Kicking and Screaming Read online

  "Mr. Collins."

  "Maxie." Did she just sneer at me?

  Chapter 4

  I see little Maxie's game; it's the oldest female game in the book. Playing hard to get, or in this case more aptly called, the cold shoulder; that's fine, I excel at that game.

  If she wasn’t so gorgeous it might’ve been easier to ignore her completely, as it was, I did my best.

  Her sisters seemed to be even more animated in her presence and I wondered about that. But there was time enough to decipher the dynamics of the family my pseudo brother was marrying into later.

  "So, Jenny, you say you're a model?" There was a snort from my left where the fire breather was standing and I barely held back a grin.

  Jenny rolled her eyes subtly in her sister’s direction, before turning her beaming smile on me again.

  Taking my elbow, she turned me towards a wall of photos where she was in almost every picture in differing poses.

  There were some of the other girls as well. One I found of particular interest was of little Maxie with a helmet under her arms, and what looked like a flight suit, one used for jumping out of planes.

  Huh, looked like my little challenger was a bit of a daredevil. “That’s quite a collection you have there Jenny.” I leaned forward to get a better look.

  I could've sworn I heard someone mumble 'camera slut', but that couldn't be.

  This is an upstanding family; one of those least known higher echelons of society.

  Granted their finances weren't what they once were, but they still had the name. There's no way one of their daughters would speak like that, or was there?

  I'd had the family investigated because Michael was my best friend since childhood.

  His adoptive parents had been my parents’ best friends since forever.

  When they'd died when Mike was only fifteen, my parents had finished raising him, until we both went off to Harvard business, me a couple years ahead of him.

  Now he's my right hand man in my family's corporation. I'm here because of those reasons, and because I'm very protective of Mike. Of both him and my little cousin Patrick, who couldn't be here, because his NFL team had a game this weekend.

  As the eldest, I saw it as my duty to look out for them, and make sure they weren't being taken advantage of.

  Even though they were grown men now, I haven't outgrown the habit, and doubt I ever will.

  Mike had told me about the fire-eater's aversion to some of the things I'd said in the past, where the wedding was concerned.

  Now apparently she was out for blood, so be it. I've been looking out for him since he was three and I five and a half, and I wasn't about to stop now.

  Janet seemed like a nice girl, but had she not been, I would've done everything in my power to get rid of her.

  Mike is an orphan after all. He didn't need any more bullshit heaped on top of him for the rest of his life.

  I looked at the little fire-eater and she pretended that I didn’t exist as she glared across the room at who knows what.

  I started to say something to her, but Jenny cut in again, and this time I was sure I heard the word ‘twat’, coming from my side.

  Jenny of course heard this and opened her mouth to retort, but her sister simply growled at her and stalked off.

  That’s right, growled. Mike had told me about her theatrics to a certain degree, but he hadn’t warned me that she was part animal.

  She sailed out of the room and the room went flat. It was as if the joy or the light, that’s it, it’s as though the light had gone out of the room.

  Very interesting indeed! I tuned back into whatever Jenny was saying and promised to strangle my dear old friend in his sleep for straddling me with her.

  "Dinner is served, if you'll follow me." Thank fuck.

  The lady of the house announced dinner some twenty minutes later, cutting short Jenny's narration of all her modeling accomplishments, which were vast.

  As luck would have it, I was seated across from Maxie, who looked like she'd tasted something foul.

  She was too busy glaring at Jenny and Miranda, who bracketed me, across from her, and the engaged couple, to notice me watching her.

  That face; so amazingly expressive, like an open book. For all her veiled hostility there was something about her that called to the protective male in me.

  It’s like I could see through that veneer of bravery she wore so well, to the hurt, scared little girl inside.

  Shit, I did not come here for this. I knew the second she felt my eyes on her and looked away just as she turned to me.

  I saw her make a deep sigh and then relax, and wondered what that was about. She couldn’t be this put out because her sister was getting married.

  ***

  CONRAD

  Oh boy, Cynthia may not get that peaceful dinner she was aiming for after all. I can already see the signs.

  Whatever it is that's brewing is not going to be pretty. I know my imp and she's not one to be trifled with.

  I thought for sure that after she met him she would follow her sisters in that simpering nonsense females do when they see a guy they like, but no.

  I should’ve known better anyway. My imp never does the expected, except when it’s the worst possible thing, and then you can be sure she’s gonna do it.

  Oh well, I can always hope for the best. If Cynthia had had any sense, she would've put Maxie on the end closest to me, so I could at least kick her under the table if she had one of her spells.

  Now she’s gone and put her across from the poor man, who was directly in the line of fire. If he knew what was good for him he’d get that smirk off his face before she noticed that it was aimed at her. Good grief, I never thought I’d get flop sweat at my own dinner table. I reached for my glass of wine to dull the ache that was starting behind my eye.

  Chapter 5

  MAXIE

  Look at him just sitting there, like a big fat toad, just lording it over the rest of us mere mortals.

  With his Gucci suit and his Hermes tie, with that stupid smirk on his face. I ought to just knock his teeth out.

