Page 40 of Second to None
She jumped when a man took her elbow to lead her aside. “You need to get out of the way, Miss. They’re taking the unit off the truck.”
The truck’s engine revved as the crane lifted the unit off the flatbed and swung it onto a rolling cart the men had also taken off the truck. The doors of all five vans slid open to discharge a battalion of men in blue coveralls who swarmed around the unit, the truck, and the men consulting with Max.
Emily climbed a couple of the center’s front steps to avoid being engulfed, but she kept her eye on Max’s dark head. He’d said to wait, so she was going to.
Because he wouldn’t be here if he didn’t want to speak to her, would he?
The consultation broke up as Coleman and one of the Pisano Brothers honchos strode to the service entrance to the basement. The rest of the blue coveralls streamed after them, rolling the furnace in their midst, leaving Max alone in the middle of the sidewalk, looking up at her.
“You waited,” he said.
She nodded, her heart flipping. In his casual clothes, he looked more like the grad student she remembered.
“Coleman says you have some space heaters inside,” he said.
“Right. It’s cold.” She’d forgotten. “Let’s go to my office.”
She turned to walk up the rest of the steps, hearing his footfalls just behind her, his presence sending sparks of heat through her. That needed to stop.
He held the door and followed her up the inside stairs.
“That’s an impressive number of HVAC installers,” she said to fill the silence.
“Sal Pisano wants to get the job done fast. He’s got another commitment today.”
“I don’t think I can afford whatever amount it took to move us to the front of the line, but I’ll pay the regular price for the system.” With the Catalyst Foundation’s money, but that’s what it was for.
“We’ll discuss it later.” His tone was sharp, so she didn’t pursue it.
When they reached her office, she waved him in, closing the door to keep the warmth generated by the heater inside. She stripped off her mittens and unwound her scarf. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Don’t. It’s a bribe.” He unzipped his jacket and tossed it on the chair. Underneath it he wore a plaid flannel shirt in shades of dark red and green. It tempted her fingers to trace the lines over his biceps.
“A bribe?”
He rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a rueful smile. “When private jets didn’t interest you, I realized I was going about this all wrong. You didn’t want things for yourself. You wanted things for the kids. Your call was my golden opportunity to give you a meaningful gift.”
This wasn’t making sense. Did he mean a farewell gift? “It’s wonderful, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re moving to Chicago.”
“That’s the detail I was working out.” Shoving his hands in his jeans pockets, he stood with his legs braced wide. “I figured there wasn’t much point to having all this money if I didn’t have anyone to share it with. So MatCorp and I did a trade that allows me to stay here to do my research.”
Joy swelled in her chest, making it hard to breathe. “What did you have to give them in return?”
“I’m paying to set up the lab.” He grinned. “With part of the money they paid me for V-Chem Industries.”
“Oh my God, we’re two of a kind. I was going to pay you for the HVAC system with the money from your foundation.”
In two strides he was in front of her. “That proves that we belong together,” he said.
The focused desire in his eyes was so intense that she had to look at the top button of his shirt. “Or that we’re a bad influence on each other.”
He took her hands. “There’s nothing I’d like more than for you to lead me astray.”
“Max, you’ve given up an awful lot.” She lifted her gaze to his face as guilt clutched at her. “What if this doesn’t work out?”
“Then I’ll have a state-of-the-art lab in the greatest city in the world.” The teasing light vanished from his face. “You know better than I do that there are no guarantees in this life, except for loss. If I stay here, I might lose you, but it will be my own damned fault. And it’s worth the happiness I’ll have with you before that happens. Whereas if I went to Chicago, it’s certain that I would lose you for no good reason except some business deal. The thought of that ripped my guts out.” She saw his chest expand as he took a deep breath before saying, “Because I love you. Not just six days’ worth, but for seven years.”
“I can’t believe you’re doing this for me.” Her head was spinning with his logic and his declaration.
