Book 2:
First Date...
Max couldn’t help but stare. They were in the privacy of Christine’s office. He sat across from her desk, yet, he was as affected by her as if they were nose to nose. He’d answered every question, told her everything she wanted to know, all without looking away.
“I want to thank you for taking the time to come in and meet with us.” Christine was ending the interview.
“It was my pleasure.” He meant it.
She smiled, and for the briefest second, a hint of nervousness seemed to seep through. “I’m going to compare notes with Mr. Lexington and then we’ll give you a call.” Christine stood and escorted him to the door.
“Have dinner with me tonight,” he said.
“Excuse me?”
“You know, food, drink, pleasant conversation.” He smiled. “And maybe even a goodnight kiss.”
What the heck was wrong with him? He was on a mission, not a dating quest. But darn if he wasn’t determined to get her to agree.
“Future Bio Labs has a strict rule against supervisors and subordinates getting involved.”
“We can talk about computer programming and call it a business meeting,” he encouraged. “Besides, I don’t work for you—yet.”
Max saw the movement of her throat as she swallowed.
“Christine, I want you to hire me because I’m the right person for the job, not because I asked you to dinner.” He projected his most sincere look, even though he was pretending to be someone else. “If I get the job, I promise to do my best and respect every rule. But, until then…” He smiled encouragingly while silently pleading for two things. One he needed and the other he wanted. The first was to be hired and the second…
“Have dinner with me.”
“I…uh…” She neither agreed nor disagreed.
“I’m staying with a friend,” Max explained, “but he has a commitment this evening. I’ll be at La Rosa Roma Ristorante at seven. Surprise me.” He turned and walked out of her office.
* * *
There was a mix of hushed voices and the occasional clinking of silverware and plates against the soft melodic tune of Italian romance playing in the dim lit background. The scent of savory herbs and garlic emanated from the dinner plates on the neighboring tables, as did the glow of the candles scattered throughout. Max fingered the white linen napkin that matched the tablecloth as he waited for Christine. He stared in the direction of the doors. A wave of anticipation heightened his senses every time they opened, only to dissipate when she didn’t walk in. He gazed away, forcing himself to wait a few minutes before glancing at the entrance again. This time, his breath caught in his throat and his lips curved into a smile.
There she was, silhouetted by the low lights, glowing more beautifully than he remembered. She wore a red dress that fell to her knees. It swayed to the movement of her legs as she made her way to the table. The top, along with the sleeves, outlined her slender body. She was definitely female.
Max stood and pulled out her chair. He whispered in her ear as she sat down, the soft strands of her light brown hair tickling his lips.
“You look lovely.”
“Thank you.”
“No,” he leaned closer and inhaled her floral scent, “Thank you…for coming.”
She angled her head, her hair brushing against his cheek. Her lips parted in a half smile and it took all of his restraint not to kiss her right then. He smiled back at her before returning to his seat.
“Here, I brought you something.” He handed her a small box of caramels. He had craved the taste since he’d first seen her eyes. Mesmerized by their golden hue, he wondered—if I kiss her, would she taste as sweet as the rich, sugary candies?
It was pointless to react with emotion. As long as he worked at Future Bio Labs under the alias of Ben Garrett, there could be nothing between them. How he wished it could be Max and Christine having dinner tonight. But that wasn’t the case. Yet, it didn’t stop him from wanting to get to know her. Not his future supervisor, but the woman sitting across from him. They talked about many things during dinner, but the one thing that intrigued Max, he had yet to ask. It wasn’t until they were eating dessert—thick cake-like brownie drizzled with caramel—that he got around to asking her.
“Why were you at the on-line gaming convention?”
“My girlfriend and I were representing our pet project.” She took a sip of her champagne.
“Representing?”
“Yes. Leanne and I created our own on-line game and it’s very successful.”
“How impressive. What’s it called?” He lifted his fork to his mouth.
“Fantastic Avatar.” She went on to explain about the game. “I created a green female avatar. She’s a sexy alien who’s sassy when dealing with her adversaries.”
Max stopped in mid-chew as realization hit him full blast.
Christine was Venixa! His arch enemy in the virtual world.
Wow. Who would have thought he would meet the woman behind the avatar…the woman he had wondered about for so long. He wanted to question her further. To tell her about his avatar, Sarter. But he couldn’t. She thought he was Ben, not Max. Instead, he dampened his emotions and kept quiet as he listened to Christine go on about Fantastic Avatar, her passion evident in every word.
