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"Why should there be?" She shrugged again and tried to hide the fact that it had hurt even more that he had not even tried to get in touch with her. "He's my past. Besides, I have a sort of date on Saturday."

Yvette's eyes sharpened.

"With whom? And why am I just hearing of this now?"

"His name is Matthew Oakley, divorced, white and lives a few miles up the street from me. He's a lawyer and he came into the store a few times to buy some item of clothing for his sister."

"What?"

"Nothing." Yvette continued to sip the water as she eyed her friend.

"Will you stop looking at me like that?"

"I'm looking at a woman who's roping in a random guy who's bound to get hurt at the end. You don't usually use people. And certainly not men."

Because the words hit so close to home, Maxie found herself avoiding her friend's direct gaze.

"I don't know what you mean."

"You usually don't use evasive tactics either." She finished the water and rose gracefully. "Think about that. You're still in love with Kai honey, and you're going to have to face it."

"No, I don't." She pushed away the papers and sent them fluttering to the floor. "All I know is that he left without a word and I would be a fool to think that this chance meeting means anything. You said it yourself – I should move on and find someone–"

"To have casual sex with." Yvette reminded her gently, fascinated at the agitated movements of the long, graceful fingers.

"I don't do casual sex."

"Precisely." Popping the last of the biscuit into her mouth, she dusted the crumbs off her fingers. "And the meeting might not be by chance. I strongly believe in fate. The fact that he walked into your store without knowing it was yours says something."

"I'm not listening to this." She announced firmly, pushing to her feet. "I have work to do, and I have every intention of going out with Matthew. He's a decent and sweet guy and exactly what I need."

"Oh. Just go away and leave me alone." She added when her friend just continued to stare at her.

"Call me later." With a soft chuckle, Yvette let herself out of the office and closed the door behind her.

Slumping back down on the chair, Maxie picked up the invoices and tried to get her mind on the figures, knowing that it was going to be completely hopeless.

Halfway through the meal, he knew he had made a big mistake. He knew what she expected and knew without a doubt that it would not be happening.

He was not the slightest bit interested.

He also knew she was fishing around and trying to bring up the topic of Maxie. He waited her out and wasn't disappointed. Halfway through the dessert of pumpkin cheesecake, she brought it up.

"I was thinking of going back to that little store." Her dessert spoon made the rounds by trailing through the succulent sauce slowly, eyes demurely lowered.

"What store?" He decided to play along.

"The one your friend owns. The cute little boutique." She lifted her eyes then and met his inscrutable ones. "You seemed surprised to see her. I get the feeling that you never knew she was there. You never kept in touch?"

"No." Picking up his wine, he sipped, eyes trained on her face as he waited. They were in a private booth at his favorite restaurant which happened to be owned by his company. Discretion was part of the service.

"You went to school together." She continued a little desperately.

Deciding to dispense with the game, he lowered his glass.

"We were lovers."

"Oh. I see." Picking up her own wine glass, Marie took several sips as if trying to wet her dry throat.

"Anything else?"

"You two broke up?"

"We were teenagers and went our separate ways." He almost winced at the blatant lie. He had walked out of her life without looking back.

"Were you in love with her?" She blurted out without thinking and was rewarded by the blank stare from expressionless dark eyes.

Just then his phone rang.

"Excuse me, I've been waiting for this call.

" Pushing back his chair, he rose and strode over to a graceful fern in the corner of the room.

Letting out a breath, she leaned back in her chair and watched him prowling the distance between the fern and the elegant sofa by the window.

He had switched from English to Japanese and she knew enough to understand that he was talking about a shipment of vehicles that had been delayed.

His deep voice was cool and authoritative, filled with enough power to have her shivering.

Just looking at him made her shiver. Kai Tanaka was a gorgeous man; his body lean and muscular.

A body she enjoyed immensely. She knew what was beneath the tailored navy trousers.

The powerful thighs with their sculpted muscles, what was between those thighs – the rippling muscles of his chest, the hairs dusting the golden skin.

And the clever mouth. The man knew how to give pleasure while holding himself back.

She wanted to be the one to make him lose control and so far had not been able to accomplish that task.

