Lovers at Heart, Reimagined (The Bradens) Read online

  She laughed again, and she was so damn cute, naked and laughing, that he had to laugh, too. Before he could lower himself down, her eyes darkened, and she reached between his legs, cupping his balls—catching him totally off guard, and sending a bolt of lightning to his core. She teased over them until he thought he might explode.

  He grabbed her wrist and laced their fingers together as he aligned their bodies, gazing deeply into her eyes. “Ah, Max. I need to be inside you.”

  “Love me,” she said as she lifted her hips.

  He drove into her with one hard thrust, and they both went a little wild, kissing and groping, the sounds of flesh on flesh filling the room.

  “Faster,” she begged. Her fingernails dug into the back of his hips as he quickened his efforts. “Yes, yes…Oh, God!”

  Treat’s heart was so full of her, of them, he could barely think as he poured all of his emotions into their connection. Her insides pulsed around his cock as she cried out his name, and he followed her over the edge.

  A long while later, when the fire burned to embers, and their breathing calmed, he carried her up to bed and loved her again, slow and tender, until she fell asleep in his arms. Exactly where she belonged.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  THE NEXT MORNING Treat was talking on the phone on the back deck when Max came downstairs. She sat beside the open window with a mug of coffee, watching him pace as the tide rolled out. After they’d made love this morning, they’d showered together, which Max decided was the perfect way to greet the day. She loved his little bungalow, and she knew it had less to do with the time she spent there and everything to do with whom she spent it with.

  Treat lowered his big body to a chair, and his voice sailed in through the open window. “I know I said I was sending an offer, but it’s off. I can’t move forward with it right now.”

  She didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but the frustration in his voice was alarming. She wondered what he wasn’t moving forward with, and she realized the response he’d given her about where he lived hadn’t really answered her question. Did he have a place that he called home, or did he literally travel all the time? It sure seemed that way to her.

  He pushed to his feet, sending his chair skidding across the deck. “Cut it off. I’m done. No more acquisitions.”

  Max froze, now intent on listening to every word.

  “I’ve got enough money to last me two lifetimes. I don’t care. I’m done with it,” he said, pacing angrily. “It’s one property. Yes, I know it’s only three months, but I can’t spare the time right now.” He paused, obviously listening to whoever was on the phone.

  Max hoped she hadn’t had anything to do with his spoiled plans.

  “Understood,” Treat continued. “I know it’s Thailand. Yes, I know what this will mean for my international business.”

  Thailand? He’d been working on that deal when she first met him in Nassau. He’d canceled his flight there to officiate the wedding. Her stomach sank.

  He ran his hand through his hair, staring out over the bay. “I’m changing things, beginning right now. I’ve got someone important in my life. No more constant traveling. No more foreign acquisitions that consume all of my attention.”

  As much as Max knew she should be flattered by what she was hearing, she was too conflicted to enjoy it. There was no forgetting the look in Treat’s eyes when he told her how his work provided the biggest thrill he’d ever known. She braced herself as he came inside.

  “Hey, sweetness. Sorry about that.” He kissed her cheek, refilled his coffee cup, and sat at the table as though the tense phone conversation had never happened.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Fine, why?”

  “Nothing. I just thought…Never mind.” More worries burrowed into her. She’d been eavesdropping. She couldn’t come out and ask about what she’d overheard.

  He reached for her hand, and Max said, “If you have to do something for work, I totally understand. Don’t let me hold you up. I can catch an earlier flight.”

  “There’s nothing I have to do.”

  Max swore there was a hint of discomfort in his response, and she worried that even if it started as a hint, it could grow to something much bigger. She knew couples who gave up too much for their relationship could end up resenting each other. In the back of her mind, she’d always wondered if that had been the thing that had changed Ryan. Since he’d studied hotel management and could likely find a job anywhere, he’d agreed to move to wherever she found a job. He’d been prepared to relinquish any goals he’d been reaching for in his career in order for Max to follow her dreams. And then he ended up hating me for it.

  She decided not to ruin their day with her worries and tabled her thoughts as much as she could. By midafternoon temperatures had risen, and they took a walk along the beach.

  “I’ve never been a beach walker until that night in Nassau.” Treat lifted their interlaced fingers and kissed her hand.

  She loved knowing that. “I guess we’ve got a world of firsts between us, then, because I’ve never been a masseuse or had anyone give me a foot massage.”

  “Really? You’ve never had a foot massage? Well, sweetness, I’ll be sure to take care of that from now on.”

  The tide was beginning to come in. They went down to the jetty and walked the length of it as the bay rose along the edge of the enormous rocks. Treat looked out over the water with his brows drawn together. Max had been watching his face go from placid to contemplative throughout the morning. She was dying to ask about Thailand, but she knew that if she brought it up, he’d tell her he would change his life for her without ever looking back. The thought of him giving up the aspects of his career that brought him such joy scared her. She couldn’t shake the prickly reminder that being the impetus for such a major change was not a good thing. An intelligent, successful, overachiever like Treat would eventually get bored and blame her for everything he never had a chance to accomplish.

