High-Society Seduction

by Maxine Sullivan

  Jenna lowered her lashes, trying to appear as if she knew nothing. “Let me see the statement.” Vicki handed it over, but Jenna already knew what she’d find. “Yes, that’s what it says.”

  If only Stewart had thought to have mail from the bank sent directly to him. Of course, he’d been a mess when he’d left the country and no doubt it hadn’t occurred to him. Anyway, Vicki had said “quarterly” bank statements. Just their luck the end of the quarter had been now.

  “It has to be a mistake, right?” Vicki said.

  Jenna tried to appear unconcerned. “I’m sure it is.”

  Vicki looked relieved. “That’s what I thought. I didn’t get to open the letter until tonight. Otherwise I would have phoned them to check.”

  Thank God she hadn’t. “Did you mention this to Stewart?”

  “He’s only contactable via email at the moment, but no, I didn’t want to worry him when he’s so far away. And I didn’t want to worry Mum and Dad, so I didn’t tell them, either.”

  Jenna nodded, greatly relieved on both counts. “Good thinking. No need to worry any of them.”

  Vicki’s brows drew together. “The trouble is it’s my turn to help out with the lunches at the school tomorrow and I’ll be busy all day with that. I won’t be able to phone the bank in private.” She paused. “Do you think you could phone them for me tomorrow sometime?”

  Jenna knew instantly that the bank wouldn’t speak to her about it, but she needed time to think about this latest development. “Sure, leave it with me. I’ll see what I can find out and give you a call tomorrow night.” If she could just stretch things out, give Adam time to end the investigation and put the money back, then perhaps Vicki need know nothing of what had transpired.

  “Come for dinner after work,” Vicki said. “It would be lovely for the girls to see you again. They’ve missed you.”

  Jenna’s heart softened. “I’ve missed them, too.”

  Vicki left after that and Jenna sat on the couch and worried herself crazy. She had Stewart’s email address, so she should probably contact him about it all, but that would only upset him, being so far away from home and unable to explain it all to Vicki in person.

  Damn her brother for letting himself get involved with Liam Roth. And damn her brother for getting her involved in this, as well. It was affecting too many lives now. Perhaps destroying them.

  An hour later Jenna couldn’t stand it any longer. She’d been debating whether to go see Adam tomorrow morning at his office about what Vicki had told her, or to go see him now. She chose the latter, unable to sleep not knowing what was going on with him, both personally and with the money.

  She didn’t phone him first though, frightened he might put her off coming. It was only on the way over in her car it occurred to her that another woman might be there with him. Her heart constricted at the thought. Well, then, at least she’d know it was officially over.

  The concierge was pleasant, but he insisted on phoning the penthouse first, and she was fine with that. In the quietness of the foyer, she could hear Adam’s voice as he answered. There was the slightest pause when he heard who wanted to see him, though Jenna was at least grateful the concierge didn’t seem to notice. Or he was probably too well trained to show it.

  “Go on up, Ms. Branson.”

  Adam was waiting when she stepped out of the elevator. Her step faltered as she walked toward him. He looked as gorgeous as ever, but his face was slightly pale and that caught at her heartstrings. Was the thought of her being pregnant making him look like this?

  She frowned. “Adam, are you okay?”

  He avoided her eyes as he leaned down and kissed her, not on her mouth but on the cheek. “I’m fine.” He gestured for her to take a seat on the couch, but she preferred to stand.

  She surreptitiously glanced around, noting the papers spread on the dining table where he’d obviously been working. She was intensely relieved not to see any signs of another woman’s presence. “I’m interrupting your work.”

  He grimaced. “The last couple of days have been…hectic.”

  “I see,” she said slowly. Then she took a deep breath. “Adam, my sister-in-law came to see me tonight.” She explained about the bank statement. “So I was wondering if you knew anything more about the money?”

  His face shuttered. “No, I’m afraid not. It’s still being investigated.”

  “Oh.” She frowned. “It’s taking a long time, isn’t it?”

