Grabbing his phone and keys, Max walked out of the office – locking the door behind him – and headed toward the beach. It wasn’t quite lunch time yet – and there was a small smattering of guest wandering around. With his sunglasses on, he made his way along the path. The weather was cooler than usual today but the sun was shining in a blue, cloudless sky.
Perfect.
When he approached the sand he saw it looked as pristine as usual. And all of the greenery had just been trimmed but he supposed he could put down some fresh mulch to spruce things up. Turning, he looked around and…
Click, click, click, click.
He knew that sound.
There she went, storming along the path in those heels again – today they were black and looked sexy as hell with the pencil skirt she was wearing and her sleeveless white blouse. Very prim, proper and…damn. Max watched her walking back toward the storage buildings and decided to follow.
You have a problem, a little voice whispered in his head.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he murmured. “I know.”
Although he had to admit, he was curious what had her running on a Wednesday morning. It wasn’t possible the ex was here again, was it? It would be crazy. It would be a little weird. It would be…
He saw her stop – freeze almost – right before she began to look around somewhat panicked. Her sleek honeyed ponytail swung from side to side and without thinking, he picked up the pace and as soon as he was next to her, he pulled her behind a row of tall shrubs and tugged her so she was almost kneeling in the grass.
“Max!” she whispered. “You scared me!”
“I seem to do that a lot,” he said quietly. “What’s going on? I saw you doing your escape walk and then you looked like a deer in the headlights.”
“My escape walk?”
“You have a very distinct walk when you’re looking for a place to hide. It’s pretty fast and your heels make a sound that’s like…” He stopped and realized what he was saying. “You just have a determined stride,” he corrected.
“Oh,” she said, a blush coloring her cheeks. “So…yeah. It appears Harry and Monica are staying here at the resort through Sunday.”
“Ah…so you’ll pretty much be…”
“Needing a cloak of invisibility if I could get one,” she said with a small laugh. Then she shook her head. “I told the girls I’d be willing to step down. They need someone who can commit to the job and although they’ve been patient with me and this ridiculous situation, it’s a distraction and it’s keeping me from doing my job.”
“Ellie,” Max began, surprised at how reasonable he sounded considering she basically just dropped a bombshell on him. “That seems a little extreme, don’t you think? I mean, eventually this wedding will be over with.”
“In three months. And for some bizarre reason, they just keep showing up here,” she argued quietly. “They live on the East Coast. Harry works crazy hours – or at least he did while we were together.”
Max didn’t want to be the one to point out that good ol’ Harry probably wasn’t working nearly as much as he’d let Ellie believe, so he let her continue.
“Middle-of-the-week getaways? Never. Extended time away from the office? Never.”
Again, maybe he was the only one to see this but Max was beginning to feel like none of this was a coincidence. Then again, he wasn’t about to open his mouth and throw that out there.
Ellie immediately stopped talking when they heard people approaching. They were both crouched down and she was a little unsteady trying to balance in the grass in her heels so Max wrapped his arm around her and held her close. They were practically cheek to cheek and she smelled of flowers and sunshine and it was all he could do not to inhale her all in.
“This is the wrong way,” a woman’s voice snapped from the other side of the bushes. “This leads to who knows where. I think this is all maintenance stuff back here.”
“I’m not the one who suggested we go this way,” a weary male voice replied. “I still don’t understand why you’re so obsessed with this place. We had a perfectly fine venue back in Boca. Traveling to the West Coast for our wedding is an inconvenience to our friends and family.”
Max couldn’t believe their rotten luck – the couple was almost directly in front of them. If either he or Ellie moved or even breathed too loud, they’d be found out. Still, he wasn’t regretting the opportunity to hold her for a little bit longer. Glancing over he saw how her skirt had ridden up and exposed tanned, lean thighs and his mouth went dry. He prayed the couple would move along because this was both a pain and a pleasure.
“I told you that Casa Blanca and Barefoot Brides have very distinguished reputations. And I don’t want to have our wedding at the same place you were going to marry Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth?!
“It’s Ellie,” the man said patiently. “Never Elizabeth. Why do you always do that?”
“Oh, so now you’re defending her?”
Harry sighed. “I’m not defending her. I’m simply pointing out – again – how you keep calling her by the wrong name. Her given name is Ellie. Not Elizabeth. It’s not that difficult to remember.”
“Fine,” she snapped and Max had a feeling she was grinding her teeth. “Then I don’t want to get married at the same place you and Ellie were going to get married. It’s tacky. And you used to say how much you liked Mimosa Key.”
“I don’t believe I did,” he corrected. “I believe my exact words were ‘we had to spend time on Mimosa Key because it’s where Ellie’s family lives.’ Again, two very different things.”
Monica sighed loudly. “Why do you always do that?”
“Do what?”
“Correct me. Why are you always correcting me?” Now Monica’s voice turned shrill and both Max and Ellie were fighting not to laugh.
“Maybe if you weren’t always twisting things around or making them up, I wouldn’t have to,” Harry said with more than a little annoyance.
