She vented her frustration on her unsuspecting pillow until it was pummelled into submission and eventually fell asleep, unaware that across town Alex was taking a long, cold shower.
CHAPTER TEN
THE LOVE NEST was a mock-Georgian house at the end of a sweeping drive, and Jenna viewed the marble pillars and the stone lions that guarded the front steps with dismay.
‘I wonder if Louise Henry has ever heard the expression, “less is more”,’ Alex murmured, and she bit back a smile.
‘It looks very nice,’ Jenna lied, turning to Maisie and determinedly blinking back her tears. ‘There’s Daddy and Auntie Louise, darling. You’re going to have a wonderful time with them, and Father Christmas is going to make a special trip to leave your presents under the tree when you come home.’
Maisie looked unconvinced, but went to Lee quite readily, and Jenna told herself she was glad—she wanted Maisie to have a good relationship with her father.
Louise Henry looked slightly older than she had imagined. She seemed rather shy and gentle, not the hard-nosed businesswoman Jenna had pictured, and for Maisie’s sake she was glad. Lee might not win full custody of their daughter, but if they came to an arrangement of shared care then Louise would be an important person in Maisie’s life, and it would be necessary to put any feelings of jealousy aside and try to get on.
‘She’ll be fine,’ Alex assured her softly as they drove away, and Jenna nodded.
‘I know, Louise actually seems quite nice. But it’s Christmas Eve, and Maisie should be at home hanging up her stocking.’ She swallowed hard and stared unseeingly out of the window as the car sped along the motorway.
Alex’s parents lived in a tiny village in Kent, and as he swung through the gates leading to their house she dredged up a smile, determined not to spoil Christmas for everyone else.
She need not have been so worried about meeting Alex’s parents, she mused later that night as she prepared for bed. Katharine and Lionel Morrell could not have been more welcoming, and any fears Jenna had harboured that they would be disappointed Alex had brought her rather than Selina had quickly been dispelled. It had been a lovely evening, she thought as she slid into her bed in the pretty guest room she had been allocated.
‘My room’s next door,’ Alex had informed her, and as she snuggled under the duvet she forced her mind to dwell on anything but the image of him getting undressed on the other side of the wall.
Lucky him to be able to put passion ‘on the back burner’, as he had so poetically put it, while she seemed to be a cauldron of seething emotions that were in danger of boiling over. He had accused her of not knowing what she wanted from him, but she knew only too well. She wanted his heart as well as his body; she wanted his eyes to light up every time he looked at her, his stern face to soften. Put bluntly, she wanted him to love her as she loved him. But he seemed as out of her reach as he had done the first day she had fallen into his arms.
Then she had considered him to be urbane, sophisticated and way out of her league, and now, meeting his parents, being a guest at their elegant Christmas Eve dinner party, only reinforced her belief that he would be better off with Selina.
Perhaps it was her own lack of self-confidence that made her feel so inadequate, she brooded. She’d come a long way since the days when she had been under Lee’s spell. His mental cruelty had been a deliberate form of abuse, but even now that she was able to recognise it as such it had only taken a couple of meetings with him to shake her hard-won confidence.
She finally drifted off to sleep, but woke at dawn, alerted by the click of her door being opened. ‘Who is it?’ she whispered, her heart thumping erratically, and Alex muttered a rude word as he stubbed his toe on her bed.
‘Father Christmas! Who else were you expecting to creep into your bedroom at the crack of dawn?’
‘I wasn’t expecting anyone,’ she told him primly, her pulse-rate leaping when he drew back the covers and slid into bed beside her. ‘I thought sex was off the menu while you struggle with a fit of nobility?’
‘Don’t tempt me,’ he growled, and she couldn’t prevent a blissful sigh as he drew her into his arms, his warmth and the tantalising scent of him pervading her senses. ‘I didn’t want you to wake up on Christmas morning feeling sad that Maisie isn’t with you,’ he confided huskily. ‘I know you miss her, but we can still have a nice day, and we’ll celebrate Christmas with her tomorrow.’
‘That was a very kind thought,’ Jenna assured him, her hands straying over his body as if they had a will of their own. ‘I didn’t think you wore pyjamas.’
