by Judy Angelo
“Hey, where’re you going?” Silken yelled after her. She was getting up to follow her but Suave was already through the door.
Just before it slammed shut behind her, she yelled over her shoulder, “I’ve got to go tell Duke.”
Silken sank back down, a frown of confusion knitting her brow. What in the world did Duke Davidoff have to do with any of this?
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Champagne glass in hand, Max couldn’t help but shake his head and smile. It wasn’t a bitter smile, by any means. He was more than happy for his brother. But it was partly a smile of regret for what he’d almost had and had lost. And now his brother had found that happiness he’d craved and Max wouldn’t have wished it on a better person.
Who could have known that within just a few months of each other the second Davidoff brother would be announcing his engagement to one of the McCullen twins?
Duke and Suave had done a stellar job of keeping their relationship secret, or maybe the love had overtaken them like it had done Max months before with Silken. Maybe they hadn’t even known what hit them. Whatever it was, Max was one hundred percent happy for them.
As he lifted his glass to take another sip of champagne he watched the bride and groom-to-be twirling round and round on the dance floor, the center of everyone’s attention as they should be. They were the stars tonight and they made a handsome couple.
His eyes went round the room full of family and friends and they alighted on his parents sitting at a nearby table, watching their son and their soon-to-be-daughter on the dance floor. They were visibly pleased as Max had known they would be. In Suave they were acquiring a beautiful, humble and level-headed daughter who would not only be a great help-mate to her husband but an asset to the entire Davidoff family.
And then, as had been happening all evening, his eyes went back to searching the crowd until he found that one person in the room, the only one who had the power to make his heart lurch at the mere sight of her.
There she was, standing behind a group of Duke’s friends and key employees, a champagne glass held stiffly in her fingers. She was smiling at the dancing couple, obviously happy for them, but there was a tension in her that he could see even from across the room. She was probably as aware of his presence as he was of hers. And Max didn’t feel he was flattering himself by thinking that. She’d loved him once and if that love had made her feel for him half of what he felt for her, then there was no way she could be in the same room with him and not feel his presence.
And then she looked up, her brown eyes meeting his across the distance, and it was like they were the only ones in the room.
Moments passed as they stared at each other, as if drinking their fill, and then she blinked and dropped her gaze. But not before he caught the longing in her eyes.
Max drew in his breath and clenched his jaw, his eyes never leaving her face now growing pink under his scrutiny. Over the months that had passed they’d spoken on the phone a few times, mostly in relation to Suave and her health, but he’d never again laid eyes on Silken until tonight. The last time they’d been together she’d declared that she didn’t love him anymore. The look he’d just seen in her eyes was clear and irrefutable testament to the lie she’d told him and had probably even told herself. There was no way she could have faked that look of love.
And that was when he realized what a fool he’d been all these months. He’d taken what Silken had said, cancelled the wedding plans, and sat their waiting for her to come back to him. He knew Silken and what a stubborn mule she was. Once she’d made her declaration there was no way she would ever have come back to him. Not over her dead body. Because that was who she was.
He should have known that the best thing he could have done was to give her a few days to get over the shock of Silken’s illness and then march over there and demand that she repeat what she’d said. She wouldn’t have been able to do it. There was no doubt in his mind, not after what he’d seen in her eyes tonight.
He expelled his breath and scowled, totally pissed with himself. He’d given in too easily and now it was time to remedy that.
Walking behind the people circling the room, cheering the dancing couple, Max moved purposefully through the crowd until he was by Silken's side.
She looked up, eyes wide, but she did not look surprised to see him there. She was searching his face, taking him all in, and in addition to longing what he saw there was hope.
Max glared down at her, and if they weren’t in a room packed with people he knew he would have put her over his knee and smacked her pretty little bottom till she begged him to make hot love to her instead. Silken had put them through months of suffering, all because she’d made up her mind to be a sacrificial lamb to her sister who’d gone and made a great future for herself – all without Silken’s help. Max could only hope that the woman he loved had learned her lesson.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said, his tone brooking no argument. “We need to talk.”
Silken did not object. She looked into his eyes then nodded and put her hand in his. Then, hand in hand, they slipped away from the crowd and walked out the door.
***
Silken could not believe what was happening. Was this another of her recurring dreams where Max, like a knight in shining armor, would rescue her from her self-imposed misery, declare his undying love for her then whisk her off to his castle in the clouds where he would make mad love to her till she swooned from the sheer ecstasy of it all?
Or was this real?
She glanced over at him and the tight set of his jaw and the scowl on his face told her it was real. In her dreams he’d been smiling the whole time. The man striding down the hallway with her hurrying along beside him looked more angry than crazy-in-love.
It wasn’t until they got out into the garden that Max released her hand and, putting his hands on her shoulders, turned her to face him. “I should punish you, you know that?” He was glaring down at her and making no apology for it, either.
