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“But not by me,” Mallory said. “Do you think he’ll run from me every time he sees me from now on?”
Lilli shook her head, dabbing at the dress. “Of course he won’t. If nothing else, your meeting was memorable. He’ll probably talk to dozens of people tonight, but not many—”
“None,” Mallory corrected and gave a reluctant laugh. “None will have gotten his slacks wet.” She smiled and met Lillie’s gaze. “You’ve been very kind to me. Would you mind getting together with me sometime for lunch if I promise to try not to spill anything on you?”
Lilli laughed. “I’d love to,” she said. “You know this is the same kind of thing that could have happened to me.”
“I can’t see it,” Mallory said. “You look so graceful.”
“Thank you, but it’s true. Now it’s time for us to get back to dinner. The auction should start soon.”
Mallory sighed and stood. “Okay, let me put on a little more lipstick.”
While Mallory took a couple extra minutes to primp, Lilli walked out into the hallway. She’d gone no more than three steps when she nearly ran into Kiki.
Lilli immediately backed away. “Oh, excuse me. How are you?”
Kiki narrowed her eyes. “I could be a lot better.” She stared at Lilli for a long moment then cocked her head to the other less busy side of the hallway. “Do you have a moment? I’d like to talk with you.”
“I probably should get back to—”
“Max,” Kiki said, her beautiful face tightening with displeasure. “He can wait. This won’t take long.”
Lilli reluctantly followed Kiki.
“You probably don’t know this, but Max and I have a very close relationship. Very close,” she emphasized. “In fact, no one would be surprised if we were to get married. We’ve been seeing each other for a couple of years.”
Lilli nodded. “I see.”
“A man like Max, well, a woman just has to accept that he may stray every now and then. It doesn’t really mean anything. Men, especially powerful men, have women throwing themselves at them all the time.”
Lilli wondered what this had to do with her.
“Now Max hasn’t wanted to admit anything,” Kiki continued with a determined smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m sure he doesn’t want to hurt my feelings. But I’m not stupid. He obviously feels obligated toward you and I can understand why you would want to take advantage of the situation.”
“Not really,” Lilli said.
Kiki waved her hand. “You don’t need to deny it. I can’t imagine any woman in your position who wouldn’t exploit the situation to her advantage.”
Lilli felt a spurt of anger. “I’m—”
“Just hear me out,” Kiki interjected. “What you need to understand is that you won’t be able to hold him. Sure, he’ll be a great father to the child, but Max is a special man and trust me, he requires special handling. I know he will provide financial support for your child. But you seem like an independent-minded woman, so I thought you might like some additional support of your own.”
Confusion and wariness mixed inside her. “Additional support?”
Kiki lowered her voice. “Here’s the deal. You leave Max, never come back and don’t get in my way and I’ll give you fifty thousand dollars.”
Lilli blinked at the woman in disbelief. “Are you serious?”
“Dead serious,” Kiki said. “Max is very important to me.”
Incredulous, Lilli shook her head. “I can’t—”
“Sure you can. Think about it. Imagine getting all that money and a clean break to do what you want where you want.” She paused a half beat. “If you make the move within a week, I might even throw in a bonus. You could buy yourself a little condo or house and be in charge of your own life. Trust me, if you stay with Max, he’ll have an opinion about everything you say and do.” She pressed a card into Lilli’s hand. “Call me. I’ll make it worth your while.”
Lilli stared after the woman as she strode away. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. The conversation ran through her mind again, but it was almost too much for her to comprehend.
“Hey, Lilli,” Mallory said, moving her hand in front of Lilli’s face. “Are you okay? You look a little sick. Should you sit down?”
Lilli shook her head to clear it. “No, I just—” She sighed and headed back to the table.
“Are you sure?” Mallory asked as she followed after her. “You look pale. Like you’re sick or you just had a close encounter with an alien or something. Some people don’t believe in that stuff, but I do.”
Lilli shook her head at the irony. “That’s a pretty good explanation,” she said.
“What is?” Mallory asked.
“A close encounter with an alien,” Lilli said, crumpling Kiki’s card into a little wad and tossing it onto a passing waiter’s empty tray.
Mallory nodded and whispered, “The place is full of aliens tonight, isn’t it?”
Still shaken from her encounter with Kiki, but trying to get past it, Lilli returned with Mallory to the table just as dessert was being served. Max immediately stood and helped both Lilli and Mallory into their chairs while Lilli introduced Mallory.
After they all sat down, he turned to Lilli. “Everything okay?”
She gave a circular nod, but mustered a smile.
“You want to explain that remark about Alex?” he asked.
She felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. “I was just commenting that it’s not fair for him—or you—to use your—” she searched for an appropriate word “—appeal to put a woman off balance.”
His lips twitched. “Are you admitting I put you off balance?”
She reached for her glass of water. “I’m not saying anything else. I offered my explanation.”
“Sounds like you’re pleading the fifth.”
“How is Kiki?” she asked, changing the focus off herself.
