smile. No doubt Elise was convinced that all she had to do was be patient and make herself indispensable to him as a secretary, and sooner or later he would begin to notice her as a woman.
She looked at Max and smiled sadly. "No, it's not that, Max. I believe you. But it still wouldn't work. I can't get involved with you."
"Why not? If you know there's nothing between Elise and me, then what's the problem?"
"Don't you see? Whether or not you feel anything for Elise is not the issue. The fact is, she's in love with you. Can't you imagine how she'd feel if you and I..." Erin waved away the rest of the statement and shook her head. "No. No, I couldn't hurt her that way."
"And what about us? What about you? You'd ignore your feelings? And don't you dare try to deny the attraction between us," he said quickly when she opened her mouth to speak. "I know what I'm feeling, and something this strong can't be one-sided." The corners of his mouth twitched in a hint of a smile, and his gaze grew warm and caressing. "Besides, you have very expressive eyes."
Frowning, she opened her mouth, hesitated, then snapped it shut. "All right. I admit it. I find you attractive."
Max cocked one brow.
Erin squirmed under the silent skepticism and shot him a sour look. "All right, very attractive," she corrected grudgingly. "But that's beside the point. I still can't get involved with you."
"So that's it? Just like that, you close the door on the what could be, without even giving us a chance? All because of your sister's romantic fantasies?"
Erin turned her head slowly and looked at him, her eyes pleading with him to understand. "Max, don't you see? Elise is like a part of me, my other half. If I hurt her, I hurt myself. Much, much worse."
Max simply stared at her. He couldn't remember ever feeling so helpless or frustrated. How the devil did you argue with that?
You don't, you fool, he berated himself, seeing the weariness and worry in her eyes. At least not yet. Not without coming off like a self-centered, insensitive clod. Besides, she's got too much on her mind right now to deal with this, so back off.
"All right," he said on a resigned sigh. "We'll let it ride for now." He reached out and captured a bright curl, his eyes flaring as he watched the silky strand coil about his finger as though it had a life of its own. Meeting her gaze, his mouth quirked in an ironic smile. "But I'm warning you, Erin. I'm not giving up."
She bit her bottom lip and gazed back at him uncertainly, and for the first time Max noticed the violet smudges beneath her eyes, the faint look of fatigue about her mouth. Against the halo of fiery curls that surrounded it, her face was a pale oval.
Hell, she's dead on her feet, you idiot , he scolded himself.
"Come here, woman," he commanded in a tough yet tender growl. He flipped up the armrest between their seats, put his arm around her and hauled her close, pressing her head against his shoulder. "You look as if a puff of wind would blow you over. How long have you been up, anyway?"
"Since about twelve-thirty this morning," Erin murmured, snuggling her face against his shirt.
"Almost twenty-four hours. No wonder you're exhausted. Well, we've got about an hour before we land in Las Vegas, so why don't you get some sleep while you can?"
"Hmm" was Erin's drowsy reply, and even that faded as Max cradled the back of her head with his hand and tucked her more securely against him.
Her breathing began to slow and deepen. Max stroked her arm from wrist to elbow to shoulder and back again, carefully avoided the bandaged cut. Absently, he rubbed his chin against her crown, inhaling the sweet, clean fragrance of her hair, oblivious to the way the silky strands clung to his beard stubble. "Erin?" Max whispered.
She made an inarticulate sound, and he smiled and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "I meant it. I'm not going to let you turn your back on what we could have."
He waited for her reply, but none came. After
She looked at Max and smiled sadly. "No, it's not that, Max. I believe you. But it still wouldn't work. I can't get involved with you."
"Why not? If you know there's nothing between Elise and me, then what's the problem?"
"Don't you see? Whether or not you feel anything for Elise is not the issue. The fact is, she's in love with you. Can't you imagine how she'd feel if you and I..." Erin waved away the rest of the statement and shook her head. "No. No, I couldn't hurt her that way."
"And what about us? What about you? You'd ignore your feelings? And don't you dare try to deny the attraction between us," he said quickly when she opened her mouth to speak. "I know what I'm feeling, and something this strong can't be one-sided." The corners of his mouth twitched in a hint of a smile, and his gaze grew warm and caressing. "Besides, you have very expressive eyes."
Frowning, she opened her mouth, hesitated, then snapped it shut. "All right. I admit it. I find you attractive."
Max cocked one brow.
Erin squirmed under the silent skepticism and shot him a sour look. "All right, very attractive," she corrected grudgingly. "But that's beside the point. I still can't get involved with you."
"So that's it? Just like that, you close the door on the what could be, without even giving us a chance? All because of your sister's romantic fantasies?"
Erin turned her head slowly and looked at him, her eyes pleading with him to understand. "Max, don't you see? Elise is like a part of me, my other half. If I hurt her, I hurt myself. Much, much worse."
Max simply stared at her. He couldn't remember ever feeling so helpless or frustrated. How the devil did you argue with that?
You don't, you fool, he berated himself, seeing the weariness and worry in her eyes. At least not yet. Not without coming off like a self-centered, insensitive clod. Besides, she's got too much on her mind right now to deal with this, so back off.
"All right," he said on a resigned sigh. "We'll let it ride for now." He reached out and captured a bright curl, his eyes flaring as he watched the silky strand coil about his finger as though it had a life of its own. Meeting her gaze, his mouth quirked in an ironic smile. "But I'm warning you, Erin. I'm not giving up."
She bit her bottom lip and gazed back at him uncertainly, and for the first time Max noticed the violet smudges beneath her eyes, the faint look of fatigue about her mouth. Against the halo of fiery curls that surrounded it, her face was a pale oval.
Hell, she's dead on her feet, you idiot , he scolded himself.
"Come here, woman," he commanded in a tough yet tender growl. He flipped up the armrest between their seats, put his arm around her and hauled her close, pressing her head against his shoulder. "You look as if a puff of wind would blow you over. How long have you been up, anyway?"
"Since about twelve-thirty this morning," Erin murmured, snuggling her face against his shirt.
"Almost twenty-four hours. No wonder you're exhausted. Well, we've got about an hour before we land in Las Vegas, so why don't you get some sleep while you can?"
"Hmm" was Erin's drowsy reply, and even that faded as Max cradled the back of her head with his hand and tucked her more securely against him.
Her breathing began to slow and deepen. Max stroked her arm from wrist to elbow to shoulder and back again, carefully avoided the bandaged cut. Absently, he rubbed his chin against her crown, inhaling the sweet, clean fragrance of her hair, oblivious to the way the silky strands clung to his beard stubble. "Erin?" Max whispered.
She made an inarticulate sound, and he smiled and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "I meant it. I'm not going to let you turn your back on what we could have."
He waited for her reply, but none came. After
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