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I finished my wine and put the empty glass down, staring at him. He motioned for the bill, and it came over minutes later. Max silently settled it with one tap of his card against the machine, and I got up before he could even think about coming around to pull my chair out for me.
I was going to open the bloody car door, too.
He beat me to the restaurant door—somehow—and pulled it open before I had a chance to reach out for the handle. I offered him a begrudging smile in acknowledgement and stepped outside into the gentle breeze.
He wasn’t going to beat me to the car, though.
Max eyed me as he hit the button on his key fob and unlocked his car. “You aren’t going to let me get that door, are you?”
I answered by tugging on the handle and opening it.
He inclined his head. “I was surprised you let me pay for dinner.”
“I was going to argue the toss, but we’re already fighting about something, and I didn’t feel like adding another argument to it.” I paused. “Assuming you wouldn’t let me pay, of course.”
“Of course I wouldn’t.”
“There we go, then.” I got in the car and shut the door on him.
He walked around the car and got in, then peered over at me as he started the engine. “How did you know I wouldn’t let you pay for your part?”
“Men who open doors for women don’t let them pay for dinner.” I sniffed, turning to look out of the window. “And if they do, they’re a wanker.”
“That’s a difficult statement to argue with,” Max replied, pulling out of the parking spot.
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll find a way.”
“Ellie.”
“Don’t Ellie me. When I told you I was insulted, there was only one correct response and that was to say sorry. I’d have also accepted you asking why I was upset, but that’s fine.”
“You are exceptionally hard work.”
“And you’re exceptionally rude and pig-headed, but you don’t see me getting a billboard in Piccadilly Circus to announce it to the world.”
“You won’t need one. This conversation will end up in your book.”
“You’re bloody right it will,” I retorted sharply. “That’s the point of this, isn’t it? To inspire my book? Well, congratulations, you’ve inspired the part that will piss off romance readers all over the world.”
Max sighed.
Maybe he wasn’t a fan of that.
Oh, well.
He shouldn’t have insulted the people inside my head.
The rest of the drive back to Greygarth Estate was made in silence. Max never took his eyes off the road, not even to glance at me, and I kept my attention firmly fixed on whatever was on the opposite side of the window.
He pulled up outside Greygarth Lodge, just as he had when he’d picked me up, and I got out of the car. I fumbled in my bag for my keys as I stalked towards the door, then stopped on the top step and turned around.
Max was leaning against the car, watching me.
“Do you read?” I asked, meeting his gaze.
He frowned. “I read.”
“Fiction. Do you read fiction?”
