So Much Trouble When She Walked In (5 page)

To
her relief, it worked.  Raising a hand, he waved it in the direction of the
massive structure.  “We broke ground over eight months ago,” he said, his voice
tinged with pride, “long before I moved to Cupertino.  I got tired of flying in
from New York to check on the progress so I decided to set up a home here.”

She
glanced over at him.  They were right inside the entrance now and he’d slowed
to a halt.  “But why Cupertino?  Why leave New York to come all the way here?”

He
shrugged.  “My brother.  He runs a software engineering firm here and I’ve been
visiting for years.  When I mentioned wanting to get into the auto racing
business he was the one who suggested I set up shop here.”  He smiled.  “I
guess it helps that I kinda like the place.”

Silken
nodded.  "The place is teeming with young professionals so Suave and I
thought it would be the perfect place to start our business.”  She cocked her
head to one side so she could look up at him.  “Just like you.”

“Great
minds think alike.”  That was what he said, but from the look in his eyes she
had a feeling it wasn’t her mind he was thinking about.  But then he jerked his
head toward the open field ahead.  “Time for the grand tour,” he said and set
off ahead of her.

To
say that Silken was impressed was an understatement.  Although not yet
completed, the latest NASCAR racetrack was stunning in its colossal size.  She
felt like an insignificant speck of dust in the vast open space before her, a
gigantic oval-shaped stadium with a tilted racetrack in the middle.

“Wow,”
she whispered as her eyes roamed the field, the track and the stands
surrounding the racing area.  “This is huge.”

“Not
by international standards,” Max pointed out as he gazed at his handiwork. 
“You’re looking at a capacity of about sixty thousand.  Compared to Daytona and
Indianapolis, this is nothing.  But it’s good,” he said, nodding, “good enough
for Cupertino.”

“Good
enough for me,” Silken said emphatically.  She wanted to be among the first to
try out this new racetrack.  “When will it be open for business?”

“It
still needs a couple more months of work and my team is finalizing all the
necessary paperwork, then we’ll be good to go.”

“Great. 
I’ll be front of the line for a ticket.”

“For
you,” he said, giving her a slow smile, “tickets will be no problem.”

Despite
herself, Silken blushed a rosy pink.  She didn’t need a mirror to tell her
that.  She could feel the heat rise in her face and she ducked her head,
embarrassed.  And all he’d done was offer her tickets.  What the beeswax was
wrong with her?

But
she knew what was wrong and it was Max’s fault.  She knew it and he knew it. 
It was the way he said things, slow and sexy and seductive so no matter how
innocent the comment, it came out like an invitation to join him in the
bedroom.  Damn the man.

Her
skin prickling with awareness, she tore her gaze away from his and turning
away, she drew in a surreptitious breath.
 Don’t let him get under your
skin, Silken.  You’re in control.  As alway
s.

She
began to walk toward the exit.  “This is really great,” she said over her
shoulder, “but we’d better head back now.  I promised Suave that I wouldn’t be
long.”

Max
strode toward her and, with his long legs, within seconds he was by her side. 
“The sister I’m supposed to be meeting this afternoon, per your orders.”

“Oh,
yeah,” she said, giving him an apologetic grin.  “Sorry I didn’t ask you
first.  I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“I
don’t mind at all,” he said in a fake British accent that made her laugh.

The
mood lightened, she took the hand he stretched out to her, accepting his help
as they made their way along the uneven section of the pathway.  As they headed
back to the car, Silken had the tiniest of smiles on her lips.  She liked this
playful side of Maximillian Davidoff.  This, she could handle…a whole lot
easier than when he was being seductive.

Because,
as weird as it was, she was beginning to like this man – sort of – even though
she hardly even knew him.  On an impulse she’d gone and arranged for him to
meet her sister which meant she was a tad bit more than curious about him.

And
based on his response she would say he was a tad bit curious about her, too.

This
could be interesting… 

***

Silken
was a fast driver.  No matter that all she was driving was a staid-looking
Volvo sedan, she was eating up the highway, nearly leaving him in the dust. 
Max had driven her back to his office where she’d hopped into her car and told
him to follow her.  He’d thought she would be put-putting along but no such
thing.  This girl needed a NASCAR racetrack of her own.

