Kristy came again and again as he shot his seed deep into her body. He remained inside her for a long time, not wanting to release her.
He never thought he would find her, but here she was. His true mate. His forever.
The sound of their ragged breathing and pounding heartbeats filled the air, reminding them of the passion they had just shared.
When Kristy gazed up at him, Max brushed her hair away from her face and whispered, “I love you, Kristy.”
Kristy remained silent as she gazed searchingly into his eyes. He didn’t shield his feelings from her. He let her see everything. His heart belonged to her, and she was his life.
“You...do love me,” she said at last.
“Yes. You are my mate, Kristy,” Max said. “I love you, and I will love you forever.”
Max leaned in to kiss her, and Kristy whispered against his lips, “I love you, Max.”
Max growled with pride.
He was so proud of his beautiful, amazing mate.
They made love through the night and it was almost dawn when they finally fell asleep in each other’s arms.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Max dropped Kristy off at The Magic Oven and watched her hurry into the bakery. She was always so excited to get to work. She liked Layla, and the two women got along like a house on fire.
Kristy had been working at The Magic Oven for about three weeks now. She was settling well into her new life. Max had moved her into his bedroom and Kristy hadn’t objected. They couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other. They desired each other with a fierce, burning hunger that just kept growing stronger and more intense with time.
Max smiled and drove off. Kristy was happy, and her happiness was all that mattered to him.
He reached the office and went to his office. His secretary brought him his cup of coffee and a stack of documents to sign.
Max rolled up his sleeves and worked without interruption. He only looked up when he heard a knock on the door.
Even before he answered, the door opened and Draven strode in.
Max quirked a lopsided smile at his friend. Draven was the only one who could walk into his office without going through his secretary.
“Let’s go for lunch,” Draven said, dropping into the chair in front of his desk.
Max glanced at his watch. It was way past lunch time.
“Why haven’t you had your lunch?” Max asked.
“I could ask you the same thing,” Draven retorted.
There was an urgent knock on the door and his secretary poked her head in. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but there’s a Mr Roland on the line for you. I wasn’t sure if you wanted to take the call...”
Max tensed. “Roland?”
Draven’s expression had gone grim and his body language showed that he was on full alert. “What the fuck does he want?” Draven muttered
“Put him through,” Max said and picked up the phone.
“Hello, Mad Max,” Roland said. “How are you? And how is my little slave?”
“What do you want, Roland?”
Draven was leaning so far forward in his chair he looked like he was about to crash to the floor.
The warlock laughed. “I want what belongs to me. Oh, before you slam down the phone, let me tell you that I have something that you want very badly.”
Max stayed silent. He had learned that silence made people uncomfortable and when people became uncomfortable, they started to talk.
“Well, don’t you want to know what I have in my possession?” Roland asked.
“I’m sure you’re dying to tell me,” Max answered in a bored tone.
“I know that you’ve been searching for a witch called Samora.”
A muscle worked violently in Max’s jaw.
“You’ve been trying to hunt her down for years, haven’t you?” Roland chuckled. “Well, Samora has managed to stay hidden by frequently changing her looks and her identity. Quite a trick, eh?”
“How did you find her?” Max said.
“I come from a long line of warlocks, and I found a very ancient, powerful spell hidden in one of the scrolls in my vault. I used the spell to find Samora. The energy it took to work the spell nearly killed me,” Roland said dramatically.
“I don’t think you found Samora,” Max taunted. “You’re lying.”
“Is that what you think?” Roland’s voice rose. “I know that Samora has something that belongs to you. And I know where she keeps it.”
Max didn’t respond.
“Now, let’s get to the point,” Roland said. “You give me what I want. And I’ll give you what you want.”
“There’s nothing that I want from you,” Max snapped.
“Oh yes there is,” Roland said smugly. “Hand my slave over to me, and I’ll give you back your memories.”
“What did you say?”
“You heard right, Mad Max,” the warlock crowed triumphantly.
“I. Have. Your. Memories.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Kristy prattled on about her day over dinner but Max seemed rather distracted and distant. He was unusually quiet and she sensed that he had a lot on his mind.
She finished her meal but Max left most of his food untouched. The cooks were cleaning up the kitchen and preparing to leave. Kristy had met most of the staff who worked in the mansion. The staff usually arrived at the mansion early in the morning in a chartered bus and they would leave in the evening.
Kristy waved to the cooks as they left the house but Max just kept staring at the food on his plate.
“Max,” she said gently. “Is something bothering you?”
He looked up and shook his head. “Just thinking about work,” he said vaguely.
Kristy understood that running a large company wasn’t easy. It was stressful and Max had to make important decisions that involved millions of dollars.
“I need to work in my study after dinner,” Max told her.
“Okay, don’t work too late,” she said and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll wash up the plates. You go ahead.”
