Jane pulled a notebook from her purse and Max scribbled something in it. “Okay. I’ll call her right now…yes, I’ll let you know.” He disconnected, looking stunned and puzzled at the same time.
“Max, what is it? Have we had another disaster?” Another fiasco like the pink real estate magazine would finish them off.
“I don’t know. Ellen Lowenstein wants me to call her.”
“Really.” That was interesting. “Do you know what she wants?”
“She wouldn’t tell Carol. Maybe she plans to sue me for fraud or something.”
“If she were going to sue you, her lawyer would call. Are you going to call her back or not?” Now Jane was consumed with curiosity.
“Carol said she seemed impatient to talk to me. That was why she tracked me down.”
“Well, call her!” Then something occurred to Jane. “If you want some privacy, I can take a walk. I’ve been meaning to check out that quilt shop across the street.”
“Don’t you dare leave me alone. If it’s bad news, I’ll need you. If it isn’t, I’ll want someone to share it with.”
Jane felt flattered that he would need her for anything. He’d always struck her as such a strong, self-sufficient man, though the events of the last week had shaken him, that was for sure.
“So, call her.”
Max took a deep breath and dialed the number he’d just written down. His blood pounded in his ears. “Ellen Lowenstein, please. Max Remington, returning her call.”
Ellen picked up almost immediately. “Max? How the heck are you?”
“I’m good. How are you?” he asked cautiously.
“I’m good, too. Listen, I’ve been thinking. And I don’t like the way we left things.”
“That makes two of us.”
“It seems silly, now, getting our feathers ruffled over the fact you were pretending to be a husband and father. I mean, it’s kind of flattering, the lengths you went to to get our business.”
Max was afraid to say anything, so he didn’t, but he reached over and grabbed Jane’s hand, squeezing hard.
“I mean, even if you are a bachelor, clearly you like children and feel comfortable around them, and that’s all I care about. What I’m trying to say is, I want you to do our advertising. None of the other agencies we talked to had your vision. And I want Kaylee to model for the magazine ads. Maybe the TV commercials, too.”
Max thought his heart had stopped beating altogether. “That shouldn’t be a problem.” He was amazed he sounded halfway normal.
“I’m sending over a retainer check by FedEx. You should receive it tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Ellen.” He forced himself to breathe as they worked out the details of their next meeting, during which they would outline the specifics and sign a contract.
When he hung up, he realized he was still holding Jane’s hand-nearly crushing it. He loosened his grip but didn’t let go altogether.
“You got the Kidz’n’Stuff account?” Jane said.
“Yes.”
Jane squealed and threw her arms around him, though it was an awkward hug in the Corvette’s close confines. “I’m so happy for you! Your first national ad campaign.”
“
Suddenly they were kissing like mad, making out in his front seat like teenagers necking on a lovers’ lane, except they were in the middle of town in broad daylight.
Max’s body ached for more. “It’s a good thing I don’t have a backseat,” he murmured against her ear.
He expected her to laugh, but she didn’t. “My boat is five minutes away.” She kissed him again, harder this time.
“So’s my condo.” He barely breathed the words.
“We can’t. It’s the middle of the day.”
“Is that all that’s stopping you?” More. He needed more of her. He buried his face in her soft hair and breathed in the scent. “We have to take a lunch hour.”
His cell phone rang.
Jane pulled away. “Get it. What if it’s important? What if you’d ignored that last phone call?”
He saw from the Caller ID that it was Carol. “What?”
“What happened?”
Oh, right. He was supposed to have called her. “We got the account.” The triumphant feeling returned, surging through his body and mixing with his lust for Jane, transforming into a potent mixture.
“Oh, my God!” Carol screamed. “That’s great! We need to have a party. Can I plan a party? I’m great at parties.”
“As long as it doesn’t cost me anything,” Max said with a laugh. “Listen, I’m going to lunch. I’m turning my phone off. I’ll be back by one-thirty.”
“Okay, see ya then.”
He turned his phone off and looked at Jane, who was studiously repairing her lipstick in the rearview mirror. “Change your mind?” he asked.
She looked at him, raising one eyebrow. “Did you?”
“Are you kidding? I just bought us-” he looked at his watch “-an hour and fifteen minutes.”
Jane looked like she was about to burst. “What are you waiting for? Drive.”
Chapter Twelve
Max turned the key. “Where to?”
“Your place.” She didn’t want to make love with Max on the
Jane applauded Max’s control. He didn’t break any speed limits driving to the Shell Beach Condos. But he didn’t dilly-dally, either. After whipping into a parking space, he was out of the car and opening her door before she could even get her seat belt off.
They practically sprinted to the front door. Max opened it, punched in the security code to silence the beeping alarm, and before she could take a breath he had her up against the closed door.
He could take her right here on the tile floor and she wouldn’t object. She’d never been so hot for any man.
With Max’s help, she shed the silk blouse and tailored skirt she’d so carefully chosen this morning and threw it on the ground. Standing there in her plunge-front bra, high-cut panties, stockings and heels while Max’s gaze devoured her only made her hungrier.
“Bedroom’s this way.” Rather than waiting for her to follow, he scooped her up and carried her up the stairs like some medieval maiden about to be ravished by the castle laird.
The image made her shiver with anticipation. In fact, pretty much everything increased her eagerness-the cool air-conditioning on her bare skin, the sight of his enormous bed, the faint traces of his scent on the pillow as he set her down on soft, cotton sheets.
He yanked off his dress shirt while she worked on his belt buckle, but he didn’t need much help from her. In seconds he was down to his silk boxers, but she had only a moment to admire how he looked in sexy underwear before he shed those, too, and he was standing before her gloriously naked and awesomely aroused.
As he climbed into bed with her and covered her body with his, Jane reveled in the exquisite contact of hard muscles against her softer flesh. He radiated heat and desire, and his gaze burned with intensity as he stared into her eyes.
“You really are the most beautiful-”
“Yeah, you, too,” she said distractedly as she unhooked her bra. She wanted his hands on her breasts. His
