"Consider what?" Reyona asked in confusion.
"Staying here. I think it would help to prevent the kind of thing that happened tonight, you know."
"I have a place of my own. I don't need to move in with you to do this. I can…" When he raised his brow at her intended statement, she narrowed her eyes and said "Tonight was just a fluke. Next time…"
"Next time, it might even be worse. Then they might take them away. And then all our effort would be for nothing. Is that what you want, Reyona?"
Why was he coming closer?
"I don't think…"
"What are you afraid of?"
Her initial discomfort disappeared in her temper at his insinuation.
"And who said I was afraid of anything? What would I be afraid of? You? Right, don't flatter yourself, okay?"
"So, you agree with me that nothing is stopping you from staying here?" Maxwell asked while standing just a few paces from her.
His hands were still in his pockets, which made not much of a difference anyway because his eyes were doing enough work of messing with her.
"I do not agree with anything. I just need to…"
"Then you are afraid of me?" he asked again as if he had not heard her the first time.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Reyona asked. She had had enough of this.
"You know what?"
"You are moving in?" he asked matter-of-factly.
"No!" she snapped and then looked towards the stairs in fear that the kids would hear her.
Now he would make her look like a banshee in front of the children.
She figured she had had enough.
Without saying one more word, she turned to leave.
"You are a practical woman, Reyona. I know you agree with me that it is a very practical option. How about this? I promise to be on my best behaviour if that will help to quell your fear."
"I said I am not…" Reyona deliberately calmed herself before she said slowly "You wouldn't know what best behaviour is, even if it bit you in the…"
Maxwell's gleeful smile when she stopped what she was about to say only infuriated her the more. "Go on. I know you are dying to say it. Come on, Miss Dexter." he said in a singsong.
"Asshole" Reyona said as she stalked towards the door. Then she swore under her breath when she remembered something.
She turned towards him and had to back up when she realised that he was right behind her.
"Changed your mind?" he asked as he moved closer.
"No," she said firmly, as her heart seemed to be beating somewhere around her ears.
"You are very adamant because you know I am right, aren't you, babe?" he said slowly as he moved very close to her so that she could feel his warmth through her chiffon top.
"Don't call me babe," she said breathily.
"Hey," he said in a mock offended tone. "You called me that the other time. It is only fair that I get to call you that now," he said as he held her shoulders gently, his thumb automatically caressing her collarbone.
Reyona could hear her breath in her ear at this point, and she knew she was going to kill him if he didn't stop doing… whatever he was doing.
He leaned towards her, and she could only stare at his mesmerising eyes as his gaze moved slowly from her eyes, down her nose to her lips.
As if controlled by an invisible force, he leaned closer to her. Just as she thought he was going to do something as stupid as kissing her, he changed his movement and whispered so close to her ears. "Please, move in."
"Why?" she asked in the barest of a whisper as the warmth of his breath on her ear spread through her body.
"Because I love to have you around. Because it would make things easier for you as well. Because I believe you can be a better influence on the kids." he said in a heartfelt tone as he moved back enough to look deeply into her eyes. "So, what do you say?"
I shouldn't.
"Do you have a home office?"
"Ready to be renovated if you want."
"I get to have space to myself without anybody disturbing me?"
"Done."
"I do not have to engage in any… activity I am not interested in?"
A new look entered his eyes, but then he nodded and said "Oh, I would never force you to do what you don't want to do, babe."
She didn't like how he said that.
"You will not call me babe," she said.
He smiled and said, "That will be a tough one, but okay."
"Alright," she said simply, hoping she would not regret that decision in the next two months and one week.
His smile morphed into a full-blown grin as he said "Alright? As in alright?"
She had barely nodded when he threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly.
"What was that about you behaving yourself?" she asked in a mock stern tone. "That means your hands to yourself too, mister."
"Yes, yes. Of course" he said as he stepped back from her and raised his hand in surrender.
Reyona stifled her urge to smile as she stretched her hand towards him, palm up.
He looked at her in confusion. "You want me to show you to your room?"
Reyona rolled her eyes as she said. "I need my car key if I am going to get home, don't I?"
"Oh," Maxwell said as he reached into his back pocket, then he said, "Or you can just…"
"I am going home tonight. My home." With that, she nipped the key out of his hands and turned to leave.
It was not until she had his back to him that she smiled at the expression on his face.
He looked like his treasure had been taken away from him.
He followed her out and kept his gaze on her as she turned and drove down the driveway.
As Reyona remembered the intense moment they had earlier, she hoped beyond hope that she was doing the right thing.
She supposed she would deal with things as they came. For now, she has research to do on her trust fund potential customer.
Thoughts about every other thing can wait.