Max put off eating the last bite of his brownie. Finishing it would put an end to their meal, and he wanted it to go on and on. Christine had a piece left on her plate as well. Was she thinking the same thing? Seconds later, she poked the chocolate morsel with her fork and swirled it in the remainder of the caramel.
“A brownie toast.” She lifted her fork in the air.
Max also brought his fork up.
“To a wonderful evening.” She touched her piece of brownie to his and then brought it to her mouth.
Max did the same, all the time watching her as she chewed what was now his new favorite dessert.
They finished eating and Max paid the check before accompanying Christine to her car. She grabbed her keys out of her purse, but leaned against the door, instead of getting in.
“Thank you for dinner.” Her voice was soft and soothing, matching the silk radiance of her skin in the glow of the moonlight.
“I’m glad you came.” He took her hand in his. “I had a great time.”
“Me too.”
Her smile tempted him. He bent forward, almost touching his lips to hers. He knew he shouldn’t, but the desire within him was stronger. Before his mind reacted to his actions, he kissed her. Her lips were soft and smooth—so pleasant to taste. He slid his tongue between them, savoring the sensation before entering her mouth to explore further. His tongue sought hers and once tangled he tasted her true essence, a sweetness that matched the caramels in her eyes.
His body hardened and he wanted to crush her against him, but instead he caressed her head with his hands, her hair as silky to the touch as he had imagined when he first ran into her. He wanted to touch so much more of her—to taste not only her mouth but her skin as well. To experience the pleasure of being inside of her. And maybe Max would have, but he suddenly remembered he was Ben, and Ben couldn’t afford to take things to that level.
He parted his lips from her and whispered in her ear. He wished her a great night. Told her he’d be the perfect employee and then added…
“I have to go…take a cold shower.”
It took all of his strength to pull away and end the night. With a heavily pounding heart, Max opened the car for her. Christine got inside and closed the door. She gazed out the window, her chest rising and falling as she took in a breath and let it out. She spread her hand against the inside of the glass and Max did the same outside.
First Date...
Max couldn’t help but stare. They were in the privacy of Christine’s office. He sat across from her desk, yet, he was as affected by her as if they were nose to nose. He’d answered every question, told her everything she wanted to know, all without looking away.
“I want to thank you for taking the time to come in and meet with us.” Christine was ending the interview.
“It was my pleasure.” He meant it.
She smiled, and for the briefest second, a hint of nervousness seemed to seep through. “I’m going to compare notes with Mr. Lexington and then we’ll give you a call.” Christine stood and escorted him to the door.
“Have dinner with me tonight,” he said.
“Excuse me?”
“You know, food, drink, pleasant conversation.” He smiled. “And maybe even a goodnight kiss.”
What the heck was wrong with him? He was on a mission, not a dating quest. But darn if he wasn’t determined to get her to agree.
“Future Bio Labs has a strict rule against supervisors and subordinates getting involved.”
“We can talk about computer programming and call it a business meeting,” he encouraged. “Besides, I don’t work for you—yet.”
Max saw the movement of her throat as she swallowed.
“Christine, I want you to hire me because I’m the right person for the job, not because I asked you to dinner.” He projected his most sincere look, even though he was pretending to be someone else. “If I get the job, I promise to do my best and respect every rule. But, until then…” He smiled encouragingly while silently pleading for two things. One he needed and the other he wanted. The first was to be hired and the second…
“Have dinner with me.”
“I…uh…” She neither agreed nor disagreed.
“I’m staying with a friend,” Max explained, “but he has a commitment this evening. I’ll be at La Rosa Roma Ristorante at seven. Surprise me.” He turned and walked out of her office.
* * *
There was a mix of hushed voices and the occasional clinking of silverware and plates against the soft melodic tune of Italian romance playing in the dim lit background. The scent of savory herbs and garlic emanated from the dinner plates on the neighboring tables, as did the glow of the candles scattered throughout. Max fingered the white linen napkin that matched the tablecloth as he waited for Christine. He stared in the direction of the doors. A wave of anticipation heightened his senses every time they opened, only to dissipate when she didn’t walk in. He gazed away, forcing himself to wait a few minutes before glancing at the entrance again. This time, his breath caught in his throat and his lips curved into a smile.
