Grand Passion

Her eyes glowed with sudden joy. “ Max . You're home.”
    He stopped beside the nook and folded both hands over the hawk on his cane. “Hello, Cleo. I couldn't talk Ben into returning with me.”
    “Oh, Max.” Cleo flew across the room toward him. “I was so afraid you weren't coming back.”
    At the last instant Max realized she intended to throw herself into his arms. He hastily put the cane aside and braced himself.
    Cleo landed squarely against his chest. His arms closed around her as she burrowed against him. She was warm and soft, and the scent of her filled his head. Memories of the previous night flared in his mind, sending waves of heat through his body.
    “Let's save the mush for later,” Sylvia said, sounding amused. “We've got twenty hungry warriors to feed and shelter.”
    “Right.” Cleo raised her head. The laughter faded from her eyes. “Good heavens, I almost forgot. There's someone here to see you, Max.”
    He released her reluctantly, still struggling to shift gears in his mind. He had spent the past few hours convinced that he would not be staying at the inn any longer than it took to announce his failure. Now he was having to adjust to the notion that no one was blaming him or rejecting him for the fact that Ben had not returned.
    Max frowned at Cleo. “Who wants to see me?”
    “Kimberly Curzon-Winston. She says Jason was her uncle.”
    “Damn.”
    “That's not all she says.” Cleo pushed her glasses more firmly into place on her nose and eyed Max with speculation. “She says you work for her. I told her she was wrong.”
    The possessiveness in Cleo's voice made Max smile. “Did you?”
    “Yes. I told her you work for me. What's going on here, Max?”
    Max picked up the teacup and swallowed the contents. “Just what you said. I work for you.”
    “But you used to work for Ms. Curzon-Winston?”
    “No,” Max said flatly. “I told you, I worked for Jason. When he died, I resigned my position with Curzon International.”
    “I see.” Cleo's eyes gleamed behind the lenses of her glasses. “Well, then, that settles it, doesn't it? Who gets to tell Ms. Curzon-Winston that you are no longer her employee?”
    “I'll tell her.”
    “Good idea. Oh, by the way, your old pal Garrison Spark showed up today, too. Never a dull moment around here.”
    Max went still. “What did Spark want?”
    “What do you think he wanted?” Cleo raised her brows. “He offered me a measly thirty grand for the Luttrells. I told him the same thing I told you. I don't have the stupid paintings, and if I did have them, I'd give them to you.”
    Max stared at her. He couldn't think of anything to say. The sound of raised masculine voices from the lobby caught his attention. He picked up his cane. “I think we'd better get your unexpected arrivals settled.”
    “Right. I just hope they don't start shooting arrows or tossing their spears around. This is a respectable establishment.” Cleo whirled and rushed to the door. “Sylvia, give me a hand with the front desk. Trisha, call George and tell him we need him to come in early tonight. Then give Andromeda a hand here in the kitchen. Max, there's a leaking shower head in one-ten. Can you take a look at it?”
    “Yes,” Max said.
    “I'll call George,” Trisha said. She gave Max a quick, misty smile. “Thanks again, Max.”
    It was the first time in his life that anyone had thanked him for just trying, Max reflected. He nodded at Trisha, unable to think of anything to say.
    He left the kitchen wondering what kind of tools one needed to fix a leaking shower head.

    “What in hell is going on around here, Max?” Kimberly paced the shadowed solarium, the only place in the inn that wasn't overrun by warriors.
    Max stretched out his legs and absently rubbed his thigh. Kimberly was as stunningly beautiful as ever, he thought, but he experienced absolutely no reaction to her now. Whatever he had once felt for her had died three years ago.
    “What does it look like?” Max said quietly. “I've found a new job.”
    She shot him a disgusted look. “Come off it, Max. You and I have known each other too long to play games. Why did you leave Curzon?”
    “Let's just say that I felt like a change.”
    “If you wanted more money, all you had to do was ask. For God's sake, you know that.” The heels of Kimberly's gray suede pumps clicked loudly on the tiles, betraying the tension that was evident in every line of her body. “If this is some kind of