She had but a moment to wait. Max opened the door and stood holding the edge, his gaze stroking up and down her body like he was memorizing her-or reacquainting himself with her.

Some of her courage died when she realized the close quarters they would be conducting their conversation in.

"Come in," he said quietly.

She shook her head and his eyebrow went up in surprise. No, he wasn't used to her saying no. When had she refused him anything?

The ache was back in her throat and she swallowed desperately against it.

"I think we should go somewhere public."

"You want what we have to say aired in front of others?"

"We can be in public and still have a private place," she said with a frown.

His hand tightened on the wood of the door and he cursed under his breath. "Do you think I'd hurt you? Do you honest to God think I'd ever hurt you?"

She shrugged. "You've already hurt me."

His breath hissed through his lips, and she saw some of his composure slip as fury brewed in his eyes. "Physically, Callie. Physically."

She wouldn't lie. "No. I don't think you'd hurt me. That's not what this is about. I just don't think a hotel room is the best place for us to talk about anything."

His eyes narrowed and then gleamed with quick understanding. "It isn't me you're afraid of, is it? It's yourself."

"Leave me my pride, at least," she whispered. "When have I ever been able to resist you? You know it. I know it. There's no reason for you to be so smug about it."

"Goddamn it," he swore. He swung the door open and gestured inside. "I won't touch you if you don't want me to. You have my word on that. It's your pride I'm trying to salvage by having this conversation in private. I don't really give a damn if people know how I feel about you. But I'd never humiliate you by airing our business in public."

Feeling chastened, she stepped inside his room and edged over toward the one chair by the desk. She didn't want to be anywhere near his bed. It was unmade and the indention from where he'd slept was still outlined in the mattress and on the pillow. She'd bet anything his scent still lingered.

He sat on the edge and faced her, his eyes still glittering. For a long moment he simply stared at her. Then shadows crept over his face. "I've missed you."

She flinched and turned her face away, determined not to break down in front of him.

"Look at me, Callie."

The soft command in his voice was her undoing. It brought back too many nights where he'd commanded her over and over. She turned back to see answering grief in his eyes and it left her feeling unsettled.

"I need to explain why I left you in Greece."

She sucked in her breath and waited silently. It didn't really matter why he left. What mattered was why he'd never come back. Why he hadn't called. Why he'd done nothing to make her think any differently than he'd dumped her flat.

"My mother had been ill for quite some time. Even though she was ill, none of us expected her to have such a dramatic turn for the worse. She should have had years yet. She didn't."

Callie remained silent, unsure of what she was supposed to say. So she said nothing at all.

"My sister tracked me down in Greece. It was the first time I've ever purposely been out of contact with my family, or my business for that matter. I wanted nothing to intrude on my time with you.

"She told me I needed to come home...to say goodbye. My mother was dying and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. I went home and held my sister while our mother slipped away from us."

"I'm sorry," Callie said, not knowing what else to offer.

"I know I hurt you, Callie," he said quietly, pain echoing in his voice.

She curled her fingers into tight fists. "You couldn't tell me any of this then? What was so wrong with telling me why you had to go home? Did you think I wouldn't understand?"

He shook his head. "No, I never thought something so badly of you. I knew if I told you that you'd want to come with me."

His answer shocked her into silence and she stared at him as hurt crashed through her all over again.

"Damn it, Callie, don't look at me like that."

"Like what? Like it sounded like you had no desire for me to meet your family? What was wrong, Max? It's okay to fuck me all over Europe but heaven forbid your family is exposed to me?"

His eyes warned her she was going too far, but she continued on recklessly, her anguish blinding her to all else.

"I loved you, Max. I thought you loved me. Of course I would have wanted to go back with you. I would have wanted to be with you, to support you during such a horrible time. That's what love is all about."

She shuddered violently and clutched her arms over her chest as she hugged herself against so much hurt.

"I waited," she said painfully. "I waited for a month. I wouldn't go anywhere because I was afraid you'd come back and I'd be gone. I wouldn't let myself believe that you'd dumped me after all we shared. After I trusted you."

Max rubbed a hand over his face and closed his eyes.

"I finally had no choice but to leave because I was out of money. You never called. You knew where I was and you never even so much as called to say what happened. To tell me you weren't coming."