‘I am kind,’ he told her, as he trapped her hand beneath his and moved it to an area of safety further up his body, ‘and thoughtful, and patient.’ He ignored her disbelieving snort. ‘There’s a very good reason why I’m wearing pyjamas—as you’ve just discovered,’ he added on an in-drawn breath, when her hand tugged free and continued its intimate exploration. ‘Jenna, I honestly came here to comfort you, not to make love to you.’
‘What a pity,’ she murmured, with a heartfelt sigh that demolished his good intentions, and with one swift movement he rolled her onto her back and came down on top of her.
‘I’m trying to do the right thing here,’ he told her frustratedly, the humour in his eyes fading to be replaced with burning desire.
‘I know,’ she whispered. ‘But, Alex, at this moment the right thing is to make love to me. I need you,’ she admitted thickly, and he needed no second bidding, his mouth gentle at first, and then harder, demanding a response she was willing to give. She was on fire instantly, so ready for him that her nightdress was a hindrance swiftly removed along with his silk pyjama pants, and she sighed her pleasure at the first touch of his naked body on hers.
‘Not this time,’ he muttered, tugging her hand away as she closed her fingers around his throbbing shaft. ‘Not unless you want this to be over in an embarrassingly short time.’
‘I want you now,’ she whispered, her thighs already parting to accommodate him, and with a muttered imprecation he entered her, swift and hard, driving into her with an urgency that betrayed him. As promised, it didn’t last long, but for Jenna his savage loss of control filled her with a fierce exhilaration, and she revelled in her power even as he took her to the pinnacle of pleasure and tipped her over the edge.
From that moment the day became happier than she could possibly have expected. Of course she missed Maisie’s excitement as the little girl unwrapped her presents—but she still had that to look forward to on Boxing Day, she reminded herself, and the champagne breakfast Alex’s mother served seemed the height of decadence.
She was stunned to discover that the majority of presents beneath the tree had her name on; it was a long time since anyone had surprised her with gifts, and she beamed her thanks to Alex as she unwrapped a range of top-quality art materials.
‘I haven’t given you much,’ she confessed after lunch, when she found him studying the book on the history of aircraft that she had bought him, and he smiled, the warmth of his expression filling her with sudden hope.
‘You’ve given me everything,’ he said simply, leaning forward to take her mouth in a slow, sweet caress. It lasted long enough for his young nephew to mutter, ‘Ugh—sloppy stuff!’
In the afternoon he gave her a tour of the village, and she curled her hand within his warm clasp, content to walk where he led. It was a small village, but they were out for a couple of hours as Alex insisted on stopping to kiss her at every vantage point, and it was growing dark when they finally returned to his parents’ house.
‘Oh, I’m glad you’re back,’ Katharine Morrell greeted them at the front door, and Jenna was instantly alerted by the older woman’s concerned expression. ‘Your ex-husband has rung twice. He says Maisie is unwell and he wants you to call him.’
‘She was perfectly all right yesterday,’ Jenna muttered worriedly as she dialled Lee’s number. ‘Hello, Lee. What’s wrong?’
‘Maisie’s
been sick all day,’ came the terse reply, and she frowned, her mind hurtling through a mental medical dictionary.
‘How sick? Is she running a high temperature?’
‘What do you mean, how sick? I don’t bloody know; I’ve just spent most of the day scrubbing the carpet. Louise checked her temperature and it’s up a bit. You’ll have to come and collect her tonight; I can’t cope with this for much longer.’
‘It’s probably just a combination of excitement and too many sweets,’ Alex reasoned as Jenna flew about her bedroom, shoving her belongings into a bag, and the sensible part of her knew he was right, but at the same time a variety of dreadful diseases plagued her imagination.
‘I won’t be happy until I see her for myself,’ she told him anxiously. ‘I’ll see if I can get a taxi, I don’t want you to have to leave your parents and ruin their Christmas.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I’ll drive you over to collect her.’
‘I’m sorry to spoil the evening,’ Jenna apologised to Alex’s parents as they waited in the hall while he stashed her bags in the car, and Katharine gave her a warm smile.
