The older woman chuckled and Deena found herself relaxing. It was like being with her own mother. When they arrived at the bar Alma requested two flutes of champagne and just as they were about to take their first sip Deena saw her signal for someone. In the next minute a man was standing with them.

  He was tall with an athletic build, his complexion a dark brown, his eyes a lighter shade of the same color. His smile was easy, that was a relief to her and when he extended his hand in greeting she found herself eager to respond.

  “This is my son, Benjamin. Ben, this is Deena Lakefield.”

  Her son? Max’s brother?

  “Oh, if you’ll excuse me, I see someone I must speak with.” And just like that Alma was gone and Deena was alone with Ben.

  “Could she have been any less subtle?” Ben asked, slipping a hand into his pocket.

  Deena laughed. “I was thinking that but wasn’t going to say it.”

  “It’s okay, she means well. So your parents are in partnership with mine?”

  “Looks that way,” was her reply.

  “Then we should definitely toast to new beginnings,” he said, scooping a champagne flute from the bar and lifting it in her direction.

  “You are absolutely right,” Deena said smiling and lifting her glass to clink against his. “New beginnings.”

  “You clean up well,” Jade said, coming to her tiptoes to kiss Max on his cheek.

  “Gee, thanks,” he responded, smiling at his cousin’s wife. A woman who had become like a sister to him. “You look exceptionally gorgeous yourself. Linc isn’t half as smart as I thought he was, letting you come to this party all by yourself.”

  A strong clap on his back greeted those words and Max winked at Jade.

  “Get your own woman and stop hitting on my wife,” Linc taunted.

  “Stop leaving her alone and vulnerable,” Max said turning to shake his cousin’s hand.

  “This room is full of Donovan men. Any other man would have to be out of his mind to try to poach on my territory here.”

  “Did you forget who you were referring to?” Trent Donovan said, joining the small crowd. “What’s up, cousin? Haven’t seen you in a while.”

  “I’ve been busy,” Max spoke in his own defense.

  “So I’ve heard,” Trent said.

  “And where’s your wife? You in the habit of leaving her alone too?”

  “No man in his right mind, period, would make a play for my wife. They know they’d have me to contend with,” Trent said with a confident smile. “She’s on a photo shoot in L.A.”

  “It must be a task having to keep tabs on a wife and stay in shape to keep poachers away from her,” he said. It was meant as a thought, but he’d spoken it aloud.

  “Your time’s coming,” Jade spoke up, giving him a knowing look.

  Max was already shaking his head. “Nah, I don’t think so.”

  And he really didn’t. Marriage was not something that he foresaw for himself. He’d dismissed that possibility a long time ago. But Max didn’t want to think about that tonight. He just wanted to see his family, show his support to his mother and his aunt and go home.

  Half an hour later, he was ready to do just that. His gaze had just scanned the room, socialites and more socialites were all he could see. He wanted to go home; tonight was not the night to be around people. He’d greeted all his family so there was no reason to stay. They’d say he came and stop nagging him about staying cooped up in his house. Turning away from the crowded ballroom Max was all set to make his departure when something caught his eye.

  The color was bright, vibrant. The body was dangerous, sinful. The smile was…familiar.

  She laughed, tossing her head back. Her hair, tight dark twists, was pulled up into some sort of bun with fat tendrils playing softly around her face. Her hands were on his shoulders, his were around her waist.

  “Her” being Deena and “him” being Ben. His woman and his brother.

  Rage moved through him like a swallow of bad beer. It was an acrid taste in his mouth and even as he swallowed he knew what was coming next wouldn’t end well. Max was moving toward them long before he thought about where he was or who he was. All he could see was Ben’s hands on Deena…Deena smiling up at Ben…Ben leering down at Deena in that form-fitting dress displaying everything he’d once touched, once kissed. His temples throbbed as he pushed through people in the crowd to get to his destination.

  His fingers were already wrapping around the material of Ben’s jacket, pulling him back away from Deena. Ben was already cursing, struggling to get out of Max’s grip.

  “Going from one brother to the next. I would have thought better of you, Deena.”

  For a minute she looked truly shocked—either that he was there or that he’d caught her flirting with his brother. Then that look quickly turned to anger.

  “Are you out of your mind? Let him go!” she said, trying to keep her voice low.

  “Why? So you can have your way with him next? I don’t think so. He’s leaving and so are you.”

  Max released Ben, casting him a heated glare. Then, turning his attention back to Deena, he grabbed her by the wrist and proceeded to pull her through the crowd.

  “Let me go, you big idiot!” she shouted from behind him, swinging her purse at his broad back.

  Around him Max barely heard the audible gasps and murmurs of guests or saw the flicker of cameras. He was too focused on the woman that had been haunting his dreams for the past seven months and the brother he loved and trusted. How did they know each other? How long had whatever was going on between them been going on? He definitely did not appreciate being made a fool of.

  “Max, what are you doing?” This was Trent, who had appeared in front of him, effectively blocking his path.

  “You don’t want to be in my way right now, man,” was all Max said.

  “I don’t think you really want to be doing what you’re doing, in this crowded room. What’s going on? Who is she?”

