his shoulder. “When you pulled out your analysis of their numbers, Carlton got so red in the face, I thought he was going to pass out.”
Eyes glued to the large brown hand tugging at the knot on his tie, Rachel told her hormones to settle down. Her chastising had no effect on her unruly body. “Are you really going to transfer operations to the Birmingham plant if they don’t bring their costs down?”
Bright shards of silver danced in his gray eyes. “Of course not.” With a very un-Max-like flourish, he held the rental car door open for her. This was the most relaxed she’d seen him. “They just need to realize that things can’t continue the way they’ve been going.” He leaned his forearms on the door and watched as she tossed her briefcase into the back. “It’s hotter than hell out here,” he remarked, his gaze sliding over her. “Aren’t you going to ditch that jacket you’re wearing?”
Not on her life. The last thing she wanted to do was relax around Max.
“No need,” she replied, ignoring the way his knowing smile made her pulse jerk. “The car has air-conditioning.”
“Suit yourself.”
Rachel kept her head turned toward the passenger window as Max drove the car back to the airport, but her attention wasn’t on the streets of Pensacola. She was running the last week through her mind.
Since the dinner with Hailey and the kiss afterward, the tenor of their working relationship had changed. Max had become less professional and more friendly. His hand had developed a distracting habit of brushing her arm, landing on her shoulder, or sliding into the small of her back at odd moments. Nothing as overt as her action the other night when she planted a big kiss on him, but the subtle touches made her acutely aware of how sensitive she’d become to his every slow breath, sidelong glance, and nuance of posture.
“Are you hungry?”
Max’s question snapped her out of her daydream. A glance at the dashboard clock told her she’d been lost in thought for half an hour. “Where are we? I don’t remember the trip from the airport taking so long this morning.”
“I thought we’d take a little detour before heading back to Houston.”
A detour? What was he up to? She recalled his last question. Did he want to prolong their time together by taking her to dinner?
“You don’t need to feed me. I can make it back to Houston.”
“About that.”
She wasn’t sure if it was his words or his tone that sent her uneasiness into overdrive. “About what?” Before long, the sign appeared for Highway 292 confirming her unspoken fear. “Where are we going?”
“The beach.”
“Which beach?” she asked.
“Gulf Shores.”
She’d known the answer before he spoke. Naturally, he’d pick the place where it all began. He wanted closure. What better way to get that than recreate the fantasy of those four days and let their romance run its course? And fantasy is exactly what it had been. She’d been running from reality. Being with Max then had been a frantic grab at the joy her life had been missing since she’d married Brody. She’d never been happier before or since.
Curses exploded in her mind like fireworks. This was going to end badly for her. Worse than the first time when she’d convinced herself the magic of those days had been all about the best sex of her life. Now, she knew better. Max was a complex man who both frustrated and fascinated her. What she felt for him went way beyond the purely physical. She felt a spiritual connection to him. And when that was ripped away, she would no longer be whole.
“I can’t.” She surveyed his profile and noted the steely set of his jaw. His lips might be relaxed into a half smile, but he was not in a cooperative frame of mind. “I’ve got things I need to do.”
“What sort of things?” He raised dark eyebrows, daring her to lie.
“Things.”
“I thought you said your schedule was clear this weekend.”
“I never told you that.”
“True. I must have overheard you talking to Hailey about how much you were looking forward to a weekend with nothing to do.”
“You eavesdropped?”
“Eavesdropped is such a negative word.”
“Listened in. Snooped. Spied. Take your pick.” Her accusations bounced off him like bullets off Superman.
“It’s not like you left me much choice. Perhaps if you were more willing to tell me what’s going on in your life.”
Rachel ignored his not-so-subtle dig. “I’m not going to sleep with you if that’s what you think is going to happen this weekend.” With a disgruntled huff, she folded her arms over her chest.
He took his eyes off the road long enough to show her he didn’t believe that for one second. “Who are you trying to convince? Me or you?”
She ground her teeth together because she had no snappy comeback. Already her body was softening in anticipation of the feel of his lips against her skin, his hands finding where she burned for him.
“I suppose with all the dating you do, you’re pretty confident when it comes to getting a woman into bed,” she muttered, unable to leave well enough alone.
“I’m confident you’ll wear yourself out resisting what your body wants.” He reached across and took her hand in his, fingers sliding over hers with intoxicating results. He lifted her hand and lightly brushed to his lips across her knuckles.
She sighed at the gentle tug of his warm, moist mouth against her skin. She felt a damp heat between her thighs and resisted the urge to squirm on her seat as he ministered to the inside of her wrist, tongue flicking out to probe her staccato pulse.
“Pay attention to your driving.” She used her free hand to pry herself out of his grasp. Much more of that delicious sucking and nibbling and she would put that hand of his where it would do her the most good. “I don’t want to get into an accident.”
With a low, sexy chuckle, he returned his full attention to the traffic around them.
Even with the air conditioner running at full blast, Rachel felt uncomfortably warm. Since willing her body to cool and settle wasn’t working, she peeled off her jacket and released the top two buttons on her blouse. Raking her fingers through her hair, she disturbed the gel she’d used to restrict the waves into a sleek hairstyle. She rolled up her sleeves, took off her clunky jewelry, kicked off her shoes and shed her professional image.
“I suppose I’m falling right into your trap by saying I have nothing to wear but the clothes on my back.”
“Normally, this would be where I’d tell you that I intend to keep you naked all weekend.” Max glanced over at her, eyes burning with carnal promises. “But I had Hailey pack a bag for you. It’s in the trunk.”
Her own sister had betrayed her. Rachel’s chest ached as she rested her elbow on the door and her head on
