Words eluded Tara. She wrapped her arms around Max’s neck and pulled his mouth down to hers. She writhed against him, using her lips, her hands, and every inch of her to express how happy he’d made her and what all that gratitude would translate into once they were alone again.
Max groaned and took control of the kiss. Their coats fell to the floor. His hands roughly caressed her through the material of her dress, driving her wild in a way only he could. Only Max could make her forget where she was. Only Max’s touch was as vital to her as the air she breathed.
“Looks like they’re here,” Julia called out loudly.
Tara and Max broke off their kiss and turned to look at her, raggedly breathing in sync. Julia held the door closely behind her to block the view from the others. She was grinning from ear to ear and pointed at the floor near their feet. “You may want to pick up your coats.” Then she put both hands on the bodice of her own dress and gave it a meaningful mock pull up while looking at Tara.
Tara adjusted the front of her dress and blushed. “We were just—”
Max bent to pick up their coats. He wasn’t bothered at all. In fact, he looked quite pleased with himself.
Julia waved a hand and laughed. “Come on in.”
Gio appeared beside Julia. He was wearing a coat and had Julia’s draped over one arm. The guarded expression on his face instantly put Tara on high alert. “There’s been a change of plans,” he said brusquely.
Max’s hand went protectively to Tara’s lower back. “What happened?”
Julia slipped into the coat Gio held out for her. “It’s no one’s fault, really. It just happened.”
Tara’s eyes rounded. “Are my parents okay?”
Still serious enough to instill some fear in Tara’s heart, Gio said, “Try to take this well. Julia and I had every intention of checking Bill and Jane into the Plaza. Maddy called and found out they were here. She told her father. Uncle Alessandro didn’t want to hear about anyone putting family up in a hotel. He sent a helicopter for them. They’re staying with him at his house just outside the city. Luke, Nick, and Rena and out there already. ”
“So my parents are staying with your uncle?” Tara asked in a shocked whisper. She thought of the enormous home she’d visited with Max and the number of his cousins who gathered there. Nothing like baptism by fire. Instead of meeting a couple Andrades, her parents were likely meeting all of them.
“Uncles. Uncle Victor was already in the States for a visit.”
Julia chirped in. “Your parents are wonderful, Tara. They fit right in. Your dad and Victor were practically choosing a wedding date for Gio and me just so they could set yours. It was adorable.”
“Adorable,” Tara echoed. She met Max’s eyes. She couldn’t tell how he felt about marriage being mentioned twice in less than ten minutes. They hadn’t even said the big three words to each other yet.
It had been a heavenly month of Tara showing Max all of her favorite places in New York City and Max flying Tara off to his favorite resorts. Tara had temporarily closed the doors of New Holmes, but she’d planned to reopen it with a new focus as soon as she and Max cooled a bit. So far, that hadn’t happened at all. Max took her along to his hotel inspections, something Tara was beginning to really enjoy. She took photographic evidence of whatever they came across—the good and the bad. Each night she and Max still made love with as much passion as their first time. He was an addiction Tara didn’t want to find a cure for. But how would he feel about sudden pressure from their families regarding marriage when a month ago the idea of dating had rendered him speechless? She searched his face, looking for a hint of how he felt.
“You don’t have to do this, Max,” Tara whispered softly.
“Do what?” he asked. The world disappeared when he looked into her eyes as if he wanted to sweep her off her feet and carry her to the nearest bed.
“Prove anything. I know you care about me,” she said, licking her bottom lip.
“I love you,” he said simply.
“You do?” Tara asked breathlessly.
He dropped the coats and gathered her back into his arms. “What do you think all of this has been about?”
The sex? Tara thought, but didn’t say the words. She hadn’t let her heart believe it could be more. She knew her cheeks were bright red. “I thought you’d need more time. A lot more time.”
He shook his head slowly. “I was a goner the moment I set eyes on you. I didn’t know what to call it, but you shook me to the core, and I knew I’d never be the same.” He kissed her gently. “If you don’t love me, you should tell me now before we get both of our families excited.”
