The rest of the evening was just as relaxed as it had started, with them enjoying the meal that Max’s private chef had prepared. To Silken’s surprise, it was Suave who seemed to have enjoyed the evening most. Under the light banter and teasing of the men her usually polite reserve disappeared and soon she was giving as good as she got, ribbing them for their gluttony – they’d made short work of the feast the chef had prepared - and laughing at their jokes, even the slightly risqué ones.
When the grandfather clock in the hallway chimed nine, Suave lifted her face and on it was a look of regret. “Goodness, is it that late already?” She looked over at her host sitting at the head of the table and then at the other men. “I’m sorry, but it’s my bedtime. I have to go now.”
“Oh, so soon?” Duke gave her a mock pout.
“Yeah, it’s not like it’s midnight.” Reed’s look was one of disbelief.
“Sorry, guys. I need my eight hours or I’m no use to myself.” She looked over at Silken. “I’ll go on ahead of you, okay?”
“Sure, sis,” Silken said with a shrug. It was usually like this. Suave was the early-to-bed, early-to-rise person while she was the night owl. "I’ll catch up with you later.”
The men, all three of them, got up and walked Suave to the door while Silken stayed at the table, surveying the damage wrought on the previously food-filled table. Max certainly knew what he was doing when he had his chef prepare all this food. There was hardly anything left. Where the heck had the men put all that?
When they returned to the dining room, Silken got another surprise.
“I guess I’d better follow Suave’s example,” Duke said, “and make it an early night. Good night, Silken.”
She frowned. “You’re leaving?”
He nodded. “I’m afraid so. It was nice meeting you.” He stuck out his hand to her for a goodbye shake.
Then Reed came over and put out his hand, too. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Silken. Both of you.”
She frowned again and she did not take his hand. “You’re leaving, too?”
“Yeah,” he said with a shrug, “I’m going to hook up with an old school buddy who lives in Palo Alto. We’ll probably hang out a couple of hours then I’ll head back.”
“Well, okay,” she said, slightly confused, wondering if she’d done something to make both Duke and Reed go running. Her mind did a two-second rewind of the evening but she couldn’t think of anything...well, except for that blunder with Reed and London, but they’d forgotten all about that. Or maybe they hadn’t…
She walked to the door with Duke and Reed where they each gave her a hug. “It was really good meeting you,” Reed said, “and I’m not just saying that.”
“I second that.” Duke grinned at her.
Silken felt herself glow with pleasure at their words. They really were nice. She hoped one day she’d get the chance to meet them again.
CHAPTER EIGHT
After they’d left Silken closed the door and turned to head back to find Max. Maybe it was time for her to leave, too. She wasn’t the least bit tired and she’d wanted the evening to go on and on but everyone had left except her. She certainly didn’t want to overstay her welcome.
She went back to the dining room but Max was not there. The living room was empty and so was the library he’d shown them when they’d just arrived. The only other place she’d been in his house was the den so she headed off to look for him there. Why he’d thrown this disappearing act, she had no idea.
“Max? Are you in here?” She rounded the corner and walked into the room and there he was, lounging in the middle of the sofa, and on the glass table beside him was a bucket filled with ice, a bottle of champagne nestled in it.
She stopped in the middle of the room and narrowed her eyes at him. “What are you doing?”
He smiled, and it was a seductive smile, and he patted the seat beside him. “What does it look like I’m doing?” he asked. “I’m getting ready to seduce you.”
And that was how she knew that the sudden departure of Duke and Reed had nothing to do with her. It was Max who had set it all up.
She lowered her brows. “You told them to leave, didn’t you? You planned this.”
He shrugged. “Not exactly. When Suave decided to make it an early night I just took advantage of the situation.”
“And asked your brothers to leave, too.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Yeah. I had enough of them for one night. I’d much rather spend the rest of the evening with you. Alone.”
The way he said the last word, almost on a whisper, made a thrill run up Silken’s spine. Her mouth went dry.
But she had to fight it, this desire for Maximillian Davidoff. This was all a fantasy that was going nowhere. It would end badly and she was the one who would get hurt.
“And what if I don’t want to spend the evening with you,” she parried, “alone?”
Max smiled at that and it was a confident smile.
Silken hated that. Was it so obvious to him that she wanted him?
“Stop being stubborn,” he said, his voice both amused and slightly stern at the same time. “Come over and sit beside me.”
Silken stood right where she was and instead of going over to him she folded her arms across her chest and glared down at him. Oh, so he was playing the manly man, was he, expecting her to jump at his bidding because he wanted her? Not happening.
“Don’t make me come and get you,” he said and although he was smiling the set of his jaw told her he was just as determined as she was.
She lifted her eyebrows. “Come and get me,” she said, “if you dare.”
Now it was his turn to lift his eyebrows. “Another dare. You like to issue those out, don’t you?”
She gave him a crooked smile but said nothing. He could come all he wanted, come as close as he dared, but if he so much as touched her she had the perfect trick up her sleeve. She’d learned a special karate hold that she’d used to immobilize more than one man who thought he could take her on her dare. And she wasn’t afraid to use it on Max.