Hide and Seek (23 page)

Oh, wait. He'd just done that!

But he wouldn't leave without telling her. After the way he'd proven himself, she needed to trust him. She
would
trust him.

Stifling the urge to run bare-assed into the snow and chase him down, she squared her shoulders and threw on a robe. Why, she bet there was a note explaining everything in the kitchen right now. She'd just go check.

M
r.
Cox, you have a message,” the desk clerk called the very moment he walked through the glass doors of his hotel. Maxim didn't miss the wrinkled man's haughty tone, despite the crackling of age that distorted his speech. “Twenty actually, all from your mother, except for one from a Mr. Harold Cox.”

Great. His father had called? Boy, he was going to get it. Maxim released a long sigh and marched to the counter like a good soldier.

“I had an unexpected engagement.”

“I see.” Gingerly, the man scooted around and retrieved a wad of papers from the shelf behind him, then handed them to Maxim. Clearing his throat, he leaned forward, resting upon the highly polished oak desk. “You're reservations, sir, I'm afraid they expired a week ago.”

“I apologize.” Maxim took the messages and flipped through them.
Mother, mother, mother…
Ah. Here was the one from his father.
Call. Now.
That was all it said. Not good.

Straightening, Maxim looked at the clerk. “I'll be checking out this afternoon. You have my credit card info, so please charge the incurred expenses.”

“Very good, sir.” The man cleared his throat, his eyes roaming over Maxim's two-week-old appearance and ill-fitting woman's coat. “Will there be anything else, sir? Shall I ring the laundry service?”

Translation: what the hell happened to you?

“No thanks. I won't be here that long.”

But God, he missed laundry service. And cable. And good food.

With a grin, Maxim walked to the elevator and punched his floor number, then eagerly tapped the button that closed the doors. Maybe he'd gotten better at skiing, but the trip into Aspen had been no picnic. It had taken longer than expected by over an hour and now he had his parents to deal with.

He might as well telephone his mother first and then he could do his shopping for tonight. Had he been using his brain, he'd have left Elisa a note, but he hadn't, and he didn't want to give her too much time to worry. He should probably call, but he didn't want her to question his motives.

A few seconds later, he stepped off the elevator, walked to his room, and unlocked the door. He went straight to the phone. Picking it up, he dialed the access code, then the country code for Egypt, then his mother's personal number. After few rings, a curt message informed him he was being forwarded to her cell phone.

Great. She never answered the damn thing. He didn't even know why she had one.

Nonetheless, he didn't hang up. At least he could leave a message.

The phone rang three times and to his surprise, his mother picked up.
“Sa'ida!”

Shit.
He'd had a sweet but short message prepared, not a conversation. Caught off guard, Maxim tried to think of something—anything—intelligent to say. “Mother. How's the weather?”

Tense silence was followed by the click of her tongue. “How's the
weather
? Do you have any idea how long you have been gone this time?”

Too long. But not long enough.

Nervousness unfurled in him. From her tone, she was pissed. He couldn't blame her either, but at least she'd calm down when he told her about Elisa. She was dying for him to get serious about a woman.

“Yes, and I'm sorry—”

“No Maxim, sorry doesn't cut it,” she bit his words off, chewed them up, and spit them out. Her voice rose. “I've been waiting for you to call me back for weeks! Have you any notion of the inconvenience your little disappearance has caused? I had a grand opening in Germany this week. Your father had to fly in to cover me. Do you think my time is worth nothing? That I'm at your disposal? When will you ever be responsible? And this hotel, Maxim—you must pay more attention to detail! This cannot continue. Your brother—”

Ouch.

Whatever she had to say, he didn't want to hear it. Not this time. “Mother, I—”

“Keaton would not be so careless.”

Double ouch.

“Except when he was driving,” he muttered in anger. “And in love.”

“Maxim! Do not talk of him like that!”

It wasn't often that his mother threw such hurtful insinuations around, but when she did, he never argued with her. Keaton, until this week, had been a god in his eyes. Someone he could never compare to.

Someone he wasn't.

“How should I talk of him, mother? It's the truth.”

And maybe it was time he faced it.

His brother had married foolishly. From the time the two had dated, Lila had a way of flirting with other men and making Keaton jealous. A history of sleeping around. Their relationship had been doomed from the get-go and Keaton had been too blind to see it.

It was time Maxim stopped comparing himself to him.

“You know, actually, Mother, you bring up a good point. One I never considered before.”

Elisa was nothing like Lila.
They
weren't doomed. What's more, for once, he wasn't acting irrationally, a trait that appeared to run in the family. He hated to think badly of the dead, especially not one so loved as his brother, but Keaton had screwed up, and it was past time he stopped letting Keaton's mistakes screw
him
up.

A weight lifted from Maxim. “All this time, I've been comparing my life to his, but I'm not Keaton.”

“Believe me, I know that.” His mother clicked her tongue again. “Maxim, really. When will you ever grow up? And need I remind you—I secured you a date with the daughter of a very prominent man. You stood her up. I made excuses for you, rescheduled—”

“Who told you to do that?”

“Someone has to see you married. You've insulted their family.”

Great.
Another angry father. And when would his mother stop trying to arrange his love life?

Hopefully, after this phone call.

