She finally managed to sneak away and went to the bar and got a Sprite. She was hot, her foot was starting to ache, and she wanted to find a quiet corner to sit down and write her many notes. Max’s family and friends had been more than happy to share every conceivable story they could think of about him. She’d learned everything from his first word, to what age he was when he had his first kiss. One of his siblings had even passed her a picture of him from his freshman year of high school, looking incredibly skinny with way too much hair. She couldn’t help but smile. He’d been telling her the truth, after all.
Cassie glanced at the crowd, and as if they were physically connected, she immediately found Max. He was so handsome in his slacks and button up shirt. He’d loosened his tie and undone the top buttons, showing a glimpse of his magnificent chest. She could easily undress him the rest of the way with only her eyes. He gave her a smile, shooting awareness through her body, and she quickly turned away. She was trying to get her hormones under control, not stay under his spell.
Cassie found a couch and sat down, a silent sigh escaping her. She wanted to put her foot up, but thought that would be rude. It was good enough to get her weight off it. She smiled as she listened to the conversations all around her. Everyone was so happy, laughter ran rampant throughout the room. She was glad she’d come.
“What is such a lovely lady doing here all by herself?” a man asked. She looked up, not recognizing him. He was attractive, normally the kind of man she would’ve been drawn to. He wasn’t over the top sexy, but comfortable, the kind of guy who seemed unlikely to cheat.
“I’m getting off my feet for the first time tonight,” she replied. He took her response as an invitation to sit down.
“I’m Mike. I work for Joseph in the corporate offices,” he said.
“Nice to meet you, Mike. I’m Cassie. I’m interviewing Max,” she responded.
“Oh, you’re the one doing the interview. I’ve heard about that. Are the rumors true? Did you really manage to blackmail Max into the interview?” he asked with glee. His pure joy at the thought made her laugh. He was certainly easy to talk to, as everyone at the party was.
“Yes, all rumors are true. But, I do recommend trying to get the interview without being hit by a car,” she said.
They chatted for several more moments and she found he was pleasant company. She wasn’t attracted to him in the least, but how could she find anyone appealing with Max in the room. She feared he’d set the bar so high she’d never be attracted to another man. That wasn’t a pleasant thought. Just as Cassie was starting to relax, she felt a hand brush against her neck. There was only one man in that room who could cause shivers to rush down her spine from just a simple brush of his fingers.
“You’re glass looked empty, dear,” he said, then bent down and gave her a long kiss that had her toes curling. As he lifted up, he glanced at Mike.
“Hi Mike, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you sitting there,” he said as he sat down and put his arm around her. She was feeling a little light headed until she realized what he said and what he was doing. He was staking his claim. She wouldn’t cause a scene but she didn’t like being treated like a piece of property. Besides that, they weren’t a couple. They were…well, she didn’t know how to define them.
“Thank you,” she mumbled. Mike made some excuse and slinked away. Max had done what he wanted.
“I’m not some possession of yours,” she said with irritation once she knew Mike was out of earshot. Max ignored her words and scooted over, then lifted her leg onto his lap and started gently rubbing her foot. She wanted to yank it away, but it felt so good. She was embarrassed, but not enough to demand he stop.
“Mike is a womanizer. He didn’t need to be talking to you,” Max growled.
“You don’t have the right to tell me who I can and can’t speak to. You wanted me to come to this party and now you’re selecting who I can talk with?” she asked with a glare.
“You can talk to anyone you want…except Mike,” he said as if his words were perfectly reasonable. She gave up arguing, neither of them were willing to concede they were wrong.
“I’ve gotten some great information on you, tonight,” she said with a wicked gleam in her eye. She knew the change of subject was good enough to distract him. It worked. “I heard about your sophomore year, and the tractor…” she trailed off. His eyes narrowed.
“As interesting a subject as that is, I’ll pass on hearing about it again,” he said through gritted teeth. It seemed he wasn’t too thrilled about some of the stories she’d heard. He’d told her she could talk to his family. He was most likely regretting that decision.
“Don’t you want to add anything else for me,” she goaded. She never listened in school when her teachers talked about not poking the bear. But, of course that’s what would make her an excellent reporter. She had to be fearless or she’d never get a good story.
“Just remember our deal about what is and isn’t acceptable to print,” he warned. She had to fight the laughter that wanted to spill from her. He was quite easily riled.
“I need to go thank your Aunt and Uncle for the invitation. Joseph really knows how to throw a nice party,” she said, giving him a break. She was finding it hard to make conversation with him as his hand caressed her foot, then slid up her calf and back down. It was playing havoc with her nerves. But, he could do it forever and she’d be okay.