He’d forget she was around at times and act like she assumed he normally did around the offices, joking with the staff, and full of good humor. He had a great relationship with his secretary, Cynthia, who wasn’t afraid to scold him when he got too riled up. Unfortunately, she was out to lunch at the moment.

“What the hell are you writing, now?” he finally snapped. She flushed, glad he couldn’t read minds.

“I’m right here, you know. There’s absolutely no need to yell in my face. Besides, I don’t like the shower you’re providing me,” she said in a calm tone, lifting her hand to wipe her brow. He hadn’t actually spit on her but she was trying to get him to back up so she could breathe again.

“Number one, I don’t shout, I speak to be heard. Number two, I don’t spit,” he snapped, though the corner of his mouth came up a fraction of an inch. He seemed to enjoy their banter as much as she did. The amount of passion he exhibited in his everyday life had to make him a fantastic lover. She couldn’t imagine he did anything in half measures. Her mind drifted again as she imagined him stripping off her clothes and taking her right there against the solid desk. She could feel the heat building inside of her. She shook her head, warmth flooding her cheeks even more. His own eyes darkened at her reaction.

“I must be mistaken, then. Thank you for setting me straight,” she said in a mocking tone. His eyes narrowed more. A growl escaped his throat and he stood back up and began pacing. She breathed a sigh of relief, though it didn’t help being enveloped by his scent.

“You don’t need to be writing every little thing down. If your goal is to make me into a monster…” he started raising his voice again, when she interrupted him.

“I’ve already told you I’m not a trash magazine reporter. I want an in depth look at the life of Max Anderson. The more notes I take, the better the article will be,” she said as if talking to a child who needed a time-out. He did appear to need one.

“We need to have a talk. Follow me,” he told her, before heading to his office. That didn’t sound good. She should be more upset, even a bit scared, but all she could feel was excitement, that was until his next words. “Go ahead and grab a couple cups of coffee, too, this may take a while.”

Cassie sat, staring at his back, with her mouth hanging open. She was aware of the snickers going on around the office. She couldn’t believe the man had the nerve to demand she serve him. She stayed where she was for a few moments, counting in her head. She knew he was trying to get a reaction from her, and she shouldn’t take the bait, but he had a way of eliciting a rise out of her unlike anything she’d ever experienced. She hated it when he acted like a demanding pig. She decided the best way to get the upper hand was to act as if she didn’t care. The more bland and unaffected she reacted, the more irritated she’d make him.

She slowly rose to her feet, walked over to the coffee pot and poured him a cup of coffee. She smiled to herself as she added several shakes of salt to the cup, anticipating his reaction at the first sip. She knew he’d never believe it had been by accident, but she was also sure it would be the last time he’d demand she bring him a cup of coffee. She took her time making up her own mug of the fragrant drink.

“Thanks,” he said as he took the cup. He took a large sip, then spit it out on his desk, covering some paperwork. He looked at her in shock. She had to fight not to smile, keeping the same bland look on her face.

“Is something wrong?” she asked innocently.

“What the…” he sputtered. She just looked at him like she had no idea what could be wrong, taking a long sip of her own coffee. He glared at her before rising to grab some paper towels. He quickly cleaned up the mess before resuming his seat. Then, to her amazement, he picked the cup back up and took another drink, his expression not even flinching. Damn, he was good, she thought irritably.

The phone rang, and he quickly picked it up, not able to hide the relief from his face. After listening for a moment, he turned to her.

“I need to take this. We’ll continue this conversation later,” he dismissed her. She walked from the room and managed to make it to the bathroom before the laughter flew from her. She stayed there until she was sure she had herself under control, then made her way back to the office. She decided to steer clear of Max for the rest of the afternoon, and instead spoke with several employees about their boss. Not one person had anything negative to say about him – it was quite irritating.

The next day, Cassie made her way up the elevator and was delighted to see both Joseph and George talking with some of the staff. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to them in a while and hoped to get more information on Max.

“Good morning, Cassie. How’s the interview going?” George asked as she stepped toward them.

“It’s going great, but if you both have a few minutes, I’d love to pick your brains,” she said with a genuine smile. They were so easy to speak with and made her feel welcome.

“We always have time for a beautiful lady,” Joseph joined in. She knew how much he loved his wife, and his teasing always came across as comforting, verses creepy, like some older men. She knew men Joseph’s age actually chased young women, thinking it made them look younger. It always gave her the creeps.