“You can be such an ass!” Monica snapped and stormed away. Max could see a little through the shrubs to see that she was heading back toward the main building and how Harry was going after her.
Beside him, he felt Ellie trembling and he thought maybe she was upset – crying. After all, that had to be awkward. He was prepared to turn and comfort her when all of a sudden she lost her balance and started laughing. They tumbled together and he quickly twisted so he was the one to land on the ground. Ellie landed on top of him with a soft thud – her hands on his chest, her legs tangled with his. There was amusement in her eyes and she was smiling and he couldn’t help but laugh with her.
But only for a moment.
Then his hand came up and rested on her waist right before traveling up her back and sinking into her hair – and yes, he pulled the clip free! Her name was a whispered plea right before he guided her lips to his.
And as it always was, one touch of those soft lips, and he was lost.
Six
IT COULD HAVE been a few seconds or minutes or hours. Ellie had no idea. All she did know was that sex in a public place was never her thing but right now, she thought it sounded like a damn fine idea.
Max’s hand was anchored into her hair, holding her head in place as they did their best to consume each other. The small part of her brain that was still functioning reasoned that they were well-hidden and both clearly beyond ready that it would probably be gloriously quick.
And completely satisfying.
If she could just lift up a little and maybe shimmy her dress out of the way…
“Damn, Ellie,” Max whispered against her lips. “You’re killing me.”
The fog cleared and she lifted her head and looked down at him and almost dove back in for another kiss. He looked so incredibly sexy – his hair mussed up and his dark eyes were looking at her in a way that had her tingling all the way to her toes. “Hi,” she whispered, when she could finally find her voice.
“Hi.” One hand came up
and caressed her face. “Are you okay? We sort of tumbled there. I tried to make sure you didn’t end up getting your clothes dirty.”
“I learned from the last time and now have an extra outfit – or two – stored in the office.”
Chuckling, Max continued to look at her but he made no attempt to let her go. “I think we need to do something about this.”
Suddenly self-conscious, she figured since she was the one on top, maybe he wanted her to move. As soon as she did, however, Max’s hold on her tightened. “I thought…I mean…I should probably…”
He shook his head. “That’s not what I meant.” His voice was low, almost a growl. “I think you can tell by now that I’m attracted to you.”
She ducked her head and blushed but Max tucked a finger under her chin and gently forced her to look at him again.
“And I really want to get to know you. Not that I’m not enjoying finding you hiding out all over the resort and having these hot little encounters, mind you,” he teased. “But I want more. I want to be able to sit and talk with you and learn about your life and…I’d like for you to get to know me too.”
The smile she gave him was slow and shy. “I’d like that. A lot. But are you sure? I mean…you’ve kind of already witnessed how I’m not good with awkward situations and I have this whole ridiculous situation going on right now.”
One rough finger caressed her cheek. “And yet I still want to get to know you.”
Resting her face into his hand, she sighed. “Max…”
“I’m serious. This whole deal with your ex? Yeah, I kind of want to know a little bit more about that and why it is he’s here and pretty much making a nuisance of himself. Considering the brief conversation we both heard, I’d say that relationship isn’t going to last very long and I’d also have to say they deserve one another. But that’s just a small fraction of who you are, Ellie. I’d like to take you out and hear how it is that we both went to the same school and yet I didn’t know you. I want you to tell me about what you like to do in your spare time. What kind of music do you like and what kind of books do you read?”
When she went to answer, Max moved his hand and let one finger cover her lips. He gently rubbed them as if mesmerized for a moment before he went on.
“I’d like to take you out to dinner and then walk along the beach while I hold your hand. I want to listen to you talk and hear you laugh and then I want to kiss you in the moonlight. And not just because we’re physically close together, but just because we want to. And at the end of the night, I want to take you home and kiss you goodnight at the door and have you promise to do it all again with me the next night.”
If she wasn’t already feeling boneless, his words would have done it for her. With his deep voice and dark eyes thrown into the mix she was completely and hopelessly done for.
With a quick lick of her lips, she nodded. “I’d like that very much.”
To his credit, Max’s expression didn’t change – his gaze was just as intense as it had been since they’d stopped kissing. “Tonight. I’d like to take you out tonight. What time will you be done here?”
It was obvious the man didn’t waste any time. “Five. It’s a regular day for me.”
“I’ll be done by four but I’ll need to go home and shower and change. I’ll need your address so I can pick you up.”
For some reason, she was about to suggest meeting him wherever it was he wanted to go – that had been the way she and Harry had always done things – but somehow Ellie knew Max wouldn’t go for that. “I’ll text it to you,” she said softly.
“Will six o’clock work for you or should I pick you up at seven?”
“Six is fine.” The thought of waiting any longer than that would be torture and she knew it. The pleased look on Max’s face said her answer was the right one. “Should I ask where we’re going or is it a surprise?”
