Chapter 32
THIRTY-TWO
KARI
The front door opened way before I expected it to.
I heard Titus fly down the stairs, yapping his head off at Max coming home from work.
It was early for him to be home and although I was eager to see him, I was just a bit disappointed.
I had plans to make the night sexy as sin to celebrate him winning the bid and us getting back on track, but he hadn’t given me enough time.
I walked into the living room to see my man bent down, rolling his puppy on the floor.
“Titus gets your love first, huh? Is that where I rate?” I joked, leaning against the wall.
“Ah, sweetheart. Are you jealous of Titus?” he smirked.
I stuck out my bottom lip. “I want you to pet me like that.”
He growled as he stood up, crossing the room in three long strides.
He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around him as he captured my mouth with his.
His tongue slid into my mouth, staking claim to it.
I moaned a little, feeling my body respond to his instinctively.
Far too soon, he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against mine.
“I want to take you out of town for the weekend. Can you call off from work?”
“Where do you wanna go?” I asked, nuzzling my nose against his.
“Payson. Let’s go to Cane’s cabin—away from everyone and with bad cell coverage. I want all of your attention for a couple of days. I need it.”
I sighed dreamily, the thought of spending a couple of days wrapped up in him sounded fabulous. “I can probably do that. I just have one shift and I think Chandra will pick it up. I can call and see.”
He lowered me to my feet and swatted my behind. “Do it and let’s get outta Dodge.”
I smiled brightly and gave Chandra a quick call. Besides having to work with Dr. Manning, she was more than happy to pick up an extra shift. She found it hard to be professional around him, she said, when she just wanted to throw him on a gurney and have her way with him.
“Pack some stuff. Or pack nothing, if you want. I want you naked most of the weekend, anyway.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” I said, eyes widened for effect. I watched him move across the room to his office. “I’m glad you didn’t let me leave you,” I whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear.
He turned to face me, a serious look on his face.
“There was never a real chance I wouldn’t come for you.
I think we both just needed a minute to get our brains wrapped around everything.
” He started towards his office again before turning back to me.
“Just to be real clear though, that’s the last time you get to pretend to walk away from me. Got it?”
I tried not to smile, but the effort was futile. “Got it.” I blew him a kiss and headed to the bedroom to pack my things for a weekend with Mr. Quinn.
Max
“Hey, sweetheart,” I said cautiously, peeking my head around the side of the door. She was bent down in her closet, digging through her shoes. “I have to do a couple of things before we go. Is that alright?”
“Sure,” she mumbled, rummaging around. “Can I help with anything?”
I cleared my throat. “I need to gas up the truck and grab some road snacks. And, um, I need to run by and see Sam real quick.”
Kari’s hand paused in the air. She didn’t turn to look at me, just paused before tossing the shoe. “Really? Why?”
“I don’t know,” I mumbled, not happy about the interruption from Samantha. “She called and said it’s really important. She almost sounded like she’d been crying. Cane was throwing around accusations this afternoon and I’m wondering if maybe she heard him.”
“What was Cane saying?” Kari bent up from her stoop, a pair of sneakers in hand.
“He thinks Sam might have sent a fax to one of our competitors.”
She walked slowly to her suitcase on the bed and sat down beside it, mulling over Cane’s theory. “What do you think?”
I shrugged. “I don’t want to believe it. I see why Cane thinks it’s a possibility, but I don’t know.”
“Cane’s usually right.”
“You sound like him,” I laughed. “But I’ll just run by there and see what’s going on. She does help me a lot, but if she did overhear something and wants to quit, it’ll just make my life easier.”
She nodded and chewed on her lip in thought before standing up and walking to me. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me on the cheek. “Go do what you have to do and get home so we can go. I’m excited to get away with you.”
I pulled her in close, nestling my nose in her hair and breathing her in. “Me, too, sweetheart. Me, too.”
Max
I knocked on the door, remembering the first time I’d ever been there. Kari had stayed with me the first night we’d met and snuck out the next morning. She’d ignored my calls for nearly a week, just giving me a quick text here and there. I finally just showed up at her door.
I smiled at the memory and knocked again.
A few minutes passed and I checked my watch and knocked for the third time.
If she doesn’t answer this time, I’m going home.
The door opened slowly. Sam stood on the other side and smiled hesitantly. She had changed from work and was wearing a pair of black tights and a blue strapless shirt. She smelled all fruity and obnoxious.
“Hey, Max,” she smiled, opening the door wider so I could walk in.
I took a few steps in the house and looked around.
She changed the way the living room was organized from when Kari had it.
It looked more cluttered, things laying haphazardly everywhere.
Dishes and shoes and papers were tossed on every surface; Kari’s OCD would’ve gone crazy and the thought made me chuckle.
“You want a drink or something?” she asked, batting her eyelashes.
“Nah, thanks though. I need to see what’s going on with you and then get back home. Like I told ya earlier, Kari and I are going to Payson.”
She turned her back to me and walked into the kitchen, leaving me standing inside the door. Shrugging, I followed her a moment later. She was filling a glass with water at the refrigerator. “Sure you don’t want a drink?”
