Page 31 of Royally Romanov
CHAPTER
SEVEN
Fate hadn’t been altogether kind to Maxim lately, but having thepolicierinterrupt the most spectacular kiss of his life seemed unnecessarily cruel. What horrible atrocity must he have committed during his lost years in order to deserve this? Had he made a habit of stealing candy from children? Kicked a puppy or something?
“What are the police doing here?” Finley pulled away and peered up at him, wide-eyed. She blinked a few times, as if trying to regain her bearings.
A dull ache throbbed to life in Maxim’s temples. He preferred Finley’s bearings wherever they’d been a few seconds ago, before the knock on the door. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
But he doubted they’d come for a social call.
“Monsieur Laurent, I know you’re in there.” Another round of pounding knocks commenced. If Maxim didn’t do something soon, the door would probably come loose from its hinges.
He rested his forehead against Finley’s and cupped her cheek, memorizing the way it felt to touch her like this. To brush the pad of his thumb over her full bottom lip, flushed and swollen from their kiss. He had the sinking feeling he wouldn’t be kissing her again anytime soon. Or ever. “I should probably go answer the door.”
“You really should.” She took a step back, placing herself just out of reach.
Maxim suddenly didn’t know what to do with his hands. They hung limply at his sides as he watched the breathless expression on Finley’s face close like a book.
I shouldn’t be standing here like an idiot. I should be doing something about the damned door.
He reached for his shirt and slid his arms into the sleeves as he made his way to the foyer where he found Finley’s silly dog snorting and pacing in front of the threshold like the arrival of the police was the most wonderful thing in the world.
“You’re a strange one, Gerard.” He scooped the dog into the crook of his elbow and opened the door.
Gerard licked the side of Maxim’s face as he took in the sight of Detective Julian Durand, the same officer who’d visited him in the hospital. Maxim forced a smile. “May I help you, Officer?”
The detective’s gaze dropped to Maxim’s unbuttoned shirt, then flitted to the squirming bulldog in his arms. He frowned. Not that Maxim had expected otherwise. “Yes, Monsieur Laurent. You can let me inside.”
“Very well, come in.” It was the last thing Maxim wanted, but he clearly didn’t have much of a choice.
For a flicker of a moment, he allowed himself to fantasize that perhaps thedétectivehad come bearing good news. Maybe there’d been a lead in his case. Maybe they’d even located his attacker.
But Maxim wasn’t foolish enough to believe it. The police didn’t beat a door down to give someone good news. That kind of aggressive knocking typically signaled something else.
Like an imminent arrest, for instance.
“Bonjour.” Finley drifted into the foyer from the direction of the kitchen and greeted the detective.
Perfect. Just in time to see me carted off to jail.
She shot him an awkward glance. “I should go.”
The detective’s eyebrows rose. “Je suis désolé.”I’m sorry. A bullshit apology, as far as Maxim was concerned. Thedétectivedidn’t look a bitdésolé.“Have I interrupted something?”
“Yes,” Maxim said flatly.
“No,” Finley said simultaneously. She shook her head. “I was just leaving, actually.”
She plucked the dog from Maxim’s arms and he searched her gaze, but she could no longer seem to look him in the eye.
“Bonne nuit.” The detective gave her a curt nod.
“Bonne nuit,”Finley murmured, still focusing on anything and everything except Maxim as she reached for the door.
He wanted to scream.Turn around. Look at me, damn it.
By some miracle she did. “Au revoir, Maxim.”