  Max pushed past Trent, declining to answer any more questions. Behind him Deena was hurling curses and struggling to break free. Her efforts were futile and only increased his anger.

  “You’re an insensitive jerk, you know that? I don’t know why I ever thought I could be in love with you. Let me go!”

  “Maxwell Frederick Donovan, what in the world are you doing?” That was his mother storming through the doors that led to the hallway where the back elevators were. His father was right beside her, a look of utter outrage on his face.

  Even though they were away from all the guests, Max and Deena still weren’t alone. Every member of the Donovan clan that was at this party was now in this hallway. Along with two other people he didn’t know, one, a man that was headed straight at him.

  “Young man, you either release my daughter now or I’m going to—”

  Alma touched a hand to the man’s arm, then looked at Max.

  “This is Ms. Lakefield’s father. Now, I suggest you release his daughter before things get messier than I suspect they already are,” she said in a serious tone.

  Max’s father, Everette Donovan, came up beside him. “Let her go, son.”

  Max felt his fingers releasing Deena’s wrist a split second before he felt the palm of her hand connecting soundly with his right cheek.

  “Don’t you ever put your hands on me again!” she said before pushing past people and heading to the elevators.

  The man, her father, followed her as well as the woman who had been with him. It was his guess that these were her parents, but what were they doing here? What was Deena doing here?

  “What the hell’s your problem?” Adam asked.

  “He needs his head examined,” Ben replied.

  “You need to get your own woman and keep your hands off mine!” Max yelled at his brother.

  “What?” It was a combined gasp from more than one person in the hallway so Max didn’t know who to answer, not that he was really thinking of offering an answer.

  In the short distance he heard the ding of the elevator arriving and looked over just in time to see Deena and her parents board. She stared right at him, rage simmering in thick rays across the space to spear him right in his heart. “Your woman?” Trent asked.

  Linc looked from the now closed elevator door to Max. “That’s the woman from Hilton Head?”

  With lips closed tight, Max simply nodded.

  Ben threw back his head and laughed.

  Adam was next to follow Ben’s lead. Trent smiled but didn’t let loose. And Linc, because he was older and supposedly wiser, just shook his head.

  “You’ve got ten seconds to tell me what’s going on, Max,” Everette said in his booming voice. “And that’s being generous. Your mother is giving you about two especially since you’ve made a spectacle at their first event and pissed off one of her partners.”

  “Partner? Who’s your partner?” he asked his mother.

  “If you would have acted like I’d taught you something about manners you would have been properly introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lakefield of the Lakefield Galleries in Manhattan. Noreen Lakefield has partnered with your aunt and myself in this new venture of ours.”

  The moment she said their names Max’s stomach twisted. Damn it!

  “Then what was she doing here?”

  It was obvious to all of them who she was.

  “She’s their daughter. Their youngest daughter, who you just about dragged across the entire ballroom. Now, may I ask why?”

  Max could do nothing but sigh. “Ask him,” he said, nodding toward a still laughing Ben.

  “I’m asking you,” Alma said.

  Swallowing what little bit of pride he had left, Max dutifully answered, “I met Deena Lakefield while I was in Hilton Head. She was staying at the Sandy Pines. We had…sort of had an affair. I haven’t seen her since.”

  Everette’s face was still grim, but Alma nodded as if she finally understood.

  “This is why you’ve been in such a sour mood since you came back,” she said knowingly.

  “Nothing’s wrong with my mood. Or at least it wasn’t until I saw him all hugged up with Deena.”

  Ben held up his hands in mock surrender. “Bro, I just met her about ten minutes before you pulled the caveman routine.”

  “He’s right. I just introduced them,” Alma said. “Had you not been secretive all this time about the woman in your life I would have known not to try to set her up with one of my eligible sons. Why did you keep that from us?”

  “She doesn’t belong to me,” Max muttered tightly.

  “I can’t tell,” Trent spoke up.

  Each of his cousins had a smirk on their faces, one Max wanted to wipe away with his anger.

  “Just forget it,” he said finally. “I’m sorry I ruined your evening,” he said to his mother and walked toward the elevators.

  “Max, I’m here if you want to talk about whatever is bothering you,” Alma said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

  With a heavy sigh he turned, pulled his mother into his arms and hugged her. “I know you are, Mom. But I’ll be okay. I’ll apologize to the Lakefields.”

  “That would be nice,” Everette said then clapped a hand on his son’s back. “If a woman can get that reaction out of you by simply talking to another man, I’d say you need to rethink making her yours.”

  On the elevator ride down Max figured it was definitely too late for that.

  Chapter 11

  Eating crow wasn’t the easiest thing in the world for Max, but it wasn’t the worst.

  Noreen Lakefield answered the door, letting him into their suite. In the living room area, Paul Lakefield sat, a stern expression on his face.

  Looking at them both, Max tried to relate them to the parents that Deena had described. Her mother looked gentle, but her eyes said she could be a force if she needed to be. Her father looked as disapproving and unyielding as Deena said he was. But Max had dealt with worse. This wasn’t going to be easy. Then again, nothing in his life was.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Lakefield, my name is Maxwell Donovan. I wanted to personally apologize for the scene I created tonight. It was a misunderstanding and I overreacted. I apologize,” he said, standing before them both.

