Читать книгу The Complete Boardroom Collection - Джанис Мейнард, Yvonne Lindsay - Страница 48

Rachel stood on Max’s front porch, her finger hovering over the doorbell. Her enthusiasm for the plan she talked over with Hailey had faded as she’d driven the twenty minutes to his house. What was she doing here? Max wouldn’t want to help her after what had happened earlier today. Even if he answered the door, he’d probably slam it in her face as soon as he spotted her standing here.

Maybe he wasn’t home. It was a Thursday night. Didn’t he get together with his friends and go clubbing on Thursdays? She should have called. But what if he refused to answer?

She should have waited until Monday and caught him at his office. Of course, he might refuse to see her there, as well.

The door opened while lose-lose scenarios played through her mind like an action movie.

“Are you planning on standing out here all night?” Max asked. He blocked the doorway with his arm and nothing about his hard expression or his tense body language gave her hope. But suddenly Rachel’s spirits rose.

“I guess I’ll have to if you don’t let me in.”

His eyebrows rose. “What’s the password?”

“You were right.”

“That’s three words.”

She dug deeper. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s two words.” A twitch at the corner of his mouth told her she was getting close.

“Help.”

He reached out and dragged her inside. “That’s it.”

Lowering his head, he captured her mouth in a hard, unyielding kiss that melted away her worries. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, giving full rein to her angst and fear of losing him.

He stripped off her shirt and dove his fingers beneath the elastic waistband of her skirt, pushing it down her hips until she stood before him in bra, panties and sneakers. Then, he scooped her into his arms and carried her down the hall to his bedroom.

The long walk gave her time to summon explanations or apologies, but Max’s grim expression tied her tongue into knots. Make love to him now. Fight with him later. At least they would make another incredible memory for her to relive after they parted ways for good.

When he set her on her feet beside the bed, she grabbed the hem of his T-shirt and raised it past his flat stomach and powerful chest. He helped her by tearing it over his head. A purr-like sound vibrated her throat as she set her palms against his chest and backed him toward the bed.

Her fingers worked at the button and zipper of his jeans. She needed to taste him. The urgency made her clumsy and she let him rid himself of the rest of his clothes. Once he was naked, she dropped to her knees in front of him and sucked him into her mouth without finesse or preliminaries. He released a hoarse groan as her tongue circled him, discovering his texture and the best way to give him pleasure.

Before she brought him all the way to release, he stopped her and pulled her back to her feet. Placing a hot, sizzling kiss on her lips, he lifted her and deposited her on her back in the middle of the mattress. She kicked off her shoes. He followed her down and as his weight pressed her into the mattress, she ran the sole of her foot along his calf.

His fingers hooked around her underwear, stripping it down her legs. While he cast it aside, she took off her bra. The contact between her sensitized nipples and his hard chest set off a chain reaction of desire.

She lifted her hips toward the hand that teased between her legs, urging him to touch her with wild gyrations and garbled pleas. A half sigh, half moan broke from her as he slid his finger into her wetness and penetrated deep. She shuddered as he began to stroke her, each movement of his hand driving her further toward fulfillment. But that’s not the way she wanted to go. Her nails bit into his wrist.

“Not like this,” she gasped as his teeth grazed her throat. “Make love to me.”

“If you insist.”

He moved between her thighs, impaling her with one swift thrust. Hard and thick, he filled her over and over, the friction driving her crazy with wanting. Together they climbed. Higher and faster than ever before. When she came, the sensation rolled over her, wave after wave of intense pleasure. She floated back to earth in slow motion, the thundering of her heart keeping time with Max’s thrusts as he surged toward his own climax.

Fascinated, she watched him come. His facial muscles locked in concentration. His eyes, half-closed, snagged with hers. He set his mouth against hers and plunged his tongue deep in a sexy kiss that stole her breath. Then his body drove into hers one last time and spasmed in release.

With her arms wrapped around his shoulders, Rachel held on to him and absorbed his aftershocks. Loving Max like this was easy. They knew exactly how to communicate in bed. She’d lost hope at being able to do so anywhere else.

All too soon, Max pushed away and dropped onto his back beside her. He lay with his forearm across his eyes, his chest rising and falling as his body recovered. Unsure if he would welcome her touch now that their frantic coupling was through, Rachel rolled onto her side and tucked her arm beneath her head.

Five minutes passed before he spoke.

“I’m glad you stopped by.” Voice neutral. Expression hidden behind his arm. His mood an enigma.

“Me, too.”

As much as she longed to cuddle up beside him and feel the reassuring weight of his arm settle around her, she’d made too many mistakes to hope that he felt tender or affectionate toward her.

