It was going to be a hell of a slow road from here, but he’d be at her side every step of the way. He hoped, now he’d found her, she’d let him help her navigate all the twists and turns she was bound to face along the way. After all they’d already been through, they deserved to be together now, to recapture the love they’d shared and raise their child as part of a loving family.
Chapter 8
‘You look gorgeous,’ Max told Jenna four days later when he knocked on her door, ready to take her out for a picnic lunch.
Given she’d spent twenty minutes deliberating over what to wear before she settled on the loose red blouse and black, three-quarter length maternity pants, she held the compliment close to her heart. ‘Thank you.’
You look pretty good yourself, Max.
It was impossible not to acknowledge how his light blue polo shirt outlined his broad shoulders and brought out the blue in his eyes—not to mention how it showed off his well-developed biceps. Then there were his jeans … He filled out those jeans very nicely indeed with his muscular thighs. Oh yes, it was impossible not to notice the Max effect and the strong sex appeal he exuded. She just couldn’t say the words aloud.
‘There’s some repair work happening on one of the stairs so we need to take the service lift down,’ he explained.
‘Oh. Okay.’
‘I missed seeing you yesterday, Jenna.’
It was another statement she could echo.
Although she’d had an extremely busy day, she’d been surprised to realise she’d missed him too. ‘I made some positive steps forward.’
There was no missing the flare of hope in his eyes as he raised his eyebrows expectantly.
‘Oh. No.’ Inwardly she castigated herself for not having realised he’d think it was the news he hoped for. ‘I’m sorry. I haven’t remembered anything,’ she rushed.
Max sent her an encouraging smile. ‘Any news of progress is welcome.’
He had an amazingly attractive smile and every time he unleashed it on her she felt her insides turn to mush. It was no wonder she’d been in love with him. He wasn’t just drop-dead good-looking. All her instincts told her he was honest and innately kind.
It would be way too easy to fall head over heels in love with him again—to lean on him for support—except she couldn’t afford to fall under his spell. She didn’t need a psychologist to tell her she should to be her own person again before she could function healthily as part of a couple.
The last thing Jenna wanted was a relationship based on dependency. She knew now it’s what she would’ve entered into had she married David and also realised her confidence would’ve continually been eroded. Thank God Max had provided her with the wake-up call she’d needed. Now she knew she had financial resources, she didn’t need to depend on anyone for basic survival.
‘I’m starting to take back control of my life,’ she told him as she picked up her lightweight jacket.
‘That’s good to hear.’
He was easy to get along with and she enjoyed his company. She respected that although he was finding it difficult to come to terms with her amnesia, he was considering her struggle ahead of his own and giving her space.
It must be hard for him not to push her—to let everything go at her pace, particularly as she’d taken him away from his corporate board rooms for months on end. When she’d said as much to him, he’d told her again his friends were stepping up to represent him at the highest-level meetings where his own executive didn’t have the social standing to act on his behalf.
And wow, those high-level meetings were exactly that. Jenna’s internet search had revealed how Max negotiated deals with other corporate giants, and even royalty from other kingdoms.
‘How are you regaining control?’
His question brought her back to the present.
‘Dr Gerber sat down with me and explained “The Grief Cycle”.’ It’d really helped her. ‘I hope now I understand that I’m grieving for all I’ve lost, it will make it easier to cope with these huge shifts where one moment I’m determined, another I’m melancholy. There are times I’m gripped by absolute frustration and anger at my memory loss and other times when I lapse into self-pity.’
‘She discussed the cycle with me as well,’ he said. ‘She did her best to prepare me for what you might be feeling and how you might react.’
‘Well, I’m more positive since I’ve been liberated from James and Sally.’ She drew in a quick breath then blurted, ‘I saw a solicitor yesterday.’
‘You did?’ Max looked surprised. For a split second she thought his smile faltered, but looking more closely at him she decided she’d imagined it. ‘I knew you’d gone into town but I didn’t know the reason for your trip.’
She nodded enthusiastically. ‘I wanted legal advice on how to go about changing my power of attorney and ensuring I have control of my own finances. I know I must have a solicitor back in … Tell me again where I live?’
‘Close to Newmarket.’
‘Right. Well, I’m sure I must have my own solicitor but, as I don’t know who he or she is and I have no idea when I’ll return home, I figured I’d employ the services of a local.’
‘You were focusing on your bank accounts?’
That was an odd question, wasn’t it?
She brushed the thought aside. ‘I wanted access to them and also to make certain nobody else has access to them. We went through all the rigmarole of getting access—made harder because I couldn’t remember any pin numbers or passwords.’ She pulled a face and tried to make a joke of it. ‘Imagine how badly I failed the security questions about my first pet and my favourite toy!’
His laugh seemed a little forced. ‘I’m glad you’re in control of your finances again.’
‘We went through all the transactions together to see how much James had fleeced me while he had access.’
‘You sound positive so I’m guessing he hasn’t left you destitute.’
