“We brought dessert too, sir,” said the guy I’d given the fifty to. “It’s on the house.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, peeling off a couple more twenties.
“Would you like me to open your wine?”
“I think I can handle it.” I motioned to the door.
“If you need anything else, my name is Sam.”
“Got it,” I said, closing it almost on his heels.
“You carry a gun,” said Maisie, her eyes focused on it.
“Never leave home without it.”
She walked over to the dinner trays and pulled off the first silver plate cover. “This smells so good.”
She’d ordered seared duck with an amaretto-cherry sauce, and I’d gotten beef short ribs with shallots, garlic, and crushed tomato. The scents wafting from both were mouthwatering. I hoped whoever the Canada Lake Hotel hired as their chef would be able to prepare food at this level.
We sat at the table near the window, and I lit the fireplace. Regardless of the reason, I much preferred the way our evening had turned out.
“How about some music?” I took out my phone, opened an app, and selected a jazz playlist. “The speaker isn’t the greatest—”
“I think everything is perfect, Ranger. The food, the company, the music—it’s all so romantic.”
I pulled the chair over so I could sit next to her rather than across the table. I’d known Maisie for years, but in the last few days, I found myself hoping that the way we were tonight, was the way we’d be for the rest of our lives.
After dinner, Maisie drew us a bath while I checked in with Diesel.
“Any sign this asshole is actually in town?”
“None. You’re sure Maisie didn’t inform anyone where she was going?”
“Her grandparents.” They were the kind of people who probably wouldn’t think anything of telling one of Maisie’s friends that she was in Saratoga Springs.
“Makes sense. Anyway, Wasp and Swan are here now too.”
“How do the big bosses at K19 feel about that?”
“Your boss, Onyx, approved it. Doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”
“Yeah, this will take some getting used to. Listen, I gotta go. Thanks for the update, Diesel.”
“I’d tell you to sleep well, but that’s probably the last thing you want to do.”
I ended the call, shedding clothes as I went into the bathroom, where Maisie waited. She’d lit candles, poured the bottle of late-harvest wine that was delivered with our dessert, and had the same jazz playlist I had on her phone.
“I was getting lonesome and a little chilly in here all by myself.”
“I think I have a few ideas about how I can warm you up.”
“What did you find out?” she asked as I climbed into the bath and settled behind her.
“Not much.” I told her my theory about how her grandparents had probably been the ones who let Edwards know she was here.
“Makes sense. I guess I’ll have to ask them not to do that.”
“We can come up with a way that doesn’t make it seem like there’s anything untoward going on. Maybe phrase it in such a way that since you and I are dating…”
“Is that what we’re doing?”
“Along with sleeping together, but you phrase it however you want.”
Maisie laughed. “Your way is probably better.”
I moved her hair from her neck like I had the last time we were in the tub and scattered kisses on her shoulder.
“You think we should go back to the lake, don’t you?”
“I do. At least until we can get a better idea of what this guy is up to.”
“I agree.” Her voice sounded as disappointed as I felt.
12
MAISIE
We’d only spent two—wonderful and amazing—nights here, and we were already going home. The disappointment I felt was profound on two levels. First, I loved being with Ranger. It didn’t matter what we were doing. Second, I was serious about the research I needed to do in order to be prepared for my meeting on Friday. If it took place.
I was able to assemble some data from what I’d gotten from the chamber of commerce, but most of what I needed was potential-based, which meant I’d need numbers that were nearly impossible to get.
As if preparing for the meeting wasn’t stressful enough, now I had to deal with fucking Maxim Edwards and wonder what the hell he wanted after all this time.
Actually, that wasn’t difficult to figure out. If he was in legal trouble, if what Ranger said was true about him being indicted—regardless of whether the charges had mysteriously disappeared—he’d be looking for money. My projects wouldn’t net him a hundred million dollars, but if he was able to dupe other people out of that much, who was to say he couldn’t get a few million out of me in order to tide him over.
God, I rued the day I met the sonuvabitch. I’d been taken in by his handsome face and charming manner. Ranger had more substance than that, right? I prayed so. Wait. I knew so. The two men were nothing alike. Well, apart from being handsome and charming.
And right now, quiet.
“Is everything okay?” I asked when we were within a few minutes of our camps.
“Honestly? No.”
I turned in my seat. “What’s wrong?”
I saw him flex his hands. First his right, then his left. I’d noticed him do it a couple of times before.
“You’re going to think I’m nuts.”
“Doubtful.”
“I’m crazy about you, Maisie.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
He looked out the side window, then back at me. “It might be a little more for me.”
“Me too.”
I almost laughed when he rolled his shoulders, but he seemed so bothered I didn’t want to make light of the way he was feeling.
“You know, I’ve always hated the kind of movies where a couple falls in love in five minutes and they live happily ever after.”
“Me too,” I repeated. “Except with me, it’s more books I read.”
“I mean, it isn’t like we haven’t known each other. We have. For years. Although we didn’t really date then. I would’ve. You know, if the timing had been better.”
I put my hand on his arm. “Ranger, is there a point to this?”
“Back to the crazy-train part.”
“Come on, whatever it is, just say it.”
“I don’t want to take you to your grandparents’ camp. I don’t want to sleep without you in my bed tonight. In fact, I don’t ever want to spend another night apart. I know that’s impossible, given what I do for a living, but if I have the choice, I want to spend every night I can with you. And not just nights. Days. Every day. Every night. How nuts is that?”
Like he had, I rolled my shoulders and took a deep breath. “You probably aren’t going to believe me when I say I feel the same way.”
He turned to me, eyes scrunched. “You do?”
“Especially the crazy-train part. I mean, for me. When I think about us, I feel like I’m rushing things and you’re going to run for the hills.”