by Lori Foster
Max glared at her, wondering how in the world he’d run head on into two such bullheaded women in one day. Through his teeth, he said, “I do not mope.” And his damn toes didn’t curl either. “The simple fact of the matter is, there’s nothing for me to do at the business.”
“There’s all kinds of things for you to do!”
“Okay, let me rephrase that. There’s nothing that I’m needed to do. You know I’d go crazy sitting in an office, crunching numbers or sitting in on board meetings. That’s not my speed, Lace. I’d be like a fish out of water.”
After glancing at her watch, Lace gobbled down the last of her food and stood. She crossed her arms and gave Max a calculating stare.
“What?” he asked, feeling uneasy about the way she seemed to dissect him with her gaze.
“Guy wants to spend more time with Annie now. You know he worked extra long and hard trying to keep himself occupied so he wouldn’t think of her.”
“Yeah, so? I gather it worked, given how long it took him to wise up and admit he loved her.”
Lace nodded. “And you know Daniel has no spare time with the hours he puts in at the hospital.”
“You’re not going to guilt me into anything here, sweetheart, so you might as well give it up.”
Lace ignored his interruption. “A lot of the workload that Guy’s looking to get rid of involves travel.”
Max couldn’t quite hide his sudden interest. Damn, he missed traveling. He’d been born with a heavy case of wanderlust and missed being on the road. Even the simplest trip was a pleasure for him.
But since bringing Cleo home, he’d curbed all those tendencies. Cleo needed him. He rubbed her ears as he said, “You know I can’t leave my dog. And there’s no one she’d be comfortable staying with.”
They both heard the ding of the front door and knew a customer had come in. Max stood, ready to wrap up their conversation. And Lace needed to get back to the radio station.
“Maddie could watch her,” Lace suggested as she gathered up her purse.
Max put his arm around Lace and headed her toward the door. “What makes you think I want to leave Maddie behind either?”
Suddenly a big male body, taking up the entire doorframe blocked them. A low voice said, “Then take her with you. Take the dog with you, too. I’ll pay for arrangements that’ll accommodate all three of you. But Max, I want you in my company.”
Max stared at Dan Sawyers, his mostly absentee father, a man who until very recently had retreated from life. Annie’s engagement had given him new purpose and forced him out of his self-imposed exile. Max was glad; he wanted his father happy.
Things had just gotten very complicated.
Distracted, Max watched Lace slip out of the shop in a hurry. Dan stood there, looking determined and somewhat uncertain.
Cleo, the traitor, abandoned him to chew on a rawhide bone.
Never before in his entire life could Max remember his father asking him for anything. His brother Daniel had been the father figure, filling in when their mother died and Dan retreated from everyone, including his children. He’d provided for them and seen that their physical, medical and monetary needs had been taken care of. But every holiday he’d sought isolation, leaving their emotional care to Daniel.
Max respected his brother more than any man he’d ever known. For most of his life, he’d resented his father.
“Can I get you anything, Dad? I think there’s some coffee left.”
Dan appeared to let out a breath he’d been holding. “Coffee would be great. A little conversation would be even better.”
“Strange. I didn’t think you cared for conversation.” Max wanted to hold on to his resentment, to nurture it. But his thoughts were softened by Maddie, and he was in too mellow a mood to be angry.
They each pulled out chairs at the table Max and Lace had just abandoned. Max poured the strong, stale coffee.
“I owe you a lot of explanations.”
“No. You owe Daniel, not me. And you owe him more than lip service.”
“I know.” Dan turned his coffee cup this way and that, took a sip and then winced at the bitterness. “Daniel and I are working things out. It was grossly unfair the way I abandoned him to deal with everything.” In a softer voice he added, “He’s an exceptional man. I’m so damn proud of him…”
Max gulped down his own coffee. All his life he’d been known as the difficult one. Daniel was the oldest, the most mature, the patriarch of the family from the time he was a kid. Annie was a sweetheart, the only girl, the most loving. But Max…he’d indulged in mischief for as long as he could remember and as soon as he’d gotten old enough, he’d taken to traveling.
As if reading his mind, his father said, “I’d always thought you’d outgrow your love of travel, but Lace tells me it’s a part of you.”
Max shrugged. “I enjoy it, but I’ve given it up.”
“You don’t need to give it up. I meant what I said. Guy has never liked traveling or dealing with the chore of buying from our manufacturers. In fact, he threatened to leave the company unless I took an equal share of the responsibility.”
“I see.” It figured that his father would find a way around accepting that agreement. “So you want me to fill in for you now?”
“Not at all.”
Max held his cup a little more tightly. That wasn’t what he’d been expecting to hear.
Smiling, Dan said, “Given the way I’ve behaved in the past, you have every right to your assumptions. But the fact is, I’m enjoying being involved again. I’m enjoying life again.”
Heart softening, Max returned his smile. “I’m glad.” Then he asked, “What brought about this drastic change?”
A small smile on his face, Dan said, “I got some good advice.”
“That right?” Max sipped his coffee. “What kind of advice?”
Dan tugged on his ear. “Sexual advice.” Before Max could quite assimilate that, he added, “I was assured that a little sex would improve my disposition greatly. I’ve decided it’s worth a try.”