“Nope. What did you need, Sam?” I eyed her curiously. She seemed pretty laid back and unrushed, not at all the near panic-stricken Sam I had heard on the phone.
She grinned. “I’m good. I just, um, wanted to talk to you, that’s all.”
My jaw began to twitch. She wanted to talk to me? We couldn’t have talked on the phone? Or at work an hour ago?
“Okay. Something bothering you or what?”
She watched me as she took a drink of her water, licking her lips slowly. “I just...can’t figure you out, that’s all.”
I twisted my hat around backwards then shoved my hands in my pockets. Confused, I shot her a look. “You can’t figure what out?”
“Let me ask you a question. Why are you going to Payson this weekend?”
“To spend time with Kari.”
She rolled her eyes and sat the glass down with a thud. “Don’t you think this is getting a little played out, Max?”
“I’m sorry. What’s getting played out?” I watched her fight to keep a calm look on her face, but I could see anger twisting its way out.
“This thing with Kari, whatever it is. She’s manipulating you. She doesn’t love you. Blaine told me—”
“Look,” I said, my voice thick with annoyance, “I don’t give a rat’s ass what Blaine told you or what you think.”
Her jaw dropped wide open, her eyes wild. “Max! Why are you talking to me like that?”
“I’m just a little bothered that you had me come over here and now ya don’t seem to want anything.”
“So we can’t just, you know, hang out?” She shrugged her shoulders, like us “hanging out” was the most common thing in the world.
“I... we...” I fought back a laugh. “No, we can’t just ‘hang out’. When have we ever done that? What’s going on with you?”
An eerie calm came over her as she leaned against the island, her arms crossing in front of her. “You’re making the biggest mistake of your life.”
“Oh, really? Is that so?” I bit down, feeling my jaw tick. I didn’t know what was going on with her, but she was starting to cross a line. “Sam, I gotta go.”
“You are. You’re making a huge mistake.” Her voice was flat, unemotional, but her blue eyes were blazing.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing, because I do.
I know what you’re up to. You and I...” Her voice trailed off, her eyes gazing into thin air as she lost herself in whatever memories she was reliving.
She looked back to me again, this time visibly steeling herself.
“We have this connection, we always have. I don’t know why you don’t see it.
Or maybe you fight it, I don’t know. I’ve thought before it was because I was so close to your family or something.
Whatever the reason, it doesn’t make it untrue.
You and I are meant to be together. I won’t stand here and watch you ruin everything! ”
“Ruin everything? What in the hell is wrong with you, Samantha? We are friends, if that. You are a friend of Brielle and I’m trying to help you get your life together since I-”
“Since you’re the reason it was fucked to begin with!
” she shouted. “You are never there for me! You act like I’m a piece of trash, a kid from the wrong side of the tracks!
It doesn’t matter what I do, it’s never good enough for you.
I’m never good enough for you,” she said, her tone changing to anger.
“Why, Max? Why am I only some little girl you pity?”
I wiped a hand down my face, unsure as to how in the hell we got to this point. I never looked at Sam like that and I sure as shit didn’t lead her on to believe I did. What the hell?
“Sam, I’m sorry if you think–”
“You’re sorry? You’re sorry that you leave me every time I need you? Well thanks a lot, asshole.”
Her insinuation started to piss me off. “I would give anything to take back what happened to you that night. I’ve bent over backwards ever since to make sure that nothing happened to you again.
But I’ll be damned if you are going to somehow try to think you have some say in my life! It’s none of your business.”
“It is my business! I love you!” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realized her mistake. She covered her mouth with her hand and let out a small shriek. “Max, I...”
Did she really just say that?
She looked like she was going to get sick.
Yeah, she just said that.
“I had no idea.” I took off my hat, pretty much speechless.
I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but I wasn’t about to let her get between me and Kari, either.
“Had I known, I would’ve done things differently.
But I love Kari, Sam.” I turned to look at her, the sadness on her face making me nervous.
I hated knowing I was the one that caused her pain.
Again.
I tried to change tactics. “You’re like my little sister. I just...I could never see you like that.”
“You can. I know you can! Just give me a chance. Please!” She raced forward towards me, but I kept her at arm’s length.
Her eyes were wide, pleading with me to listen to her.
“Give me six weeks. You’ve never given me a chance to show you who I am, what I can be to you.
I’m always there for you when you need me.
Look at how much I’m helping at work! Look at who came and got you when Kari left you!
Me! I deserve a fair shot, don’t I? It’s the least you can do for me and it won’t cost you anything, besides saving yourself from making a mistake. ”
She took a step forward and ran her hands down my chest. I wrapped my hands around her wrists and removed them from my body, wincing. “No, Sam. There’s nothing between us to give a chance. I’m sorry.”
“Fuck you,” she seethed, her demeanor turning on a dime. “Everyone thinks you’re this gentleman, this amazing guy and really, all you care about is yourself!”
“I hate that you think that, but it isn’t going to change anything.” I turned towards the door. “I’m leaving now.”
“But...” I heard her behind me as I walked to the door. “Max! You can’t leave! This isn’t over!”
I grabbed the handle and opened the door, turning to look at her briefly. “It’s over Sam.”