Magic Man Read online

  Maxwell watched me warily. “What’s wrong, Millicent? Did I startle you that much?”

  Too late, I realized I was clenching the top rail of the fence so hard my knuckles were white. I forced myself to let go, and I smiled.

  “Sorry. I was just deep in thought and you startled me.” His words of praise finally registered. “Thank you for saying I did a good job. I enjoyed today very much. The facilities here and the horses are both top of the line.”

  Maxwell nodded, accepting my words at face value, but I could see the curiosity on his face. He finally spoke again. “I watched you off and on today. It’s my job, of course, to make sure you are doing your job, but really I wanted to make sure there was nothing you needed.” He smiled. “I knew you would jump in with both feet even though it was only your first day, so again, good job.”

  I shuffled my feet. “Well, I guess I should go pick up Ivy before the storm hits. I’ll handle the last feeding when I get back, of course.”

  Maxwell glanced up at the sky. “It’s going to be really bad, I’m afraid. We are already under a tornado watch, and that’s obviously not a good sign. Let me drive you to pick her up.”

  “Oh, no. That’s okay. I don’t want to put you out.” I was on edge. PTSD or not, my body reacted strongly whenever Maxwell was near. My sexual attraction to him was growing, not diminishing, despite my best efforts to remind myself why nothing could happen with my new boss. I didn’t want to be cooped up in a car with him again, smelling his cologne and watching his powerful hands handle the steering wheel.

  I swallowed. I was dizzy just from the thought of being alone with him. And it had nothing at all to do with fear.

  But I didn’t want to look ungrateful or difficult, so I complied.

  We walked the short distance to where his car was parked. I cast around for a topic of conversation to distract me from my lascivious thoughts, but I could only think of the mundane.

  “Do you live on the estate, as well?” Maybe this was the wrong question. I didn’t need to start thinking about where the man slept.

  I sent Lucy a quick text, letting her know I was on my way to pick up my daughter.

  Maxwell opened my car door for me. “I do. I live in the silo across from the duck pond.”

  Surprised, I watched him cross in front of the car and get in on the driver’s side. “The silo?”

  Maxwell laughed a little. “I wasn’t crazy about living on the estate. Nathan and I are friends, going all the way back to kindergarten. I love working for him, but even good friends need boundaries, you know?” He started the car and began to back out of his parking space. “Nathan really needed me to live here, however, to stay on top of the many things I manage on the estate. It’s amazing how much goes on at Peacock Alley. I stay really busy managing it all, so Nathan bribed me by giving me carte blanche to renovate the old grain silo. He knew I would enjoy the unique space, and he was right. I love living there, and I’ve been there for at least ten years now.”

  I had noticed the silo last night while Ivy and I sat on the screened porch of our apartment. The silo was a massive brick structure, and it could be clearly seen from my place. Which meant Maxwell had a good view of my apartment from his home, too.

  “It sounds really cool. I knew people sometimes turn silo into homes, but there must be some challenges to living in one.” I crossed my legs at my ankles. The faint smell of Maxwell’s cologne drifted over to me, and I tried not to take a deep sniff like a cocaine addict. Ugh. I was such a creeper.

  He smelled so damn sexy, somehow.

  “I’ll give you a tour sometime. It’s a really nice space. I was reluctant to commit to living here, but it makes my job easier to be on site, and the silo is awesome. Now I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Although, I do have a vacation condo down on Orange Beach that I use when I need to get away.” Maxwell maneuvered onto the main drive as he spoke. “I grew up going to the beach almost every weekend with my aunt and uncle, and I love it there, too.”

  I relaxed into my seat. His tone was soothing, calming, and I had worked hard today, both physically and mentally. His car was comfortable with its leather seats and air conditioning, and the darkened skies lulled me into letting go of some of the tension I always seemed to carry around with me.

  I was doing well on my new job already, so I knew better times were ahead for my daughter and me. I could afford to relax and stop stressing out so much, maybe.