Max choked on a swallow and was forced to spend several minutes regaining his breath. When he was finally able to wheeze again, he said, “Sex!” and with a rumble of blustering menace, “Did Lace fill your head with nonsense?”
“Nope.” Dan grinned. “Got the advice straight out of the newspaper. From that guy who writes the column on sex.”
Max promptly choked again. Dan stood to thwack him on the back several times, but it didn’t help. Good God, he’d advised his own father to make whoopie!
The vague memory of an unsigned letter, which he’d answered in the column, slipped through Max’s brain. It had been good advice, he thought. But not for his Dad!
“The thing is,” Dan continued, as if his youngest son wasn’t turning red and strangling to death, “I’ve been out of the loop too long, both personally and professionally. The personal end I can work on myself.”
“Glad to hear it,” Max managed. He knew for a fact he couldn’t offer any more suggestions, so it was a good thing his father didn’t want any.
“But I’m too old to start dealing with the entire workload all at once. You have a way with people, Max. Everyone respects you and likes you.”
The praise not only distracted Max from his father’s first bomb, but it also warmed him from the inside out. That didn’t sit well with him. At his age, he shouldn’t want or need a father’s approval.
But it felt good to get it just the same.
Dan watched Max a moment, then continued. “Guy hates to travel, I’m not up to it, and you like it. Also, because of all your traveling, you’re up on which supplies are quality, and what’s needed where. You’ve hiked, skied, trekked through Africa, spent weeks alone in the wilds of Canada… You’d be the perfect one to make purchase recommendations.”
Max glanced at his watch. The shop would close in an hour, then he’d head home and shower, make sure Cleo was fed and comfortable—and be with Maddie ag
ain. He could hardly wait.
Curiosity got the better of him and he asked, “How much travel are we talking?”
“In the States, pretty regularly. But as I said, the company can afford to accommodate you in whatever way you want.”
“I won’t have Cleo closed up in a damn storage area. She wouldn’t understand and it would upset her.”
Dan looked at Cleo, who was now snoring loudly. He grinned. “We have a small private plane. She can ride with you.”
Damn but the idea was appealing. The need to be on the move had been eating at him for weeks. And Maddie had claimed she wanted to travel…
Of course, she’d also claimed to want him only to notch her bedpost. He’d have to work on her.
Tonight, he’d wrap her in such a hot, sensual spell, she’d become addicted and gladly follow him around the country.
Ha, and Cleo would learn to fly.
Max cursed low.
“What does that mean, Max? Are you considering it?”
“I don’t know. I was actually thinking of something else.”
“The foreign travel?” Dan asked anxiously. “Because there won’t be much of that. Just one or two trips a year to Mexico, perhaps Taiwan or China.”
If Maddie stuck around, Cleo could stay with her. It’d be nice to have them both to come home to.
Max flattened his hands on the tabletop. “Actually, I was thinking of a woman I’ve met recently. I’m not too keen on the idea of running off and leaving her unsupervised. She’s…well, she’s enticing as hell. Without me around, there’ll be a line of guys trying to take my place.”
Dan blinked at Max, then threw his head back and laughed.
Max couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his father laugh. “Care to share the joke?”
Dan wiped his eyes, still chuckling, and managed to say, “You’re in love! By God, that’s wonderful. And Max, don’t misunderstand, I’m thrilled!”
Love? Max shook his head. “I don’t know her that well.”
“So? I met your mother and within minutes knew she was my life.”
“Maddie makes me crazy.”
“That’s a good sign. When I first met your mother, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to kiss her or throttle her.”
“I guess kissing won out, huh?” Max found himself smiling, too.
“Absolutely. And she was worth all the effort it cost me to win her over.” Dan looked at Max, his face again solemn. “There’ve been a lot of lost years, son. I hope you can forgive me, but I can understand if you can’t.”
Without a single hesitation, Max said, “I forgive you.” In many ways, he was beginning to realize the loss was more his father’s than his own. He’d had Daniel and Annie and Guy…but his father had had no one and nothing but his grief.
“Thank you.” Dan smiled in relief, then released Max and stood. “You do love her, son. I can see it in your face.”
Also coming to his feet, Max said, “I don’t know. It’s not that easy.”
“Love never is! But you’re a good catch, so I’m positive she feels the same.” Dan clapped him on the shoulder. “Think about the job. We really do need you there.”
Grinning, Max said, “I’ll talk it over with Maddie.” Who knows, he thought, Maddie said she wanted to travel. Maybe the job would be a lure to help get her to commit.
At this point, Max was willing to try anything.
7
MADDIE WAITED outside the clinic for Max. She couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d done to her, what they’d done together! It was so wonderful.
And she couldn’t stop thinking about Cleo.
Darn it all, she missed the dog almost as much as she missed the man. They were both so special! How many young, handsome, virile, world-traveled men would have settled down to take care of a dog? A very needy dog.
Not many.
No two ways about it, Max was special.
And she was sunk.
