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wandered through the house at various times to check out what the other guys were doing. So far, no one had discovered anything hidden in the walls.
    He had to find the bond before someone else did.
     
     
     
    Juggling her briefcase, purse, and the bag holding her supper, Karessa turned the knob to the back door. She stepped into a war zone. Her kitchen had been completely destroyed. She knew it had to be torn apart to be remodeled. Still, the missing cabinets and appliances made her blink. The room looked so empty.
    She had no place to set the items about to fall out of her arms. Making her way to the dining room, she placed everything on the table and sighed from relief.
    The sound of a hammer pounding made her frown. She’d seen the pickup parked outside, but assumed it belonged to Kevin. Obviously, one of his workers decided to stay late tonight.
    She followed the sound to the living room. Standing in the doorway, she watched the man currently knocking a hole in the wall. He stood with his back to her, giving her the opportunity to study him without his knowledge. Wavy, dark brown hair that covered his nape. Tall, at least six feet. Broad shoulders. Trim waist. Long legs encased in tight jeans…jeans that showed off a very nice butt.
    Karessa sighed. It’d been much too long since she’d touched a man’s butt.
    “Hello.”
    He whirled around, the hammer clutched tightly in his fist. Karessa noticed that first before her gaze shifted to his face. Hermouth dropped open. All the blood drained from her head, leaving her dizzy. She grabbed the door facing to keep from sinking to the floor. “Max?” she whispered.
    “Hey, Karessa.”
    She stared at him, not believing her eyes. Maxwell Hennessey was in her house? Maxwell Hennessey was in her house!
    Karessa released the facing and clenched her hands into fists. “What the hell are you doing here?”
    He lowered the hammer to his side. “Working.”
    “ Working? For whom?”
    “Kevin. He gave me a job.”
    Nothing he said made any sense. Max was a multi-millionaire. He didn’t need to work at manual labor. “What do you mean, he gave you a job? You don’t need the money.”
    “Yeah, I do. I made some bad investments, Karessa. Things have been…tight for me.”
    “They haven’t been too ‘tight’ for you to buy a Thomas Abernathy painting.”
    “I bought that before…things went bad.”
    She couldn’t believe she was standing here, having a calm conversation with this man. He had lied to her, betrayed her. She should be throwing heavy objects at his head, not treating him as a guest.
    “I don’t care about your money situation. I want you out of my house. Now.”
    He took two steps toward her. She took two steps back. Dropping the hammer to the floor, he ran one hand through his hair. “Karessa, I need this job.”
    “Oh, puh -lease . You can sell the Abernathy painting and live comfortably for the next five years. A piddly construction job can’t pay you anywhere near what you’re used to earning.”
    “It’s a start. That’s all I need.”
    She would not feel sorry for him. She’d been a victim of his deception once. That would never happen again. “You can find your start somewhere else. I don’t want you here.”
    “You’ll never see me. You’re at the museum all day while I’m here. You wouldn’t have known I was working here if I hadn’t decided to stay late. I only decided to work late when Kevin told me you wouldn’t be home tonight.”
    “But I do know you’re here and I won’t allow it. I’ll call Kevin and tell him you aren’t allowed on my property.”
    She turned to leave the room. She’d taken no more than a step when Max grabbed her arm. “Karessa, please don’t. I really do need this job.”
    He turned those pleading gray eyes on her and she began to melt. He’d always had that effect on her. Knowing she couldn’t let him get to her, she narrowed her eyes and lifted her chin. “Take your hand off me.”
    He