Insanity begged him to dominate her in real life the way he had in bed. Tie her up and keep her under his control until she believed they were meant to be. Thank God he was saner than that, but the need to see her didn’t abate. Memories of their time together assaulted him constantly along with the desire to bury himself in her sweet body and never leave.
He wished fixing her issues were as simple as holding her in his arms and vowing he’d never abandon her, but life wouldn’t let him make those kinds of promises. Shit happened, as they both knew too well. So instead of storming her defenses, he gave her space and time after Eden, opting instead for a slow, steady assault.
Step one, bringing them back together for a legitimate reason. He sat in the empty shell of the restaurant he planned to open and glanced around at the old equipment from the original owners. Even that needed to be replaced with more modern pieces. He was ready to sit down with his chef and new designer and hammer out ideas.
He picked up his cell, pulled up Lucy’s number, and hit send, wondering if she’d see his name flash on the screen and avoid the call. To his surprise, she answered on the first ring.
“Hi, Max,” she said, her tone cautious but oh so welcome.
“Hi yourself, princess.” He might be calling for business, but he’d be damned if he’d hide his feelings for her, and using his pet name for her came naturally.
“What can I do for you?” she asked in a formal voice.
He set his jaw, annoyed at the distance she was keeping between them. “I’m calling to set up a meeting between you, Sebastian Del Toro, and myself. I’d like you to see the space and get to work on ideas. That is, if you’re still interested.”
He held his breath.
“Yes. I definitely am. When did you want to meet?”
“I’ll talk to Sebastian and get back to you.”
“Great. In the meantime, I’ll have a contract drawn up and sent over,” she said, all business. “Oh! That’s my other line. I look forward to hearing from you,” she said, and disconnected the call.
Max stared at the phone in his hand. She was taking playing hard to get to an extreme. Time to step up his game.
* * *
Lucy pulled together the contract her lawyer had drawn up for Savage Associates and Dare Designs. She grabbed her files, stuffed them in her briefcase, and headed downtown. She called for a car service early, leaving time for Midtown traffic, but the streets were empty,
and she arrived early for their appointment.
She’d tried hard not to dwell on seeing Max, but of course, it’d been impossible. Max was on her mind, day and night. Her body missed his expert touch, the way he’d bring her to heights of ecstasy she’d never imagined existed and then hold her as they slept afterwards. And she missed just talking to him during the day. In a short time, she’d come to enjoy his company, be it companionable silence or intense conversations.
And that was the part that enabled her not to go running back and apologizing for leaving him in Eden. It would be too easy to get permanently attached to the Max she’d come to know, not the man she’d thought she’d be having an affair with.
She’d convinced herself that they were on the same page when it came to not wanting a serious relationship. After all, he hadn’t had a long-term girlfriend since his wife had passed away four years ago. But after their time together on Eden, she realized she’d underestimated what he needed and wanted from her. And even if she needed and wanted those same things, fear kept her from moving forward.
She arrived at the location in Soho, impressed with the area immediately. They were within walking distance of NYU and right near a subway stop. As she approached the entrance, she paused to adjust the lapels on her suit, knowing a slight slip would reveal too much cleavage and send the wrong impression. But it was her favorite outfit, one she’d retired during her days with Lucas, and she needed all the armor she could get for today’s meeting with Max.
She pulled on the restaurant door handle, surprised when it swung open. Because of potential vandalism, she’d thought it might be locked and she’d have to knock. Apparently she wasn’t as early as she’d believed. Max must already be here, and her heart pounded harder inside her chest.
She stepped inside and was surprised by the stripped walls and floors. Apparently Max had already ripped out the prior interior designs. She took this to mean she’d have free reign over what went where, and the notion excited her artistic senses.
“Max?” she called out, her voice echoing in the empty space. “Is someone here?”
A good-looking man with jet-black hair stepped out from behind a set of double doors, and she immediately recognized him from television as Sebastian Del Tor.
“Hi. I’m here to meet Max Savage. I’m Lucy Dare, the designer.”
The man came closer, and Lucy was struck by how handsome he was in a definite European way. “You must be Sebastian Del Toro,” she said. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.” She held out her hand.
“It’s a pleasure, Ms. Dare.” To her surprise, he lifted her hand and kissed it, holding on as he met her gaze.
“Call me Lucy, please.”
“Once again, my pleasure. Max didn’t tell me what a beautiful woman you are,” he said in a sexy, deep voice. Despite knowing the man was a player, that husky voice made Lucy shiver.
“That’s because her looks have nothing to do with her talent or ability to decorate a first-rate restaurant,” Max bit out in a tone Lucy had never heard from him before. Not even with Lucas.