Maddie collapsed back against the brick wall of the clinic. How much longer would she have with Max? A few days, a week? Admitting to herself that she’d gotten emotionally involved wasn’t easy. She’d meant to keep things superficial, to gather up some memories without commitment, the same as so many others did. Her ex had accused her of being too prim, and she’d wanted to prove him wrong. But now, what he thought didn’t matter.
Deep down where it really counted, which was in her own heart, Maddie had always known that she wasn’t the type of woman for sexual flings.
Oh, flinging with Max was great. Superb in fact. But she also wanted him to hold her. She wanted to talk to him and ask about his travels. Most of what she knew of Max she’d learned from Annie. And it wasn’t enough.
Bea and Carmilla and Mavis swore she needed to hold out on him. Not sex, because Max could get that anywhere and from just about any woman. She needed to hold out on all those things she so wanted to give to him; affection and caring and…love.
Maddie groaned, knowing she was already too deeply involved to hold back on anything.
A bright yellow dandelion grew up through a crack in the sidewalk in front of the clinic and Maddie ruthlessly brought her sandal down onto it.
She could not love Max Sawyers!
A long, low whistle brought her head up. Max stood there, grinning like the devil, his dark eyes full of teasing good humor. “You got a thing about weeds, I gather?”
Maddie stared at him blankly. “What?”
“You looked like you had murder on your mind.”
Maddie devoured the sight of him. He looked scrumptious in a casual white shirt and khaki slacks. His dark hair was windblown, his teeth white in his tanned face. Her heart did a flip-flop, and was followed by her stomach.
She couldn’t give him love, but she could give him female appreciation.
Maddie threw herself at him. Max looked startled for just a second before Maddie got hold of his head and brought it down for her kiss. “I missed you, Max.”
He gave a murmuring reply against her lips. “Hmm. I like this welcome.”
“Everything we did this afternoon… I haven’t been able to stop thinking about…it.” She’d almost said you but that would have given too much away.
Max lifted his head, looked up and down the street and smiled at her. “We’re being watched by about a dozen people.”
“Oh!” Maddie quickly straightened. Good grief, she worked here. The last thing she wanted to do was put on a show.
“Did you put your panties back on?”
“Of course!”
“Spoilsport.”
Oh, the way he said that. He could make her want him with just a whispered word. “Max, behave. You’ll get me all flustered and then I won’t be able to concentrate on the meeting.”
When she started to turn away, he caught her hand. “Tonight, how do you want it? Conventional or kinky?”
“Max…”
“Hey, a man needs to make plans. So which is it to be, sweetheart?”
He obviously liked to fluster her, Maddie thought. She looked up at him, touched his bottom lip, and said, “How about both?”
Maddie felt his indrawn breath both from her touch and her reply.
“You little witch,” Max said with something that bordered on admiration. “Both it is.”
“I was just teasing!”
“I’m not.” Max handed her the slim book she’d requested. “Have you read this thing?”
“Not yet. Why? Did you?”
“Bits and pieces. It was…interesting, but not always accurate.”
“There you see! I knew your perspective would add a lot.” She smiled at him.
Max groaned. “Let’s go get this over with before I change my mind.”
Catching his arm, Maddie led him into the old building and down the tiled hallways. “You’re not nervous are you?”
“Nervous about speaking to a bunch of young women on sexual dos and don’ts? Why ever would I be nervous?”
His s
arcasm was plain to hear.
“Um, Max, about the women…” Maddie started to explain to him that the women weren’t exactly young, but as she pushed open the door to the conference room, Max froze. Her friends were already inside.
Mavis, dressed in a long flowing dress of bright cherry red that nearly matched her hair, sat with her feet propped up on another chair. She wiggled her foot in time to whatever music was coming through a set of headphones plugged into a portable CD player.
Bea, wearing jeans and a white ruffled blouse, paced, obviously deep in thought. And Carmilla was secluded in the corner talking to someone who sat behind her. Maddie couldn’t see who it was.
Maddie cleared her throat and drew everyone’s attention.
Max looked around the room, then at Maddie. Bending close to her ear, he whispered, “These are not young women, Maddie.”
“Uh, no.”
Bea gave Max a thorough once-over, then let loose with a wolf whistle.
Nodding in agreement, Mavis said, “Ho, baby. He’s a hottie.”
Bea added, “Our girl knows how to pick ’em, doesn’t she?”
“Neither,” Max said, his face bright red, “do any of these women look the least bit confused about anything sexual.”
Bea said, “Ha!”
Mavis added, “You got that right, sweet cheeks.” And she gave him a cocky grin.
“They’re very nice ladies, Max.” Maddie tried glaring at Mavis and Bea so they’d back off just a little. Max looked ready to make a run for it. “I promise.”
Carmilla finally stepped out of the corner and a man rose up from behind her. He rose and rose and rose some more.
Easily six feet six inches, the man was enormously built and bald as an ostrich egg. He wore a black Harley-Davidson T-shirt with the sleeves cut off to show massive biceps. His right forearm sported an intricate tattoo of a naked lady. When he moved his arm—which he was doing now by flexing his knuckles—the naked lady danced.
Maddie gulped.
Max said with certainty, “That is no lady.”
The big man started forward.