Tara threw her arms around his neck and went up onto her tiptoes. “Not love you? Are you crazy? I knew I wanted to be with you from the first photo I saw of you. I am totally, shamelessly, unabashedly in love with you.”
They kissed, and this time it was with a tenderness that brought it to an entirely new level. Tara was laughing and crying. Max was holding her tightly to him as if letting her go would end his life.
Gio cleared his throat loudly. “Okay, lovebirds. There is a helicopter waiting for us on the roof. You’ll have plenty of time for all that later.”
Julia sighed warmly. “Isn’t Tara just perfect for Max? They’re going to have the cutest children.”
Gio threw Max’s coat at him. “Maybe, but they’re not creating them in my hallway. Max, I’m about to get a pitcher of water.”
Tara and Max broke away from each other, laughing. Max picked Tara’s coat off the floor again, holding it out for her to put on. Next, he shrugged his own on. Even though their separation had only been for a moment, he tugged her to him and kissed one side of her neck. “Sorry. We’re ready. Besides, the sooner we go, the sooner we head back home.”
Gio said, “Piece of advice, Max? Tone that down in front of your future father-in-law.”
Max looked over at Gio. “Father-in-law. I like that.”
Gio gave Max a shove toward the elevator. “We all believe you. Now, can we go?”
Julia linked arms with Tara. “Gio sounds grumpy, but he’s so happy for you. I’m working on getting him to express his feelings better.”
As they all moved into the elevator, Max asked, “Is that why you told me you loved me, Gio? Did Julia send you over to say it?”
Gio frowned. “She thought it would help.”
Julia tucked herself beneath Gio’s arm. “And it did. Look at how much has changed since you said it.”
Tara looked up at Max with meaning, pushing him silently to take the same leap.
Max grudgingly agreed. He gave his brother a pat on the back and said, “I love you too, Gio.”
Julia sighed warmly.
Tara fought to keep in a giggle.
Gio hit the elevator button to the roof even though he’d already pressed it. He looked around and pressed it again.
Tara met Julia’s eyes, and they both bent over and gave in to their laughter. Max joined them, and then Gio. The four of them were still laughing as they made their way to the roof helipad.
***
A short time later, Tara and her parents were standing off to one side of a large room filled to the brim with Max’s family. It wasn’t Tara’s first time in the colossal mansion, filled to capacity with Andrades. As Tara was beginning to expect, every age group was well represented. Her father nodded approvingly at the crowd before them. “You picked a good family to marry into.”
With a groan, Tara said, “Dad, don’t talk like that until after Max asks me to marry him.”
Her father shrugged. “Are you sure this isn’t your engagement party? Look at how many people they invited.”
Tara glanced around and smiled. “This is pretty normal for them, Dad. They’re a huge family.”
Her mother smiled apologetically at her. “It makes me happy to see you here with all these people who care about you. We know you’ve been lonely since Dad and I moved to Florida. We miss you, but our
joints don’t miss the cold. You’ll have to come down and visit us. You and Max. We’ll show you the manatees that swim right up to our dock. They have the sweetest faces. We don’t have the heart to get a boat.”
Her father said, “I’ll be happy if this means you’re done with New Holmes.”
Tara shook her head in protest. “It doesn’t mean that.” At her father’s look Tara admitted, “Although if I keep it open, the focus will change.”
“Good,” her father said. “I don’t imagine Max would agree with you putting yourself in constant danger. I know you say what you’re doing isn’t dangerous, but it is only a matter of time before you photograph someone who chooses to come after you instead of running for a lawyer.”
Tara let out a slow breath. His opinion of New Holmes was not a new subject.
The hug he gave her took Tara off guard. He said, “I didn’t know what to think of Max when he sent a private plane down to fly your mom and me up for the weekend. I didn’t expect to have anything in common with him or his family, but these are our kind of people, Tara. Even if they are too rich for their own good.”
