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“Callie,” Seth said in acknowledgement.
“Morning, Seth,” she said cheerfully. “Where’s Lily?”
“At home. ”
“Then what are you doing here?” Callie asked pointedly.
“I was at the office to pick up some paperwork when I saw you cross the street. ”
The accusing note in his voice told her very plainly he saw where she came from. At this hour of the morning and the fact she’d come from Max’s hotel room, it was obvious where she’d spent the night.
“Going to introduce me, Callie?” Max smoothly interrupted.
Callie flashed a smile in Max’s direction. “Max, this is my brother, Seth. Seth, this is Max Wilder. ”
Seth extended his hand but his expression was anything but welcoming. Callie wanted to kick him in the shin and would have if everyone in the café weren’t glued to the unfolding scene.
“Would you care to join us?” Max asked as he shook Seth’s hand.
Callie shot Seth a glare.
“No, maybe another time. Lily’s expecting me home. She’s cooking breakfast. Of course you could both join us for breakfast there,” Seth said pointedly.
“Ah no, thanks though,” Callie said quickly. “We already have plans. ”
Seth swept his gaze over Max once more, his stare sending a clear warning. It was that whole male thing that said I’m watching you. Don’t fuck up. Callie rolled her eyes and tugged Max closer to the counter so they could order.
“Give Lily my love,” Callie said and then stared pointedly at the door.
Seth shot her a disgruntled look. “Nice meeting you, Wilder. ” Though his tone suggested it was anything but.
He turned and walked back out the front door. Max and Callie waited in silence until it was their turn to order and then they took a seat in one of the booths facing the street.
Callie picked at her food and glanced periodically up at Max to gauge his reaction to Seth’s obvious hostility.
“I have an apartment in Denver,” Max said after he took a long drink of his coffee. “As much as I want to meet your family and allay their fears, I think it would be best if you and I spent some time alone so that when we do meet your family, you’re happy again and you don’t have those wounded shadows in your eyes. ”
Callie almost raised a hand to her eyes and she dropped her gaze guiltily.
“Callie, look at me. ”
She glanced back up to see Max staring intently at her.
“I hurt you. Your family knows I hurt you. I need to make you happy again before I meet them or they’ll never believe in our relationship. You’re still uncertain. I want you to be sure before we face them. ”
She slowly nodded her agreement.
“I’d like to take you to Denver for a week. There won’t be any distractions there. Just you and me and whatever we want to do. ”
“I’d like that. ”
“Good. Then we’ll leave after breakfast. ”
She blinked in surprise. “But I’ll need to tell my mom. My dads. And I need to pack. All my things are at my parents’. ”
He reached over and slid his fingers over her hand. “All you need is you. I’ll take care of the rest. You can call your parents on the way to Denver. I’ll buy whatever it is you need. ”
Callie sighed. How Max did love to spoil her. And if she were completely honest, she’d admit she loved being pampered by him. He thought of everything and a few things she wouldn’t.
He’d seen to her every need while they were in Europe. Her only task was pleasing him. Everything else, he took care of.
“All right,” she agreed. “I’ll call them on the way and let them know I’ll be gone a week. They’re used to me taking off on a whim, so it won’t surprise them. ”
He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to her palm. “For the next week I’m going to love you, Callie. When we return, there won’t be any doubt in your mind that I’d ever leave you again. ”
Chapter Eleven
Max glanced at Callie curled up in the seat next to him as he drove through downtown Denver. She was fast asleep, her knuckles tucked to her cheekbone, and her hair fanned out like a veil of silk. She looked fragile and vulnerable in sleep. Underneath her eyes, shadows bruised the soft skin. He would take care of her this week. She’d sleep and rest, and she’d regain the sparkle in her eyes and the wide smile that lit up his world.
He’d spend every moment pampering her and loving her until she forgot what it was like to be without him. Until he could forget the long months he’d spent without her.
He pulled under the awning of the upscale high-rise apartment building and his door was quickly opened by the valet. Max held up a finger so that Callie wasn’t awakened and the valet stepped back for Max to get out.
He walked around to the passenger side, opened Callie’s door and then crouched beside her. He rubbed his fingers over her cheek and she stirred sleepily.
“Wake up, dolcezza. We’re here. ”
Her eyelids fluttered open and his gaze was met by cloudy blue eyes. Then she looked beyond him and the fog fell away. She fumbled with her seat belt, but he stayed her hands and unbuckled her himself.
He helped her out of the car, gestured for the valet to take the wheel, and then he tucked her against him so she wouldn’t get cold and walked past the doorman and into the building.
She was quiet as they got into the elevator. She stifled a yawn and then leaned into him after he inserted his card for the top floor. The action was so natural, as if they hadn’t ever parted. She’d always been openly affectionate with him. So spontaneous. At first he hadn’t known how to react. He was unused to such exuberance, but he’d quickly grown addicted to her displays of affection, and he lived for the times she snuggled into his arms or simply leaned into his touch as she was doing now.
He gathered her tight against him and kissed her brow as the elevator rose to the top floor. “Still tired?”
“Mmm-hmm,” she murmured.
“Then we’ll go to bed and you’ll sleep some more. ”
She smiled. “So bossy. I’m fine. If I sleep more, I’ll never go to bed tonight. ”
The elevator door opened into the foyer of his apartment and he urged Callie forward. Her eyes were wide as their feet tapped on the Italian marble.
“It’s gorgeous, Max. So huge!”
It amused him how easily impressed she was. He knew her family was wealthy and yet somehow Callie was completely unaffected by it. It irritated him that with as much money as he knew her parents to have, she still backpacked over Europe, lived and ate like a poor student, and the vehicle she drove was ancient.
“I thought we’d take it easy today, and then tomorrow we’ll go shopping for everything you need. ”
She wiped her hands down her jeans and then turned them palms up. “This is it, Max. You wouldn’t let me pack a bag. I don’t have anything else to wear. ”
He smiled. “While you’re here, I’d prefer you wear nothing. I’ll make a call and have something delivered this evening for you to wear shopping tomorrow. ”
