Maximum Risk (10 page)

Dyson chuckled. “Go wild for once.”

Once? That’s my problem, I wish it weren’t just once.
Tara retreated to her room, closed the door, and sat on the edge of her bed. Ever since she’d left Max, she’d told herself she was okay with it ending as a one-night stand. She’d succeeded, at least for a while, to put him out of her head. But whenever she was alone, memories of his kisses warmed her cheeks. Her body quivered at the thought of tasting him again, welcoming him back into her bed.
No. No. No.
He’d implied he’d wanted to see her again, but Tara was already confused from the short time she’d been with him.

She stood and started undressing. She took her cell phone out of her pocket and remembered she’d turned it off earlier. She’d been so preoccupied she’d forgotten to turn it back on. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw she had several text messages—two from Max.

The first message had come in about an hour after she’d left him.

My place tonight? Max

The next was time stamped several hours later.

Are you okay?

Tara debated if she should answer him and, if she did, what she should say. Saying nothing was its own message. Still, she’d never been the type to treat someone callously, and he hadn’t done anything wrong—in fact, he’d done everything right. There was no need to let him worry that something might have happened to her.

She texted:
Sorry, just getting in and saw your text. I’m fine.

She jumped a moment later when her phone rang. She answered it, and in a breathless voice said, “Hi, Max.”

“Hi, yourself. I was beginning to think you were ignoring my texts.”

Tara closed her eyes. His voice was deep and warm, just as she remembered it. “I wasn’t, but we need to talk about what happened this morning.”

“I’d rather repeat it than discuss it,” he purred.

Tara bit her bottom lip.
Me, too.
“That’s the thing. We can’t repeat it. On Slater Island you said you were looking for something brief and casual. Well, you got it. Now it’s time to move on. End it before things get confusing.”

“There’s nothing confusing about wanting to have you again, Tara. It’s all I could think about today. Are you coming to me, or am I going to you?”

Tara sat back down on the edge of her bed as her legs went to jelly beneath her. It would be so easy to say yes. Remembering why she couldn’t wasn’t easy while her body tingled with anticipation. Fighting for the strength to make the only choice that made sense, Tara lied. “I don’t feel well tonight. Someone gave me too many drinks last night.”

He was quiet for a moment, then said, “You should rest tonight. You’ll need your strength for tomorrow night. I don’t intend to leave Gio’s dinner party without you.”

Tara let out a long shaky breath. “Max, things are more complicated than you know.”

“Are you sleeping with someone else?”

“No.”

“Good, because that’s the only complication I couldn’t tolerate. Come to the dinner tomorrow alone, because you’ll be leaving with me.”

“You sound pretty sure about that.”

“I am. I know what I want, Tara, and that’s you. Tomorrow night will be about leisurely exploring every inch of your body until you’re begging me to take you. I love the way you whimper my name when you come. And you’ll do it again and again, all night long. But next time, I’ll wake up with you in my arms and start loving you all over again.”

“Yes,” Tara said with a wistful sigh, then corrected herself. “I mean, no. That’s a bad idea.”

“You can’t pretend you don’t want me, not after the way you gave yourself to me this morning. Do you like games? Is that what this is? I have to admit, you keep it exciting. So, play hard to get—it won’t change how the evening will end.”

“Good night, Max.”

“Until tomorrow, Tara.”

Tara hung up and flopped back onto her bed.
I can’t sleep with him tomorrow night, can I?

I’m going to the dinner for Maddy.

Sex after dinner won’t stop me from helping her.

Maxwell Andrade wants me.

Me.

Would he if he knew about all the lies I’ve told his family? He’ll eventually find out Maddy hired me as a PI. Then what?

Tara remembered how his tongue had skillfully teased her clit until she’d been writhing from the pleasure of it.

Maybe he won’t care.

I can’t believe I’m considering this.

Tara thought about her plans for the evening if she said no. She’d be in a strange hotel room, alone, irritated that her roommate’s sex life had taken over their apartment.

Or I could be having the best sex of my life.

I’m a young, healthy, single woman. If I want to sleep with a gorgeous man, who just so happens to also be great in bed, I should be able to.

Right?

As soon as she’d made her decision, she couldn’t stop smiling. He said he liked the chase. She could have some fun with that.