  He thinks I haven't noticed that he's talking to everyone but me, big woo.

  They're talking about the wedding again anyway, I don't really care. All that this wedding is going to do is take my only likable sibling half way across the country anyway, but I'm happy for my Jan.

  Mike had better be good to her or else. What was I going to do without her here now? With her gone there will be no buffer and it wasn’t like I could go spend as much time with her as she keeps saying, because they were going to be living rather close to my nemesis.

  One under the lash glance showed him leaning to the side to hear something Miranda was saying. The idiot was probably asking him to pass her the salt, but of course she had to be overly dramatic about it.

  She and Jenny were really showing their skinny asses tonight. Funny, mom didn’t seem to find any fault with their behavior.

  I guess it’s more acceptable in polite society to be a flirtatious bimbo, than someone who actually had a functioning brain cell and knew how to use it.

  JACKSON

  I wonder what has her frowning now? Man she is just one unhappy chick. I haven't seen a smile on her face since I arrived, while everyone else has been nothing but pleasant.

  Maybe she has mental issues or something, but no, Mike would've mentioned it if she did.

  Whatever, the meal was excellent and the conversation was flowing nicely. Mike and Janet were beaming with joy, and that's all I cared about.

  It was my reason for being her after all, and not to care one way or the other about what some self- overindulgent, spoilt little girl thought.

  CYNTHIA

  Why ever did I seat Maxie across from Mr. Collins, what was I thinking? The way she's been glaring daggers at him, does not bode well.

  I wonder what had set her off this time? Nothing had happened that I could tell, but with this one it didn't take much.
>
  I just hope she doesn't get it into her stubborn head to throw a dinner roll at his head, the child has been known to do such a thing in the past.

  If we get through this meal without incident I promise not to bother her about her wardrobe or her potty mouth for at least...two days.

  I wish this meal would hurry up and be over. It was wonderful having such an esteemed guest in our home, but with Maxie teetering on the edge of...whatever was bothering her this time, it was wearing my nerves down.

  At least Jenny and Miranda were keeping him occupied. I can always count on my girls to do the right thing. I cut my eyes over to Maxie and my spirits dropped even farther. Just what could I possibly have done to deserve such a trial?

  ***

  Thank heaven that's over. I was about to sneak out the door to escape the madness.

  If those two hoochies in training had batted their lashes and twitted at him one more time, I might've lost it. Idiots.

  "Where are you going Maxie?" Shit where did she come from?

  "Isn't my sentence over mom? I paid my debt to society, I'm going to the Club to hang with Jonas and the boys." I was almost home free too, damn.

  "You will do no such thing young lady, this night is very important to your sister, please try to remember that." She kept her voice low but there was no mistaking the bite in her words.

  "Yes ma'am." Old bat, she knew using Janet was the only way to keep me here. I turned back into the room just as the rest of them were filing in.

  There he goes again, looking down his nose at me. And how come my man repellent glare isn't throwing him off? Little softy rich boy should be cowering in his boots by now. Opinionated prick.

  I ought to go over there and gut-punch him. He just makes me so angry, and what is with that hair? He probably paid some ass mega bucks to come up with that unsightly mess. I should take the garden shears to it...

  "Imp, whatever you're thinking of doing don't." Dad sidled up to me and spoke out of the side of his mouth.

  "Did you hear him at dinner dad? 'I don't think that venue will be large enough to hold all of Mike's guests; why don't we talk later Mr. Dove?' Jerk."

  "I think he has a legitimate argument. If the place only holds up to two hundred and fifty and they're estimating five hundred guests there's no way..."

  "But Jan already had the guest count, where did they get another two hundred and fifty people from?"

  "The Collins have a lot of associates dear and obviously these people want to attend..."

  "They're his friends not Michael's or Janet's. I'm not licking one more stinking envelope and that's that."

  I could feel the blood just boiling away under the surface of my skin. I knew he would prove me right, what I didn’t understand is why no one else was calling him on his bullshit.

  And why were Janet and Michael just letting him make all the decisions? Was he paying for the damn wedding? No.

  JACKSON

  If looks could kill, I'd be a goner. She really is something. She seems to take offense at anything I say.

  Mike hadn't taken into account all the business associates that might want to travel from Texas to Washington for the nuptials in a few months.

  But everyone wanted to stay in our good graces and most of them knew Mike was more than a VP and more like my brother, so they wanted to show their respect.

  I think the reason he was playing it down was because Janet's father has insisted on paying.

  But I'd spoken to Mr. Dove at dinner and let him know that at some point before I left this weekend, we'd negotiate. It was only fair that I cough up some money, since I'm the one that talked Mike into inviting all the interested parties.

  I'd seen the look on her face then, she really thought I was a snobby SOB. Whatever, I didn't have time for some kid's little idiosyncrasies.

  I was about to turn away when the dragon made her way towards me. Miranda had just dragged Jenny away and the father had finished speaking to trouble. She looked loaded for bear though, so I'd better be on guard.