“I was hard on you earlier,” he continued. “I’m intolerant when I don’t agree with someone. It’s a bad habit of mine.” He shifted his arm off his face and set it above his head. His gaze locked on the ceiling. “Or so my mother tells me.”

“You were right to be angry. I screwed up. I should have been more up front with Hailey and with you. If I had, none of this would have happened.” She paused. “It’s my fault that Hailey gave Brody twenty thousand dollars. It’s my fault that you gave him a hundred and five thousand. It’s not right that he cheated you and I intend to get that money back.”

At last, Max looked at her. The iron in his gray eyes made her wish he hadn’t.

“How do you intend to go about that?” he demanded, his hard tone warning her he’d better like her answer.

She drew her knees up and bumped his thigh with them. The grazing contact eased the tension between them. “I’m going Biloxi to ask for it back.”

“He went to a great deal of trouble to get the money in the first place,” Max said, rolling onto his side so that they faced each other. “Have you considered what you’ll do if he won’t just give it back?”

She offered him a wan smile. “I was hoping you’d come along. I need your help.” She held her breath and waited for some sign that he wasn’t going to kick her and her crazy idea to the curb. “Please.”

“You’re asking me to help you?”

“Yes. I need you. I can’t do this alone.”

Max’s arms snaked around her body, pulling her flush against him. With her thigh trapped between his and her head settled on his shoulder, his lips glanced off her forehead. “I’m glad you finally realized that.”

The closer they got to Biloxi, the quieter Rachel became. And it wasn’t just that she stopped talking. Her entire body stilled as if by remaining frozen, she could become invisible. Max kept glancing her way as they picked up a rental car at the airport and drove through the city.

He longed to reach out and offer her comfort, but she’d locked herself away and drawn the shutters. His fingers beat a tattoo on the steering wheel. The previous evening’s connection had faded with the advent of dawn. She’d stood at the foot of his bed and worried the inside of her lip while he made arrangements for their flight to Biloxi.

“Say the word and we’ll get right back on the plane and go home to Houston,” Max offered.

In the seat beside him, Rachel started as if he’d jumped out and yelled “boo.” Beneath his scrutiny she struggled a long moment before mastering the trace of panic in her dark blue eyes. Seeing her vulnerable for even that short second disturbed Max. She was awash in anxiety and trying like crazy to hide it. He was used to her strength and determination. Is this why she was so scared to ask for help?

“We’ve come all this way,” she said. “We’re not going back without that money.”

Max nodded. He liked the way she said we, including him as part of her team, and appreciated what it had taken her to let him in.

“It’s going to be okay. I won’t let him hurt you ever again.”

“I’m counting on that.”

To Max’s surprise, she reached out and grabbed his hand.

“Is that why you brought me along?” he teased. “Muscle?”

She stroked up his biceps, wrapping long fingers around his upper arm. “Well, you certainly have enough of them to qualify for that. But that’s not why you’re here.”

“Then why?”

“Because I knew you’d want to come.” She glanced his way and encountered his frown. Her elaborate sigh filled the car. “Fine. Because I wanted you to come. You make me feel safe in ways that no one ever has before.” She pulled a face. “Happy now?”

“Deliriously.”

Rachel’s directions brought them into a commercial section of Biloxi. Max parked the car in a visitor’s spot in front of Winslow Enterprises. As they entered the front door, he watched her gather courage. By the time they’d arrived at the front desk, her spine was straight and her eyes glinted with determination.

“Hello,” he said to the receptionist. “I have an eleven o’clock meeting with Carson Winslow.”

Rachel jerked in surprise. He could feel her gaze upon him.

“And your name?”

“Max Case.”

While the receptionist spoke into the phone, Rachel grabbed on to Max’s arm and drew him toward a seating area. “Why are we meeting with Brody’s father?”

“I called him with a business proposition.”

“Why?”

“You didn’t seriously think Brody was going to just return the money because we asked him to, did you?”

From the expression on her face, she hadn’t planned beyond demanding the money back.

Max shook his head. “You told me he’s been gambling for years. He used you and the huge salary he paid you to hide his problem from his father. Why do you think he was so reluctant to give you a divorce?”

“Because any financial problems we had he could blame on me.” Rachel blinked in dazed disbelief like a prisoner coming out of a dark cell. “What has he been doing since then?”

“I don’t imagine he’s quit gambling.”

“Obviously not if he came to me for the cash he needed to get into a high-stakes poker game.”

“Mr. Winslow said he’d be right up,” the receptionist said with a polite smile before returning to stuffing envelopes.

“So, what’s your plan? You’re not going to ask Carson for the money, are you? Brody works hard to keep his father completely in the dark.”

