“No, me saying ‘darling’.”

“It means something to me.”

“Well, I didn’t know that,” I defended.

“Yeah, so now I’m tellin’ you.”

“Well, maybe you should tell me before you get angry at me for doing something I didn’t know you didn’t want me to do. And maybe when you get angry you’ll find a way to let me know you are without being a total jerk.”

“And maybe you’ll cut me some slack when I got a friend with a murdered husband, a dead man writin’ me notes, a sister who’s been raped and we found face down in a river, a new girlfriend whose Dad’s a dick and whose fiancé is an ass**le and both of ‘em are in town and a future that means the end of my mountain as I know it.”

“And maybe you’ll cut me some slack when I’ve broken up with my fiancé and I just found out he’s an ass**le and he’s in town and so is my dick of a Dad. Not to mention, a girl I’ve come to care about tries to commit suicide like my brother did. And, on top of all that, I’ve decided to up stakes again and move to a different country again and gamble on a man I barely know but who is annoying, impossible and can be a jerk. I’ve got to find a job and buy a big lawyer desk so people will take me seriously and my mother and Steve are so excited about all of this, they’re already planning to park their new RV beside your house and use your bathroom and kitchen!”

I ended this on a shout, so absorbed in my tirade I didn’t see his expression change. When I noticed his eyes had gone warm and his face had gentled, I saw my mistake immediately but had no time to backtrack. Max dropped my hand but wound his arm around my waist and started shuffling me back toward the bed.

“Max –”

“I knew somethin’ changed this morning.”

“Max –”

“You’re movin’ here.”

“Max –”

“You’re buyin’ a lawyer desk.”

“Max –” I stopped talking this time because I fell back to the bed and Max fell on me.

Then his mouth went to my neck.

“Get off me!” I snapped.

“Nope,” he said against my neck then his lips trailed up and his teeth nipped my ear.

I shivered.

Then I cried, “Off! We’re not done arguing.”

“We can pick it up after we celebrate,” Max said in my ear and I shivered again.

Then I pushed at his shoulders and bucked my body, neither to any avail.

“We’re not going to celebrate. I’m changing my mind. I’m only coming back to look in on Mindy, have a beer with Arlene at The Dog, stop by Bitsy’s and have a latte and do a bit of shopping. Then I’m going right back to England.”

Max’s mouth came to mine and he said, “Cotton’ll be pissed, you don’t make him a fish pie.”

“Then I’ll carve some time out for Cotton, now get off.”

He didn’t get off. He slanted his head and kissed me. I tried to turn my head away but both his hands framed my face and kept me stationary. This didn’t work so well for him, since I kept my mouth closed.

Max lifted his head and demanded, “Stop bein’ pissed, Duchess, and open your mouth for me.”

I glared at him. He grinned.

Then all of a sudden the grin died and his eyes moved over my face as his thumb stroked my cheekbone.

After he did this for awhile, he muttered his confession, “I was a dick.”

I pulled in breath, shocked not only that he admitted it but that he understood he was being one.

“Shit comes up with Curt, history, for me, for Bitsy,” Max went on and my body tensed under his for I knew some of the history and guessed the rest and wondered if now he was going to talk about it. “Normally, I can let it go. Today it was in my face and I didn’t handle it very well.”

I waited for him to say more and for awhile he didn’t, he just kept looking into my eyes. Then he did.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone I gave a shit enough about to share anything with and I’m out of practice.”

This was something, a hint, and I waited for more. This time, I didn’t get it.

Instead, his thumb drifted over my bottom lip while his eyes watched it then he dipped his head and touched his mouth to mine before lifting his head again.

His hand cupping my jaw, he whispered, “I f**ked up, baby.”

I closed my eyes and turned my head away, disappointed, no, beyond disappointed.

But at least he could admit when he was wrong. That was something.

I opened my eyes, looked at him and gave in. “Don’t worry about it, Max. It’s been…” I searched for a word and settled on, “crazy.”

He touched his lips to mine again before he pulled slightly away.

“Promise me you won’t sit in another man’s lap.” His voice was gentle but serious and I nodded.

“I think I got that.”

“And don’t call anyone ‘darling’. That’s mine.”

I swallowed, liking that he’d claimed that, and nodded again.

His forehead came to mine and he whispered, “Love it when you call me that in your accent, honey.”

My body relaxed under his and my hands went to his waist but I reminded him, “I don’t have an accent.”

I watched from close as he grinned.

“Now, Duchess, what exactly is a lawyer desk?”

I couldn’t help it, I grinned back. “Can I tell you while I make us something for dinner?”

Max lifted his head. “Yeah, dinner would be good. Then we’re gonna celebrate.”

“No, then we’re going to finish my movie.”

“Babe, that movie’s shit.”

“I know but I was kind of into it.”

He grinned again then his eyes dropped to my mouth. “I want a kiss first.”

My body relaxed even more under him and I whispered, “Okay.”

“I want your mouth open this time.”

I felt a shiver on my skin (and elsewhere) as I repeated, “Okay.”

“Give it to me, baby.”

I lifted my head and put my mouth to his and repeated yet again, “Okay.”

Then I opened my mouth and kissed him.

* * * * *

We were in the kitchen, the water was at the boil and I had the cookie sheet out as well as all the fixings for dinner.