wife who loved him, a successful career with colleagues who respected him, Cara as a friend...
The track came to a close and a new, slower one started up. Before he could check himself, Max strode across to where Jack and Cara were just breaking apart.
‘You don’t mind if I cut in now, do you?’ he said to Jack, intensely conscious that his words had come out as more of a statement than a question.
Jack’s eyebrows rose infinitesimally at Max’s less than gracious tone, but he smiled at Cara and swept a hand to encompass them both. ‘Be my guest.’ Leaning forward, he kissed Cara on the cheek before moving away from her. ‘It’s great to see you so happy. You know, you’re actually glowing.’ He slapped Max on the back. ‘You’re obviously good for her, Max. Look after her, okay? She’s a good one,’ he said. ‘But watch your feet; she’s a bit of a toe-stamper,’ he added, ducking out of the way as Cara swiped a hand at him and walked off laughing.
Turning back, Cara fixed Max with an awkward smile, then leaned in to speak into his ear. ‘Sorry about that. I didn’t want to admit to the truth about us and break the mood.’
Max nodded, his shoulders suddenly stiff, surprised to find he was disappointed to hear her say that her glow was nothing to do with him.
Don’t be ridiculous, you fool—how could it be?
His feelings must have shown on his face because she took a small step away from him and said, ‘You don’t really need to dance with me, but thanks for the gesture.’
He shrugged. ‘It’s no problem. You seemed to be enjoying yourself and I was anticipating Jack being commandeered at any second by Amber or another relative wanting his attention so I thought I’d jump in,’ he replied, feeling the hairs that had escaped from her up-do tickle his nose as he leaned in close to her.
She looked at him for the longest moment, something flickering behind her eyes, before giving him a small nod and a smile. ‘Okay then, I’d love to dance.’
Holding her as loosely as he could in his arms, he guided her around the dance floor, leading her in a basic waltz and finding pleasure in the way she responded to his lead, copying his movements with a real sense that she trusted him not to make a false step. His blood roared through his veins as his heart worked overtime to keep him cool in the accumulated heat of the bodies that surrounded them. Or was it the feeling of her in his arms that was doing that to him?
He felt her back shift against his palm and turned to see she was waving to Lucy, the woman who had come over to apologise to her at dinner.
A sense of admiration swept thorough him as he reflected on how well she’d handled that situation. When he’d returned to the table, after needing to take a breath of air and talk himself down from a strange feeling of despondency when he heard she was likely to find a new place to live soon, and seen them talking, he’d feared the worst. An intense urge to step in and protect her had grabbed him by the throat, making him move fast and put his hands on her, to let her know he had her back if she needed him.
She hadn’t, though. In fact she’d shown real strength and finesse with her response. Another example of why she was so good at her job. And why he respected her so much as a person. Why he liked her—
Halting his thoughts right there, he guided her over to the side of the dance floor as the music changed into retro pop and drew away from her, feeling oddly bereft at the loss of her warm body so close to his own.
* * *
The room was spinning.
And it wasn’t from the alcohol she’d consumed earlier or even the overwhelming heat and noise—it was because of Max. Being so close to him, feeling the strength of his will as he whirled her around the dance floor had sent her senses into a nosedive.
‘Max, do you mind if we go outside for a minute? I need some air.’
The look her gave her was one of pure alarm. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I’m fine, just a bit hot,’ she said, flapping a hand ineffectually in front of her face.
Giving her a curt nod, he motioned for her to walk out of the ballroom in front of him, shadowing her closely as she pushed her way through the crowd of people in the hallway and out into the blissfully cool evening air.
Slumping down onto a cold stone bench pushed up against the front of the house, she let out a deep sigh of relief as the fresh air pricked at her hot skin.
‘I’m going to fetch you a drink of water,’ Max said, standing over her, his face a picture of concern. ‘Stay here.’
She watched him go, her stomach sinking with embarrassment, wondering how she was ever going to explain herself if she didn’t manage to pull it together.
Putting her head in her hands, she breathed in the echo of Max’s scent on her skin, its musky undertones making her heart trip over itself.
‘Are you okay there?’
The deep voice made her start and she looked up to see one of the male guests looking down at her, his brow creased in worry. She seemed to remember Amber’s second cousin pointing him out as Amber’s youngest brother and the black sheep of the family. Womaniser was the word she’d used.
Sitting up straighter in her seat, she gave him a friendly but dispassionate smile. ‘I’m fine, thanks, just a bit hot from dancing.’
Instead of nodding and walking away, he sat down next to her and held out his hand. ‘I’m Frank, Amber’s black sheep of a brother,’ he said with a twinkle in his eye.
She couldn’t help but laugh as she shook his hand. ‘I’m Cara.’
‘I don’t know whether anyone’s told you this today, Cara, but you look beautiful in that dress,’ he said, his voice smooth like melted chocolate. He wanted her. She could see it in his face.
Cara was just about to open her mouth to politely brush him off when a shadow fell across them. Looking up, she saw that Max had returned with her glass of water and was standing over them with a strange look on his face.
‘Here’s your drink, Cara,’ he said, handing it over and giving Frank a curt nod.
Frank must have seen something in Max’s expression because he got up quickly and took a step away from them both. ‘Okay, well, it looks like your boyfriend’s got this, so I’ll say good evening. Have a good one, Cara,’ he said, flashing her a disappointed smile as he backed away, then turning on his heel to disappear into the dark garden.
‘Sorry,’ Max said gruffly, ‘I didn’t mean to scare him off.’ He didn’t look particularly sorry, though, she noted as he sat down next to her and laid his arm across the back of the bench. In fact, if anything, he seemed pleased that the guy had gone. Turning to look him directly in the eye, her stomach gave a flutter of nerves as something flickered in his eyes. Something fierce and disconcerting.
Telling herself she must be seeing things, she forced a composed smile onto her face. ‘It’s okay; he wasn’t my type anyway.’
Not like you.
Pushing the rogue thought away, she took a long sip of the water he’d fetched to cover her nerves. What was
