style="font-size:15px;"> His mouth twisted. ‘I wouldn’t be a very good one if I didn’t.’
‘And we’re all sure that you’re very good,’ March taunted.
‘Thank you,’ he accepted dryly, easily guessing it wasn’t meant as a compliment; March was more sharp-tongued than he was himself. ‘I accept that the method may be the same,’ he acknowledged slowly. ‘But the fact that the victim was a man this time makes it totally different.’
In fact, it didn’t make much sense to him. Okay, so the last six victims, all women, had been badly beaten rather than raped, but that still didn’t explain why it had been a man who was attacked this time… The good-natured Josh, of all people. No wonder the police were being a little cagey about the information they gave out!
‘Sara must be so upset,’ January said worriedly.
As Max might have known she would; of the three sisters, January was definitely the most empathetic.
‘If none of you mind waiting for dinner, I’ll telephone Aunt Lyn now and see how Josh is. And Sara, of course,’ May murmured distractedly before leaving the room.
‘And I’ll open the wine,’ Max suggested briskly, seeing that a certain amount of shock was starting to set in with all the sisters now; hearing of the attacks the last six months couldn’t have been very pleasant, having it arrive on their own doorstep, so to speak, must be even more shocking. ‘Could you get me a corkscrew, January?’ he said briskly as neither sister moved.
‘Oh. Of course.’ She moved frowningly to one of the drawers, taking out the corkscrew to hand it to him distractedly.
‘And some glasses, March?’ he prompted lightly as he deftly removed the cork.
March blinked, her smile derisive as she seemed to guess what he was doing. ‘Certainly, sir,’ she drawled, reaching up to take four wineglasses from one of the cabinets.
‘Thank you,’ Max accepted dryly, starting to pour the wine.
‘You’re welcome,’ March derided. ‘Mmm,’ she murmured appreciatively after her first sip of the wine. ‘Just what we need to cheer us all up.’
‘Maybe I should have brought two bottles,’ Max teased.
‘Maybe you should.’ March nodded, grey-green eyes dancing with humour.
‘January?’ Max prompted as she made no effort to pick up one of the glasses.
In fact, she seemed totally distracted, he acknowledged with a searching frown, her face unnaturally pale, her eyes so deep a grey they looked almost black.
It was awful that their cousin’s future husband had been the Night Striker’s latest victim, but unless Max was mistaken, January seemed more stunned by it than her sisters…?
‘I still can’t believe it.’ She shook her head before picking up her glass of wine and taking a sip.
For all the notice she took of its delicate taste and fragrance he might as well have brought a bottle of cheap plonk!
‘There must have been some sort of mistake,’ January said. ‘I can’t believe anyone could have deliberately set out to hurt Josh. He’s just so nice, so unassuming; as far as I’m aware, he doesn’t have an enemy in the world—’ She broke off, a stricken look on her face now as she slowly turned to look at Max.
It was a look Max didn’t like one little bit!
Surely January couldn’t think—didn’t believe—
‘January?’ he prompted harshly.
‘Yes?’ She swallowed hard, looking more bewildered than ever now.
‘March, would you leave us for a few minutes?’ Max requested, his gaze still fixed icily on January.
‘January?’ March prompted softly.
‘I—yes. Fine.’ January nodded dazedly, her gaze studiously avoiding Max’s now.
‘In that case, I think I’ll go and see how May is getting on,’ March drawled before leaving.
Max moved to stand in front of January, his hand under her chin as he tilted her face up to his, forcing her to look at him. And he didn’t like what he saw in her eyes!
‘You don’t seriously think I had anything to do with this attack on Josh?’ he rasped disbelievingly.
Because he could clearly see that th e possibility had definitely crossed her mind—if only briefly!
Although it was starting to fade now, that bewilderment fading from her eyes, too. To be replaced by self-derision. ‘No, of course I don’t.’ She gave a firm shake of her head. ‘Of course not,’ she added more strongly.
His hands moved to her shoulders as he shook her slightly. ‘I bought the man a drink, for goodness’ sake,’ he ground out. ‘He bought me one, too!’ He tightened his hands painfully on her shoulders, furious that the thought could have crossed her mind, even for a minute.
But he knew that it had, no matter what January might claim to the contrary.
And could he really blame her? He had been blowing hot and cold with her from the moment they’d met, his actions appearing completely illogical. One evening he had been prepared to knock Josh to the ground for daring to kiss January, and the next evening, following his discovery of exactly who she was, of how dangerous she was to his own personal equilibrium, he had mocked her for responding to him. Not exactly consistent, was he?
Nevertheless, he found her suspicion of him, even for that brief moment, very unsettling… And hurtful…?
January was smiling now, albeit ruefully. ‘No doubt that alone was enough to make the two of you bosom buddies!’
His mouth tightened. ‘Not necessarily,’ he allowed, realizing how ridiculous his claim must have sounded; the fact that the two had bought each other a drink did not change the fact that seconds earlier Max had been about to hit the other man! His hands dropped away from her shoulders as he stepped back. ‘No matter what you may think to the contrary, I am not a violent man. Perhaps I had better leave—’
‘Please don’t leave on my account,’ January cut in awkwardly. ‘I—I’m sorry.’ She pushed the darkness of her hair back from her face. ‘I’m just a little—upset.’ She grimaced.
He could see that, and he was sorry for it. But, at the moment, he had to admit to being just a little upset himself! With himself, mainly, for having behaved in such a way as to have given January even the briefest of doubts where he was concerned.
He shook his head. ‘I still think it might be better if I left—’
‘Who’s leaving?’ March prompted lightly as she came back into the room.
‘I am,’ Max told her forcefully. ‘I believe I’ve already outstayed my welcome!’ he added hardly.
March grimaced as she gave a shake of her head. ‘That
