She finally managed to sneak away and went to the bar and got a Sprite. She was hot, her foot was starting to ache, and she wanted to find a quiet corner to sit down and write her many notes. Max’s family and friends had been more than happy to share every conceivable story they could think of about him. She’d learned everything from his first word, to what age he was when he had his first kiss. One of his siblings had even passed her a picture of him from his freshman year of high school, looking incredibly skinny with way too much hair. She couldn’t help but smile. He’d been telling her the truth, after all.

Cassie glanced at the crowd, and as if they were physically connected, she immediately found Max. He was so handsome in his slacks and button up shirt. He’d loosened his tie and undone the top buttons, showing a glimpse of his magnificent chest. She could easily undress him the rest of the way with only her eyes. He gave her a smile, shooting awareness through her body, and she quickly turned away. She was trying to get her hormones under control, not stay under his spell.

Cassie found a couch and sat down, a silent sigh escaping her. She wanted to put her foot up, but thought that would be rude. It was good enough to get her weight off it. She smiled as she listened to the conversations all around her. Everyone was so happy, laughter ran rampant throughout the room. She was glad she’d come.

“What is such a lovely lady doing here all by herself?” a man asked. She looked up, not recognizing him. He was attractive, normally the kind of man she would’ve been drawn to. He wasn’t over the top sexy, but comfortable, the kind of guy who seemed unlikely to cheat.

“I’m getting off my feet for the first time tonight,” she replied. He took her response as an invitation to sit down.

“I’m Mike. I work for Joseph in the corporate offices,” he said.

“Nice to meet you, Mike. I’m Cassie. I’m interviewing Max,” she responded.

“Oh, you’re the one doing the interview. I’ve heard about that. Are the rumors true? Did you really manage to blackmail Max into the interview?” he asked with glee. His pure joy at the thought made her laugh. He was certainly easy to talk to, as everyone at the party was.

“Yes, all rumors are true. But, I do recommend trying to get the interview without being hit by a car,” she said.

They chatted for several more moments and she found he was pleasant company. She wasn’t attracted to him in the least, but how could she find anyone appealing with Max in the room. She feared he’d set the bar so high she’d never be attracted to another man. That wasn’t a pleasant thought. Just as Cassie was starting to relax, she felt a hand brush against her neck. There was only one man in that room who could cause shivers to rush down her spine from just a simple brush of his fingers.

“You’re glass looked empty, dear,” he said, then bent down and gave her a long kiss that had her toes curling. As he lifted up, he glanced at Mike.

“Hi Mike, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you sitting there,” he said as he sat down and put his arm around her. She was feeling a little light headed until she realized what he said and what he was doing. He was staking his claim. She wouldn’t cause a scene but she didn’t like being treated like a piece of property. Besides that, they weren’t a couple. They were…well, she didn’t know how to define them.

“Thank you,” she mumbled. Mike made some excuse and slinked away. Max had done what he wanted.

“I’m not some possession of yours,” she said with irritation once she knew Mike was out of earshot. Max ignored her words and scooted over, then lifted her leg onto his lap and started gently rubbing her foot. She wanted to yank it away, but it felt so good. She was embarrassed, but not enough to demand he stop.

“Mike is a womanizer. He didn’t need to be talking to you,” Max growled.

“You don’t have the right to tell me who I can and can’t speak to. You wanted me to come to this party and now you’re selecting who I can talk with?” she asked with a glare.

“You can talk to anyone you want…except Mike,” he said as if his words were perfectly reasonable. She gave up arguing, neither of them were willing to concede they were wrong.

“I’ve gotten some great information on you, tonight,” she said with a wicked gleam in her eye. She knew the change of subject was good enough to distract him. It worked. “I heard about your sophomore year, and the tractor…” she trailed off. His eyes narrowed.

“As interesting a subject as that is, I’ll pass on hearing about it again,” he said through gritted teeth. It seemed he wasn’t too thrilled about some of the stories she’d heard. He’d told her she could talk to his family. He was most likely regretting that decision.

“Don’t you want to add anything else for me,” she goaded. She never listened in school when her teachers talked about not poking the bear. But, of course that’s what would make her an excellent reporter. She had to be fearless or she’d never get a good story.

“Just remember our deal about what is and isn’t acceptable to print,” he warned. She had to fight the laughter that wanted to spill from her. He was quite easily riled.

“I need to go thank your Aunt and Uncle for the invitation. Joseph really knows how to throw a nice party,” she said, giving him a break. She was finding it hard to make conversation with him as his hand caressed her foot, then slid up her calf and back down. It was playing havoc with her nerves. But, he could do it forever and she’d be okay.

