But he missed Josh. He missed the fun, the love, the sex. There had been no doubt in his mind that he and Josh would grow old together. None. And now…
Amelia prodded him. ‘Hey, you still with me? I need you to decide some of this. Which champagne?’
They were at a little store which sold artisanal wines and champagnes. He looked over what Amelia was holding out to him.
‘Amelia, how do I know? I know nothing about champagne.’
‘Sacrilege.’ The owner of the deep, resonant voice stepped out of the backroom. Tall, broad and with a wide gap-toothed grin, he greeted Amelia like an old friend. Amelia turned to Max.
‘Max, this is my good friend, Seth. Seth, this is Max. He’s single, and handsome and knows nothing about champagne. I have to go grab something from another store. I’ll be back in ten.’
And just like that, she was gone. Max blinked at Seth. ‘Did that just happen?’
Seth laughed, a deep rumble from the center of his big chest. ‘I find, with Amelia, the best thing to do is just go with it.’
Max looked at this huge lumberjack of a man and a slow smile spread across his face. He was silent for a long moment then said. ‘You know what? I think you’re right.’
He saw Seth’s shoulders slump with relief and realized he was just as nervous as Max – even if he had been in it with Amelia. Seth nodded.
‘Good. So…you really know nothing about champagne?’
It was paranoia. Plain, simple paranoia. She was at home, safe, guarded, enclosed. And yet…she felt watched, observed. Hunted.
Jess reasoned with herself. Yeah, okay, Jules was still threatening her life but all the emails had gone to her work email, Theo’s private security team and the detective had reported no sightings in Seattle. You’re wigging, girl.
But the fatigue she was experiencing wasn’t helping. She had no idea where it had come from and now, feeling too emotional, the paranoia was really starting to get to her. There was something else bugging her and it was Amelia. Well, not Amelia, but her new paramour. Clem. Amelia had tried, twice now, to arrange a double date but Clem had canceled both times, pleading work. Clem…Clement…Julien Clement Gachet…Oh wow, you really need to get out, girl.
She went to find Mike, Theo’s head of security. She liked the man, he was no nonsense and commit to his role but he also had a great sense of humor. They had long chats about his wife and kids before and Jess counted on him as a friend.
‘Hey Mikey,’ she smiled at him now. ‘Do you have some time, I could really do with going into town, getting some air?’
‘Sure thing.’
She drove them into the town, parked next to the bookstore and was about to get out when she saw Amelia on the far side of the street, talking to a blonde man with a cap pulled low over his eyes.
Jess’s skin prickled and itched. The guy was the same creep that had made her feel so uncomfortable in the store all those weeks ago. She tried to reason with herself: maybe he’d been about to say hello and was shy. Then why did he walk off when Amelia had called you?
It wasn’t just that: his build, the shape of his body, the way he stood. He was dressed like a good old boy but that posture was too perfect, too studied.
‘Jess?’
She’d forgotten that Mike was beside her in the car. She turned to him. ‘Sorry, I was miles away.’
Mike nodded to Amelia. ‘You want to go say hello?’
Jess looked across the street again, saw Amelia kiss the guy…on the mouth. She looked so happy. Just go over, introduce yourself, put your fears to rest. It’s not Jules, of course, it isn’t. Amelia had seen photos of Jules, hell, the whole of America had. She shook her head.
‘No, I think…she’s busy. I just want to go grab a book or two then go home. That okay?’
She could tell Mike didn’t believe her. His eyes narrowed slightly, studying her, searching for anything he could help her with. She gave him a wan smile.
‘Everything’s cool, Mike, I’m just not feeling myself lately.’
Mike discreetly checked out the bookstore before nodding that it was safe. Jess got out of the car and went in. She felt a bit embarrassed at the fuss but no one in the bookstore seemed to care. They chatted with her, friendly and knowledgeable about the books she wanted. She wandered down the aisles, breathing in the smell of books and a calm settled over her. She was being paranoid.
She was nose-deep in an art history book when it happened. The feeling. She was being watched. She looked up in time to see the retreating figure of a man disappearing around the corner of the aisle. The cap he was wearing, she recognized immediately. She threw the book down and rushed after the guy.
