Landslide (12 page)

If I were honest, that part made me nervous. I knew he liked his little girl.
I mean...she was his fantasy. But me? Mackenzie? That was a different story. I was just some kid. The funny thing was, I never really fit in with people my age, and even though Maxwell was closer to the age of my parents, I seemed to connect with him the most. When we were together, I felt like we were the same age.

If his career had been different, I might have even tried to make a relationship work. I didn’t care about the age difference at all. In fact, I thought it was hot. I liked that he was older. He made me feel safe and protected. When I was sixteen and my crush for the Senator was in full swing, I’d asked my dad why Maxwell wasn’t married and didn’t have kids. He told me that Max was too busy with his career to settle down and then he laughed about him liking to play the field. I’d known exactly what he meant, too. It had hurt then, and it sure as hell stung now.

The thing was, as much as I wanted to be a wife and mother, I knew that if Maxwell wanted to be with me, I’d give up both of those dreams just to be his…even if being his meant we had to keep things a secret. Is that what he wanted, though? I decided not to focus on the what ifs and the what could bes, and focus on what was happening now; in two days, I was going to Paris with Maxwell Joseph!

Booking the tickets was easy. It was only an hour and fifteen minute flight, and there were tons of those. Finding a hotel was harder. I wanted to stay somewhere romantic, but I also knew I’d have to book two rooms. After all, Senator Joseph couldn’t go checking into a hotel room with me. I’d called several, and all they had were rooms on separate floors. I wanted them to be right next to each other—adjoining if at all possible.

I’d just about given up when my phone rang. Answering it, I was happy to learn it was a receptionist from a very romantic hotel. It had been my first call and by far my top choice.

“Bonjour, Mademoiselle,” she said in a heavy French accent. “I was calling about the rooms that you requested. We still don’t have two adjoining rooms, but a suite has become available. It has two bedrooms and a sitting area, and there is a balcony overlooking the Champs-Elysees with a view of the Arc de Triomphe.”

Just as she’d started speaking, my dad and Maxwell walked into the room. I thought they had a day of meetings planned and I hadn’t expected to see either of them. Maxwell had loosened his tie and the top three buttons of his shirt were undone, making me want to lick and kiss his neck.

“Mademoiselle?”

The woman on the other end of the line had stopped speaking and was clearly waiting for a response.

“Oh, yes, I’m sorry.” She’d mentioned a suite. It couldn’t be more perfect, but my dad would flip a lid...unless I played it right. “So all that you have available is a two room suite?”

“Yes, Mademoiselle. Would you like me to book it?”

“Please hold one moment,” I said into the phone. Then, looking up at Maxwell and my dad, “Um, all I can get on short notice is a two room suite. I guess I can try other hotels. It’s just that this is the one I wanted to stay at.”

My lower lip puffed out and I hoped to hell I wasn’t overdoing it.

“Honey, Max might want his privacy.”

“No, I don’t mind at all. If this is what you want, I say book it.”

My father looked at Maxwell quizzically and then just shrugged.

I went back to my conversation with the receptionist and gave her all the pertinent information. When I finally finished and looked up, my dad was poking at his e-reader and Maxwell was on the phone. I could have sat there and watched him all day, but he ended his call and walked over to me. “Show me this hotel that you want to stay at.” He sat down next to me and whispered softly, “Nicely done, Sweetheart.”

“This is it,” I said in a regular volume, and then more quietly, “Thank you. I’m so excited.”

“I’ve stayed here several times before,” Maxwell said when he saw the website. “It’s great.”

Just as he stood, he bent down and whispered in my ear. “The spa is waiting for you.”

It was, too. I went down to the hotel spa, only to find that ‘someone’ had gifted me a massage, facial, manicure and pedicure. It took hours, but it did make the afternoon go by more quickly.

When my father came back to the room in the evening, I tried to casually ask where Maxwell was. My dad told me that he had to meet with a few people tonight because he was going to miss a few meetings while he was away.

