So Much Trouble When She Walked In

by Judy Angelo

  But this time he was not taking the initiative. He would go as far as she wished and not one step farther. And if this one kiss was all she needed then that was all he would give.

  But Silken soon heightened her assault, sliding her hands into his shirt, playing his body like a banjo, wearing down the bands of self-control to which he clung. God, he wanted her, and if she didn’t stop this…

  The thought flew out of his head as he felt her hands slide down to his buckle. Before he could still her fingers she’d loosened his belt and was pulling down the zipper of his…

  He broke the kiss. “Silken, do you know what you’re doing?” He reached down to lay his hand over hers.

  “I know what I’m doing,” she said in an urgent whisper. “I want you, Max. I want you now.” She slipped her hand from beneath his and renewed her attack on his trousers.

  But that was as far as she got. As much as he wanted her, there was no way he would take what Silken was offering. Not now, when she was at her most vulnerable.

  “Silken,” he said, “no.” His voice was firm. He had to put a halt to this, for her sake.

  “What?” She looked up, her brow knitted in obvious confusion. “No?”

  “No. Not when you’re like this. I want you, Silken, but only when you’re ready."

  “But I am ready-”

  “No, honey. Not yet.” He lifted a hand to push the hair away from her face then tucked it behind her ear. “Listen to me,” he said as he locked gazes with her. “Your emotions are raw right now. You’re hurting and you’re turning to lovemaking for comfort. I don’t want us to do it this way.”

  “Even if this is what I want?" A note of frustration crept into her voice.

  “Even if this is what you want.” Max got up from the sofa, taking Silken with him. “Go home now, Silken. What you need is a good night’s sleep. By tomorrow you’ll feel better.” He took her hand in his as they walked to the door. “I’ll call you in the morning, okay?”

  She mumbled her answer in the affirmative then walked with him to her car. When she got in and drove away she wasn’t looking any happier than when she’d arrived.

  Max did not go back inside right away. He just stood there, staring down the driveway long after the taillights of Silken’s car had disappeared into the night.

  He probably hadn’t been much help to her in her time of need. Maybe she thought he was cruel for sending her away.

  The fact was, he’d grown to care for Silken, too much to do anything that might jeopardize what they had. Which wasn’t much, he had to admit, but there was hope. She’d actually agreed to come to his house and she’d asked for his kiss, both good signs.

  But now he wanted to take their friendship to another level. The question was, would she let him?

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  It wasn’t until a week had passed that Silken began to feel like herself again. The blow of getting so far in her search and then not being able to achieve her ultimate goal was devastating. Even Suave seemed to be handling the situation better than she was, which was unusual because she’d always been the ‘strong’ one.

  But now, with the passing of time, she was beginning to accept things as they were. She was not happy about it, not by a long shot, but she’d begun to realize that maybe there were some things that were just not meant to be.

  In the last few days things had gotten busy around the shop and she was glad for it. She would not have been able to find the time to mope even if she wanted to. Lots of clients were getting ready for long trips over the upcoming holidays so they were turning up in droves to get their vehicles tuned up for the drive. She didn’t mind at all. When Suave told her the current status of their bank balance she was all smiles.

  And then she remembered that apart from a brief call the following morning she hadn’t heard from Max, not since he’d thrown her out of his house. Well actually, it wasn’t fair to say that since he’d only been trying to help. But still, what must he think of her, throwing herself at him like that? That night she’d begged him to kiss her and then she’d tried to divest the man of his clothes. God. She still blushed every time she remembered it. She must have been out of her mind.

  She could only imagine what he must be thinking about her after that episode. Would she ever be able to look him in the eyes again? She grimaced just thinking about it. She should probably avoid him for a while, at least until he’d forgotten all about what had happened. He hadn’t called her and maybe that was for the best. She, of course, would not call him either.

  But then, as she packed up that Friday evening and prepared to head home, she couldn’t help thinking about Max. He was the only one who knew how much she’d been affected by the failed trip to the doctor and his refusal to reveal the identity of their mother. Not even Suave knew. But Max, he’d been there when she’d broken down in tears.

  And now she wished she could see him again. Should she swallow her pride and call? She pondered that for a minute but then she sighed. No. Bad idea. Better to give him time to get over the shock of her bad behavior.

  She was climbing into her car when her cell phone rang. She knew exactly what this was about. Suave had forgotten her shopping list again and, as usual, Silken would have to remind her to get the stuff that they kept running out of, like dishwashing liquid, ketchup and fabric softener. Eggs, milk and cheese were no-brainers but Suave could never remember the other stuff.

  She pulled the phone out of her pocket and stuck it to her ear. “Hand towels,” she said drily, “and dishwashing liquid and detergent. Oh, and bring me some garlic powder. I used the last of it yesterday.”

  “Anything else?”

  Silken almost jumped out of her skin. That wasn’t Suave on the other end of the call, it was Max. She laughed out loud. “Max, I’m sorry. I thought you were Suave.” And then, realizing she was on the phone with the man she’d been thinking about all afternoon, her body went warm all over. “How are you?”

  “I’m good,” he said, and he did sound good. Deliciously so. “What about you?”

