Page 50 of Driven By Desire
“Max, I need you to take this more seriously. Take my responsibilities more seriously.” He saw the pain flash in her eyes. Gripping her chin and forcing her to meet his eyes, he said, “Listen to me, please. Just listen. Chirag and Adi are adults today. What I do in my personal life now doesn’t impact them as much as it would have five to ten years back. But Pooja is still young and impressionable. She’s – “
“She needs a better role model than me,” Max finished for him. “So I’m good enough for your bed but not for the rest of yourlife? All that talk about everyone making mistakes was just you sweet talking me back into bed?”
“Stop it.” The controlled fury in his voice stopped her rant more effectively than if he’d slapped her. “Don’t you dare demean what we’ve shared like that! You’re better than that.We’rebetter than that.”
“Are we?” Tying her hair into a loose knot at the base of her neck, Max said, “Are you trying to convince yourself or me?”
When he didn’t answer immediately, she felt the hurt punch through like a blow to her heart. Reeling from it, she turned away from him only to find herself hauled back and against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, Krish buried his face in the curve of her neck. Mentally steeling herself against melting into his embrace, Max held out as long as she could before her traitorous heart gave in. Softening, she let one hand curl around the forearm wrapped around her waist. When he tightened his arms around her in response, she turned and curved into him.
“So you’ll bring the family for Christmas?”
“Yes.” Stepping back with a soft exhale, he forced himself to let go of her. Knowing they’d reached no resolution but unwilling to ruin the moment, he just said, “We’ll come.”
CHAPTER 19
Christmas evening found him on Max’s doorstep with his little army ranged around him. It had taken three hours, countless arguments and a dangerously throbbing vein in his forehead to have the lot of them resembling normal human beings and not escaped convicts. Taking a deep breath and praying the evening went off without any disasters, he rang the bell.
The door swung open to reveal what looked like a riot. Loud music, squealed greetings, tinsel and decorations strewn over every available surface and what looked like an elf. Squinting down at the five foot nothing person of indeterminate gender in a green elf’s costume, he managed a confused, “Hi. Is Max around?”
“Everybody wants Max. Does anyone ask where Maria is? Does anyone?” Jabbing a finger at him, she added, “Huh?”
“And here you were worrying about us not behaving normally.” Chirag’s sardonic drawl had him grinning in response much to the belligerent elf’s rising fury.
“It’s rude to laugh at strangers.” The affronted squeak had Krish quickly stifling his grin. Unfortunately, Pooja and Adi only laughed louder. Stepping into the breach with a charming smile, Chirag said, “Strangers? We’re not strangers, are we Maria?”
“We’re not?” Befuddled by the potent force of Chirag’s legendary smile, the elf blinked.
Lifting her hand to his lips, he ignored the gagging noises coming from behind him and said, “Strangers are just friends waiting to happen, aren’t they?”
Low, husky laughter floated down the corridor and had Krish looking up from the tableau playing out in front of him.
In a siren red pantsuit that hugged her trim figure and shimmery green stilettoes that made her legs look like they went on forever, Max was his own personal Christmas miracle.
Walking over, she stopped in front of them with a beaming smile that had him smiling back even as his heart skipped a beat.
“I see you’ve met my cousin.”
“We have.” Glancing over at where the elf was now giggling drunkenly up at Chirag, he added, “I think she might be feeling a little left out.”
“Come on in and meet the less maudlin ones.” Hugging and greeting the other three, she gestured them down the hall ahead of her. About to follow, she found her wrist captured in a firm grip. Holding her in place until his family plus one drunk and belligerent elf disappeared from sight, he slowly tugged her back. Stealing a soft, gentle kiss he murmured, “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas.” The soft words whispered across his lips and had him wishing desperately for privacy. A loud burst of laughter from the next room had them drawing apart reluctantly. Flustered and more than a little breathless, Max unclenched her fists in an attempt to stop mangling the pullover he was wearing.
“The fungus hair looks pretty good tonight.” Chuckling at her mock glare, he ran his fingers through the silken length of her hair.
“You look gorgeous.” Patting her hands down the front of his chest, she smoothened and settled the gorgeously soft navy blue pullover he had on over a crisp white shirt and jeans. Laughing delightedly when he flushed a deep red at the compliment, she tugged him forward and into the noisy crowd beyond the privacy of the empty hallway. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold strong against temptation and she rather suspected her father would frown at her dragging Krish off into her bedroom for an indefinite amount of time.
Spying Pooja chattering away animatedly to Max’s father, he left her side reluctantly and made his way over to greet him.
“Merry Christmas, Mr. Sheridan.”
“Merry Christmas, Mr. Mehra.” Eyes twinkling, he gestured for Krish to take a seat next to him. “I see you already know my gorgeous companion.”
Grinning at the pleased blush on his sister’s face, he settled in for a chat even as his eyes tracked Max’s progress across the room. Accepting the beer someone held out to him, he leaned back in his chair. She looked incredible. Sexy, vibrant and warm, her presence made the room come alive. She had an arm aroundAdi’s waist and was laughing at something Chirag said. The noise levels in the room couldn’t stop him from hearing that husky chuckle that had attracted him to her from day one. The sound warmed him from the inside out and had him relaxing even more.
“How’s the restoration going?” The amused speculation in the older man’s eyes had Krish swallowing his sip of beer faster than expected.
“Fine?” Frantically trying to remember the last time Max and he had actually discussed the restoration, Krish drew a complete blank.
