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brought his attention back to the papers. "It's company
    proprietary staff, so don't make any copies. Your management probably
    would just as soon not have any duplicates floating around."
    "Max, you can trust everyone here." Sophy smiled blandly. "We all work
    for the company. We wouldn't spill its little secrets. Besides, who here
    could understand all tins complicated staff about a mathematical model
    for a chemical processing system?"
    Max cocked an eyebrow. "You apparently understand it enough to tell
    what it is just by glancing through a few notes."
    Sophy shook her head indulgently. "I have a good mathematical and
    scientific vocabulary, thanks to all those years spent among wizards. I can
    translate what you're saying, but that doesn't mean I can comprehend it.
    It's like being a medical secretary. She might have the vocabulary for
    writing up the doctor's notes, but she couldn't perform the surgery. Get
    it?"
    Max looked vaguely uncomfortable and his mouth firmed. "Was your
    cowboy glad to have you back safe and sound last night?"
    "He seemed happy enough to see me."
    "I'll bet. What would he have done if I'd been a little late getting you
    home?" There was a surprisingly belligerent tone to Max's query.
    "Beaten you to a pulp, probably. Now aren't you grateful I didn't stop off
    to have that drink at your hotel?" Sophy asked sweetly.
    "I would have been willing to take my chances," Max told her softly.
    Sophy blinked, startled by the quiet conviction in his voice. For a split
    second their eyes met in complete understanding. In Max's smoky gaze
    Sophy saw the answer to the question she had asked herself the night
    before. Max Travers would most definitely have made a pass at her if she'd
    gone to his hotel with him. That question answered, she was faced with
    the remaining one. What would she have done in response?
    In that moment of frighteningly honest communication, Sophy had a
    terrifying premonition about the answer to that question, too. And she
    didn't like the way her nerves seemed to thrill to it. What on earth was
    wrong with her? It was impossible for her to be interested in Maximilian
    Travers. Desperately she tried to regain her composure, breaking off the
    intense eye contact.
    "You might have been willing to take your chances, but I certainly
    wouldn't have been so willing," she said staunchly. "My parents would be
    furious if I sent you back to North Carolina in a pulped condition. They're
    already convinced I don't have enough respect for higher math as it is!"
    "Maybe I could teach you a little respect for it," Max suggested
    whimsically. "Will you have dinner with me tonight?"
    "Max, please…" Sophy felt suddenly very nervous, and it made her
    angry.
    "The cowboy?"
    "Nick is out of town. And I'd appreciate it if you'd stop calling him the
    cowboy!"
    "You call me the wizard."
    "So I do," she sighed. "Your logic is impeccable. Only to be expected
    from a professor of mathematics." Sophy waved the papers in her hand.
    "I'll see that these are ready by noon."
    "Wednesday night?"
    Sophy bit her lip. "Is that hotel room really so bad, Max?" Good
    heavens! Now what was she doing? Was she actually making excuses to
    see him again? Trying to convince herself that she felt sorry for him?
    "Yes. The hotel room really is that bad."
    "I'm busy Wednesday night," she heard herself say hesitantly. "But I
    might be able to make it for lunch sometime this week. Or…or a drink
    after work, perhaps." She must be feeling sorry for him. That was the only
    reason she could think of for agreeing to go out with him again now that
    her duty was done. But even as she made the uncertain suggestion, Sophy
    knew she was kidding herself.
    "Thank you, Sophy, I'll look forward to lunch and a drink. Thursday for
    the lunch?" he asked calmly.
    "Yes, well, I suppose…"
    "Friday after work for the drink?"
    "Max, I'm…" She broke off in annoyance. "Nick will be in town by then
    and we'll probably have plans for Friday