  He didn’t say more than that but Silken knew what he meant. He wanted to know if she’d recovered from her meltdown at his house.

  “I’m fine,” she said, glad her voice had not even a little waver in it.

  There was the briefest of pauses and then he asked, “Are you busy this weekend? I’ve got tickets for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in Daytona. Want to come?”

  Silken sucked in her breath but she didn’t scream into the phone like she wanted to. Did she ever. “Are you serious? I’d love to. But wait. Didn’t that happen in June?”

  “No. The tickets say July six. That’s tomorrow. And,” he said, sounding like he was teasing a toddler with a piece of candy, “one of these tickets has your name on it.”

  “God, I would love to,” she groaned, “but that’s all the way in Florida. And it’s tomorrow. I probably couldn’t get on a flight even if I went out to the airport, went down on my knees and begged. Those flights must be booked solid by now.”

  “Let me worry about the ‘getting there’ part,” Max said, his voice one hundred percent confident. “Just tell me you can be ready by four o’clock in the morning and I’ll come get you.”

  “I’ll be waiting at the door with pom-poms.”

  “Fine. Now tell me, would Suave like to come, too? She’s welcome, you know.”

  Silken gave a snort. “Suave? At a racetrack? I don’t think so. She’d spend the whole day pining about all the reading time she was losing.” Then a thought came to her. “Hey, you think we’ll see Danica Patrick in action?”

  “Absolutely. Probably the most popular female racecar driver in the country? You bet your socks she’ll be there. She draws quite a crowd.”

  “And I hope she beats the shorts off all the male drivers. Go, Danica.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Save the cheering for when we get there,” Max said drily. “She’s still got Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer to contend with. We’ll see what happens whe
n we get there.”

  Silken was ready a whole half hour before the appointed time. Suave was still lost in dreamland. It was way too early on a Saturday morning to wake her just to say bye. The night before, when Silken had told her about Max’s invitation, she’d been excited to hear that Silken would be out of the house for the day. Maybe Suave wasn’t as unaware as she’d thought.

  At four on the dot Max buzzed the apartment. “I’ll be right down,” she told him then grabbed her jacket and her purse and flew through the door.

  And there he was, standing with his hands shoved into his pockets – his favorite thing to do, it seemed – a beautiful sight for her sore eyes. The last time she’d seen him it had been through a film of tears but now her personal rain had passed and she could see him clearly. And she was enjoying the view.

  Max had been looking out over the parking lot and it took a couple of seconds before he realized that she’d exited the building. When he turned and saw her his eyes brightened and his lips widened in a smile. “There she is,” he said, holding his arms wide. “Ready to go watch some fast cars?”

  Silken was a bit surprised at his greeting but she did not hesitate. She walked straight into his hug, reveling in the feel of his arms around her, breathing in the woodsy fragrance of his cologne.

  Max held her close and he seemed to be holding her just a heartbeat longer than a friendly hug required but then he released her and stepped back. “You look good,” he said, smiling down at her. “Smell good, too.”

  “Thanks,” she said, suddenly feeling shy. It was like Max was turning her into a schoolgirl again. A blushing one at that.

  After they’d settled in the seat of his Benz they took off for the airport where Max had a private jet waiting. Silken was impressed. She’d never been on a private jet before. But, come to think of it, what else did she expect? The man was a billionaire, after all.

  After a five hour trip during which they were served a breakfast of fresh fruit, cheese omelets and champagne, they arrived in Daytona as the morning sun rose high in the sky. The stands were already full of spectators gearing up for the races but that was no problem for Silken and Max since they had reserved seats in the Tower Suites right at the finish line. Another first for Silken, and she was loving it.

  And then the races started. Immediately the adrenalin rushed through Silken and after several minutes of sitting there trying to be decent, she hopped up and started cheering for her favorite. Danica tore up the track and Silken couldn’t have been more pleased.

  “That’s my girl,” she shouted with glee then she turned to Max who sat back in his chair, an amused look on his face. “Girls rule,” she yelled and pumped her fist in the air.

  “Yeah, we know,” he said and this time he was laughing outright. “Now sit back down for a sec. You’ve trampled my foot enough for one morning.”

  “Sorry.” Silken gave him a rueful grin and plopped back down beside him. And as the races went on, she stayed still…for a while. And then she was up again, cheering for her girls because now it wasn’t just Danica, it was Chrissy and Amber and Jennifer. By the time she was done cheering she’d gone hoarse and had to swallow gulp after gulp of water just so she would be able to talk.

  That day she feasted on hotdogs coated in ketchup, potato chips and soda pop. No healthy eating for her, not on a day when she felt so free, so alive and so…happy. Yes, she actually felt happy, cheering and laughing and just having a good time.

  And it was all because of Max, this man sitting beside her, smiling at her so indulgently. He’d pretty much let her have her own way, hardly even complaining when, in her excitement, she smashed his toes.

  And one time she even ended up on his lap. Even now, as she thought about it, she couldn’t help but laugh. She’d tripped and he’d caught her before she fell, pulling her into him, wrapping his protective arms around her. And it had felt so right.