Earlier, while getting a pedicure, I’d heard about a shop just down the street from the hotel where you could get teddy bears custom made. Other than going to the spa, I hadn’t left the suite all day and I wanted to at least get out a bit.

The shop was even better than the woman had described. They had dozens of different bears with hundreds of outfits and accessories. I chose a bear that had fur similar to my color hair with bright blue eyes. I dressed
her in a plaid skirt and white top, then giggled as I slipped some black shoes on her feet that looked an awful lot like my Mary Jane’s. Although it didn’t have the snowflake charm, I found a silver bracelet and put it on her arm. Finding a bear to represent Maxwell was even more fun. His had even darker fur and rich brown eyes. I dressed him in a suit and was thrilled when I saw a small pocket watch accessory. When I was finished with both, I paid the cashier, who put them both into a cute box that looked like a house. If only it were that simple with Maxwell and me.

It was late and I could tell the streetlights had been on for quite some time as I headed back to the hotel. The lobby was nearly empty when I walked through it on my way to the bank of elevators. Soft music was coming from the hotel bar, though I didn’t pay it any attention until the sound of Maxwell’s laughter drifted through the air.

Moving closer, like a moth to a flame, I was able to see him better; I wished I hadn’t. He was on the dance floor with a very attractive woman. Her dark auburn hair was piled on top of her head and her skin was flawless. Her eyes sparkled when she talked to him. They were a similar color to Maxwell’s, and with the shadow and liner, they looked incredible.

She wore a silver sequined dress that clung to her body. It had a slit that went all the way from the floor to her waistline, revealing a toned leg that seemed longer than I was tall. She had one arm draped over his shoulder and the other rested on his chest. It was a very familiar pose and my heart dropped at the sight. She said something into his ear and he chuckled again.

The scene reminded me of everything I wasn’t. She was sexy and sophisticated, and much closer to his age. All I was was some dumb kid he fucked for fun.

When he pulled her in for a hug, I knew I couldn’t watch anymore. Turning to leave, I accidentally bumped into a planter, making a lot of noise. I needed to get away and didn’t really care what it looked like as I rushed through the lobby and toward the elevator. Pressing the button, I hoped the car would come fast.

“Mackenzie!” I heard Maxwell shout behind me. The tears had already begun to spill from my eyes. Not wanting him to see, I continued to face the elevator doors, my back to him. As if by a miracle, they opened. I stepped inside and pushed the button for my floor, praying the doors would close before he got there. I wasn’t quite that lucky.

“Mackenzie,” he said out of breath, slipping through the closing doors. “I was trying to get your attention. I wanted—” He stopped when he saw my face. “What’s wrong? Did someone hurt you?”

His eyes were filled with concern. “No,” I lied. He
had
hurt me, but it was my own fault for being so naive as to think that there wouldn’t be other women.

I turned away from him again so he wouldn’t see the tears that threatened to spill over once more. In my haste, the box that the bears were in bumped against the wall of the elevator, causing the bottom to open up and the two bears to fall to the carpet.

I hurriedly tried to pick them up, but he got the one in the suit first. “Did you get bears made?”

What had seemed so cute half an hour ago, now made me feel pathetic. There he was, drinking martinis in a bar with a goddess while I was out making teddy bears.

“Is this one supposed to be me?” He held the bear closer and looked at the little pocket watch. It surprised me when he reached into his pocket and pulled out the one I’d given him for Christmas. A huge smile spread across his face. Apparently he thought it was funny I was so pathetic. The elevator seemed to be closing in on me as he stood there and stared, waiting for a response. I averted my gaze, pretending to be preoccupied with fixing the box.

The bell chimed for our floor and I took the bear from his hand, still not acknowledging his question. “Well, I’ll let you get back to your date,” I said in a clipped tone, doing my best not to break into tears.

“Date?” He looked a bit more than confused.

“I saw you downstairs. It’s alright. I get it.”

“You saw me what? Dancing with my sister? I saw you in the lobby and I was trying to get your attention. I wanted you to meet her.”