  He shot her a glare. “That’s the way it is sometimes.”

  “I see.” She drew herself up straighter. Clearly she wasn’t going to get anything more out of him about this right now. “Please let me know if you find out anything.”

  “I will.”

  He was like a stranger, and she couldn’t stand it any longer. Her niggling doubts suddenly took over. “Look, Adam, if we’re finished please tell me now.”

  “What the hell!” His brow knitted together. “What gave you that idea?”

  She faced him fully. “Oh, just a little matter of you not wanting to be with me, that’s all.”

  And the kiss on the cheek before.

  And the condom breaking.

  His gaze held hers. “I do want to be with you.”

  She didn’t let herself acknowledge relief. “Really? You’re very good at putting up walls.”

  A curious look passed over his face. “What are you on about?”

  “You’ve stayed away all this week, yet last week you couldn’t get enough of me.”

  “I still want you,” he growled. “Don’t doubt that.”

  “Then why aren’t you showing it?” she challenged, relieved but not.

  He heaved a sigh. “Look, with Dominic back in the office we’ve had a lot of work to catch up on. We’re working on something new, too. It’s eating into my evenings.”

  She searched his eyes, wanting him to tell her the truth even if it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. He seemed sincere, yet… “Do you realize you’ve never stayed overnight at my apartment?”

  He stiffened. “So?”

  “It’s your way of keeping your distance, isn’t it?”

  His brows drew into a straight line. “I’ve let you stay here overnight. How can that be keeping you at a distance?”

  “Don’t try and confuse the issue. This is about you staying with me, not me staying with you.”

  He gave a short laugh. “There’s a difference?”

  “You know there is.” She would stand here until he acknowledged it. “See, you’re doing it even now. You’re trying to twist things around so I won’t notice that you’re holding yourself back from me.”

  Another short laugh. “Obviously, it’s not working.”

  “Don’t make fun.”

  He sent her a sharp look, then ran his fingers through his hair. “What do you want from me, Jenna?”

  “Honesty, Adam. Just plain old honesty.”

  Several seconds crept by.

  “So you want honesty?”

  She braced herself. “Yes.”

  He expelled a breath. “Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of my wife’s death,” he said, making her gasp. “That’s why I’ve stayed away this week.”

  Her breath deserted her for a couple of seconds. “Oh, Adam, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “I didn’t expect you to know,” he said in a low voice.

  She felt a twinge that he had shut her out, but then, he didn’t owe it to her to tell her this. It was such a private thing. She just wished… “I’ve made it worse for you.”

  He took steps toward her and pulled her close. “You didn’t,” he muttered into her hair. “I’ve been trying to keep busy and work through it all.”

  Her heart ached for his ache.

  “Tell me about your wife.” She felt him startle against her and she frowned as she eased back. “You don’t want to talk about her?”

  “No, it’s not that. It’s just…no other woman has asked me to talk about Maddie befo
re.”

  Her heart swelled. “I’m glad I’m the first.”

  Squeezing her hands, he stepped back and went to stand a few feet away near the dining table, putting distance between them, but this time she understood his need to stand alone.

  He lifted his shoulders. “Where to begin?”

  “What sort of person was she?” Jenna asked, helping him out, curious all the same.

  “Beautiful.” He smiled at himself, then inclined his head. “A beautiful person. She loved life and it showed. She used to giggle a lot. A schoolgirl type of giggle. She was such a practical joker.”

  “She sounds like she was great fun.”

  “She was. The day she was…” his eyes filled with pain “…killed, she had all these balloons in the car. I assume she was bringing them home to plant around the house as a surprise. The police don’t know why she swerved into a light pole, but we think it might have been because of the balloons. A witness said she saw Maddie trying to push one over the backseat just before the accident.” He took a shuddering breath, looking bleak. “God, it seems like only yesterday she was here with me. Yet at the same time it seems like forever.”

  A lump welled in her throat. “Oh, Adam.”