Tara’s mouth fell open. Max had received the much coveted, but usually denied, seal of approval from her father.
Tara’s mother pointed across the room to where Max was standing with his brothers and uncles. “They’re a handsome family, too, I’ll give them that.” She cocked her head to one side and added, “Max looks an awful lot like Uncle Victor, doesn’t he? I bet Victor was the spitting image of him when he was younger.”
“You’re right, Mom. I didn’t see it before, but there’s a strong resemblance.” Max caught Tara looking at him and he smiled. Tara smiled back and waved.
“We were sorry to hear that Max’s father was gone, but it’s a shame we couldn’t meet Max’s mother,” Tara’s father said.
“She’s not feeling well,” Tara said. “And I don’t know if she’d be here even if she could be. She doesn’t get along with much of the family.”
“That’s a shame,” Tara’s mother said sincerely. “Is Max close with her?”
Tara shook her head. “It makes him sad, but no. She’s cruel to him, Mom. Please don’t mention her to him.”
Her mother nodded. “When I was younger I used to fight for every relationship I had. Friends. Family. It didn’t matter how bad it got; I had to fix it. That’s what I thought love was: never giving up. But not all relationships are healthy ones. Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is let someone go.”
Tara knew her mother was referencing her own issues with Tara’s violent, alcoholic grandfather. Tara hugged her mother. “I needed to hear that, Mom. His mother isn’t healthy right now, and I kept thinking I should urge him to visit her, but I’m not going to. Maybe not seeing her is the most loving choice he can make.”
Her father gave her a proud smile. “You’ve grown into quite a woman, Tara.”
“I had excellent role models,” Tara said lightly with a huge smile.
“That you did,” her father said seriously, then winked.
***
“You should do it together and get it over with in one shot,” Max joked after Nick prodded Gio to announce a wedding date so he and Rena could decide theirs.
Nick slapped Max on the back, almost sloshing Max’s drink out of his glass. “That’s genius.”
Luke looked across the room at Julia and Rena. “Do you really think they’d say yes to that idea? You don’t want to be the man who stands between a woman and her dream wedding.”
Nick made a face at Luke. “When I see you with the same date twice, I’ll take your relationship advice, Luke. For now, leave it to the masters.” He cracked his knuckles. “Gio, are you in?”
Gio looked doubtfully at Julia. “I have no idea. She does seem to get along well with Rena.”
“How about you, Max?” Nick nodded his chin toward Tara.
Max threw up both hands and laughed. “I haven’t even bought a ring yet.”
“Then get on it,” Nick said, half seriously. “I saw who you were dating before her.” He looked up at the ceiling with a smirk. “We may have even slept with a few of the same . . .”
Gio shook his head. “I don’t need to hear this.”
Nick waved Gio’s disgust off. “My point is: Women like Tara don’t come along every day. When you meet someone who does as much for the family as she did for us, you marry her.”
“I plan to,” Max said. It was something that had become more and more appealing the longer he and Tara were together. “And not because of what she did. I love her.”
“I say you ask her tonight,” Nick said.
“I-I—” Max was ready to move forward with his relationship with Tara, but that didn’t mean the room didn’t spin a little at the idea of proposing to her that night.
Gio nodded toward where Tara was standing with her parents. “Everyone is here. The timing would work.”
Luke put a sympathetic hand on Max’s shoulder. “Don’t let them push you into anything you’re not ready for.”
“I-I—” Coherence still eluded Max.
“He doesn’t have a ring, though,” Gio said, as if that were the only deterrent to Nick’s suggestion.
Nick clapped his hands. “I bet if we asked Uncle Alessandro, he has a family ring. A grandmother’s. A great aunt’s. Someone’s. Women eat that up.” When all his brothers still looked doubtful, Nick continued in a coaxing voice, “Think about it. We’d attend one wedding instead of three. I don’t know what that’s worth to the rest of you, but I have to survive them sober.”
Gio raised a hand and waved their uncles over.