  When we approached the big gates of the estate, I realized Maxwell didn’t know where we were going. “Ivy is at Lucy Jackson’s home. She lives in town.”

  “I know Lucy and her husband, Grayson, and I know exactly where they live. You just relax, Millicent.” His voice had dropped even lower, and I could feel my eyes getting heavy.

  It would be rude to fall asleep, wouldn’t it?

  Rain started suddenly, hitting the car in hard, driving sheets. I was suddenly glad Maxwell was driving and not me. My car needed new tires, and water was already washing across the road ahead of us. The wind whipped the trees in all directions, and Maxwell switched off the AC and turned on the wipers. The sudden chill in the air from the storm could already be felt within the vehicle.

  We hadn’t gone very far at all when I heard the low rumbles of a train approaching. “Are we near train tracks? I hadn’t noticed tracks nearby.” I tried to peer through the trees to get a glimpse of railroad tracks, but I couldn’t see much through the pouring rain.

  Maxwell frowned, and I saw his hands tighten on the steering wheel. “No. The train tracks are on the other side of town. That sounds more like a tornado.”

  I sat straight up and clutched my seatbelt. “What? What do we do?” Fear shot through my entire body.

  Maxwell gunned the car forward and then turned onto a small, gravel side road. “Don’t worry. This is estate property still. I’m going to pull off into a shelter for a few minutes.”

  He drove too fast for the small one lane drive. I realized it wasn’t a public road, but Maxwell knew exactly where he was going. We turned a corner as the roaring increased a little, and I swallowed my nerves. I wanted out of this sudden storm.

  A big stone barn appeared in a small clearing. Maxwell threw the car into park right in front of it. “Come on. We need to get inside the building. We will be safer there than in the car.”

  He wrenched his door open and dashed out into the hard driving rain, and I didn’t hesitate to follow him. I had only known Maxwell for about a day, and I already trusted the man knew what he was doing.

  Maxwell grabbed my hand and pulled me after him without further comment. We entered the barn, and one glance at the big stones and heavy oak timbers, and I knew it was strong and sturdy. But nothing was strong enough to resist the direct hit of a tornado.

  “Don’t worry. I brought you in here as a precaution. We will be okay.” Maxwell still gripped my hand in his, and I took comfort from his nearness. I could again hear the roaring noise that I had mistaken for a train. Now I was aware that it was a strong wind, and I was scared out of my mind.

  Maxwell led me down a short flight of stairs into a small room entirely lined with stone, both in the walls and flooring. The ceiling was low, and I felt safer already in the tight space. He sat down on a bale of hay and pulled me into his lap unexpectedly. “This is a Randolph barn. We use it to store all of our hay for the winter months.”

  The sweet smell of hay hit me. “Why is this room all stone?” I was babbling a bit, still scared of the roaring wind and the loud thunder coming from overhead.

  “It used to be a dairy barn until about, oh, fifty years ago. This room stored butter for the main house. We don’t have a lot of basements in this part of Mississippi because the land is low and flat, thanks to the river. But in the days before air conditioning, rooms like these would keep food cold.” Maxwell pulled my wet hair away from my face as he spoke.

  Despite the short dash from the car to the barn, I was soaked through, and I started shivering. T
he storm had dropped the temperature dramatically, and I was frightened. Even though I had lived my whole life in Texas, I had never been so close to a tornado before.

  I strained to hear the train noise again, but the thick stone walls blocked the sound.

  Maxwell wrapped his strong arms around me, and I shivered again. “Shh, Millicent. It’s okay. I will keep you safe, I promise.”

  Somehow, his lips found my neck and pressed with a gentleness that brought tears to my eyes. My emotions were all over the place. The anxiety of the move and starting my new job, my overwhelming and unexpected attraction to the man who held me, and the fear of the storm swirled into a potent cocktail, and I lost myself in its midst.

  Maxwell shifted me in his lap, and I could feel his hard erection beneath my body. A wildfire started deep within me and roared out of control until it consumed my body. I turned slightly to my right, and Maxwell kissed me, long and deep.