  He gave a hard laugh. “Did you really want to hear all this?”

  She went to him then, slipped her arms around him and hugged him tight, wanting to take away his pain. “Yes,” she whispered, leaning up and kissing him tenderly on the mouth. “Adam, I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  “I know.”

  “Would it be wrong of me to make love to you right now?”

  His eyes darkened. “I think it would be very right.”

  She kissed him again, then took his hand and led him into his bedroom where she stripped the clothes from both their bodies and made love to him, needing to help him forget his pain.

  They both fell asleep, but in the early hours of the morning she woke and lay there curled up beside him, thinking about what he’d told her. Until now she hadn’t really had time to reflect on Adam being a widower. She’d had so many other things of concern that thinking beyond any immediate problems hadn’t really been an option.

  Now she at least knew what was going on with him. Their relationship wouldn’t lead anywhere in the long run, but she was pleased she at least understood some of his actions. He’d lost the love of his life and he wasn’t about to settle for second best. Sadly, to him all women were considered second best…and that included her.

  At the thought, she knew she needed some breathing space. Careful not to wake him, she slid out of bed and dressed quietly, then crept out of the apartment, leaving him sleeping heavily.

  It was only as she drove home that something occurred to her. Adam had said nothing about the possibility of her being pregnant, and she hadn’t brought it up, either. It was as if he’d shut it out of his mind. Thinking back on the terrible week that he’d had, there was no way she’d remind him now.

  By midmorning Jenna was over her need for time-out and was eager to see Adam again, so she was delighted when he called her at work on her cell phone.

  “How about lunch today?” he asked. “Can you get away around noon?”

  “That would be wonderful.”

  He sounded pleased to be seeing her again, and she felt the same. She’d decided to take this moment by moment, but it made her feel good to know he was putting in an effort to be with her.

  Except that when Jenna entered the restaurant, she was dismayed to see Adam wasn’t alone. He was sitting at a table with Todd and Chelsea.

  He pushed to his feet as soon as he saw her and weaved through the tables, his eyes set on her face. “Sorry,” he muttered, kissing her briefly on the mouth. “They were already here and I couldn’t ignore them. Now smile.”

  She pasted on a smile as he guided her to the table, but Jenna was wondering if Chelsea had known Adam would be here today. It might only have taken a well-placed phone call to his personal assistant to find out.

  The other pair welcomed her in a friendly manner, but she couldn’t help notice the friendliness didn’t reach Chelsea’s eyes. Then the other woman’s gaze flickered down over Jenna’s pants and top that until this moment had felt more than passable. Now she felt like something the dog had dragged in.

  No one had ordered yet, and while they made their decision Chelsea seemed to go into overdrive again. She laughed loudly at something on the menu, pointing it out to Adam in a flirtatious way, then asked the waiter for another glass of wine as she tossed back the remains of her half-empty glass in a way that actually made Todd’s mouth tighten. At that point Jenna suspected the other pair’s presence hadn’t been by design. They really had been about to lunch together, and now Chelsea was thrown by the appearance of her and Adam.

  And then from over at another table in the corner, a baby suddenly started to cry and Chelsea seemed to freeze a moment before her eyes flew to her husband’s face. Something passed between them.

  “Chels, don’t—” Todd began.

  Chelsea pushed to her feet. “Shut up, Todd,” she choked in a low, pain-filled voice. “Just shut up!” Grabbing her purse, she rushed out of the restaurant.

  There was a stunned silence at their table.

  Todd surged to his feet, but paused to look at them both. “I have to go,” he muttered, then twisted around and hurried after his wife.

  Adam and Jenna sat in a pocket of silence for a few seconds, their gazes following Todd. The noise in the restaurant remained static, so it didn’t appear that others had noticed anything out of the ordinary.

  “What the hell was that about?” Adam finally said.

  “I’m not sure.”

  Outside the restaurant, they saw Chelsea flag down a taxi and almost fall onto the backseat. Todd reached it just as the vehicle drove away. Like a defeated man, he stood and watched as his wife slipped out of sight, then he slowly turned and came back into the restaurant.

