Hide and Seek (25 page)

O
h
no, he didn't!

The bastard! The absolute nerve of him coming back here!

Elisa held her breath and glared out the window at the sight of Maxim skiing through the blinding snow toward the cabin. How could he possibly think this was okay?

It was morning…
morning!

Ugh!

Stomping her feet, Elisa threw the curtain shut. She wasn't going to look at him. She'd pretend he wasn't there.

But…
ohhhh!
Where did he get off?

No strings or commitments between them did not mean that Maxim could stick his dick in whomever he pleased, whenever he pleased, then come home to her!

Her teeth gnashed together, she peeked out the curtain. Damn him. His back laden with a full pack, extra bags in his arms, he unfastened his skis, and stomped off his boots on the concrete pad at the kitchen door.

Tears threatened her and she forced them back. She fingered the shirt she'd been folding, the final item to go in her suitcase. It didn't matter. She was leaving.

She slammed the lid shut, jerked the zipper, and dragged it behind her as she walked down the hall.

After spending the night packing and crying, crying and packing, and packing and crying, her mind was made up. Today was the day. She'd load up her sled and head into town this afternoon to spend one last night with Lizzy. Come Monday, she was leaving Aspen. Joining the Peace Corps was no longer negotiable. She needed to do it, for her sanity alone.

Speaking of sanity…

His shadow at the back door made her pulse skip. Oh God! Leaving or not, she didn't have it in her to face him. She just…couldn't.

Dropping her suitcase, she raced to lock him out.

Her hand barely made contact with the knob as he pushed the door open. No, damn it!
No, no, no!

Elisa threw her body weight against the wood, shoving the door shut. “Get lost, Maxim!”

“What?” With all his might, he pushed back, preventing her from shutting him out. “What's your problem?”

“You!” Was that really her screaming? Not loud enough! She let loose a piercing wail. “You no-good, cheating, lying, bullshitting slut!”

The door rammed in response. “Let me in! Elisa, I want to talk to you.”

“No! I don't want to talk to you.” Sobs became trapped in her chest as she fought to keep him out, feeling more and more helpless by the second. “Go away!”

“Elisa!” His boot wedged in the door. “I know you woke up and I was gone, but it's not what you think!”

Oh, puh-lease!

“Ha!” Who did he think he was fooling? She wasn't one of his dingbat dates. “It's what I know! I
saw
you with those girls, Maxim.”

“Having dinner?” His voice lowered and he stopped pushing. “At Joe's?”

“Yes!”

“You followed me?”

“No! Well…yes.” Elisa rested against the door, fighting a breakdown. Why did she suddenly feel like such a jerk? It was him who'd cheated! He was the one who'd betrayed her trust! So she'd followed him. So what? “Who can blame me even if I did?”

He laughed, low and deep, thoroughly grating her nerves.

“Well, it wasn't what you thought.”

“Bull. One woman will never be enough for you, Maxim Cox.” A lone tear slid from her right eye and she quickly wiped it away. She wouldn't shed tears over him. Angry, she rammed into the door, smashing his pinned foot. “
I'll
never be enough for you. So let's stop pretending.”

“Ow!” He cried. “I was with Lizzy. Those were her friends. And damn it, that hurt!”

Rendered speechless, she stood there, letting the truth sink in. He'd been with Lizzy? Those had been Lizzy's friends?

He hadn't been cheating?

Oh God. Unwelcome drops of liquid fell from her eyes. A waterfall of emotion poured from her.

“Why?” she hiccupped.

“Why what?”

“Why were you with Lizzy?”

“I was gaining her friendship.” His fingers wrapped around the door, his words, around her heart. “I didn't want your sister to hate me.”

“Then where was she? I didn't see her.”

“She was in the bathroom, for a long time, while her friends flirted with me.”

“What?”

“She was testing me. I passed.”

“But you didn't come home last night,” she protested weakly, her walls falling faster than rain in a hurricane.

None of this made sense! She'd been so sure…so wrong.

“It was late and the snowstorm stopped me.”

Damn Mother Nature!

Damn her spying!

“Why didn't you leave a note? Call?”

“I wanted to surprise you and I did try to call. Several times, not to mention the numerous messages I left. You didn't answer.”

Because she'd been in Aspen and so angry when she'd arrived home, she'd shut off the answering machine without listening to her messages.

God. She felt like a jerk…but a relieved jerk. He wasn't a man-slut. And she didn't have to hate him. She stepped back and let the door swing open. Maxim fell, pack and all, through the sudden opening, landing at her feet in a
thump!

“Oh my!” she squeaked as he groaned and rolled side to side, his body arched by the pack.

“Ow! My shoulder. Again. Ow.” He moaned and shrugged the bag off, scooting down to lie flat on his back.

She couldn't contain her giggle.

“It's not funny,” he grunted.

She raised a brow. “Serves you right. You scared me to death, not telling me where you were going.”

“Elisa, listen to me.”

“No. It doesn't matter.” She swallowed, her anger fading, but reality as clear as ever. Whether he'd been with other women or not, she had to end this game with him. It was the right thing to do. “None of this does. I'm leaving. I'm joining the Corps. Now.”

“You can't.” He scurried to his knees, digging through his pack. “Just hold up a minute, okay?”

