Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
“I guess I’ve been so caught up in sorting out my mother’s problems, that there’s been no space for fun.”
“I’ll take you one day…soon,” he promised.
My little heart leaped with joy and I beamed happily at him.
“I have to warn you though, I’m no dancer and I’ll definitely step on your feet,” he added with a laugh.
“I promise there’s nothing to it. Just move any way you want. That’s what I do,” I said cheerfully.
“It’s a date,” Max assured softly.
My heart was so full of joy it felt as if it would burst with happiness, but my head knew the truth. I was his PA. And as his employee, I was way out of his league. There was no way I should dream of anything serious happening between us.
As I dressed, I made a mental list of why I shouldn’t be interested in Max.
One: He was my boss, and I knew that those relationships always ended in tears. The stories I’d heard over the years.
Two: as good as Max was in bed, he was a cold machine.
Maybe, two wasn’t quite true though.
The weekend had shown me a glimpse of Max that made me revise my first impression of him. Inside his gruff exterior there was a passionate and caring human being. And of course, one heck of a lover. He had made me feel things that I was sure I would never experience with another man. Max had spoiled me for all other men and set me up for disappointment in the future. Of that, I was sure.
Still, I didn’t want to be hopeful that he would be a different man when we were back in the office. I should prepare myself for grumpy, bad-tempered, arrogant Mr. Frost to show up.
I pulled my hair into a hair tie and gazed at my reflection. My eyes were shining and I looked happy. I’d never seen myself look so happy before.
Chapter 26
Lillian
After a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and strong coffee, we made our way out to the rental car waiting by the front steps of the hotel. To my surprise, he opened the passenger door for me, waited until I got in, and closed it before he went around to the driver’s side.
We used the GPS to find our way to the waterfalls and were lucky to find a parking space close to the entrance. Together we walked down the steep steps that led to the waterfall. The roar of the water rushing down to crash over the rocks below filled the clean-smelling air.
Eventually the waterfall came into view and Max and I stared, struck by its massive size and the incredible amount of water that was gushing down like a white curtain.
“Wow,” I whispered, moving closer to the edge of the rock platform we were standing on.
“Don’t wander too close to the edge, Lillian love. Those who fall into the plunge pool can only be retrieved by divers long after they’ve expired.”
Instinctively, I stepped back and turned slowly to look at Max. His eyes were expressionless, but his warning had sounded like he was robotically reciting a line he’d read somewhere… or a veiled threat that had nothing to do with the waterfall.
His gaze never left my eyes. “That’s better,” he said softly. “Stay close to me and nothing bad will happen.”
Again, I had the impression he was talking about something completely different.
“Is everything okay, Max?”
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Everything is just fine.”
“Do you want me to take a picture of you two lovebirds?” a kind tiny woman with pure white hair asked.
I was still confused by the strange vibes I was getting from Max, and I didn’t want to embarrass the little old lady by correcting her assumption that we were lovebirds, so I gave her my phone. She took a couple of photos.
“A kiss?” she urged with a cheeky smile.
Max pulled me into his arms and gave me a full kiss without a care about who was watching. I couldn’t help it. The moment his lips touched mine I lost myself in his kiss. I forgot the little old lady, the waterfall, and the other people milling around us. I threw my hands around his neck and kissed him back with everything I had.
Whistles and cheers brought me back to earth and I pulled away, but I was unembarrassed. I took my phone back and thanked the stranger. She had unknowingly given me more memories to remember the weekend by.
We followed the walking trail, and it took us behind the waterfalls to a series of caves, where I took more photos. As we watched the water cascade down from inside the caves, Max snaked his hand around my waist.
“I’m a convert,” Max said. “Waterfalls are amazing.”
I gave a low bow. “My work here is done.”