Читать книгу The Complete Boardroom Collection - Джанис Мейнард, Yvonne Lindsay - Страница 42

While the sisters talked about plans for the upcoming weekend, Max tucked into a delicious dinner of shepherd’s pie and pondered what the hell he hoped to accomplish by digging into Rachel’s life. What was it about her that kept him from just leaving well enough alone? Because as soon as he got her away from her sister, he intended to get to the bottom of what was going on.

Was he looking for ammunition to use against her because five years after the fact he was still angry about being an unwitting accomplice in her infidelity? Sure, he had a hard time letting go of things that bothered him, but he’d only known her four short days. Not enough time for his emotions to get engaged. They’d had fun. Lots of great sex. The connection between them might have seemed real, but it had been a vacation fantasy.

As the debate raged inside him, Max grew less certain of his rationalization.

He’d come away from that long weekend in Alabama a changed man. Before he’d met Rachel he’d been an easygoing bachelor, happy to date a series of women with no distrust of love. After their time together, he closed himself off to emotions and made sure anyone he dated knew he wasn’t interested in getting serious.

Until recently, he’d assumed his motivation for doing so was born out of being lied to by Rachel. In the last few days, he’d come to realize it stemmed from the fact that he’d experienced the four most amazing days with her and couldn’t imagine feeling that way with anyone ever again.

A shriek went up across the table from him. Max’s gaze shot to Rachel. The delight that glowed in her sapphire eyes and flushed her creamy skin rosy catapulted her from merely lovely to truly gorgeous. Happiness banished the shadows masking her eyes. The genuine love for her sister revealed her true heart. She was as beautiful on the inside as on the outside.

Her effect on him put his chest in turmoil. Heart and lungs competed for space in his ribcage. As he contemplated what a foolish move it had been to pull her back into his life, Rachel threw her arms around her sibling.

“Where’s the ring?” Rachel demanded, snatching her sister’s left hand and frowning at her bare fingers.

“Being sized.” Hailey wore a concerned frown as she peered at her sister. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“Okay?” Rachel echoed, her pitch lower as excitement gave way to confusion. “I’m thrilled. Leo is a great guy. You two have been dating for two years. Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“Because we won’t be living together anymore.”

“And you’re worried about me being on my own?” Rachel laughed. “Are you kidding? I can’t wait to turn your bedroom into a home office.”

Whether or not Hailey picked up on her sister’s bravado, Max heard it loud and clear. Rachel was thrilled for her sister, but that didn’t mean that she was ready for the major change in her life. It didn’t take a genius to see that the sisters were tight, or that Rachel regarded her younger sibling as a child she was responsible for.

“Congratulations,” Max interjected when the sisters paused for breath. “Have you set a date?”

Hailey answered after a quick glance at Rachel. “November fifteenth.”

“So soon?” Rachel sagged in dismay. “There’s so much to do before then.”

“No, there’s not. We’re going to have a small wedding, just immediate family.”

“But that’s not your dream. And you’ve been saving for a huge blowout wedding since the day Leo asked you out.”

Hailey held her sister’s gaze, her expression determined. “Leo and I discussed it and we really don’t want a huge wedding.”

“But that’s what you’ve been saving for. Your dream wedding.”

“We want you to have the money.”

A-ha!

Max’s palm hit the table hard enough to cause plates and glasses to bounce, but the sisters were so focused on their battle of wills, neither turned his way. Confirmation that something was going on with Rachel’s finances.

“You’re being ridiculous,” Rachel insisted, her tone scolding. “I’m not taking your money. You earned it. If you don’t want a big wedding, use it as a down payment on your dream house.”

“But what about—”

“It’s okay,” Rachel interrupted, gripping her sister’s arm. She followed it up with an emphatic, “Really.”

Max leaned forward with interest and pinned Hailey with his gaze. “Why would your sister need money?”

“Quit poking your nose into my business,” Rachel said before Hailey could answer. “She has this silly idea that she should repay me for taking care of her all these years and paying for her college. It’s ridiculous. I love her. That’s why I did it. I wasn’t expecting anything back.”

There was more to it than that. Max could tell from Hailey’s sudden silence and Rachel’s fierce scowl.

“If you need money, I can help you out.” He’d expected her definitive head shake. “Call it a personal loan. No strings attached.”

