Page 4 of Tempting Max

“That’s what I thought, now tell me about the brewery, I’m dying to visit.”

“You don’t drink beer,” I point out.

“I can always start,” she teases, tossing her copper curls. “I can spend more time with you and who knows? Maybe I’ll finally bump into my true love and have the whirlwind romance I’ve been waiting for.”

I laugh. Sally has been single her whole life—that I know of—though since I’ve been here, I’m pretty sure she and Bob at the hardware store have a thing for each other. For someone that works as a receptionist at the ranger station, she sure visits the hardware store a lot. She has an entire closet full of unused light bulbs to prove it.

An idea forms that makes me smile. Maybe with a push in the right direction those two… “You know what? You’re right.” I lift my glass and she does the same. “To your true love and whirlwind romance.”

She clinks my glass and her eyes sparkle. “Wherever he may be.”

* * *

I adjustmy ponytail before I get to Redpoint the next morning for training. My heart flutters in my chest and my hand trembles when I pull open the door. I woke up in a cold sweat after vivid dreams of royally fucking up on my first day—in which I managed to cause a Rube-Goldberg machine-type disaster scenario that sent the entire building collapsing around me in a puff of dust.

Highlights included me drenched in beer from the broken taps, Max furiously screaming at me to get out while Ethan laughed maniacally in the background. I know it was just a nightmare, but to say my excitement about this job has momentarily waned, would be an understatement.

And after the less-than-constructive conversation we had yesterday, I’m not sure I can handle another encounter with Max-imum Grump on top of it.

“Good morning,” I’m greeted by a kind voice, and I turn to find a younger, lighter-haired version of Max holding out his hand. There’s no mistaking the relationship. Broad shoulders, thick beard, striking eyes, tall as hell. But he’s not vibrating with intensity or frowning with his entire body like Max. “I’m Liam Sutton.”

I place my hand in his. “Gus Carper, well, my name is Augusta, but please call me Gus.”

He gives me a nod and directs me to a table with training materials. “It’s nice to meet you. Glad to have you on the team. Have a seat, you’re the first one here.”

Nodding, I sit down to peruse the employee handbook. Well, I pretend to anyway. The words don’t compute because I keep looking for the perpetually irritated, potentially terrifying giant named Max. Because I’m not sure if he even existed. Surely, he can’t be that big or that grumpy or thatsexy. Humans just aren’t made like that.

But I can still feel the way he wrapped his fingers around mine. And I swear I can sense that he’s somewhere nearby, as if my body is tuned to his frequency.

I shake my head like an etch-a-sketch to clear it.It’s all in your head, Gus, now get your shit together and read.

With monumental effort, I manage to read three entire pages by the time the next employee shows up, a young guy that looks to be about twenty-two with tousled light hair and a face that belongs on the Disney Channel.

I reach my hand across the table to the new guy, “Hi, I’m Gus.”

He tilts his head to the side like a golden retriever and all I can think isaw, adorable. “Gus?”

“Short for Augusta,” I add.

“Ah, love it.” He pumps my hand up and down like we’ve just made a deal on a used Honda Accord. “I’m Trace. Nice to meet you.”

I’m just about to say ‘you too’ when I catch Max watching us from across the dining room. His expression is dark and the sheer intensity in his eyes feels like a lightning bolt strike to my gut.Did I already do something wrong?Worry creeps up my spine until I remind myself that’s his normal expression. So far, the man has only demonstrated a range of emotions about as thick as a sheet of paper.

I slip my hand from Trace, who hasn’t noticed a thing and mutter, “It’s nice to meet you too.”

Luckily, we’re interrupted by the next arrival, a buddy of Trace’s, judging by the complicated handshake and slap routine they do. Lord, I’m only twenty-five, but they make me feel one hundred.

When I look back to where Max was, he’s gone, and a quick scan reveals he’s nowhere to be seen. I sit back in my chair wondering if I imagined it.

After the things I dreamt last night, it would make sense. The way he admonished me for the mistakes I made… I suck in a deep breath wondering why the thought of him punishing me sounds sohot.

Clearing my throat, I angle my chair towards Liam and try to focus on what he’s saying. A few more people have wandered in and as the meeting starts, I can still feel the heat in my cheeks.

I chalk it up to the nerves of going back to work after three years of being Ethan’s live-in maid. Because it can’t be the angry shadow I keep looking for in the background.

It can’t.

4

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