother Max had proclaimed a business degree to be the best thing she could do, Mia thought. And she had hated it. He had probably used the same intimidating tactics on his sister that he was using on her now!
‘I’m suggesting a fair exchange,’ he countered. He didn’t add to that, instead finishing his beer, giving her time to absorb the situation between them.
Mia thought of the work that had been done on her place, the loan she was repaying, the necessity of the job and the pay cheque she got at the end of the month.
‘If Izzy wanted you to know where she was, don’t you think she would have told you?’ she asked, equivocating.
‘Possibly,’ Max returned, unruffled, ‘but the fact remains that she didn’t, hence why I am here. Tell me what I need to know, I will leave and life carries on uninterrupted for us both.’
‘And what would you do if you do chase after her? Drag her back here kicking and screaming?’
He burst out laughing but there was little humour in his laughter. ‘You have a vivid imagination, Mia.’
Mia looked down. She could feel his eyes boring into her and she wanted to fidget, restless and hyper-conscious of his presence opposite her.
She sneaked a glance from under her lashes and breathed in sharply, all her senses unfairly assailed by his sheer beauty.
His fingers were lightly circling the empty beer bottle. Long fingers, strong forearms, a study in power in repose.
Her breathing slowed, and she was glad she was sitting down, because every part of her body suddenly felt wobbly.
‘Has it occurred to you that I might be concerned for my sister’s welfare?’
Mia looked at him fully and noted the underlying anxiety in his eyes. She hadn’t noticed that before but then, she was ashamed to admit, she had been busy making sure to pigeonhole him and not give him the benefit of the doubt.
‘What do you mean?’
‘What do you think I mean?’ he asked coldly. ‘My brother and I got the same text from Izzy, along the lines that things were a bit tough for her at the moment, so she would be taking some time out, but that Nat and Kahale would be fine to pick up the slack. What do you think went through my head when I read that my sister was going through “a tough time”?’
He leaned forward, his dark features deadly serious. ‘I have no intention of playing games with you when Izzy may be in trouble. Whatever you think you’re protecting her from, you’re not doing her any favours, and if I have to forc
e you into telling me her whereabouts then, believe me, I won’t hesitate.’
‘There’s no need to threaten me!’ Mia bristled with righteous indignation, but then sighed, because she could see how easily he might have jumped to all the wrong conclusions.
She knew that this project was his private indulgence. Izzy had let that fact slip after a couple of drinks shortly after they had started socialising, having the occasional meal together when they’d finished work. She’d been on her own, newly arrived, and Mia had enjoyed taking her under her wing. They’d hit it off.
‘I know I should be grateful,’ Izzy had confided with a hint of shame, ‘and I am… I really am…but sorting out supplies and invoices and accounts and dealing with bank managers… It’s just not me.’
Was this intimidating guy sitting opposite her aware of any of that?
And, if he wasn’t, then what must be going through his head? He must be frantic with worry about whatever tough times he thought his sister might be facing.
‘I don’t intend to tell you where Izzy is,’ she said firmly, but with sympathy in her voice. ‘But I can assure you that there’s no need for you to worry.’
‘Really. What a relief. I’ll leave now, shall I?’
‘There’s no need to be sarcastic.’
Odious, Mia thought. Odious and rude and arrogant and a million other things I dislike in a man.
She was mystified by her physical response to this man when her intellectual response to him was so negative. Was it because his looks were so compelling? Surely not? She couldn’t be that shallow, could she? Or maybe it was because she had locked herself away behind a wall of ice after her brief, failed marriage to Kai. She and Kai had been kids when they’d married, and neither of them had expected their marriage to last only a mere year and a half because, on paper, the marriage had made complete sense.
Their families had known one another, they’d been childhood sweethearts and they’d both wanted to start their own families as soon as they could, just like their siblings had. Their lives had been mapped out and they had both rather liked the look of the map.
But it was not to be.
Their divorce had been amicable, but lessons had been learnt, and she had sealed herself off from men. But that had been four years ago! In her head, she’d envisaged herself marrying again. Of course she had. But this time she’d compiled a mental checklist of the perfect guy and she had no intention of deviating.
Was this puzzling reaction to Max Stowe simply her body reminding her that she wasn’t quite as frozen in ice as she’d thought she was?
There was nothing about the guy she liked, yet his blue eyes on her made her feel hot and bothered, and aware with every pore in her body.
Had her withdrawal from the opposite sex simply not protected her enough from the sort of devastating effect this level of superb good looks could have on her? Was that it? He made her feel wildly out of her comfort zone when it came to men. No one she knew or had ever known was like this guy.
Some of her nerves eased as she rationalised her reactions. She also could not let herself forget that he was also her boss, and in his hands lay the power to make or break her.
She would have to temper her responses, she thought. She was going to have to act like an adult and be as cool, collected and self-assured as he was.
Or, at any rate, she was going to have to try.
Without betraying her friend’s confidences.
‘You do realise,’ Max said, ‘that, whilst it would be preferable not to involve a private investigator to handle this situation—which is something I’d hoped to avoid by approaching you directly—that remains an option.’
‘She’s not in any…trouble.’ Mia grudgingly gave way. ‘I mean, just in case you’re thinking that she might have become involved in anything…dangerous.’
