by Melody Anne
“Don’t be so grouchy, Max, I won’t spill too many secrets,” Trenton said with a laugh and wink, which earned him a glare. Cassie found their interaction amusing. She pulled out her iPad and took some notes, which made Max glower even more. Heck, if she could get under his skin that easily she would take the thing out more often. She enjoyed riling him up.
“So, Cassie, you’re a reporter?” Trenton asked.
“I’m hoping to be. I graduated at the top of my class in journalism, but sadly have been working as a barista for a small coffee shop. I’ve tried getting a job with different papers and magazines, but the market’s so competitive that I haven’t had any luck so far. I know this exclusive interview with Max will get me a job with no problem, though,” she said, beaming. She was so excited to work in a busy news room. She soon would be back on track for her ten year plan she’d made for herself before she graduated.
“Yep, Max is definitely cagey when it comes to interviews. The rest of us usually just get them over with so we’re not hounded all the time,” he said. He seemed to realize he may have offended her, but she had much thicker skin than that.
“I know reporters can be annoying, don’t worry about it. When you’re in the public eye like your family, though, the public wants to know all about you. I promise to be tasteful and won’t hound any of you after I’m done,” she responded.
Cassie picked up her cup and took a long swallow of coffee. She needed the pause in conversation and she needed the caffeine to wake her up. Max was oddly silent as she and Trenton talked for several more moments. His silence worried her more than his sarcastic remarks. He was good at thinking of new ways to intimidate her.
Max leaned back in his chair, drinking his coffee and looking back and forth between the two of them. She didn’t trust the look in his eyes one bit. She knew he had something else up his sleeve.
“How long is the interview for? It sounds like more than just an afternoon,” Trenton finally asked.
“For a month,” Cassie told him. Trenton coughed in surprise, spilling a bit of his coffee. Cassie smiled.
“How did you manage that?” Trenton finally asked, looking from her to Max and back again.
“Well, first your brother had to slam into me with his car, leaving me in a coma in the hospital for a week, then have the nerve to throw papers at me, promising I wouldn’t sue the pants off him. I chose an interview, instead,” she said with a huge smile. Trenton stared at her for a moment, with his mouth open. Then, his eyes lit up and he let out a loud laugh, causing several heads to turn in their direction.
“That is priceless, seriously. I can’t wait to call up Bree and Austin. They’re going to crack up,” Trenton said between fits of laughter.
“This is none of any of your business, Trenton,” Max said sending a glare toward his brother.
“There is no possible way you’re going to keep this away from the family. You know things like this spread like wildfire around our family. The unstoppable Max getting blackmailed, and by a tiny woman, to boot. Thank you so much for making my day, Ms. Cassie McIntyre,” he said as he stood up.
“You’re very welcome, Trenton. I look forward to speaking with you more,” she said with a bright smile. Trenton left, his laughter carrying back to them as he walked from the cafeteria.
“Don’t look so smug, Cassie, the day is young,” Max threatened. His words took a little of the joy from her. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her, but the man caused unspeakable things to happen in her body with just a glance, or a slight breath on her skin. She couldn’t imagine what he could do if he put in a hundred percent effort. She turned away and looked out the window.
“What’s the plan for the rest of the day?” she finally asked, trying to get back on a topic of business.
“Today will be quite boring, I’m afraid. I have a business trip up to Alaska at the end of this week, and have to catch up on paperwork. You don’t have to stick around if you don’t want to,” he offered, almost hopefully.
“I have nowhere else to be,” she said, thinking to herself there was no way he was chasing her off. The second she left, something amazing would be uncovered, and she wasn’t taking a chance on missing it.
“Suit yourself,” he said with a shrug as if it didn’t matter to him either way. He then reached across the table and brushed a piece of her escaped hair from her face. He slowly tucked the strand behind her ear, his fingers brushing her cheek as he pulled back. He was the most touchy-feely person she’d ever been around, and had no thought of a person’s personal bubble.
She firmed her shoulders and pointedly brought her iPad into focus. She wanted to get back on track with the interview, and let him know she didn’t appreciate being man-handled.
“What kind of people do you like working for you?” she asked, proud of her professional sounding tone. He looked at her for a moment as if he were in deep thought.
“They must first and foremost be attractive. I have to deal with suits all day, so I want some eye candy around the office to lighten things up,” he said in a serious tone. She looked at him, trying to deem whether he was joking. She couldn’t believe he’d possibly mean that. If he was speaking the truth, he’d have half the country ready to rip out his throat. Maybe he was that shallow. She decided to go with it and furiously began typing notes.
“So, in other words you prefer to be surrounded by bimbos?” she questioned.
“Are you saying that attractive people have to be stupid?” he asked right back. She stopped for a moment, trying to come up with a proper response. It didn’t matter what she said, as she wasn’t the one up for an interview.
“You didn’t say anything about intelligence - you simply said they had to be attractive. Do you have a special dress code for these attractive people?” she fired right back.