"I was wrong," he said softly. "I was grief-stricken. My sister was inconsolable. We're the only family each other has. It took time to see to my mother's affairs. There were matters to settle. I had to ensure my sister's well-being. I knew I would never let you go. I knew that once I was able, I'd track you down no matter how long it took."

"Well, here I am," she said, spreading her arms, her hands palms-up. "As you can see, I'm fine. Your duty is done. You can leave now."

"You're not fine. Any fool can see that. You've lost weight. You have bruises under your eyes."

She shrugged. "I've moved on. I appreciate you coming all this way to let me know you didn't really mean to dump me and that you never gave me a thought during your haze of grief."

"That was cruel even given the circumstances," he bit out.

She raised her gaze to his and did nothing to shield her emotions from him. It wasn't like he couldn't see inside her. He'd always been able to see to the very heart of her.

"Cruel? If you loved me, Max, you would have at least sent a goddamn message. Five seconds. You can't tell me you couldn't tear yourself away from your sister and your mother's affairs for five seconds! I would have understood. I would have waited, no matter how long it took."

"I didn't want you to wait. I needed time to think!"

"Ah, now we get to the truth," she said scornfully. "You had cold feet. You jumped. I jumped. And it was too fast and you got scared."

His eyes blazed and anger rolled from him in waves. "You don't have the market cornered on hurt, Callie. Yes, goddamn it. We moved way too fast. We burned each other up. I've never had a relationship that was as volatile and as passionate as ours. I worried I pushed you too hard, too far, too fast. You're young. I'm older than you. I needed time to sort a hell of a lot out, including us."

"Then you should have had the decency to at least tell me that over the phone," she said softly. "Because from where I stand, you took the coward's way out."

"Look at me and tell me you were certain about us. Tell me you had no doubts and that you were prepared to submit to me for the long-term."

She met his gaze and calm descended. She no longer shook. In a clear, steady voice, she said, "I had no doubts. I would have come back with you. I would have stayed. I would have done anything you wanted."

His eyes clouded and his hands curled and uncurled. He dragged a hand through his dark hair and she noted that his fingers shook. His reaction surprised her. He was always so cool and in control. He was a deeply passionate man, but not much shook him except the two of them when they came together. They were explosive, and yes, as he'd said, volatile.

"I made a mistake, Callie. But I'll be goddamned if both of us suffer the rest of our lives for it. I don't give a damn that you think you're over me or that you're moving on. I'm not over you and I'm damn sure not moving on."

He stared straight into her eyes, his face lined with ruthless determination. "Get used to seeing me, Callie. Because I'm not going anywhere until matters are settled between us. To my satisfaction. And to my satisfaction means you back in my bed where you damn well belong."

Chapter Six

"You honest to God think I'm going to fall back into bed with you just because you arrive with some legitimate excuse for breaking my heart? Yeah, it sounds ridiculous and cheesy. But the truth is you destroyed something inside me, Max. I'm not sure you're the one to fix it."

He pressed in close and grasped her shoulders in his strong hands. "I'm the only damn one who can fix it, Callie. Me. No one else. You gave yourself to me. Well, I'm not letting you take yourself back. You're mine. I won't let you go. I can't let you go."

She stared helplessly at him, unsure of what she was supposed to do or say. She was still angry. She wasn't ready to let go of that anger, because the alternative was more grief.

"You trusted me once," he said in frustration. "You'll trust me again. As long as it takes, you'll trust me."

Her eyes narrowed and she turned her head to the side. "What are you saying? Are you moving to Clyde? Taking up residence here? Because this is my home. This is my sanctuary, my refuge. I don't want you here."

He pulled her in close until her body was flush against his and his heat seeped into her until he surrounded her like a blanket.

"I was your refuge. I was your sanctuary. I will be again. I'm staying here as long as it takes. I'm not shy. I have no problem going after something I want. Just be prepared to see me. A lot."

"You sound like a damn stalker," she said in disgust.

His nostrils flared in distaste. "Stalking, Callie? Really? Is that what you've lowered me to now? I'm here because I'm not letting you go. If that makes me a stalker then I'll have to deal. I'm just warning you. Plan to see a lot of me from now on."

