Chapter Seven
Trinity started to put the phone down, but it rang in her hand. She was just going to send it to voicemail, but Maxwell waved her to it as he headed back inside.
Curious, she watched as he started restocking the fridge with the drinks from the cart. He was either being considerate and giving her some privacy to speak to whoever was calling, or he was a little OCD and needed to put the drinks away because he couldn’t help himself. Either way, the space was appreciated even if it wasn’t necessary.
Watching him do such a mundane task shouldn’t have turned her on, but strangely, it did. Knowing who he was and the money and power he wielded, it seemed odd to see him acting so domesticated.
She liked it…a lot.
And that was completely unexpected.
It had never been something she’d cared about before, but she guessed Maxwell was an anomaly. Damn, she would probably have a heart attack if he ever cooked her breakfast wearing an apron. Just thinking about that made her temperature rise. Pushing those pervy thoughts aside, she gulped down some champagne as she glanced down at her phone.
Smiling, she answered the call. “Hey.”
“Trinity, my love! I heard someone tried to run you off the road the other day. Tell me what funeral parlor to send the fucker’s flowers to.”
She laughed at Anthony Moretti’s words. Her friend had a twisted sense of humor similar to her own. “Unfortunately, the fucker got away.”
“That’s…surprising.”
“What can I say? I’m a little off my game since I’m supposed to be on fucking vacation. I wasn’t expecting someone would try to kill me on my first day here,” she admitted dryly.
“You need some company down there? I can rub lotion on your back for you.”
She was used to his harmless flirting and was usually game to return the banter, but she seemed to be lacking witty retorts at the moment. “Keep your imaginary hands to yourself.”
“And another dream dies,” Tony joked. “I just got back to Chicago and was planning on convincing you to go to Buffalo Joe’s with me for some wings when I heard you’d left town. How’s the weather down there? It’s gloomy and raining here.”
“It’s beautiful here. And damn it, now, I want some wings. I swear, that sauce is freaking addicting. What are you doing back in Chicago already? I thought you were planning on staying in Colorado for a few more weeks to help Lynx get the new medical center and training facility up and running.”
“The construction was completed ahead of schedule, so we were able to finish the tech upgrades early. She’s got enough help so I didn’t need to stay. Besides, hanging around the med center was starting to give me the creeps, especially with the two docs constantly talking about drug research and testing phases.”
Chuckling, she said, “That’s why I checked my ass out of there as fast as I could. I swear, just hanging out in any medical facility makes me feel like I’m jinxing myself.”
“Yeah, would you fucking stop getting shot and stabbed? You’re making us worry about you.”
“I’ll certainly try.”
When Maxwell came to the doorway again, he hesitated, but Trinity gestured for him to come back outside. Before he stepped out, he pressed a button and the double sconces on the balcony wall shot beams of light in two directions. He poured himself a glass of champagne and took a seat across the table from her.
She shot him a smile before turning away to watch as the last bit of sun disappeared into the water. The moon wasn’t visible yet, but the dark sky overhead lit up with a blanket of tiny stars.
“Oh, get this. I just heard from Flame, and Sin asked her to set up a training facility down in Breakers, Texas,” she told Tony.
“No shit? Did she agree?”
“I know she’s interested. If she decides to do it, it’s probably going to end up being more of a retreat than an actual training center since she doesn’t have the patience to deal with new recruits. But it’s still a good idea.”
“Yeah, it is. She trying to recruit you?”
“She asked, but nothing is confirmed.”
“If you need my help, just let me know,” he offered. Since computers and tech were Tony’s specialty, he would definitely come in handy.
“Will do. I’m cutting this short since my food is getting cold. Later.”
“Hey! Take some pictures in your bikini for us back in Chicago.”
She laughed. “I’m hanging up now, perv.”
Maxwell King leaned back and sipped his glass of champagne as he stared at the intriguing woman across the table from him. After the day he’d had, he could have used a stiff glass of whiskey, but apparently, it was ladies’ choice this evening. He tried to give her a little privacy to finish her call, but like a siren’s call, he’d been lured back out to the balcony.
Surprise didn’t even begin to describe what he’d been feeling when he’d walked into the suite. He’d been prepared to head straight to bed as soon as he’d gotten there, but Katrina Cross had changed that. She had shown no nerves as she’d sat there naked, holding a gun trained on him. At first, he’d thought he was imagining her due to sleep deprivation, and it had taken him several seconds to understand she was really there and threatening him.
Earlier this morning, he’d been in Morocco, handling a sensitive negotiation for a poker tournament that was going to be hosted at their casino in the fall. He never had a doubt that he would close the deal. It had only been a matter of time until he got what he wanted.
He usually did.
Hopping in his jet minutes after the negotiations concluded, he’d made the trip to Crescent Island, working on several other business matters during the long flight. The expansion problem at the Palace Resort and Spa infuriated him. The resort was smaller than a lot of his family’s other hotels, but it was special to him. The secluded island was the place he came to when he needed to get away from everything and everyone. Not even his family knew that it was his preferred retreat.
