‘All those for starters?’
‘You are eating for two.’
‘Sounds a whole lot better than the wedding breakfast Sally had planned. She said she’d chosen my favourite things. When I think back on it I realise they were probably my least favourite dishes.’
‘What were they?’
‘Apart from the Haggis and Black Pudding?’
He pulled a face. ‘Perhaps I shouldn’t ask.’
‘No, please do!’ She laughed as she said, ‘I’m going to tell you anyway because you won’t believe it.’
‘Is it going to put me off my lunch?’
‘Possibly. She told me my very favourite thing to eat was a dish called Casu Marzu.’
‘Casu Mar-what?’
‘Marzu. But wait for it. It’s a Sardinian cheese made from goat’s milk. Early in the fermenting process the larvae of cheese flies are introduced.’
‘No more, please.’ His mouth tightened in disgust and he put his hand up to stop her. Thank God he had a strong stomach. ‘Are you serious?’
‘If you don’t believe me, look it up on the internet.’
‘The cheese confirms my suspicions that the guests at the church were rent-a-crowd. Nobody outside Sardinia would ever serve that to friends, and if they did, they wouldn’t stay friends for long!’
It was so good to laugh like this. ‘You see, you did me more than one favour by stopping the wedding.’
‘Okay.’ Having set out all the starters, he put the picnic basket down next to the table. ‘I’m going to try not to let the thought of the cheese spoil my appetite. Would you like some sparkling mineral water with your lunch?’
‘Oh, yes please.’
The picnic banquet had been prepared by the chef at the hotel. Max had selected all the things he knew Jenna loved. Despite having asked whether all those dishes were starters, she polished off the relatively small servings of each thing then tucked into small duck and orange pies, quail scotch eggs, asparagus quiche and minted lamb sausage rolls with great relish. All the while, conversation flowed between them.
‘I have a confession to make.’ The sparkle in her eye and the dimples in her cheeks was classic Jenna sass.
‘You didn’t bring any of the Sardinian cheese with you, did you?’
‘No.’ She screwed up her pert little nose, then laughed. ‘I was a bit unsure what we’d talk about today, so I read the newspaper from cover to cover to memorise topics I could talk about.’
The confession elicited his laughter. ‘I thought you were remarkably well informed. It was like having a lunch time conversation with a CNN reporter.’
‘Really?’ She tilted her head as she looked at him aghast.
‘No, not really. I’ve enjoyed our time together.’
‘Me too. But, off current affairs, where are your parents now? How did they cope when Charles gave them their notice?’
Stretching out his legs, they bumped then rested against hers under the picnic table. He was pleased when she didn’t move hers away.
‘They’re both well. It only took them about two weeks to find employment with another local family. They were there for a few years before I was able to buy a home for them. With all I’ve earned, they haven’t had to work since.’
‘You’re a good son.’
‘They’re good parents.’ He had every confidence he and Jenna would be good parents too. ‘Have you booked in for any prenatal classes?’
‘Not yet.’
He’d love to ask if she’d let him attend with her. God, but he wanted to be by her side at the birth of their child, but the way she’d broken eye contact with him the second he asked, he knew it was much too early to make the suggestion. At times he felt like he was learning a new dance—one step forward and half a step back.
‘Shall we go for a walk along the stream before we have dessert?’
‘Definitely.’ She stood up immediately. ‘I can’t even think about dessert yet. I think I’d better walk off all I’ve eaten.’
After they packed up the basket and Max took it back to the car, he offered his hand to Jenna. Once, he would’ve taken it for granted she’d place her hand in his. She’d been doing it since they were kids. Now, the feel of her hand in his was extra special. It told him she was comfortable with him—that she trusted him. It was a trust he’d never abuse and one he intended to build on.
They followed the track in comfortable silence, enjoying the way the light filtered through the canopy of trees and listening to the sound of the water running in the stream. At a spot where the bank tapered down to a gentler angle, there was a pebbly section.
