Passion » Max Regnery

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"Max," the young brunette approached the older gentleman one late evening, all her morning and afternoon chores completed.

"Yes?" He sounded impatient, and from what she was observing, she could tell why.

Max's hair was a right mess, no doubt from his hands constantly running through it. His features looked as if he had aged another five years and his shirt was slightly untucked. Two large, rough hands frantically searched through piles of paper on the mahogany office desk.

With a deep, irritated sigh, Max planted the palms of his hands firmly on the desk and glanced up at her. "What is it?"

Blake crossed her arms over her chest and leaned up against the door frame. "You okay?" She asked instead of telling him what she originally planned, which was that she would be heading to her family's for the evening.

He sighed again, this time not as irritated as the last. Max then stood up, pushing himself off the desk and walking around it. He crossed his arms and then leaned against the desk while nodding his head slowly.

"I'm just tired is all," he said faintly.

"Well," she glanced out the opposite window over looking the parking lot. "I won't be home to keep you up this time, family called and said I was needed at home. No doubt to have someone to ridicule."

"Must you go?" He no longer looked agitated and tired, but concerned.

"Nah, not really," she then smiled, pushed herself off the door frame and walked over to Max. "But I'm going more so for myself."

"Yourself?" He uncrossed his arms and rested his hands on her shoulder.

"Mhm," she replied with a smile. "To remind myself that they aren't my family and if I ever fall flat on my butt again, I will not forget who is my real family and who isn't."

At first, Max was confused, and his face managed to betray him, but then he nodded his head accepting that no matter what, there was no talking her out of it.

"Fine," he sighed softly and pulled her against his chest. "I guess it will just be me tonight. All alone. By my-"

"Leera will be home to greet you," Blake tilted her head to look up at him and smiled. She had finally uncrossed her arms to wrap them around Max's waist and buried her face back into his chest, inhaling deeply. "I will miss you."

"You can always just stay home and have a relaxing night with me."

"Max, you don't even know the definition of relax." She tilted her head again to look up at him. "That's why you've been neglecting your paperwork."

A wicked smile appeared on her lips as she playfully grabbed his butt and then pulled away.

"Think of it this way," she was back at the door. "You can finally get caught up while I'm gone for the night." And then she walked out before he could say anything.

Blake dreaded returning home to a family that despised her very existence. Why even invite her if they didn't like her? Oh yes, because they had to put down someone and Blake was their favorite person.

'You're a nobody,' 'No one will ever like her, she's too...' and then a disgusted expression followed shortly after that one 'Even her husband hated her, that's why he cheated and left her'

Okay, so could she really hate them if it was her own damn fault for allowing this to continue? Of course they were vile people, she had known this from the start, yet she had continued to be around them because they were her family.

Blake rolled her eyes at the word. Family. Family didn't treat you as if you were the scum beneath their shoes. In fact, scum received better treatment than her.

"I feel for poor Maximilian," Blake overheard her aunt whispering loudly to her mother while glaring at Blake. "He has to deal with that thing."

That thing decided to chug the rest of the disgusting wine that had been in her glass. Maybe Max had had a point. Perhaps she should have went home with him instead of returning to this hell hole.

Just then the doorbell rang and Blake was the first to be offered up to get the door. She didn't really care, as long as it got her out of the room with them.

She swung the door open, a look of boredom and annoyance on her face before it was quickly washed away with shock.

"Max!" She gasped, surprised to see her handsome six foot three boyfriend standing outside her parents' door all dressed up and with a bottle of wine in his arm. "What are you doing here?"

"Did you think I'd let you deal with them on your own?" He whispered for only her ears as he planted a kiss to the top of her head.

Blake, all smiles now, closed the front door behind her boyfriend and then linked her arm through his and directed him toward the living dinning area where her family currently occupied.

"Max! What are you doing here?" Her mother inquired, placing down her glass on the coffee table and quickly walking over to him.

"Blake informed me that she'd be taking off early to attend a family gathering and I figured, since Blake here, is one of my best stable hands, and you and your husband my partners, I'd pay a visit. I've brought wine."

"That is very generous of you," Mrs. Whitmore took the bottle and then handed it to Blake. "Put this up."

"Gladly," Blake huffed under her breath. With a quick glance to Max, she then turned away and headed for the kitchen.

Back in the living room, Max was being introduced to all the members of the family, including ones he knew since childhood.

"And you remember my daughter, Alex?" She had finished, leading him toward the tall, tan skinned blonde who held a glass of champagne in one hand.

"Yes," he replied with a friendly smile. "How can one forget? She was the top rider at Pine Hollow."