He couldn’t resist adding the latter. The way Rachel glared at him sent his libido into overdrive. He imagined her thinking of all the ways he’d use the loan to gain the upper hand in their arguments, as well as other areas. Her expression had never been more transparent. He studied her, his level gaze causing her color to rise. At last she locked eyes with him. The hard glint in their depths warned him to back off.

Sensing Rachel would continue to deny him answers until he got her alone, Max dropped the matter. Then, deaf to the protests of the two independent career women across from him, he settled the bill.

They exited the restaurant only to discover the day’s heat had lingered into evening. Rachel’s gaze followed her sister as Hailey headed off to where she’d parked her car. The shadows were back in her eyes.

“She’s on top of the world,” Max remarked, pacing beside Rachel as she retraced the path they’d taken an hour earlier.

“She’s really happy.”

Max cursed the strong desire to put his arms around Rachel and kiss her sadness away. “But you’re not.”

“Of course I am.” She adjusted her purse strap. “I’m thrilled.”

“For her, but not for yourself.”

She wrapped silence around her like a muffler and shot him a look that would have taken down a lesser man.

“Not that I blame you for feeling sad,” he persisted. “You’ve taken care of her all her life. It’s got to be hard to let go.”

“My feelings don’t belong in the conversation.”

Impatience rose in Max. Five years ago, he’d found her mysteriousness appealing. Until he’d discovered the reason behind it. How bad were the secrets she was hiding today?

“Why not? Surely it can’t hurt to talk to me about what’s bothering you.”

“Nothing is bothering me.”

In other words, she wanted him to back off. Too bad his disquiet over her financial troubles was a pest he couldn’t ignore.

“That’s not true. You’ve got financial problems.”

She stopped at an intersection and faced him. “I’m going that way.” Her finger pointed up a street perpendicular to the one they’d been walking along. “You need to go that way.”

“I’m not going to let you walk alone to your car.”

Despite the storm brewing in her blue eyes, she smiled. “I walk alone to my car every day. I don’t need your manly presence at my side to keep me safe.”

“Whatever.”

He snagged her arm just above the elbow and stepped into the crosswalk. She resisted his manhandling for three strides before breaking free.

“I don’t need you to walk me anywhere.”

“Stop being so damned independent and let me help you.”

She was breathing hard as they reached the sidewalk on the other side. Frustration poured off her in waves. She whirled to confront him. “I don’t need your help.”

“How about Hailey’s help? Why does she really want to give you—?”

She stopped the rest of his question with an open-mouth kiss that left him reeling. Up on her toes, her fingers fisted in his hair, she plunged her tongue into his mouth in a determined bid to divert his line of questioning.

It worked.

Max gathered her slim form tight against his body. He slipped one hand between their bodies, her breast his goal, when a horn honked nearby, reminding him they were standing in the middle of a city street.

Panting, he raked his lips across her cheek. The heavy air had coated her skin with a fine sheen of perspiration. She tasted salty.

“Come back to my place.”

“I can’t.” Her hands retreated from his back, sliding away from his body with haste. “I have a ton of work to catch up on at the agency.”

“Take tomorrow morning off and do it then.”

“You don’t understand.” Heaving a sigh, she shook her head and turned aside. “My boss is a complete tyrant.”

Max caught her arm and tugged her back into his arms. “A bear, is he?”

She arched her eyebrows and peered up at him. “Always roaring and throwing his arms around in a threatening manner. It’s awful.”

“Maybe there’s a reason why he’s like that.”

“Such as?”

“Sexual frustration?”

A golden chuckle rippled through her. “Not possible. You should see all the women he dates. There’s a list of them on my computer. All their preferences. Their favorite restaurants. Favorite flowers. Favorite music. Even their preferred jewelers. I think he’s getting plenty of action.”

At her recitation, Max’s grip loosened enough that she was able to free herself and put several feet between them. He hadn’t considered that she’d have access to Andrea’s files and information about his personal life. Sure, he knew a lot of women. Dated a lot of women.

“Did it ever occur to you that he dates all those women because he’s searching for something missing in his life?”

“Ms. Right?” She shook her head, tugged her suit jacket straight and raised her chin. “I don’t think that’s what he’s looking for. He’s a confirmed bachelor. No woman stands a chance of capturing his heart.” Rachel sent a breezy smile winging toward him and headed away. “See you tomorrow, boss.”

Max stood where she’d left him, a sour feeling in his gut. At some point today he’d set his toes on the line he’d drawn five years ago in the sand of an Alabama beach. He’d sworn then that he’d never forgive Rachel for her lies. He hadn’t understood the powerful connection between them or his vulnerability to it.

