Page 47 of Driven By Desire
“Defective blood pressure machines.” Shoving his hands into the back pockets of his jeans, Chirag mused, “Hell of a lot better than defective pills.”
“Bite your tongue!” Krish couldn’t control the shudder that ran through him. That was a nightmare he didn’t even want to contemplate. He was doing another process run through tomorrow to ensure something like this never happened again. Scrubbing a tired hand through his hair, he almost missed Chirag’s next aside.
“Ever think of chucking it all up and starting your own architecture firm?”
Old, scabbed-over wounds throbbed and had him clenching his fist around the empty bottle. “No.”
Wincing at the brusque answer, Chirag cast his mind around for a more neutral subject only to have the back door shut in his face.
Walking across the backyard, Krish approached the garaged area. “Max.”
The only indication she’d heard him was a slight stiffening in the legs that were in view. When she showed no signs of emerging from under her metal comfort blanket, he crouched and gave her legs a yank. In reply, she kicked him. Hard!
“What the fuck!” Fatigue, stress and honest to God bewilderment had his temper coming to a boil.
Wrapping a hand around the ankle closest to him, he said, “Get out of there now or I’ll drag you out.” Tightly laced fury had him practically spitting out the words.
Shoving back with her heels, Max propelled herself out from under the car. Jerking her leg out of his grasp, she got to her feet and moved away from him. Hair unraveling from her braid, dirty overalls and outraged fury sparking in her eyes, she made him want to haul her over his shoulders and carry her up to his bed. To lose himself in her soft sweetness. Except right now it would be like trying to make love to a cactus.
“What?” Aggravated beyond reason by the desire that had a stranglehold on him, he growled, “What the hell have I done wrong now?”
Tossing her braid over her shoulder, she sniffed. “If you don’t already know, there’s no point in telling you anything.”
“Ah hell, Max.” Tugging at his hair until it stood up in tufts, he said, “Don’t go all female on me now.”
Which was obviously the wrong thing to say. On so many different levels. He could almost feel the Universe pitying him.
“Max, I’m exhausted.”
“When are you not exhausted?”
That gave him pause. Maybe she had a point about those vitamin supplements.
“Alright.” Lifting his hands in surrender, he tried for a placating tone, “Whatever it is, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t patronize me, you jackass.” Seething, Max packed her tools with a controlled violence that had Krish taking a wary step back.
“First you hide me like an ugly little secret and now you want to talk to me like I’m a hysterical floozy.”
He was by her side in two strides. Wounded pride had him grabbing her arm and hauling her around to face him. “What the hell are you talking about? When did I ever treat you like that?”
“Yesterday morning,” she flung at him. “You didn’t come near me or even acknowledge me until the entire family was gone. Of course, the minute they were out of sight, I seemed a lot more appealing. Even the key to the house was only for work as far as they were concerned. God forbid, they find out you’re sleeping with the help!”
The final thread of sanity snapped at the last word. Hurt and temper had him tightening his grip on her arm and dragging her into the kitchen. Adarsh and Chirag looked up in surprise from the kitchen table. Taking in the fact that Pooja was still nowhere in sight with one sweeping glance, Krish came to a halt in front of them.
Spinning Max to face him, he anchored her with a firm hand at her nape and kissed her. Raw, passionate and possessive in a way that branded her inside and out, Krish seemed oblivious to the hoots and cheers that echoed around them.
Pulling back enough to see her face, Krish cupped her cheek and tipped her face back to meet his eyes. His gaze burning into hers, he announced, “In case you numbskulls haven’t yet figured it out, Max and I are seeing each other.”
When he finally loosened his grip on her cheek, she buried her burning face in his shirt to avoid looking at the grinning faces of the other two. Over her head, she heard Krish ask Chirag, “Can you hold the fort for another night?”
“Happily.”
“Then I’ll be at Max’s if you need anything.”
CHAPTER 18
Max drove home in silence. Beside her, Krish stared out the window with a forbidding frown. In those formal pants with the top three buttons of his shirt unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up to reveal those muscular forearms, he made her mouth water. Pulling up and parking, she got out of the car and reached into the trunk for her bag. Slinging it over one shoulder, she lead the way into her house with the Grim Reaper following.
