Max had never met anyone like Vivienne.

You deserve kindness, she had said, shattering his world.

From unwanted orphan and rejected juvenile, to envied businessman, he had never elicited kindness outside of his restricted circle. He had always thought he was lucky to have his parents and Wilson, but now, he realized that he had always wanted more from humanity. Someone to care enough for him to see through his angst and beyond his bank account.

He leaned his chin against her head, inhaling her scent as she borrowed deeper into his embrace. The rest of the world disappeared, and a sense of peace descended on him. The hospital’s sounds and smells intruded into their bubble too soon, though, breaking the magical spell.

“It feels so nice in your arms,” Vivienne said, nudging his chest with her nose as if she, too, was taking in his scent as he had done hers. “You are a professional hugger.” When she leaned away, her smile lit her face, making her the loveliest woman he had ever seen.

Max had thought Vivienne beautiful before, but now that he had spent more time with her, he had discovered her inner traits. Her strength, tenacity, compassion, overall goodness, they were all qualities that elevated her higher than any other woman he had met in his adult life. Vivienne was selfless and ready to give all of herself, even when she thought there was nothing left in her.

“I’m not a hugger or a cuddler,” he said, returning her smile.

“Can’t believe it.” She snuggled closer to him yet. “You are made for hugging and cuddling.”

“I wouldn’t mind practicing with you.” He watched her, mindful of her reaction when she would get the exact meaning of his veiled suggestion.

Her reaction made him want to kiss her senseless.

Becoming a bright shade of red, Vivienne opened her mouth, but no sound escaped her pink lips that acted like a beacon for his mouth.

In any other occasion, Max would’ve unleashed his practiced charm on Vivienne. Not tonight, though. His baby daughter was fighting for her life, and his heart and mind were focused on Amber Rose.

“Don’t mind my brainless comment,” he said with an apologetic smile and a quick peck on Vivienne’s nose. “I enjoy being with you.”

“Me too.” Vivienne cocked her head to the side, her eyes brightening and her skin flushing redder as she said all in one breath, “I’d love to help you practice—”

“Hopefully, soon.” For once, Max would’ve gladly spent the entire night spooning, and that was a first for him.

At the moment, the idea of spending time with Vivienne, caressing and kissing each other—even without going any further than that—sounded divine.

“Let’s get back to the waiting room so that Wilson can take a break, too.” He took Vivienne’s small hand in his and led her across the long hallway.

Just the act of touching her affected him like no other sensual contact ever had. There was something to say about closeness that came in many different forms, and Max was discovering its many nuances with Vivienne. He loved the feeling and wanted to hang onto it for as long as possible before reality intruded again. The stroll ended too soon, and they were already outside the waiting room.

“News?” Max asked Wilson as he crossed the threshold.

“The doctor hasn’t come back yet.” Wilson yawned and passed a hand across his jaw and chin. His eyes were bloodshot.

“You look like crap,” Max said.

“I love you, too.” Wilson smiled, but it was a tired smile.

“Go home.” Max walked to his friend’s corner.

Vivienne followed a step behind and sat in the corner as if to give them privacy. Max wanted her closer to take her hand or brush her leg with his. He was getting used to her presence by his side and felt her absence even though she was but a few steps away from him.

“No, I’ll stay,” Wilson said. “You might need me, and I wouldn’t sleep anyway, thinking of Amber Rose.”

“Thank you.” Max lowered himself to the chair next to Vivienne and let out a hard sigh, leaning his shoulder to rest on hers.

Wilson angled his body to take a better look at Max. “Everything okay?”

“Louise Dortmund was outside.”

“Why? What did she want?”

“She wanted to make sure I knew she sent the reporter after me.”

“She just doesn’t change,” Wilson commented.

Vivienne shifted in her seat as if she wanted to intervene in the conversation.

Max gave her a nod.

“May I ask something?” Vivienne whispered.

“Sure,” Max answered.

