Wicked Valentine(6)
“Did you hear what I said?” Kelly snapped.
“Sorry, Kel. What was that?”
She took a bite of her dessert and ate it slowly, just to annoy him. It was classic Kelly. For an older sister, she acted pretty childish at times.
“You remember that nice house you like that I said I’d do whatever I could to get you news on it?” He watched her lift her brows in interest. “I have news.”
“Fine. You big jerk.” She pouted. “Yes, she’s going.” Dropping the tiny fork with a clatter on the chocolate smeared plate, she grinned. “So, are you going to tell me what this woman has that’s so special? I mean, the Wicked Valentine’s Day Ball is not for the faint of heart. And you made us send her an invite through one of her clients.” She shook her head, still smiling. “You’re really lucky Peter knows so many people. Especially people that have dealt with your real estate company.” She turned to glance over her shoulder. “Which one is she?”
“Beige suit, hair up in a twist.”
“Oh, Max. She’s gorgeous. She’s got such a beautiful complexion, and look at the color of her eyes. Are they hazel? Or just light brown? She reminds me of an actress Peter represented during a divorce case. And check out those pouty lips.” She turned back to Max. “I’m jealous. Now I see why you wanted that invite.”
Max nodded absently. Peter was a well-known lawyer who had a lot of clients in common with Max. “Don’t worry. I know this event is your baby.” He looked over her shoulder again. “I’ll make sure nothing goes wrong.”
When Kelly placed a hand over his, he glanced back at her. A worried frown marred her brow.
“It’s not so much the event I’m concerned with. You know Peter and I organize and run this, but we never attend. A lot of Peter’s clients are on the list of invitees and so it made it easier to ask one of the ones you had in common to invite her. But some big names will be there, Maxwell. Do you think your friend will be able to handle what goes on in those rooms?”
He thought about their night back at the campsite, the way she’d shoved her hand into his jeans and ordered him to fuck her. “Yeah, she’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it. Besides, we’re not going to be using all the rooms, just a few.”
Kelly bit her lip. “But why don’t you just ask her out the old-fashioned way. I mean, this is pretty extreme, even for you.”
“Because,” he growled, “she’s been acting like I don’t exist. And I want to remind her that what we shared didn’t just go away.”
“You sound a little insecure there. And you shouldn’t be.” She squeezed his hand. “You’re not the geeky teen those kids made fun of.”
“Kelly—”
“Listen to me, Max.” Her voice had an authoritative tone. “You’re a very handsome man. And I’m not just saying that because you’re my brother,” she rushed to add. “You are successful. Owner of a top one thousand company, and you are still so young. Don’t let this make you doubt yourself.” She groaned. “Just because you like nerdy stuff doesn’t make you a bad match.”
He shushed her and glanced around to make sure nobody heard.
“Oh, honey.” She smiled softly. “I bet it won’t make a difference to her—if she truly likes you—that you go to ComiCon and used to play Star Trek games on the computer like they were real life.”
If she didn’t shut up soon he was going to kill her. He could only hope her voice hadn’t traveled to Sabrina’s table. “I want her, Kelly. I’ve wanted her for almost a year, but she’s always kept me at a distance. The whole ‘I’m the owner, and she works for me’ thing is frowned upon at the office. Not by me, but by Eve and other managers.”
“Max, you enforced the policy, so that makes it yours,” Kelly reminded him.
“I know that. Don’t you think I know that?” He took a drink from his wine glass. “She’s never done anything to call attention to herself. Until two weeks ago. When she let her body control her actions.” And he really wanted her to do it again. “But she is keeping me at such a distance I can’t even be in the same building with her, much less the same room. I want her to see how compatible we are in the bedroom. Maybe then she’ll be open to more.”
Kelly smiled sympathetically. “I know, Max. But if she’s not open-minded, you might end up in a worse position than you are now.”
“You don’t seem to understand. I feel like a lovesick fool. All I can think about is her. I’m willing to try anything at this point. Besides, if she agreed to the invite, she knows someone is going to be her partner for the night. So it shouldn’t matter that it’s me.”