‘He hasn’t robbed me of much in the scheme of things, but the solicitor is passing all the information forward to the prosecutor.’ She paused. ‘You mentioned my mother had been heiress to a brewery. What you didn’t tell me was that James had been managing it as well as a distillery he inherited from his father. The solicitor told me those companies had been taken over just prior to my accident. Did you know?’
‘I did.’ He didn’t quite meet her eyes as he told her, ‘They were huge deals and made finance headlines because they’re established British companies and a lot of jobs were saved in the takeover.’ He looked at his wristwatch. ‘Shall we go now so we can have a short walk before we eat?’
‘I’ll just grab the rest of my things.’ She retreated hastily into her suite, grabbed up her bag, hat and sunglasses and rejoined him in the hallway. She wanted to talk more about what she’d learned from the solicitor. ‘What’s perplexing, is that the share price for the brewery had been falling thanks to mismanagement by James, and yet I appear to have been paid out above market value for my shares.’
‘If I were you, I’d consider myself lucky and not ask too many questions,’ he said, closing the door behind her. ‘I know Charles was in charge of both the brewery and his distillery after he married your mother and that upon his death, James took over. I also know you didn’t have a lot of interest in the brewery because you were focused on your horse stud and equestrian training centre.’
When they arrived at the service elevator she pressed the button, then turned back to Max. ‘The solicitor said I used to get monthly cheques from the brewery—dividends from my shares—but they were dwindling as profits decreased. My equestrian business was by far my greatest source of income.’
‘It’s probably better the brewery was sold, especially if it was starting to become unprofitable.’
Gosh. I could spend all day looking into those eyes.
His gorgeous steel-blue eyes pulled her right away from their conversation and it took enormous effort to focus again on the business of the brewer
y. ‘I guess so. Did I have any emotional attachment to it though, given it was my mother’s family’s company?’
‘I think if you had, you would’ve taken a more active interest in it.’
‘Mm. Probably.’ But there was something that niggled. Something that didn’t sit right with her.
‘It must feel good to know you’ve got financial control again?’ he asked, changing the focus of the conversation.
‘Yes!’ She shook off the sense of not fully grasping something important about the brewery. ‘Even more rewarding is advocating on my own behalf. I made the decision to see a solicitor and instructed him on what I wanted done.’ It’d made her believe, for the first time since she woke from her coma, that she was going to be capable of caring for herself and the little life she carried. ‘I feel so free now I can make my own decisions and I haven’t got James and Sally, or David, trying to influence everything I do.’
He took her hands in his and the sensation of his skin against hers made her heart leap about in her chest. ‘I’m proud of you. You’ve always been capable and confident. You’ll find all your confidence again now you don’t have people around you who are trying to undermine and confuse you.’
He was the father of her child.
They shared a past she didn’t remember.
Max was, in essence, someone she’d only met four days ago yet he was already the one she wanted to share her progress with, and whose words of encouragement meant something special to her. Inexorably she found herself being seduced by this stranger—by his friendship and empathy as much as by his sheer good looks and the potent physical attraction she experienced every time he was in the same room.
As she swallowed to lubricate her suddenly dry throat, she glanced up at him. He was becoming a friend but her awareness of him went way beyond friendship.
If he was only a friend, her heart wouldn’t skip a beat each time he walked into the room. Warmth wouldn’t suffuse her entire body at times when she made direct eye contact with him. If she only considered him a friend, she wouldn’t feel his strength flowing into her so powerfully every time they touched.
And she wouldn’t want, so badly now, to stand on her tiptoes to raise herself up and offer her lips to his.
‘Jen?’
The look of enquiry which accompanied the question in his voice made her realise too much time had elapsed without her speaking as they stood with her hands still encased in the warm strength of his.
Heat suffused her upper body. It started as a prickling sensation across her chest and swept up her neck like an out-of-control fire. When it reached her cheeks, she felt them blaze.
What had they been talking about?
Er … confidence. ‘Every day without James’ influence holding me back and making me second guess myself, I feel as though I’m finding myself again—not, perhaps, the person I was, but the person I am. That’s positive, isn’t it?’
He completely ignored what she’d said.
‘You’re blushing,’ he remarked softly. His eyes grazed over the exposed skin from the scooped neckline of her blouse, up over her throat and zeroed in on her cheeks. ‘You do it so prettily. It’s one of the many things about you that captivated me.’
Oh.
Love blazed from his eyes. The depth of his emotion made his features softer and his eyes a darker blue.
It was so amazing it made her heart beat an irregular tattoo.
She wanted to kiss him with a raw yearning that made her toes curl inside her soft, leather court shoes. If they kissed, would the touch of his lips against hers send a jolt of electrical charge through her strong enough to kick away the block in her brain so she’d remember everything?
His gaze dropped to her mouth and his lips parted on a slow inhalation.
Kiss me.
Although she’d said the words to herself, her need was so strong he must surely be able to sense it?
Please, kiss me, Max.
It was impossible not to be caught up in the moment—not to be swept out to sea on the riptide of emotion emanating from him. But, Jenna didn’t panic. Even though she wasn’t sure how far the tide would carry her, there was an innate confidence Max would ensure she returned safely to shore.
