Page 24 of The Ruthless and the Strong

I wasn’t exactly going anywhere for work, but Hunter was starting school tomorrow, and I didn’t feel right depending on Olivia or Mason for the rides.

“Then it’ll take a week to come,” Max answered casually.

I rolled my eyes at that. “It’s not convenient to wait.”

I could see a slight frown forming on his face. “Why not?”

“Because both Olivia and Mason have work. I couldn’t just ask them to drop everything and help me take Hunter to school and pick him up after.”

Max was quiet for a beat. “You wouldn’t have to. I’ll drive you.”

I was sure he was joking at first. That was why I burst out in laughter. Only he didn’t laugh, and the noise quickly died down as I took him in. He wasn’t looking at me, but straight ahead at the road. “You’re serious?”

“Why would I joke about something like this?”

“You can’t possibly drive me around.”

I could see him frowning a bit. “Why not?”

“Uh, ’cause you have work. ’Cause you probably have better things to do with your time than to drive me around.”

“I’m sure if I don’t spend the week dedicating one hundred percent of my time and effort in my work that the company won’t go up in flames.”

“Be serious, Max. I know how important your job is.”

“Not so important that I can’t take some personal time off.”

“And you would take that time off for me?” I asked, incredulous.

“Don’t underestimate your importance to me, sweetheart.”

“What?”

I must not have heard him right. Yet my heart was pounding something fierce inside my chest, and I didn’t know what to make of that. Max pulled to a stop then, and for the first time since I’d gotten in the car with him, I realized he hadn’t been heading home like I thought he was.

“Where are we?” I asked, looking around.

“Lunch,” Max answered, and got out of the car.

My stomach chose that moment to make itself known. Fuck, I was hungry. But I wished he had asked me first instead of making the decision. I was hungry and angry, and I didn’t know which emotion I wanted to focus more on. I looked back at Hunter. It was past his lunchtime as well. I should have thought about this, but from the moment we’d gotten in the car, the only thing I could think of was the fact that Max was sitting so close to me, and I had wanted this trip to last longer, and also for it to end quickly.

I didn’t know what I wanted. It seemed this indecisive part of me had made itself known the more and more time I spent with Max.

I grabbed Hunter’s bag and my purse before getting out of the car, and waited for Max and Hunter by the hood.

“I wished you had told me we were going to eat first,” I said quietly, not wanting to show my anger in front of Hunter.

“You would have come up with an excuse to say no.”

I opened my mouth but had no retort to that. I probably would have.

“Besides,” he continued, offering a small shrug, “I’m hungry, and Hunter told me back at the dealership that he was hungry, and I’m sure you are as well, considering the only thing you had for breakfast this morning was a cup of coffee.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. “How do you know I didn’t eat something before you came over?”

He looked over at me with one eyebrow raised. “Well, did you?”

I would have lied if I didn’t think he would see right through me. My shoulders sagged a bit. “No.”

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