‘Hey…wait!’
But he was heading out of the door. She rushed after him, down the street.
‘Hey! Clem!’ She was screeching now but she didn’t care about the stares people on the street were giving her. She had to know. Now.
‘Clem’ didn’t turn at her call, just headed around the corner. Jess cursed to herself and anger roiled through her. ‘Hey! Jules! Come and get me, you cowardly son-of-a-bitch.’
She was almost running when two strong arms curled around her. She struggled furiously.
‘Jess! Calm down. Calm. Down.’ Mike’s arms were too strong and she gave up and slumped. Mike wrangled her back to the car and locked the doors.
‘What the hell do you think you were doing? You never run off like that, I just….god.’ Mike had never raised his voice to her before and Jess suddenly came down from her frenzy and stared at him, ashamed, humbled. His face was red but his eyes were scared. The adrenaline left her body and then tears started to drop down her cheeks.
‘Oh god, Mike, I’m so sorry…I just got it into my head that….Jesus, Mike, I don’t know what’s happening to me, I’m so sorry….’
And she began to sob in earnest. Mike patted her hand awkwardly. When the sobs turned to gasps and sniffs, he made her look at him.
‘Given everything you’ve gone through,’ he started, his voice calm, reasonable,’ It wouldn’t be a surprise if you rocked back a little. Hell, a lot. No-one should ever have to go through what you did and god knows, Mr. Storm, his mother, me, we are all here for you, Jess. But look, I think you should talk to someone. A professional.’ He sighed. ‘I’m sorry if I’m overstepping but I think sometimes it helps to hear it from someone outside your family. Did you really think that guy was Jules?’
Jess was sucking in great lungfuls of breath. ‘I don’t know, Mike. It’s like I’m losing all reason.’ She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘You’re right, though. I should see someone.’
Mike was quiet for a moment. ‘You want me to tell Mr. Storm about this?’
Jess shook her head. ‘No, but I will. We promised no secrets.’
At home, Jess called her doctor and made an appointment. Her brain felt like it was on a spin cycle, so much happening in such a short time. Her stomach roiled and the pain in her chest became an overwhelming, searing sadness.
Her cell phone beeped. A text. I miss you. I love you. I’ll be home soon. T x.
She wanted to feel soothed, feel loved but she just felt cold and sick. She went around the house, locking all the doors and windows. She made some tea and took it to bed with her, locking her bedroom door. Blockade. Her whole body ached from tension but she felt hollow. She sat on the edge of the bed, numb. Should she report the incident to the police? What would she say? Amelia looked so happy. Embarrassment flooded through as she realized that people on the island had witnessed her breakdown, would be talking about the crazy lady. Was that all her life would be remembered for? The lady who got stabbed and went crazy?
But Jules was still out there, he still wanted to kill her, and she knew, he wouldn’t care if it was the last thing he did. She read the message from Theo again, trying to feel something but then she turned her phone off, put it in the drawer of the nightstand. She went over to the window, checked it was locked. When she got into
bed, fully dressed, she slid her hand under the pillow, felt the cold, reassuring presence of the knife she had brought up from the kitchen. As soon as she turned out the light, the tears came and she sobbed until, exhausted, she fell asleep.
‘She’s different.’ Theo’s handsome face was wan, dark circles under his eyes. ‘I really think she might be sick.’
He was sitting with Max in the bar down the street from the Stormfront building. It was late afternoon and Seattle was having a pretty comprehensive monsoon. Theo watched the rain lash against the windows of the bar. Jess was at her doctor’s appointment and Theo tried not to feel hurt when she told him she needed to go alone. She had told him about the breakdown and he had seen the raw pain in her eyes. She’d said simply Theo, I’m breaking… and it had ripped him apart. He wanted to try to reach her but she’d told him firmly that this was something she needed to do herself.
Max looked at him in sympathy. Theo made a frustrated sound. ‘The thing is…what if she isn’t paranoid? What if Jules is on the island, biding his time, waiting for that one second when she’s not protected? She could be taken from me in a heartbeat and…Jesus, I’m sorry.’
