make love every hour on the hour, it still wouldn’t be enough. I want to spend, like, two weeks with you inside me, nonstop.”
Ooh, yeah. Direct hit. Her point-blank approach was both making him uncomfortable and turning him on. Wasn’t
this
going to be fun?
“But then what?” he asked. “After those two weeks . . . ?”
“I don’t know,” she told him honestly. “Why don’t we try it and find out? What can it hurt—”
“You,” he said, his voice rough. “It could hurt you, and I don’t want to do that. Gina—”
“Hey, there you are.”
Gina looked up to see her brother coming toward them, and Max took the opportunity to pull his hand away. Shoot, Victor had lousy timing. Or maybe it was good timing.
“Hey, Max,” Vic said.
Max stayed in his seat as he shook Victor’s hand. Of course, he still kept his cane nearby. He might have been feeling unsteady on his feet.
Or maybe he didn’t stand for a different reason.
Gina could only hope.
Vic, of course, clasped Max’s hand, obviously sizing him up, doing that macho squeeze thing that drove Gina nuts. “He’s younger than I remember,” he said to Gina. Perfect. Thank you
so
much, Victor. Then, back to Max, “We met—very briefly—a few years ago. Looks like being shot has agreed with you.”
“That is
the
stupidest thing I’ve ever heard you say,” Gina told the man who had just moved into first place as the most stupid of her three very stupid brothers.
“What?” Vic shrugged as he dragged over a chair. “I’m just saying—Max looks good. You know, for an older guy. What’d, ya lose weight while you were in the hospital?”
“Yes, Victor,” Gina said. “They call it the Almost Dying Diet.” She turned to Max. “My brother is an idiot.”
“It’s all right,” he said, flexing his fingers—no doubt checking to make sure Victor hadn’t broken his hand. “Still living in Manhattan, Vic?”
“Nah, the office moved to Jersey about a year after 9/11. The commute was killing me, so I finally loaded up the old U-Haul and crossed the river,” Victor said. “I’m in frickin’ Hackensack. I wake up most mornings and wonder how the hell did
this
happen?”
“I know the feeling,” Max said. It was a comment that was so aimed at her, but Gina refused to accept it.
“You could look for a new job,” she suggested to her brother.
“In this market? I don’t think so.” Vic shook his head. “With my luck, word would get out I was looking and I’d be given notice. We’re not all lucky enough to have some big airline lawsuit settlement in our savings account, Geen.”
“Lucky?” Max repeated, incredulity dripping from that single word.
Gina knew he was thinking that Victor actually believed it was lucky that terrorists had hijacked the airliner that her college jazz band had taken on their European tour. That the money she’d received as a settlement from the airline made the entire ordeal worthwhile.
She touched Max’s arm. “He didn’t mean it like that.”
Victor was oblivious to the fact that he’d just jumped, with both feet, on one of Max’s buttons. “Besides, I bought the condo when interest rates were low. I couldn’t get those numbers anymore.”
The muscles in the sides of Max’s face were jumping as he clenched his teeth.
“It’s all right,” Gina said softly. “It doesn’t bother me.”
He didn’t say the words—he wouldn’t dare admit it—but she knew that everything about her experience on that hijacked plane still bothered him.
Very much.
Mr. Clueless was checking his watch. “We should probably take off,” her brother announced as he pushed himself to his feet. “We’re meeting a coupla college friends down in Fairfax.” He held out his hand again. “Max. Nice seeing you again, even though it is a little creepy that you and my baby sister are—”
“Thank you, Victor,” Gina interrupted.
He shrugged. “I’m just saying. Just being honest. You’re always
Ooh, yeah. Direct hit. Her point-blank approach was both making him uncomfortable and turning him on. Wasn’t
this
going to be fun?
“But then what?” he asked. “After those two weeks . . . ?”
“I don’t know,” she told him honestly. “Why don’t we try it and find out? What can it hurt—”
“You,” he said, his voice rough. “It could hurt you, and I don’t want to do that. Gina—”
“Hey, there you are.”
Gina looked up to see her brother coming toward them, and Max took the opportunity to pull his hand away. Shoot, Victor had lousy timing. Or maybe it was good timing.
“Hey, Max,” Vic said.
Max stayed in his seat as he shook Victor’s hand. Of course, he still kept his cane nearby. He might have been feeling unsteady on his feet.
Or maybe he didn’t stand for a different reason.
Gina could only hope.
Vic, of course, clasped Max’s hand, obviously sizing him up, doing that macho squeeze thing that drove Gina nuts. “He’s younger than I remember,” he said to Gina. Perfect. Thank you
so
much, Victor. Then, back to Max, “We met—very briefly—a few years ago. Looks like being shot has agreed with you.”
“That is
the
stupidest thing I’ve ever heard you say,” Gina told the man who had just moved into first place as the most stupid of her three very stupid brothers.
“What?” Vic shrugged as he dragged over a chair. “I’m just saying—Max looks good. You know, for an older guy. What’d, ya lose weight while you were in the hospital?”
“Yes, Victor,” Gina said. “They call it the Almost Dying Diet.” She turned to Max. “My brother is an idiot.”
“It’s all right,” he said, flexing his fingers—no doubt checking to make sure Victor hadn’t broken his hand. “Still living in Manhattan, Vic?”
“Nah, the office moved to Jersey about a year after 9/11. The commute was killing me, so I finally loaded up the old U-Haul and crossed the river,” Victor said. “I’m in frickin’ Hackensack. I wake up most mornings and wonder how the hell did
this
happen?”
“I know the feeling,” Max said. It was a comment that was so aimed at her, but Gina refused to accept it.
“You could look for a new job,” she suggested to her brother.
“In this market? I don’t think so.” Vic shook his head. “With my luck, word would get out I was looking and I’d be given notice. We’re not all lucky enough to have some big airline lawsuit settlement in our savings account, Geen.”
“Lucky?” Max repeated, incredulity dripping from that single word.
Gina knew he was thinking that Victor actually believed it was lucky that terrorists had hijacked the airliner that her college jazz band had taken on their European tour. That the money she’d received as a settlement from the airline made the entire ordeal worthwhile.
She touched Max’s arm. “He didn’t mean it like that.”
Victor was oblivious to the fact that he’d just jumped, with both feet, on one of Max’s buttons. “Besides, I bought the condo when interest rates were low. I couldn’t get those numbers anymore.”
The muscles in the sides of Max’s face were jumping as he clenched his teeth.
“It’s all right,” Gina said softly. “It doesn’t bother me.”
He didn’t say the words—he wouldn’t dare admit it—but she knew that everything about her experience on that hijacked plane still bothered him.
Very much.
Mr. Clueless was checking his watch. “We should probably take off,” her brother announced as he pushed himself to his feet. “We’re meeting a coupla college friends down in Fairfax.” He held out his hand again. “Max. Nice seeing you again, even though it is a little creepy that you and my baby sister are—”
“Thank you, Victor,” Gina interrupted.
He shrugged. “I’m just saying. Just being honest. You’re always
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