Who could have known that within just a few months of each other the second Davidoff brother would be announcing his engagement to one of the McCullen twins?
Duke and Suave had done a stellar job of keeping their relationship secret, or maybe the love had overtaken them like it had done Max months before with Silken. Maybe they hadn’t even known what hit them. Whatever it was, Max was one hundred percent happy for them.
As he lifted his glass to take another sip of champagne he watched the bride and groom-to-be twirling round and round on the dance floor, the center of everyone’s attention as they should be. They were the stars tonight and they made a handsome couple.
His eyes went round the room full of family and friends and they alighted on his parents sitting at a nearby table, watching their son and their soon-to-be-daughter on the dance floor. They were visibly pleased as Max had known they would be. In Suave they were acquiring a beautiful, humble and level-headed daughter who would not only be a great help-mate to her husband but an asset to the entire Davidoff family.
And then, as had been happening all evening, his eyes went back to searching the crowd until he found that one person in the room, the only one who had the power to make his heart lurch at the mere sight of her.
There she was, standing behind a group of Duke’s friends and key employees, a champagne glass held stiffly in her fingers. She was smiling at the dancing couple, obviously happy for them, but there was a tension in her that he could see even from across the room. She was probably as aware of his presence as he was of hers. And Max didn’t feel he was flattering himself by thinking that. She’d loved him once and if that love had made her feel for him half of what he felt for her, then there was no way she could be in the same room with him and not feel his presence.
And then she looked up, her brown eyes meeting his across the distance, and it was like they were the only ones in the room.
Moments passed as they stared at each other, as if drinking their fill, and then she blinked and dropped her gaze. But not before he caught the longing in her eyes.
Max drew in his breath and clenched his jaw, his eyes never leaving her face now growing pink under his scrutiny. Over the months that had passed they’d spoken on the phone a few times, mostly in relation to Suave and her health, but he’d never again laid eyes on Silken until tonight. The last time they’d been together she’d declared that she didn’t love him anymore. The look he’d just seen in her eyes was clear and irrefutable testament to the lie she’d told him and had probably even told herself. There was no way she could have faked that look of love.
And that was when he realized what a fool he’d been all these months. He’d taken what Silken had said, cancelled the wedding plans, and sat their waiting for her to come back to him. He knew Silken and what a stubborn mule she was. Once she’d made her declaration there was no way she would ever have come back to him. Not over her dead body. Because that was who she was.
He should have known that the best thing he could have done was to give her a few days to get over the shock of Silken’s illness and then march over there and demand that she repeat what she’d said. She wouldn’t have been able to do it. There was no doubt in his mind, not after what he’d seen in her eyes tonight.
He expelled his breath and scowled, totally pissed with himself. He’d given in too easily and now it was time to remedy that.
Walking behind the people circling the room, cheering the dancing couple, Max moved purposefully through the crowd until he was by Silken's side.
She looked up, eyes wide, but she did not look surprised to see him there. She was searching his face, taking him all in, and in addition to longing what he saw there was hope.
Max glared down at her, and if they weren’t in a room packed with people he knew he would have put her over his knee and smacked her pretty little bottom till she begged him to make hot love to her instead. Silken had put them through months of suffering, all because she’d made up her mind to be a sacrificial lamb to her sister who’d gone and made a great future for herself – all without Silken’s help. Max could only hope that the woman he loved had learned her lesson.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said, his tone brooking no argument. “We need to talk.”
Silken did not object. She looked into his eyes then nodded and put her hand in his. Then, hand in hand, they slipped away from the crowd and walked out the door.
***
Silken could not believe what was happening. Was this another of her recurring dreams where Max, like a knight in shining armor, would rescue her from her self-imposed misery, declare his undying love for her then whisk her off to his castle in the clouds where he would make mad love to her till she swooned from the sheer ecstasy of it all?
Or was this real?
She glanced over at him and the tight set of his jaw and the scowl on his face told her it was real. In her dreams he’d been smiling the whole time. The man striding down the hallway with her hurrying along beside him looked more angry than crazy-in-love.
It wasn’t until they got out into the garden that Max released her hand and, putting his hands on her shoulders, turned her to face him. “I should punish you, you know that?” He was glaring down at her and making no apology for it, either.
“For what?” Silken buttoned her lips and glared back at him. She wasn’t about to let him bully her, no matter that all she wanted to do right then was wrap her arms around him and never let go. It felt so good, having him so close, his hands strong and warm on her shoulders. How she wished she could have his touch always.
“For lying to me. You love me, Silken. You never stopped loving me.” He reached out to tilt her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. “Look at me and tell me you can deny that this is the truth.”
Silken swallowed. Who was she fooling? She loved Max so much she couldn't think straight. For months she’d been trying to tell herself otherwise, trying to ease the dissonance of having pushed him away and out of her life when all she'd felt was love for him. It was for the best, she kept telling herself, for the good of her sister. But, now that she looked back, despite her good intentions, had that decision been sensible or just plain stupid?
Finally, she spoke. “I can’t.” She sighed and gave him a sad smile. “How can I deny it when I’ve not gone a single day without praying that you’re well. You’re on my mind each morning that I wake and on my lips each night that I go to bed. I love you, Max, and always will.”