He looked appalled but Max shook his head. ‘It’s okay. I understand that it’s the part about having to live knowing the person you love could be killed any moment. Josh was a total shock. No-one expected it. In your situation, you’re living with the fact this madman wants to murder Jess and is out there somewhere. I don’t know how either of you live like that.’
Theo felt his body slump, both terrified and comforted by Max’s words. ‘It’s hell. It’s actual hell. Maybe it’s payback from the universe for getting to love someone as amazing as Jess. In that case, I wouldn’t change a thing except I wish it was me taking the physical brunt of it all. How…’ His voice broke and he looked away from his friend. ‘How could anyone do that to her? He ripped her apart, Max.’
Max put an arm around his shoulders. ‘Maybe you should go get some help too.’
Theo shook his head. ‘All I need is Jess. And you. And my mom, but don’t tell her that.’
Max smirked. ‘That’ll cost you. But seriously, dude, anytime, you know that. We’re doing everything we can to protect her. Did she really think your mom’s new boyfriend was Jules?’
‘She says not now. She thinks she was being paranoid.’
‘Couldn’t hurt to check it out.’
‘Nope but then we don’t want to upset my mom either. That’s what Jess is worried about.’
Theo signaled for more drinks then looked at his friend, a wan smile on his face. ‘Give me some good news, dude.’
He was surprised to see Max color, a shy smile on his face. ‘I have a date.’
That floored Theo and a broad smile crossed his face. ‘Dude…that’s so cool. Where’d you meet him?’
Max colored some more then gave it up. ‘Your mom introduced us.’
A beat then they busted up. ‘Dude, god, I’m never letting you forget that my mom gets your dates for you, never.’
Ten minutes later, in the car, Theo was still laughing. God, it felt good to just laugh. He swung the car into the parking lot of the doctor’s office. At the reception, the receptionist told him that Ms. Wood was still in with the doctor.
‘She shouldn’t be too long, have a seat.’ She was beaming, swinging from left to right on her chair, her eyes shining hopefully at him.
Theo nodded, gave her a tight smile and dropped into one of the overstuffed chairs. He picked up one of the glossy magazines, the gossipy kind who pander to the celebrities. In the ‘Sightings’ section, there was a picture of him and Jess, leaving a restaurant a month previously. God, look at her, he thought, so freaking beautiful….and she’s mine. You’re a lucky s.o.b., Storm. Jess was smiling at him in the picture, her long hair tucked into a messy bun at the nape of her neck, the dark red dress she was wearing playing up the red on her lips. He smiled down at the picture. How he’d love to see that smile again. He looked up as the doctor’s office door opened and Jess came out. She looked tired – exhausted – and when she gave him a wan smile, his chest began to tighten with tension. Jess thanked the doctor then followed Theo out to the car. He waited and she put her hand on his, linked her fingers but didn’t say anything.
Finally, he couldn’t bear the tension. ‘What did he say, Jess? Did he prescribe you something, arrange some counseling?’
She shook her head and in her eyes, there was some emotion he couldn’t understand.
‘No,’ she said, her voice cracking, ‘No, no, he didn’t prescribe me anything. He said he couldn’t risk it, Theo. Because he told me that I’m pregnant…’
Forever With Me
By Michelle Love
Jess accepts Theo’s proposal and soon the preparations for their huge, sumptuous wedding begin to take place. As Jess tries to acclimatize to her new life, she wonders how she can make her mark on the world whilst being immersed in this life of luxury and is grateful when Theo makes it clear he will support her in whatever she decides. Meanwhile their sex life only continues to get better and Theo is astonished when Jess initiates some hard-core BDSM lovemaking, making him realise she really does trust him completely.
They marry in a lush ceremony and afterwards enjoy a blissful honeymoon in Paris, making love and making plans.
