Free So Much Trouble When She Walked In by Judy Angelo Page B

his hand.  “You’re leaving, too?”
    “Yeah,”
he said with a shrug, “I’m going to hook up with an old school buddy who lives
in Palo Alto.  We’ll probably hang out a couple of hours then I’ll head back.”
    “Well,
okay,” she said, slightly confused, wondering if she’d done something to make
both Duke and Reed go running.  Her mind did a two-second rewind of the evening
but she couldn’t think of anything...well, except for that blunder with Reed
and London, but they’d forgotten all about that.  Or maybe they hadn’t…
    She
walked to the door with Duke and Reed where they each gave her a hug.  “It was
really good meeting you,” Reed said, “and I’m not just saying that.”
    “I
second that.”  Duke grinned at her.
    Silken
felt herself glow with pleasure at their words.  They really were nice.  She
hoped one day she’d get the chance to meet them again.

 
    CHAPTER
EIGHT
     
    After
they’d left Silken closed the door and turned to head back to find Max.  Maybe
it was time for her to leave, too.  She wasn’t the least bit tired and she’d
wanted the evening to go on and on but everyone had left except her.  She
certainly didn’t want to overstay her welcome.
    She
went back to the dining room but Max was not there.  The living room was empty
and so was the library he’d shown them when they’d just arrived.  The only
other place she’d been in his house was the den so she headed off to look for
him there.  Why he’d thrown this disappearing act, she had no idea.
    “Max?
Are you in here?”  She rounded the corner and walked into the room and there he
was, lounging in the middle of the sofa, and on the glass table beside him was
a bucket filled with ice, a bottle of champagne nestled in it.
    She
stopped in the middle of the room and narrowed her eyes at him.  “What are you
doing?”
    He
smiled, and it was a seductive smile, and he patted the seat beside him.  “What
does it look like I’m doing?” he asked.  “I’m getting ready to seduce you.”
    And
that was how she knew that the sudden departure of Duke and Reed had nothing to
do with her.  It was Max who had set it all up.
    She
lowered her brows.  “You told them to leave, didn’t you?  You planned this.”
    He
shrugged.  “Not exactly.  When Suave decided to make it an early night I just
took advantage of the situation.”
    “And
asked your brothers to leave, too.”  It was a statement, not a question.
    “Yeah. 
I had enough of them for one night.  I’d much rather spend the rest of the
evening with you.  Alone.”
    The
way he said the last word, almost on a whisper, made a thrill run up Silken’s
spine.  Her mouth went dry.
    But
she had to fight it, this desire for Maximillian Davidoff.  This was all a
fantasy that was going nowhere.  It would end badly and she was the one who
would get hurt.
    “And
what if I don’t want to spend the evening with you,” she parried, “alone?”
    Max
smiled at that and it was a confident smile. 
    Silken
hated that.  Was it so obvious to him that she wanted him?
    “Stop
being stubborn,” he said, his voice both amused and slightly stern at the same
time.  “Come over and sit beside me.”
    Silken
stood right where she was and instead of going over to him she folded her arms
across her chest and glared down at him.  Oh, so he was playing the manly man,
was he, expecting her to jump at his bidding because he wanted her?  Not
happening.
    “Don’t
make me come and get you,” he said and although he was smiling the set of his
jaw told her he was just as determined as she was.
    She
lifted her eyebrows.  “Come and get me,” she said, “if you dare.”
    Now
it was his turn to lift his eyebrows.  “Another dare.  You like to issue those
out, don’t you?”
    She
gave him a crooked smile but said nothing.  He could come all he wanted, come as
close as he dared, but if he so much as touched her she had the perfect trick
up her sleeve.