Unfinished Business

From one unwelcome topic to another. “Hardly.”

“I don’t know.” Devon shot her an odd look, half surprised, half crafty. “Demanding you act as his assistant, even for a couple days, seems a little odd for a businessman with Max’s no-nonsense reputation.”

Rachel exhaled. “Well, there’s not much I can do at the moment. He’s set on having me there.” She grimaced. “Besides, you’ll do great without me. Lansing Employment Agency wouldn’t be anywhere near profitable without all your hard work.”

“Yes, yes, I’m wonderful but the success has been all yours. I’ve just been along for the ride.”

And what a ride it had been. When she’d first started the agency, she’d been waitressing on the weekends to make rent and put food on the table.

Today, providing things went right with Case Consolidated Holdings, they’d be moving into larger downtown Houston offices. That’s why she was willing to do whatever Max wanted of her to stay on his good side.

“I just hope you know what you’re doing,” Devon said, getting to his feet.

“I know exactly what I’m doing.” Her stomach gave a funny little flip as she said the words. Rachel shoved the sensation away. She was a professional. She would not allow her emotions to get all tangled up in Max again. The first time had left her with a battered heart. Letting it happen again might lead to serious breakage.

“You’re a first-rate bastard, you know that?”

Max Case looked away from the photo on his computer screen and smirked at his best friend. “I’ve been called that before.”

It was late Friday morning. He’d spent the last day and a half alternating between admiration for Rachel’s keen business mind and annoyance that he couldn’t stop imagining her writhing beneath him on his couch.

“I’ve been after Sikes to sell me that car for five years,” Jason Sinclair grumbled, his gaze riveted on the image of Max standing beside a yellow convertible. “And you just swoop in and steal it out from under me?”

“I didn’t swoop, and I didn’t steal. I offered the guy a good price. He went for it.”

“How much?”

Max shook his head. He wasn’t about to tell Jason the truth. In fact, he wasn’t exactly sure what had prompted him to offer the sum. He only knew that Bob Sikes had driven the rare muscle car off the lot in 1971 and wasn’t about to let it go without some major convincing. The Cuda 426 Hemi convertible was one of only seven made. At the time, convertibles were too expensive, too heavy and too slow to interest the true racing enthusiasts. Thus, with fewer produced, they’d become extremely rare.

And now, Max owned one of the rarest of the rare.

“Are you ready to get your ass kicked in tomorrow’s race?” He meant for the question to distract his friend.

“You sound awfully confident for a man who lost last weekend.” Jason continued to frown over the loss of the Cuda. “A win that put me ahead of you in points.”

“For now.”

Max and Jason had been racing competitively since they were old enough to drive. They were evenly matched in determination, skill, and financing, so on any given weekend, the win could go either way.

For the last two years, Max had beaten Jason in points over the course of the season. Like the street racers of old, Jason and Max competed for cars. The guy with fewer points at the end of the season forfeited his ride. But Max knew coming in second bothered his best friend more than the forfeit of his racecar two years straight.

Jason adopted a confident pose. “If you think you’re going to have the most points again this year, you’re wrong.”

Before Max could answer, Rachel appeared in his office doorway. Despite her severe navy pantsuit and plain white blouse, his pulse behaved as if she wore a provocative cocktail dress and a come-hither smile.

“Excuse me, Max. I didn’t realize you had company.”

He waved Rachel in. “Did you get those numbers I needed?”

She took one step into the room and stopped. “I updated the report.” She glanced in Jason’s direction. “I also scheduled an interview for you at two this afternoon and emailed you the candidate’s resume. Maureen has a background in finance and business analysis. I think you’ll find she’s a perfect fit.”

“We’ll see.”

Her lips thinned. “Yes, you will.”

Amusement rippled through him as she tossed her head and exited his office. Did she have any idea that annoyance gave her stride a sexy swing?

“Hell.”

Max noticed Jason was also staring after Rachel. “What?”

“That was Rachel Lansing. What is she doing here?”

“Working as my assistant.”

“Have you lost your mind?”

Probably. But Jason didn’t know about his affair with Rachel. No one did. Those four days had been too short and too intense. The end too painful for him to share. And after badmouthing his father’s infidelity for years, how could he admit to family and friends that he’d had an affair with a married woman and not be viewed as a hypocrite?

“What are you talking about?”

“Lansing is a matchmaker.”

“A what?” Max searched his best friend’s serious expression for some sign that Jason was joking around.

“Lansing Employment Agency is a matchmaking service.”

“You’re kidding, right?” He was deeply concerned that his friend might not be.

Jason glared at him. “Don’t look at me like that. You have no idea what you’re dealing with.”

Rubbing his eyes, Max sighed. “Right now I’m dealing with a lunatic.” Confusion and amusement jockeyed for dominance. He’d never seen his best friend exhibit such over-the-top behavior.

“It’s not funny.”

A gust of laughter escaped him. “Sit in my chair for a minute, and I think you’ll see it’s really funny.”

“My dad used Lansing last year.” Jason’s eyebrows arched. “He married his executive assistant six months later.”

“Your dad was a widower for fifteen years. I’m a little surprised he didn’t remarry a lot sooner. Besides, Claire is a knockout.”

“You’re missing the point. They’re all knockouts.”

“So,” Max drawled. “It’s a conspiracy?”

“Yes.” The thirty-two-year-old CFO stopped looking wild-eyed and his attention settled laser-sharp on Max. Jason’s chest lifted as he pulled in an enormous breath. “You think I’m crazy?”

“Certifiable.”