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With a renewed sense of determination she pushed open the heavy metal door and people started filing out before she registered the mania. Just outside the safety of the club flashes of light were exploding as throngs of people rushed towards them screaming Ricco’s name. And worst of all, from what she could see there were no cars.
“Where are the cars?” Maxi yelled into her headset as she tried to pull Ricco’s people back inside.
With all the confusion she wasn’t even sure where he was. Needing to locate him, she took a step out and tried to lift up on her toes. That’s when a hand clamped down on her arm and pulled her. She reached out to grab the door handle to try to tether herself, but before she was able to wrap her fingers around it a large arm encircled her waist and she was yanked back inside the building like a ragdoll. She blinked and when she opened her eyes her back was pressed up against a wall and Billy was surrounding her, cocooning her in safety.
She started to move, to make sure that her team and Ricco were okay, but she was caged in.
The small space and feeling of being trapped triggered panic that rose up in her throat like bile.
Her eyes were wild with fear as she pushed against Billy’s solid chest. “Let me go! I have to go!”
“Maxi?!” His voice sounded like he was under water, but she could still hear the confusion in it.
The next thing she knew her feet were off the ground and she was being carried through the mob. She buried her head in Billy’s chest and closed her eyes, trying to make herself as small as possible. The sound of a door slamming caused her to open her eyes and when she did she saw that they were alone, in a small office.
Billy gently set her down and when her feet touched the ground he cupped her face with his hands. Maxi didn’t get embarrassed easily, but the fact that Billy had seen her so panicked had her looking down at the floor to avoid his gaze.
“Hey,” he rasped. “Look at me.”
Not wanting to worry him, she lifted her head and met his stare. When she did his eyes searched hers.
“Billy…” She wanted to tell him that she was okay. To thank him for…everything. But she couldn’t find the words.
A moment passed and then another. In the back of her mind she knew she needed to go check on her team and make sure that Ricco was safe, but she just couldn’t seem to pull away from his gaze. In fact she found herself drawing closer to it. Her feet lifted off the ground as his head lowered. Closer and closer they moved until they were a breath apart.
This wasn’t the first time they’d found themselves in this position. The first time it had been on the couch. The second had been in her office, and then there was now. Maxi secretly hoped that the third time would be the charm.
His soft lips barely brushed over hers but her hopes were dashed when the door behind him flew open.
“There you are!” Cora exclaimed rushing in, oblivious to the moment that had just passed and threw her arms around Maxi’s neck. “I’ve been looking all over for you. The cars went to the venue not the club. Ace was able to deliver both Ricco and Alan to the SUVs; they’re safe and headed to the airport. In all the mayhem some of his people got left behind but Martin is handling their transportation. The crowd has died down since word spread that Elvis had left the building.”
Maxi chuckled and it had less to do with Cora’s joke and a lot more to do with the fact that if Cora hadn’t come in when she had, Maxi would definitely have kissed Billy Marshall. Unlike the other two times, this time there was contact…and it wasn’t nearly enough.
As the three of them left the small office, Billy’s hand rested on Maxi’s back and all of the nerves disappeared instantly and were replaced with a different sensation. The world righted itself.
Uh oh.
Note to self: Do notactually fall in love with Billy Marshall.
Maxi feared this was a case of too little too late.