  “Have a seat, Maxwell,” Noreen said, taking her seat beside her husband.

  “Why don’t you tell us about you and our daughter?”

  That was the last thing he wanted to talk about but Max accepted that he didn’t have much choice. “We met over the summer in South Carolina. I was working on a project.”

  “And she was dillydallying like she always does,” Paul Lakefield interrupted.

  “No. Actually, she was working on her next novel. The one that will be released in February,” Max heard himself saying.

  “She told you about her books?” Noreen asked.

  “Yes,” Max answered. “She’s very excited about her writing career.”

  Noreen nodded, a small smile forming. “And you two spent a lot of time together this summer?”

  “Yes, we did. We, ah, grew very close over the summer. Then lost contact when we returned home. Seeing her again here was, ah, a shock.”

  “A shock,” Noreen repeated. “You hadn’t expected to ever see her again.”

  “No, ma’am, I hadn’t.”

  “Why is that? You said you became close over the summer. Why would you want that to end?”

  “It was a fling, Noreen. Deena’s always doing something impulsive,” Paul added.

  Max clenched his teeth, trying to contain his annoyance with the way this man was talking about his daughter. “No, sir. It wasn’t like that. We did become very close and it was actually my fault that we didn’t see each other again. Deena, I think, was very committed to our relationship.”

  Noreen looked as if she knew something Max didn’t. “But you weren’t?”

  “I wasn’t sure what I wanted.”

  “And what you want now is to claim her as your woman so no other man can touch her. Is that it?” Paul asked.

  This was a hard man to like, Max decided. But what he sensed undeniably was that Paul Lakefield loved his family, in his own way.

  “I just want to apologize for the way I acted tonight. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have put my hands on her that way and I shouldn’t have made a scene.”

  “So what happens now between you and Deena?” Noreen asked.

  “I honestly don’t know.”

  “You can start by apologizing to her,” Paul said gruffly. “She’s in the suite on the other side of this floor.”

  That wasn’t a part of his plan but Max wasn’t going to sit there and argue that fact with her parents. Instead he stood, shaking Mr. Lakefield’s hand. To his surprise Mrs. Lakefield pulled him in for a hug. The waters between the families working together weren’t ruffled by his idiocy. That was enough to be grateful for.

  And it should have been enough to get him on the elevator and out of that building to his own home where he would be safe to kick himself in private.

  But it wasn’t.

  There was someone else he owed an apology, for more than just tonight. He might as well get all his apologizing out of the way at one time.

  Her room was just down the hall from her parents. Max hadn’t planned to use the information, but now here he was.

  He knocked and waited, knew she would look through the peephole before opening. So about a minute later he knocked again. She was angry, he couldn’t blame her. She’d be thinking and rethinking whether or not to let him in. He could walk away now, say he’d given it a try. Just like he did when he’d stopped by her place in New York. But tonight, as he lay in his apartment alone, he’d think of what a coward he’d been. Again.

  Lifting his arm, he prepared to knock once more. She pulled the door open instead.

  She was still wearing the dress, the turquoise beaded material still clinging to every curve of her body. Her hair was down now, heavy twists resting at her shoulders. The smile he missed was gone, replaced by the tight line of her lips. The look in her eyes told him to go to hell. This distance between them made him feel like he was already there.

  “What do you want? Haven’t embarrassed me enough? You here for round two or should I say three?”

  Max cleared his throat, the sight of her still made it go dry. “I’m here to apologize.”

  “So do it and go,” she snapped.

  “Deena—” He took a step toward her.

  She put up both her hands, an act meant to ward him off. “Don’t. I don’t want to hear explanations or excuses. If you’re apologizing, fine. I accept. Now go home.”

  She’d already stepped back, was preparing to close the door in his face. But Max wasn’t leaving until they’d cleared the air. Even if they couldn’t be together, they were going to end this in a civil manner. He owed it to both of them to make that happen. He put his body between the door.

  “Move or I’ll call the police.”

  “Ten minutes. That’s all I’m asking for.”

  “No.”

  “Deena, let’s not do this in the hallway where anybody could walk by and hear us.”

  “Let’s not do this at all,” she said tightly.

  “You don’t mean that. You’ve obviously got something to say to me. Let me in and you can get it off your chest. We’ll have this out once and for all.”

  She stepped back and let him in. “Five minutes, then I’m calling the cops to throw your ass out.”

  Once inside the room Max heaved a sigh of relief, this was half the battle. He’d dealt with angry women before, but none he’d cared about. He didn’t want to hurt Deena, never had. That’s why he’d walked away before, aiming for a clean break. Obviously that was a bad idea.

  Especially since he still wanted her. Desperately.

  His jealous tirade had been fueled by his insatiable hunger for her. That hadn’t subsided; no distance had taken that away. He’d thought about going to another woman, but substitutes weren’t appealing. It was her he wanted. How he was going to deal with that from this moment on Max had no clue.