Max shook his head. No. I have to do this on my own. After the way I left Remington Industries, burning all my bridges because I was so confident, I cant go borrowing from family, not even you guys. Especially you guys. Youre newlyweds, you and Sara have a kid on the way, youre both trying to run businesses of your own.
Reece nodded. Okay. But were here if you change your mind. Whatever you do, do not default on that loan. You know who holds it, right?
Uh, no. He never paid attention to that stuff, he just signed papers and spent the money.
Coastal Bank.
HE DIDNT MEAN IT, Carol said. Its just that male ego thing.
Jane studied her computer screen, refusing to even look up. Thats no excuse. His attack was completely unjustified. When I first took this job, you said he was fair.
He ismost of the time. Youre not going to quit, are you?
And do what? I have mouths to feed. Is that all Max is worried about? Making sure I dont quit?
Carol came all the way into Janes office and settled in the ugly flowered chair. You know why this is happening, dont you?
Yeah, because Max is a jerk.
The tension between you two has been building since the day you arrived. I can feel it in the air every time youre in the same room. Something had to give. Either you were going to have a big fight or you were going to wind up in bed.
That made Jane look up. Was she really that transparent? Youre crazy.
No, Im not, Carol said with utter certainty. Personally, if it was me, Id stop fighting and go with plan B. The constant tension is going to make it hard for you to work together.
We cant, Jane almost wailed, realizing too late shed just admitted to Carol that she was right. Hes my boss, and its unethical.
Oh, please. People who work together do it all the time. If we worked in a big corporation where there was a policy against it, that would be one thing. But were just a little company.
Jane shook her head. Workplace romances are a bad idea. Sure, its fine at first, but what about when things dont work out? Then people quit or get fired, which can lead to jealousies, charges of harassment She had no firsthand experience about this, but shed heard stories of what went on at Scotts office.
Carol rolled her eyes. Can you see anyone around here who would sue anybody else? And who would be jealous? Not me. I dont need a man in my life.
Exactly! Neither do I. What I do need is this job. I love this job, even if my boss does behave like a jerk. Im not going to mess things up because of a few hormones.
Well, I think youre crazy, throwing away a fine man like Max Remington. How many women would give up their hair extensions to hook up with him?
Jane saved her file and turned away from her computer. It wasnt as if she was actually getting any work done. Plenty do go out with him. Have you ever seen his little black book? He left it open on his desk once, and I couldnt help but see it. He actually puts stars by their names.
Was your name in there?
I dont know. Hed walked in before she could flip to the Ss.
A soft knock sounded on the door, and Janes heart did a little dance. She wasnt ready to face him yet. She didnt have her temper completely under control, and she didnt trust herself to behave rationally.
Come in, Carol sang out, as if she had the perfect right to. I was just leaving. She scurried out behind Max, giving Jane a mischievous wink over her shoulder just before disappearing.
The look on Maxs face nearly did her in. He was actually nervous about facing her.
If youre here to lecture me, she began, going on the offensive, but he cut her off.
No more lectures. That was when he produced the flowers, which hed been holding behind the door. Roses. Red roses. A dozen of them.
No one had brought her flowers sincewell, since the last time Scott had tried to win her back after she filed for divorce. Shed thrown them in the trash.
Theyre just flowers. But she knew these wouldnt end up in any Dumpster.
I was totally out of line, he said, laying the flowers on her desk. The heady scent of roses filled her nose and softened her brain. You were right. It was my ego. From the start, this agency has been my baby. At my old job, I never got credit for my ideas cause I was just part of a big team. This time around, I didnt want to share credit for any success.
But thats just stupid. A company is only as good as the people working there. Youre my greatest asset, a talented artist with marketing instinct and people skills. Thank you for saving the Coastal Bank account.
Ium, youre welcome. Jane couldnt seem to come up with anything more intelligent to say. She hadnt been expecting an apology, much less for Max to admit hed been wrong. Scotts apologies had always been something like, Im sorry youre upset, as if hed had nothing to do with it.
I would give you a raise, Max said, but I cant.
I dont need a raise, she lied. They stared at each other for several long seconds. Finally Jane couldnt stand the silence-she had to fill it. The roses need water. I dont have a vase.