“This is typical for my family. We’ve been growing larger each year, with all my cousins getting married, having kids, and now my brother joined their ranks. I think my father has the idea that my other siblings and I will follow in our cousins footsteps. Austin, Bree, and I have all talked. We know what our Dad and Uncle Joseph are up to and there’s no way we’re falling into their trap,” Max said.

“Why would your father and uncle have anything to do with you getting married?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I just know that my relatives are falling into marriage left and right, and I don’t know how, but I think my Uncle and Dad are behind it,” Max said, shooting a suspicious glance at the two men, who were currently looking at them.

“I don’t know how it would be possible. I’ve met your relatives and they aren’t forced marriages. It’s obvious to anyone who spends a few minutes in their presence how much they love their wives,” she said.

“There’s no doubt that they’re all madly in love, as a matter-of-fact, it’s quite disgusting to be in a room too long with them, but I know those old men are somehow involved,” Max said with conviction.

“Well…okay,” she said, clearly not believing him.

“We will just agree to disagree,” he said and she had to role her eyes at the over-used line. She was once again getting too comfortable around him.

“I’m going to leave soon,” she told him. She didn’t feel like walking around anymore, and the party was in full swing. She knew she wouldn’t last the entire evening.

“Is your foot still bothering you,” he asked with concern.

“It’s not horribly bad, but I just need to get some sleep. My head’s starting to hurt,” she said.

“Let me say goodbye to my Aunt, then we can leave,” he told her, setting her foot down and starting to rise. She reached out and grabbed his arm.

“There’s no need for that, Max. I’m going home to my apartment, tonight. You stay and enjoy your family. I’ll take a cab,” she insisted.

“I brought you here, and I’ll escort you home,” he said with a glare. He certainly wasn’t used to a woman refusing him.

“Max, can you help me with something,” his brother, Austin, called.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t go anywhere,” he commanded. She nodded, but didn’t say anything. Of course, she wasn’t going to listen.

As soon as Cassie saw him leave her view, she stood up, testing weight on her foot. It did feel much better after him rubbing it. She made her way across the room, and slipped out the door, pulling her cell phone from her purse as she went. She had to get away, because if he insisted on taking her home she knew she’d easily cave in and spend another night with him.

She stepped out into the cool evening air, glad for the slight sprinkle. The fresh smell of rain helped to clear her head. The cab arrived within ten minutes, which was good. She’d been anxiously watching the door, afraid of Max stepping through at any moment. Hopefully, he would just let it go, and she could get on with her life. She had an article to finish and a job to get. At least she had that to look forward to.

She climbed in the cab and looked back at the impressive mansion as a tear fell. She knew her adventure had to eventually come to an end, but she wasn’t expecting it to rip her heart out.

Max walked into the room, frustrated it had taken so long to get back to Cassie. She was talking as if their time was over, but he was determined to change her mind. There was something going on with them and he wasn’t ready to call it quits. He didn’t care if their allotted time for her interview was up.

He wasn’t willing to put an emotion to how he felt about her, but the time they’d spent together had been better than anything he could remember. He’d never enjoyed being with a woman like he’d enjoyed their every moment. He found himself anxious to see her. He loved how she looked lying in his bed, her chest softly rising and falling as she slept, with the morning light streaming through the window, caressing her features.

She was beautiful, there was no doubt about that, but there was so much more to her than just beauty. She had a way of drawing people toward her. She was full of life and laughter, and she made him feel unbelievable. He could make love to her night and day, but beyond that he could lie next to her for hours just listening to the sound of her voice.

He looked around the room and blew out a breath when he didn’t see her on the couch. He wasn’t too concerned, yet. She’d probably went to find his aunt. He searched around and found his aunt, and Cassie was still nowhere in sight. He grabbed his phone, dialing her number. It went straight to voicemail. She was gone.

His first instinct was to chase her down. He’d told her to wait for him. It was rude to leave without saying anything. She’d snuck out the second his back was turned. He could feel his anger level rising. His cousin called to him, and he decided to let her have her night. They would talk. He wasn’t ready for their relationship to end, and he didn’t easily let go of something he wanted.

Chapter Eleven

Cassie was miserable. She hadn’t seen Max for a few days, no phone calls, no emails, no speaking. It was what she wanted, she told herself throughout the lonely days, but she knew she was lying to herself. She had a feeling it would take her a very long time to get over him. She had to see him that afternoon to give him the preview of her article, and a few other items she’d borrowed. She’d keep her head high and not let him see how much pain she was in.