Page 94 of Maximus

There was a tap on the door, and since I was still sitting on the floor sulking, I felt the vibration against my back.

“Eva. It’s Zane.”

Zane?

As quick as I could, I scrambled to my feet and stepped away from the door. Then I stared at it because I didn’t know what else to do.

It wasn’t that I was afraid of Zane. Once I’d gotten over the initial shock of how menacing he looked—and I suspected he did it on purpose—Zane Lewis seemed like a man who liked to have the upper hand—be in charge, if you will.

And even if he’d softened when he met the boys, I wasn’t fooled. Zane had the same lethal, self-assured presence about him that Max had.

The door creaked open and my annoyance spiked.

“Can I help you?” I snapped at the audacity.

Who opens a door without being invited to do so?

“You done?”

Jeez, that sounded familiar.

“Done with what?”

“Your…”

“My what?” I prompted.

“I don’t know what to call it. I would say your tantrum, but my wife tells me I need to work on my people skills and has informed me that most of the time I’m a dick.” Zane shrugged and stepped farther into the room. “Since I love my wife, and Ivy’s normally right, I find myself trying to… be nice.” The man looked positively ill.

“And this is what? You trying to be nice? Walking into a room uninvited and asking me if I’m over my tantrum.”

“Pretty much.”

“And you’re married?”

“Yep.”

Zane smiled and it transformed his whole appearance. His blue eyes danced with what couldn’t be misinterpreted as anything but love. And he had dimples. Holy shit.

“Well, I’d say your wife has taken on one hell of a task if she’s attempting to coach you into being a pleasant person.”

Unfortunately, my jab had the opposite effect I was going for and Zane tossed his head back and roared with laughter.

“I don’t see what’s funny,” I huffed.

“No, you wouldn’t,” he said when his laughter died down.

If I’d thought Max had the scrutinizing gaze down to a science, Zane had him beat by a mile. It was totally unnerving the way Zane’s inspection was more of a thorough examination of my soul. I was pretty sure he had super-human powers and now knew all of my secrets.

After his dissection, he weirdly nodded his head and said, “Max’s comment wasn’t meant to hurt you.”

“Well, it did all the same.”

“He trusts you.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

Suddenly the sure and confident demeanor that Zane projected faltered.