With that, he grasped her nape and held her as his mouth closed over hers. It wasn't a gentle kiss a man might give his lover in apology. No, Max had already done what little groveling he planned to do. It wasn't in his nature to pull back. Never during sex. Never with kissing or touching. He was demanding and strong. Always pushing, testing those limits and pulling back at just the right time.

His taste burst into her mouth. She'd missed this. God, she missed him. His tongue stroked knowingly over hers, warm and slightly rough as he explored her tender mouth.

Her body came alive, responding instantly to his touch. Recognition of a lost mate.

He was a wall, hard, protecting, and her soft curves melted against him as he pulled her more firmly into his arms. No escape. He forced her to acknowledge him and the all-consuming passion between them.

Raw. Carnal. They'd always been a combustible force. It was one she didn't understand. The attraction between them bewildered her in its intensity. She'd been with other men. She'd kissed them. Flirted. Felt the easy flare of attraction. But with Max, she found herself powerless to deny the fire that burned between them.

Even worse than the tide of arousal unfurling deep within her was the fierce ache that bloomed in her heart and spread with frightening intensity. Grief. Regret. So much regret.

She slid her hands between them, intent on pushing him away, but the moment she felt the ripple of muscles across her fingers, her touch became seeking.

He fed delicately at her mouth. Demanding and yet tender. His tongue swept over her lips, as though he were determined to taste every part of her.

His grip tightened at her nape and he angled in sharper, holding her as he ran his other hand up her side to cup her breast. His thumb brushed across one sensitive peak through the thin material of her T-shirt and she went still.

She pushed hard and stumbled away, her knees shaking so badly it was a wonder she didn't go down. She wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand as if such a gesture could possibly erase his imprint.

Months of separation hadn't begun to erase his mark on her. One ineffectual wipe of her hand certainly wouldn't do it now.

"Look at me and tell me we're done," he bit out. "Look me in the eye, Callie. Tell me you want me gone. That you never want to see me again."

Tears flooded her eyes and she stood, so starkly vulnerable, so wasted before him.

He swore softly and moved toward her again. This time he carefully took her into his arms and simply hugged her to his tall frame. He pressed her head to his chest and held her there as he rubbed his hand up and down her back.

"I asked you to look at me," he whispered. "But never like that, Callie, love. Never like that, with so much hurt in your eyes that it makes my teeth ache. I put it there, I know, but give me a chance to take it away. It's all I'm asking. Give us a chance."

She closed her eyes and melted into him. He backed toward the bed and sat, taking her with him, enfolding her in his embrace until she was curled onto his lap, her head tucked underneath his chin.

"I never meant to hurt you like this," he said in a tone loaded with self-derision. "I handled it badly. I handled us badly. And you're right. I did run. But I couldn't go far. You kept pulling me back. Always back to you."

She pulled her head away so she could look into his eyes. All she saw was a burning intensity. No deception. He didn't look away. "What do you want, Max?" she asked softly.

"Haven't you been listening? I want you."

She looked briefly away but then his fingers nudged at her chin and forced her to look back at him.

"For how long this time? What about when it's time for you to leave? Or the next emergency happens? Or you decide you're not cut out for a relationship? This is my home, Max. I'm not fucking around with you or indulging in some hot fling where my family lives. They're important to me. They're everything to me."

He sighed and brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. "I know I have a lot of ground to regain. Your trust has been damaged. I get that. But give me a chance, Callie. You and me. Let's do it right this time."

"Define right."

"I take you out to dinner. You take me to meet your family. We go out on dates. You show me your town. Show me the places you love. Show me what makes you you."

She sucked in a deep breath. Her heart was fluttering so madly that she had a hard time getting air in and out of her lungs.

"Okay," she said quietly.

"No, not okay, like you've just received a death sentence. Do it because you want me like I want you. Show me that woman I fell head over ass for. The woman who doesn't take shit off anyone. Who has so much fire she burns me with every touch. That's the woman I want back."

Her lips slid slowly upward into a smile.

"I missed you, Max."

He crushed her to him, and it was then she could feel that his heart was every bit as out of control as hers. It thudded against her skin like the wings of a hummingbird.