“For what?” Silken buttoned her lips and glared back at him. She wasn’t about to let him bully her, no matter that all she wanted to do right then was wrap her arms around him and never let go. It felt so good, having him so close, his hands strong and warm on her shoulders. How she wished she could have his touch always.
“For lying to me. You love me, Silken. You never stopped loving me.” He reached out to tilt her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. “Look at me and tell me you can deny that this is the truth.”
Silken swallowed. Who was she fooling? She loved Max so much she couldn't think straight. For months she’d been trying to tell herself otherwise, trying to ease the dissonance of having pushed him away and out of her life when all she'd felt was love for him. It was for the best, she kept telling herself, for the good of her sister. But, now that she looked back, despite her good intentions, had that decision been sensible or just plain stupid?
Finally, she spoke. “I can’t.” She sighed and gave him a sad smile. “How can I deny it when I’ve not gone a single day without praying that you’re well. You’re on my mind each morning that I wake and on my lips each night that I go to bed. I love you, Max, and always will.”
Max expelled his breath as if he’d been holding it, anxiously awaiting her answer. Then he released her chin and wrapped his arms around her in a hug so tight it was like he’d never ever let her go.
“That, my dear, has sealed your fate. I will never let you escape me again.”
And Silken, pressed against the body of the man she loved, felt the rumble of laughter in his chest.
“And just in case you have any more tricks up your sleeve,” he said as he rested his chin on top of her head, “tomorrow I’m finding myself a judge.”
Silken tucked her face into his shoulder and smiled. Like Max, she’d had enough of wedding planning. She just wanted to get on with her life, with this man by her side.
And if Max followed through with his threat like she knew
he would, she would have her greatest wish.
Because by tomorrow this time, she and her beloved Max would be husband and wife.
EPILOGUE
The wedding of Duke and Suave Davidoff was the talk of the town and the church was packed with family members and well-wishers. And by his brother’s side, best man to the groom, stood Max. And by the bride’s side, reveling in her role as chief bridesmaid, stood Silken.
And as the bride and groom exchanged their vows, Silken and Max gazed into each other’s eyes, confident in the love that they shared.
They’d beat Duke and Suave to it and they never stopped teasing that they would always hold the position of honor – a union of marriage between the first-borns of the Davidoff and McCullen families.
But Suave did some teasing of her own. “No need to mother me anymore, Silken. Duke told me to tell you, you’re being laid off. He’s made your position redundant.” Then she hugged Silken. “So sorry about that. I’ll see if I can get a good severance package for you.”
But Silken only laughed and it was a laugh filled with love and just a bit of relief. Now her little sis had two people looking out for her, and with the close knit relationship of the Davidoff family, maybe more. And, of course, she’d always be mother hen to Suave but at least now she had more help than she could ever need.
At the wedding reception that evening as Silken stood by her husband’s side, Mother Davidoff waved her over to where she was standing with Suave and Duke.
As soon as she approached, that regal lady opened her arms wide and drew both Silken and Suave into her embrace.
“My daughters,” she said, her eyes filled with tears, “the daughters I’ve always dreamed of.”
And as Silken and Suave stepped into her loving arms their eyes met and Silken knew they were thinking the same thing. Charlene was their mother now. She was their dream, finally come true.
THE END
Thank you for reading ‘So Much Trouble When She Walked In’. I sincerely appreciate your support. If you liked this story I would appreciate your clicking the ‘Like' button on my Amazon page. Positive reviews are also very welcome! That’s the best support any author could ask for.
BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES
Judy Angelo
Volume 1 - Tamed by the Billionaire
Volume 2 - Maid in the USA
Volume 3 - Billionaire's Island Bride
Volume 4 - Dangerous Deception
Volume 5 - To Tame a Tycoon
Volume 6 - Sweet Seduction
Volume 7 - Daddy by December
Volume 8 - To Catch a Man (in 30 Days or Less)
BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES, Mega-Coll. - Vols. 1 - 8
BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES, Coll. I - Vols. 1 - 4
BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES, Coll. II - Vols. 5 - 8
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Volume 9 – Bedding Her Billionaire Boss
Volume 10 - Her Indecent Proposal
Volume 11 - So Much Trouble
When She Walked In
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The NAUGHTY AND NICE Series
Volume 1 - Naughty by Nature
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Volume 12 - Married by Midnight
MEET THE BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES
FROM VOLUMES 1 - 8
TAMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE - Vol. 1
Roman Steele - The business tycoon who has the daunting task of taming the spoiled princess.
MAID IN THE U.S.A. -Vol. 2
Pierce D'Amato - The software billionaire who thinks he's in control but instead finds himself at the mercy of an angelic four year old and a dark-eyed French beauty who steals his heart.
