Breakaway

“Mmm,” she said, then licked her lips. He felt a shaft of heat go right through him. If she’d done it deliberately to look sexy, the move would have left him cold. But her response was so natural, so unstudied that it caught at him. Made him wonder about how she might respond to other things.

What would she taste like when he kissed her? What kind of sounds would she make in bed? What would her skin feel like when he ran his fingers down her bare back? What did she look like when she came? The questions crowded his mind, as unbidden as they were inconvenient. He didn’t want to fall for this woman. He was here for business reasons. And yet, from the moment he’d seen her in the office, both dainty and tough, giving a thieving employee his walking papers, he’d felt inexplicably drawn to her.

But Max was enough of a romantic to understand that passion couldn’t be controlled or understood. You welcomed it when it came, like the bush pilots out here in Alaska welcomed the wild weather. You rode it, dove through it, embraced it.

“Would you like one?”

“Yes, please.”

He motioned to their waitress and ordered her a drink.

“You’re adventurous,” he said when he’d given the order.

“And you’re a charmer.”

She said it matter-of-factly, not in an accusing way. So, he tried to consider whether he was, in fact, a charmer. “I don’t consciously try to charm anyone.”

“You certainly charmed my grandmother.”

“I like your grandmother. She’s an amazing woman.”

She tilted her head to one side and her hair slid over her shoulders. “And I think you’re trying to charm me.”

“Do you suspect me of manipulation?” He shook his head. “It’s not my intention. I like you. I think you’re incredible. One day you’ll be like your grandmother.”

He could see she was pleased by the notion. “I hope so.”

“And I also find you very beautiful.”

“Definitely a charmer.”

“A truth-teller,” he corrected.

They moved to a window table for dinner. She ordered the halibut which their waitress told them was today’s special. He ordered steak with Alaska king-crab legs and she laughed at him. “That’s what the tourists order.”

“It’s my first day. Give me a break.”

He kept things light. Asked her about her family, her life. Tried to imagine her orphaned in the critical teenage years. Coming here to live with her grandparents. He admired them for doing such a good job, and he admired her for overcoming tragedy and becoming the woman she was.

“I only wish I hadn’t been an only child. It would have been nice to have a brother or sister to grow up with.” She was solemn a moment, then gazed at him with those hazel eyes. “What about you? Family? Brothers and sisters?”

“My parents came to the States before I was born. My dad was an airline mechanic. My mother taught Spanish and looked after my sister and me.

“I had two best friends growing up, Dylan and Adam, who are still my best friends. My parents were strict, but they loved us. My sister’s a teacher and she married a family friend. Moved back to Argentina.”

“And you’re a pilot.”

“Yes,” he said, because it was true. He was also a few other things, but there were some details he didn’t feel ready to share with her. Like the fact that he had more money than he could ever spend. Or that his company was thinking of buying her airline.

As they were finishing their main course, he saw her glance over at the bar and stiffen. He followed her gaze. Frank Carmondy was there, drinking what looked like neat scotch and glaring at Claire.

Max felt a wave of irritation wash over him. Really? Did the man have to mess up his first date with this beautiful woman?

“Maybe we should leave,” she said quietly.

“Maybe we shouldn’t.”

“I don’t want to cause trouble for the people who run this hotel. They’re friends of mine.”

“Ignore him. If he chooses to make a scene it’s his business. Maybe he’ll have a drink and move on.” He smiled at her. “Here, have a bite of crab. It’s fantastic.”

“If you’re still here next April I’ll cook you fresh king crab and you’ll understand the difference.” But she still opened her mouth and let him feed her a bite.

“Well?”

“Pretty good for frozen,” she admitted.

Frank Carmondy banged his glass down on the bar and stormed over, as predictable as thunder after lightning. He came so close to their table he knocked into it and Max realized that scotch was far from his first.

“So, you fired me so you could give your boy toy my job, huh?”

Claire sent Max a sharp glance, essentially saying, “Let me handle this,” so he kept his mouth shut and his temper in control.

“Frank,” she said, “this isn’t the time or place.”

“You think you can fire me? Nobody fires me. You wouldn’t have an airline without me.”

The conversation in the dining room petered out as people turned to stare. Their waitress said something to a girl holding a water jug. She put down the water and hurried into the back, probably getting the manager. Even though Claire had told him to let her handle her ex-employee, Max found it difficult to sit still and stay out of the fray.

Carmondy slurred his words but they were loud and easy to understand. “I bet your grandmother’s real happy you turned out to be such a slut. She used—”

Max was on his feet and had hold of one of Frank’s beefy arms before he could finish the sentence.

He’d been prepared to let Claire handle the situation but he wasn’t about to let a drunk insult her. Not while she was sitting having dinner with him at his invitation. He began to drag the man toward the exit.

“Where you think you’re taking me?”

“Outside.”

“Good,” said a guy sitting with his wife at the next table. He glanced with dislike at the drunk former airline manager.

* * *

CLAIRE WASN’T THE type to swoon over a couple of guys brawling, she’d spent too long in Alaska for that, but she really didn’t appreciate being at the center of controversy.

She was annoyed with Frank for being a drunk, stupid bully. Annoyed with Max for playing the hero yet again when no one had asked him to interfere.

She was annoyed with herself for agreeing to this date. If she hadn’t, the whole embarrassing situation would have been avoided.