His private bath now smelled of cucumber, melon, and fresh soap. His razor had been moved from the cabinet and was replaced by bottles of lotion and creams. As he made his way down the spiral staircase and into the living room, he noticed a few celebrity magazines lying on the sofa next to an array of romance novels with sexy covers. Max scooped one up to move it into the bookcase, but decided to peek. After he read the scene, he wondered why his face felt suddenly hot. He quickly shelved it and walked into the culinary kitchen.
Empty, except for the spill of bread crumbs on the white granite counter like a little mouse. He followed the trail down the hall and toward the back. She had claimed the sunroom as her new workspace and seemed to spend endless hours here. Max tapped on the door and opened it.
She stood in the spill of light in the center of the room, staring at a blank canvas. He rarely used the space other than for storage, but she descended in a whirl of organization. Boxes disappeared, shaded blinds were ripped down, and the wallpaper torn off. Now, new life breathed into an artist’s haven with sun streaming through the bay windows and onto rich peachy walls, and endless storage shelves filled with supplies. He’d hooked up the music system, and Beyoncé ground out sexy lyrics at high volume.
Carina’s fingers gripped a paintbrush dipped in moss green, and her smock already held touches of color and the smear of charcoal. Basic sketches filled the walls with a variety of figures, and she’d tried her hand at a landscape that she abandoned halfway through. Her hair was pinned up on her head in a messy tangle. She pursed her lips in concentration, seeing something not there yet, an image she wanted to reveal, and Max was fascinated by this woman he’d never glimpsed before. Rocky lay in a pool of sunshine by the window, snoring away. Man’s best friend had quickly gone to the dark side. Her animal whisperer tendencies hypnotized the dog completely, and he followed her faithfully from room to room, confirming his new number one choice.
In a matter of two weeks, she’d upended his life. She was a bit messy with her clutter. She left the cap off the toothpaste, her shoes kicked off by the door, and never seemed to reach the hamper with her dunk shot.
He discovered she shared his passion for forensic crime dramas and the occasional trashy reality disaster. Sometimes they’d sit together with Rocky beside them, drink wine, and watch television in blissful silence. The four-star meals he loved to experiment with finally had another participant, and he noticed more pleasure in creating dishes for her.
Of course, he kept waiting for panic to hit with the knowledge that his old life was over and he was tied down to one woman forever. He figured he’d experience feelings of anger, resentment, or pure terror. But since that disastrous honeymoon night when she threw back his words in fury, he’d kept his distance. They reached a tentative truce and treated each other with the utmost politeness and respect. Max told himself he was relieved she wasn’t pushing him into false intimacies. He never expected her to be so resentful of the marriage, either. She didn’t need him anymore in any type of capacity, obvious in her sudden focus on finding out if she wanted to continue working at La Dolce Maggie. She hadn’t mentioned it lately, and since there’d been no major mishaps, maybe Carina decided to stick it out.
“Carina?”
She spun around and his heart caught. With her hair loose and messy around her shoulders, a streak of charcoal on her cheek, and her smock splattered with paint, she looked different from her normal work self. Her cutoff shorts exposed a length of tanned leg, and cherry red toenails flashed on her bare feet. She scowled at him. “What?”
He shifted his feet and suddenly felt like a teenage boy. “What are you working on?”
“Not sure.” She crinkled her nose in that cute manner he began to spot. “My usual stuff isn’t satisfying. I feel as if I’m reaching for something more, but I’m not sure what it is yet.”
“You’ll get there.”
“Eventually.” She paused. “Did you want something?”
Christ, why did he feel like an idiot? Chasing after his own wife for some type of interaction. Max cleared his throat. “I’m making dinner. Thought you might want to take a break.”
“Will you save me a plate, please? Can’t stop now.”
“Sure. Don’t work too hard.”
“Hmm.”
Her absent sound and dismissal pissed him off. Why did she get to be cranky about being forced into marriage? He’d sacrificed his life, too. “Are you ready for our opening in two weeks? You’ve done a good job prepping for it. Might have to work late for the next few days.”
As if realizing she forgot to tell him something unimportant, she cut a hand through the air. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. I’m quitting.”
He rocked back on his heels. “What?”
She pushed a hand through her curls and a flash of red paint speared random strands. “Sorry, I meant to tell you earlier. It’s just not working for me any longer. I’ll speak with Michael tomorrow. I’ll stay as long as you need until you get a worthy assistant.”
Shock held him motionless. When had she decided this? Since they arrived home from Vegas, she’d continued to work at the office, but had cut back her hours. She completed her work to full capacity, but he knew her usual enthusiasm had diminished. His insides lurched at the idea of not seeing her in the office, but combined with a sense of pride. The image of their night together mocked him. Naked and in his arms, she confessed her emotions in a way that made him feel treasured. Now, she made her own decisions without a thought. A deep longing washed through him but he didn’t know what to do about it. “What are you going to do instead?”