Twenty
minutes later they were pulling into a yard where at least half a dozen cars
were parked, some with their hoods open.  As Max drove further in he realized
they were at an auto repair shop.  She hadn’t told him she needed to drop off
her car but he didn’t have a problem with that.  He didn’t mind giving her a
ride to her office.  Heck, he would love it.  This girl was growing on him real
fast.

She
pulled the Volvo into an empty parking space then waved him over to park beside
her.  She hopped out of her car and walked over to stand by his door.  “Slowpoke,”
she teased, grinning down at him.

He
cocked an eyebrow at her.  “You surprised me,” he said and he meant it.  “For
someone driving a Volvo I definitely didn’t expect you to tear up the road like
that.  Do you always drive that fast or were you showing off?”

“Oh,
that’s my sister’s car,” she said with a toss of her head.  “I drive a Corvette
but the guys were working on it this morning.  And yes, I always drive that
fast.”  Then she gave him an impudent look.  “Think I can give Danica Patrick a
run for her money?”

That
made him laugh.  “You want to test a world class NASCAR champion?  You’re
nothing, if not ambitious."

She
laughed, too.  “No taxes on dreaming, right?”  Then she stepped back and tilted
her chin toward the tiny building with the sign that read ‘Steady Auto At Your
Service’.  “Come on,” she said.  “Let’s go see what Suave’s up to.”

He’d
opened the door and was hauling himself out of the convertible when her words
made him frown.  He looked at the building then back at her.  “This is the
business you were telling me about?  The one you and your sister set up?”

“Yup. 
So if you ever need auto service in Cupertino, you know where to come.”

“An
auto shop?”  He looked around.  “What do you know about…” he began then he
stopped himself, realizing how patronizing he was sounding.  That was not the
kind of question to ask a woman, not in the twenty-first century.  And
definitely not a woman like the one standing in front of him, her face
beginning to show just a hint of annoyance.  “That’s pretty cool,” he said
smoothly, taking his eyes off her to look around the yard.  That was when he
noticed the two men at the far end of the lot with their heads and half their
bodies stuck under the hood of a Land Rover SUV.  “Your staff?” he asked, more
as a way of diverting her attention from his blunder than anything else.

“Yeah,”
she said, her face clearing.  “That’s Bill and Keith.  They’ve been with us
since we opened shop.”  She started walking toward the building, leaving him to
follow.  “The guys and I,” she said as she led the way, “we’re a team.  Rain or
shine, we’re out here working on cars.  Suave, she keeps everything else
running smoothly, handling the paperwork, the advertising, client calls, that
sort of thing.  Me, I like to be outside in the thick of things.”

That,
Max could believe.  Silken didn’t strike him as the bookish type.  She had
‘tomboy’ stamped all over her and that building they called their office would
certainly not contain her.  He could tell.  Silken, a demure office flower?  Not
happening.

When
they got to the building he held the glass door open for her and she stepped
in.

“Hey,
Suave,” Silken called out.  “I’m here and I’ve got a visitor.”

As
Max stepped in behind her he heard a rustling of papers and from behind a door
at the back of the room came another Silken.  The woman standing in front of
them looked so much like the one with whom he’d just spent the afternoon that
he blinked.  No matter that he’d been told that Silken had a twin, it was still
a heck of a shock.  How did they even tell each other apart?

The
new Silken – or rather, Suave – heaved a sigh and her face broke into a smile. 
“Finally.  You’re here.  I was beginning to get worried.”

“What
for?”  With a toss of her head Silken dismissed her sister’s concern.  “I’m
always careful.  You know that.”

Suave
didn’t answer but the roll of her eyes told Max that Silken’s statement left
quite a bit of doubt on the table.  Then she turned her attention to him and it
was only then that he began to see the difference between the two women.  The
eyes had the same color and also the same shape but where Silken’s eyes flashed
with a bold impertinence, Suave’s glance was gentle and calm and serene.  There
was no liquid fire in her eyes, just a friendliness that made you relax in her
presence.

“Hello,”
she said as she shifted the papers to her left hand.  “Pleased to meet you, Mr.
Davidoff.”  She walked up to him, a soft smile on her lips, and held out her
hand.