Flash-forward five years and Jess, now the head of a Global charity, is the one giving the speech at her alma mata’s commencement. A proud Theo is the first to applaud his very, very pregnant wife as she leaves the podium – only to tell him that her waters have just broken…
The woman in the exquisite designer suit leaned over and patted Jess’s hand kindly. ‘Don’t worry, Jess, this will be easy.
Jess tried to smile at her, this legendary newswoman who was interviewing her and Theo to tell their story when she didn’t know if there was any future. They’d barely spoken since that day. The day she’d told him she was pregnant.
He’d turned to her with joy and delight in his eyes only for the happiness to fade when he saw her cold face.
‘You don’t want it,’ he stated in a dead, flat voice.
‘I can’t want it,’ she’d replied, ‘Not now. Not like this.’
His eyes had grown distant, cold. ‘You’re giving up. You promised me you wouldn’t. You promised me, Jess.’
And a chasm had ripped between them.
At dinner the following night, the distance between them felt like a dead weight. Amelia looked between them, her serene face creased with worry. Eventually, the weight of claustrophobia bearing down on her, Jess escaped to the kitchen, dragging long breaths into her tight chest. She didn’t hear Theo enter the kitchen behind her and as he slid his hands around her waist, she yelped in alarm and skittered away from him. She’d never forget the hurt in his eyes.
‘I came to see if you were okay.’ That dead voice again. ‘I’ll leave you alone.’
She reached out after him as he turned. ‘No, wait…I…’ But he stalked out.
She looked at Theo now, so still, so silent and upright beside her. He turned, aware of her scrutiny, and for a second, his green eyes were cold, accusing. Then his mouth hitched up a little and his eyes softened. He winked at her and Jess felt his hand cover hers. He leaned in and kissed her cheek.
‘I love you,’ he murmured, burying his face in her hair for a second. Jess felt tears prick her eyes.
‘I love you, so much,’ she whispered back and felt his fingers lace between hers, squeeze them. He stroked a finger down her face.
‘Everything’s going to be okay, Jessie, I promise.’
The floor manager called for silence then and Jess took a deep breath in. As the interviewer – Diane – began her introduction, Jess straightened her back as Diane introduced them. Theo’s words gave her strength, gave her hope that it would be okay. She pressed a hand briefly to her belly, where their child still grew.
Because Jess desperately wanted this child – desperately. She just couldn’
t live with it being murdered along with her. She glanced back at Theo’s handsome face. Maybe you should tell him that. I will, she decided, after, when we are home, when all this was over. As Diane asked her first question, Jess started to smile.
Max glanced at his watch and wondered for the millionth time how Theo and Jess were getting on. Seth rolled his eyes and handed him a champagne flute. ‘Try this one.’ They were sitting on the porch out the back of Seth’s store. It was late afternoon, a sultry day, and too hot to sit inside. Seth listened out for the store’s doorbell and customers but it had been quiet. The porch overlooked the Sound, and a cool breeze picked up from it, cooling hot skin.
‘You trying to get me drunk?’
‘Obviously. That and educate you, you philistine. Taste.’
Max grinned. He’d been dating Seth now for a few weeks and he knew he was falling for him. The big man, taller even than Theo, was a bundle of fun to be with, erudite, kind and made Max feel safe. Max tried not to compare him to Josh but both men shared the same easy-going nature coupled with a quiet strength. But whereas Josh had been model-handsome, Seth was a man of the land, a man who built houses before going into fine wines. He had Max his dream of one day owning a vineyard, building a ranch-style home for himself, his dogs and, if he wanted, Max. Max thought it sounded divine and told him so. Seth admitted he could see them both there but was worried about scaring Max off, maybe it was too soon to talk about that.
But Max wasn’t scared. For the second time in his life, he knew it was right. ‘I didn’t think it was possible to find two great loves in one lifetime,’ he’d told Seth simply and Seth had kissed him until both their heads spun.
He thought about that now and sighed. Seth nudged him.
‘What are you thinking?’
‘That I’m a lucky s.o.b. That I can love again after losing Josh. I didn’t think that was possible. But here you are.’ He grinned at Seth, who chuckled.
The Billionaire Bad Boy Club: A Bad Boy BDSM Holiday Romance Page 52