  His lips were tender and questing, and I melted. My mouth opened under his, and I found myself kissing him back. Now here I was, in a barn in the middle of nowhere in the eye of a ferocious storm, and I was finally getting my first kiss at the ripe old age of twenty-five.

  Better late than never.

  Maxwell was gentle but commanding, and I couldn’t stop myself from responding to him any more than I could prevent myself from breathing. Each sure lick of his tongue deep into my mouth stoked the fire within to even greater heights, and I heard soft moaning. It took a beat for me to realize that I was the one making the hungry sound.

  I wrapped my legs around Maxwell, and it was a relief to stop pretending that I didn’t want him.

  He sucked hard on my tongue, and I sighed into his mouth in return. His hands roamed my back in a soothing gesture, but then one found its way to my backside and squeezed. I squirmed, and this time it was Maxwell who groaned. I squirmed again, loving the feel of his erection against my clit. That little bit of pressure was even more enjoyable than the vibrator the night before, and I pressed harder, needing more of him.

  Maxwell massaged my breast with a roughness that was more than welcome, and one finger teased my nipple. He slipped his hand under my shirt and undid my bra with deft experience, and then he rubbed both breasts with enthusiasm. I arched my back in response, and my head fell backward, causing his mouth to slide down my neck in hot, wet kisses.

  He wrenched my shirt over my head, and it fluttered unnoticed to the floor. His wicked mouth found my exposed breasts, and he suckled with reverence. First one, and then the other, and I ground my pussy against him with growing impatience.

  The storm was long forgotten. The tornado could come and whisk me away to Oz, for all I cared. As long as Maxwell and his clever hands and mouth made the trip with me, I was all for a long, hard journey for two.

  His fingers flicked my nipples over and over, and his other hand came around to grasp my pussy. I lifted my head, and our gazes collided. The intense desire I found in his eyes took my breath away. Maxwell rocked me against his erection.

  “That’s it. Feel it, baby.” He murmured words of encouragement as I continued rubbing against him. “Take what you need.” Maxwell returned to sucking my breasts, and I thrust against him almost violently.

  My orgasm came out of nowhere and took me by surprise, and I arched my body so hard, my hair almost brushed the floor. But I was safe in Maxwell’s powerful arms, and I told myself I was in no danger of falling.

  No danger of falling...

  Something about my thought registered in my mind, but the sparks of pleasure still shooting through my body had me all muddled and confused. Maxwell unfastened my pants and started to slide a hand into my waistband when a phone began ringing nearby.

  I raised my head, trying to collect my senses. I was sure they were scattered all over the barn floor, along with part of my clothing.

  Maxwell growled. “Ignore it.”

  I shook my head this time, not in response to his words, but in a feeble attempt to clear the fog that had descended on my brain.

  What the hell was I doing?

  I scrambled free of his arms, and Maxwell cursed. I grabbed the phone that had fallen from my pocket to the hay, and I answered it, glad for the distraction.

  “Millie? Hey. Are you okay?” I heard a worried voice on the other side of the call.

  “Lucy! I’m sorry. I was on my way when the storm got so bad we had to pull over for a few minutes. Is everything okay at your house?” I turned my back on Maxwell and covered my naked chest with one hand.

  What had just happened between us?

  I forced my attention back to Lucy’s voice.

  “The tornado sirens started going off, so Ivy and Pearl and I went to the hall bathroom as a precaution. I knew you were on your way, and I wanted to make sure you were okay, too.”

  “I’m fine. I’ll be back on the road in a minute or two, I think, and I’ll be there before you know it.” I was a bit out of breath, and I tried to keep that fact under wrap.

  We spoke for a few seconds more before ending the call. I pushed the phone back in my jeans and tried to pull my clothes back together. I couldn’t even look at Maxwell.

  Damn it all to hell! I had lost my mind. That was the only explanation for my outrageous behavior.

  I was in danger of falling all right. Falling hard for this mysterious man.

