Page 56 of Maximum Dare
He came in. “That’s better.” Max threw me a smile I didn’t deserve. “Let’s find something you can borrow.”
He took my hand and led me out into the hallway.
“I’ll never live this down,” I muttered.
“Nonsense.”
“I ruined his engagement party.”
Max nudged open another door. “In you go.”
“I’m so embarrassed.”
“My brother has done far worse,” he mumbled, closing the bedroom door behind us.
I’d lived with a man I hardly knew. A man who had never really loved me. Trying not to think about it, I looked around at the elegant room’s burgundy wallpaper and furniture plucked out of a Harrod’s catalogue. A mahogany dresser complemented the enormous canopied four-poster bed.
I tried to shake off my sense of disorientation. “This is your mum’s room?”
“We’ll find something of hers that will fit.”
“She won’t mind?”
“It’s like Selfridges in here.” Inside the spacious walk-in closet he rummaged through her clothes, all neatly arranged on velvet-covered hangers.
Some of the outfits still had tags on them.
“We’re spoiled for choice.” Max plucked out a satin gown to show me. “Check out her shoes.”
I stepped back, feeling uncomfortable with taking anything that belonged to her. Max was just being kind. No doubt wanting me dressed and out of here.
Sensing my unease, Max put back the satin gown and said, “She’ll be fine with you borrowing her things. She has a generous nature.”
I walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, unable to make eye contact with him. I’d made the worst mistake of my life by coming here.
Max sat beside me. “Feel all right?”
“My high heels are at the bottom of your mum’s pool. As long as I live, I don’t think I’ll be able to top this humiliating experience.” Though, lately, I’d had a lot of embarrassing moments to choose from.
He patted my hand. “People tend to forget these things.”
“Notthosekinds of things.” I suppose it didn’t matter now—I was hardly going to be invited back.
He shrugged. “Most people are only into themselves.”
“You don’t believe that?”
“I’m afraid I do.”
“But you’re not like that.”
He nudged me with his shoulder. “Some people make you want to know them better.”
I wasn’t falling for that. He’d told me before that he was leaving for São Paulo. He’d been the one to offer me money so I would go away.
The silence stretched on between us.
He reached over and pushed a lock of wet hair out of my face.