Tara’s dreams that night were full of scenarios of teasing Max until he broke and took her roughly in a variety of locations her subconscious supplied. Each option was more exciting than the last and left Tara desperate to see Max again.

***

Max went through the motions of working the next morning. He worked from his hotel room, not wanting to be confined to an office all day. He could usually shut off the noise in his head and work regardless of what was going on around him. Closing out everything and being able to focus completely on the task at hand was what had allowed him to break away from his family and make his own success.

Nothing distracted him.

Pleasure had its place in his life, but nothing was more important than the business he’d built for himself. His trust fund had been ample, but he prided himself on how he’d used it to become a success even by his family’s standards.

He’d broken free of the drama that was his childhood, forged a life where things made sense, and not much surprised him. Until he’d met Tara, he would have said he was completely satisfied.

He also would have said the last place he wanted to be was New York. Yet here he was, delegating his workload and freeing up his time for a woman he barely knew. A woman he couldn’t get out of his mind no matter how hard he tried.

He wondered if she was anticipating seeing him as much as he was looking forward to seeing her again. Images of her brought a smile to his face. He thought back to the first time he’d met her and how she’d taken his breath away in that blue dress she’d claimed was too small for her. He thought it had fit her perfectly, and he was certain there wasn’t a man alive who would disagree with him.

His smile widened as he remembered how she’d made him laugh the other night when they’d shared too many drinks and closed Richard’s restaurant. He’d never met a woman who could make his sides hurt from laughter.

His phone conversation with his assistant, Dale, had left him feeling uneasy.

“I have you scheduled to fly to Cancun on Friday.”

“Why don’t you go instead, Dale? You’ve gone with me enough to know what I’m looking for. Send me a detailed report.”

“Okay,” Dale had said slowly. “You were planning to be in Vegas later next week. Are we meeting up there?”

“We’ve never had a problem out there. Why don’t you handle that site visit, too? I need to be in New York a little while longer.”

“New York?” Dale asked, suddenly sounding worried. “Is there a problem?”

The Vigie in New York was the only property Max normally delegated to Dale, so he could understand his concern. “No, you’ve done well here, Dale. I’ve merely found a project that temporarily requires my full attention.”

“Another acquisition.”

Max smiled. “You could say that.”

“Can’t wait to hear about it. You normally can’t wait to get out of that city. Whatever you’re working on must be something spectacular.”

“It is,” Max said, speaking more to himself than to Dale, as he remembered how Tara had looked naked and fresh from a shower, her eyes burning with desire for him.

Dale was right. It usually took Max less than a day to regret giving in to what was usually a plea from Luke to visit. One conversation with his family was all it usually took to have Max happily flying as far as his private plane would take him. There was nothing usual about this visit.

Tara was a powerful distraction. For her, he was about to attend a family function he’d spent the last month vehemently saying he wouldn’t. And he wasn’t dreading it.

“Are we moving forward with Slater Island? The permits came through. We are clear to demolish the three existing homes. We should be set to tear down the one to the west. The owner accepted our offer. The rest is paperwork. Say the word, and we’ll clear the lots.”

“Hold off a bit longer. I haven’t decided what I want to do there yet.”

Dale made a surprised sound. “Are you waiting for better weather? The team says the first phase doesn’t need to wait for the ground to thaw. Or is the problem with the plans? You signed off on the first draft, but if the final is missing something I can have modifications made by the end of the week.”

“It’s not an issue with the weather or the plans. Table Slater Island until I bring it up again.”

“Okay. I’ll tell the team. They’ll ask me why.”

“I don’t need to explain my decision to them or to you. Nothing further will be done with that property until I request it. Subject closed.” He couldn’t explain to himself why he wasn’t plowing ahead with the project. He wasn’t about to try to explain to Dale why he didn’t want to move forward with the Slater resort. It wasn’t something he understood himself.

“Yes, sir,” Dale said. Dale was quiet a moment, then sounded concerned when he asked, “Is everything okay, Mr. Andrade?”

Max’s thoughts drifted again to how Tara had looked as she’d ridden him, her cheeks flushed and her eyes wild with abandon. Every touch, every taste of her was torturously vivid. Wanting her was scrambling his thoughts. He didn’t want to think about work. He didn’t want to think about anything.

