Total pages in book: 21
Estimated words: 18896 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 94(@200wpm)___ 76(@250wpm)___ 63(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 18896 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 94(@200wpm)___ 76(@250wpm)___ 63(@300wpm)
“There’s no point.” Stephan pushed off the wall and headed for the mugs in the cabinet. “Coffee?”
“No, thanks, and why the hell not?”
“She’s not at home. I stopped by the office to pick up a file and she was there sorting through boxes.” Stephan laughed. “Damn but you need to calm down.”
“After I talk to her. And why is she sorting boxes? Where is she going?”
“She is moving to the firm’s satellite office on Long Island. She didn’t mention it?”
Max groaned and shook his head. He had a lot to find out about his elf. “I’m going to call Dad on the way and reschedule our talk.”
His brother eyed him in surprise. “Then this is a hell of a lot more than a one-night stand, isn’t it?”
Max clenched and unclenched his fists. “It’d better be or I’m looking at a lousy Christmas and a miserable New Year.”
“Well, I’ll be damned. I wonder what I missed in her.”
“Too late for you to find out now,” Max said in warning, then he turned and started for the door before spinning back to face his brother. “Hey Stephan, thanks for inviting me your office party.” Showing up had brought Brandy into his life. Max opened the door and stepped into the hall.
* * *
Brandy needed to keep busy or else she’d think and she could not afford to think. Not about last night and how much she’d enjoyed herself, and not about Max and how much she’d grown to like and care for him. What irony. After years of avoiding the situation with Stephan, she’d stepped right into it with his twin.
She let out a slow breath of air. Okay, apparently she couldn’t avoid thinking but maybe she could drown out the sound of her own thoughts. She flipped on the radio in her near empty office. As expected, Christmas music filled the air. She tried humming and when that didn’t work she sealed the last box, while singing out loud, but no way could she escape the fact that she’d fallen in love with Max Corbin. In one night. Was such a thing even possible? One thing was for certain, if it wasn’t possible to fall, she was certainly falling. Hard.
She shook her head, unable to believe the truth. She was a woman who hadn’t grown up watching a loving relationship and who’d never once deluded herself that happily ever after was in her future. She prided herself on her independence and feared relying on anyone. It was why she’d run this morning. She was worried she’d do as her mother had done and choose to follow another man’s dreams instead of her own.
Yet over the course of one night—one glorious night—she could step back now and see perhaps she’d overreacted? Look at how carefully he’d pried out her secrets, how gentle he’d been once he’d discovered them. He saw her.
And then Samantha’s words of wisdom had come. Earlier, Samantha had stopped by Brandy’s apartment where they’d exchanged gifts. Brandy was now in possession of a weekend for two to Hunter Mountain for a ski weekend in a private cabin. Extravagant? Yes, but that was her friend. Generous beyond words.
Before she’d left, she informed Brandy she’d seen her sneak out of the party with Max and suggested she bring him skiing for the weekend. Of course, Brandy laughed. Samantha did not.
“Why? Was he an asshole? Bad in bed?” she’d asked.
Brandy blushed because the man had talent, something she hadn’t shared and she now understood why Samantha had never kissed and told about Dex. Some things were too private and personal. They meant too much.
Samantha grinned. “Then maybe you should trust the man. At least try him out for a full weekend.” Chuckling, she’d wished Brandy a Merry early Christmas, given her a hug, and left her alone with her thoughts.
Gripping the edge of her desk, she pondered Samantha’s words. Her friendship with Samantha was so much more than that. Could their relationship be the bridge to trusting Max? Was fear worth giving up something that could be so good?
She closed her eyes, and sighed, then sang along with the final verse of the current song. “We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas… and a happy new year.” The choice was hers to make.
The sound of a man clearing his throat startled her and she whirled around to find herself face-to-face with Max.
Leaning against her doorframe, he was the epitome of her fantasy come to life. And to think, she hadn’t known she had any. “Hello, Max.”
He inclined his head. “Brandy.”
She attempted to swallow but her mouth was too dry. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to talk.” He walked into her office, making the small area even smaller by virtue of his overwhelming presence.