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“Damn it, Maxim,” she swore.
“Sorry.” He moved forward, looking worried. He was dressed in a white shirt and jeans, looking casual but gorgeous. Maxim was the biggest playboy of her brothers. She never got introduced to any of his girlfriends, but she’d heard rumors about him among some of the staff.
Regent would probably fire them if he knew how they gossiped, so she pretended to ignore it.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Do you guys have a high insurance policy on me or something,” she muttered.
“What?” He came close and held out his hand to her. She took it, letting him pull her back inside.
“Vicky nearly gave me a heart attack this morning, now you’re doing the same. I’m thinking you’re trying to do me in.”
“Nah, of all my siblings, you’d be the one I’d take out last.”
She grinned. “Who’d go first?”
“The dictator, of course.”
A giggle escaped her, and Maxim studied her closely. “You okay? You seem different. Almost happier.”
“I feel better,” she confessed. “I’m trying to move forward rather than just existing.”
He squeezed her hand. “Good. I can’t tell you how worried we’ve all been about you.”
She leaned her forehead against his chest. Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head.
“I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“Don’t be. That’s a big brother’s job, right? Now, what were you trying to do, squirt?”
She rolled her eyes at the nickname. She drew back so she could look up at him. “I was going to go for a walk outside.”
His eyebrows shot up and he looked around. “By yourself?”
“Yes.”
“But . . . you . . . right.” He scrunched his eyebrows together. “Do you want me to go with you?”
“No,” she told him firmly. “I’m trying to do this without a crutch.”
“Victor said you have a new therapist, is this on her advice?”
“You know for a guy that doesn’t say much, he sure does gossip a lot.”
Maxim snorted. “I dare you to tell him he gossips.”
She gave him a devilish grin. “Challenge accepted. What’re you gonna give me if I do it?”
They’d always been competitive in the past. Bets, challenges, contests.
“What do you want?”
“Family lunch,” she said promptly. “With everyone. Lots of fun, laughter.”
“Squirt, you know we’d give you that anyway.”
“I know. But it’s still going to be funny when I call Victor an old gossip.”