  The thought weighed heavily on Max’s mind all afternoon. They ate dinner at the Bookstore Restaurant by the harbor, and despite the cozy atmosphere and the beautiful evening, Max was too sidetracked to eat.

  “Are you all right?” Treat asked.

  “Just tired.” She feigned a smile.

  “That would be my fault for keeping you up so late the last two nights. I’ll let you sleep tonight.”

  She reached for his hand, intending to ask him about the call, but before she could say a word, he said, “Max, I thought we should talk about what we want to do after this weekend is up.”

  She swallowed against the dull pain in the pit of her stomach. Now was her chance to let him off the hook, give him an easy out to say he needed to spend a few weeks away. She clenched her napkin in her fists beneath the table and said, “I’ll be swamped at work, and I’m sure you will be, too.”

  “Never too swamped to spend time with you.”

  She loved him so much, but was this a fantasy? Could he really be happy giving up a piece of himself? Maybe she could go with him? Follow his career wherever it took them? Chaz had already said she could telecommute. But would she be happy traveling all over the world? Treat had built an empire, and she knew he needed the excitement of chasing down resorts and handling tough negotiations. He was a mover and a shaker, while she was a homebody. A broken homebody. She never knew when the issues from her past would pop up again, and though she knew for certain Treat would help her through them, part of her wondered if that was fair to him.

  “Max? What am I feeling here?”

  “Aren’t guys supposed to hate talking about their feelings?” she asked.

  “Not your guy,” he said as he paid the bill.

  They drove back to the bungalow and sat together under thick blankets on the back deck, watching the night sky bloom above the bay. Max wished she could freeze the evening right then and never have to make another decision.

  “Are you ready to talk to me yet?” Treat asked.


  Max’s head rested against his chest, and she desperately wanted to tell him no, she didn’t want to talk about it at all. They’d go back to their normal lives and either it would work out between them or it wouldn’t. She wanted to tell him to go through with the acquisition of the Thailand property and not to put his life on hold for her—but she wanted to hold on to him for dear life and never let him go just as much. She’d once worried about trust, but lack of trust would have been easier to deal with than what was looming over her like a waiting storm. Being the reason he gave up what he loved versus holding on to him forever was a tug-of-war that had no winner.

  He pulled her closer, and she closed her eyes, allowing herself once again to play with thoughts of spending every night with him, or being there for him when he returned from work. She realized she didn’t even have a handle on what it was that he really did beyond buying resorts.

  “Tell me something about what you do. I know you own resorts, but what does that really mean?”

  “I don’t want to bore you,” he answered. “It sounds more glamorous than it is.”

  She sat up. “I would really like to understand it.”

  That flicker of excitement she’d seen back at her apartment appeared in his eyes again. “Well, I don’t have a set schedule of things that I do on any given day. I have staff that take care of the resorts, and I have managers who oversee the staff, so I spend most of my time working on what comes next.”

  “What comes next?”

  “New acquisitions, mergers, researching areas and distributors, running business valuations. I plan, scheme, analyze, and strategize.” He leaned forward with a burst of enthusiasm. “I’ve been doing this for twelve years and I swear it never gets old. There’s always something new to think about—and then there are renovations, grand openings, social events. I have to keep a pretty heavy social calendar to maintain professional relationships. It’s a crazy, fantastic life. It’s been a dream, really, a very good dream.”

  He looked at Max and must have read the worry in her eyes, because when he sat back, the excitement dissipated. “It’s been fun, and I’m set for life now. I don’t need to keep doing more. This is what I did before I found you, Max.” His voice turned serious. “You have to remember, I was filling my days with work and my nights with whatever I could that held no chance for permanence. I was running from having a future outside of work, Max, not living the most fulfilling life I could.”

  He put his hand on her leg and squeezed it gently. “What I do is thrilling, and yes, I love it, but now that I’m ready to really live my life, now that I have you by my side, I want more. I want a house, permanence, and maybe even children one day. I want the dream that I’ve spent so many years running from.”

  Max didn’t hear anything after It’s a crazy, fantastic life. It’s been a dream, really, a very good dream. She knew better than to take an aggressive, successful man and steal him out of his element for good. That would be like caging a bear. Eventually the bear would recognize the bars for what they were and tear them down—even if it meant hurting the person who had been nurturing him, tending to his needs, loving him for years.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  THE FROWN MAX was trying so hard to hide cut right through Treat. He knew his enthusiasm for his work was intimidating, but he’d promised to always be honest. He wanted to take her in his arms and promise her the world that he knew he could give her, but something told him that she also saw his own turmoil. He had no concerns about Max, but Thailand was riding his nerves. He’d worked hard for that acquisition, and truth be told, he would give up everything to be with Max, but one last foray into negotiations would be a sweet send-off. It was the three months of international travel that caused him concern. There was no way he could expect Max to pick up her life and go with him. It was an unfair request.

  “I’ve been clear about what I want,” he said, holding her gaze. “What do you want, Max?”

  She shrugged, tugging at his heartstrings.

  “Max?” If she didn’t want all those things, then what were they doing together? Why had they revealed their souls to each other?

