Cassie had to smile as she looked around at the close family. She was in a room of very alpha males, who jabbed one another, and tried their hardest to win, even if it was only a board game. The women all laughed at their antics. It was all done in good humor, though, with a lot of ribbing, without anyone getting upset.

“Time for Charades,” Max called out, which had the group of people groaning. If they’d been competitive before, it would be nothing compared to how they’d be playing charades.

“Girls against guys,” Emily called, making the men groan.

“Okay, but no cheating,” Mark said as he quickly bent down and kissed his wife.

“We wouldn’t even think about it,” Jennifer defended with a wicked smile.

Soon, the real competition was on, and Cassie found herself laughing so hard, her stomach was in pain. The women were ahead by three points and the men were huddled together as if it were a game of football. They broke apart and the deep concentration on their faces caused the women to go off in another round of laughter.

Max stood at the front of the room and looked at his card. Amy started the clock. He held up his hand with one finger.

“One word,” Lucas shouted, as if he’d just solved a complex puzzle. Max nodded yes, then looked around in a bit of panic. Cassie could see he was having a hard time trying to act his card out. Finally he dropped onto his hands and knees, which caused her to start laughing again. He started moving around the floor slowly, taking huge, exaggerated steps.

“Cow, horse, rhino,” Mark shouted. Max turned his head and glared at his cousin. He moved his head back and forth, and the girls couldn’t help but laugh even harder at the ridiculous picture he made on the floor. Then, he stuck his arm in front of his face and started moving it up and down. Cassie figured it out and quickly whispered it to her team, but had to wait for the timer to run out.

“You suck, Max,” Trenton called out, earning his brother a glare. The buzzer went off, and Cassie called out.

“Elephant.” The girls cheered when Max glared at his partners, before nodding his head at the women.

“Great job, Cassie. We won!” Jessica shouted as she jumped from the couch and did a little dance. Alex quickly grabbed her up in his arms and gave her a long kiss, which quickly became heated.

“Don’t mind us,” Max said with a laugh. The two of them broke apart, but it was obvious they were done with the games and ready to be alone together.

“Thanks for putting this all together, Max. I haven’t had so much fun in a while,” Jessica told him before first giving him a hug, then Cassie. Everyone went around the room, saying their goodbyes and promising to make the game night a monthly thing.

“I love my kids more than anything, but having adult time is just too much fun. It makes me feel young, again,” Amy said as she and Lucas also got ready to head out.

It took about ten minutes for everyone to say goodbye, then Cassie found herself alone with Max once again. She couldn’t believe how exhausted she was, considering she’d slept on and off for about twenty-four hours. Her foot was starting to hurt, too. It looked like it was time for another pill and then bed.

“I shouldn’t have kept you down here so long. The time tends to get away from me when we’re all together like that,” Max apologized. He slipped his arms under her, and carried her up the stairs. She was amazed he didn’t even breathe heavily after reaching the top of the stairs. She knew she wasn’t huge, but it was a long set of stairs.

“That was the most fun I’ve had in a long time, thank you,” she said with a bright smile. His eyes locked on hers, and his head slowly bent forward. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and it seemed the most natural thing in the world for him to take her lips in a soft kiss. She didn’t even think about protesting.

He started soft and sweet, then his grip tightened on her, and his mouth became more aggressive, as he started demanding a response from her. She pulled his head even closer, and slid her tongue along his lips, loving the taste of his slightly minty breath. She felt her body respond to his touch, and forgot all about her foot hurting. She had nothing on her mind but Max’s kiss, and his arms wrapped around her.

He pulled back, and both their breaths were labored as they looked into each other’s eyes.

“I think you’re going to be the death of me, woman,” he said with a grin. He bent down and gave her one more chaste kiss before taking her in the bathroom and setting her on the tub. He really was considerate of her needs.

She quickly got ready for bed, anticipating the night to come. She needed to make love to him again, she didn’t care if her heart would shatter when it was over. She refused to think about tomorrow, she would only think about right now, and right now she needed him to relieve the ache in her body.

Max came back and she tried to show him with her expression how much she wanted him – how she wanted their wonderful night to end. By the flair of passion that ignited in his eyes, he got the message. He picked her up and carried her to the bed, where he laid her down, before stripping his clothes and joining her.

No words were spoken as they embraced, both of them staying up long into the night, not seeming to ever be able to get enough of the other.

Chapter Ten

Cassie’s time was almost up. Her month had flown by, and now it was time for the birthday party. She’d get the rest of her information for her article, then there was no other reason to be with Max. She was surprised by the rush of pain the thought caused. Her foot was much better. She could easily walk on it, though it still caused a bit of pain. She wasn’t going to run a marathon anytime soon.