“And that will work to our advantage.”

She frowned at his cryptic reply, but had no chance to ask for clarification because a thin, gray-haired man in his mid-sixties appeared in the doorway that led to the rest of the building.

“Follow my lead,” Max murmured as he stepped forward with his hand extended. “Max Case. Thank you for taking a meeting with me on such short notice.”

“Not at all. I was intrigued by your call.”

“This is my associate.” Max stepped to one side so Rachel came into view.

“Rachel?” Carson’s smile faltered. “How are you?”

“I’m wonderful. And you?”

While pleasantries were exchanged between Rachel and her former father-in-law, Max observed the interplay with interest. There was no obvious animosity between the pair. Did that mean Carson had no idea what had transpired in his son’s marriage?

“Let’s head back to my office,” Carson said.

Once inside the spacious corner office, Max wasted no time in getting to the point. “You’ve probably figured out by now that Rachel was the one who pointed me in the direction of Winslow Enterprises.”

“I’ll admit it clears up how we came to your attention.”

Max smiled. “After doing some research on your company, I was able to determine that it’s positioned to break out, but you lack the capital and the skilled management to take you to the next level.”

Frustration and resignation tightened Carson’s mouth into a grim line. Beside him, Rachel had gone so still, Max wondered if she was holding her breath. He matched her immobility, letting his words penetrate Carson’s defenses. From what Max had gathered from his sources in Biloxi, ever since Carson had handed the business operations over to his son, the company was floundering.

Carson was at a crossroads. He needed to decide if he was going to let his son take over and risk the company’s future, or sell the business and enjoy his retirement.

“What’s going on in here?” an unfriendly voice demanded from the doorway.

Rachel shifted in her seat to confront her ex-husband. Her knees bumped Max’s thigh. A tremor passed through her, heightening his determination to give her closure with her ex. By the time Max finished with Brody, the guy wouldn’t dare bother Rachel or her sister again.

Carson hit his son with a meaningful look. “Max has come to us with a proposition.”

“Is that so.” Brody’s lip curled. “And what is she doing here?”

Rachel inclined her head, all nervousness mastered. With a half smile, she said, “If it wasn’t for me, Max would never have become interested in Winslow Enterprises.”

The return of Rachel’s confidence eased Max’s tension.

“Of course, my brothers are not convinced that your company is large enough for us to pursue. But after we get a look at your books, I’m sure they will be persuaded.”

Brody’s gaze bounced between his father and Max. Anger melted into uncertainty. “Well, it’s not for sale.”

“You don’t get to make that decision,” Carson reminded him, his voice tight with reproof.

“Why not? You’ve put me in charge, haven’t you?” Brody seemed to have forgotten that this family squabble was in front of witnesses.

His father’s gaze flicked in Max’s direction. “We’ll discuss this later. Right now I’m going to take Max on a tour of the facility.”

“Let me do it,” Brody said.

The tension between father and son tainted the air like exhaust as Brody led the way out of the office. But instead of taking Max and Rachel on the tour his father had suggested, Brody steered them into a conference room and shut the door.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here,” he snarled.

“We’ve got a lot of nerve?” Rachel began, her fingers curled into claws as if she’d like to rip her ex-husband’s eyes out. “You bastard. I want the money you stole from Hailey.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“She’s been paying you for her college.”

“So?”

“We agreed as part of our divorce settlement that I would pay you for her education. You had no right to go behind my back and demand money from her, as well.”

Brody laughed. “Too bad.”

“I want every penny back that she gave you.”

“Not going to happen.”

“You haven’t had time to lose all of it.”

“I haven’t lost any of it.”

“Good. Then you can return the hundred thousand you stole from my sister.”

“I didn’t steal anything from Hailey or you. She agreed to pay me.”

“Because she didn’t know I was already paying you.”

“And whose fault is that? You were always so determined to keep her in the dark about everything. Our marriage. Her education. You made it so easy for me to tell her anything I wanted and have her believe it.”

Max decided it was time to step in. “Return the money.”

Brody heard the threat loud and clear. “Or what?”

“Or I’m going to make your father an offer on his business he can’t refuse and a team of accountants will show up to do due diligence and your father will learn just how much money you’ve embezzled from this company over the years.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But Brody’s bluff fell flat.

Max snorted in disgust. “I can see why you lose at poker as often as you do,” he said. “What do you think is going to happen when your father realizes that you haven’t kicked your little problem the way you claim you have?”

“You’ve been stealing from the company?” Rachel looked almost sorry for her ex-husband.

“More so after you two divorced,” Max interjected.

