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Kaitlyn walked in and sat in the chair across from Shannon's desk. "Tired, or didn't want to talk about what happened with Max?"
"Nothing to tell."
"That's not what I saw. Or felt."
Sometimes having magical family members was a royal pain in the ass. "Butt out, Kait."
Jeweled bells tinkled against Kaitlyn's wrist as she shifted in the chair. "Now, you know me better than that. How can I butt out when I sense something special between you and Max?"
The pounding headache she'd awoken to this morning intensified. She rubbed her temples and glared at her sister. "There's nothing special between Max and me. We had sex. That's it."
Kaitlyn's eyes widened and she leaned closer. "Sex? Really? Out on the balcony?"
"Yes."
"How exciting! And then what happened?"
"Then I went home."
"Shannon!"
"Really, Kait. It was nothing. Obviously, Max and I have chemistry. We had great sex. End of subject."
"So what happens now?"
"Now we get back to work and try to forget what happened." And if she was really lucky, she'd actually be able to do that.
"I don't think it's that easy."
"Sure it is. What? You've never fucked a guy and promptly forgotten about him?"
Kaitlyn stared at her fingers. "No. It's not in my nature to be that callous. And neither are you, despite what you say."
Okay, that one stung. But Shannon and Kaitlyn were different. Like night and day, spring and fall. Where Kaitlyn was warm and nurturing, Shannon preferred to bury anything emotional under layers of cool indifference. Safer that way. "Much easier all around if you'd quit taking these kinds of things so seriously."
"And I think you'd be much happier if you opened your eyes to the possibilities of love."
She tossed her pen on the desk and leaned back in her chair. "I don't love Max Devlin."
"But you could, if you gave him half a chance. I feel it, Shan. And you do too. You're just avoiding the inevitable."
"Now I know how Aidan felt when we ganged up on him about Lissa."
"We were right, weren't we?"
"Yes, but that was different. A blind man could have seen what was between those two."
Kaitlyn nodded. "Exactly. And maybe you should remove those blinders from your own eyes, Shan. Max feels for you. Something deep."
What a load of crap. They barely knew each other. Love at first sight just didn't happen in real life. What Max felt for her was physical attraction, and nothing more. Same thing she felt for him. And now that they'd gotten the sex out of their systems, they could concentrate on business.
"I see fine. I just don't want it."
"And what is it that you don't want?"
Shannon's throat went dry at the sight of Max in her doorway. Lord, he looked delectable in his black suit, white shirt and blue tie. He'd loosened the tie and undid the buttons on his collar. Crisp, dark hairs peeked out from the top of the shirt, making her wonder if his chest was covered in that dark pelt.
Hell, he'd seen plenty of her the other night, while she'd never even glimpsed a portion of his naked body. All she'd had was the feel of his enormous cock pounding her pussy.
Her pulse raced as the images came flooding back to her.
Yeah, she'd forget about him all right. When hell froze over.
Time to cool things down. "What I don't want is to be disturbed."
Undaunted, he walked in and sat in the unoccupied chair. "She always this cranky?" he asked Kaitlyn, pointedly ignoring her.
Kaitlyn grinned. "Frankly, yes. But more so when she doesn't get enough sleep."
"I'm in the room here, guys. Quit talking about me as if I'm invisible."
"Paranoid too, I see," he added.
"Yes. Really pathetic, isn't she? How we'll ever find a man willing to put up with her is beyond me."
"Knock it off, Kait," Shannon warned.
"Would take one helluva man, wouldn't it?" Max winked at Kaitlyn, and she laughed.
"How did the meeting go with Aidan?" Shannon asked, hoping to turn the conversation away from them teasing her.
"Fine. The marketing and PR angles merge perfectly, and I suggested a few things to Aidan and Melissa about taking their marketing to a national and international level. We've got a good start."
"Good. I've got the announcements and community specials set up to go out to all the newspapers this week, plus the regional print publications."
"We're set then. So, what time are you two cutting out of here?"
"I'm finished for the day," Kaitlyn said. "As a matter of fact, I'm outta here. Promised Mom I'd do a little shopping with her today. She's got some ideas about revamping the kitchens at the original Rising Storm, so I'm off."
Shannon knew damn well that Kaitlyn didn't have to rush off. Once again, her manipulative little sister was trying to give her and Max some alone time. As if they needed it. "See ya, Kait."
"Bye Kaitlyn. Say hello to your mother for me," Max said.
"Will do."
After Kaitlyn left, Max turned to her. "Got any plans for tonight?"
"No," she replied, then cringed. What if he asked her to go out with him? Why didn't she say she was busy? Idiot. This is what happened when she didn't engage her brain before her mouth opened.
"I have a line on a house, and wanted someone who lived here to come with me. If you're available, I'd love it if you would com
e with me to take a look."
"A house?"
"Yeah, you know. Frame structure, some rooms inside, walls, that sort of thing."
She rolled her eyes. "I know what a house is. Why are you renting one?"
"I'm not. I'm going to buy one."
Her headache began to thrum incessantly. "Buy one? Here?"
"Yeah."
"Why?'
"Because I'm moving here."
There was no way he'd said what she thought she heard. Fighting the rising panic, she tried for calm. "You're what?"
"I'm moving to New Orleans. Permanently."
"No you're not."
His lips curled in a smile. "Yes, I am. Do you have a problem with that?"
Hell yeah, she had a problem with it. She stood and paced behind her desk, trying to fathom what that would mean. Max, here in New Orleans, permanently. Oh no, that wouldn't do at all. Much easier to fuck him and forget him if she were actually allowed the opportunity to forget him. Domiciled a thousand or so miles away was a perfect way to get a man out of your thoughts. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
"Why do you want to move here?"
"My family wants to expand the Devlin business ventures nationwide. I'm taking care of the south, and figured New Orleans was as good a place as any to set up shop."
"I've heard Georgia's really nice," she suggested, hoping he'd grab the hint.
He arched a brow. "You're not in Georgia."
"No, of course I'm not. I'm right...what do you mean?"
"It means you're one of the reasons I'm staying."
No. She would absolutely not have an emotional reaction to that. "You don't even know me."
He stood and approached her. With each of his steps forward, she took one back until she ran out of space, the back of her legs hitting the credenza.
"I do know you. And you know me. And it scares you."
As if she didn't have her mother and her sister to contend with, now Max was joining the let's-tell-Shannon-how-she-really-feels club. "Save the full-court press for someone who can appreciate it, Max. The only thing you're succeeding in doing right now is pissing me off."
"You want me." He leaned in, his breath caressing her temple. He inhaled swiftly, then let out a whispered sigh.
Her nipples hardened. "Back off, Max. I mean it."
"You mean you haven't thought about the other night at all? Haven't thought about what it felt like to have my hard cock driving in and out of your pussy until you screamed?"
