“Hey. Whoa. Wait a minute. Who said anything about going over to my place?”
“Oh,” Maxine said, heat rising to her cheeks. Why was she always getting ahead of herself? Was it because she was in the presence of a gorgeous, prominent businessman who made her feel giddy and pleasantly disoriented?
Maxine shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Where were you thinking of taking me?”
“Away from here. We need to talk but not here.”
Maxine swallowed hard. He needed to speak with her? But not there? She grabbed her purse off the counter and held her chin up.
“Okay, I could do with a hot drink about now,” she said. The truth was, the lodge might have been an upscale motel but it had no room service and no access to a restaurant. The only close eatery was a few blocks down the road. It was dark and cool during the night. And not in the busiest places in town. Lucas was right. She needed to get away from there.
The drive out of the city was a welcome sightseeing excursion. They drove along Lakeside Drive capturing a breathtaking night view of the lake under the twilight stars. Lucas drove his BMW at the speed limit, for which Maxine was grateful. She disliked when guys tried to show off by pushing the speed limit. Another plus for Lucas, she mused with delight. He had the driver’s side window opened slightly, and the breezed rustled his dark, mousy hair.
“Are you cold?” He turned to her. “I can close the windows.” He noticed her hugging herself. But it wasn’t because she was cold.
“I’m good, thanks,” she said, sheepishly. She was in awe. She was with Lucas, alone in his car. Just the two of them driving along a long practically isolated road. And she was feeling all sorts of emotions swirl through her body. Mostly that of lust and amazement and curiosity of how the night would end.
Her eyes scanned her surroundings. Lucas kept his ride immaculate, Maxine noted with pleasure. Or, perhaps his staff kept it well. Who knew? She felt guilty for passing such judgments about him when in fact, she knew little about him outside of what she’d read about him or from little snippets from his cousin-by-marriage, Lucy.
“Very nice,” she commented.
“It gets me from point A to B.”
She grinned at him and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, it could be better, I agree. But what can you do with an old piece of metal on wheels, right?”
Lucas grinned. “You’re a cheeky one, aren’t you?” he teased her.
“So where is this mysterious place you’re taking me?”
“Just a hideout I frequent at times. It’s perfect.”
“Oh. Does it have a name?”
“The Place.”
“The Place?” She looked at him incredulously.
“There are places, Maxine, that very few people know about.”
“Oh, wait a minute,” she said, turning to him in her seat. “I’ve heard of these places. A lot of…” she was about to say rich, snobby people but caught herself. “...celebrities or public figures go there to unwind or eat in peace, right?”
“Something like that.”
Maxine’s heart leaped in her chest. She’d heard of these places for the elite few. It was usually not in a marked building so it wasn’t obvious. There was some secret code to enter or a secret password. It appeared simple on the outside but once you entered through its secure doors, it was a world in and of itself. A world of luxury beyond the imagination. Upscale everything. Menus on iPads with no listed prices. Plush, expensive seats and booths, exclusive everything. Elite staff to tend to your needs twenty-four-seven. Was he really going to take her to such a place? And to talk? Just to talk, of all things.
Excitement gushed through Maxine. She’d almost forgotten about how she’d felt a few hours ago. Lost. Alone. Helpless. Violated.
And now for some strange reason, she felt as if maybe, just maybe things would be okay for her after all.
CHAPTER TEN
Maxine’s eyes captured the beautiful surroundings of the restaurant of where Lucas took her. The place was cozy and the environment was oddly soothing. Lucas had parked outside a marble-facade building and taken the side entrance to enter their destination. Strangely enough, it was an unmarked door. It appeared that video cameras were hidden within because a voice over the intercom sounded and acknowledged him. “Good morning, Mr. Romero,” the disembodied voice offered.