“Have you lost your mind?” Rachel questioned. “After he paid off your gambling debt with the Menks brothers, he swore if you gambled again he would sell the company and cut you off without a cent.”

Max chipped in. “Imagine how unhappy he would be to hear that you never had any intention of quitting.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t I?” Max couldn’t believe the guy thought anyone would believe the words coming out of his mouth. “My brother used to be a professional gambler. When he reached out to his contacts they put him in touch with a number of people you’ve borrowed money from. Your associates were happy to shed light on your past dealings with them.” Max shouldn’t have enjoyed twisting the knife as much as he was, but this guy had mistreated Rachel and deserved everything he was getting. “And they’ve agreed to have a chat with your father if I ask them to.”

“You’re bluffing.” Brody’s eyes were blind with panic.

“I don’t gamble,” Max told him. “That means I never bluff. Every negotiation I go into, I’m holding a royal flush. I never lose.”

“Everyone loses sometimes.”

“The only one who loses today is you. Get the money.”

“I don’t have it with me.” Brody’s tone was close to a whine. Despite the air-conditioned comfort of the room, a bead of sweat trickled down his temple.

“Pity.” Max set his hand on the small of Rachel’s back and turned her toward the conference-room door.

“Wait.”

Max turned the knob and opened the door to reveal Carson Winslow. The older man was frowning.

“I thought Brody was going to take you on a tour.”

“He’s been telling us how much the company means to him,” Max said. “I didn’t realize he was so passionate about the business.”

From the way Carson regarded his son, the current owner of Winslow Enterprises hadn’t, either. “Well, that’s good to know.”

“Thank you for your time.”

Carson shook his head in confusion. “You’re leaving? But we never discussed the reason for your visit.”

“I had hoped for a more amiable meeting.” Max shook hands with the elder Winslow. “However, Brody made his position clear. He’s not interested in doing business with me. I’m sure in time he’ll regret making such a rash decision.” He hit Rachel’s ex with a hard stare.

It took a couple seconds for Brody to understand that Max intended to carry out his threat of informing Carson of his son’s gambling. Brody glared at Max.

Seeing the unfriendly exchange, Carson turned on his son. “That wasn’t your decision to make.”

“Take it easy, Dad.” Brody put up his hands. “Max just misunderstood my reservations. If I can have a couple minutes with him in private, I’ll explain myself better.”

While Rachel and Carson headed for the reception area, Max followed Brody down the hall and into his office, wondering what sort of scheme Rachel’s ex would come up with now to save his hide.

To Max’s surprise, Brody opened his briefcase and took out an envelope.

He tossed it at Max. “Here it is. A hundred grand. Count it if you want.”

Max did. “Looks like it’s all here.”

“This means we’re done. You’ll leave me alone?”

“As long as you leave Rachel and Hailey alone, you’ll never hear from me again.”

“Good.”

As he neared the lobby, Max caught Rachel’s eye and gave her a tiny nod. Her eyes brightened with unshed tears. His heart turned over in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and hug her hurt away. But with Carson looking on, Max limited himself to a brief smile.

“Did you get Hailey’s money back?” she quizzed the instant they emerged into the hot Mississippi afternoon.

He handed her the envelope. “A hundred thousand. Just what you asked for.”

She pulled out twenty thousand and gave him back the balance.

“I don’t think Brody wants to risk his comfortable little world collapsing around him,” he said, watching her face as she held her sister’s money.

“I probably could have gotten back all the money you paid him.”

Rachel shook her head. “I couldn’t spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder, waiting for him to reappear because he thinks he was cheated out of what’s rightfully his.” She gave him a sad smile. “You won’t be around to protect me forever.”

They started their relationship again with the understanding that it was temporary, but it stung hearing her talk about a future without him in it.

“If he’s so bad, why did you go back to him after we met?”

“I went back to him because he said he’d tell Hailey why I really married him. I didn’t want her to be ashamed of me.”

“Sweetheart, she loves you, and she’s proud of you. Nothing you did could change that.”

“But I couldn’t take care of her. She was my responsibility and I was failing.”

“You were barely able to take care of yourself.” Max wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her. “Cut yourself some slack. You did the best you could. No one could fault you for that.”

They hadn’t gone more than a mile before Max glanced over and saw Rachel’s cheeks were wet with tears. He pulled into the first parking lot he came to and parked the car. The instant he shut off the ignition, she leaned against his shoulder. Max twisted in his seat and drew her into his arms.

“It’s going to be okay now,” he said. “He’ll never bother you again.”

Cupping her head, he nuzzled her cheek and absorbed her shudders against his chest. He soothed her with long caresses up and down her back until her breath settled into a steady rhythm.

