An odd look came onto his face. “You think I’m charming?” he said, smiling and coming a few feet closer.
Tara blushed and was grateful for the dim lighting. Looking down and pretending to concentrate on the items on her desk, she replied, “You know you are.”
“I know other people say things but they usually don’t mean them. I like that you think so though.”
Tara turned off her light, pulled her bag over her shoulder and stepped around him. “Yes, well, I really need to get home,” she said.
Max’s eyes sharpened and he crossed his arms over his chest, quickly stepping in front of her to stop her exit from the office. ”Why? Another blind date?” he challenged.
Tara stopped short, only a few feet away from him and looked up at his angry face. “Why does that bother you so much?” she asked curiously. He’d never paid any attention to her personal life before, not that she’d really had one, she thought. Why was he so upset about her dating now?
Max looked down at her and wanted to kiss her pouty red lips, pull her incredibly sexy body hidden beneath those ultra professional clothes against his hard one and show her why it bothered him so much. But he knew she’d probably run screaming from the palace if she knew how much he wanted her so he kept his distance, if only mentally.
“Because I care for you,” was all he’d allow himself to say. “You’re a very good employee and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Tara wished he’d stopped with the first sentence. But the second was the real truth. Pulling herself back out of fantasy land, she shifted her bags and stepped around him. “Thank you. I’m feeling very appreciated,” she sighed. “Regardless, I have to go home.”
He stopped her again. “Why?”
She blinked up at him, not used to him acting this way. “Why do I have to go home?”
“Yes. Why? Why don’t you stay here and talk to me? You don’t have anyone to go home to, do you?”
Tara looked down at her shoes, wishing she could lie. “No. But…”
“But?” he prompted when she didn’t continue. His eyes were intently watching her face, searching for an opening, hoping she could feel something more for him. He wanted another blush just like yesterday that told him she wasn’t completely immune to him.
Thinking fast, she tapped her heavy bag. “But I’d rather do this curled up on my sofa and relaxing in more comfortable clothes than here in a desk chair and these clothes,” she finally said.
Max nodded and looked up and down at her strict professional clothes. His mind automatically jumped to picture her skin warm and flushed from the bathwater and strategic places covered with bubbles. His body reacted to the image and he had to clear his throat and quickly refocus on something else. “Yes. I can see how that might be more appealing.”
She glanced up and caught his intent gaze, wondering about it for a long moment. “Well….I’ll see you Monday morning,” Tara said awkwardly.
“Have a good night,” he replied.
Tara left the palace that night feeling as if she’d just hurt her best friend’s feelings but she didn’t understand that emotion. She and Max had fun working together, his jokes about the various people they worked with usually made the day go by quickly. She also loved the work as well as the challenges the work brought to her mind and she respected the initiatives Max pushed within the government. He was a very intelligent person who considered several aspects of a situation before making a decision on how to go forward.
But he definitely wasn’t her best friend. They had a good rapport. That was all.
When she walked into her house that night, there was a message on her answering machine from Greg with more details about the party the following night. He apologized but asked her if she could meet him at his office. He was traveling and his flight didn’t land until one hour before the party was scheduled to begin.
Tara was fine with that. Although she thought he was a very nice man, she didn’t really want him to know where she lived just yet. Until she knew more about him, Tara thought it was best to keep her home address to herself. She told herself that her caution had nothing to do with Max’s warnings. She was just being smart.
The next morning was Saturday and she worked on the pile of reports she’d packed up yesterday throughout the morning, highlighting areas of several contracts that Max should be aware of before he discussed them the following week. She made herself a simple sandwich for lunch and wondered why she wasn’t more excited about the evening ahead. She was meeting a handsome and interesting man for a glamorous evening. She should be fluttering around, jumping through hoops to get ready for the night. Instead, she was considering going over another contract instead of showering for her nail appointment.
After thinking about it for several minutes, she realized that she didn’t have anything new to be excited about. For her, it was just another party. Since she went to so many functions at the palace, the idea of another black-tie night just didn’t thrill her like it would have two years ago.
“A new dress,” she said out loud. Tara decided she needed to get a new dress, something that would make her feel feminine and glamorous. Her current formal attire was nice and very appropriate, but ultra conservative. They were dresses that allowed her to stay in the background when she was required to work government functions for various reasons. They were elegant but very boring.
Tossing the rest of her sandwich into a container for later, she showered and quickly changed into jeans and tennis shoes, then set out for the stores. She knew of several that might have something more daring for tonight. She’d seen some in the stores when she’d been shopping for her conservative dresses recently but hadn’t dared to buy them. They were much too sexy and feminine. She had no idea what the party was for, but it wouldn’t be with anyone she would see the next week so she felt it was safe to spice things up a bit.
Tara found the perfect dress in the third store she looked in. It was a satin dress that flowed over her body like water, highlighting all her curves in a daring way. The deep, rich maroon made her skin look creamy and her hair a darker, more sultry brown. She bought it immediately, then went to her nail appointment and manicured her nails to match her dress. On her way out of the salon, she spotted the perfect pair of shoes for her dress and she slipped into the store to buy them. They were sexy, strappy sandals that excited her to step around in them. And thankfully they were comfortable to dance in, a rare find indeed!