“Why don’t we head down to the cafeteria so we can have something to eat while we talk?” George asked. They made their way downstairs, taking longer than normal, since everyone seemed to want to stop the two men and chat. They were friendly and willing to talk with everyone from the lowest to the highest of positions. She took some notes as inconspicuously as possible. Max said she couldn’t talk about the private lives of his family, but there was nothing wrong with pointing out how all the Andersons seemed to go above and beyond in making everyone feel valued. He couldn’t complain about that.

“Are you managing to keep that son of mine in order?” George asked her with a huge smile.

“I don’t think anyone is up for that task,” she teased back.

“You’ve got me there, young lady,” he said with a quick laugh. “But, I’m sure you’re managing to keep him on the straight and narrow.”

“He thinks he’s tough but I’m not easily intimidated. I’m holding my own,” she said with a bit of pride. He actually scared her a lot, but not because he growled and shouted once in a while, but because he caused her body to go into overdrive every time he set those smoldering eyes on her.

“That’s refreshing to hear. I like a girl with a spine of steel,” George told her. Cassie relaxed and took out her iPad, getting ready to ask questions. She didn’t want to lose the opportunity of speaking to the heads of the corporation.

“We’re an open book so go ahead and ask us anything you’d like,” Joseph said, giving her an open smile.

They sat in the cafeteria for a couple hours, the time getting away from her. She enjoyed their company so much she felt like she could sit there all day. When she finally realized the time, she quickly excused herself and headed back to the top floor. She knew the Alaska trip was coming up soon and Max still hadn’t confirmed she’d get to go with him. She was hoping to lock that in before the day was over.

Max was sitting in his office when she walked in. He glanced at his clock and then to her face. He knew she’d been with his father and uncle and wasn’t pleased with how long she’d been gone. He wanted badly to rip her all-important iPad from her and read everything she’d been writing over the last couple weeks. He couldn’t believe he’d allowed this ridiculous interview to go on.

Every time he even thought about ending the entire farce his stomach would tighten in protest, though. The longer he was around her the more he wanted to know her every secret. He’d never been so fascinated with any woman and he didn’t like the power she seemed to hold over him. He knew she desired him as much as he wanted her. Maybe, he should just please both of them and take her to his bed. He was trying to prove to himself that he alone had control over his suddenly raging hormones. He was a stickler for perfection, even from himself, and his weakness around her was unacceptable.

He hadn’t touched her in weeks because he didn’t trust himself to stop. He didn’t trust her to stop him, either. He was beginning to think he was a real idiot for torturing both of them. He either needed to take her to bed or send her on her way. He just couldn’t figure out which way he was going to go.

Max leaned back in his chair, appearing casual, not allowing the turbulent emotions passing through him to show through his face or body. He propped a foot on his desk and smiled at her.

“Sit down, it looks like you want to chat,” he said. She walked further in and took the chair across from him. “How was your long lunch?”

Cassie looked at him strangely for a moment. She wasn’t on his payroll. In fact, she was only there to interview him, and the people who worked for him, so she didn’t see why he could possibly be upset with her being gone for a few hours. Sometimes the man didn’t make any sense.

“Lunch was great. I spoke with your father and uncle. Don’t worry, I’m not writing a bunch of personal family history in my article, but to be fair to you, I need to have as much of a clear picture as possible,” she quickly added, cutting him off.

“Are you enjoying yourself, then?” he asked casually.

“Actually, yes. Thanks for asking,” she said just as nonchalantly.

“That’s good,” he replied. Their obnoxiously polite conversation was ridiculous and she was done with it.

“Have you made a decision about the Alaska trip, yet? I think it would be great for me to go, to really see you in action. You’ve been working on this deal for a long time, and to get a fully rounded picture of you, I need to go,” she pleaded. She hated to beg, but she wanted to go. He’d be gone for several days, cutting into her precious month.

Max stared at her for several moments, not giving away any hint of what he was thinking. She couldn’t tell if he was going to allow her to go with him or not, and she felt like screaming. Enough with the suspense, already.

“Alaska, at this time of year, can be dangerous. I’m going to a small town called, Cordova, as you know. Did you research the area, like I suggested?” he asked.

“Yes, I did an online search. I know its main industry is fishing, and that at least one member of each household is most likely involved in the fishing industry in one way or another. They took a hard hit when the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground on the Blight Reef, causing one of the most devastating environmental disasters ever in North America. With that and the restrictions put on logging, the town has had some hard hits but their slowly coming back,” she said proudly.

“The town also gets hit by a lot of snowfall, dangerously low temperatures, and you have to be aware of wild animals. You can’t just go wandering around wherever you feel like. You could end up dead in a matter of minutes in those conditions,” he said firmly. She could feel he was beginning to cave. She sat eagerly, not wanting him to change his mind.