finally, pushing aside her uneasiness.
Max's mouth quirked in a lopsided smile that held a touch of sadness. Very slowly, he trailed his knuckles down her cheek.
Another tremor rippled through Erin, and she shivered beneath the suede jacket, clutching it more closely to her. As though the brush with death had shocked her system into a heightened awareness of her circumstances, she was acutely conscious of every minute detail, her senses tingling with a keen sensitivity. The softness of the night, the quiet darkness that surrounded them, were palpable things. Through the cushioned seat, her body absorbed the rumbling idling of the car's powerful engine. Against her cheek, she could feel the crisp hairs on the back of Max's hand, and with every breath she smelled the sharp, enticing masculine tang of his skin.
"Now I wonder why I get the feeling that statement lacks conviction," Max mused, watching her.
"I...that is— "
His fingers slid beneath her chin and tilted it up. His thumb gently brushed the fullness of her lower lip. "Never mind. I suppose that, after what you just went through, you're entitled to a few doubts."
Releasing her, he straightened and put the car in gear. With care, he pulled away from the wrecked Chevy. "Anyway, when Charlie calls you'll realize that there's no reason to mistrust anyone. By morning this whole episode will be just a bad memory. But in the meantime, what you need is a stiff shot of brandy and bed." Max glanced at her and cocked one brow. "I suppose you'd object to spending the night at my place?"
Erin shot him a dry look. "You suppose right. I'm sure I'd rest a lot easier at Elise's apartment, if you don't mind."
"Ah, I see. You trust me with your life but not with your delectable body. Is that it?"
"How perceptive of you, Delany."
Max chuckled. "Just one of my many attributes. When you get to know me better you'll find I'm a terrific guy. Trustworthy. Perceptive. Sensitive. Kind. Witty. Intelligent. I'm also a good dancer, a scintillating dinner companion and, so I've been told—" he paused to slant her a devilish look, and his voice dropped to a husky murmur "—a fantastic lover."
"Hmm. Don't forget modest."
"That, too."
Erin faced forward again and gazed out the windshield, fighting back a grin. She was no longer shivering. Miraculously, the teasing banter had lightened the mood and calmed her overwrought nerves. Erin wondered if that had been Max's intention.
A short distance down the road they passed a truck going in the opposite direction. Max honked and waved, and the driver returned the salute.
"That was Charlie. It shouldn't take him long to go over the brake system. We'll probably be hearing from him within an hour."
Erin slanted Max a skeptical look, but this time she said nothing.
At the bottom of the mountain road Max paused before turning onto the highway. "Which way?"
Surprised, Erin looked at him. "You don't know?"
In answer, Max gave a sigh and drummed his fingers on the wheel. "No, I don't know," he said with exaggerated patience. "I told you, my relationship with your sister is a business one. Nothing more. I've never been to her apartment, and I've certainly never been out with her."
Narrowing her eyes, Erin tipped her head to one side. "What about the times you've taken her to dinner? According to Elise's last letter, you took her to a nice restaurant just a couple of weeks ago."
"She wrote to you about that?" Max looked taken aback.
"Among other things."
"But that was just my way of thanking her for working late," he insisted. "Two, maybe three times in the past few months we've had a rush order or a problem of some kind, and she worked straight through until after eight without a complaint. So...to show my gratitude, I bought her a meal and sent her home in a taxi. That was all there was to it. Hell, I don't even remember what we talked about."
Erin gnawed the inside of her cheek and studied him. Either he was an excellent actor, or he was
Max's mouth quirked in a lopsided smile that held a touch of sadness. Very slowly, he trailed his knuckles down her cheek.
Another tremor rippled through Erin, and she shivered beneath the suede jacket, clutching it more closely to her. As though the brush with death had shocked her system into a heightened awareness of her circumstances, she was acutely conscious of every minute detail, her senses tingling with a keen sensitivity. The softness of the night, the quiet darkness that surrounded them, were palpable things. Through the cushioned seat, her body absorbed the rumbling idling of the car's powerful engine. Against her cheek, she could feel the crisp hairs on the back of Max's hand, and with every breath she smelled the sharp, enticing masculine tang of his skin.
"Now I wonder why I get the feeling that statement lacks conviction," Max mused, watching her.
"I...that is— "
His fingers slid beneath her chin and tilted it up. His thumb gently brushed the fullness of her lower lip. "Never mind. I suppose that, after what you just went through, you're entitled to a few doubts."
Releasing her, he straightened and put the car in gear. With care, he pulled away from the wrecked Chevy. "Anyway, when Charlie calls you'll realize that there's no reason to mistrust anyone. By morning this whole episode will be just a bad memory. But in the meantime, what you need is a stiff shot of brandy and bed." Max glanced at her and cocked one brow. "I suppose you'd object to spending the night at my place?"
Erin shot him a dry look. "You suppose right. I'm sure I'd rest a lot easier at Elise's apartment, if you don't mind."
"Ah, I see. You trust me with your life but not with your delectable body. Is that it?"
"How perceptive of you, Delany."
Max chuckled. "Just one of my many attributes. When you get to know me better you'll find I'm a terrific guy. Trustworthy. Perceptive. Sensitive. Kind. Witty. Intelligent. I'm also a good dancer, a scintillating dinner companion and, so I've been told—" he paused to slant her a devilish look, and his voice dropped to a husky murmur "—a fantastic lover."
"Hmm. Don't forget modest."
"That, too."
Erin faced forward again and gazed out the windshield, fighting back a grin. She was no longer shivering. Miraculously, the teasing banter had lightened the mood and calmed her overwrought nerves. Erin wondered if that had been Max's intention.
A short distance down the road they passed a truck going in the opposite direction. Max honked and waved, and the driver returned the salute.
"That was Charlie. It shouldn't take him long to go over the brake system. We'll probably be hearing from him within an hour."
Erin slanted Max a skeptical look, but this time she said nothing.
At the bottom of the mountain road Max paused before turning onto the highway. "Which way?"
Surprised, Erin looked at him. "You don't know?"
In answer, Max gave a sigh and drummed his fingers on the wheel. "No, I don't know," he said with exaggerated patience. "I told you, my relationship with your sister is a business one. Nothing more. I've never been to her apartment, and I've certainly never been out with her."
Narrowing her eyes, Erin tipped her head to one side. "What about the times you've taken her to dinner? According to Elise's last letter, you took her to a nice restaurant just a couple of weeks ago."
"She wrote to you about that?" Max looked taken aback.
"Among other things."
"But that was just my way of thanking her for working late," he insisted. "Two, maybe three times in the past few months we've had a rush order or a problem of some kind, and she worked straight through until after eight without a complaint. So...to show my gratitude, I bought her a meal and sent her home in a taxi. That was all there was to it. Hell, I don't even remember what we talked about."
Erin gnawed the inside of her cheek and studied him. Either he was an excellent actor, or he was
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