by Sienna Snow
Huh?
“Relax.” He smoothed my hair from my forehead and kissed the back of my head.
“It was Jacob, wasn’t it?” I had no doubt. The man hated me, especially after seeing Max and me together at the Carson Ball. Would he forever remain a thorn in my side?
“Yes. I think he believed by revealing your secret, I’d go into a rage and end our relationship.”
“For being one of your closest friends, he doesn’t know you very well.”
Max’s chest vibrated with a small chuckle. “Since you left my estate last week, I haven’t been the most approachable of men.” Gliding his fingers up and down my arm, he continued. “I was hurt you wouldn’t trust me, even after everything we’d shared. I didn’t know what to do, and feeling helpless left me in a piss-poor mood.”
“But it doesn’t make sense why Jacob had me followed to Cape Town and gave you the pictures. What does he gain from hurting you?”
“A lot has happened since last week. I confronted Jacob about his association with Christof and told him that any involvement with a suspected terrorist would be detrimental to himself and to the lives of his family. He insisted it was all for the kink factor and then accused me of letting you influence my decisions.”
“Well, you did buy my company in order to win me back,” I quipped.
“True, but you never had a say in that decision. Long story short, I told him if he wanted to continue working for MDC he’d have to sever all ties to Vladimir.”
“I bet that went over well.”
“To say the least. He quit and told me that he’s glad you left me, and he hoped I would get my head on straight.”
“Did we break up?”
“No.” He released an exasperated breath. “I never corrected his misconception.”
I stiffened and pulled away, but Max held me tight. “Lie back down. Let me finish.” Conceding, I softened into his embrace. “I could tell Jacob wanted to tell me something, so I played along. Right before he left my office, he handed me an envelope and waited for my reaction. I couldn’t believe what I saw. You looked so sad and lonely in the pictures. There was one that I will never forget; you’re staring directly at the camera with such pain, that I felt my heart breaking.”
Not responding to his statement, I asked, “What did you say to him?”
“I told him to get out. Until that moment, I hadn’t realized what lengths he’d go to separate us. Having you followed and invading your privacy was the last straw.” He paused for a moment. “Were you ever going to tell me about the girls?”
“I was coming to your house right before you found me on the balcony.” My eyes filled. “I was going to see if you still wanted me after you knew the truth.”
His arms tightened around me. “I’m never letting you go. Why is that difficult to understand?”
“I thought I’d pushed you away with my need to protect myself.”
“Arya, I’ve said this before and I know it won’t be the last time, but you are frustrating. Do you realize how hard it was for me to stay in that room and not come after you? I realized if I kept chasing you, you’d keep running. I decided to let you go. I was giving you space, hoping you’d come back to me. It was a gamble I prayed I wouldn’t regret.”
The room grew quiet except for the sound of our breaths.
After a few moments, he broke the silence. “No more secrets,” he said against my hair.
“Okay,” I whispered.
“No more hiding.”
“Okay.”
“From this moment on, you and I are together. No arrangements or separation of anything.”
I turned around and put my palms against his wet chest. It was time to accept what we meant to each other. I bit my lip trying to keep it from trembling.
Max cupped my face and searched my eyes. “I’ve loved you from the moment we met. I let my stupidity and fear push you away. But this is our second chance. Trust in me. Trust in us.”
“Max, you don’t understand. I’m broken.” A tear slipped down my cheek.
He thumbed it away. “We’ll figure out the rest in time. All I need is a future with you.”
I shifted away from him, splashing water out of the tub. “You’re not listening. I can’t give you children. The doctors told me it would be virtually impossible to carry again.”
Max moved forward, crowding me back. “It doesn’t matter to me if you can or can’t carry our children. You said virtually impossible. That means there is a chance. And if we find out you can’t, we’ll explore other options.”
My lips quivered as his words sunk in. I gently placed my hands on his shoulders and then around his neck. “God, I love you. We’ve been so stupid.”
Max gathered me onto his lap and against his chest. “I’ve waited forever to hear you say those words.”
“Stupid?” I smiled at him.
He arched an eyebrow, and his hand sifted through my hair as he dipped his head down, kissing me until all thought left my mind. “Let me hear the words again.”
“I love you, Max,” I murmured against his lips.
Our tongues tangled, and the familiar tingle pulsed in my core. He hardened against me, sending goose bumps up my spine. My knees slipped to his sides as my heart sped up. Without a word, he lifted me, positioning me over his length. Slowly, I engulfed him, allowing every smooth ridge of him to vibrate inside of me.
A groan rumbled from deep in his throat. “Arya, baby, this feels like home.”
I gazed into his fiery-green depths. Moving my hands to his shoulders, I leaned forward, teasing the corner of his mouth. His clean essence mixing with the lavender and vanilla of the bath enveloped me.
“Ari,” he whispered as he clutched my hips and slowly moved me up and down.
I shook my head, pushing his arms back against the granite-lined ledge. With a rough laugh, he rested his palms on the cold stone, letting me take over the rhythm. I savored the sensation of him throbbing inside me.