Today, in the face of his compelling need for her, Max felt anger and resentment losing their grip on him. How long before his heart was in danger? The smartest thing would be to cut her loose and stop playing this dangerous game. But his whole body ached at the thought of never again tasting her kisses or hearing the sounds of her pleasure as he drove into her.

Max pivoted and headed toward the Case Consolidated Holdings offices.

Who said he had to deny himself the opportunity to enjoy her body? Making love to her. Forgiving her. Falling for her, even. None of these things would result in the loss of his ‘71 Cuda.

He’d only lose his bet with Jason if he married her. And that was a trap he could avoid with ease.

At four in the afternoon, a Pensacola, Florida parking lot was the last place Rachel wanted to be. No breeze stirred the stifling air radiating from the sun-baked blacktop. The sky was a perfect blue, unspoiled by clouds. Rachel brushed sweat from her brow and half trotted to keep up with Max’s long stride. The dense Florida humidity made her white blouse stick to her skin. Every inch of her felt uncomfortably damp. Only her mouth was dry. The parched sensation had begun the instant they’d emerged into the harsh afternoon sunlight, and Max had transformed from Case Consolidated Holdings’ difficult chief of operations to the charming devil she’d toppled into bed with five years ago.

“That’s got them running scared,” he declared, even, white teeth flashing in a rakish grin. He stripped off his suit coat and flipped it over his shoulder. “When you pulled out your analysis of their numbers, Carlton got so red in the face, I thought he was going to pass out.”

Eyes glued to the large brown hand tugging at the knot on his tie, Rachel told her hormones to settle down. Her chastising had no effect on her unruly body. “Are you really going to transfer operations to the Birmingham plant if they don’t bring their costs down?”

Bright shards of silver danced in his gray eyes. “Of course not.” With a very un-Max-like flourish, he held the rental car door open for her. This was the most relaxed she’d seen him. “They just need to realize that things can’t continue the way they’ve been going.” He leaned his forearms on the door and watched as she tossed her briefcase into the back. “It’s hotter than hell out here,” he remarked, his gaze sliding over her. “Aren’t you going to ditch that jacket you’re wearing?”

Not on her life. The last thing she wanted to do was relax around Max.

“No need,” she replied, ignoring the way his knowing smile made her pulse jerk. “The car has air-conditioning.”

“Suit yourself.”

Rachel kept her head turned toward the passenger window as Max drove the car back to the airport, but her attention wasn’t on the streets of Pensacola. She was running the last week through her mind.

Since the dinner with Hailey and the kiss afterward, the tenor of their working relationship had changed. Max had become less professional and more friendly. His hand had developed a distracting habit of brushing her arm, landing on her shoulder, or sliding into the small of her back at odd moments. Nothing as overt as her action the other night when she planted a big kiss on him, but the subtle touches made her acutely aware of how sensitive she’d become to his every slow breath, sidelong glance, and nuance of posture.

“Are you hungry?”

Max’s question snapped her out of her daydream. A glance at the dashboard clock told her she’d been lost in thought for half an hour. “Where are we? I don’t remember the trip from the airport taking so long this morning.”

“I thought we’d take a little detour before heading back to Houston.”

A detour? What was he up to? She recalled his last question. Did he want to prolong their time together by taking her to dinner?

“You don’t need to feed me. I can make it back to Houston.”

“About that.”

She wasn’t sure if it was his words or his tone that sent her uneasiness into overdrive. “About what?” Before long, the sign appeared for Highway 292 confirming her unspoken fear. “Where are we going?”

“The beach.”

“Which beach?” she asked.

“Gulf Shores.”

She’d known the answer before he spoke. Naturally, he’d pick the place where it all began. He wanted closure. What better way to get that than recreate the fantasy of those four days and let their romance run its course? And fantasy is exactly what it had been. She’d been running from reality. Being with Max then had been a frantic grab at the joy her life had been missing since she’d married Brody. She’d never been happier before or since.

Curses exploded in her mind like fireworks. This was going to end badly for her. Worse than the first time when she’d convinced herself the magic of those days had been all about the best sex of her life. Now, she knew better. Max was a complex man who both frustrated and fascinated her. What she felt for him went way beyond the purely physical. She felt a spiritual connection to him. And when that was ripped away, she would no longer be whole.

“I can’t.” She surveyed his profile and noted the steely set of his jaw. His lips might be relaxed into a half smile, but he was not in a cooperative frame of mind. “I’ve got things I need to do.”

