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“Max, you need some antiseptic on those cuts.”
He didn’t say anything, just tugged her along to her bed. Gently, he took the rag she’d used to clean his cuts and set it on her nightstand.
She opened her mouth again to argue with him, but he stopped her by pressing his fingers against her lips.
“I’m fine, Anna. Truly.”
She frowned and he bent his head to kiss it away. Sliding his hands down her sides to her waist, he pulled her closer. In that one kiss, he tried to let her know he was there, that no one would ever treat her like that again.
He stole inside her mouth, tasting her, tempting her. She shivered as he moved away. Without a word, he removed her shirt, then pants, and when she was finally nude, he eased her back onto her bed.
Moments later, when she was still recovering from her orgasm, he slipped inside her, pushing her up and over again, following her as he whispered her name against her skin.
fifteen
Anna gatheredher purse and the information that the realtor had given her about several shops in Valdosta. If she wanted to open another location, she needed to plan. And rents in Valdosta were going to run higher than in her neck of the woods.
She hurried out ofThe Last Drop, trying not to think of the nights she had spent with Max over the last couple of weeks. Each day she felt herself weaken. She didn’t like it one bit. If Anna tried to put some space between them, Max made sure he planned something to bring them together. Like her love of watercolors. He found out there was an exhibit of Monet’s works in Tallahassee and what did he do? Just showed up and whisked her away on a Saturday morning for a day at the museum and a candlelit dinner.
Max had to know she was trying to keep their relationship a secret, because he tried his best to be seen in public with her. Anna shook her head as she stepped out and shut the door behind her. She spotted Max leaning against the hood of her car. Without saying anything, she continued her task then walked slowly in his direction.
Every hormone in her body bounced to life at the sight of him. Damn, the man was dangerous to her ability to think. A light spring breeze shifted a few strands of his hair. The crooked smile he wore, the look in his eyes—she knew he’d shown up for one thing. And damn if her traitorous body didn’t respond.
“What are you doing here?”
He pushed away from the car and his smile widened. “I missed you too, sweetheart.”
Even said in a sarcastic tone, the word sweetheart made her heart trip. Men never called her sweetheart. Except her father, and he didn’t say it with that husky edge to his voice.Thank God.
When she reached him, he leaned down and gave her a swift, hard kiss. As he pulled back, she noticed a couple of old biddies across the street staring at them. Really, she should be mad at him. But with her lips still tingling and her body warm from the brief kiss, she couldn’t think of a proper put-down.
“I thought we could drive up to Valdosta, take in a movie, stop for dinner.”
“I had plans.”
He frowned. She resisted the urge to change her answer just to bring out the smile that did delicious things to her body.
“What kind of plans?” Suspicion colored his voice.
She sighed. “I’m actually heading to Valdosta to look over a few places the realtor sent information on.”
“Realtor?”
Was that panic she heard in his voice? No, she had to be mistaken. Max didn’t freak out and besides, why would he freak over her looking for a new location?
“Yes. Remember I told you I just started researching the cost of opening another shop? I wanted to do it down there in Remerton, close to the college, but didn’t know how expensive it would be.”
The tenseness in his shoulders relaxed and his smile returned. “Well, a drive to Valdosta might be just the thing. Plus, I could give you my professional opinion.”
She was positive it wasn’t his professional opinion that he wanted to give her. But he was standing there, his hair mussed, smelling of his sandalwood cologne and looking so gorgeous she couldn’t say no. And that made her a little pathetic, but what the hell?
“All right, but you have to behave yourself. This is important.”
He offered her a boyishly sweet smile. “Promise.”
* * *
“This place sucks.”