When both Victor and Alessandro were standing in a circle with them, Max pointed to the large crowd gathered. “Thank you for everything. It was incredibly generous of you to bring Tara’s parents into your home and host this party for them.”
Victor scanned the room quickly. “Party? This is family. There was no keeping them away when they heard Tara’s parents were here.”
With a twinkle of mischief in his eyes, Alessandro said, “Tara has been a little outspoken on certain subjects. Katrine wants to know when you’re going to marry the girl so the young wives in our family will stop guarding their husbands.”
Victor frowned at his brother. “Don’t tease young Max until he’s a regular here. Not everyone gets your jokes.”
“He is a grown man. And an Andrade. Having a good sense of humor is in his blood.”
Max knew exactly what Alessandro was referring to. Tara had told him what she’d said at Gio’s dinner party. Still, it was amusing to see his uncles arguing like old women. “What do you mean—outspoken?”
Victor glared at his brother. “Now you’ve done it.”
Alessandro shrugged in his usual carefree manner. “I like a woman with spunk. I’m sure Max is the same.”
Looking seriously concerned, Victor said, “What Alessandro meant to say was everyone adores Tara. Whatever she did or didn’t say didn’t change that one iota.”
Max winked at his brothers, who were watching the exchange with interest. “I wasn’t going to ask her to marry me, but I’ll do it for the family—you know, just to put everyone’s mind at ease when she’s around.”
Alessandro’s face split in a wide grin. He practically picked Max off his feet in a fierce bear hug. “Another nephew is engaged. So many reasons to celebrate tonight.”
Max broke free of the hug and glared at his brothers, who were blatantly amused. “We’re not engaged just yet, Uncle Alessandro. In fact, do I have your permission to ask her tonight?”
“Of course!” Alessandro gave Max another tight hug.
Victor clapped a hand on Max’s back. “Here. With the family gathered. It’s perfect. Your father would be proud of you, Max.”
Max tensed as he always did at any mention of his father and stepped back from his uncles. “How my father would or wouldn’t feel about anything is of no importance to me.”
Victor’s
face fell. He looked like he wanted to say something, but didn’t.
Alessandro’s eyes lost their playful light. “Your father loved you very much.”
Teeth clenched, Max looked away. “My father’s choices proved the opposite.”
In a gentle tone, Alessandro continued, “Your father was a man, Max. Just a man. And no one is perfect. There were many things he did I didn’t agree with.”
Max looked back at his uncles in time to catch a strange look pass between them. Victor’s face was tight and his eyes held a sadness Max attributed to missing his brother.
With a sad shake of his head, Alessandro said, “But I loved George, and I know he loved his sons.” Alessandro looked past Max to Gio, Luke, and Nick. “All of his sons. Your mother . . .”
Victor intervened harshly. “The past is dead and gone, Alessandro. What good would come from digging it up?”
Alessandro nodded. “Maybe you’re right, Victor. I just don’t want George’s sons to keep paying for things that were not their fault. Or to believe for a moment that George didn’t love them.” Alessandro met Max’s eyes. “Your father was the best man he knew how to be. He made a bad decision, but he made it with the best of intentions. And then, when he saw the depth of the mistake he’d made, he sought a way to live with it.”
In a harsh tone, Gio said, “The mistake you’re referring to is marrying our mother.”
Victor answered instead of Alessandro. “George loved your mother. He thought that would be enough.”
Max shook his head angrily. “So, it’s our mother’s fault Father decided to fuck some Venetian whore and start a new family with her. There’s no good spin to what Father did.”
Victor opened his mouth to say something, but Alessandro stopped him with a raised hand. “He’s right, Victor. There are always consequences. George was wrong. It’s okay for his sons to be angry with him because of it.” Alessandro put a hand on Max’s shoulder. “Let’s put this behind us. You didn’t call us over to talk about the past. You want my permission to propose to Tara tonight? You have more than that: You have my blessing. Tell me what you need and let’s give Tara a proposal to remember.”