There she was, silhouetted by the low lights, glowing more beautifully than he remembered. She wore a red dress that fell to her knees. It swayed to the movement of her legs as she made her way to the table. The top, along with the sleeves, outlined her slender body. She was definitely female.
Max stood and pulled out her chair. He whispered in her ear as she sat down, the soft strands of her light brown hair tickling his lips.
“You look lovely.”
“Thank you.”
“No,” he leaned closer and inhaled her floral scent, “Thank you…for coming.”
She angled her head, her hair brushing against his cheek. Her lips parted in a half smile and it took all of his restraint not to kiss her right then. He smiled back at her before returning to his seat.
“Here, I brought you something.” He handed her a small box of caramels. He had craved the taste since he’d first seen her eyes. Mesmerized by their golden hue, he wondered—if I kiss her, would she taste as sweet as the rich, sugary candies?
It was pointless to react with emotion. As long as he worked at Future Bio Labs under the alias of Ben Garrett, there could be nothing between them. How he wished it could be Max and Christine having dinner tonight. But that wasn’t the case. Yet, it didn’t stop him from wanting to get to know her. Not his future supervisor, but the woman sitting across from him. They talked about many things during dinner, but the one thing that intrigued Max, he had yet to ask. It wasn’t until they were eating dessert—thick cake-like brownie drizzled with caramel—that he got around to asking her.
“Why were you at the on-line gaming convention?”
“My girlfriend and I were representing our pet project.” She took a sip of her champagne.
“Representing?”
“Yes. Leanne and I created our own on-line game and it’s very successful.”
“How impressive. What’s it called?” He lifted his fork to his mouth.
“Fantastic Avatar.” She went on to explain about the game. “I created a green female avatar. She’s a sexy alien who’s sassy when dealing with her adversaries.”
Max stopped in mid-chew as realization hit him full blast.
Christine was Venixa! His arch enemy in the virtual world.
Wow. Who would have thought he would meet the woman behind the avatar…the woman he had wondered about for so long. He wanted to question her further. To tell her about his avatar, Sarter. But he couldn’t. She thought he was Ben, not Max. Instead, he dampened his emotions and kept quiet as he listened to Christine go on about Fantastic Avatar, her passion evident in every word.
Max put off eating the last bite of his brownie. Finishing it would put an end to their meal, and he wanted it to go on and on. Christine had a piece left on her plate as well. Was she thinking the same thing? Seconds later, she poked the chocolate morsel with her fork and swirled it in the remainder of the caramel.
“A brownie toast.” She lifted her fork in the air.
Max also brought his fork up.
“To a wonderful evening.” She touched her piece of brownie to his and then brought it to her mouth.
Max did the same, all the time watching her as she chewed what was now his new favorite dessert.
They finished eating and Max paid the check before accompanying Christine to her car. She grabbed her keys out of her purse, but leaned against the door, instead of getting in.
“Thank you for dinner.” Her voice was soft and soothing, matching the silk radiance of her skin in the glow of the moonlight.
“I’m glad you came.” He took her hand in his. “I had a great time.”
“Me too.”
Her smile tempted him. He bent forward, almost touching his lips to hers. He knew he shouldn’t, but the desire within him was stronger. Before his mind reacted to his actions, he kissed her. Her lips were soft and smooth—so pleasant to taste. He slid his tongue between them, savoring the sensation before entering her mouth to explore further. His tongue sought hers and once tangled he tasted her true essence, a sweetness that matched the caramels in her eyes.
His body hardened and he wanted to crush her against him, but instead he caressed her head with his hands, her hair as silky to the touch as he had imagined when he first ran into her. He wanted to touch so much more of her—to taste not only her mouth but her skin as well. To experience the pleasure of being inside of her. And maybe Max would have, but he suddenly remembered he was Ben, and Ben couldn’t afford to take things to that level.
He parted his lips from her and whispered in her ear. He wished her a great night. Told her he’d be the perfect employee and then added…
“I have to go…take a cold shower.”
It took all of his strength to pull away and end the night. With a heavily pounding heart, Max opened the car for her. Christine got inside and closed the door. She gazed out the window, her chest rising and falling as she took in a breath and let it out. She spread her hand against the inside of the glass and Max did the same outside.