‘It’s been a pleasure to have your company for the day,’ she assured her. ‘But of course you must go and see to your little girl. I hope we’ll see much more of you and Maisie in the future,’ she added, and Jenna was aware of a complicated silent conversation between Katharine and her son, but was too concerned about Maisie to try and decipher it.
Lee was waiting with Maisie on the doorstep when they drew up outside the Love Nest, and Jenna jumped out of the car and snatched her daughter into her arms. ‘Why are you standing out here in the cold? Do you want her to catch pneumonia?’ she demanded.
‘She’s all right; just don’t give her anything to eat or drink,’ Lee muttered grumpily. ‘Especially blackcurrant juice. She’s ruined the upholstery in the sitting room; Louise has had to go and have a lie-down.’
‘Maisie can’t help being ill.’ Jenna defended her daughter while Alex strapped her into the back of the car. ‘Small children are prone to picking up viruses.’
‘Yeah, well, it’s been one hell of a Christmas, what with Maisie throwing up every five minutes and Louise’s geriatric parents driving me mad. Her dad’s as deaf as a post and her mother’s got bad legs, apparently. She’s had me running around after her like a skivvy.’
‘Do I detect that all is not well in the Love Nest?’ Jenna fought to hide the amusement in her voice.
‘To be honest, I’ve had enough. Louise has got it into her mind that we could have a test tube baby.’ Lee’s face wrinkled in distaste. ‘I’m not squirting my sperm into a damn test tube!’
‘I understood that it was fairly crucial to your finances for you to marry her?’ Jenna murmured, and Lee gave her an assessing look.
‘How did you find that out, I wonder?’ He glanced across at Alex, who was waiting impassively by the car, and sniffed. ‘It seems the boyfriend is useful in more ways than one. I might need to disappear for a while,’ he admitted. ‘A few of the lads from the fire station have bought a bar in Spain and they want someone to go out and run it.’
‘And they trust you?’ Jenna’s brows shot up. ‘You can’t possibly be hoping to take Maisie to Spain with you?’
‘No!’ A flash of horror crossed Lee’s face. ‘I’ve decided that she’s better off with you after all.’
‘Just like that?’ Jenna shook her head in disgust. ‘You can’t just walk in and out of her life when it suits you.’
‘I’ll send her postcards,’ Lee promised, and as Jenna recalled the weeks of worry he had caused, anger settled in her chest like a lead weight—cold and unforgiving.
‘You’ll do more than that,’ she told him. ‘You’ll sign a legal document waiving all claim to custody of her. I’ll never stop you visiting her, if that’s what you want, but you’ll just have to take my word on it.’
‘And if I don’t agree?’
‘Then I’ll make sure your numerous creditors know exactly where to find you in Spain.’
As she walked down the front steps she felt Lee jostle her—nothing too obvious, but enough to make her stumble, and she gripped the wall to prevent herself from falling.
‘Sorry,’ he murmured, not bothering to disguise his sly grin, and she turned to face him, her contempt so palpable that the grin faded.
‘Don’t ever try and hurt me again,’ she said, in a cold, clipped tone. ‘I’m not afraid of you any more, Lee. I’ve finally seen you as you really are—weak and pathetic. The game’s over,’ she informed him as she walked across to the car, ‘and I’ve won.’
She was shaking when she climbed into the car, the mixture of fear and elation that she had finally broken free from Lee causing her heart to pound. But several minutes passed and still Alex didn’t join her.
‘Alex, I think we should get Maisie home.’ She walked around the side of the house and gasped when she found Lee lying in a crumpled heap in a puddle while Alex stood over him, his fist raised. ‘No! Alex, stop—this is not the way to settle things,’ she cried, hurrying across and standing between the two men. ‘Leave Lee alone, please,’ she begged. ‘I don’t want this.’
‘I haven’t even touched him yet,’ Alex mocked disgustedly. ‘I was simply demonstrating the ease with which accidents can occur—but then you know all about accidents, don’t you, Deane?’
‘Oh, God, Lee—are you hurt? Try and stand up,’ Jenna muttered as she knelt beside Lee and helped him to his feet.
