"Come on," he said in a low voice that was enticing, coaxing. "Come celebrate your first regular volunteer."
She couldn't help looking at him. He was smiling, the curl of his lips, his white, even teeth, the sexily pleading glimmer in his pale green eyes.
God, he was so beautiful.
And dangerous.
Jo shook her head. "I really can't."
He studied her for a moment. "Can't or won't? What's the matter, Josephine? Do I make you nervous?"
Jo's breath left her for a moment at the accented rhythm of her full name crossing his lips. But the breath-stealing moment left as quickly as it came, followed by irritation. At him and at herself.
She wasn't attracted to his man—not beyond a basic physical attraction. And that could be controlled. It could.
"You don't make me nervous," she said firmly.
"Then why not join me for lunch?"
"Because," she said slowly, "I have a lot of work to do."
Maksim crossed his arms tighter and lifted one of his eloquent eyebrows, which informed her that he didn't believe her for a moment.
"I don't think that's why you won't come. I think you are uncomfortable with me. Maybe because you are attracted to me."
Again the eyebrow lifted—this time in questioning challenge.
"That is ridiculous. You are so not my type."
Maksim shrugged as if her rejection didn't bother him in the least. It probably didn't. Men like Maksim knew other women were only a charming smile and smooth line away.
More irritation rose in her chest—even as she told herself she should be thankful that he was accepting her dismissal so easily.
"Well, if I'm not your type, then lunch should be no big deal. Just some shared food and company between coworkers."
She almost pointed out that she was in essence his boss, but caught herself. Now wouldn't that sound petty? And defensive—and she wasn't on the defense.
"No, thank you." She shifted in her chair, attempting to dismiss him completely.
"I think you are uncomfortable with me. And if not because you are attracted to me, then why?" he said, as if just pondering the theory aloud. He didn't move.
Finally, after it was clear he wasn't going to leave until he'd sorted out a satisfactory solution in that far too pretty brain of his, she let out an annoyed groan. She rose, her body brushing briefly against his as she did so. She ignored the shock wave of awareness, and pushed her chair in with a little more force than necessary.
"Fine. I'll go to lunch with you."
"Great," he said.
But Jo didn't miss his smug smile as he moved around the desk toward the door.
Why did she have the feeling she just got totally played? Played right into his little plan?
CHAPTER 6
Maksim walked beside Jo, trying to keep the self-satisfaction out of his tone. Really, he was jumping the gun, being too overconfident. Oh, he knew he'd get what he wanted—eventually—but Josephine Burke was a tough cookie. She still wasn't acting like she was ready to fall into bed with him. He'd just barely gotten her to go eat a meal with him.
He was making headway—and frankly he was finding the chase fun. But only to a certain point. He wouldn't be patient forever.
"So do you have a favorite place around here?" he asked.
"I don't really know," she said. "I haven't been here long enough to explore much. I haven't really had the time, either."
"You've been working a lot, then?"
She nodded. "Yes."
They both fell silent for a few moments.
"How about you? Do you know a good place?"
"Sure." If there was one thing he knew, it was food. And frankly, it was the only thing he liked about New Orleans. "I know a place just a couple blocks from here."
He took the lead, picking his way around the broken and uneven patches on the sidewalks. He glanced back to make sure she was okay. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat. Stray locks of her long, dark hair clung to her sweat-dampened skin, bringing to mind what she'd look like after he'd spent a night pleasuring her.
The vivid picture of that eventuality slipped away as he noted the way she was carefully picking her way along the rough, eroded concrete, her open-toe sandals making the sidewalk even more precarious.
He slowed his pace and opened his mouth to ask her if she was all right, when the toe of one of his Ferragamos hooked on a jagged piece of concrete. He caught himself, but not before Jo grabbed his arm to help steady him.
"Are you okay?" she asked, seeming to steal his quesion from his mouth.
Maksim nodded, but his mind whirred. When was he ever clumsy? When did he trip? That answer was easy. Never. Well, never until this moment.
But he'd been distracted. By Jo. And not just a sexual distraction, either. He'd been concerned for her—so concerned he wasn't paying attention to what was most important. Himself.
He paused, trying to comprehend what the hell was going on. And he studied Jo. She was a lovely woman—for a mortal—tall, elegant with dark eyes that seemed slightly sad and soulful. Her lips were neither too wide nor too thin. But they were prettily shaped, bowed at the top, fuller on the bottom. And when they turned up in a real, unguarded smile, his heart pounded in his chest and he filled with delight.
Annoyance rose up in him like a flash flood. Anger with himself and with Jo. When did he consider things like what a woman's smile did to him? He was a tits-and-ass man. He liked pretty faces and rockin' bodies. He gave great thought to how they would feel wrapped around him, naked. Not at the melancholy in their eyes.
What was the deal with this woman? Why was she having this effect on him? He was admittedly as shallow as they came. His attraction never bordered on poetic and protective.
"Are you sure you are okay?" Jo touched his arm, the first time she reached out to him in anything resembling friendship. It should have pleased him, but all he could think was something wasn't right here. Something was different and dangerous and unnerving about this woman.
But when she didn't remove her fingers, some of that agitation left him. Her fingers were warm and gentle on his skin. Soothing.
But only for a moment, then raw need filled him, and he found that response more comforting. Normal.
He mustered up a sheepish smile, even though he was still feeling uneasy. "I'm fine, just feeling like a klutz."
Jo smiled. "I can't believe it wasn't me. I trip over my own feet. And these sidewalks are treacherous."
Maksim forced his smile to deepen, even though concerns still plagued him. But he did feel unadulterated lust, too. A good sign. To comfort himself further and to keep his mind on the goal, he looped her arm around his.
"I guess it's good you agreed to accompany me. I clearly need the help." He gave her a wink.
She smiled, shaking her head at his flirting. But she must not have found it threatening, because she didn't pull away; instead, she fell into step with him.
He smiled down at her, giving the gesture all his charm. Okay, so he was reacting to her more than he did other mortal women—other females in general—but that just meant that he wanted her badly.
Keep your eye on the goal, boy. That's all that matters.
"Here we are," he said stepping into an alcove and opening the door.
"This is lovely," Jo said looking around the open courtyard, which was filled with greenery and flowers, as she pulled out her chair. Maksim moved around behind her, holding the chair for her, pushing it in as she sat.
"Thank you," she mumbled, glancing back at him just for a second, but once again he couldn't quite read her reaction.
He took the seat to her right. Not across from her—that was too far away. And he wasn't messing around anymore. He didn't have the time to waste. Obviously he wasn't going to be able to function normally until he'd nailed this woman.