Carina grinned, her eyes lit with excitement. “I’m going to work in Alexa’s store, BookCrazy.”
“Interesting. I knew Alexa needed help with the second baby coming, but had no clue you’d even been to the bookstore.”
“I stopped by early in the week to give her some help. Her accountant sucks and really screwed things up. I told her I’d take a look at her financials, but after working a few hours, I realized I love the place.”
A smile curved his lips at her enthusiasm. She consistently surprised him with her ability to move from controlled executive to an openhearted woman full of life and love. “I’m not surprised. Bookstores are the perfect blend of business and creativity.”
“Exactly! I’m going to train with her for the next few weeks and give it a trial run.”
Pride burst through him. “You’ll rock it like you do everything else.”
“Thank you.”
They stared at each other. He wanted to close the distance between them—both physically and emotionally. After all, they were married for the long haul. Their connection during sex was earth-shattering. Why should they deny that part of their relationship?
Sensual awareness zinged to life, and she dragged in a breath. The tension twisted and he grew rock hard and ready to roll. The idea of tumbling her on top of that work desk and sinking into her wet heat made him want to stomp and snort like a stallion. He took a step forward, his eyes darkening with promise.
She turned her back on him. “Thanks for checking on me. Back to work.”
Max smothered a curse at her obvious dismissal. How long was this going to last? Would she punish both of them because of a forced marriage? Perhaps he needed to show her what she was missing, how right they were for each other in bed.
Perhaps, it was time to seduce his wife.
He waited but she had already moved on and attacked the blankness with a few sharp strokes. He left her in the sunlight, alone, and wondered what he was going to do.
• • •
What was she missing?
Carina peered at the image in front of her. Technically, the shadowing and structure were solid, but the unknown element was missing. The It factor.
She rotated her neck in tiny circles and glanced around. What time was it? The sun was long gone, and the last time Max checked on her had been around dinnertime. Her watch confirmed she’d been painting for several hours.
Frustration nibbled on the edge of her nerves. It was hard plunging into the craft after several years of no practice. Her painting had been something she had had no time for once she committed to business school and had hoped a solid career path would still the inner voices that screamed for her to create.
Nope. The voices were back—big-time. But now her skills were rusty and her usual profiles were flat. The art class she’d finally signed up for helped reconnect with the basics needed to springboard off of. Between her new job at BookCrazy and her art, her life finally seemed to turn in the right direction. About time.
Except for her marriage mistake.
The memory of Max in her workroom burned behind her lids. All casual sexiness and steam concentrated full force. She’d barely been able to turn around, but dismissal was crucial. If he believed she was his sweet little pup ready to beg at the first crook of his finger, he’d learn the truth. Chasing him her whole life was exhausting. Time to regain her foundation and decide how she wanted to navigate this relationship—this time on her terms.
Carina sighed and looked down at herself. Yuck. A complete mess. Rocky lifted his head from his long hours of sleep and yawned. She laughed and dropped to her knees to pet him, scratching his upper belly till she hit the sweet spot and his leg began to thump in doggy ecstasy.
“I think I’m jealous of my dog.”
She looked up. Mr. Hotness lounged in the doorway with a jar in his hands. Worn Levi’s rode low on his hips, and a simple white T-shirt stretched across his broad chest. His feet were bare.
Her body slammed to full alert, ready to play. She gazed at him with suspicion. “Rocky will always be number one. What’s that?”
A wicked gleam danced in his eyes. Her heart sped up. “You worked through dinner. Thought I’d bring you a treat to raise your blood sugar.”
“How considerate.”
“Isn’t it? Wanna taste?”
She glared at the jar, then back at him. “What is it?”
“Chocolate.”
The word slid from his mouth like hot fudge. Her stomach dipped. He shifted his hips and that hot gaze traveled from her head to the tip of her naked toes. Carina tried to clear her throat, but her saliva had dried up. The man should be illegal. She forced the words out. “Not hungry.”
“Liar.”
Her temper flared. “I’m not playing these games with you, Max. Why don’t you trot along and do what you do best? Go save someone who needs it.”
“Don’t want anyone else.”
The words seared and burned like flame. She flung her head up and grit her teeth. “Then what do you want?”
“You. Now. Take off your clothes.”
Carina froze. “What?” Like a predator, he closed in with a lazy grace and a careful eye. She clenched her fingers into fists and struggled for breath. He stopped in front of her. Pulses of energy shot at her, demanding she listen. Something inside her rose and cried out to obey. Holy crap, why did him ordering her around get her so hot? And why did she want to obey so badly?