“I can't. I have to go.” She stepped back, chewing at her lower lip. “I'm sorry, Maxim, but we aren't right. We can't be right.”

Maxim tossed miscellaneous items from the pack—underwear, chocolates, keys, a CD with roses on the front—searching like a madman. “Elisa, listen to me. When I was in town, I called my mother. She's pissed, well, that's to say the least. But you see, I have to get married within a week or I'm disinherited.” He jerked out a small, velvet covered box out and held it up. “That put the idea in my mind and—”

A…a…a ring box? Wait a sec! Was he…?

No!

Suddenly trembling and cold, Elisa stepped back. “You're proposing?”

“Well, yes.” He reached for her. “Come here, baby. Let me finish.”

This was the worst thing to ever happen to her. Chilled, she stared at him, scared by how disappointed and insulted she was. “You want me to marry you so you won't get disinherited?” She stepped back again. “No.”

Fear sparked in his gaze and he reached for her. “Elisa, that's not it at all. If you'd let me finish—”

She jerked away and grabbed her suitcase. “This is good-bye, Maxim.”

“No.” His voice was firm.

Who did he think he was talking to? His dog?

“No?” she ground out through her teeth.
“No?”

“No.” Maxim caught her by the waist and threw her over his shoulder. “No, no, no.”

His hand swatted her bottom in quick succession, making her cry out. Struggling against him, she roared, “I'm not playing, Maxim! Get off me!”

“Not a chance.”

E
lisa
kicked and twisted against his hold, but he'd be damned if he was letting her go now. Not from his hold, not from his life.

She was going to hear him out. Let him propose the right way. If the answer was still no, then the answer was still no. But he wasn't going to lose her without a fight and especially not to a silly misunderstanding.

Squeezing her upper legs tight, he stalked to the bedroom. He tossed her on the bed and fought her clothes off her. Once she was stripped naked, he pointed at her. “Don't move.”

She bounded up like a rabbit leaping from its hole. “Yeah, right.” In a second she was on her feet and trying to dart past him. He caught her arm and threw her back down.

“We can do this the easy way.” He crawled on the bed and pinned her with his legs. “Or the hard way.” Their gazes locked in a silent battle. “But we will do this.”

“Maxim—”

“All I want is for you to listen to me.”

She rammed against him. “And all I want is to leave!”

“Forget it.” Unzipping his coat, he undid the buckle of his belt and yanked it free from his pants. He forced her hands together.

“What are doing?” She fought against his hold. “Maxim!”

Why did she have to fight him like this? Why did she have to insist upon leaving him? Of thinking so terribly of him? Of joining the Peace Corps?

He couldn't stomach the thought. He just couldn't.

He knew Elisa felt the same way about him that he did her. But she refused to admit it. Refused to love him.

She had to see…to understand…

Even if it took all night long.

“You're mine, Elisa. I won't lose you.” With quick movements, he wrapped the leather strap tight around her wrists and threaded it through the buckle. He yanked it tight.

Bending down, he rested his cheek against hers and whispered roughly, “Let's try this again. Don't move. Or else.”

“Bastard.”

“I will catch you if you run. Don't move.”

Crawling off her, Maxim stood and crossed the room. He threw open her closet, sifting through layers of clothes. He found two scarves and a robe tie. Perfect.

It was one thing if Elisa truly didn't want to be with him—it was another for her to run from something very real between them. Apparently, he hadn't quite proven himself yet.

But he would.

All night long.

He'd do
whatever
it took.

He turned to her, threading the ties through his hand. “You will hear me out, Elisa. I'm just sorry it has to be this way. I'd planned something more romantic.”

He saw her swallow deeply. “Maxim, this is insane. Stop it. Please.”

“Nope.” Maxim returned to the bedside and seized her left leg. He tied the scarf around her ankle and then secured it to the bedpost. “I'm afraid I can't do that.”

Elisa squealed in frustration and jerked her leg against his ties, but he ignored her and applied the same treatment to the opposite foot. Taking the robe tie, he used it to fasten her hands to the headboard.

“There.” Straightening, he examined his handiwork. “Ready to hear me out?”

“No!”

But she had to. Elisa could no longer move, except for pathetic, tiny twists of her torso as she cursed him.

Maxim stripped off his clothes and retrieved a condom for the nightstand. Tearing the foil wrapper open, he slipped it on. “Now, about what I asked you—”

“I'm not marrying you, Maxim, I don't care how much money you offer me. I'm leaving, the moment you untie me, so you might as well give this up.”

What? She thought this was only about
money
?

Not even close. She was about to learn that.

“I'm afraid I can't let you go.” He climbed onto the mattress and sat on his knees between her spread legs. He drank in the sight of her pussy. She was dripping wet…as turned on by being tied up as he'd known she would be.

Gently caressing her, he opened her folds wide. He pressed his thumb to her clit. “I love you, Elisa.”

She turned her head to the side, speaking through her teeth. “That's ridiculous. You love your money.”

She pressed her eyes shut, obviously trying to ignore him.

“I don't give a damn about the money. I only want you.” Maxim wanted her attention and he intended to get it. One way or the other. He placed his mouth to her cunt and slowly licked her creamy desire. “My mother may have put the idea in my mind, but you put the love in my heart.”