  She looked up at him, and he asked her again, “What is it that you want with me, babe? Where do you envision this going?”

  Max pulled away. “I guess maybe we’re moving a little fast.”

  Her words sent a swift kick to his gut. “A little fast? I thought you felt the same connection that I did. I thought you wanted this just as much as I do.”

  “I do, but—”

  “But? Max, we can move slower. I never meant to push you.”

  “I’m sorry, but I overheard you on the phone talking about your Thailand deal. What if you give that up and then you resent me? Or if I never come to grips with my past? If I don’t, that could suck for you.”

  His chest constricted. She worried so much about him. “First, I’ll never resent you. I understand your concern, but, Max, there are plenty of properties I can acquire that don’t require that type of travel. And as far as your past goes, I’m here no matter what. My only concern is that you don’t drive yourself crazy with worry because of what you’ve been through. You never had closure. I don’t want you facing that guy again, but maybe talking with a therapist would help.”

  She nodded, tears in her eyes, and rested her head on his chest. “Maybe,” she said just above a whisper. “I don’t want you to give up what you love for me, especially when I still have so much to work through.”

  “We’ll work through it together.”

  MAX WAS EMOTIONALLY exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and erase the anxious evening that had found them. She was relieved when Treat took her hand and led her upstairs. They took a warm bath together and lay talking into the wee hours. Long after Treat fell asleep, Max’s heart still wouldn’t settle. Every time she closed her eyes she saw his gorgeous dark eyes dancing with excitement as he told her how much he loved his work. She’d also felt his genuine honesty when he’d talked about wanting to live a fuller life. Who was she to question what he really wanted?

  As she lay in the confines of his loving arms, staring at a streak of moonlight streaming through the curtains, a sudden and jarring thought occurred to her. What was she really afraid of? She trusted Treat with her whole heart. If he told her something, she knew it was true. She thought about what he’d said about closure and wondered if he knew her better than she knew herself.

  Was she really trying to save him from a lifetime of resentment, or was she running from happiness because she didn’t trust that Ryan hadn’t ruined her for life? She’d missed the signs back in college. The way he’d suddenly started drinking more, going out to bars, becoming mean, and lost interest in talking with her. She’d never miss those signs again, but she didn’t want to recognize them in Treat years from now and know she was the cause. She had no doubt that Treat knew himself well enough to make the right decision for both of them. But did she know herself well enough to do the same?

  Too restless to lie still, she stepped quietly from the bed and went to the window, gazing out at the reflection of the moon rippling on the water. She needed a guidebook to navigate her past and create a future, or a mother who could tell her the right way to handle this. Since she didn’t have either, she had to make a decision.

  With her heart in her throat, she grabbed her phone and went downstairs.

  She was shaking as she sank to the couch and pulled up Facebook. She loathed social media for anything other than promoting the festival. The idea of posting updates about what she did all day seemed an enormous waste of time, right up there with tweeting and getting manicures. Well, maybe a manicure now and then would be nice. With a deep breath, she typed Ryan Cobain, Texas A&M into the search bar. Within seconds several Ryan Cobains appeared. Her ex-boyfriend’s photo stared back at her, and her heart nearly stopped. She hadn’t set eyes on him in years, and she hadn’t prepared herself for the stab of hurt slicing through her. His thick br
own hair was cut shorter now, and his face had thinned. If she didn’t know him, she’d think he was a handsome, happy man. But she did know him. She looked into his green eyes and saw the same fiery mess of a man she’d seen the day she left.

  She told herself to put her phone down and go back to bed, to disappear into the safety of Treat’s arms. But Ryan would always be lurking in the shadows. With a shaky hand, she clicked on the message icon. She was pretty sure there was no way he would respond, but she had to try to slay the demons that were poisoning her like a disease.

  She stared at the message box with absolutely no idea what to type. Hey, this is Max. Remember me? The girl you mistreated? She closed her eyes, and it was Treat’s voice whispering through her mind, telling her he’d be there no matter what and that they’d heal together, that gave her strength. She struggled for what seemed like hours but in reality was probably only fifteen minutes before finally typing, Hi. That was all she could do. She hit return and then stared at the screen like it might come alive. Her body was poised to flee, or fight, which was silly since it was only a message.

  “That was stupid,” she said to the empty room, and padded into the kitchen. She set her phone on the counter while she poured herself some juice.

  A few minutes later her phone chimed, and Max’s pulse sprinted. Holding her breath, she reached for the phone, then stopped. I don’t want to do this. Yes, I do. She closed her eyes, gathering courage like a cloak, and finally picked up the phone. With her jaw clenched so tight she worried she might crack a tooth, she read his message.

  Hey, Max. How are you?

  She bit her lower lip and typed, Fine. Since when had she become a liar? She was so far from fine right then, she could barely think.

  His response was instant. Glad to hear it.

  She stared at the screen, trying to figure out what she wanted to achieve. She never did things without a plan in place, and suddenly she was adrift in a sea of worries. Why had she reached out? What did she really want? Closure? To see if she was strong enough to actually face him? To see if he regretted how he’d treated her?