“Whenever you are.”
“I am free now.”
What was he saying? He had to attend to the issues that had arisen during the meetings, another new, important client, and a dozen other items on his itinerary. He needed to find a quiet place to work for at least several more hours. But he couldn’t make himself say it, because the truth was, he wanted to spend time with her.
“What would you like to try first?” She pointed to a poster on the wall behind the desk that had large, colorful photos of people engaging in various activities.
He didn’t bother to examine them closely, because he honestly didn’t care what he did as long as he was with her. “What do you suggest?”
“Based on what I’ve learned about you, I think you would enjoy the cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or the downhill skiing.”
“Correct. I have done them all and enjoy them. But I should like you to introduce me to something different, something I may not have accomplished before.”
Her smile quirked up on one side, making her look mischievous in a completely enticing way. “Would you like me to show you my favorite?”
“I would be delighted to discover your favorite.” For a reason he could not explain, he truly meant the words. He wanted tolearn more about her, what she enjoyed, what she was good at, and what she did for entertainment.
“How about if we change into warmer clothing and meet back here at the front of the lodge in an hour?”
“What will we be doing?”
“You’ll have to wait. It’s a surprise.”
Without giving him the opportunity to respond, she made her way around the counter and down the hallway toward her office.
Surprise?Shewas a surprise, doing things he was not expecting, things most people simply did not do with a prince, like telling him he’d have to wait for a surprise. Had he ever been surprised in his life?
He could do nothing less than stare after her as she walked away in her heels, her hips swaying just enough to draw his attention to her body and all her lovely curves. She looked as fantastic today in her professional attire as she had last night in her casual clothing. Truthfully, he could not imagine a time when Emberly, as naturally beautiful as she was, would ever look anything other than stunning.
Before she entered her office, she paused and glanced back at him with a lift of her brow, as though she’d felt his stare following her.
Perhaps an ordinary man would have felt embarrassed for staring so blatantly. But he was accustomed to staring as openly as he wanted and at whatever he wanted. She was meant to be admired. He was committing no crime in simply doing the required duty.
She just shook her head slightly before stepping into her office and closing her door.
Once she was out of sight, he stared a moment longer, then forced himself to disengage. He wasn’t sure what was going on inside him, but he was starting to feel somewhat smitten withEmberly McQuaid. And smitten wasn’t the emotion he needed to facilitate with her.
He returned to his cabin, where Braun was polishing Max’s leather dress shoes while blaring an audiobook on the Reformation and the invention of the printing press. Braun paused the monologue to assist Max into a casual outfit of faded jeans and a corduroy shirt.
With his stomach growling, Max had Braun track down Emberly’s phone number and text her about meeting him for lunch. She agreed and offered to arrange a secluded table in the loft of the Brook Barn.
“You can text me yourself, you know,” she said as she took the spot across from him at the table in the loft. Only one other couple dined on the opposite side of the quiet and cozy area that overlooked the main floor of the restaurant.
“I did not wish to impose upon you.” He picked up the menu at his place.
She snorted. “And Braun’s texts aren’t imposing?”
“I suppose they are too. I apologize—”
“Max.” Her voice was firm, but her eyes were gentle. “You don’t need to keep apologizing for everything.”
“I would rather be overly remorseful than not care enough.”
She paused and seemed to search his face before nodding. “You’re a good man, Max.”
“It’s kind of you to say so.” If only he felt good enough lately, but the fact was that he had felt lacking for quite some time.
“Give me your phone.” She held out her hand.