“My philosophy has always been that the human body is beautiful and therefore there’s no shame in highlighting the assets.” He then looked at her own clothing like she was definitely lacking. It took everything in her not to squirm while he was dissecting her as if she were under a microscope. Cassie was steaming mad, but hoped it didn’t show on her face.
“You realize you sound like an ass, right?” she said in her most professional tone.
“Just because I like pretty things? Now, who’s being the prejudiced one, Cassie? I’ve found that Bimbos suit me quite well,” he added. She was ready for the interview to be over. She had a feeling that was exactly what he was shooting for. He stood up, indicating breakfast was over. She mutely followed him back to the elevators, where she refused to break her silence.
When the doors opened, there were a few people in the office, but it certainly wasn’t full. She glanced up and saw an older woman sitting behind the receptionist desk, and knew in that moment everything he’d said in the cafeteria was a pack of lies. He’d been trying to get under her skin and it had worked perfectly. She may not make the entire month, after all.
Chapter Four
“Does anyone around here know how to do their jobs right?” Max thundered into the silent room. Several faces turned in his direction, well aware he was in a foul mood, and not willing to poke the bear. Cassie typed some notes, which had his head whipping around, the full force of his frustration now focused on her.
Cassie had been at the offices, observing Max for two weeks. She was getting a general idea about the man, but not really finding the story she so desperately wanted. She wanted to find a more personal twist, unlike anything anyone had ever written on one of the Andersons, but he was incredibly good at blocking her out.
At the moment he was beyond frustrated because his Alaska trip had been pushed back due to some corporate issue she knew nothing about, and with the weather getting worse, he was anxious to get there before it was too late.
She’d been back in her apartment for a week and after being at Joseph luxurious guest house, it didn’t hold the same appeal. She was somewhat grateful for the long hours Max put in because by the time
she got home she was ready for a shower and bed. She didn’t have to look around much at the lonely place she’d called home with zero complaints up until meeting him.
Max stormed over to her desk , circling around her like a shark getting ready to attack. A lesser person would’ve shaken in fear with the mood he was in. She simply held her head high and looked him in the eye. She was actually exhilarated by his temper. It was much better to see some real emotion flashing in him, other than the persona he seemed determined to show her. He wasn’t giving an inch for her to have an interesting article. She was learning she had to drag everything from him and was considering different torture methods to achieve her goal.
He finally stopped his circling, leaned down and planted his hands on her desk, pushing his face close to hers. She felt her heart accelerate and was aware their lips were only inches apart. He hadn’t attempted to touch her again since their steamy kiss on the couch, and much to her frustration she wished he would. She didn’t even recognize herself, anymore.
As she sat through boring meetings and business lunches she found herself focusing more and more on the actual man. He wasn’t the person she’d originally thought he was. He liked to portray himself as a playboy corporate shark but he was an amazing employer, who loved the people he worked with and gave his time and money away without a second thought. She was afraid she had a bit of a crush on him. She wouldn’t admit it, not even to herself and banished the thought as soon as it popped into her head.
He’d forget she was around at times and act like she assumed he normally did around the offices, joking with the staff, and full of good humor. He had a great relationship with his secretary, Cynthia, who wasn’t afraid to scold him when he got too riled up. Unfortunately, she was out to lunch at the moment.
“What the hell are you writing, now?” he finally snapped. She flushed, glad he couldn’t read minds.
“I’m right here, you know. There’s absolutely no need to yell in my face. Besides, I don’t like the shower you’re providing me,” she said in a calm tone, lifting her hand to wipe her brow. He hadn’t actually spit on her but she was trying to get him to back up so she could breathe again.
“Number one, I don’t shout, I speak to be heard. Number two, I don’t spit,” he snapped, though the corner of his mouth came up a fraction of an inch. He seemed to enjoy their banter as much as she did. The amount of passion he exhibited in his everyday life had to make him a fantastic lover. She couldn’t imagine he did anything in half measures. Her mind drifted again as she imagined him stripping off her clothes and taking her right there against the solid desk. She could feel the heat building inside of her. She shook her head, warmth flooding her cheeks even more. His own eyes darkened at her reaction.
“I must be mistaken, then. Thank you for setting me straight,” she said in a mocking tone. His eyes narrowed more. A growl escaped his throat and he stood back up and began pacing. She breathed a sigh of relief, though it didn’t help being enveloped by his scent.
“You don’t need to be writing every little thing down. If your goal is to make me into a monster…” he started raising his voice again, when she interrupted him.
“I’ve already told you I’m not a trash magazine reporter. I want an in depth look at the life of Max Anderson. The more notes I take, the better the article will be,” she said as if talking to a child who needed a time-out. He did appear to need one.
“We need to have a talk. Follow me,” he told her, before heading to his office. That didn’t sound good. She should be more upset, even a bit scared, but all she could feel was excitement, that was until his next words. “Go ahead and grab a couple cups of coffee, too, this may take a while.”
