Authors: Mackenzie Crowne
Jessi turned to face the approaching woman. Short, spiky, pink hair covered her head over an angular face. At least a head taller than Jessi’s five-four, her slim build didn’t detract from the buff and toned arms, legs, and bare midriff between her cut off T-shirt and spandex shorts.
Her big, brown eyes grew wide. “You’re Jessi Tucker! Wow. I mean, wow! My boyfriend and me are huge fans. Your cousin, Tuck, got us tickets when you and Spence were in town last year for your Country Thunder tour.” Her teeth flashed in a grin. “Oh, man. Eddie’s gonna be so jealous when I tell him you were here. I’m Tina.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m the junior self-defense instructor. Are you here to take a class?” Pumping Jessi’s hand, excitement increased the volume of her voice with every word. “Oh my God. I can’t believe this. You’d want something private, right? I’m available at the moment. The ring is booked for the next two hours, but there’s a mat open.”
“Actually”—Jessi tugged free and cut in before Tina could catch her breath—”I came by to speak to Max. I guess I should have called first to see if he’d be here.”
Tina’s smile cooled, and Jessi eyed the painful looking bar piercing her left brow. The thirty-something instructor didn’t look anything like the string of Barbie Dolls who clung to Max’s arm whenever he appeared at one her family’s frequent gatherings. Then again, according to Tuck,
women
were Max’s type.
Jessi wouldn’t know, since he mostly ignored her
.
“No problem. He’s upstairs in his condo.”
“Oh.” Jessi’s gaze flicked to the staircase climbing along the back wall to the second floor. “Is he alone? I wouldn’t want to disturb him if he’s…ah, busy.”
Wry laughter danced in Tina’s eyes. “The coast is clear, honey. Max has a way with the ladies, but he keeps things strictly professional during business hours.”
She wanted to ask about after hours but thought better of it. If Max agreed to her proposition, she’d be doing her best to find out for herself. After thanking the woman, and promising to send along a signed copy of her latest CD, Jessi crossed to the stairs. The echoing thuds from below quieted as she reached the second floor landing and rounded the corner. A set of double doors beckoned from the end of a short hallway.
She stalked forward, stopped before the doors, and frowned at Spence’s voice echoing in her head.
When are you going to stop acting like
a scared little girl, afraid to do anything unless Daddy says it’s okay?
Irritation simmered, but while her partner’s sneering insult pissed her off, the underlying truth in his words rankled. A derisive sniff fluttered her nostrils. Her father would have a conniption if he knew what she was up to, but damn it, Spence was right. It was time she took a stand.
Breathing deeply, she refused to consider what she’d do if Max laughed and slammed the door in her face. Positive thinking was in order. She sucked air through her nose and closed her eyes to visualize the next few seconds, the way she did whenever she was about to step on stage.
Excitement raced through her as the giddy scenario played in her head. Max would open the door. Surprise would light up his long-lashed, gray eyes and one side of his mouth would lift in that sexy, crooked smile that made her toes curl. He’d take her hand and tug her inside, and he wouldn’t be able to wait until the door was closed before he kissed her. He’d wrap his muscled arms around her, tuck her close, and…
Her eyes flashed open, and she slapped a hand to her belly. Anticipation and panic tumbled together in a hot mess, wrestling for the upper hand. She was going to throw up.
No, I’m not!
She swiped her damp palms over the thighs of her jeans, and rolling her shoulders, she knocked briskly. No sound came from within. She knocked again. Nothing. The silence taunted her, but she couldn’t chicken out now. This was too important. Pressing her ear to the door, she listened intently—and choked on a strangled squeak when the door suddenly swung inward.
Off balance, she stumbled forward and shot out her hand to keep from tumbling over the threshold. Heavy muscle covered by taut skin arrested her fall and scorched her palm with delicious heat. Her fingers tingled with the desire to investigate further, and she might have done just that but for the deep clearing of a throat.
She snatched back her hand, and focusing on the sight in front of her, nearly swallowed her tongue.
Shirtless, Max’s broad shoulders and chest filled the doorway. Her heartbeat took off in a racing gallop, and the breath stalled in her throat. She blinked at the black tribal tattoo riding one well-developed pectoral. The bold design swirled over his left shoulder and ended in a half-sleeve.
