The Man's Outrageous Demands Page 0,23

Marabeth had had enough. Furiously, she clicked off the treadmill and stormed away, refusing to watch the two of them beat each other senseless anymore. It was an awesome spectacle but one she could do without.

Sam watched Marabeth leave and that proved to be a very bad mistake. Max turned around and wholloped him, knocking him backwards and flat onto his back again.

Damn, he thought as he looked up at the ceiling. That was twice in one session and both times were for the same reason. Marabeth.

She looked so beautiful running along. She was incredibly sweaty and he could tell she was still furious with him. He didn’t care. No matter what mood she was in, he thought she was sexy as hell.

Max appeared in his vision, looking down at him from above with laughter in his eyes and a smile on his face. “What’s up, old man? Why did you ask me to join you for a work out if you’re not going to concentrate?” Max asked and held out his hand to help Sam up off the mat.

Sam groaned slightly as he took the offered hand. “I guess I’m just slow today,” he said and took the stance again.

They battled for another forty five minutes until both of them were worn out. “I guess my sister leaving gave you back your concentration, huh?” Max joked.

Sam’s eyes snapped to watch Max. “I don’t know what you mean,” Sam said and toweled his face off.

Max only laughed at his friend’s attempt at ignorance. “Give it up, Sam. You have it bad for her, don’t you?”

“No.” Sam tossed the towel into the laundry bin before grabbing another one to towel off his face again.

Max laughed at Sam’s grimace. “It’s okay,” Max pounded Sam on the back in a brotherly fashion. The men had been friends for a long time. “In fact, it is more than okay. Why don’t you pursue her? I know my father would be thrilled with you as a son in law.”

Sam wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel and thought about Max’s words. He liked that idea too much but he didn’t answer Max. “I have work to do,” he said and started walking away. “Thanks for the workout.”

Max watched the older man walk away and considered his next words carefully. “Sam, you know she has to get married soon. Better you than anyone else, is what I’m thinking,” Max called out behind him.

That got Sam’s attention. “What do you mean?” he asked, swinging around with a look like a thunderstorm on his face.

Max hid his smile at Sam’s furious expression. He took a few steps to close the distance before replying. “Marabeth has to get married.”

“Why?” he demanded.

Max held up his hands and laughed. “Not because of what your thinking and you know it. You keep closer tabs on her than anyone so you know she hasn’t dated anyone in the past month.” Max stopped and thought about that for a moment. “Come to think of it, she hasn’t dated anyone since you started working in the palace.” Max was silent as he connected the dots, then laughed out loud at his suspicions.

Sam understood where Max’s mind was going and shook his head, denying it although secretly he wished it was true. “You’re reading too much into things, as always,” Sam said and started walking again. Then the rest of what Max had said sunk in. He stopped and turned around again. “What did you mean about her having to get married? Why does she have to?”

Max shrugged his shoulders and tossed his own towel into the laundry bin. “Because she’s a princess and my father wants grandchildren. She was engaged two years ago but her fiancé died suddenly – not that there was any love in that relationship. If that hadn’t happened, she would already be married, probably with a child.”

“You could get married and give your father grandchildren,” Sam said reasonably but he didn’t feel very reasonable. He was furious and didn’t really understand why.

“True, but I haven’t found the love of my life, like Marabeth and you have,” Max said and pounded Sam on the back. Max walked away, leaving Sam glaring at him from behind.

Max entered the main drawing room later that night and was glad to see that his mother and father were there but Marabeth had not yet joined them. Two years ago, their sister Anastasia would also have been here but she married Prince Erik and only