Cassie sat, staring at his back, with her mouth hanging open. She was aware of the snickers going on around the office. She couldn’t believe the man had the nerve to demand she serve him. She stayed where she was for a few moments, counting in her head. She knew he was trying to get a reaction from her, and she shouldn’t take the bait, but he had a way of eliciting a rise out of her unlike anything she’d ever experienced. She hated it when he acted like a demanding pig. She decided the best way to get the upper hand was to act as if she didn’t care. The more bland and unaffected she reacted, the more irritated she’d make him.
She slowly rose to her feet, walked over to the coffee pot and poured him a cup of coffee. She smiled to herself as she added several shakes of salt to the cup, anticipating his reaction at the first sip. She knew he’d never believe it had been by accident, but she was also sure it would be the last time he’d demand she bring him a cup of coffee. She took her time making up her own mug of the fragrant drink.
“Thanks,” he said as he took the cup. He took a large sip, then spit it out on his desk, covering some paperwork. He looked at her in shock. She had to fight not to smile, keeping the same bland look on her face.
“Is something wrong?” she asked innocently.
“What the…” he sputtered. She just looked at him like she had no idea what could be wrong, taking a long sip of her own coffee. He glared at her before rising to grab some paper towels. He quickly cleaned up the mess before resuming his seat. Then, to her amazement, he picked the cup back up and took another drink, his expression not even flinching. Damn, he was good, she thought irritably.
The phone rang, and he quickly picked it up, not able to hide the relief from his face. After listening for a moment, he turned to her.
“I need to take this. We’ll continue this conversation later,” he dismissed her. She walked from the room and managed to make it to the bathroom before the laughter flew from her. She stayed there until she was sure she had herself under control, then made her way back to the office. She decided to steer clear of Max for the rest of the afternoon, and instead spoke with several employees about their boss. Not one person had anything negative to say about him – it was quite irritating.
The next day, Cassie made her way up the elevator and was delighted to see both Joseph and George talking with some of the staff. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to them in a while and hoped to get more information on Max.
“Good morning, Cassie. How’s the interview going?” George asked as she stepped toward them.
“It’s going great, but if you both have a few minutes, I’d love to pick your brains,” she said with a genuine smile. They were so easy to speak with and made her feel welcome.
“We always have time for a beautiful lady,” Joseph joined in. She knew how much he loved his wife, and his teasing always came across as comforting, verses creepy, like some older men. She knew men Joseph’s age actually chased young women, thinking it made them look younger. It always gave her the creeps.
“Why don’t we head down to the cafeteria so we can have something to eat while we talk?” George asked. They made their way downstairs, taking longer than normal, since everyone seemed to want to stop the two men and chat. They were friendly and willing to talk with everyone from the lowest to the highest of positions. She took some notes as inconspicuously as possible. Max said she couldn’t talk about the private lives of his family, but there was nothing wrong with pointing out how all the Andersons seemed to go above and beyond in making everyone feel valued. He couldn’t complain about that.
“Are you managing to keep that son of mine in order?” George asked her with a huge smile.
“I don’t think anyone is up for that task,” she teased back.
“You’ve got me there, young lady,” he said with a quick laugh. “But, I’m sure you’re managing to keep him on the straight and narrow.”
“He thinks he’s tough but I’m not easily intimidated. I’m holding my own,” she said with a bit of pride. He actually scared her a lot, but not because he growled and shouted once in a while, but because he caused her body to go into overdrive every time he set those smoldering eyes on her.
“That’s refreshing to hear. I like a girl with a spine of steel,” George told her. Cassie relaxed and took
out her iPad, getting ready to ask questions. She didn’t want to lose the opportunity of speaking to the heads of the corporation.
“We’re an open book so go ahead and ask us anything you’d like,” Joseph said, giving her an open smile.
They sat in the cafeteria for a couple hours, the time getting away from her. She enjoyed their company so much she felt like she could sit there all day. When she finally realized the time, she quickly excused herself and headed back to the top floor. She knew the Alaska trip was coming up soon and Max still hadn’t confirmed she’d get to go with him. She was hoping to lock that in before the day was over.
Max was sitting in his office when she walked in. He glanced at his clock and then to her face. He knew she’d been with his father and uncle and wasn’t pleased with how long she’d been gone. He wanted badly to rip her all-important iPad from her and read everything she’d been writing over the last couple weeks. He couldn’t believe he’d allowed this ridiculous interview to go on.
Every time he even thought about ending the entire farce his stomach would tighten in protest, though. The longer he was around her the more he wanted to know her every secret. He’d never been so fascinated with any woman and he didn’t like the power she seemed to hold over him. He knew she desired him as much as he wanted her. Maybe, he should just please both of them and take her to his bed. He was trying to prove to himself that he alone had control over his suddenly raging hormones. He was a stickler for perfection, even from himself, and his weakness around her was unacceptable.
He hadn’t touched her in weeks because he didn’t trust himself to stop. He didn’t trust her to stop him, either. He was beginning to think he was a real idiot for torturing both of them. He either needed to take her to bed or send her on her way. He just couldn’t figure out which way he was going to go.