Her gaze flew up, past his face, to the water gleaming in the cropped, ebony hair covering his skull. Helpless, her eyes followed as a droplet trickled down the side of his cheek and jaw to hang from his stubbled, square-cut chin. The translucent bead plopped onto the center of his chest and slid through the thin line of short, black curls stepping down the ridges of rock hard abs until it disappeared beneath the towel wrapped around his trim waist.
Her throat clicked on an audible swallow and kick-started her breathing. She dropped her gaze to his bare feet before making the return trip to his face. If the surprise she’d been expecting had been in his eyes, she missed it. By the time her gaze locked with his, wary disbelief darkened the slate gray orbs.
Arching black brows slammed together. “What the hell are
you
doing here?”
She stifled a wince. Not exactly the greeting she was hoping for. So much for her fantasy. She shrugged inwardly. Knowing Max, that wasn’t going to happen anyway, at least not today, but if she pulled this off, she’d live her fantasies soon enough.
Cocking her head, she offered him a friendly smile. “Hello, Max.”
He leaned forward and turned his head to look down the empty hallway. His lips were flattened in an unhappy line when he straightened and faced her again. “Where is he?”
Confused, she blinked. “He who?”
“Your idiot cousin.” He raised his voice as he double checked the hall. “Tuck. If you’ve got a camera running, I’m gonna kick your ass.” He straightened once again and pinned her to the spot with a steely-eyed stare. “Look, Squirt, whatever punk he’s got going, don’t let him suck you into it.”
She ground her teeth at the annoying nickname, but was nonetheless relieved. Preoccupied with Tuck’s supposed prank, Max was less likely to realize how crazy her plan was. All she had to do was get him to agree before he did. She crossed her arms. “Are you going to invite me in?”
His brows shot up comically. “Hell, no, I’m not inviting you in.” Suspicion narrowed his eyes as he shot a quick glance over his shoulder. His head whipped back around, and he fisted his fingers around the knot of the towel. “Did he sneak a camera into my condo?” He dipped his head around the doorjamb once more to shout, “Forget kicking your ass. I’ll kill you, Tuck.”
She grinned. Talk about paranoid. “There are no cameras. In fact, Tuck has no idea I’m here. There are, however, several people downstairs who are bound to come running if you keep shouting, so I suggest we move this inside.”
“Forget it.” He gripped the towel tighter and flicked his other hand toward her in a shooing motion. “Go away. Whatever you Tuckers are up to, I don’t want any part of it.”
“Fine. We’ll have this conversation right here in the hallway, but don’t blame me if—”
“Max! Is everything okay?” Feet thudded as one of the men from downstairs took the steps at a run.
She smirked and didn’t bother to finish her warning. Ha! As if this six-foot, two hundred pound bruiser needed protection from her.
“Shit.” She bit back a smug smile as at least part of her fantasy came true. Max grabbed her arm and yanked her inside.
After gripping her elbow, he shoved her behind him and held her there as he spoke to the unknown man. “I’m good. I’m expecting an equipment delivery at two. Make sure Tina goes through everything before she signs. They stiffed us a half dozen sets of gloves last time.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
Max shut the door on the unseen man and immediately released her arm. He moved several steps away and pierced her with a narrow-eyed glare. “Don’t move an inch.”
As he stalked across the room in a long legged stride, her greedy gaze catalogued the muscled expanse of his back. She swallowed, her attention snagging on the adorable set of dimples peeking just above the low-slung towel. Heat simmered in her belly, and she bit down on her lip to prevent an appreciative sigh.
He disappeared through a doorway and slammed the door shut behind him. Her cheeks puffed out on a blowing breath, and she tugged the scarf from her neck. Yeah, that hadn’t exactly gone as planned, but at least he hadn’t sent her packing. Her shaking fingers fumbled to slip open the buttons of her coat as she glanced around Max’s inner sanctum. Having never been invited to his home, she’d been curious at how he lived. She planned to take full advantage of the opportunity to poke into his private space.
