A Matter of Trust by Ciana Stone

Author:Ciana Stone [Stone, Ciana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-08-12T16:00:00+00:00

Nikki made sure no one was around before she ran up the stairs to Max’s room. As far as the staff was concerned, Max was taking his afternoon nap and she was sequestered in her room working on her thesis.

She tapped softly. “Max? It’s me.”

Max opened the door and she quickly entered. She had a stack of papers and a thick book with her.

“I went to the university library last night and got online,” she said as she sat down on the bed and started sifting through the printed pages. “I found a couple of things I think will really be helpful. First, I found an IQ test. I had to modify it a little to eliminate questions that require spelling, but I think it’ll work okay.”

She looked up at Max, who was watching her with a less-than-happy expression.

“What?”

He went to his desk, pulled out a photo of his parents and pointed to his father.

“Your father? What about him?”

He pointed to her. She looked at him in bewilderment, not having the slightest idea what he was getting at. He pointed to her again, and then stabbed his finger at his father’s image.

“Me and your father?”

He nodded with a dark frown.

“Me and your father?” She repeated more to herself than to him. “What about us?”

Max didn’t know how to go about asking what he wanted to know. He put his hand over his heart.

“I don’t know what you’re getting at, Max. Give me another clue.”

Max hugged himself, pointed to his heart then to her and the picture.

Nikki stared at him for a long time. “Okay, let’s go slow. This is about your father and me. Is that right?”

He nodded.

“And your heart?”

He shook his head and stepped over to point to her heart.

“My heart?”

He nodded.

The point suddenly crystallized in her mind. “Are you asking me if I love your father?”

He nodded.

“No!”

He raised his eyebrows and turned his head slightly, as if saying, “Are you sure?”

“No,” she repeated. “I don’t love your father. If you want the truth, I don’t even like him. But what made you even ask that question?”

Max studied her face and eyes. She seemed sincere.

“Max, come on. I promise to you on my honor that I’m not in any way attracted to your father, or involved with your father, and if it’s all the same to you, it’d suit me just fine if I never had to be around him again.”

Max played his trump card. He rubbed his thumb over the tips of his fingers. Nikki frowned in confusion. Max opened the desk drawer and pulled out a fistful of money.

Her eyes widened then narrowed sharply. “I’m not sure I understand, but I’m starting to think I don’t like it anyway. What exactly do you want to know? If I’d play up to your father for money? No, I wouldn’t. Not for all his money.”

That was not what Max wanted to know. He wanted to know if she was only there because of the money. If she had no

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