Chapter 54
ROSALIE
With a groan, I dragged myself out of bed and made my way downstairs. I rubbed my eyes and smiled at the sight of Duke, who ran through the patio doors with a stick, looking up at me with eager eyes.
I bent down to pick up the stick, but he grabbed it before I had the chance and ran back outside with it.
When I stepped into the kitchen, just as I expected, Max was standing by the island, pouring himself another cup of coffee. His back was to me, but even from here, he could sense me.
“Morning,” he said without turning around.
He was dressed for the day in his usual crisp shirt and slacks, perfectly pressed, and not a hair out of place.
“Morning,” I replied, walking over to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist from behind, resting my cheek against his back. He was warm and stood with his feet firmly planted.
He reached down with one hand and grabbed onto mine. “You show up later and later, Rosie. At this rate, you’ll be joining me for lunch, not breakfast.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled against his back. “Someone kept me up late last night . . . and the night before that.”
Max chuckled, his chest vibrating under my cheek. “Guilty as charged,” he said, turning in my arms to face me. “But that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. I’ll see you at the table.”
With a quick kiss on the forehead, he let go of my head and took his coffee with him. When I met him at the table, I couldn’t help but wonder why he was even here.
“Why are you still here?” I finally asked. “Shouldn’t you be at work?”
Max looked up at me, reaching for his cup of coffee. He took a slow sip, his eyes never leaving mine, and swallowed. “I’ve yet to finish the puzzle.”
There was something about his tone that made me think it wasn’t the actual puzzle he was trying to solve. I raised an eyebrow, glancing in front of him at where the puzzle was.
“That one?” I asked, nodding toward it.
“Yeah, that one,” he replied with a smirk. “It’s a tricky one.”
Without questioning him further, I reached for the paper and tried to solve the word puzzle.
It was a five-letter word. The first letter was a “T,” and the second to last was a “D.” My eyes trailed further down the paper to find the hint: This word describes someone who isn’t on time. Often used in schools to note late arrivals.
I laughed, folding the paper and tossing it back down onto the table. “Tardy,” I announced with an eye roll.
Max clapped slowly. “Congratulations. You’ve solved the mystery of your own bad habits.”
“You’re hilarious,” I said, glaring at him. “Did you make this puzzle just for me?”
His smirk widened. “I figured it’s a theme you excel at.”
“A shame you couldn’t solve it yourself.”
“Mia cara, I will never be able to solve you.”
There it was—the infuriatingly smug smile I’d come to know all too well. It seemed even marriage hadn’t curbed that aspect of Max’s character. Unfortunate, really.
“Are you implying I’m complicated?”
Max smirked, not looking up from his puzzle. “If the shoe fits . . .”
“Oh, so we’re naming faults now?” I retorted, crossing my arms.
His eyes widened as he looked up from the puzzle. “You’re feisty this morning. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”
“Still deciding,” I shot back, picking a grape before popping it into my mouth.
I chewed.
Sour.
He leaned back in his chair. “Please, take all the time you need. You already do.”
“You’d miss your meeting for me?” I asked, acting as if I hadn’t heard the last bit of what he’d said.
“I’ve already missed one of them for you,” he responded. “What’s another?”
I leaned back in my chair, intrigued. Max never took time away from work. I wondered what was going on.
“Unless you’re tired of me already,” he continued.
“I am,” I replied, trying my hardest to act upset.
“Tough—there will be no way out of this marriage.”
My eyes searched his. “There is death.”
“You once made me jealous of death, because he could hold you for an eternity when I could not,” he confessed, his voice softening as I brushed my knuckles against my cheek. “If you think death can keep you safe from me, you’re mistaken. Have you learned nothing?”
“Should I be flattered or frightened?” I asked.
“Frightened never suited you,” Max said, finally setting the puzzle aside.
I gave him a hard look.
He got up, walked around the table, and pulled me into his arms. “Flattered, definitely,” he corrected. “You should know I’m all bark and no bite.”
I pushed against his chest lightly. “But you do bite, Max.”
He chuckled against my neck, which caused my skin to erupt with goose bumps. “Only when necessary.”
“And what if I like it?” I challenged.
He smiled against my cheek. “Then I will be late to my meeting.”
And late he was.