But he didn’t. As if he realized she was no threat to him, the tight lines in his face smoothed and he relaxed visibly. “Okay,” he said, the smile returning to his eyes, “you got me. It may not be my biggest project but it’s the one I’m most excited about right now. Come on.” He jerked his head. “Let me show you.”
He held out his hand and Silken took it, surprised at how eager he seemed. One minute he was stern and suspicious, the next he was like a kid showing off his new bike.
She put her hand in his and his hand swallowed hers up, making her feel uncharacteristically fragile and small. She wasn’t used to feeling like this and she wasn’t sure she liked it. Silken McCullen was a ‘take-charge’ kind of girl who always set the pace. In the company of this man she didn’t feel quite so in charge.
Before she could ponder further he’d pulled her to her feet, slammed the car door shut and was heading for the entrance with her in tow. “Hang on a sec,” she said, pulling her hand from his. “I’m in high heels, remember? I can’t go dashing across the gravel like you can. I'll trip and fall flat on my face.”
He slowed down and gave her a wry grin. “Sorry. Forgot how challenged you females are when it comes to balance.”
“Yeah, because of you men,” she grumbled, giving him a mock glare. “It’s because of you that we wear these things, uncomfortable though they are.” She shook her head. “The things we do to look sexy.”
He looked over at her. “You don’t have any problem in that department. Trust me.”
At his words Silken’s body went tight and her breath caught in her throat. She bit her lip and looked away. It wasn’t so much what he said but how he said it…like he would take her right there in the parking lot if she’d let him.
She was impulsive and she was daring, she’d be the first to admit. But she wasn’t that crazy…as much as she would love to feel his lips on hers again.
“Uh, so when did you start construction?” she blurted out, desperate to divert his attention, to get him to look at anything but her.
To her relief, it worked. Raising a hand, he waved it in the direction of the massive structure. “We broke ground over eight months ago,” he said, his voice tinged with pride, “long before I moved to Cupertino. I got tired of flying in from New York to check on the progress so I decided to set up a home here.”
She glanced over at him. They were right inside the entrance now and he’d slowed to a halt. “But why Cupertino? Why leave New York to come all the way here?”
He shrugged. “My brother. He runs a software engineering firm here and I’ve been visiting for years. When I mentioned wanting to get into the auto racing business he was the one who suggested I set up shop here.” He smiled. “I guess it helps that I kinda like the place.”
Silken nodded. "The place is teeming with young professionals so Suave and I thought it would be the perfect place to start our business.” She cocked her head to one side so she could look up at him. “Just like you.”
“Great minds think alike.” That was what he said, but from the look in his eyes she had a feeling it wasn’t her mind he was thinking about. But then he jerked his head toward the open field ahead. “Time for the grand tour,” he said and set off ahead of her.
To say that Silken was impressed was an understatement. Although not yet completed, the latest NASCAR racetrack was stunning in its colossal size. She felt like an insignificant speck of dust in the vast open space before her, a gigantic oval-shaped stadium with a tilted racetrack in the middle.
“Wow,” she whispered as her eyes roamed the field, the track and the stands surrounding the racing area. “This is huge.”
“Not by international standards,” Max pointed out as he gazed at his handiwork. “You’re looking at a capacity of about sixty thousand. Compared to Daytona and Indianapolis, this is nothing. But it’s good,” he said, nodding, “good enough for Cupertino.”
“Good enough for me,” Silken said emphatically. She wanted to be among the first to try out this new racetrack. “When will it be open for business?”
“It still needs a couple more months of work and my team is finalizing all the necessary paperwork, then we’ll be good to go.”
“Great. I’ll be front of the line for a ticket.”
“For you,” he said, giving her a slow smile, “tickets will be no problem.”
Despite herself, Silken blushed a rosy pink. She didn’t need a mirror to tell her that. She could feel the heat rise in her face and she ducked her head, embarrassed. And all he’d done was offer her tickets. What the beeswax was wrong with her?
But she knew what was wrong and it was Max’s fault. She knew it and he knew it. It was the way he said things, slow and sexy and seductive so no matter how innocent the comment, it came out like an invitation to join him in the bedroom. Damn the man.
Her skin prickling with awareness, she tore her gaze away from his and turning away, she drew in a surreptitious breath. Don’t let him get under your skin, Silken. You’re in control. As always.
She began to walk toward the exit. “This is really great,” she said over her shoulder, “but we’d better head back now. I promised Suave that I wouldn’t be long.”
Max strode toward her and, with his long legs, within seconds he was by her side. “The sister I’m supposed to be meeting this afternoon, per your orders.”
“Oh, yeah,” she said, giving him an apologetic grin. “Sorry I didn’t ask you first. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“I don’t mind at all,” he said in a fake British accent that made her laugh.
The mood lightened, she took the hand he stretched out to her, accepting his help as they made their way along the uneven section of the pathway. As they headed back to the car, Silken had the tiniest of smiles on her lips. She liked this playful side of Maximillian Davidoff. This, she could handle…a whole lot easier than when he was being seductive.