Grand Passion

my life. Curzon was no exception.”
    “I can't believe Jason ran his business that way.”
    “I hate to shatter your illusions about Jason Curzon. But I can guarantee that he didn't run Curzon International with a sweet, gentle, consensus style of management. He was one tough son of a bitch.”
    “Jason would have given people a second chance. I know he would have.”
    Max's mouth curved slightly. “Sometimes, if there were extenuating circumstances, and if he needed whoever had screwed up badly enough to keep him around. But second chances were rare at Curzon. And there was no such thing as a third chance.”
    “You got along with him.”
    “I made it a point not to screw up when it came to getting things done for Jason.”
    Cleo touched his arm. “Are you saying that you think Jason would have kicked you out if you'd failed him in some way?”
    Max hesitated. “Let's just say I didn't want to put it to the test.”
    Cleo framed his face with her palms. “That's awful. How could you live with that kind of constant pressure to perform?”
    Max was genuinely amused by her concern. “I'm used to it. The flip side is that I don't screw up very often.”
    Cleo shook her head wonderingly. “No, I don't suppose you do. But you thought you had when you came home without Ben, didn't you?”
    “Yes.”
    Cleo smiled sadly. “I'm sorry you felt that way. I had no idea you believed your welcome here was contingent on whether or not you brought Ben home. But I've got to admit I'm a little relieved to hear your explanation.”
    Max searched her face. “Why?”
    “Because I'd come to my own conclusion about why you'd packed your bag before you left.”
    “What conclusion was that?” Max asked.
    Cleo ducked her head and kissed his mouth lightly. “Promise you won't laugh?”
    “I promise.”
    “I thought it was just barely possible that you weren't coming back because you'd finally realized I didn't know where those Luttrell paintings were.”
    Max's gaze turned fierce. “What the hell are you saying?”
    “I thought maybe the paintings were all you cared about.” Cleo smiled tremulously. “It crossed my mind, Max, that you might have just possibly seduced me primarily to see if you could get me to tell you where I'd stashed your Luttrells. Your old pal, Garrison Spark, didn't help matters when he told me you were quite capable of using that kind of tactic.”
    Max's fingers tightened abruptly around her waist. His dark lashes veiled his eyes. “You believed that?”
    Cleo felt herself growing warm, but she did not lower her gaze. “After you made love to me you asked me about the paintings one last time. Don't you remember? You said something like ‘You really don't know where the Luttrells are, do you?’”
    “Cleo, I told you I'd come back.”
    “I know,” she admitted.
    “But you didn't believe me?”
    “I didn't know what to believe. All I could do was cross my fingers and hope you'd return, with or without Ben.”
    Max watched her intently. “Cleo, what if I told you that it did occur to me that seducing you might be the easiest way to see if you were telling the truth about the Luttrells?”
    She grinned. “I'd say you were teasing me.”
    “You think so?”
    “Yep.” She touched the edge of his mouth with her fingertip. “We both know you didn't seduce me just to find out where the paintings are. If that was all you wanted from me, you would never have tracked Ben down and talked to him. And you would never have come back here to the inn. Right?”
    Max's hand closed tightly around hers. He brushed his mouth across the inside of her wrist in an incredibly gentle, almost reverent kiss. “I guess you're right.”
    “And before you say anything more, let me remind you that you've got no business lecturing me about my lack of faith in you.”
    “No?”
    “No.” Cleo folded her arms on top of his chest. “You displayed the same lack of faith in me and the rest of the family. I can't believe you didn't know we'd want you to come back regardless of whether or not you were successful. We like you because you're you, Max, not because you have a reputation for never screwing up.”
    “Hardly ever screwing up.” Max brought her face close to his and kissed her with rough passion. When he released her, his eyes were gleaming, hard and fierce.
    Cleo smiled slowly. “I guess we've both learned something about each other from all this, haven't we?”
    Max's answering smile was laced with