He wanted to see Tara again. That’s all that mattered. He had to have her again. He had to know if making love to her would be as good as he remembered it being. He told himself his fascination would wane. It was probably the game, more than the woman, that was exciting, but either way, it felt good.

Too good not to pursue.

“Everything is fine, Dale. Consider this the vacation I never take. We’ll regroup in a week.”

After hanging up, Max showered and put on a casual suit. He told himself a little time off was exactly what he needed.

He deserved a vacation.

Even if his destination of choice was a woman.

One amazing brunette with the ability to make everything that normally bothered him fade away each time he thought of her. A week in a city he hated? Not a problem. Dinner with family that normally drove him nuts? Absolutely worth it.

As long as the night ended with Tara in his bed.

“I’m so glad you came,” Maddy said as she bounced her young son on her lap, despite the sleek black dress she wore, which probably cost more than Tara’s yearly rent. Richard followed behind their toddler son as the boy greeted each new family member when they entered Gio’s apartment. Julia had told Tara she and Gio were waiting until they were married before they bought a house. Tara could only imagine the size of a house they would purchase, considering their apartment was larger than most normal homes.

The living room had seemed enormous an hour ago, but as more and more people arrived it was quickly shrinking. So far Gio’s “dinner” was nothing like Tara had imagined. When she’d heard the guest list she’d assumed it would be a very formal sit-down affair. Certainly the thousand-dollar dress Maddy had bought her for the event implied as much. But there Tara was, dressed to the nines, holding a pacifier little Adam had dropped to the floor moments earlier, while herds of children ran through the rooms and adults steadied plates of food each time a child knocked into them.

Maddy stood and waved her hand at the entering guests. “That’s Abby and Dominic coming in. I hope they saw me. Oh, good, they brought Judy. Wait until you see their little girl. She is a doll. Makes me want to try again for a girl.” Maddy waved again, then smiled when Abby waved back.

Tara couldn’t contain her surprise. “This isn’t at all how I envisioned tonight.”

Maddy laughed and pointed toward Gio and Julia, who were standing in the middle of a large crowd of animated relatives. Gio looked a bit shell-shocked by the experience. “I don’t think Gio expected as many people, either, but he invited my parents and Stephan’s parents. It grew from there. The women in our family are really close, and Abby has become family. Julia will be so happy she came.”

Abby and Dominic Corisi were the closest to American royalty as any couple could be, and a general hush spreading across the living room revealed that Tara wasn’t the only one who felt that way. As much as the couple had been in the news, it wasn’t their reputation that held the crowd temporarily mesmerized. Dominic was holding the most adorable baby, who looked about eight months old. Little Judy was unsure when she saw the large crowd, and Dominic was whispering something to comfort to her. A powerful man, coaxing his shy daughter as if making her smile was the most important thing in the world to him, was a sight not many could look away from. Whatever he said worked because his daughter began clapping happily. Abby looked over her shoulder at her husband and smiled with approval. Dominic bent down to say something to Abby that brought a blush to her cheeks.

Tara couldn’t have looked away if her life had depended on it. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. And, for just a moment, Tara felt an emptiness she tried to deny. Take away everything from that couple—the fame, the money—and Tara was sure they would be happy because they had each other.
Will I ever have anything close to that?

Tara shook her head to clear it and tried to refocus on her reason for being there. She was supposed to pay attention to details, watch for problems. “Who is the redhead behind Abby?”

Maddy craned her neck to see. “That’s Alethea. Does she have Marc with her? Yes, see the man to her right? They are Dominic’s power security team. Dominic can be a little paranoid when it comes to protecting his family, but when you’re high-profile like he is, I guess you have to be. Alethea is a little intense. Try to avoid her. She knows Abby’s sister so she’s in my circle of friends, but I wouldn’t say she likes me much. At least she brought Marc with her. Who could complain about adding him to a party? Can you say
man candy
?”

Alethea looked up and her eyes narrowed in their direction. Maddy wasn’t kidding.
Note to self: Stay away from the redhead.

Just before Tara looked away she caught Max entering the room. Their eyes met and held, and for a moment everyone and everything else faded away. He greeted Dominic with a handshake and said something to Abby that made her smile. As Max moved through the crowd, he stopped to say a word or two to various people, but then he’d look at Tara with a fire in his eyes that had Tara practically squirming in her seat. The room was full of good-looking men, but none of them made her heart race like Max did. His eyes held a promise of pleasure she’d already decided she wouldn’t deny herself.