Irritation crossed his face. “How is it that a woman can appear perfectly sane and rational at the beginning of a relationship then turn totally insane and irrational at the end?”
“It’s all the man’s fault,” she said. “Men turn women into raging lunatics. They hint, they promise, they mislead.”
“I am always up-front in my relationships with women. I make it clear that I’m not interested in marriage and—”
“Why not?” she asked. “Why aren’t you interested in marriage?”
“It needs to be the right woman at the right time. I’ve never found the right woman.”
“Why not Kiki?” she asked, keeping her voice low.
“This isn’t the best place for a private discussion, but I’ve never been serious about Kiki. She’s a beautiful, intelligent woman, but not right for me in the long run. I told her that from the beginning.”
Ouch, Lilli thought. That couldn’t have gone over well. “Is there anything you did that might have led her to believe that you’d changed your mind and that you and her were getting close to a commitment?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Why are you asking these questions?”
She shrugged. “Just curious. She seems a little…”
“A little what?”
“I don’t know. Maybe possessive.”
“I made it clear tonight that we’re through. Now, don’t you want to eat some of this dessert? It’s chocolate cake.”
Lilli’s stomach twisted. “I’d love to, but I’m full.”
He studied her for a long moment. “Something’s not right,” he began.
“Ladies and gentleman,” Ann Wingate, the mistress of ceremonies announced, saving Lilli from replying to Max. “It’s now time for the Silent Auction. Please make your way to the display tables and loosen your purse strings. And remember, it’s all for a good cause.”
“You’re sure you don’t want your cake,” Max said.
She shook her head. “Thanks, no. I’m curious what they’ve put up for auction.”
He nodded and stood, pulling her chair back for her to rise. “Pick a couple things you like and make a bid on my behalf.”
“Oh, I couldn’t do that.”
“Why not? It’s for charity.”
“Yes, but—” She broke off. “It wouldn’t feel right.”
He gave a heavy sigh. “Then pick out something I can donate to a good cause.”
She liked that idea much better. “That could be fun.”
With the exception of several interruptions, Max actually enjoyed himself during the next hour. Lilli’s careful assessment of the items amused him. He noticed she spent an inordinate amount of time studying an expensive baby stroller before she dismissed it and moved along.
“Which should I buy to give away?” he asked, curious what her answer would be.
“The spa and makeover packages for the women’s shelter downtown. The deluxe computer system for the homeless shelter.”
“That’s all?”
“I think they’ll provide good bang for the buck.”
“You didn’t see anything you like? Jewelry? A luxury cruise?”
She shook her head and he continued. “Baby stroller.”
She gave a start then shook her head again. “That thing costs almost as much as a car. Crazy expensive.”
Max couldn’t help wondering how long her attitude would last if she were exposed to luxury all the time. In his experience, women tended to easily grow accustomed to the finer things. She amused him at the same time that she attracted him. Her laughter affected him like a strong jolt of java and her determination not to brown-nose him startled him. He was surrounded by yes people and she didn’t hesitate to tell him no. Even though she was pregnant, or perhaps partly because of it, she drew his attention the way no other woman had.
How could she possibly be so innocent and sexy at the same time? He couldn’t believe his half brother’s damn good luck in finding her. She couldn’t be perfect, though, he reminded himself. No one was, and he’d never met a woman who didn’t have the capacity for deceit and manipulation. Still, he wanted her. And he wasn’t inclined to resist her.
Seven
“You absolutely shouldn’t have gotten that baby stroller,” Lilli said in a huffy voice. “It was insanely expensive.”
“Butter bean will like it,” Max said.
She threw him a sideways glance as he opened the door to the house for her. “He would have been just as happy with a less costly model.”
“You don’t know that,” Max argued. “The cutting-edge aerodynamic design, which features an unparalleled smooth ride,” he quoted from the manufacturer, “may make a huge difference.”
“In that case, he’d better be flexible because my compact car gives a high five to every bump in the road.”
He chuckled.
She turned to face him. “But seriously, I cannot accept the jewelry.”
“It’s just sterling silver.”
“David Yurman’s top-of-the-line.” She shook her head. “I don’t understand why you bought it for me. I told you I didn’t want anything.”
“I’m sure that was part of it,” he said.
“You mean you gave me this just to be disagreeable?” she asked, her eyes rounding in surprise.
“It contributed, plus as the hostess kept saying, it’s all for charity.”
Her lips twitched. “You don’t believe any of it. You don’t believe the manufacturer’s brag about the stroller and you think it’s stupid to hold an auction to get donations.”
“It’s a lot easier to just guilt people into giving money through the mail,” he said.
“But for some people, it’s more fun to give it away at an auction.”
He nodded. “Depends on the people.”
She bit her lip and her expression changed. “Maybe.” She paused. “I still don’t understand why you got me the jewelry.”
“The blue topaz reminded me of your eyes,” he said.
He saw a hint of something deeper than desire flash through her eyes before she took a quick breath and looked away. “Oh.”
His gut twisted with a surprising instinct to pull her against him and kiss her. Take her. He swore under his breath.
