Max stared at her, his mouth agape. “I didn’t think of that, but surely my grandmother wouldn’t go that far to win custody of Noel?”
7 – A Bully and a Bribe
Max plonked his butt on the nearest chair and stared at Sasha. His grandmother couldn’t be so callous. He hated to harbor these suspicions of her, yet now that Sasha had mentioned it, his mind refused to leave the topic alone.
Sasha set a mug of hot chocolate in front of him.
“Thanks,” he said absently. “Mum and Dad left a large trust fund for Noel’s benefit. They explained it to me before they died and told me I had more advantages than Noel. This was their way of evening the stakes.” He lifted his gaze to Sasha’s concerned face. “Whoever has Noel living with them has access to the trust. All they need to do is present the relevant invoices to the lawyers who oversee the trust.” He shook his head. “No, I can’t believe that of my grandparents.”
“Money does strange things to people,” Sasha said. “Perhaps you should check it out with the lawyers and learn what type of invoices your grandparents are submitting for payment. Can you do that?”
“I’ll contact the lawyers tomorrow,” Max said. “Which reminds me. You need to ask for receipts and keep a record of items you buy for Noel.”
“I used the money you left to buy coffee for me and a drink for Noel. We’ll go on the bus this week.”
“Mum used to have bus passes,” Max said. “I’ll look for them later and leave them out for you. I’m sorry tonight ended on such a bum note.”
“It’s not your fault if you have to work.”
“If my grandmother is plotting, then I must bear part of the blame.” Max ruffled his hair, and his chest lifted in a hearty sigh. When had his life run so far out of control? He felt as if he was on a runaway train with his jurisdiction over everything important, crumbling with each new revelation. Sasha was right, though. Now that the suspicions had raised their ugly heads, he had to investigate.
Sasha reached across the table for his hand. “You’re judging yourself too harshly. We should be able to trust our family.”
Max grimaced.“Instead of these heavy thoughts, I’d intended to flirt with you. Kiss you again. And ask more questions about the kissing books you’ve been reading.” His tone turned teasing. “When I’m searching for the bus tickets, I’ll keep an eye out for Mum’s e-reader.”
“Thank you. I find the books diverse here. More interesting.”
Curiosity rose in him for thenthtime. Sasha didn’t speak much of her life before coming here, merely dropping a hint here and there. “Are your parents strict?”
“With me—yes. It’s because I’m the youngest of four and the only girl. My parents insist on knowing where I’m going and who I’m seeing.”
“How did you get permission to come to the UK?”
“It’s a long and complicated story.” Sasha didn’t avoid his gaze, yet the lift of her chin told him that was all she intended to say on the matter.
“Have you argued with your parents?”
Sasha hesitated. “Not exactly, but they want me to marry a family friend.”
Max stared, almost shocked by her revelation. “Is that why you left home?”
“I was angry when I left,” Sasha conceded, and it was apparent she measured her words. “This man is much older than me, and I don’t believe we have much in common.”
“Tell your parents no and explain why you and this man wouldn’t suit,” Max said. “Would they approve of me?”
Sasha grinned, the blast of humor taking her face from beautiful to stunning. Those gorgeous blue eyes of hers. That brown hair with copper highlights. He saw them in his dreams. “Do parents ever approve of a daughter’s suitor?”
Max grinned. “Am I a suitor?”
She wrinkled her nose, instigating an urgent need for him to breach the gap between them and claim her. Holding hands wasn’t enough. “No clue. Do you want to be? Is this a proper thing considering I’m working for you and looking after Noel?”
“It’s right if you’re happy with my attention. You should never feel coerced or frightened of me. All you ever need to do is say no, and the kissing ends.” His heart stuttered before racing into a frenzied beat. God, the last thing he ever wanted to do was frighten her or force his attentions on her.
“As the youngest in my family, I was the annoying little sister who insisted on tagging along with her brothers. I particularly used to drive Blaze, my oldest brother, crazy by following him. I promised to follow my other brothers instead of him if he showed me how to fight. That was when one of the other dr…kids tried to bully me. Let’s just say that Blaze did a stellar job, and I’m more than capable of looking after myself. If I hated your kisses, you’d know about it.”
Relief filled Max at her words. Once again, she met his gaze without hesitation. She radiated honesty and integrity.
“I need to leave early to get to the office on time. I’d better go to bed and grab a bit of sleep.” It was the last thing he wanted to do, but he stood and strode to the kitchen drawer where his mother had kept a selection of bits and bobs. As he suspected, the bus passes were there. Three of them. He pulled out Noel’s pass plus his mother’s and handed them to Sasha. “The bus passes. I haven’t used a bus for ages, so I’m not sure what you do. The driver will let you know.”