His voice was husky as he murmured, ‘It’s so good to be with you again.’
His gaze didn’t waver from hers as he lowered his head. The warmth of their breaths mingled—his slightly minty scent teasing her nostrils and forcing her to swallow as her mouth watered.
Time stretched as his lips hovered close to hers.
Jenna closed her eyes.
It felt entirely natural when his lips connected with hers. Entirely natural and undeniably wonderful.
The world shrank around her, until the two of them were encapsulated in a sensual bubble where the scent of his skin made each breath a delight.
Primitive, carnal hunger dictated her every action. Reacting rather than thinking, her hands loosened themselves from his to move to his shoulders—to trace along the muscled hardness of those broad shoulders to the back of his neck where the fingertips of one hand were able to push up through the soft texture of his dark hair while the other hand moved forward to explore the rough, stubbled texture along his jaw line.
Initially his kisses were gentle—almost explorative and asking for permission—reassuring he wouldn’t take anything more than she was prepared to give.
It was Jenna who increased the pressure of her mouth on his, encouraging him to take more and to explore her mouth. When he intensified the pressure, it was electrifying. The skilful, hungry sweep of his tongue fanned the flames of her desire and erotic shafts of sensation coiled through her chest and right down to the area between her legs. It was dizzying to feel the pulsing of her suddenly swollen flesh there in contrast to a profoundly empty ache that begged to be filled.
Holding on tightly to him, her body yielded further to his with every kiss. It became pliant beneath his caresses as his hand burned through the fine cotton of her top at the small of her back. A mist of desire rolled in on her blinding her to everything but the feel of his body—obliterating every thought but the desperate need to press closer to where his heart pounded through his chest and reverberated through her.
Not only did she rejoice in the sensations his kisses evoked, but in the realisation that there was something familiar about the little shocks of pleasure coursing through her. It was as though her mind didn’t remember but her mouth knew this passionate pressure and her body recognised the tensile steel of his frame.
This man had been her lover.
They’d created a child together in the midst of their passion and the knowledge overwhelmed her.
She gave herself up to the wonderful bombardment of her senses—the scent of his citrus and sandalwood aftershave and the slight scrape of his jaw against her skin. Her mouth welded to his, her tongue darting out to taste his lower lip. Her senses swooned as he took over, deepened the kisses with sensual deliberation and began to slide his tongue in a deliberate exploration of her mouth until it tangled with hers in a long, slow, intimate dance.
Surely nothing had ever felt so good?
The faint, audible inhalation of his breath against her lips brought her back to reality as he raised his head away from hers.
Jenna moaned in protest.
‘The lift is here.’ His voice was lower—almost gravelly with unfulfilled desire.
It took a moment to process his words as she stood with her gaze locked to his. She was left wanting more. At least the fire burning in his eyes told her it’d cost him dearly not to give her what she’d wanted.
‘I’m sorry.’ God, but her legs felt hollow. ‘I—’
He trailed a fingertip down her cheek. ‘Don’t ever apologise for kissing me, sweetheart. You can’t know how much it means to me that you still want to.’
‘It seemed right,’ she confessed on a whisper.
It also seemed right when he called her sweetheart.
She’d missed the arrival of the lift, but was aware of the doors sliding shut again without them in it.
Max bent forward so his forehead rested against hers for a second. ‘Us being together is more “right” than I’d ever thought possible when I dreamed about how it would be when we first became lovers. God, Jen, I’ve missed you.’
Jenna jerked away from him as guilt swamped her.
This might be familiar for him but it wasn’t for her. How could she have kissed him and led him on like that when she couldn’t promise him more? She couldn’t even be certain she was still the same person he remembered.
Her heart was torn when she saw the sudden confusion and hurt in his eyes.
‘I’m sorry, Max. I shouldn’t have kissed you.’ Her lips pressed together firmly, angry with herself for giving in to physical needs when she was in no way mentally or emotionally prepared to explore a relationship between them. Max had been supportive of her and she needed to be fair to him. ‘I’m not ready for this to go any further.’
‘Of course you’re not.’ He turned and took a few steps away from her. Maybe he was trying to get a grip on his own hurt or maybe he sensed her need for some physical distance between them. Either way, it was space she needed even if it wasn’t space she wanted.
‘Sweetheart, just because we kiss doesn’t mean I expect you to jump back into bed with me.’ She felt him willing her to not only listen as he spoke but to hear his message. ‘You said yourself this feels right. All I ask you to do is go with the flow. Let things build up again between us as I believe they’re destined to do.’
What could she say? ‘I know my amnesia is crushing you, Max. I loved kissing you, but I don’t want to lead you on.’
‘Hey, I don’t believe for a second you’d lead me on. Moreover, I’m not a teenager in the grip of a hormonal rush. I can control myself and respect the line you draw.’
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t feel threatened by you, I …’
‘Besides, do I look like a man who’s easily crushed?’
She didn’t respond in a similarly light vein, despite his attempt to lift the mood between them. It was imperative she was honest with him because she didn’t want to break his heart.
Seduced by the Stranger (Billionaires & Babies, #2) Page 8