Jenna turned to him with a sudden, beaming smile. ‘Hey! Want to skip stones?’ Without waiting for his reply she challenged, ‘Bet I can skip one more than you!’
Max’s jaw sagged as déjà-vu hit hard.
At the same time, the smile froze on Jenna’s face and she stared at him wide-eyed. ‘We used to do that, didn’t we?’ Her hand pulled out of his and she raised her fingertips to her temples as her eyes closed together tightly.
‘Yes. We did. I taught you to skip stones.’ It’d been the first summer he’d moved to Herlstone Park, and damned if she hadn’t learnt so quickly it wasn’t long before she did make a stone skip more often than he did. ‘You always had a competitive streak and you didn’t think twice about challenging me whether it was skipping stones or seeing who could climb to the top of a tree first.’
‘I think I remember skipping stones. I’m picturing a stream a little wider than this one with a wooden bridge and …’ A furrow formed between her brows. ‘Was there a Chinese lantern at each end of the bridge?’
‘Yes.’ His chest swelled in sheer elation. ‘The stream you’re remembering runs right through Herlstone Park.’
Her eyelids blinked open and she launched herself into his arms. ‘Oh God, Max! I’m really starting to remember! That’s a couple of times today I’ve had fleeting recollections.’
Holding her tight, he rested his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes as he savoured her soft feminine form against him. He didn’t care that unseen security personnel would have their eyes trained on them. Unable to help himself he murmured, ‘Jen, I so want to kiss you again right now.’
She moved her head back a little so she could look up at him. Happiness radiated from her. ‘I want to kiss you too.’
His fingers slid through the silky curtain of her dark brown hair, and he exerted a little pressure on her head, encouraging her to tilt it back to allow him access to her mouth.
Jen needed no encouragement. Lifting her arms up, she laced her hands at the back of his neck and stood on her tiptoes, stretching her body up in search of the kiss they both wanted so desperately.
Lowering his head slowly, almost afraid she’d change her mind and pull away from him, he kept looking into her eyes as he closed the distance between them.
Her long eyelashes fluttered closed as their lips touched, and she moaned appreciatively. Max responded with his own low growl of need.
Everything around him was obliterated but the feel of her body pressing against his as she strained to meet him.
Her hands tightened, her fingers threaded into his hair and urged his head closer, encouraging him to plunder her mouth more fully with his kisses as her tongue tip darted against his in deeper intimacy.
While a moment ago he’d been cognisant of the birds singing and the running water of the stream, now he only heard the yearning in Jenna’s needy little moans above the pounding of his own heart.
Her kisses awakened his entire body and it was impossible to prevent the burgeoning of his arousal. It’d been so long since they’d made love, and his body remembered how incredible it’d been each time they’d shared the ultimate physical connection together and allowed their mutual love to be expressed in every touch and caress.
He tried to shift the lower part of his body away from her so she didn’t feel threatened by his all-too-obvious need.
But, as he eased away to create some space between them, she followed.
For a split second she stiffened as her pliancy pressed against his hardness.
Tearing his lips from hers he promised, ‘You don’t have anything to worry about, Jen. This stops at kisses.’
For a moment, she let her head fall against his chest and he wondered whether the thudding of his heart would reverberate uncomfortably through her skull.
Her hands ran from the back of his neck along his shoulders and down over his biceps, then she pulled away from him so she could slip her arms under his and loop them around his back.
‘I love being held by you.’ Her words were released on a sigh as she snuggled back against him.
‘I love holding you.’
While his hands enjoyed caressing the small of her back, what he really wanted was the right to let them trail lower over the delightfully feminine curve of her bottom. But if he moved too fast, too soon, it could undo all the ground they’d made up and scare Jenna away from him. It wouldn’t be wise to do anything but follow her lead—give her as much as she wanted but not initiate any deeper intimacies to test her reactions and see how far she wanted to go in exploring this passion between them.
