A Little Harmless Ride (30 page)

BOOK: A Little Harmless Ride

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Not good, Anna
.

She needed to stay away from all thoughts of sex and Max. Especially since so many of those thoughts ended up with just how wonderful he would look naked and just how wonderful it would be to be naked at the same time. She decided to change the subject.

“
Well, I guess it was the day for breakups.”

His smile faded and his eyes narrowed. Even looking annoyed he sent her hormones bouncing. It was actually something very odd for her. So many times when a man became difficult—which was a given with any man—she cut him loose. Anna didn’t have time or energy to deal with it. But with Max, it seemed to set off another whole level of excitement in her body. Definitely weird.

“
You and Brett broke up?”

“
No, Brad and I broke up. I wish one of these days you would remember my boyfriends’ names.” She tried to inject reproof in her voice, but it was hard when a touch of breathless arousal threaded it.

“
Keep them longer than four weeks, and I might.” Humor lightened his eyes and eased his scowl. Knowing he would brood if she didn’t get his mind off his broken engagement, she played along.

“
I dated Vic for two months.”

“
Anna, the man was in a coma for three of those weeks. I don’t think you can count that.”

She frowned and leaned back in her chair again. “Anyway, he just left right before you came in.”

“
What’s the black look for?”

“
Brad made a bit of a scene before he left.”

“
Ah, young Brad was upset you dumped him.” He settled in the chair she had situated in front of her desk.

Because she was truly miffed, when she spoke her voice was a bit sharper than usual as she asked, “What do you mean young?”

“
He’s two years younger than you.” Even though he said it jokingly there was something behind it that bothered her.

“
Cynthia is the same age as I am, and that makes her four years younger than you.”

He shifted in his chair and stretched out his legs. Max grunted and then changed the subject, which meant he knew she was right and he had no argument. “Anyway, Mom and Dad took it pretty well. I don’t think Mom liked her very much. Of course, I’m just assuming everything from the tone of her voice.”

“
How do they like Greece?”

“
I guess okay. No complaints. Mom’s just glad Dad isn’t messing with Chandler Industries.”

“
Hmmm. Well, I think this calls for a celebration.”

“
Celebration?” His bewildered tone made her smile.

“
Yes. For the first time in a long time, we’re both without significant others at the same time.”

His eyes widened, and an emotion Anna couldn’t define came and went in them. Which was decidedly odd because after so many years of friendship, she could usually tell what Max was thinking.

“
I hadn’t thought of that.” His voice was void of any emotion.

“
I say strawberry margaritas and enchiladas at my place tonight.” She paused and he grunted. Knowing him the way she did, she took that as his usual “yes” grunt. “I’ll be out of here by four, and then stop off at the store. I have to pick up a couple of things. How about six?”

He rose to his feet slowly. “I guess I need to get back to work.”

“
See ya later, Maxwell.”

He nodded and left, shutting the door quietly behind him. The room seemed a bit cooler and lifeless after he left. Anna’s mind drifted into forbidden terrain, which was anything that involved Max and her feelings for him. From the moment he kissed her years ago, she hadn’t been able to forget it. If she were truthful with herself, she’d always had a crush on him. After that one little kiss, the crush had turned into full-blown lust, but years of friendship had turned those feelings into something deeper, something much scarier than passion or lust.

Shaking free of those thoughts, she hurried out to relieve Myra and send her home for the day. It was approaching three, and there wasn’t much to do other than close up. Anna could handle the books. And John, her cook, could handle the kitchen. She’d have enough time to get home and clean before Max arrived.

And, if she kept herself busy, Anna wouldn’t have to think about the fact that she had probably just lost her mind. She’d wanted Max for so long, the temptation with both of them free would probably overwhelm her good judgment. What little of it she had.

Tequila and Max. She licked her lips. A delightfully dangerous mix.

About Melissa Schroeder

Born to an Air Force family at an Army hospital Melissa has always been a little bit screwy. She was further warped by her years of watching Monty Python and her strange family. Her love of romance novels developed after accidentally picking up a Linda Howard book. After becoming hooked, she read close to 300 novels in one year, deciding that romance was her true calling instead of the literary short stories and suspenses she had been writing. Since her first release in 2004, Melissa has had over 30 short stories, novellas and novels released with multiple publishers in a variety of genres and time periods. Those releases include the Harmless series, a best-selling erotic romance series set in Hawaii. A Little Harmless Sex, book 1, was one of the top 100 bestselling Nook Books of 2010.

Since she was a military brat, she vowed never to marry military. Alas, fate always has her way with mortals. Her husband is an Air Force major, and together they have their own military brats, two girls, and two adopted dog daughters, and they live wherever the military sticks them. Which she is sure, will always involve heat and bugs only seen on the Animal Discovery Channel. In her spare time, she reads, complains about bugs, travels, cooks, reads some more, watches her DVD collections of Arrested Development and Seinfeld, and tries to convince her family that she truly is a delicate genius. She has yet to achieve her last goal.

You can connect with Mel all over the web: 

Or email her at: [email protected]

Other Books by Melissa Schroeder

Harmless

A Little Harmless Sex

A Little Harmless Pleasure
 