“I can’t believe it’s really over.” She rested her head on his shoulder for a minute longer, before pushing away and wiping her cheeks. “Take me home.”

While Max drove back to the airport, Rachel got on her cell phone and gave Hailey a blow-by-blow of the confrontation with Carson and Brody. He only half listened to her voice. The other half of his attention chewed on his reaction to Rachel asking him to take her home.

He knew she meant home to Houston and her house. But he couldn’t shake the bone-deep longing to take her back to a home that they’d make together. What was he thinking? Living together? Marriage? Was he ready to take that step? And with Rachel?

His mind cleared.

Of course with Rachel. He’d loved her since the moment they’d met. He’d been thinking of a future with her. No wonder he’d been so crushed to discover she was already married. That she loved someone else.

And now?

Was he ready to let go of past mistakes and start anew? He was. But first he had to settle a little unfinished business with his father. Max knew he’d never be able to move into the future with the old resentment chained to his ankles like a concrete block. He owed Rachel a fresh start.

As the plane lifted off the ground and low clouds obscured her view of Biloxi, Rachel let her head fall back against the seat. She could have been one of those clouds, as light as she felt at the moment. Today, a chapter of her life had ended. A door closed between past and present. She never had to return to Biloxi or think about Brody ever again.

She glanced at the man beside her. Seeing him in action earlier had made her glad he was on her side. He’d been decisive and intimidating. She’d enjoyed watching him outclass her ex-husband. For the first time in ten years she felt completely free.

“You’re smiling,” Max said, taking her hand and grazing his lips across her knuckle.

“Savoring the victory.”

“I had no idea your divorce had been that contentious.”

“My entire marriage was that way. When Brody was losing, he was miserable and made everyone around him the same way.”

“No wonder you got out.”

“I didn’t love him.”

Max nodded. “After all you’d been through, I understand why you wouldn’t.”

“Not in the end.” The need to unburden herself was probably going to backfire, but he had seen part of the truth. He might as well know it all. “From the start.” She plunged on, needing Max to understand what she’d gone through. “I know it was wrong, but you have to understand how it was. I was afraid. I didn’t know how much longer I was going to be able to keep feeding us, much less send Hailey to college. When Brody came along, he seemed nice and wanted to help. I told myself I was in love with him when he proposed, but I think I was so relieved at the idea of having a real home again, I lied to myself and to him. I used him.”

“People get married for all sorts of reasons. Not all of them are right.” Max’s eyes were clear and free of reproach.

“You don’t hate me?” Rachel couldn’t believe she’d been wrong all along. “I married a man I didn’t love because I was scared and wanted financial security. Don’t you think that makes me a terrible person?”

“No.” Max frowned. “Is that what you’ve been worried about all this time? That if I knew you’d made a mistake at twenty that it would somehow diminish you in my eyes?”

“You already hated me for not telling you I was married five years ago.”

“Hated.” He echoed the word and rubbed his eyes. “I never hated you. I said some harsh things when I found out because I was angry. But I never hated you.”

“Not even a little?”

When he didn’t answer right away, Rachel waited, her breath lodged in her chest. He had something on his mind, an emotion that he needed to distill into words.

“You know my father cheated on my mother.”

“Yes.”

“It nearly destroyed our family. Mom went through a really tough time when Sebastian and I were kids. I had a hard time watching her be unhappy and not being able to do anything about it. I swore I would never involve myself in any sort of extramarital affair. It’s one of the reasons I don’t want to marry. I can never cheat on my wife if I don’t have one.”

Rachel stared at their linked fingers. “I never should have started anything with you.”

“Don’t say that. This isn’t your problem, it’s mine. And I’m not sure if I’d known from the start that you were married if I would have been able to walk away.”

“Of course you could have. You just said that having an affair was something you swore never to do.”

“That’s what eats at me. When tested, my convictions failed.”

“But they didn’t. You didn’t know I was married until the end.”

“And when I did know, that didn’t stop me from wanting you.” Max’s bitter half smile tore at Rachel’s heart.

“So, what are you saying? That if I’d stayed, we could have had a future together.” She couldn’t help the doubt that crept into her tone. “That’s a nice happy ending, Max, but you and I both know that it never would have happened. You would have forever resented me for luring you into something that deep down you didn’t want.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I saw your face at your parents’ anniversary party. You haven’t forgiven your father for what he did to your mother twenty years ago. Those same resentments would have colored our relationship. Every time you look at me you see my infidelity. Just like you see your father’s.”

She saw the truth in his eyes. It sliced deep into her heart. To conceal the wound, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

“I don’t want that between us,” he said.

“Neither do I.” Her throat tightened. “It just is.”