Max bent his head, seeking the curve of my neck with his mouth. My back bowed as a purr escaped my throat. His lips and teeth found my nipple, drawing it into his heat. He nipped down lightly, sending a sensation of pleasure-pain to my throbbing pussy. I gasped and contracted on him, continuing my ride on his firm shaft.
His lips curved in a smile. “I know how much you like being in charge, but I’m not one to sit back and let you do all the work.” With those words, he shifted, positioning me on the edge of the tub, and took over. Water splashed and dripped onto the floor as he pounded into me.
My climax rose and then exploded the moment he grazed my neck with his teeth. “Max,” I moaned or shouted, I didn’t know. My hands gripped his arms, squeezing so tight he’d have marks from my nails.
“That’s it, baby, ride it out,” he crooned. His pace and thrust increased and his jaw clenched as he erupted with his own release. He kissed the top of my head and then rested against my shoulder.
“Mine,” I said.
“I’ll always be yours.”
For the first time, contentment consumed me. My heart had barely slowed when Milla came storming through the bathroom door.
“Arya, what the hell is going on in there? I could hear shouts down the hall. Oh shit, my eyes, my eyes. Someone kill me now.” She jumped back out of the door and shut it.
“It’s your own fault, Milla. Did you ever think about knocking?” Max laughed as he withdrew from me and grabbed a couple of towels. He wrapped one around himself and the other around me.
“When you guys are finished, I need to talk to both of you. We have a breach of security and we need to figure out a game plan,” Milla called through the door.
“Give us a few minutes and we’ll be out.”
My cheeks burned thinking about what Milla had seen. Even though we discussed sex all the time, I couldn’t help the embarrassment. Why was Max taking this all in stride? “You’re not even a bit fazed that Milla caught us naked and getting it on?”
&
nbsp; He leaned over and kissed me. “It’s called fucking, and why are you flustered? It isn’t anything more than she sees when she goes to the club with Lex. Hell, those two have put on shows of their own.”
“What are you talking about? When did this happen?”
Max started laughing, stepped out of the tub, and tugged me along with him. “Baby, even Aunt Elana knew about them.”
I narrowed my eyes. This wasn’t funny. I wasn’t that naïve, was I?
“Didn’t you ever wonder where all the sexual tension around them comes from?”
“Yeah, I guess,” I mumbled, lifting my robe off the hook and shrugging it on. I had a feeling I was the last one in on some big secret.
“The cat-and-mouse game they enjoy is all foreplay.” Max pointed to a large robe.
“What? It came as a set. How was I to know someone would actually use it one day? Whatever. Don’t change the subject. What’s going on with Milla and Lex?” I folded my arms across my body, glaring at Max as he approached.
He gripped the collar of my robe, drawing me near. “My sweet, genius IQ, Arya. Lex and Milla have been in a relationship like ours since before we met. I’d say on and off for ten years. I’m not sure what surprises me more—that they kept it a secret or that you never figured it out. Aren’t you supposed to be the smart one?”
I scowled but let him kiss me.
“Arya, you saw them with your own eyes at my club. Remember the couple you watched playing with the whips?”
“Oh my God, Max. We…uh…watched them…while you…um.”
“Paddled your ass and fucked you senseless.”
I hid my face against Max’s chest. “I’m such an idiot. I even remember thinking how much they resembled Milla and Lex. I’m going to kill her. How could she keep something like this from me? She’s supposed to be my best friend.”
“Talk to her before you get upset. People in our kind of relationships have reasons for what they do.”
I sighed. “I suppose you’re right.”
“Are you guys coming?” Milla yelled from the bedroom door. “I’m not sure you understand the seriousness of our situation.”
“Let’s go. This must be major if she is this panicked,” Max stated as he opened the door.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
We entered the living room to find Milla muttering to herself as she prepared drinks. She poured a shot of whiskey, downed it, and continued making drinks. Not good. She rarely drank hard liquor. This must be major.
“Milla, what’s going on?” I pointed to the empty shot glass.
She ignored me and busied herself making a B&B neat, my favorite drink to calm my nerves.
I walked over, plucked my cocktail from the counter, and waited. She still said nothing. Well, if she wanted to keep us in suspense, I was going to burst her bubble with my own cryptic message.
“By the way, we have something to discuss in private. Something to do with major secrets and friends and fucking,” I whispered so Max wouldn’t hear.
She glanced up from her bartending with a shocked expression on her face, and her gaze shot to Max, who shrugged his shoulders.
“What’s the security breach?” he asked, cutting the tension.
Milla’s shoulders relaxed. “I’ve noticed someone using an access code to Arya’s lab that we only use during mock drills. Whoever infiltrated the lab was trying to get to the core of Arcane, but they didn’t realize the codes give bare minimum entry to the software.”
“How did you guys find out about the unauthorized access? I never received a ping warning me.” I grabbed my phone from my bag and checked my messages. “Fuck, fuck, fuck! I haven’t monitored my business line since I left last week.” I paced back and forth.
“Language.” Max laughed as he moved to the bar and collected his drink.
Milla continued, “Lex and I’ve received a notice from the security protocol the moment you left for South Africa.”
