Maximum Risk (18 page)

A month later Tara and Max were holding hands in an elevator on the way up to Gio and Julia’s apartment. “Tell me again why we’re all dressed up,” Tara said playfully. Max was up to something, and one thing that Max wasn’t was subtle.

“Gio and Julia invited us over for dinner,” Max said with a smirk on his face.

Tara narrowed her eyes at him playfully. “No different than last week or the week before. You didn’t buy me a new dress for either of those visits. What’s really going on?”

The door of the elevator opened to Gio’s private hallway. “Your parents are in town, and my brothers wanted to meet them.”

Tara’s mouth dropped open. She was frozen on the spot. “And you didn’t think this was something I should know?”

He hugged her and kissed her temple. “Our families meeting was on your list of what was important to you. I knew you’d worry if you had too much time to think about it. It’s better this way.”

Reeling, Tara clung to Max absently. “I told my parents your name and that we are dating, but that’s it.”

She felt rather than heard Max’s chuckle. “I filled them in on the rest.” Tara’s eyes flew up to his. “Your dad said he was perfectly okay with you living with me as long as I understood that if I didn’t marry you, he might kill me.”

Tara laid her head down on Max’s chest. “Oh, my God.”

Max lifted her face up and kissed her lips gently again. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

Tara looked over at the closed outer door to Gio’s apartment. “My parents are really in there with your family?”

“Gio said they arrived this morning. He and Julia took them to lunch and settled them in a room at my uptown hotel. The plan was to have them back here before six. So, yes, I believe they’re in there.”

The enormity of what Max had done sunk in, and Tara went from shocked to teary. “You invited my parents.”

Max was suddenly concerned. “Don’t cry. This is good, right? You get along with them.”

Words eluded Tara. She wrapped her arms around Max’s neck and pulled his mouth down to hers. She writhed against him, using her lips, her hands, and every inch of her to express how happy he’d made her and what all that gratitude would translate into once they were alone again.

Max groaned and took control of the kiss. Their coats fell to the floor. His hands roughly caressed her through the material of her dress, driving her wild in a way only he could. Only Max could make her forget where she was. Only Max’s touch was as vital to her as the air she breathed.

“Looks like they’re here,” Julia called out loudly.

Tara and Max broke off their kiss and turned to look at her, raggedly breathing in sync. Julia held the door closely behind her to block the view from the others. She was grinning from ear to ear and pointed at the floor near their feet. “You may want to pick up your coats.” Then she put both hands on the bodice of her own dress and gave it a meaningful mock pull up while looking at Tara.

Tara adjusted the front of her dress and blushed. “We were just—”

Max bent to pick up their coats. He wasn’t bothered at all. In fact, he looked quite pleased with himself.

Julia waved a hand and laughed. “Come on in.”

Gio appeared beside Julia. He was wearing a coat and had Julia’s draped over one arm. The guarded expression on his face instantly put Tara on high alert. “There’s been a change of plans,” he said brusquely.

Max’s hand went protectively to Tara’s lower back. “What happened?”

Julia slipped into the coat Gio held out for her. “It’s no one’s fault, really. It just happened.”

Tara’s eyes rounded. “Are my parents okay?”

Still serious enough to instill some fear in Tara’s heart, Gio said, “Try to take this well. Julia and I had every intention of checking Bill and Jane into the Plaza. Maddy called and found out they were here. She told her father. Uncle Alessandro didn’t want to hear about anyone putting family up in a hotel. He sent a helicopter for them. They’re staying with him at his house just outside the city. Luke, Nick, and Rena and out there already. ”

“So my parents are staying with your uncle?” Tara asked in a shocked whisper. She thought of the enormous home she’d visited with Max and the number of his cousins who gathered there. Nothing like baptism by fire. Instead of meeting a couple Andrades, her parents were likely meeting all of them.

“Uncles. Uncle Victor was already in the States for a visit.”

Julia chirped in. “Your parents are wonderful, Tara. They fit right in. Your dad and Victor were practically choosing a wedding date for Gio and me just so they could set yours. It was adorable.”

“Adorable,” Tara echoed. She met Max’s eyes. She couldn’t tell how he felt about marriage being mentioned twice in less than ten minutes. They hadn’t even said the big three words to each other yet.