  Ten

  Somehow I hurried and put my clothing back on without ever meeting Maxwell’s eyes. He tried to speak, but I rushed up the stairs and back out into the rain. The roaring was long gone, although there was a similar sound pulsing in my ears. I think it was called dismay and embarrassment, but I’m not sure.

  The rain was no longer coming down in buckets. Instead, it fell quietly onto the roof of the car, and I tried to focus on its soothing tones while I fastened my seatbelt.

  Maxwell wrenched open the driver’s door and sat down in the car. He made no move to start the engine, just remained seated in perfect quiet.

  Finally, I lifted my chin and met his eyes with a touch of defiance in my own. What I saw in his stunned me.

  Was that tenderness?

  “Millicent.” Maxwell’s voice was scratchy as if he hadn’t used it in hours. He cleared his throat before continuing. “Talk to me.”

  “You are my boss, and you are old.” Okay, that last part was a definite exaggeration, but still. I needed to make a point or two before another day passed. “Whatever happened back there, it cannot happen again. I need this job. I will be damn good at this job, and I can’t let this weird shit become a problem for me. Got it?”

  Maxwell’s lips twisted with a touch of amusement. “Got it. You don’t want a relationship with your boss to result in you feeling uncomfortable on the job. That’s perfectly reasonable, and I can promise you, that whatever “weird shit” goes down between us, it won’t affect your job.” He turned in his seat with a hint of impatience. “I’m a man of my word. No matter what happens with us, your job is safe.”

  I said nothing.

  Maxwell pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look, I get it. Men have been preying on women in the workforce for years, and you are in a difficult position. You are a single mom who is set on providing for her daughter, not looking for a roll in the hay, if you’ll pardon the pun. I respect your position.” He looked me straight in the eyes. “Well, I actually have more to lose here than you do.”

  I rolled my eyes in disbelief, but I still refused to speak.

  “I do have more to lose. If something goes wrong with your employment, you have a perfect sexual harassment case against me. Down there on that hay bale? I put a big bow on your case against me.” Maxwell raised an eyebrow, daring me to disagree with his bold statement.

  I gaped at him. I hadn’t thought about it like that.

  “If Nathan knew what has already taken place between us, he would have me by the balls.” Maxwell smiled at my stunned face, and I could tell he wasn’t afraid of his boss.

  He wasn’t done. “I
am old, I guess, in comparison to you. But give me a few hours in your bed, baby, and I’ll show you old.”

  With that, Maxwell started the engine and turned the car around. We headed back down the bumpy gravel road, and I tried to think of what to say next.

  I had nothing.

  Maxwell shot me a sideways look. “I’m going to see Nathan, and I’m going to tell him how much I fucking want you. He’s going to rage, and then he’s going to come to see you. You have all the power, Millicent. I can’t wait to see what you do with it.”

  We shot out on the main road.

  “You are going to tell Nathan Randolph that we almost had sex?” I was flabbergasted. I knew they were lifelong friends, but I couldn’t see Mr. Randolph being pleased with his manager.

  “Yes, I am. It’s the right thing to do.” Maxwell spoke with a calm air as if the whole topic was no longer of interest to him.

  “But...” I didn’t know what to say here.

  “But nothing. Nathan will come to see you, and he’s going to want to make sure you are okay. Get prepared for that.” He gunned the vehicle. “I’m not going to give him details. I am a gentleman, and I don’t kiss and tell. But he will have a general idea, of course.”

  I slumped back in my seat. Too much had happened in a short span of time, and I needed to process it. It was a relief to pull into Lucy’s driveway, and I hopped out of the car before we completely came to a stop.

  Maxwell followed me, twirling his keys, the picture of serenity. The rain had stopped by now, and there was a fresh coolness in the air around us.

  Ivy opened the door. “Mom! I was starting to worry.”

  “Worrying is a mom’s job, not yours.” I dropped a kiss to her forehead and was gratified when she hugged me more tightly than usual.

  “That storm was bad. Lucy made me and Pearl sit in the bathtub, and then her husband came home, and he was mad Lucy wasn’t in the tub, too.”