‘Define dangerous.’
Mia looked at him. He was so…self-controlled. She could understand now how Izzy had managed to find herself in a place where she would rather not have been, in a job that did not cater for her creativity. Max Stowe exuded the aura of someone who didn’t brook too much disagreement, someone who expected orders to be obeyed.
‘She’s not into drugs,’ Mia said bluntly. ‘And she hasn’t done anything illegal. Not at all. You should know that. You’re her brother.’
She was surprised at the dark flush that appeared on his high cheekbones.
‘There is a considerable age difference between us,’ he returned stiffly. ‘Twelve years. Our relationship is possibly a little more formal than you might expect.’
‘Why is that?’ Mia heard herself ask.
Max looked at her with thinly veiled incredulity, and she was surprised to realise that she had overstepped the boundaries with that simple, innocuous question.
‘None of my business.’ She shrugged and he nodded curtly in agreement.
‘No. It’s not. You refuse to tell me the whereabouts of my sister. You think it’s enough for you to say that she is not in a dangerous situation. Why should I believe you?’
‘Because I’m telling the truth. I wish I could tell you why your sister needed a bit of space, but it would be breaking a confidence. All I can say is that she doesn’t plan on staying away for ever.’
‘There are no problems I would not be able to handle,’ Max said flatly, his cold, deep voice oozing such supreme self-confidence that Mia’s mouth fell open. ‘Izzy should know that. When it comes to sorting things out, I have never let either her or my brother down.’
Mia clicked her tongue impatiently and wondered how someone evidently so astute could also be so dense. She raised her eyebrows but remained silent until he said irritably, ‘If you have something to say, then I suggest you just go ahead and say it.’
‘I got the impression that you’re not that keen on people speaking their minds,’ Mia murmured.
‘It’s strange because, if that’s the impression you have about me, then you’re obviously undeterred by it,’ he returned bluntly, and she blushed.
‘Izzy doesn’t want you sorting her out,’ she confessed. ‘She hasn’t just taken time out—she specifically asked me to make sure you didn’t try and locate her. She wants a bit of time and you’d be making a big mistake, in my opinion, if you didn’t give it to her…’
CHAPTER TWO
‘SHE SPECIFICALLY ASKED YOU…to make sure I didn’t follow her…?’
Frustration, bewilderment and something else tore through him, something ill-defined that pressed uncomfortably behind his ribcage.
He had done his utmost for his siblings. When their parents had died twelve years ago, Izzy had been just ten and he had been twenty-two, the same age she was now. Young and fresh out of university, ready to spread his wings. Fate had had other plans in store. His parents had been killed in their light aeroplane, which they had insisted on taking out despite poor weather conditions.
In a heartbeat, Max had found himself catapulted out of his youth and into instant, responsible adulthood. It had fallen to him to become caretaker to both his siblings and he had done so without complaint. He had done his utmost to make sure that their lives remained as steady as possible whilst he had put every thought he had ever vaguely had of taking time out on permanent hold.
Of course it had helped that his parents, both wealthy in their own right, had left behind a company in reasonably good health, thanks to delegation. Because his father, from memory, had never graced the inside of his office as he’d spent most of his time having fun.
Truthfully, Max had never surfaced from the weight of having to provide for his younger siblings.
And now his sister…didn’t want him finding her?
He had made sure to take care of her! He had guided her through her life choices and arranged this job for her here! How many girls fresh out of university were given the golden opportunity to us
e their business degree to set up a boutique hotel in Hawaii with only a few guidelines and minimal supervision, free to make their own mark and prove their worth?
‘That’s ridiculous,’ he asserted with a dismissive wave of his hand. ‘I could do with another drink. And something to eat.’ He beckoned someone across without taking his eyes off her.
The café was filling up. In her baggy tee shirt and sarong and flip-flops, she should have stood out, but in fact everyone else seemed to be wearing the same casual uniform. He tugged at the collar of his polo shirt, uncomfortably hot under the sultry overhead fan.
‘Why is it ridiculous?’
‘Exactly what did my sister tell you? Are you going to stick with water? Refuse the offer of food?’
Mia glanced briefly at the plastic menu Rae had brought over, but actually she knew what was on offer without having to consult any menu, and she ordered a Maui lager and a plate of Korean barbecue wings. She was hungry, and why not?
‘Izzy knew that you would want to find her.’
‘Hardly a surprise.’
‘She…’
‘What? She what?’ Max stifled his impatience. For someone so adept at speaking her mind, she now seemed reluctant to expand on what she had said.
He watched her with brooding eyes, noting the flush in her cheeks and the fact that she couldn’t quite look him in the eye. She might be outspoken to the point of annoying—and she might go against the grain, because nearly every woman he met made it their duty to engage his interest—but she was truly exquisite to look at, with her flawless brown skin and expressive eyes.
He shifted uncomfortably and frowned as his libido responded in a way that was utterly inappropriate.
He reminded himself that he was sitting here with this woman for one reason and one reason only. To locate his sister. It was proving more tedious than anticipated but Max had no doubt that he would get the information he wanted sooner rather than later. He had to because he had meetings scheduled and he had no intention of bailing on any of them.
Forbidden Hawaiian Nights Page 2