BILLIONAIRE'S ISLAND BRIDE - Vol. 3
Dare DeSouza - The owner of a line of Caribbean resorts who tries to teach our beloved heroine a lesson she'll never forget...but then ends up learning the greatest lesson of his life.
DANGEROUS DECEPTION - Vol. 4
Storm Hunter - He loves motorcycles, fast cars and now he's got to add one more item to his list of loves: Danielle Swift. Dani has a charm he tries to resist but this committed bachelor is no match for this bold and independent woman who's like none he's met before.
TO TAME A TYCOON - Vol. 5
Enrico Megalos - A shipping tycoon with a big problem but one which 'lion tamer', Asia Miller, is determined to fix.
SWEET SEDUCTION - Vol. 6
Jake McKoy - Billionaire author, philanthropist and recluse - a man with a past that is tearing him apart. Will Samantha Fox be the woman to pull him out of his shell?
DADDY BY DECEMBER - Vol. 7
Drake Duncan - Billionaire investor, and a man determined to win the love of his life: a woman who is just as determined...to stay the heck out of his way.
TO CATCH A MAN (IN 30 DAYS OR LESS) - Vol. 8
Stone Hudson - Owner of Hudson Broadcasting Corporation, Stone is thrown for a loop when he meets a woman gutsy enough to laugh at him. And then she turns into a temptress. How can he resist?
Alpha males at their best - which one will you fall in love with?
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Bad Boy Billionaires Mega-Collection, Vols. 1 - 8
VOLUME 1 - TAMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE
THE TAMING OF A PRINCESS...
Serena Van Buren, the privileged daughter of a wealthy businessman, can't wait to begin her three-month tour of Europe with her college mates. Little does she know that fate has other plans in store!
Instead of dancing with handsome Italians and dining with charming Frenchmen Serena finds herself trapped in a six-month internship with overbearing business tycoon, Roman Steele - an arrangement orchestrated by her own father.
Serena is determined to show Roman that she won't yield to the demands of any man, boss or no boss. She's a Van Buren, after all, known to wither a man with one look. But Roman Steele is like no man she's ever met before. Suave, sexy and stunningly handsome, there's something about him that she can't resist. It looks like Serena Van Buren has finally met her match.
A sweet and saucy romance that will have you smiling...
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TAMED by the BILLIONAIRE
VOLUME 2 - MAID IN THE USA
WHO EVER SAID BILLIONAIRE BACHELORS AND MODEST MAIDS DON'T MIX?
Celine Santini couldn't have been more shocked when billionaire bachelor Pierce D'Amato offers her a job as nanny to his four-year-old charge. After all, he hardly even knows her. But after finding herself thrown into an unexpectedly intimate encounter with him, are they really strangers? Celine is captivated by the green-eyed heartthrob who takes her heart ransom but how can she give in to her feelings when they're from two totally different worlds?
From the first day he lays eyes on the dark-eyed beauty, Pierce D'Amato knows he is lost. He immediately devises a plan to get her under his roof...and it works. But the more he gets to know the sweetly seductive Celine Santini the more he realizes there's a lot more to this woman than he could ever have imagined. Her intriguing combination of sophistication and innocence keeps him forever off-balance and, before he knows it, his bachelor heart turns traitor. The heart knows what the heart wants and it wants Celine Santini...whatever the cost.
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MAID IN THE USA
VOLUME 3 - BILLIONAIRE'S ISLAND BRIDE
BAD BOY BILLIONAIRE VERSUS REBEL ISLAND BRIDE - AND THE WINNER IS...
Normally shy and reserved, college student Erin Samuels goes to the island of Santa Marta where she breaks out of her shell and does things that shock even her. And, as if that weren't bad enough, she ends up trapped in a marriage by blackmail!
Dare DeSouza is used to women throwing themselves at him and he lumps Erin
Samuels in the same category. Gold-diggers, that's what they all are, but this time he has a plan. He sets out to teach Erin a lesson she'll never forget...and ends up learning the greatest lesson of his life.
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BILLIONAIRE'S ISLAND BRIDE
VOLUME 4 - DANGEROUS DECEPTION
TO CATCH A COMMITTED BACHELOR...
When Dani Swift put on her chauffeur's uniform, with her hair tucked under her hat and her face make-up free, she looks like a clean-shaven young man. It's while wearing her little disguise that she meets the man of her dreams, billionaire businessman Storm Hunter. But how can she compete in his world of wealth and women who will do anything to snag this eligible bachelor?
Storm Hunter loves motorcycles and fast cars. And then he meets Dani Swift. Bold and independent, she's like no woman he's ever met. And when their little game of deception leads to him losing his heart that's when he knows that, in her, he's found his greatest love.
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