“I'm sure I can smooth the situation over with an invitation to dinner,” Maxim suggested.

“Not this time, Maxim,” she snapped, followed by a heavy, drawn-out sigh of defeat. “This time you've gone too far, for too long. You leave me no choice. I don't care where you are or what you're doing. You are to come home. Head to the airport right this minute.”

“Not a chance in the world.” He smiled, knowing she'd relish what he had to tell her next. “I'm in love, mother.”

“I believe that,” she said, her voice bland with sarcasm.

“Seriously.”

There was a moment of silence, followed by a haughty harrumph of disbelief. “Then you are getting married.”

Married? Whoa, doggie…

He cleared his throat. “I didn't say—”

“You see. You are lying to me, Maxim. If you are in love, then I expect you to bring home a wife. Within one week.” Her voice was stone and she paused, allowing time for her demand to sink in. “Or you are disinherited. And fired.”

“What!?”

Screw his inheritance. His job. Marry Elisa?
Marry Elisa?

Marry Elisa.

Maxim forgot to breathe. The notion wrapped around him, hugging him tight and filling him with warmth.

Marry Elisa.

He would.

Not for his mother. Not for his inheritance. For love.

He'd never considered marrying her until right now, but he wanted to. With all his heart.

Why hadn't he considered it before? Because he was too busy running from himself. Hiding from love. Now that he'd found it, he wasn't letting go.

His mother cleared her throat. “Young man, did you hear me? I said I will disinherit you. You will be done with this family and the hotel. Penniless. Forced to make it on your own, Maxim. Unless you get married.”

“I don't care about the money, Mother. I don't care about anything but Elisa,” he declared. “But I am getting married. At least, if she'll have me.”

His mother snorted, clearly doubting him. “We'll see. A week, Maxim. For once, I suggest you prove yourself trustworthy.”

With that, she hung up on him.

Maxim sat on the edge of the bed, stunned. What was it with women and making him prove himself?

It didn't matter. He wasn't marrying Elisa for his mother. He was doing it for himself.

He ran his hand through his hair, feeling like his world was spinning out of control. This was huge. Huger than huge. Incredible.

But would Elisa say yes?

She had to. He had to ensure that she would…wooing her into a yes was going to take a lot of chocolate, wine, and hot sex, not to mention an expensive diamond ring. But above all else, he was going to need a good line.

He just prayed he could come up with one she'd buy.

N
o
note.

No note. No note. No note.

Why wouldn't Maxim have left a note? Why was she letting herself get so worked up?

Elisa drummed her fingers on the kitchen counter so hard it hurt. This was silly. She shouldn't be worried. Really. Truly.

But she was.

What if he'd left her? Good-byes are never easy and they'd made no commitments. What if he'd just decided to go?

Worse, what if he'd gotten hungry…for more than she could offer?

He'd come so far,
they'd
come so far. Future or not, she couldn't let him just disappear from her life…could she?

Hell no.

Leaping to her feet, Elisa rushed to the back door. She had to catch him, just in case.

M
aybe
bigger wasn't always better, at least not when it came to women like Elisa. Maxim wasn't sure whether to go with a huge, expensive rock or something simpler and more suiting a natural woman like her—but also cheaper.

Elisa deserved the best…but what was that?

Shifting his feet, he glanced at the ticking clock. He'd been at this an hour. It was taking him far longer than he'd expected and surely by now, Elisa was awake and pacing the floors. After this, he needed to look up Elisa's number and call her. Hopefully, she was listed.

He held up a four carat pink diamond to the light and reconsidered. Somehow, it just didn't seem right.

“You should get the very best you can afford,” the persistent saleslady suggested, tossing her glossy blond hair over her shoulders. She drew another velvet-lined tray from the cabinet. “What about something framed with your birthstone?”

A neat idea. Maybe…

But a nagging little voice in his head—the stupid cupid maybe—insisted Elisa would feel such money was better spent. Like for some charity or…

That was it!

The idea hit him like a baseball bat to the head. Why hadn't he thought of it before? Forget this literal rock on a ring. He
would
buy something smaller, then he'd take the remainder of the money that he would've spent and donate it to the Peace Corps. Elisa could consider her intended service with them “paid” for and move with him to Egypt. And marry him.

Perfect. He had his line. Now he just needed to settle on the right ring.

A flash of hot pink caught his attention from the corner of his eye and he glanced up at the store's front window. Oh crap. Lizzy.

Talking animatedly Elisa's sister strolled down the street with a group of women, none of whom looked as nutty as her.

Maxim swallowed and debated letting her pass. Ignoring her would be easiest, but if he intended to marry Elisa, her sister would always be a part of their life. He might as well make friends. If that were possible. What's more, she could give him Elisa's phone number.

Setting the ring on the counter, he dashed to the door and opened it. “Lizzy!”

Her gaze narrowed. She glared at him a moment, then excused herself from her friends and barged into the jewelry store.

“Max Cox. Finished with Elisa?” she spat, following him inside. “Planning to buy some rich bimbo for a one night stand with some sparklies?”

“No.” He planted on his best smile. “Actually, I—”

“Two rich bimbos?”

Where did she get off? She didn't even know him!

“No,” he answered with strained patience. “I'm asking Elisa to marry me.”

Silence.

Dead silence.