“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.”

“Nothing?” She arched a brow and glanced at him as if gauging whether or not he was serious.

“Nothing at all,” he murmured. “In fact, I’d like it a lot if you undressed now.”

Her nose wrinkled. “I need a shower. Traveling makes me feel grimy.”

“I’ll draw you a bath or you can use the shower. Your choice.”

“Or you could shower with me,” she suggested impishly.

“Or I could take a shower with you,” he agreed. “Afterward, we’ll sit in front of the fire and I’ll comb your hair for you.”

“Oh, you do spoil me, Max,” she said with a sigh. “No one has ever taken care of me like you.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her nose. “That’s a good thing. I’d prefer I do all the taking care of you.”

Just the image of her in the shower all slicked down with water had him so hard he hurt. What he really wanted to do was to fuck her against the shower wall and then push her to her knees and have her suck him off while water beat down on them.

Only the fact that she looked tired and she hadn’t slept the night before—not to mention he’d made love to her tirelessly and she was likely sore—kept him from stripping her down right then and there and hauling her into the shower to have her.

A little TLC wouldn’t be remiss. Even if it killed him.

She leaned into him and hugged him as she snuggled her face into his chest. He loved that. Loved how warm and soft she felt in his arms and how she melted against him.

He circled her body with his arms and squeezed, content to just hold her.

Finally he pulled away and laced his fingers through hers. He tugged her toward the master bedroom and the huge bathroom with the Jacuzzi tub and the separate shower.

He left her long enough to turn on the water and then he returned. When she would have begun undressing, he gently captured her wrist.

“Let me.”

She lowered her hand and curled her fingers into a fist at her side. Her blue eyes darkened to storm clouds and hunger flared.

Sometimes it was painful to be around her. They never seemed to get enough. The passion between them was a living, breathing thing. He’d never experienced such a raw desperation for a woman and certainly hadn’t had a woman respond to him as Callie did.

They were matching halves. Their chemistry was perfect. She was perfect.

Beautiful, submissive, so hungry to please and to be pleased.

He could be himself with her. He didn’t have to pretend. He didn’t have to hold back. She took everything he gave her and wanted—no demanded—more.

She wasn’t offended by his need to control—to dominate. She offered herself so sweetly that it made his gut ache. No one had ever given themselves so freely. And he had tried his best to fuck it up.

All because of a promise.

He shook away the unwelcome intrusion of his darker thoughts and unsnapped Callie’s jeans. Steam began rising from the shower and he eased the pants down her legs.

Leaving them bunched around her ankles, he pulled at her shirt until she was clad in just her bra and panties.

Unable to resist, he knelt in front of her and pressed a kiss to the silky V of her underwear. Her mound was soft beneath and teased his lips. Frustrated with the barrier, he thumbed the band and worked the lace over her hips until the soft triangle of hair was exposed to his gaze.

“You’re so soft and feminine.”

He rose up and tongued her navel and then nibbled a path around it. She thrust her fingers into his hair and held his head against her body as he kissed her lovingly.

“Step away,” he directed as he rose to his feet.

She kicked out of her jeans and underwear, and then he pulled her against his chest until her breasts pushed over the cups of her bra.

“Perfect. Just perfect.”

He cupped one and lifted until her nipple peeked over the peach-colored lace of her bra. The delicate coral peak beckoned him, and he lowered his head. He flicked out his tongue and traced the top of her areola until her nipple puckered and poked rigidly outward.

Another little push and her breast was free from the cup. He rubbed his tongue over the bud and then sucked it between his teeth.

She gasped and stumbled. He wrapped an arm around her waist and held her tightly as he licked and teased the delicious treat.

“Shower’s ready.”

“Tease,” she grumbled.

He grinned and all but carried her backward through the open shower door and into the hot spray. She immediately let out a groan of pleasure as the heat sluiced over them both.

He prodded until her head fell back, baring her neck to his seeking mouth. Despite his determination not to start anything, he found he couldn’t stop himself. She was an addiction. A fire in his blood he hadn’t a hope of quenching.

Breathing hard, he tore himself from the taste of her skin and stood back for a moment to collect himself.

She reached for the shampoo, but he wrested it from her grip and dumped some of the liquid into his hand. He began at the top of her head and worked the shampoo into her hair. After he rinsed, he grabbed a washcloth and tormented them both by soaping every inch of her delectable body from head to toe, paying extra attention to the parts in between.

When he was done, she took the cloth, squeezed soap into it and then started at his chest. By the time she reached his belly, he was hard as a rock and so swollen it felt like he was going to split at the seams.

Her sweet hands worked around his cock and down to his balls, where she cupped and rolled, driving him more insane by the minute.

When she stepped away to rinse the soap, he groaned. She sent him a pouty, sultry look that only made him want to press her against the wall of the shower and fuck her senseless.

As water rained down over her, she came back to him and lowered to her knees in front of him. He guessed her intention and reached down to grasp his cock and pull it away from her grasp.