  He was pale as he flopped down onto his chair. “I’m sorry you saw that.”

  Adam frowned at his friend. “What’s up, Todd?”

  Todd winced. “I didn’t want to say anything before but…” He lowered his gaze and took a deep breath before looking up again. “About two months ago we found out Chelsea was pregnant,” he said, making Jenna gasp. She felt Adam stiffen beside her. “We were both thrilled. Then…she lost the baby and…” His eyes held anguish as he focused on Adam, sharing his pain with his friend. “Things haven’t been the same since. That baby crying just now tipped her over the edge.”

  Jenna tried not to think how she would feel in the same circumstances. Not when she might be pregnant herself. Oh, God, she wasn’t going there.

  Surprisingly, Adam didn’t speak. Could he be thinking about her carrying his child? Or was he silenced by his friend’s heartache?

  She dared not look at him as she stepped in the breach and said sympathetically, “I’m so sorry, Todd.”

  The other man inclined his head. “Thanks.” Then he looked back at Adam. “I didn’t want to say anything to you, Adam.” He paused. “You can see why, can’t you?”

  Adam seemed to pull himself together. “Yes, of course,” he said somewhat abruptly, but he looked pale, and Jenna was reminded how seriously to heart Adam took this friendship with Todd. They were very close.

  “Chels hasn’t been the same since it happened,” Todd was saying now. “She seems to have gone off track somehow. We’ve both been putting on a brave face, but I know it’s eating her up inside.”

  A couple of seconds ticked by and no one spoke, but both men looked extremely worried. Jenna had to admit Chelsea didn’t seem like a stalker now, just sad. The other woman had a wonderful husband who loved her and hopefully many more babies in their future, but first they had to get through this.

  “Have you tried talking to her?” she asked, wanting to help.

  Todd gave a short shake of his head. “No. Every time I do she starts to cry and I feel helpless, so I end u
p letting her be.”

  Jenna’s brows drew together. “She needs you, Todd. You really should go after her.”

  “She’ll only start crying again.”

  “Then let her cry.” She tilted her head at him. “And perhaps you ought to have a good cry right along with her. It might be the only way to deal with this.”

  Todd blinked.

  Adam cleared his throat. “Jenna’s right. You both need to work through your grief before you can move on.”

  There was a pause. “I guess we do have to start somewhere.” A determined light grew in Todd’s eyes as he rose to his feet. “Thanks, you two.” The sincerity in his eyes encompassed them both before he left the restaurant.

  Jenna silently wished the pair well.

  Then her gaze returned to the man beside her. “Looks like we’ve got our answer why Chelsea has been acting so strange.”

  Adam was trying to cope with the shaft of pain in his chest. Todd and Chelsea had lost a baby? Todd had gone through the same thing he had gone through? He could understand why his friend hadn’t wanted to tell him. Todd would be remembering Adam’s darkest days.

  Of course, Todd would also be aware of one big difference. He at least still had a wife to help him get through this.

  Unlike Adam.

  Thank heavens he’d thought to cut Todd off before he’d said anything more in front of Jenna. No one knew about Maddie having been pregnant when she’d died. No one except him and Todd and the hospital staff. Todd had promised he’d never tell a soul, not even Chelsea. Adam fully believed that he’d kept his word. Chelsea wouldn’t be acting so foolish toward her husband’s best friend if she’d known they had losing a baby in common.

  A baby.

  Jenna could be pregnant.

  “I suspected there was something more going on between them.”

  Jenna’s words jolted him back into the moment. He scowled at her. “You didn’t say anything to me about that.”

  She lifted one slim shoulder. “It was a hunch, nothing more. It wouldn’t have helped the situation. We couldn’t do anything about it.”

  He thought about that, and admitted, “Yeah, I got the same hunch when Todd invited us to their vacation home. He told me Chelsea had some sort of female problems. He didn’t say it was something serious.”