After an awkward silence that stretched a few seconds, Vivienne spoke again. “Why is Louise Dortmund so hell-bent on destroying you?”

“The short of it is that I didn’t have sex with her.” Max scratched his chin.

“One hundred percent true,” Wilson said. “We all went to the same high school and college—”

“I dropped out of UW after my first semester,” Max said with a shrug. “Barely finished high school.”

“Again, true, but not because of his grades. Max is a genius,” Wilson said, slapping Max’s arm.

“I imagined he wouldn’t have become a successful businessman, recognized by presidents and moguls all over the world, otherwise,” Vivienne said with an easy smile.

Max was pleasantly surprised, once again, by how Vivienne had carefully worded her statement. She hadn’t used “billionaire” to describe him. The rest of the world saw the easy money he had made, the yachts, penthouses, jets, villas, outrageous vacations, and supermodels. But not Vivienne. She had just praised his acumen and work ethic. He had the feeling that when they first met, she had probably pegged him for the chauvinist pig Louise called him. The thought made him smile because Vivienne’s good opinion mattered to him. It also touched him that Vivienne had talked about him with the same pride he had only seen in his parents and Wilson.

“Thank you, both,” he finally said, and if there was a catch in his voice, the other two graciously acted as if they hadn’t noticed. “Coming back to Louise, she is nothing but thorough when pursuing personal vendettas. We were once good friends, but I discovered how spiteful she could be early on and distanced myself from her.”

“What did she do?” Vivienne asked.

“One girl in our English AP class didn’t invite Louise to her birthday. They didn’t hang out in the same circles or anything, but Louise took it personally. She made sure to ruin this girl’s social life to the point that the poor girl tried to kill herself.” Max could still see the slumped figure swaying from the rope, the sound of the stool being kicked forever etched in his ears.

“Was the girl okay afterwards?” Vivienne asked.

Before Max could evade the question, Wilson answered, “Max saved our classmate. She is a mother of two and the chairman of Good Intentions, the association against cyber bullying that Max created.”

“I know that association. They have great programs for the local high schools. I didn’t know it was yours.” Vivienne’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Nobody knows,” Wilson said, again before Max could take the rein of the conversation. “He keeps his name off all his charitable endeavors.”

The sound of urgent steps silenced the conversation at once, filling the air with palpable dread. Doctor Kalisten appeared at the door. Her usually stern expression was tinged with dark shadows as she tilted her head to the side and said, “Seattle PD is here for you, Mr. Prize. I can’t stop them.”

“It’s okay. Thank you for the heads up.” Max had expected the police to arrive since he set foot at the hospital. “How’s my daughter?”

“You can see her for a few minutes,” the doctor said without answering his question. Her evasiveness fed Max’s worries with new fodder.

Vivienne touched his arm, pressing slightly in that way of hers he had come to look forward to.

“Come with me.” Doctor Kalisten tilted her chin over her shoulder and stepped back into the hallway. “Only you.”

Vivienne nodded and released her soft hold on him with an encouraging smile. “I’ll wait here.”

“Is Amber Rose still stable?” Max asked, following the doctor as she set a brisk pace through the maze of internal corridors.

“She is,” the doctor answered.

Max knew there was something else beneath the two-word answer, but they had stopped before a door, and Doctor Kalisten turned to face him as he tried to peek over her shoulder at the glass window.

“She is attached to several machines that are keeping her alive, but as I said, your daughter is stable. We’re waiting for the Blood Bank to respond, and there’s nothing else we can do at the moment,” she said. “I can’t let you inside.”

“I understand.” Max had gotten a glimpse of a transparent crib and small hands. “Let me see her, please.”

The doctor nodded and stepped aside, uncovering the rectangular window. Max took her place and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the cold surface. At the sight of his tiny daughter surrounded by beeping machinery, with so many probes and tubes latched to her arms and legs, he couldn’t help but gasp in dismay. The doctor had warned him, but it still was too much to bear.

“Goddess, please,” he whispered. “Don’t take her away from me.”