Because of that, he took whatever problems were happening there personally.
When Julian had gotten engaged to Tara Toshi, Maxwell had done his homework on the new woman in his brother’s life. It had taken calling in some serious favors with some very well-connected individuals to discover information on Tara and who she worked for. It didn’t surprise him that it had taken a ball-busting secret agent to change his brother’s mind on matrimony.
In that respect, Maxwell and Julian were a lot alike. It would take someone very special to bring him to his knees. And how very interesting that a woman similar to the one who had captured his brother’s heart would be sharing his suite with him.
He knew he had a reputation for being a player, but the truth was he had a very difficult time finding a woman who held his interest for longer than a few dates. He knew it was his own fault for having impossibly high standards. He enjoyed puzzles, the subtleties of depth and layers that made up a person’s character. Unfortunately, most of the women he dated were as transparent as glass or they couldn’t hold a stimulating conversation for more than a few minutes.
It didn’t bother him since he was far too busy to put the time in that was needed to cultivate a real relationship anyway. At least, that was what he had thought before he’d walked into his suite to see a naked beauty pointing a gun at him. Suddenly, he realized he’d make time for a fascinating woman.
While he waited for her to finish her phone call, he’d shot off a quick text to his brother Julian. He got confirmation back that he and his fiancée had asked Trinity to come check out the situation on the island. Satisfied with the answer, he’d been content just watching the fascinating woman before him. He had a feeling that he could spend years trying to figure Trinity out and still be left guessing.
Trinity’s body was exceptional, but her face was truly a masterpiece. She might look like a goddess with lush lips, high cheekbones, and her long brown hair spilling down past her shoulders, though her sharp hazel eyes were all agent. Even when she smiled, those eyes still gave away how dangerous she was.
When she set her phone down on the table and pulled the cover off the plate she had ordered, he grimaced. “What in the world is that?”
“It’s homemade potato chips with blue cheese and chives.”
“That’s…disgusting.”
She chuckled. “Don’t knock it until you try it. Go on.”
He was going to refuse until she lifted a brow in challenge. Reaching out, he cautiously selected a single chip. After tasting it, he had to admit it wasn’t as vile as he’d feared, but it still wasn’t something that he’d put on his top ten list.
“This isn’t on our menu at Sinful or even at the Lagoon, our casual dining restaurant.”
“It should be,” Trinity said around a mouthful. She finished chewing, then took a sip of her champagne. “Your staff at Sinful love me. I went down to the kitchen to gush a few days ago, and now, they make me whatever I want.”
Maxwell couldn’t blame his chefs. If she flashed her smile, there was very little any man would deny her. Truthfully, he was a little worried he was going to have to add himself to that list.
“This isn’t a suitable dinner.”
His pulse quickened when she shrugged and the robe slightly parted, one side falling down to expose her shoulder. Just imagining seeing all of her beautiful golden skin unveiled again had his cock surging to life…again. He’d hoped like hell that she hadn’t noticed the erection that had been straining his pants when he had first walked out on the balcony. Unfortunately, he was pretty sure there was very little that she missed.
She had looked damn gorgeous and dangerous.
A very deadly, alluring combination.
“I was treating myself to something sinful after a day of studying blueprints, papers, and financial fuckwhats.”
“The what? Never mind.” He glanced down at the plate skeptically. “That’s considered a treat?”
“Hey, I love this stuff. Homemade chips are always good. Plus, the champagne. I love champagne. It makes me happy.”
“Then I’ll make sure you have it every day you’re here with me.”
She shot him a sexy grin. “You’re just imagining getting me tipsy so I’ll sleep with you. Although I’m sure the sex would be great, I’m not looking for a hookup. I’m here to help you figure out what’s going on with your hotel expansion and to enjoy a little vacation. We’re connected through friends and family, and I don’t want to worry about seeing you again after I leave here. That kind of shit can get really awkward.”
He studied her as she went back to eating, surprised that she’d been so direct. Unfortunately, her words did nothing to cool his ardor. In fact, it made him want her even more. Content to back off a bit until he could gauge the battlefield better, he pulled out his cell phone and scrolled through the numbers.
“What are you doing?”
He simply smiled and waited for the other end to pick up. “George? Yes, I’m upstairs in the suite. I’d like dinner for two sent up as soon as possible. The filet mignon with sautéed spinach and twice-baked potatoes. And two slices of the key lime pie. Add in another bottle of champagne.” He paused for a moment, then smiled ruefully. “She is still here. Yes, she is lovely. Thank you.”
Trinity mouthed the words, “See? They love me.”
Maxwell hung up the phone and placed it on the table. “There. We can have a real meal after you finish your appetizer.”
She studied him for a long moment. “Are you taking care of me, Max?”
He certainly was, but there was no way in hell he was going to tell her that.