My mind was reeling. Surely that wasn’t his sister.
I mean...I saw them. Yes, they were just dancing, but her hands… Well, when I thought about it again, all they had been doing was dancing. Where was she
supposed
to put her hands?

“Wait, that sexy goddess in the silver dress is your sister?”

He chuckled. “I don’t know about sexy goddess, but yeah, she is wearing a silver dress. I was teasing her about looking like she was a roll of aluminum foil. She said I looked like my grandfather.”

I must have looked confused because he added. “You know, because of the watch.” He pulled it from his pocket again. “Anyway, it wasn’t really an insult because I happen to have liked my grandfather.” I still just stared at him stunned. “Listen to me go on. Something is clearly bothering you, Mackenzie. Please tell me what it is.”

I wanted to say it was nothing, and now I felt silly for what I’d thought. I owed him some sort of explanation, though. “It’s just when I saw the two of you…”

“Oh, Honey,” he said, wrapping his arms around my waist when he finally understood the cause for my emotional state. “Olivia is my sister, and
so
wouldn’t be my type. She’s a corporate attorney—very independent. Hell, I don’t think she’s dated a guy in the last ten years, and have I mentioned that she’s my
sister
?” I bit my lip to keep from laughing. “And besides, I have a sexy goddess right here.” The way he looked me over made any laughter disappear. There was only room left for butterflies. I had no idea how he thought I was sexy in jeans and a hoodie, but it was clear from his eyes that he did.

His lips crashed against mine and his hands were all over me. I dropped the box, needing to touch him, too. My hands slid up under his suit jacket and raked his back through his dress shirt as he kissed his way down my neck to the tops of my breasts. I really don’t know how far we would have gone right there in the hallway, but the elevator dinging it’s arrival brought us to our senses. Untangling ourselves from each other, Maxwell leaned down to pick up the box. He put his arm around me and led me from the elevators before whomever it was came out. As we rounded the corner, I started to walk toward the door to my suite, but he held me tight and just kept walking two more doors down.

I didn’t realize what he was doing until he pulled the key from his pocket and slid it into the lock. My heart raced with anticipation as he pulled me into the room.

His lips were on mine even before the door fully closed, his hands tugging first at the button and then the zipper of my jeans. He thrust his fingers into my panties when he was done and we both groaned the moment he found my clit, wet and throbbing. His lips moved to my neck as I began to unbutton his shirt.

My phone chimed loudly that I’d gotten a text but we ignored it. Then it chimed with another. Maxwell’s phone chimed, as well…once, twice, three times.

“Fuck!” he hissed, stepping away and taking his phone from his pocket. I grabbed mine, too. I’d gotten a text from my dad.

Everything alright? You’ve been gone awhile.

I’m coming to look for you.

SHIT!

I quickly texted back.

I’m fine. I’ll be there in a minute.

Before I could even say anything, Maxwell spoke again. “Jesus fuck!”
 He was clearly panicked. “My sister texted. She wanted to know where I went. She also said Carter is looking for you.” He was adjusting his pants and straightening his tie.  “She told him that you were on your way to your room.”

I pulled my jeans up and buttoned them, and then the two of us were out the door in a flash. We’d just made it around the corner when we heard the elevator ding and my dad and Maxwell’s sister stepped out.

Knowing I must have looked a sight, I quickly tried to fix my hair. I had no doubt that my cheeks were still flushed, as I could feel the heat coming off of them.

“There you are,” my dad said. “I was worried about you. I went to look for you and bumped into Olivia. She said she thought she saw the two of you get in the elevator.”

“Yeah, I um…well, she uh…” Maxwell stuttered.

“I wanted to give Senator Joseph back his credit card.”

I couldn’t help but notice that Olivia’s eyes raised at my statement. She looked at me like she could see right through me, and then to Maxwell—who I noticed was sweating—and smiled. “You must be Mackenzie. I’m Liv, Max’s sister. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”