“What sort of things?” He raised dark eyebrows, daring her to lie.

“Things.”

“I thought you said your schedule was clear this weekend.”

“I never told you that.”

“True. I must have overheard you talking to Hailey about how much you were looking forward to a weekend with nothing to do.”

“You eavesdropped?”

“Eavesdropped is such a negative word.”

“Listened in. Snooped. Spied. Take your pick.” Her accusations bounced off him like bullets off Superman.

“It’s not like you left me much choice. Perhaps if you were more willing to tell me what’s going on in your life.”

Rachel ignored his not-so-subtle dig. “I’m not going to sleep with you if that’s what you think is going to happen this weekend.” With a disgruntled huff, she folded her arms over her chest.

He took his eyes off the road long enough to show her he didn’t believe that for one second. “Who are you trying to convince? Me or you?”

She ground her teeth together because she had no snappy comeback. Already her body was softening in anticipation of the feel of his lips against her skin, his hands finding where she burned for him.

“I suppose with all the dating you do, you’re pretty confident when it comes to getting a woman into bed,” she muttered, unable to leave well enough alone.

“I’m confident you’ll wear yourself out resisting what your body wants.” He reached across and took her hand in his, fingers sliding over hers with intoxicating results. He lifted her hand and lightly brushed to his lips across her knuckles.

She sighed at the gentle tug of his warm, moist mouth against her skin. She felt a damp heat between her thighs and resisted the urge to squirm on her seat as he ministered to the inside of her wrist, tongue flicking out to probe her staccato pulse.

“Pay attention to your driving.” She used her free hand to pry herself out of his grasp. Much more of that delicious sucking and nibbling and she would put that hand of his where it would do her the most good. “I don’t want to get into an accident.”

With a low, sexy chuckle, he returned his full attention to the traffic around them.

Even with the air conditioner running at full blast, Rachel felt uncomfortably warm. Since willing her body to cool and settle wasn’t working, she peeled off her jacket and released the top two buttons on her blouse. Raking her fingers through her hair, she disturbed the gel she’d used to restrict the waves into a sleek hairstyle. She rolled up her sleeves, took off her clunky jewelry, kicked off her shoes and shed her professional image.

“I suppose I’m falling right into your trap by saying I have nothing to wear but the clothes on my back.”

“Normally, this would be where I’d tell you that I intend to keep you naked all weekend.” Max glanced over at her, eyes burning with carnal promises. “But I had Hailey pack a bag for you. It’s in the trunk.”

Her own sister had betrayed her. Rachel’s chest ached as she rested her elbow on the door and her head on her palm. “You thought of everything.”

“I like to prepare for all contingencies.”

Off to their left, sunlight sparkled on the Gulf of Mexico. A familiar sight from her childhood. Rachel flinched away from the sharp stab of nostalgia. Was it possible her father had been dead ten years? She missed him every time she sat in his scruffy old recliner or pan fried grouper the way he’d taught her.

They’d been a happy family—she, Hailey and their dad. Both Rachel and her father had worked hard to make sure Hailey never missed the mother that had run out shortly before Hailey turned two. Rachel remembered her as a sharp voice and little else. Her dad hadn’t talked about her and there weren’t any pictures of her in the house. The lack of a mother hadn’t bothered Rachel until she turned thirteen and realized she didn’t know much about becoming a woman. If she’d had a mother to advise her, would she have made so many stupid choices?

“Are you all right?” Max had caught her wiping away a tear.

“The sun’s in my eyes.” She lowered her visor and blinked rapidly to clear moisture so she could see. “I wish I hadn’t forgotten my sunglasses back in Houston.”

Max whipped his off. “Take mine.”

“You need them to drive.”

“I’ll be okay.”

“Thanks.” She slipped them on, appreciating the UV protection as well as the shield against Max’s curiosity. “I’ll buy a pair when we stop.”

It was an hour’s drive from Pensacola to Gulf Shores. Rachel recalled making the trip in reverse with her high school friends in those happy days before her father died. They’d head up to the “big city” to catch a movie or go shopping. There’d been a huge sense of freedom in getting in the car and going.

Her decision to take Hailey to live with Aunt Jesse in Biloxi after their dad died had robbed her sister of those sorts of fun times. If only she hadn’t been so afraid to take on the responsibility of supporting her and her sister. At the time it seemed sensible to seek out the help of an adult. Of family. Too bad she didn’t know what a loser their aunt was until it was too late.