Still, she forced herself to stay seated and pretended to listen to Maddy. Max had admitted he enjoyed the chase. Tara hadn’t been sexually daring with her previous boyfriends, but she was enjoying pushing out of her comfort zone with Max.

She licked her bottom lip and watched his reaction closely. He sucked in a breath, and his nostrils flared. Tara ran her eyes slowly over him, pausing deliberately on his crotch, then raised one shoulder as if unimpressed. She caught just a glimpse of his expression as she turned away, and it was priceless. The game was definitely on.

Tara stood and arched her back slightly as if stretching; she knew the move pulled the material tightly across her breasts, and she glanced over to check Max’s reaction. He was walking through the crowd with a curl to his lips that said he knew exactly what she was doing.

“Maddy, I need to use the bathroom. Do you know where it is?”

Maddy’s attention was divided between Tara’s question and Abby approaching with Judy. She waved toward one corner of the room. “There’s one around the corner, but there’s another down the hallway if that one is occupied.”

Tara didn’t have to look over her shoulder to see if Max would follow. She knew he would. She rounded the corner and started walking down the hallway, not slowing her pace even though she heard footsteps behind her.

A strong hand swung her around so her back was against the wall. Max held her arm with one hand and placed his other on the wall beside her head. “I’ve been waiting all day to do this.”

As he lowered his lips to hers, Tara turned her face away, biting her lips to hide her smile. He chuckled, his hot breath caressing her cheek. “So, that’s how it’s going to be, is it?”

With her face still averted, Tara glanced at Max from beneath her long lashes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mr. Andrade. I came down here in search of the bathroom. Now, please unhand me.”

He let go of her arm and placed his hand on the wall on the other side of her head. He kissed her shoulder, long hot kisses that set Tara’s skin on fire. He grazed his teeth gently across her collarbone then ran his tongue lightly back across that path. He blew softly on the arch of her neck, and Tara was never so happy to have worn her hair up. His mouth was sinfully skilled. He kissed and nipped at her neck playfully until Tara’s breathing was shallow with desire.

She lost control, took his face between both of her hands and kissed him deeply. Her tongue met his with no hesitation. They kissed like lovers who had done this a hundred times before and would gladly do it a hundred times more. Tara writhed her body against his, loving that she felt him hard and excited for her.

Passion licked through her. Tara imagined giving herself to him right then. All it would take was for him to hike up her dress, push her thong aside, free himself, and plunge into her.
No. Not yet. Not here.

Tara broke off the kiss and stepped out from beneath his arms in a move that took him by surprise. She gave him a cheeky smile as she retreated, saying, “That was nice, but I think you can do better.”

The smile he gave her was a promise of its own. He let her go but said softly, “Oh, I can. I hope you slept last night, because you won’t tonight.”

Tara slipped away and returned to the party. She deliberately didn’t look at Dominic and Abby. Comparing what they had to what she was doing with Max threatened to kill Tara’s excitement about how she planned to spend the night.

I’ll have love someday.

If it’s not with Max, that’s okay. Not all relationships are forever.

And not everyone gets the fairy tale.

Tara glanced back and caught Max watching her even as he spoke to one of his brothers. Her senses went wild, and she swallowed hard.
If this is all we have, hey, it’s still pretty damn amazing.

She tore her eyes away from him and was reminded of the other reason she was there. She had almost forgotten Maddy had asked her to watch for trouble. Although, looking around at the high spirits of the large group of people gathered, Tara doubted even Patrice Andrade could do anything to ruin the night. Julia was all smiles. She caught Tara’s eyes and waved at her happily. Gio was at her side and was looking more comfortable as the evening went on. Everywhere Tara looked people were laughing and sharing congratulations for the couple who were finally choosing a wedding date.

Julia walked over and hugged Tara. “I’m so glad you came.”

Although Julia was beautifully dressed and her makeup was expertly applied, Tara thought she looked tired. “Is everything okay?”

“Maddy told me you met Patrice.”

“I did,” Tara said, unsure yet if that was supposed to be a good or bad thing.