‘He attacked me for no reason,’ Lee whined, quickly realising that for some reason he had Jenna’s sympathy. He leaned heavily on her as he slowly stood up.
‘He hurt you,’ Alex growled, his expression so coldly furious that she shivered, and understood Lee’s eagerness to move out of range. ‘I saw the injuries he inflicted on you, the so-called accidents,’ he continued bitterly. ‘How can you possibly defend him?’
‘You don’t understand,’ Jenna told him urgently, hiding her contempt for the way Lee was actually cowering behind her. She had Lee where she wanted him, he had agreed that he wouldn’t fight for custody of Maisie, but if he was upset there was a danger he would change his mind and loom as an uncertain spectre on her horizon for ever. ‘I just want to take Maisie home,’ she whispered and as Alex slowly lowered his fist Lee drew himself upright.
‘Yeah, you’d better clear off before I lose my temper.’
‘Is that so?’ Alex drawled as he strode over to the car, not even waiting for Jenna to fasten her seat belt before he fired the engine, and as he drove away his expression was so forbidding that she dared not say a word.
Maisie had fallen asleep, and the journey back to London was completed in a silence that crackled with tension.
An hour later they reached Jenna’s house, but Alex still hadn’t spoken, and she sighed as she carried Maisie upstairs, quickly washing her face and popping her into her pyjamas before the little girl fell back to sleep. In the living room she discovered that Alex had taken Maisie’s presents from their hiding place in the cupboard under the stairs and arranged them beneath the tree, and she smiled softly as she imagined her daughter’s face the next morning.
‘Maisie will be so excited,’ she murmured, but Alex’s grim expression didn’t flicker.
‘I’m sure she will.’
‘She’d like you to be here.’ Jenna made the suggestion tentatively, unable to read Alex’s mood and puzzled by his transformation from gentle lover to bitter antagonist.
‘What about you, Jenna? Would you like me to be here?’
‘Of course I would. How can you even ask?’
‘Because I’ve realised tonight that I don’t really know you at all—although I have discovered one rather salient fact that makes sense of everything else.’
‘You’re talking in riddles,’ Jenna said, shaking her head. ‘What fact have you discovered?’
‘That you still have feelings for Lee. That you’re still in love with him.’
> For a few seconds Jenna was rendered speechless with shock, and when she did open her mouth it was to laugh. Alex was making some kind of joke, surely?
‘Any feelings I have for Lee are unrepeatable,’ she told him firmly. ‘But if you’re sulking because I stopped your fight, then too bad. You were in the wrong. Like a Neanderthal man. You’re a barrister, for goodness’ sake—you know the law; Lee could have you up for assault.’
‘So you stopped me thumping him for my own good? Not because, despite everything he’s put you through, you couldn’t bear to see him hurt? He’s been there right from the beginning,’ Alex continued slowly. ‘From the first day we met, when you let me believe you were still married to him. Why did you do that, I wonder? Was it because in your heart you wished it was the truth?’
‘I’ve had enough of this,’ Jenna snapped, her patience at an end. ‘You know why I lied about still being married to Lee; it was because I was so embarrassed by the overwhelming attraction I felt for you. Why don’t you be honest?’ she carried on, all the tensions of the past few hours spilling over. ‘Having taken me to your parents’ house, you’ve come to realise that I don’t fit in your world. What am I, anyway, other than a single mother with a mountain of debts? We both know you would be better off with Selina—Where are you going?’ she queried frantically as she followed him into the hall.
‘Home,’ he answered succinctly, his gaze travelling over her disparagingly, so that she was aware that her hair looked a mess and that she smelled faintly of sick from where she had carried Maisie upstairs.
‘I thought you were going to stay,’ she whispered, despising the note of pleading in her voice but unable to bear the thought of him leaving.
‘I think not. You’ll have to use a different sex toy tonight.’
She paled at the deliberate crudeness of his words, and stepped back, her hands falling helplessly to her sides. ‘I’m not even going to try and answer that. Just go, Alex,’ she told him bitterly when he turned in the doorway and she caught the hint of remorse in his eyes. ‘I’ll look for another job as soon as possible in the New Year. I think it’ll be for the best for both of us.’
His Secretary Mistress Page 16
