Page 20 of A Love So Sweet
Chapter Ten
TREAT WASN’T SURPRISED when Max refused to see him. She was a prideful woman, and he knew how hard it was for her to face him even on the ride back to her car last night, but he wasn’t going to be dissuaded that easily. Embarrassing moments happened, and he wanted to be by her side for each and every flushed-cheek second, until the only thing that made her tremble was pure, unbridled passion.
He hoped the cake might ease her nerves and bring that wall she’d erected down just enough for her to realize that not making love last night was no big deal. After talking with his father, Treat was even more convinced that what he felt for Max was the real thing.
Now it was after eleven at night, and he stood at the far end of the festival parking lot, waiting under the cover of night for Max to walk through the back gates. It had been hard not calling her, but he wanted to look into her eyes, to see what she was feeling when they finally talked. His pulse raced when he saw Chaz and Max walking beneath the glow of the lighted gate. She looked gorgeous in jeans and a sweater, carrying the enormous box he’d sent. Chaz headed to his car as Max put the box on her passenger seat. Treat had the urge to run and swoop her into his arms, but he knew his sensitive bird needed careful hands.
He approached slowly as Max settled into the driver’s seat, and before she closed her door, he said, “Max,” startling her into a scream.
“Sorry. It’s me,” he said quickly.
Her hand flew to her chest as Chaz ran over.
Treat held his hands up. “Chaz, it’s me, Treat. I didn’t mean to startle her.”
“Treat? Hey, man. Sorry I couldn’t get her down here earlier. I tried.”
He watched understanding dawn on Max’s face, causing her cheeks to flame. He’d texted Chaz earlier asking if he could spare Max for an hour. But he hadn’t anticipated a scene, and the last thing he’d wanted was to cause her more embarrassment.
“That’swhy you tried to get me to leave early?” Max asked.
Chaz shrugged. “Hey, Kaylie threatened to kill me if I didn’t try.”
She glared at Treat, but just as quickly as a scowl formed, her lips curved, wiping it away. “I can’t believe you did that.”
“What can I say? I was just following the bread crumbs.” He smiled at her confusion. Savannah was right after all.
Chaz turned his back and leaned closer to Treat. “The cake? Impressive and pretty friggin’ romantic. You realize you’re setting the bar pretty high for us normal guys, right?”
“When it comes to Max, nothing is romantic enough.”
“Nice,” Chaz said with an approving smile. Then he headed back to his car.
“You scared the daylights out of me,” Max said as she closed her car door.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I wanted to see you earlier, but realized that was a mistake, too. I guess I’m full of them.”
Her long lashes fluttered a little shyly. “No, you’re not. I’m sorry for sending you away. I was too embarrassed to face you.”
He stepped closer, needing to be near her, and handed her the purse she’d left in his car. “I think the best way for you to overcome embarrassment is for me to become a permanent fixture in your life.” That earned another sexy smile. “How was your day?”
“My day was spent trying to figure out how not to be embarrassed around you, while handling a hundred issues. The cake is amazingly delicious, and it’s exactly what I needed. Thank you.”
He gazed into her eyes and said, “I hope one of your solutions wasnotto forget us.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think forgetting us is even a possibility.”
“What do you say we take a walk? I’ll keep my hands to myself and won’t let us get caught up in any hanky-panky.”
“Hanky-panky?” She laughed. “I haven’t heard that since I was twelve.”
“Maybe you’re hanging out with the wrong crowd.” He reached for her hand, then quickly withdrew it. “I said I’d keep my hands to myself, and I already made a liar out of myself.”
“Maybe you were on the right track of how to overcome my embarrassment.” She reached for his hand and lifted his arm, snuggling in beneath it, settling all the upended pieces of him into place again.
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE chocolate cake and seeing Treat, Max had convinced herself that there was only one way to move past last night, and that was to face it head-on. Snuggling up to Treat had done the trick, but as they walked along the street toward town, the cool air carried his masculine scent, and all she could think about was kissing him again.
Oh, for Pete’s sake.