“I’d ask Maddy, but you know how she is. If I say anything to her, everyone will know I did. And Gio doesn’t like the idea of me getting involved with his mother. Tell me, how did Patrice look?”

Tara shrugged awkwardly. “She didn’t appear very happy.”

Julia wrinkled her nose. “That’s nothing new. I meant, health-wise. We hear she’s getting worse, but she won’t let her sons visit her lately. Not even Luke. I’m worried she may actually be ill.”

“I’m not a doctor, Julia. I don’t know what to say.”

Julia grimaced. “Of course you don’t. I’m sorry to put this on you. This should be the happiest time for Gio and me. I want to help him any way I can.”

“If I knew anything I’d tell you.”

Julia gave her a grateful, small smile. “I know you would. Maddy has a good friend in you. Thank you for listening.”

No, don’t ask. You’re pulling away from the family. It’s none of your business.
“Are things better with Gio’s work?”

Julia leaned closer. “I shouldn’t say anything, but I’m going crazy, and you’re outside all of this enough that I need to hear your opinion. I’m really starting to worry. Gio’s not sleeping. He’s barely eating. Between his mother and whatever is going on at Cogent, I’m beginning to wonder if we should postpone the wedding. I don’t want to add anything else to his plate.”

“Oh, Julia. I’m so sorry.”

Julia dabbed away what looked like a tear ready to spill over and smear her makeup. “It’ll work out. I just wish he would open up to me. The Andrade men are so proud. They think they have to handle everything themselves. But they don’t. How can I prove I will be there for him no matter what happens? A marriage is a partnership. What does it mean that he won’t let me help him?”

Tara wanted to say, from what she knew about Patrice and how she’d raised her sons, it didn’t take a psychologist to figure out why Gio had trust issues. She gave Julia’s hand a supportive squeeze. “I’ve never been in love, Julia, but I recognize it when I see it, and you and Gio were meant to be together. You need to talk to him. Tell him what you know and what you’re afraid of. He’ll come around. My mother used to joke that instead of getting angry with my father she would tell herself he was an alien from another planet, and it was her job to teach him how to be a human being. When he hid things from her, like a tooth abscess that festered until he was almost admitted to the hospital, she was furious, but she forgave him—because of his alien background.”

Julia chuckled. “I can imagine my mother would have once said something like that about my father.”

“Gio is a strong, proud man, and isn’t that part of what you love about him?”

Julia nodded. “Yes.”

“And we both know he had a difficult childhood, but he has you now, and you can show him that real love is unconditional. Talk to him, and guide him as he learns the ways of our culture.” Although the topic wasn’t one Tara found amusing, she tried to use humor to lighten Julia’s mood.

Julia smiled. “Tara, for someone who says she’s never been in love, you give great advice. Thank you. I feel so much better.”

“My parents have been married for more than thirty years. I’ve seen love work.”

Julia hugged her. “Me, too. Thank you for reminding me of that.” She gave Tara a strange look then said, “Are you looking for a relationship?”

Tara coughed. “What?”

“Whatever else Maddy is, you know she’s an excellent matchmaker. You should ask her to find someone for you.” Smiling widely, Julia continued, “What am I thinking? I could do it. Have you met Luke? He’s a surgeon. And he’s single. He is also the sweetest, most caring man I’ve ever met. The two of you would be perfect together.”

“I—”

“Or Max.” Julia looked around until she spotted him. “I don’t know him as well as Gio’s other brothers, but I could introduce you.”

Tara met Max’s eyes across the room and blushed deeply. “We’ve met.”

As if he knew what they were talking about, Max winked.

Julia followed the look back to Tara and said, “I had no idea.”

Mouth suddenly dry, Tara said, “It’s not like that.”

Julia looked pleased and unconvinced. “Hey, your secret is safe with me. I’m happy for you. If things work out, I’m claiming you for my team.”

Tara remembered Maddy had mentioned matchmaking teams and was about to deny once again that anything was going on between her and Max, when someone waved for Julia to join them.

“I have to go, Tara, but thank you. You made me feel a hundred times better.”

Well, at least I did something right.

Tara was sipping her wine, watching the Andrade family mix and mingle, wondering how Max would approach her next, when Dominic Corisi’s female security person, Alethea, came to stand beside her.

“So, you’re Tara. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Cold green eyes assessed Tara.