He
took it and it was soft and warm in his.  “Good to meet you, too, Ms…”

“McCullen. 
But call me Suave.”

When
he released her hand she turned to look at her sister.  “And I hope Silken
apologized for the…misunderstanding…the other day?”  She glanced back at him.  “She
did apologize, didn’t she?”

He
didn’t even get a chance to respond.

“Of
course I did,” Silken gave Suave a look of exasperation.  “Don’t you trust me?”

He
noticed that Suave didn’t answer that.  Instead, she turned her attention back
to him and on her face was a pained look.  “We really are sorry,” she said, her
voice tinged with regret.  “I know you must have been…terribly embarrassed and
I feel so bad about it.”  Then she looked at Silken again and this time she
gave her a stern, almost impatient look.  “And please forgive Silken for her
irrational behavior.  The remnant of her childhood ADHD.”

“Suave.” 
Silken opened her eyes wide.  “You didn’t have to tell him that.”

“Yes,
Silken, I did.  How else would he understand your impulsive actions?”  Then she
heaved a sigh of obvious frustration.  “I’m sorry, Silky, but when is this
going to stop?”  She shook her head but said nothing further.

Silken
answered that with a roll of her eyes as if she’d heard that story a thousand
times.  She didn’t look the least bit perturbed by her sister’s frustration.

Max
had to fight to keep his face serious.  These sisters were a trip and if anyone
had to choose between the two it was pretty obvious which would be the sane
choice.  Although Silken kept harping on being the older of the two, he could
see that Suave had the more mature personality.  She was calm and collected and
she seemed very patient, a striking contrast to the sister who had brought him
here.  If steady and sure was what you were looking for, Suave was it.

But,
ironic though it might be, Silken’s defiance was like a magnet.  All this
trouble with the twins must have driven him insane, but where Silken was
concerned it was a long time since he’d felt this level of attraction to a
woman he hardly even knew.

His
thoughts were halted when Suave walked over to take Silken’s hand.  “I’m sorry
I said that,” she said, her voice soft and her look earnest.  “I just wanted
Mr. Davidoff to understand you and not judge you.”

“I
understand Silken fine.”  Max gave them a crooked smile.  “She just needs to be
taken in hand by the right person.”

Just
like he knew it would, that brought a flash of fire to Silken’s eyes.  She
turned to stare up at him.  “Oh, really?  And who would that ‘right person’
be?” 

Max
took a step closer and looked down at her, his eyes holding hers captive.

“That
‘right person’,” he said, his voice cool and matter-of-fact, “would be me.”

CHAPTER
FIVE

Silken
stifled a sigh as she watched Suave peering at the laptop screen.  Her sister
had been at it for almost an hour already and she was still there, scrolling
through name after name and still coming up with nothing.  After five more
minutes Silken had had enough.  “Give up, will you?  You’re never going to find
her.”

“Oh,
stop grumbling over there.”  Suave waved her off.  “I’m the one killing my eyes
with this everlasting search and you don’t hear me complaining.”

“Well,
at least let me get you a cup of tea.”  Silken slid off the sofa and padded
across the living room.

“Thank
you,” Suave called after her.

“You’re
welcome.”

In
the kitchen Silken plugged in the electric kettle and pulled two cups from the
cupboard.  What they needed was some hot ginger tea to wake them up.  It would
be another long night of searching.

In
another few minutes she would throw Suave off the computer and then she’d be
the one scrolling through reams of records and information, trying to find
their mystery woman.  It was like searching for one special grain of sand on a
mile-long beach.  Winning the Lotto jackpot would be easier.  Sometimes she
didn’t even know why they kept on trying.  But they did, night after night.

She
was on her way back to the living room, tray in hand, when she heard Suave’s
squeal.

 “Silken,
come quick.  I found something.”

Silken’s
heart leaped and she tried to hurry, but it was hard with two steaming cups of
tea balanced on a tray.  When she got to the room she saw that Suave had hopped
up from her chair and was standing there, her eyes glued to the computer
screen, flashing her hands in her excitement.  “This is it, Silken.  This is
it.”  Her voice was a high-pitched squeak.