Page 26 of Yours, Forever

"I'm guessing you're talking about retirement—" I put the cauliflower and pepper in a roasting pan and into the oven.

"Forced retirement, but yes."

"Does that mean he's tryingnotto retire?"

"He's trying to keep control of the business, and gain time to make changes he wants to make in favor of the shareholders. Right now, he's tied up by this deadline; a fact that's been causing him issues for years. He was so sure that by the time I was thirty-three, I'd think just like him and want the same changes he wants to the business..."

"...but?"

He studied me as if assessing how much he could trust me with. I both wanted him to trust me, and itched at the idea of getting closer to him. I rolled my shoulders to ease the sensation at my back.

He dismissed his hesitation with a shrug. "I want to change everything about how he runs the business, and he doesn't want me to. Having me fail this marriage is the fastest, best way to stop me."

I stared at him for several seconds, until I gave up trying to put it all together. Yes, there was a clear conflict of interests and beliefs between father and son, but why tie it up with Max's marriage status?

The itchiness between my shoulder blades intensified, but I held my inquiry back.

I put my cast iron pan to heat up. "I still feel like I'm missing pieces, but I'm not going to ask."

"Aren't you curious?"

The permanent, flirty curl to his lips sharpened. His gaze didn't waver.

I pursed my lips. Not voicing my question had been the right move. If I didn't want to get closer to someone who would leave, then I had to do my part in maintaining a safe distance.

Step one, cook as if we were not discussing anything relevant. In the bowl where I'd seasoned the cauliflower, I started a yogurt-based sauce.

His attention continued to be one hundred percent on me; I could feel it warming up the side of my face.

"Oh, yes." His voice resounded full of teasing. "I can see you're curious but won't ask. In fact, I've been here for almost three weeks, and I know you want to ask me things... but you don't. At the same time, you don't let me ask you anything."

The prickling in my back moved to the space right beneath my clavicles. Unease that he could see me so clearly shrouded the levity of the moment.

"Have you asked anything?" I teased back.

He squinted at me and thought about it for a couple of seconds. "How's your relationship with your parents?"

"Fine."

"See? So loquacious." He shook his head. "I still know so little about you."

"You could get your investigators to pull up anything you need to know, can’t you?" I added oil to the pan, then placed chicken on it.

"There is a file, I've just never wanted to read it. I thought it would be best if I got to know you the old-fashioned way."

I pursed my lips not to laugh. "We got married the night we met. What do you mean, the old-fashioned way?"

"The old-old-fashioned way. Getting to know each other after the wedding night. That's how it used to be, back when weddings were a business deal."

"There was no wedding night." I turned to him and let the chicken cook for a few minutes, my arms crossed.

I pulled from every thread of humor I could find in our conversation; fueling the banter was much more comfortable than having him look too closely.

Adding a small smile for the benefit of it all couldn't hurt, so I did.

His smile stretched further, genuine and free. "Therewasa wedding night, just no one but us knows there was no sex. Those rules about consummation are so antiquated, anyway, and it's not like I'm going to go around telling people about our sex life or lack thereof."

"Lack thereof being the secret part."