It had been a heavenly month of Tara showing Max all of her favorite places in New York City and Max flying Tara off to his favorite resorts. Tara had temporarily closed the doors of New Holmes, but she’d planned to reopen it with a new focus as soon as she and Max cooled a bit. So far, that hadn’t happened at all. Max took her along to his hotel inspections, something Tara was beginning to really enjoy. She took photographic evidence of whatever they came across—the good and the bad. Each night she and Max still made love with as much passion as their first time. He was an addiction Tara didn’t want to find a cure for. But how would he feel about sudden pressure from their families regarding marriage when a month ago the idea of dating had rendered him speechless? She searched his face, looking for a hint of how he felt.

“You don’t have to do this, Max,” Tara whispered softly.

“Do what?” he asked. The world disappeared when he looked into her eyes as if he wanted to sweep her off her feet and carry her to the nearest bed.

“Prove anything. I know you care about me,” she said, licking her bottom lip.

“I love you,” he said simply.

“You do?” Tara asked breathlessly.

He dropped the coats and gathered her back into his arms. “What do you think all of this has been about?”

The sex?
Tara thought, but didn’t say the words. She hadn’t let her heart believe it could be more. She knew her cheeks were bright red. “I thought you’d need more time. A lot more time.”

He shook his head slowly. “I was a goner the moment I set eyes on you. I didn’t know what to call it, but you shook me to the core, and I knew I’d never be the same.” He kissed her gently. “If you don’t love me, you should tell me now before we get both of our families excited.”

Tara threw her arms around his neck and went up onto her tiptoes. “Not love you? Are you crazy? I knew I wanted to be with you from the first photo I saw of you. I am totally, shamelessly, unabashedly in love with you.”

They kissed, and this time it was with a tenderness that brought it to an entirely new level. Tara was laughing and crying. Max was holding her tightly to him as if letting her go would end his life.

Gio cleared his throat loudly. “Okay, lovebirds. There is a helicopter waiting for us on the roof. You’ll have plenty of time for all that later.”

Julia sighed warmly. “Isn’t Tara just perfect for Max? They’re going to have the cutest children.”

Gio threw Max’s coat at him. “Maybe, but they’re not creating them in my hallway. Max, I’m about to get a pitcher of water.”

Tara and Max broke away from each other, laughing. Max picked Tara’s coat off the floor again, holding it out for her to put on. Next, he shrugged his own on. Even though their separation had only been for a moment, he tugged her to him and kissed one side of her neck. “Sorry. We’re ready. Besides, the sooner we go, the sooner we head back home.”

Gio said, “Piece of advice, Max? Tone that down in front of your future father-in-law.”

Max looked over at Gio. “Father-in-law. I like that.”

Gio gave Max a shove toward the elevator. “We all believe you. Now, can we go?”

Julia linked arms with Tara. “Gio sounds grumpy, but he’s so happy for you. I’m working on getting him to express his feelings better.”

As they all moved into the elevator, Max asked, “Is that why you told me you loved me, Gio? Did Julia send you over to say it?”

Gio frowned. “She thought it would help.”

Julia tucked herself beneath Gio’s arm. “And it did. Look at how much has changed since you said it.”

Tara looked up at Max with meaning, pushing him silently to take the same leap.

Max grudgingly agreed. He gave his brother a pat on the back and said, “I love you too, Gio.”

Julia sighed warmly.

Tara fought to keep in a giggle.

Gio hit the elevator button to the roof even though he’d already pressed it. He looked around and pressed it again.

Tara met Julia’s eyes, and they both bent over and gave in to their laughter. Max joined them, and then Gio. The four of them were still laughing as they made their way to the roof helipad.

***

A short time later, Tara and her parents were standing off to one side of a large room filled to the brim with Max’s family. It wasn’t Tara’s first time in the colossal mansion, filled to capacity with Andrades. As Tara was beginning to expect, every age group was well represented. Her father nodded approvingly at the crowd before them. “You picked a good family to marry into.”

With a groan, Tara said, “Dad, don’t talk like that until after Max asks me to marry him.”