Eventually, she broke away from their embrace. ‘Thank you, Max. Thank you for giving me what I need when you want to take this so much further.’
‘Baby steps,’ he told her with a smile even while the primitive pressure in his groin challenged every ounce of his control.
‘We’ve been lovers.’ She rested her hand over her baby bump. ‘Even though I don’t remember, it feels so natural to hold your hand and to have you take me into your arms and to kiss you. But I’m not ready for us to be lovers again in the fullest sense of the word.’
‘The amnesia might have obliterated your memories for now, but it hasn’t severed the connection between us.’ He felt the strong bond with every fibre of his being. ‘Right from the first moment I saw you as a kid, I was drawn to you as you were to me. There’s always been a strong, invisible link between us and the amnesia can’t sever it.’
As if thinking aloud she said, ‘Our souls recognise each other.’
‘Yes.’ That was exactly what it was like.
‘I sense it.’
‘These glimpses you’ve had today into your past are a fabulous start, and I’m hopeful you’ll make a full recovery, but if not …’ He broke off. It was too soon to ask. He couldn’t put that sort of pressure on her.
‘If not?’
‘If not, you’ll be okay.’ He went to turn away and was about to suggest they make their way back to the picnic ground for dessert when her hand on his arm stopped him.
‘That wasn’t really what you were going to say, was it?’
He’d never lied to her and he wasn’t about to start now. ‘Not quite.’
‘You were about to ask me if I didn’t make a full recovery could I look into the future and see if I could picture us together.’
Not exactly how he’d been going to phrase it, but she had the gist of it. ‘Can you?’
The smile she gave him was a little watery and her mouth trembled. ‘Yes. It’s a future I want to work towards.’
Taking her hands in his he kissed each of them.
‘You’re the only thing in my world that makes sense,’ she told him. ‘I’ve gone from feeling an awareness of you when you first turned up at the church, to wanting to share my feelings and experiences with you, and—in a life where I’ve been completely adrift, it’s like you’re my anchor. It’s as though I’m a vagrant and the only place I truly feel at home is when I’m in your arms.’
Her words were a balm to his ragged emotions. ‘You belong in my arms, Jen.’
‘Has it always been this amazing between us? Have we always been able to talk together like this about how we feel and what we’re thinking?’
‘From day one, you became my best friend and you told me I was yours.’ He squeezed her hands. ‘We’ve both got fantastic friends and have always had many people we’ve felt comfortable with. But, if there was ever anything exciting that’d happened to us, or anything troubling us, we always sought each other out first.’
She nodded. ‘Today, I’ve been more relaxed than I have been since I came out of the coma. Of course I’d like to discuss this with Dr Gerber, but I’m wondering if it’s time for me to go back to Herlstone Park. Maybe it’ll do me good to be able to see the stream where we used to skip stones and to walk through the stables again.’
‘We’ll talk to her.’
‘Will you come with me if she agrees it’d be good for me to go?’
‘Absolutely.’ He ran through a few business things in his head. ‘When I haven’t been with you, I’ve been trying to keep abreast of my business interests. Before we go to Newmarket, I’ll need to take a quick trip to London to catch up on a few things in person.’
‘There’s no reason for me to stay here. Could I come with you?’
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.
‘That’d be great.’
Jenna was back in his life and happy to be there.
No more dwelling on whether or not she’d eventually remember the magic between them. They were making new memories and sharing special moments every time they were together. It was the future that counted, not the past, and Max was confident Jenna would find as much happiness and contentment with him in the future as she’d known in the past.
They’d all be together. Jenna and Max and their child.
The future would be great.
Chapter 10
Jenna and Max left the boutique hotel near Stow-on-the-Wold early the next morning and travelled to London. Even though he told her she’d been there many times, Jenna didn’t recognise Max’s beautiful two-storey home in St John’s Wood. The home was set back at the end of a long tree-lined driveway and looked stately but inviting.
