Page 29 of Contracted and Claimed By The Boss

Amanda’s eyes showed wariness, as though she was expecting him to reprimand her for what had happened earlier. And Max would talk to her about it, but not now. ‘Yeah. Well, mainly it was Paige, but I helped.’

‘You were great,’ Paige said. ‘Remember, the rice?’

A flicker of a smile teased Amanda’s lips and Paige’s eyes flew to Max’s to see if he’d noticed. Of course he had. He hadn’t seen his daughter smile properly for months.

‘What are we having?’ Now it was his own voice that was gruffer than usual, tinged by the tightening emotion in his gut.

‘Umm, Paige?’

‘You know what we’re having,’ Paige encouraged, busying herself with filling water glasses.

‘Oh. Um...these chicken-wing things, and veggies, but they actually smell quite good because Paige cooks them in butter and garlic.’ She moved across to the rice with a little flourish of her hands. ‘And fancy rice.’

‘Fancy rice, huh?’

‘Well, not really.’ Another flicker of a smile. ‘But just...rice I did something fancy to.’

‘I see. Well.’ Max patted his flat stomach but stopped when he saw Paige’s eyes drop to the gesture and his body reacted instantly, remembering how she’d dragged her tongue down his wall of abdominals, tasting his skin, and his gut squeezed involuntarily. ‘I’m starving.’ His eyes clashed with Paige’s and the air exploded with electrical energy.

‘Great.’ Her voice wobbled. ‘Let’s eat.’ Her cheeks were a little pink as she dished out their food and placed the meals on the counter. She was obviously avoiding him, taking care not to look at Max, not to stand too close to him. It was as though they were two magnetic poles but with the same charge. If he moved one way, she went the other. Maybe she’d come to the same conclusion he had? That Amanda had to take precedence.

Over dinner, he expanded his repertoire of questions, buoyed by the glimmer of happiness Amanda had shown, but also to fill the crackling silence. Paige also interjected, asking questions that were generic, impersonal, about the history of the house, the property, the farm, but they were both speaking to Amanda, as if encouraging her to open up, and to Max’s surprise, it was working.

But while Amanda and Paige seemed relaxed and at ease, for Max, every minute that passed, the opposite could be said. He felt his own nerves stretching to breaking point. The more peaceful things seemed on the surface, the stormier his insides became. He couldn’t help imagining what it would be like if this was normal for them, if Paige, or maybe even some other woman, was permanently a part of their lives. If Lauren hadn’t died. Except Lauren would never have made things feel like this. Lauren was too volatile and selfish, and family dinners were definitely not her forte.

And another woman?

He didn’t really want to think about that right now.

No, when he imagined this dinner being replicated again and again, it was Paige who populated his thoughts. Damn it.

Beneath the table, his fingers tightened around his knee.

‘You should show Paige the attic,’ Amanda said, mouth full of rice. Max resisted the temptation to remind her to wait to speak until she was finished eating.

The attic. Something exploded inside him—a wave of desire so strong it took his breath away and terrified him at the same time. Yes, terrified him. Max Stone, who would have said a week ago he wasn’t afraid of anything. But the idea of being alone with Paige again when all these feelings were frothing inside him making it hard to know what was real and right any more, he needed space, not time alone with her in the dark confines of the old attic. When he spoke, his voice was sharp with irritation. ‘I’m sure Paige doesn’t want to see it.’

Paige’s eyes flew to his, hurt obvious in their depths. Great. He kept his face impassive, reached for his water and took a sip.

‘Another time, perhaps.’ Paige’s response was aimed at Amanda, her smile slightly wobbly but given for the benefit of Max’s daughter.

‘Oh, but it’s super-cool.’ Amanda seemed to have temporarily forgotten her sullen nature altogether but Max wasn’t even capable of glorying in that right now. ‘It actually used to be servants’ rooms, so it’s big, runs the whole way across the house, and there are skylights so you get the best view of the stars up there. I used to love playing in it when I was a kid.’

That was interesting. Since when had Amanda stopped thinking of herself as a kid?

Paige was looking squarely at Amanda. ‘But you don’t now?’

‘Nah.’ She glanced away, focusing on the wall across from her.

‘Well, maybe you could show me on the weekend?’ And despite himself and his fierce rejection of Amanda’s suggestion that he take Paige to the attic, something like annoyance slammed into Max. He’d shut down the idea but at Paige’s easy acceptance, he wanted to fight for this. He wanted to take her up there even when he knew he couldn’t because of what might happen.

This was a damned mess. He’d been right earlier: he needed space to sort his own head out before he could deal with Paige again.

Amanda shrugged, not willing to commit to the plan. ‘I don’t really like to go up there any more.’

‘I see.’ He felt Paige’s gaze slide to his, but he determinedly kept his gaze focused across the room.

‘Dad?’

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