Her father shrugged. “Are you sure this isn’t your engagement party? Look at how many people they invited.”

Tara glanced around and smiled. “This is pretty normal for them, Dad. They’re a huge family.”

Her mother smiled apologetically at her. “It makes me happy to see you here with all these people who care about you. We know you’ve been lonely since Dad and I moved to Florida. We miss you, but our joints don’t miss the cold. You’ll have to come down and visit us. You and Max. We’ll show you the manatees that swim right up to our dock. They have the sweetest faces. We don’t have the heart to get a boat.”

Her father said, “I’ll be happy if this means you’re done with New Holmes.”

Tara shook her head in protest. “It doesn’t mean that.” At her father’s look Tara admitted, “Although if I keep it open, the focus will change.”

“Good,” her father said. “I don’t imagine Max would agree with you putting yourself in constant danger. I know you say what you’re doing isn’t dangerous, but it is only a matter of time before you photograph someone who chooses to come after you instead of running for a lawyer.”

Tara let out a slow breath. His opinion of New Holmes was not a new subject.

The hug he gave her took Tara off guard. He said, “I didn’t know what to think of Max when he sent a private plane down to fly your mom and me up for the weekend. I didn’t expect to have anything in common with him or his family, but these are our kind of people, Tara. Even if they are too rich for their own good.”

Tara’s mouth fell open. Max had received the much coveted, but usually denied, seal of approval from her father.

Tara’s mother pointed across the room to where Max was standing with his brothers and uncles. “They’re a handsome family, too, I’ll give them that.” She cocked her head to one side and added, “Max looks an awful lot like Uncle Victor, doesn’t he? I bet Victor was the spitting image of him when he was younger.”

“You’re right, Mom. I didn’t see it before, but there’s a strong resemblance.” Max caught Tara looking at him and he smiled. Tara smiled back and waved.

“We were sorry to hear that Max’s father was gone, but it’s a shame we couldn’t meet Max’s mother,” Tara’s father said.

“She’s not feeling well,” Tara said. “And I don’t know if she’d be here even if she could be. She doesn’t get along with much of the family.”

“That’s a shame,” Tara’s mother said sincerely. “Is Max close with her?”

Tara shook her head. “It makes him sad, but no. She’s cruel to him, Mom. Please don’t mention her to him.”

Her mother nodded. “When I was younger I used to fight for every relationship I had. Friends. Family. It didn’t matter how bad it got; I had to fix it. That’s what I thought love was: never giving up. But not all relationships are healthy ones. Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is let someone go.”

Tara knew her mother was referencing her own issues with Tara’s violent, alcoholic grandfather. Tara hugged her mother. “I needed to hear that, Mom. His mother isn’t healthy right now, and I kept thinking I should urge him to visit her, but I’m not going to. Maybe not seeing her is the most loving choice he can make.”

Her father gave her a proud smile. “You’ve grown into quite a woman, Tara.”

“I had excellent role models,” Tara said lightly with a huge smile.

“That you did,” her father said seriously, then winked.

***

“You should do it together and get it over with in one shot,” Max joked after Nick prodded Gio to announce a wedding date so he and Rena could decide theirs.

Nick slapped Max on the back, almost sloshing Max’s drink out of his glass. “That’s genius.”

Luke looked across the room at Julia and Rena. “Do you really think they’d say yes to that idea? You don’t want to be the man who stands between a woman and her dream wedding.”

Nick made a face at Luke. “When I see you with the same date twice, I’ll take your relationship advice, Luke. For now, leave it to the masters.” He cracked his knuckles. “Gio, are you in?”

Gio looked doubtfully at Julia. “I have no idea. She does seem to get along well with Rena.”

“How about you, Max?” Nick nodded his chin toward Tara.

Max threw up both hands and laughed. “I haven’t even bought a ring yet.”

“Then get on it,” Nick said, half seriously. “I saw who you were dating before her.” He looked up at the ceiling with a smirk. “We may have even slept with a few of the same . . .”

Gio shook his head. “I don’t need to hear this.”

Nick waved Gio’s disgust off. “My point is: Women like Tara don’t come along every day. When you meet someone who does as much for the family as she did for us, you marry her.”