Max kissed her back and strode to his study. She watched him go and sighed. She wished she could help him but she didn’t know anything about the construction business.
Kristy washed up quickly and went to the fridge.
She grabbed the ingredients she needed and started making a plate of sandwiches.
Max hadn’t eaten much during dinner and she didn’t want him to go hungry.
Kristy turned around when she heard the doorbell chime. One of the bodyguards went to open the door.
She heard footsteps and saw Draven walk past the kitchen. She raised her hand to wave at him but he didn’t even turn in her direction. His brows were deeply furrowed as he made his way towards Max’s study.
Kristy stared worriedly after Draven.
Max and Draven were the CEO and COO respectively of the company. Draven often dropped by for impromptu meetings with Max but Kristy had the feeling that something serious and dire had cropped up this time.
Kristy busied herself in the kitchen so she wouldn’t worry herself out of her mind. She couldn’t help Max and Draven, but she could feed them.
When she finished making the sandwiches, she made a big pot of coffee for the guys. If there was a crisis to resolve, Draven and Max might be working through the night.
Very quietly, Kristy carried the tray to the study. Max’s study was at the end of a long corridor and Kristy was careful not to make any sound. She didn’t want to distract the men from their discussion.
As she neared the study, she realized that the door was slightly ajar.
Draven’s strident voice floated out of the room. “I won’t let you do this, Max.”
“It’s not up to you.”
“No, this is...insanity! You don’t know what Roland is really up to,” Draven snapped.
Kristy froze when she heard Roland’s name.
“You can’t trust that cunning warlock,” Draven said, his voice risin
g.
Warlock.
They were talking about Roland, her old master.
Kristy fought down her nausea and tried not to hyperventilate.
Why was Roland back in the picture?
“I’ll do what I have to do,” Max said.
“If you’re thinking of negotiating with that snake, forget it,” Draven said. “He won’t honor the deal.”
“I know, but...”
“Roland is a dirty, scheming, greedy piece of shit!” Draven spat. “He’ll lie, cheat and steal to get what he wants. It’s never enough for him. He took all Kristy’s prize money, and he still won’t let her go. He wants her back!”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
There was a long silence.
“Roland has your memories,” Draven said at last. “He’ll destroy your memories, Max.”
“Kristy is much more important to me...”
“There’s a lot a warlock can do with a person’s memories,” Draven warned. “Roland can use your memories to screw with your mind, Max. He can destroy you.”
“Let him try,” Max snarled.
Draven sighed heavily. “Roland wants Kristy in exchange for your memories. Why can’t he just let her go? She’s just one slave. He has dozens of slaves!”
“Control,” Max said. “He can’t stand the fact that he has lost control over her. It’s all a game to him. And he hates losing. By freeing herself, Kristy won. And his ego can’t accept that he has lost the game.”
Draven spat out a curse.
“So what do you plan to do?”
“Roland can have my memories but he’s not getting Kristy,” Max answered.
“He can destroy you with your memories,” Draven said. “Max, you’ve been searching for your memories for years, decades! This is...”
“I’ll give everything up for Kristy.”
Kristy backed away slowly.
She had heard enough.
Roland was blackmailing Max. That devious warlock had Max’s memories and he wanted Kristy in exchange for those precious memories.
So this was what was troubling Max. He didn’t tell her because he didn’t want to cause her any anxiety, worry or stress. He was trying to protect her.
Kristy walked soundlessly away from the study. She went back to the kitchen and placed the tray on the counter. She wiped her clammy hands down her jeans and squeezed her eyes shut.
She knew what she had to do.
With shaking hands, Kristy took out her phone. Max had given her the beautiful mobile phone as a gift. “So I can let you know when I’m thinking of you,” Max had told her, grinning.
Kristy was always happy to receive messages from Max. Sometimes when it got really busy around the bakery, she would only reply to his message hours later, but he always replied instantly.
Kristy typed a quick message to Max.
There’s coffee and sandwiches in the kitchen. I’m going to bed now. Got lots to do at the bakery tomorrow, so it’s gonna be a busy day! Love you.
She added a smiley face at the end of the message and sent it.
Her phone pinged.
Love you.
Kristy climbed the stairs and opened the bedroom door with a heavy heart.
She stood at the window and gazed at the beautiful scenery for a long time.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Kristy chatted cheerfully as Max drove her to work. When Max told her that he and Draven had enjoyed the sandwiches that she’d made for them, she smiled and said, “I’ll make more next time.”
It was a lie.
She might never get the chance to make him a sandwich ever again.
Max pulled up in front of The Magic Oven and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. On impulse, Kristy grabbed him and kissed him full on the mouth.
She kissed him deeply, trying to memorize everything about him. His taste, his scent, the feel of his muscular body against hers. She didn’t want to let him go, but she knew she had to.
“Wow.” Max smiled when she finally released him.