“Whoever it was wouldn’t know every step they made was logged on the server. Who accessed the system?” I asked. The one place I felt confident was with my work. As the top security software developer in the country it wouldn’t make sense to slack on my own security.
“You’re not going to like this,” Milla paused. “It’s someone on our team.”
“What? No way, our team has been with us for years. They’re as loyal as they come.”
“No, not our team, I mean our team in general. I’m referring to someone Max brought on.”
Immediately Max’s demeanor changed. “Who?” He moved over to the fireplace, resting his drink on the mantle.
“That’s the problem. Each time a different initial access code was used. Every one of us has a secure log-on to the system. Even your password was used.”
Max glared at Milla, who stared back at him. “How do you know it isn’t someone from your side?” Max accused.
I jumped in. “Because I know my people. They’re loyal to us.”
“Why? Because you have secrets on each of them? If it has to do with money, everyone is a suspect. I don’t think you should rule them out.”
“Max, they all could have stolen sensitive information ten times over the past five years and never did. They would lose too much to betray us. When we went public, we made them all millionaires, and they signed contracts that forfeited all their shares if they ever compromised our intellectual property.”
And thank God Lex had insisted everyone sign nondisclosure agreements years ago, too.
“It could still be someone trying to frame my people,” Max retorted.
“This isn’t about sides. I told you from the beginning only a handful of people know the real development we do. Even then, they simply work on and have access to their part of the project. I’m the sole person with complete, unilateral access to all sections of the system.”
“Are you telling me that all the time and energy our people have put into this project was for show?” He stalked over to where I stood at the bar. The relaxed glow from our lovemaking had all but evaporated.
“No, each person worked on their integral part. Without their work, the software doesn’t function correctly. It’s like putting connecting pieces of a puzzle together.”
“Let me get this straight. Arcane’s puzzle master is you, and the one person who can work the system is also you?”
The way he towered over me made me think that maybe I should lie. “Well…technically, uumm…you see.” I moved back as Max crowded me.
“Spit it out, Arya, before Max busts a vein,” Milla said from the safety of the kitchen.
Max trapped me against the bar with his arms.
“Don’t be mad, but the only way I could assure the confidentiality and security of Arcane was to keep all the program launch codes in here.” I tapped my head.
At this moment, I sensed my brilliant plan wasn’t very bright. Lex and Milla constantly badgered me about the risk of keeping everything to myself, but until now, I hadn’t seen that maybe keeping a backup set of codes and instructions would have been a better idea.
“Did you even comprehend what kind of risk you’re taking?” Max leaned into me, clenching his jaw.
Oh hell, I’m in big trouble.
“Ari, I’m out of here. Call me when he calms down. This isn’t the right time to be strategizing.” Milla moved to leave the penthouse.
Max turned his face to Milla, while keeping me caged between his arms. “You stay right there, and get your lover boy here immediately. I can’t believe you two let her put her safety at risk. Please tell me my sister wasn’t in on this decision too.”
I shrugged my shoulders. I couldn’t throw Carmen under the bus, could I?
“Arya, you’re the smartest person I know. How could it escape your mind that you were setting yourself up to become the perfect hostage for someone hoping to profit from stealing the software? If the government’s willing to pay such a high price for it, don’t you think other countries would do anything
to get their hands on it, too?”
I hated it when he was right. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about it like that.”
“After what happened to you, why would you put yourself at risk?” He cupped my face and touched his head to mine.
“My thoughts were about succeeding. All I had was my work.” My hands clutched his shoulder.
“You have me now. I won’t let you put yourself in any more danger. At least you have James with you most of the time.”
I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of having someone who was completely mine.
“I hate to disturb this Hallmark moment, but we need to get back to the issue of the breach,” Milla announced.
“I still don’t believe it’s someone from MDC,” Max said while holding me.
“Sorry to burst your bubble, but our paranoid Arya created a tracking program that activates when any R & D product is accessed outside of ArMil. The program was traced back to your building, specifically the eighty-first floor.”
“But that’s my floor. The only two people on the team from my department are Jane and myself.”
“You forgot Jacob,” I interjected. “He’s been nosing around the team for months, asking for detailed information that only computer techies are interested in, not mergers and acquisition suits. Besides, he hates my guts and reminds me constantly that I’m not worthy of his presence.”
“He may not prefer you for me, but I doubt he hates you,” Max insisted.
“Keep believing that. He thinks I’ve gotten you in my clutches again, and he doesn’t like it one bit.” I kissed the scowl from his face.
“God, you two make me sick. I wish Lex would get here already,” Milla grumbled.
The doorbell rang and she rushed to answer it. In the few seconds it took Milla to return, I heard the commotion of a loud, whispered argument. If Max was right, they held the top prize for keeping their bedroom antics separated from real life. What a whopper of a secret. For over ten years; hell, that would make her barely out of high school.
“Let it go. We’ll deal with it later,” Lex muttered as he crossed into the living room. Milla followed, frowning at his back.
“Do we need to leave you two alone to sort out your lover’s quarrel?” Max jested.