It annoyed her enough to want to try each time. And have her wondering if that woman at the store had managed to do so. She had seen the look sizzling between them, something that had the fear touching her. He had not been the same since that encounter.

He had ended the call and was coming back to the table when his phone went off again.

Pausing, he answered the call, his face expressionless.

"Mother." Turning his back on her, he walked over to the sofa and sat.

Straining her ears to listen, she just made out a few sentences.

She had met his mother a few times and thought the woman was as cold as ice.

They had not warmed to each other and Marie wondered if she should try and get in the woman's good graces.

Rumor had it that Kai and his mother were close.

Deciding it could not hurt, she settled back to enjoy the wine.

Finishing up the call, Kai decided that it was time to bring the night to a conclusion.

Kai signaled for the waiter as he returned to the table, his movements precise and fluid, exuding an air of practiced control.

Marie watched him closely, her thoughts a tangled web of curiosity and frustration.

The evening had been a game of unspoken words and subtle exchanges, neither of them daring to breach the barriers that kept their emotions sealed away.

"Shall we?" Kai said, his tone polite yet distant, as the waiter approached with the bill.

Marie nodded, the taste of the wine now lingering bittersweet on her tongue.

As they stepped out into the cool night air, the city lights shimmered like scattered diamonds, casting a glow that softened Kai's sharp features.

Walking beside him, she was acutely aware of the space between them—a distance that had grown not just physically but emotionally over the last few weeks. She thought of the woman at the store again, the mystery surrounding their brief connection gnawed at her, an itch she couldn't ignore.

Kai's phone rang once more. He stopped abruptly, his brow furrowing as he glanced at the screen.

"It's work," he muttered, his voice clipped. Without waiting for her response, he stepped away to answer the call, disappearing into the shadows of the buildings towering around them.

Marie lingered by the car, her arms folded tightly against herself.

For the first time, she felt the sharp edge of loneliness creep in—an edge she had been trying to dull with her persistence and charm.

She had always managed to keep Kai's attention, to hold him in her orbit.

But lately, the pull seemed weaker, the connection frayed.

When he returned, a hint of weariness mixed with resolve radiated from him.

"Another delay," he said tersely, opening the passenger door for her to slide in. His face revealed nothing, as always, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of something—an emotion too fleeting to decipher.

As the car sped through the streets, the silence between them grew heavier.

Marie stole a glance at him, his profile illuminated by the passing streetlights.

Tonight, the barriers seemed higher than ever, yet her determination burned stronger.

If Kai Tanaka was a fortress, then she would find the secret passage in. She had to.

He left her at the door with a chaste kiss that told her more than she wanted to know.

The relationship was dying a slow death.

Wrapping her arms around her waist, she vowed to put up a fight.

She had too much at stake to allow him to dump her.

Mr. Kai Tanaka was going to discover that she was not easy to get rid of.

She had to admit that she enjoyed herself. He had taken her to a calypso restaurant a few miles away where they were served drinks in bamboo containers and heaped with rum and pineapple, sweet and potent enough to have her senses swimming.

"Why do I get the feeling you're trying to get me drunk?

" She had to lean forward on the table to make herself heard.

The noise level was incredible but added to the ambiance of the place.

The meal was excellent. Coconut chicken (Who would have thought!).

And fresh vegetables with a sauce so delicious and spicy, it had her reaching for her drink.

"Am I that transparent?" he asked with a grin.

He felt proud and several inches taller than his original height to be seen with a woman like her.

As soon as they stepped into the building, heads had turned to watch her.

The bold red and blue dress with the fussy neckline and belted waist was one of her own designs and suited her to perfection.

She was stunning. He had told her so repeatedly and he had a feeling she was laughing at him.

He had no idea where this was going, but just to sit here with her on an actual date was enough for now.

He liked her. She was unaffected and far from being haughty. A woman with her looks and background should have been. But she was charming and witty and completely unaware of how beautiful she was. She wore her confidence the way she wore her lovely clothes – with careless grace.

"I would have you know that I have quite the head for alcohol. But this rum–" She lifted her large cup and shook the ice. "I have never had anything like it before." She told him, eyes dancing. She had had her misgivings about coming, but she liked him.

And she was determined to search for more. Not every relationship had to have sparks and flames. Besides, those two combinations either scorched or incinerated you.