“So, ballet tomorrow, Louvre on Tuesday, and charity ball Wednesday,” Dree said, counting on her pretty little fingers with her crimson, enticing fingernails.
“And Thursday is the end,” Maxence said. He didn’t know why his voice sounded so wistful.
“Right.” Dree looked down. “Right. It is.”
He stepped toward her. “It has to be, you know. I have a trip for work that I have to leave for on Thursday.”
“Thought you were changing careers.”
“Haven’t given up the old one yet.”
“Where?” she asked, though it sounded like she was just making conversation.
“The Democratic Republic of the Congo,” Max said, forgetting to lie.
“Oh, okay. That’s a long flight.”
Maxence nodded. “Twelve hours or so.”
Dree laughed. “I forgot you were kidding me. The Congo,right. Okay.But I will have to decide whether or not to go home.”
“You’re deciding?”
“Long story,” Dree said. “Don’t ask. I don’t even know what my options are, yet.”
“All right.” He reached over and touched her fingers. “Let’s just sleep.”
Dree searched his eyes for a minute. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No. I’ve had a rough couple of days. The day before I met you, I rescued an old school friend from her abusive mafia husband and didn’t sleep much.”
A smile crept onto her face. “Right.That.”
He touched her silken hair at her temple, twisting it into little curls. “And then I rescued a cute little blonde from a horde of men crazed by her beauty.”
Dree cracked up.
Max liked it when she laughed. “Come on. Let’s sleep. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.”
“I could sleep.”
He recognized that little glitter in her eyes. He’d seen it many times, and every time, it meant someone was going to try to seduce him.
Even as he led her toward the bedroom and shooed her into the bathroom to change into the long tee shirt he’d given her from Arthur’s stash, he wasn’t sure whether he was going to resist.
He should have bought her a nightgown, he ruminated, but he hadn’t thought of it while they were out. He could have purchased something very tiny and naughty, little more than a few ribbons tied around her pale skin, and insisted she sleep in it.
The lace panties had been sufficient, however. He liked those.
After she padded over to the bed, Maxence took his turn and brushed his teeth. He considered himself in the mirror, not pleased with the curse of St. Augustine. Considering his mildly lascivious thoughts about making Dree wear something reminiscent of bondage to sleep in, maybe it was wearing off.
He hoped so.
The man in the mirror looked haggard, Max decided, and probably just needed more calories and gym time. When he got up to his usual fighting weight, he’d return to normal.
He just hoped he felt his old lascivious self before he left for The Congo and Dree went wherever she was headed off to.
He finished getting ready for bed and emerged from the bathroom wearing Arthur’s red and blue pajama pants and a white tee shirt.
