nodded. “What do you think of your new relatives?”
He moved his head from side to side. “An interesting crew.”
“I’m surprised you agreed to direct this road construction for them,” she said.
“Why not? Plus, if I do this, I won’t feel obligated to do anything else.”
Surprised, she threw a questioning glance at him. “Obligated?” she echoed.
“It’s a weird situation,” he said. “I’m related to them, but I don’t feel like I am. I wouldn’t feel right just doing nothing.”
“Hmm,” she said. “So this is a guilt job?”
He shrugged. “An obligatory job,” he said. “And the good thing is that the company will pay for it.”
Sophie took a deep breath. “You mentioned that Prince Stefan is a shark. You sure sound like one at the moment.”
“I haven’t figured them out. Stefan has royal manners, but underneath, he can be a hard case. He married an American and she’s about to give birth. Come to think of it, she’s Texan and so are two of the sisters’ husbands. He seems to truly love his wife. The same for the other couples I met.”
“You sound astonished,” she said.
“I’m not used to it. My parents spent most of their time fighting when my dad was home. He spent most of the time on the road.”
Sophie studied him for a long moment. Although Max had alluded to the fact that his parents hadn’t shared a great relationship, he’d never come right out and said it until now. It was eye-opening.
“You know, some people actually do fall in love, get married and stay in love,” she said.
“Sounds like a fairy tale to me,” he said, staring out the window as the car rode past one of the most spectacular beaches Sophie had ever seen.
“I knew you were cynical about romance, but—”
“It’s not cynical,” he said. “It’s realistic. The reason men and women marry is for sex. Then children. Men want children for progeny’s sake. Ego. The focus temporarily turns to children. Then men need to feel young again and sex is key. Even with the help from the blue pill.”
She slid him a sideways glance. “Blue pill. What do you know about that?”
He chuckled. “I don’t need it yet.”
“You and I have never really discussed your attitude toward marriage. You’ve given little clues, but I’ve never heard your complete scientific view.”
“Scientific?” he echoed.
“You’re an engineer. It’s coming through in your opinion.”
“It’s not just an opinion,” he said. “It’s based on observation and scientific research,” he said.
“Uh-huh, then how do you explain the way Prince Stefan acts toward his wife?”
“It won’t last. They’re in the progeny stage.”
Sophie’s heart sank. After all these years, she was beginning to believe that there was no hope for Max. He truly didn’t believe in love.
Chapter Two
One jam-packed week later, Sophie felt a terrible dip in her stomach as she lifted her gaze to look at Max. “What do you mean? The Devereaux women want to meet me? Why?”
“The Devereaux women got curious when I told them about you. The only way to satisfy their interest is for you to meet them,” Max told her almost apologetically as he looked around the working trailer.
Sophie narrowed her eyes. “What did you tell them about me?”
He shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Just that you’re the best assistant ever. And brilliant.”
She rolled her eyes. “Nothing you would ever say to my face, of course.”
“That’s not true. I told you that you were my best assistant ever.”
“Hmm,” she said. “When is this meeting supposed to take place?”
“Tomorrow,” he said.
Sophie thought about her hair and her wardrobe. She scowled. “How am I supposed to get ready for a meeting with royals in twenty-four hours?”
“It’s not a big deal. Just tea,” he said.
“Tea?” she repeatd. “Do you know what that involves?”
He shrugged. “It can’t be that much of a big deal,” he said.
“Did you promise that I would attend?”
Max almost squirmed. And he never squirmed. “Sure,” he said. “They were pressing and I thought you would like the break.”
“Break?” she said. “Do you really think meeting royalty for tea would be a break?”
“Well, it’s not like keeping the workers in line—”
Sophie lifted her hand to cut him off and shook her head. “Forget it,” she said. “I’m leaving for the day.”
“Now?” he asked, clearly surprised.
“Yes, now,” she said. “I’m meeting royalty tomorrow and I have nothing to wear.”
“But I wanted you to recheck the stats on—”
She shook her head. “Not happening today,” she said as she shut down her laptop. “See you the day after tomorrow.”
Sophie knew she wasn’t just frustrated about meeting the Deveraux family at short notice. She was also crazy out of her head that Max still didn’t see her as a woman, even in such a beautiful and romantic setting. During the last month, she had worked her butt off over twelve hours a day, side by side with Max, but he still hadn’t seemed to notice her.
“Whoa,” Max said.
“Exactly,” she retorted as she headed for the door. “Whoa.”
Sophie slammed the door behind her and headed for her teeny, tiny car. She started the car, put it in gear and took the winding road down the mountain. Despite her impatience with Max, she appreciated the challenge of their project. Once they fixed these roads, everyone in Chantaine could enjoy the north end of the island where the vegetation and birds flourished.
This area almost resembled the jungle while most of the rest of the island featured rocky beaches and green parks. Every day during the last thirty-one days, Sophie had wondered if she should have refused Max’s invitation to join him in Chantaine. She had wanted one last chance with Max, but now she was feeling regrets. Every day of being with him