After shrugging out of her hip-length, woolen, houndstooth coat, she draped it and the scarf over the back of an oversized leather couch. For a bachelor, he had a good eye. A long, black granite island separated the modern kitchen from a comfortable living area. Floors of old-wood planks, aged brick walls, and exposed ceiling beams gave the open floor plan of the converted warehouse a warm, yet masculine, air.
The creamy, smooth, mahogany hide of the couch was luxurious under her skimming fingertips as she meandered deeper into his lair. Opposite the couch, orange flames licked at several logs in an inviting brick hearth below a huge, flat screen TV. Beneath the far wall of high windows, a built-in bookshelf caught her attention. Tossing a glance at the closed door where Max had disappeared, she crossed the room and bent to study the titles.
Considering his career, the many health and fitness books made sense, but there was also a wide selection of novels. She plucked one hard-bound title from the shelf and scanned the back blurb. A smile tugged at her lips. How about that? Max had a taste for fantasy fiction. Replacing the book, her gaze fell on the heavy bag hanging from a beam in the far corner.
Her heels clicked on the hardwood as she approached the fat, leather cylinder. A vision of Max, sweaty and intense as he worked the bag with fists and feet, honing his fighting skills along with the hardened plains of his athlete’s body, flashed in her mind. Her belly muscles did a happy dance at the idea of a private demonstration. With a hum of anticipation, she balled her hand into a fist and threw her best punch. The bag didn’t budge.
“I told you to stay put.”
Startled, she jumped and whirled around as Max stalked by her into the kitchen. The towel was gone, which was too bad. The man certainly knew how to wear white terry cloth. She shook off her disappointment. For the coming conversation, the casual jeans and T-shirt covering his muscled frame were probably better than mostly naked and sexy as hell.
“Yes, well.” She cleared her throat and trailed after him. “An aversion to orders is why I’m here.”
“Meaning?” He wrenched open the refrigerator door, and his head disappeared inside.
She slid onto one of the island’s four high stools. An alliance with Max, whether real or farce, was her best hope of breaking the chains her family had wrapped around her so tightly she couldn’t breathe.
And she was sick of Max looking through her as if she wasn’t there.
She’d been in love with the big jerk since the first time she met him, and since she was determined to shake up her world, she meant to do something about his habit of giving her the cold shoulder.
She folded her hands in her lap. “Meaning, I have a proposition for you.”
His head popped up, and a wary frown pulled down the corners of his lips. “I don’t like the sound of that.” Straightening, he closed the refrigerator door and propped his hips against the counter to unscrew the cap on a water bottle. “Listen, I don’t know what your cousin promised you to help him with his game, but I’ll make it worth your while to forget it.”
A hot wash of excitement coursed through her veins in a beeline straight for the juncture of her thighs. Oh,
she
liked the sound of that, but she wasn’t about to
forget it
. She propped her elbows onto the counter and leaned toward him. “Worth my while, huh?” Pursing her lips, she dropped her voice to a flirtatious tease. “How would you do that?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed on a swallow, and she could have sworn his gaze dropped to her mouth—before he scowled. “Does your father know you’re here?”
“Nope.” She fluttered her lashes. “There are some things a woman’s father doesn’t need to know about.”
He jerked straight, and the wariness in his eyes slid back into suspicion. “Cut that out.”
“What?” She blinked and played dumb. If nothing else, she was going to make Max Grayson finally see her for the woman she was.
He bumped out his chin. “Don’t try using those baby blues on me. It won’t work. I’ve watched you work your wiles to get your way too many times. What’s going on?”
She sat up straight. He’d watched her? That was news. From her perspective, he did his best to ignore her most of the time, but he was wrong about her getting her way. If she did, she wouldn’t be here. Okay, that wasn’t quite true. If not today, she would have worked up the nerve to approach him eventually. Whether he knew it or not, Max held her heart in his hand, and he was either going to hold it properly, as he did in her dreams, or give it back once and for all.
Bold truth was called for, or at least as much truth as she could afford without tipping him off to the personal side of her agenda. If he agreed to help her, there would be time enough later to ease him into the concept of exploring a real relationship between them.
“I’m here because I need your help.”
“With what?”
“With getting my family off my back.”
“How am I supposed to do that?” He shook his head and pulled a long sip of water from the bottle.