Although Max had instructed his housekeeper, Mrs Robbins, to give Jenna space, he warned Jenna that the woman loved her and may be somewhat over exuberant in her welcome.
The instant Jenna set foot in the rather grand marble foyer, Mrs Robbins rushed forward and greeted her with outstretched arms.
‘Oh, Miss Jenna, I know you don’t remember me, but it’s so good to have you home.’
Jenna shot a bemused look at Max from over the shoulder of the matronly housekeeper who had her in something of a bear hug. ‘Thank you.’
‘And before long, we’ll have the pitter patter of little feet around here too,’ the middle-aged lady gushed. ‘I’m going to love having a baby to fuss over.’
Max cleared his throat. ‘Mrs Robbins, I’ve been missing your apple slice. I don’t suppose you could rustle us up some slice and a cup of tea while we get settled into our rooms?’
‘Of course, Mr Bennett. I knew you’d be wanting some so I took a batch out of the oven twenty minutes ago.’
‘Lovely. Well, excuse us. We’ll go upstairs, get settled and be down shortly.’
‘Er … I’ve put Miss Jenna in the guest room across the hall from you, Mr Bennett. I hope that’s alright, Miss Jenna. Mr Bennett said you wouldn’t want—’
‘Thank you,’ Jenna said hastily as heat stole into her cheeks. She assumed she’d always shared the master bedroom when she’d previously stayed overnight and the housekeeper must find it a little odd.
‘Come on up.’ Max carried Jenna’s small overnight bag in one hand and put his other arm around her shoulders.
They walked up the wide, curved staircase to the upper storey. ‘I don’t remember your home, but I feel very comfortable here.’
He grinned at her. ‘I’m glad to hear it. Mrs Robbins would be most distressed if you were anything less than comfortable.’
‘She really does like me, doesn’t she?’
‘Like is too mild a word.’
‘Did she know we were engaged?’
He nodded. ‘She helped me set the scene for a very romantic night here the n
ight after I’d proposed. She insisted on staying the night at her sister’s place to leave us alone.’
‘The night I crashed the car.’
‘Yes.’ He stopped in front of a door and removed his arm from around her shoulders so he could open it. The beautiful guest bedroom was decorated in white and gold tones. ‘This is your room and mine is right across the hall.’
‘It’s lovely. Thank you.’ She followed Max in as he deposited her overnight bag on an ottoman at the foot of the bed.
There was a gorgeous bay window complete with a window seat that called to her to come, sit down and admire the view of the large gardened area in the yard. She ignored the call, as she thought about the crash.
‘Max, nobody’s ever explained. Why did I crash? Was I speeding and lost control, or did I hit a slick of oil on the road?’
Was it her imagination or had his spine stiffened?
‘It wasn’t like you to speed.’ He spoke slowly as if he was choosing his words carefully. ‘You’re usually a sensible driver.’
‘Usually?’
He raised his eyebrows and shot her a sexy smile. ‘You were on your way back to London to be with me, so the temptation to put your foot down might’ve proven too much.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘You’re so egotistical.’ Then, she grew serious again. ‘Was I speeding?’
‘I believe the police said you were exceeding the speed limit. Your car left the road and hit a tree.’
‘I knew my car collided with a tree. I only ask because James and Sally were kind of … I don’t know. It was like they didn’t want to tell me something.’
‘Well, you hadn’t been drinking. James and Sally were probably cagey about everything they spoke to you about, trying to get their stories straight with all the lies they fed you. You shouldn’t read anything into their behaviour.’
What he said seemed reasonable enough, yet she wasn’t certain. He hadn’t come right out and said she’d been speeding, she’d had to draw it out of him.
Why?
Why did she have the suspicion he was hedging her questions and talking in circles—responding without really giving her all the answers?
Seduced by the Stranger (Billionaires & Babies, #2) Page 11