  Chapter 6

  MAXIE

  "What are you looking at you demented freak?" I stood in front of him breathing fire. Just watching him all evening had just about brought me to the brink. With his stoic manner and know it all ways.

  Now he’s taken to staring at me across the room, like staring at me all night at the dinner table wasn’t unsettling enough.

  I sure wish he would say something, but all he ever does is stare at me without saying a word. I think it’s high time someone knocked this good ole boy down a peg or two, and I’m just the one to do it.

  "What, nothing to say? I sure would like to put my foot up your ass, maybe it'll knock the stick in there off kilter." I think I saw a mouth twitch that time, but I wasn’t trying to amuse him, I was being very serious here.

  My sister had just about sent herself into an early grave planning the wedding of the century, because the ever loving Collins were not to be put to shame; and even with all she’d done, it was still not good enough for old Ebenezer Scrooge.

  "Are you breathing there rich boy?" I facetiously passed my finger under his nose; he didn't even blink.

  "Are you sure you know what you're doing little girl?" I almost jumped out of my skin at that drawl of his coming out of nowhere, but was just in time to catch myself.

  "It lives...oi, come again, what's that supposed to mean?" I just got what he’d said, sounded like a veiled threat to me; and I didn't like that smirk he just gave me, not, one, little, bit.

  He just kept eyeing me up and down, and I realized he wasn’t fazed one bit by me, or my attitude. Well shit.

  Usually I’d have had him shaking in his boots by now, if he’d been a normal male person, which apparently he wasn’t.

  I had to swallow for something to do, because he had those orbs of his trained on me without blinking.

  Well now Maxie, you’re in a bit of a pickle. As I felt myself weakening under his blue-green gaze I squared my shoulders.

  Why was he looking at me like he knew my every move before I made it? This was not going at all like I’d envisioned it, and it was all his fault.

  “Do you know what happens when you pull the lion’s tail?” I stepped back from him because one, I didn’t like the way he’d moved into my space when he said that, and two, I wasn’t sure about my body’s reaction to that nearness.

  ***

  JACKSON

  That's right little girl, run and hide. I'd seen her look of apprehension just then, but of course she wouldn't be down for long.

  She seemed to have a score to settle and I for one couldn’t wait to see what she had up her little sleeve next.

  "Well, why do you keep looking at me like I'm a bug under a scope or something?" She was a little flustered now, a little less sure of herself.

  Poor thing, she’s probably accustomed to intimidating boys, she obviously never tangled with a real man before, and that’s exactly what she needs to put out that fire in her.

  I still had yet to make up my mind whether or not I wanted to be that man. I will say that she was the first female in what felt like forever to peak my interest.

  I took my time answering, only to see her reaction, she was such a delight to tease after all.

  Just as the steam was about to start streaming out of her ears, I spoke. "I wasn't aware I was doing that."

  "Well you were, now stop it." Not very pithy as comebacks go, but I think the stalwart Ms. Dove had finally met her match.

  She wasn’t happy with this turn of events that’s for sure, since she was back to breathing fire as she turned to walk away.

  I waited until her flounce had taken her almost halfway back across the room, before uttering my answer just loud enough for her to hear.

  "No." It was the equivalent to stopping traffic. She skidded to a halt before turning to glare at me.

  Yep, there it is. There’s the look that’s going to land her in trouble. Breasts heaving, color in her cheeks, and fi
re in her eyes.

  I’m going to tame that. I can already feel my body preparing itself to take hers. I wonder when exactly she was going to figure out that she had bitten off more than she could chew.

  Now I understood why Mike had spent so much time talking about this one, more so than the others, he knew. Very well, let’s see what we see.

  Chapter 7

  Oh hell no, he didn't just say that to me in my own house. Before I could make it back to him Miranda and the skank of Hades were back.

  Probably deciding which one of them would go first. Okay I know my sisters aren't really that nasty, but they get on my nerves, especially when it comes to men.

  He unbuttoned his suit jacket and showed off his trim waist, all while talking to them but still staring at me; the pompous ass.

  "Oh Maxie, wonderful, I have the best idea." Oh good grief, any idea my mother has can only spell disaster for me; it's a known fact.

  She’d probably guessed at my intent when she saw me making tracks for the doomed ones and was trying to head me off. Good luck with that, I’m not about to let pretty boy get one over on me.

  "Why don't you play the piano for Mr. Collins."

  "Are you bent? I'd rather eat dirt...."

  "Maxie...Conrad don't laugh, you'll only encourage her." Dad stepped up beside us and I had the sneaky suspicion that mommy dearest had set him on me again.

  “Dad, is there any reason why you keep following me?”

  “I don’t know what you mean imp, just enjoying the atmosphere. Janet seems happy don’t you think?”

  Shit, I’d forgotten all about her and the wedding and the whole reason for this farce.

  I noticed that the jackass was still watching me when I threw a glare his way. I gritted my teeth and growled low in my throat.

  "Come along imp, let's get you set up. You can pound on the keys and pretend it's his head." Dad pulled me along towards the music room.