“You know,” Cane says, his voice full of mischief, “if you two would get married already, we would all be one happy family.”
“One wedding at a time, Cane,” Kari says, rolling her eyes.
“What? You’ve just proven that you can plan a helluva wedding in a couple of weeks. I say let’s do it again.”
I wait for them to answer, but it never comes. Max has a slight grin, and Kari looks at the floor. I’m not sure how to read her response.
“She won’t marry me,” Max says simply. “She only wants me to deliver the goods.”
“I don’t want youjustfor that.” Kari looks at him defiantly, but her eyes soften once her gaze meets his. “But you’re pretty good at it.”
“Pretty good at it?”
“Really good at it,” she says huskily.
“So get married,” I say, pushing the envelope. Something tells me this needs to be brought to a head, and I’ll be the one to do it.
“Yeah, you two make it official, and Jada and I will plan your wedding when we return.”
“You, Mr. Alexander, will do no such thing,” Kari says, her hand on her hip. “You aren’t touching any wedding I may or may not ever have.”
“See? She won’t marry me,” Max drawls.
“I didn’t hear her say that,” Cane says coyly.
Max shrugs and sighs. “Kari, will you marry me?”
She stiffens, but it’s so brief that I’m not sure anyone else notices it. She looks at him and smiles like she’s brushing it off. “Not today.”
SEVENTY-ONE
Max
I’m stillsleepy even though it’s nearly noon. I don’t usually sleep in, so the fact that I’m still lying on the sofa in the middle of the day is strange.
I watch Kari sit by the window, looking over the Strip. She has that faraway look on her face that I see a lot. She’s such a complicated person in many ways. Outwardly, she’s this charismatic, beautiful woman who’s always in control. And privately, she’s quieter and a lot more sensitive than she lets on.
She wraps her arms around her knees and sighs. I wonder what she’s thinking, but I know the odds are against me finding out. She doesn’t open up much about things that matter and pushes me away when I try to get in. It’s frustrating, yet I find myself more determined to break her code with every shove.
“Whatcha thinking about, sweetheart?”
A small smile touches her lips before she turns to look at me. “Nothing much.”
“You seemed to be thinking about something.”
“No, not really. Just wondering if Jada and Cane made it to Rome yet.”
I know she’s lying, but I let it slide. “Yeah, I don’t know. I haven’t heard from Cane.”
“They might not call. Theyareon their honeymoon.” She swings off the windowsill and walks toward me. “You know what happens on honeymoons, right?”
“I’ve heard stories.” I grin. “But I’ve never been on one.”
“Me either.”
“Want to go?”
Her lips fall for just a split second before recovering. “Not exactly. But I tell ya what. I’m all up for playing pretend.”