She pushed up from her desk and walked around it, dangerously close to Max.
He picked up the flowers again and extended them to her. I didnt know what kind of flowers you like, but the florist said roses were pretty safe.
She paused and smiled. No sane woman dislikes roses. She took the flowers, immediately surrounded again by their heady scent. She closed her eyes so she could isolate the sensation and experience it fully.
Jane?
Her eyes flew open and she smiled. Sorry, I was on a little mental vacation. Where can I find a vase?
Youre asking a guy, remember. Try the kitchen, maybe.
Jane hurried out of her office before she did something crazy, like touch Max. Like hug him for taking the time and care to make this gesture, to make her feel valued.
Yes, that was what Max did that no one else ever had. He made her feel valued not for her looks, but her abilities.
Max followed her into the break room, and they both started opening cabinet doors, searching for a proper container for the flowers. Unfortunately, they came up empty.
I have an idea. Max exited the kitchen, and Jane followed, curious. He went to one of the unoccupied offices, which were still unfinished. Just as I thought. The workmen had left an empty bucket, which had once been filled with paint.
Why, what a lovely vase.
Hey, do you want your roses to wither?
I suppose I shouldnt complain. You did buy the flowers, after all.
They rinsed out the bucket and filled it at the sink in the break room. Then Max set it on a table, and Jane unwrapped the flowers and put them in the water, rearranging them until she was satisfied.
She admired the effect. Hmm. Kind of kitschy. Maybe weve started a new decorating trend. I can see fashionable matrons all over the country putting spattered paint buckets filled with roses in their living rooms.
She looked up to see if her lame joke had scored with Max, but he wasnt smiling. He was looking at her with such naked longing on his face that her knees turned soft and she went light-headed.
Your smile is so pretty. His voice was ragged. Not even a dozen roses outshine you.
The compliment was so simple and heartfelt that it brought tears to Janes eyes. Th-thank you.
I want to touch you. But youre so perfect Im afraid to.
Maxyou really better stop there. Although she didnt want him to. She wanted him to push those flowers out of the way and come across the table at her. She wanted him to push her against the wall and kiss her until she ran out of breath. She wanted to feel his body pressed up against hers, all that hard masculinity
I cant think about anything else. Are you saying you dont feel the same way?
She felt exactly the same way. She didnt go five minutes without thinking about him. Even when she was angry with him, sensual images of him, of them together, plagued her.
Could she lie? Could she look him in the eye and say she didnt want him? If she could, it would make all of their lives simpler. She did not need another man in her life, and neither did Kaylee, not unless that man would stick around forever.
Yes, closing the door firmly on any type of personal relationship was the sane, wise thing for her to do. Max would totally respect her decision. She knew that about him.
She looked him in the eye, steadily, and stiffened her spine, rehearsing exactly what she would say. She opened her mouth, intending to be firm but kind. But what she said was, I want you worse than Ive ever wanted anyone in my whole life.
Chapter Nine
Max knew what he did in the next five seconds would have a profound impact on his life. He might cause Jane to quit. He might open himself up for a sexual harassment lawsuit. Or he might be involving himself with a woman on the rebound from a bad marriage-never a good idea.
At the moment, though, he didnt care about any of that stuff. He just wanted Jane in his arms. And she wanted the same thing.
Her reaction surprised him. Hed been counting on her to be the voice of sanity. But sanity was noticeably absent from the room.
Just one kiss. That was all he wanted. That was what he told himself, anyway.
The air between them crackled with electricity and time slowed to a crawl. Max deliberately stepped around the table, and in two strides he was there. He grasped her delicate shoulders and backed her up against the wall. She stared up at him with huge eyes, her moist lips parted slightly, her breasts rising and falling rapidly.
The air between them crackled with electricity and time slowed to a crawl. Max deliberately stepped around the table, and in two strides he was there. He grasped her delicate shoulders and backed her up against the wall. She stared up at him with huge eyes, her moist lips parted slightly, her breasts rising and falling rapidly.
Last chance to say no.
She remained silent, so he leaned in and captured those enticing, full lips with his-and was immediately in a different world. The room around them fell away. Time and space were nonexistent. There was only Jane, the feel of her, the scent of her, the wanting that welled up in her as palpable to him as his own desire.