Cassie looked around Max’s room with a mixture of feelings. It was her last night in his house. She’d tried to leave days ago, but he’d insisted on her staying. He blamed her injury on himself, since he was the one who had her come to the construction site. She couldn’t complain about how well he’d taken care of her.

He’d been so unlike the corporate shark she’d first met. He insisted on drawing her baths, preparing her food, and making love to her nightly. No words were said about any kind of permanent relationship or a relationship, period. They were just sort of taking advantage of being thrown together in the unusual situation. She’d never had a casual affair before. She’d actually only been with one other man sexually, back in college, and it had been a train wreck.

She’d dated the guy for several months, and he’d pushed her until she’d finally caved in. The experience had been so awkward and miserable they’d broken up soon after. She’d been relieved to see him go.

Until making love with Max she hadn’t understood the whole appeal to sex. She didn’t know it was possible to feel so many sensations all at once. She’d grown to appreciate her body, and what he could draw out of it. She would miss the sex, but even more than that, she’d miss lying in his arms afterward, talking late into the night.

Cassie firmed her shoulders and walked from the room. She couldn’t dwell on things she had no control over. She wasn’t a naïve little girl. She was aware of the score in having sex with a man who was a known playboy. The biggest mistake she’d seen several women make was going into a relationship thinking she could change the man. It never worked.

“You’re stunning,” Max said as she slowly descended the stairs. Amy had dropped her off a dress, knowing she wasn’t up to shopping at the moment. Cassie loved the silky material of the light blue dress. It matched her eyes to perfection and clung to her in the bodice, then flared in a flirty skirt to rest right above her knees. She felt beautiful, which was rare for her.

“Thank you,” she replied, her cheeks heating as he continued to stare. He was making her a bit nervous as his eyes raked over her from head to toe. She finally reached him and he immediately pulled her into his arms, running his hands over the silky material at her back, slipping them inside the low cut material.

“We’re not going to get to the party on time if you keep doing that,” she said with an almost sad smile. She’d like nothing more than to go back up the stairs and fall into bed with him.

“Birthdays are highly overrated,” he murmured as he nibbled on her neck. His words made her laugh. Oh, her heart ached as she thought about the endless nights without him.

“I think your family would hunt you down if you didn’t show,” she warned him. He kissed her once before pulling back.

“You’re right,” he conceded. He took her hand and they walked out the door, where a stretch limo was waiting, with a man holding the back door open. She looked at Max in question. “It’s a special night, I thought we’d do it in style,” he said.

Max helped her in the car, and poured her a glass of champagne as they started moving. She’d never liked the taste of champagne but it was so romantic to sit in the intimately lit car, and sip a glass with the man she loved.

Cassie’s eyes widened at the thought. She loved him. She couldn’t believe she’d be so stupid as to fall in love with a man who went through at least a dozen different women a year. She looked out the window, taking a moment to come to terms with her feelings. She couldn’t let him see the pain shining in her eyes.

She decided she’d enjoy her final night with him, definitely not let him see how she was feeling, and walk away with her head held high and her pride still intact.

They arrived at the impressive Anderson Mansion, and she stepped from the car, looking at the huge walls of stone. It looked as if it should be sitting on a hillside in Scotland, surrounded by a moat, filled with man-eating piranhas, instead of a secluded piece of ground in Seattle.

Max led her up the stairs and they went inside, her eyes roaming the giant entranceway and the chandelier hanging from the three story ceiling. She wouldn’t be surprised if the impressive light came from an old medieval castle.

As they made the trek toward the back of the house, where she could hear the sounds of the party reaching them, her stomach became more nervous. Her only thought was that she didn’t belong. She was way out of her element in the luxurious home, with the billionaire family.

As they stepped into the room, she looked around in awe. Her nerves settled a bit. She’d thought the women had exaggerated when they said the more people, the happier Joseph was. The room was filled with guests in all forms of dress. She almost felt a bit overdressed, until she saw Amy rush through the crowd in a floor length red gown. She looked stunning. If Cassie ever had children, she hoped she maintained as beautiful a figure as Amy.

“You’re late,” Amy said as she gave them both a hug. “Come with me. I have many people for you to talk to. The boys will take care of Max,” she said as she grabbed Cassie’s hand and dragged her through the crowd.

Over the next couple hours, Cassie was shuffled from one group to the next. It was humbling for her to see how nice everyone was, when she would’ve thought she couldn’t possibly fit in. She felt like a reverse snob, and it didn’t feel so great. She’d make up for her earlier thoughts, by letting the world know who the Andersons truly were.