Emma sat back in her chair, frowning in thought. “Becky’s been talking about doing a lady pirate—”
“No.”
Emma blinked slowly, unsure whether or not to be pissed or amused at the firm order. “Okay,” she drawled, “and your suggestion would be?”
“How about a saloon girl?”
Emma choked on her wine. “Um, saloon girl?”
“Yes. Simon can dress as a cowboy. Is there a problem with that?”
Emma bit her lip. “Maybe.” She latched onto the first thing she could think off to change his mind; Becky would never wear the saloon girl outfit in public! She kept the picture of herself in that outfit all the way in the back on the mantelpiece. “Becky’s self-conscious about her lack of…attributes.”
Max looked confused. “Attributes?”
Emma could feel herself turning red. “Boobies,” she hissed, looking around to see if anyone heard her.
Max choked. “She’s worried about her breast size?”
Emma nodded, shushing him with her hand.
Max sighed. “Okay, how about a flapper? Simon can pull off a gangster look, I think.”
Emma thought about dark, dangerous looking Simon and nodded. Suddenly she flapped her hands at him in excitement as she remembered a costume she’d seen on-line. “Oh! What about a fallen angel? I saw this really sexy number that would look incredible on Becky!”
“Have you ever looked at men’s devil costumes? They’re cheesy.” Max frowned in thought. “No, we need something they’ll both be comfortable in.”
Emma grinned. “I saw bat wings he could wear over his shoulders. Put him in a trench coat with the wings, leather pants, bare-chested…” Emma waved a hand in front of her face, making Max scowl.
“Believe me, women will pass out from the heat.”
Max picked up her hand and stared into her eyes. “Really?” he asked softly. With careless elegance, he took her hand to his mouth, gently nibbling the back of her knuckles.
Once again Emma felt her cheeks heat. “Stop that!” She snatched her hand back and put it in her lap for safe-keeping. She cleared her throat and willed herself back into the costume conversation. “Becky has a romantic streak a mile wide. Maybe we can work with that.”
“Hmm. How about Robin Hood and Maid Marian?”
“Done to death.”
“Which leaves out paired vampires?”
“Yup. You know, maybe Lady Zorro isn’t such a bad idea, after all. And even better, Becky knows a bit about fencing, so she’ll be comfortable wearing a sword.”
“She can use the sword on Simon if he doesn’t get the message?”
“Something like that.” Emma sat back with a sigh as the waiter appeared. Both decided on dessert, Emma going for the French silk pie and Max picking raspberry cheesecake. Max had coffee; Emma took another glass of wine.
“The only other thing Becky’s interested in is Trinity from the Matrix. Think Simon wants to be Neo?”
Max shook his head. “As alluring as Becky would be in a leather cat suit, I think Simon would prefer Zorro.”
“Okay. Then it’s settled. I’ll see about getting Becky’s costume.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll pick up Becky’s costume when I pick up your costume.”
Once again she was ready to throttle him. “And what costume will I be wearing?”
Max grinned. “It’s a surprise.”
“A surprise?”
Max picked up her hand and nibbled on her knuckles again, effectively shutting down her brain in the process. “Mm-hmm.”
“Oh.”
With a look of satisfaction, Max put her hand back down on the table. “Are you going to finish your dessert?”
Emma looked down at her pie, suddenly no longer hungry. She took a deep breath and asked the question she knew she was going to have to ask before they ever entered the restaurant. “How will I find you at the masquerade?” At his raised brow she added hastily, “If we’re supposed to make sure Simon and Becky find each other, we need to make sure we can find each other too.”
“Don’t worry, it won’t be a problem.”
Max’s purr sent a shiver through her. “Okay.” Emma bit her lip, wondering if she should ask her next question. “Will your date mind you helping me out? I mean, I wouldn’t want to make things awkward between you and your current girlfriend, whoever she is.”
“Do you think I would ask you out to dinner if I was seeing someone, Emma?”
Emma raised her eyebrows, clearly amused. “Well, if you’d asked me…”
“Emma.”
“I mean, the food part of the kidnapping was kinda nice.”
“Very well. Would I be trying to seduce you if I was seeing someone?”
Emma opened her mouth to make the comment that first sprang to her lips, but seeing the serious expression on his face she bit it back. Instead, she went with her second thought. “I don’t know. You’ve been gone a long time. For all I know, you’re gay.”
It was Max’s turn to open his mouth and have nothing come out.
Emma lifted her hand to the waiter. “Check, please.”
“I’m not gay.” Max stalked to the Durango, trying to decide if he was insulted or not.
Emma shrugged carelessly. “Bi then.”
“Emma!”
He was forced to stop when she collapsed against the side of the car, giggling like a schoolgirl. The only
thing she managed to gasp in between bouts of giggling was, “Oh, God, the look on your face!”
Max shook his head, wondering, knowing she had no idea how few people dared tease him. How the hell had he missed this woman all those years ago? He could have dated Emma back then instead of Livia. He’d have had Emma all these years, laughing at him, teasing him, driving him insane. The thought of his own blindness where she was concerned made him grit his teeth in frustration.
No more. Never again would he allow himself to do without Emma.
Crossing his arms, he leaned against the car door and waited for her to stop laughing. “You finished?” he asked indulgently, his heart beating a strange tattoo at the sound of her laughter.
She wiped the tears away with a final giggle. “Yeah, I think so.”
“Good.” With a swiftness only another Puma could match, Max snatched her close, bent down and kissed her. She barely had time to gasp.
That small gasp of surprise gave him immediate access to her mouth. He stroked inside her, slow and deep, just like he wanted to take her. He savored her taste, wine, chocolate and woman, and his head reeled. When her lips finally began to move against his, he moaned, his cock twitching like she was stroking him there with her wet heat. Her tongue dueled with his with a shyness that once again brought out his protective instincts. Without thought, he turned her so that her back rested against the Durango, his broad shoulders and back hiding her from the view of those in the restaurant.
No one but him would ever get to see her passion again.
He wanted to open the door, lay her down on the seat, and strip her naked. He wanted to be sheathed so far in her body she’d be able to taste him in the back of her throat. He wanted to mark her with his scent, his seed, and his teeth so badly he shook with it.
But they were on a public road, outside a very public restaurant; he couldn’t do any of the things he wanted to do so badly, except…
With a snarl he lifted his mouth from hers and buried it against her throat.
“Max,” she whispered in that soft, husky voice.
He suckled at the sensitive juncture of her throat and shoulder until she lay quiet and panting in his arms, her face buried in his shoulder. Gently he scraped the area with his teeth to prepare her. One hand slid down to cup her ass, reveling in the feel of her full curves; the other held her to him with a grip of iron, hard around her back. He had to concentrate not to dig his claws in and knead. He pushed between her legs with his knee until she was practically riding his thigh. With a rumbling purr he bit down, drawing blood and injecting her with the enzyme that would change her, marking her for all time as his. Her cry was muffled by his shirt; feeling her shivers he realized she was climaxing from the effect of the bite, riding his thigh as his essence and hers mingled.