She smiled back. “I love you, Max,” she whispered. “I want you to be happy.”
“I love you too, Kristy. So very much,” he said as he caressed her cheek.
“All right, get yourself to work,” she said chirpily and got out of the car.
She waved until Max’s car was out of sight. Forcing a smile, she turned and headed into The Magic Oven.
“Good morning, Layla!”
“Hey, Kristy!” Layla beamed at her. “Oh, can you help me take the tray of cupcakes out from the back?”
“No problem!”
Kristy rolled up her sleeves and got right to work. She zipped energetically around the bakery, chatting with Layla and the customers like everything was normal.
But she knew that this was her last day at The Magic Oven. She was never going to see all these lovely people again.
Kristy knew that she was one of the fortunate ones. She had tasted true happiness and she knew that she would cherish these happy memories forever.
The joy and love that she had experienced was real. This truly had been the happiest period of her life.
It made her see just how important and precious her memories were. No matter what happened in the future, she could hold on to her memories and find strength in these warm, beautiful moments.
It was important that Max get his memories back.
She didn’t want him to give up anything for her.
As she arranged a fresh batch of baked goods in the display window, her eyes clouded suddenly. “I’ll miss you so much, Max,” she whispered, picturing his handsome face. “I love you, and I hope that you’ll be happy.”
When she heard Layla coming out from the back, she blinked her tears away quickly and continued to busy herself around the shop.
“Welcome to The Magic Oven!” she called out as two customers strolled into the bakery.
Kristy managed to keep smiling even though her heart was breaking.
She would make the most of the remaining hours and be the best baker, employee and friend.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Max was having a discussion with Draven in his office when his office phone buzzed.
“There’s a Mrs Layla Howell on the line for you,” his secretary said.
“I’ll take the call,” Max said and picked up the phone at once.
“Max?”
“Hi, Layla,” Max answered.
“Max, I’m sorry to bother you at your office,” Layla began. “But...”
“No bother at all. What can I do for you?”
“I...” Layla hesitated and took a deep breath. “This sounds silly, but...is Kristy with you?”
“I dropped her off at The Magic Oven this morning. Isn’t she at the bakery?”
“She was. But around noon, she told me that she had an errand to run. So I told her to go have her lunch and take as much time as she needed,” Layla told him.
Max glanced at his watch. It was almost five-thirty.
“She’s been gone for more than five hours,” Layla went on worriedly. “I called her on her mobile phone, but she left it on the counter.”
Max had given Kristy the phone as a gift. Kristy never went anywhere without her phone.
Max shot to his feet.
Kristy had left the phone behind to return it to him.
“Max? Max, are you still there?” Layla asked.
“Yes. I’m here,” he growled.
“I should have called earlier, but I did tell Kristy to take her time. I don’t want to jump to conclusions and cause undue alarm but...I’m really getting worried. Do you know where she is?”
Max pushed away from his desk. “I have to go now, Layla.”
“Wait! Max...”
He put down the phone and saw that Draven was already at the door. “Let’s go,” Draven said.
“I’m going alone,” Max said.
“No...”
At that moment, Max’s mobile phone rang. He glanced
at it and saw that it was Layla again.
He tossed the phone to Draven.
“Answer the call for me,” he said. “Tell Layla not to worry. Everything will be fine.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Kristy turned and watched the cab drive away. It took every ounce of willpower not to run after the cab and beg the cab driver to get her out of this place and speed back to The Magic Oven.
Kristy swallowed painfully.
“I can’t go back,” she whispered. “I can’t go home.”
Home.
It was a strange word to her. For so long, she never had a real home. But Kristy knew without a doubt that she had found her home.
Home was...Max.
He was her home. Her safety. Her refuge. Her happiness.
Her forever.
Kristy forced herself not to think of Max. This was difficult enough as it was. She could almost feel her heart and soul being torn in two. She didn’t want to leave him, but she had to. It was the only way.
She would do anything for Max.
Balling her fists tightly, Kristy turned around to face the tall castle gates.
Kristy knew that once she walked through these gates, she would never walk back out again. This was it.
She had come back to her prison.
With a shudder, Kristy glanced over her shoulder. The cab was long gone. She had paid the cab driver extra because the poor guy wasn’t going to pick up any passengers on the long, lonely drive back to town.
The castle gates swung open suddenly. Kristy looked up but saw nobody coming towards her. Resolutely, she took a step forward. She held her head high as she walked up to the castle.
The sun was setting and the fast fading sunlight threw long, distorted shadows in front of her.
The air was unnaturally still and cold, and she could sense eyes on her.
Every instinct was screaming at her to turn around and run. But she forced herself to walk steadily up to the dark, forbidding castle.
Roland appeared in the arched doorway.
“Hello Kristy,” he said.
Billionaire Beast Bear (Beast Bears Book 3) Page 7