  Too soon she’d had to slide off his lap and take her seat by his side. But she wished she could do it, that lap thing, again.

  That evening as they flew back to California Silken leaned back in her seat and sighed.

  Max looked over at her. “You okay?” He rested his warm hand on top of hers.

  “Perfect,” she whispered and gave him a smile of gratitude. He had no idea what he had done for her. How could he? It wasn’t even something she could explain.

  But today with Max she’d begun to feel joy again and as he closed his eyes and settled back into his seat she watched him, the way his strong brows relaxed, his mouth softened and his breathing slowed to a soft, calm rhythm.

  And she wished she had the courage to tell him…because how could she dare say the words?

  Max, I think I’m falling in love with you.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The rest of July shot by like a bullet. Where was the time going? Maybe it was because things had got so busy at the shop or maybe it was because lately she’d been feeling on top of the world. Silken didn’t know which, but the days came and went so fast it made her head spin.

  And maybe, just maybe, time seemed to have accelerated because she was having the time of her life…with a man who made her heart skip every time she thought of him.

  Okay, so maybe it was a bit sudden, this falling in love bit, but since they’d gotten back from Daytona Max and she had spoken every day…every single day…and he’d been the one doing the calling, not her. And what normal girl wouldn’t be flattered by so much attention?

  And they’d gone out, too, three times this month already, to the best restaurants in Cupertino, places she’d only heard of but never entered. Not because she couldn’t, of course, but because she’d never had occasion to…until now.

  And tonight they would be spending time together again. Max had invited her to yet another restaurant but she’d suggested his house instead, as long as he promised to cook her dinner. She’d really enjoyed the meal he’d prepared last time she’d been there and although the restaurant cuisine had been exquisite, she was getting a bit tired of having to dress up every time she wanted to see him. At least at his house she could wear jeans or a summer dress. The high heels, she could do without.

  And tonight, hopefully, he would kiss her again.

  They’d kissed each time they’d gone out, but once it was in the car and then at the entrance to her apartment. The last time he’d come up in the elevator with her and kissed her in front of her door. But always, she’d felt his restraint, like he didn’t want to go too far with her, probably because they were kissing in public.

  But tonight he would have no excuse because they would be all alone. Not that she was planning to seduce him or anything but she hoped he would make that move and kiss her till her world spun round and round. And there was nothing wrong with hoping, was there?

  Silken smiled to herself. It was funny how, in the last few weeks, her behavior and her personality seemed to be undergoing all kind of changes.

  She wasn’t quite so prickly, she was sure of it, and she’d even grown sort of slow, waiting for him to kiss her instead of demanding it, like the old Silken would have done. She must be getting old…

  Silken got to Max’s house at six o’clock as planned, four packs of microwave popcorn in her handbag. They were going to do dinner and a movie and how could it feel like a movie without popcorn? Sans popcorn it would only be a television show.

  And if she had her way they’d have dinner and two movies because he wanted to watch one of those Bourne Identity films – of which she hadn’t seen even one – and she wanted romantic comedy. Max had let her have her way on most things but on this he was adamant. No ‘chick flicks’ for him, he’d declared, as if there was something wrong with watching a nice love story. But she would have her way and she knew just the thing to make him yield.

  In the end, she didn’t have to pull out the big guns. One kiss on the lips and he crumbled. If only everything could be so easy.

  In the den Max settled himself on the sofa while
Silken slid her disc into the Blu-ray player. Then she came over and sat on the other end of the sofa, lay down and put her head in his lap. It felt so natural, being there with him, and there was no place she would rather be.

  As she lay there watching Cameron Diaz charm her on-screen love interest, Max stroked her hair and she almost purred, feeling like the world’s most pampered cat. She gave a soft sigh and stretched out on the couch then she settled back down to enjoy his caress.

  Silken lay like that for several minutes, watching the movie but then not watching, so aware of Max’s hand on her hair and the warmth of his legs beneath her cheek that she was having a hard time following the love story.

  And then when his hand slid lower she was lost. It wasn’t that he was doing anything blatantly seductive. All he’d done was slide his hand from her head down to her nape where his fingers kneaded gently then stroked and caressed, driving her to utter distraction.

  On the big screen television the actors were speaking, lips moving, but Silken was hearing not a word. With nothing more than the stroke of his fingers Max had wiped her mind clean and all she could think of was the way his hands made her whole body tingle. No matter that he was lounging on the sofa, seeming totally relaxed and comfortable, she was like a live wire, electrified, every inch of her aware of him. Even her nipples had gone hard in her bra.

  Trying her best to relax, Silken drew in a slow, deep breath then let it out in a soft sigh. It didn’t work. How could it, when right then his hand was leaving its safe place at her nape and sliding into the collar of her shirt? His warm palm caressed her shoulder and she had to fight to swallow a moan.

  It was a gentle caress, and he wasn’t touching the intimate parts of her body, but God it was so sensual, so…

  Silken sucked in her breath and bit down on her lip. Oh, no. She was growing damp…and he hadn’t done a thing except stroke her neck and shoulder. What was it about this man that made her respond to his simple touch?