Max’s warm fingers stole over the fist balled on her thigh. “You know, it won’t kill you to talk to me.”

The soothing slide of his skin against hers caused her to release the breath she’d bottled up. She loved holding hands with him. They’d done a lot of that during those days at the beach. In fact, she doubted they’d gone more than five minutes at a time without touching. When they’d been out in public, most people had taken them as newlyweds, asking if they wanted their picture taken together.

To Rachel’s surprise, Max had played along. Despite his claims that he never intended to marry, he’d sure enjoyed playing the part of smitten bridegroom.

What he never knew was that she’d asked one couple to take their picture and email it to her. She’d stared at it every day until Brody found it on her computer and deleted it.

“I didn’t tell you last time, but Hailey and I grew up around Gulf Shores. Dad was a deep-sea fishing guide. The best in the county.”

He cocked his head. “How come I didn’t know that?”

She shrugged. “You did most of the talking that weekend.”

“I guess I did.” His forehead creased. “That’s not going to happen again.”

“Are you sure?” she teased, forcing lightness she didn’t feel into her tone. “You’re kind of an egomaniac.”

Rachel’s doubts about spending this weekend with Max were coming to a boil once more. Last time, they’d been able to drop their guards and completely enjoy each other with no reservations or baggage between them. Intimacy had come easy because they’d been strangers.

Max’s fingers tightened on hers. “Don’t do that.”

“What?” Her stomach crashed to her toes.

“Push me away with humor.”

“Was I funny? You’d be the first person to say so.” Rachel heard herself and ejected a sigh. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ve never been good at playing with others.” Amusement stirred at Max’s impatient snort. “You know, now that I’ve gotten started, I don’t think I can stop.”

“I think you can,” Max said, all serious. “Why don’t you start by telling me why you and your sister left Gulf Shores?”

Max could try to dig up all the details about her past he wanted in an effort to rediscover the connection they’d briefly enjoyed five years ago, but he’d find out pretty quickly that the walls she’d spent the last ten years erecting wouldn’t come down without a prolonged siege. And time was something they didn’t have. A couple days, a couple weeks maybe, and he’d lose interest in her.

“Our dad died when I was eighteen and Hailey was sixteen. He was shot during a convenience-store robbery in Foley, Alabama. He had a girlfriend up there that he visited a couple times a month. They hadn’t been dating long, but I had the feeling he really liked her.”

“Had you met her?”

Rachel shook her head. “No, he didn’t like bringing anyone around. He didn’t want us to get attached to anyone in case things didn’t work out.” She watched beach houses slide past the window, barely recognizing the area with all the new construction that had taken place, but she knew they were getting close. “Our mom left when we were little. Dad didn’t want to set us up to get hurt again.”

“He sounds like a great father.”

“The best.” Remembering there had been tension between Max and his father, she didn’t elaborate on all the wonderful things about her dad. “He put his life on hold to look after Hailey and me. I didn’t realize how much until after he was dead and all his friends started telling stories of job offers he’d turned down because he wanted us to grow up in a community like Gulf Shores. There’d even been a woman he’d wanted to marry, but she had a big career somewhere up north and he wanted to keep us down here.”

“Sometimes there are obstacles to a relationship that can’t be overcome.”

Like how she’d neglected to tell Max she was married? She probably should have ended things with him when she’d learned about his father’s affair. After twenty years, Max couldn’t let go of his resentment that his father had loved someone other than Max’s mother. Even worse, Brandon Case had loved the child of that union as much as he’d loved his legitimate sons.

“And sometimes people are just plain stubborn. Hailey and I could have grown up anywhere and been just fine. I think Dad was afraid to trust anyone after the way my mom left us.”

“Trust once broken is often impossible to heal.”

And yet, here they were. Rachel let her head fall back against the headrest. This weekend was going to be a disaster. Why hadn’t she pitched a fit until she convinced Max to take her home?

Because she wanted to be with him, no matter the cost to her heart and soul? She was a fool.

“You’re right about that,” she said. “Especially when people refuse to change.” The sun dipped into the clouds looming on the horizon and Rachel pulled off the sunglasses. She handed them back to Max. “Looks like we might get some rain tonight.”

“I checked the forecast for the weekend and it promised sunshine both days.”

“Forecasts aren’t always accurate.”

“Let’s just say, I’m feeling optimistic.”

Was he, now. “Optimistic enough to only book one hotel room?”

Max answered her question with a blazing smile.