“I was thinking of heading to Naples for dinner and then coming back by Pleasure Pointe and walking on the beach there. Maybe we can pick up some ice cream and bring it out there with us. What do you think?”
“Dinner and then ice cream on the beach?” she asked with a happy grin. “I think you just described a perfect summer night.”
His features relaxed and he returned her smile with one of his own. “That’s good to know. What else would make it a perfect summer night?”
Ellie considered his words and then shook her head. “That’s something you’ll just have to wait to find out.”
A low, deep chuckle was Max’s only response and as much as Ellie was enjoying their position on the ground, she knew it was time to get up. This time when she moved, Max released her. Unfortunately, there was no graceful way to get back on her feet – not in the pencil skirt and heels. As she got to her knees, Max was quickly on his feet and holding out a hand to her and she readily accepted it.
“Thank you.”
He held her hand, pulled her in close and kissed her softly on the lips. “My pleasure.”
Even the way he said the word pleasure turned her on.
She was in deep trouble.
If this little bit of talking and rolling around in the grass got her body humming, she had a feeling being alone with Max away from work with all of his attention focused on her could be downright lethal.
****
She’d texted her address.
He’d gotten off work at four but hung around the resort until five – just to make sure there were no more near run-ins with the ex. The look of surprise – a pleasant one – on Ellie’s face when she spotted him had meant it was worth staying the extra hour. They walked together to their cars and if it weren’t for the fact that he was filthy and in desperate need of a shower, he would have had them leave for dinner right then and there.
He was as nervous as a sixteen-year-old virgin and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why. Technically, they’d done more before their first date than most people do after three! Still, the anticipation he was feeling about finally being out with her felt really good.
Max looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. The reflection showed a thirty-year-old man who worked hard and spent a lot of time in the sun. Shit. He looked old – at least to himself. There were lines on his face that didn’t used to be there and he looked tired. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he struggled to remember when the last time was he went out on a date.
Obviously it had been a while because he couldn’t quite remember if it was three or four months ago.
Maybe six.
“Damn,” he murmured and decided he’d had enough of looking at his face. Ellie didn’t seem to mind looking at him so that gave him hope. Still, as he finished cleaning up and getting ready, Max couldn’t quite shake the insecurity that had suddenly plagued him. He used to be a fun guy – a man who went out with his friends several times a week and always had a date on a Saturday night. When had that changed?
Why had it changed?
And why didn’t it seem to bother him before right now?
The entire time he was getting dressed, Max let his mind wander to all the things he wanted to talk to Ellie about and even spoke some of the questions out loud, rehearsing them.
“This is ridiculous,” he said, a little disgusted with himself. So he hadn’t been out socializing a whole lot recently. It didn’t mean anything. He’d finally hit a point in his life where he had more focus on what was important – and it happened to be his job at Casa Blanca. He loved it there – the people, the sense of community, all of it. He took pride in what he did and even though it wasn’t a glamorous job, Max wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Ellie’s face popped into his mind and he knew he had another reason to appreciate the job he had – it brought Ellie into his life.
Keys in hand, he left the house and within ten minutes, he was parked in front of Ellie’s. It was a cute little bungalow – nice curb appeal. As he walked to the door, he appreciated the array of greenery and the colorful flowers she had
chosen. Did she have a green thumb on her own or did someone else do all of this for her?
When he knocked and she opened the door, he was speechless.
Her hair was loose; her honeyed waves flowed over her shoulders. No pencil skirt and stilettos, he noticed. Tonight she had on a pair of soft looking faded jeans cuffed up at the ankle, a white sleeveless sweater and dainty white sandals.
“Am I too casual?” she asked nervously after Max stood there speechless. “I could change. I…I didn’t even think to ask specifically where we were going. I have a ton of dresses – most of them for work – but I can easily put one on and change accessories and be ready to go in five minutes.”
“Ellie?”
“Hmm?”
“You look perfect.” And then – just because he could – he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. He didn’t linger. He didn’t plunder. He just…simply needed a taste of her. When he raised his head, Max couldn’t help but smile at the satisfied look on Ellie’s face. “Come on,” he said softly, holding out his hand. “We have reservations.”
Reaching back into the house, Ellie grabbed her keys and purse and then paused. “Reservations? And you’re sure I’m not underdressed?”
Max chuckled and pointed to his own attire. “Elle, I’m in khakis and a polo shirt. I’m not dressed up either. We’re fine.” And once her hand was in his and he heard her door close, he let himself relax.
Helping her into his car – a fairly new Mustang convertible – he saw she looked a little hesitant. “I can totally put the top up if you’d prefer,” he said, sliding into the driver’s seat.
She smiled at him and laughed softly. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in one.” Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a clip. “Long hair and wind do not make a good combination, so I always come prepared.”
He looked at her quizzically. “How did you know…?”
“Oh, I had no idea you drove a convertible. You had a pickup truck back at the resort. I meant I carry one with me for when I’m walking out on the beach. The hair in my eyes gets old fast.”
Seeking Forever Page 5
