‘I don’t think I can hold out much longer.’ He gritted his teeth. ‘You really got me in the shower before, and I’ve wanted you for too long.’
‘I feel the same,’ whispered Evie.
She could save that for later; right now she just wanted a release with him. To recapture some of the connection she was sure they’d made a year ago, and to remind them both how it had been before all this transplant business had tarnished things.
Leaning over him to retrieve the condom from the bedside table, she wasn’t prepared when Max reached up and cupped her breasts, his mouth moving from one tight nipple to the other. She shifted to offer him better access, her hands fumbling as she distractedly tried to open the foil packet whilst sensations jolted through her body.
‘So beautiful, so perfect,’ he murmured against her skin.
But this was about her taking control, she reminded herself through the haze. Pressing her hands to his shoulders to keep him down on the bed, Evie sat up, sliding down his legs enough to access his solid length, putting on a slight show as she languidly sheathed him and revelling in his shallow, faster breathing as his eyes were riveted to her every move.
Everything about Max screamed strength, power, masculinity, but having him lie here now, allowing himself to be at her mercy, gave Evie a sense of control, which she desperately needed. She felt capable, reassured and absolutely all-woman again as she met Max’s intense gaze and held it, not allowing herself to look away as she covered him, running her hands over his taut, muscular chest as she slid carefully down to take all of him inside her. As if they were designed to fit together perfectly.
Even as he gasped, his hands gripped her hips to hold her from moving and Evie could feel him holding back, worrying about hurting her. She traced a pattern down his lower abdomen, over his Apollo’s belt, and placed her hands over his, lifting them enough to stop him restricting her movements.
‘My timings,’ she reminded him shakily, before rocking over him and feeling his reaction deep inside her.
‘Evie. You’re so tight, so wet,’ he muttered, finally gripping her hips as if he meant it as he thrust up to meet her movements.
She was too primed, too ready to hold out for long and it seemed that Max hadn’t been lying when he’d said the same. Within minutes she felt him stiffen as she exploded, climaxing together as wave after wave crashed over her.
There was no doubt any more that she loved Max, completely and utterly. But if he didn’t love her back the same way then she would still always be grateful to him for showing her that, kidney transplant or not, she was still all-woman.
Wanton, desirable, and utterly powerful.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
‘KEEP YOUR EYES closed and walk where I guide you,’ instructed Max, careful not to let her bump against Imogen, lodged happily in the baby sling on his chest. It was the first family outing they’d had since that incredible night when they’d slept together again.
‘What happened to the brisk training walk you promised me?’ She giggled nervously.
‘We took a detour first. Keep them closed.’
Trusting Max to lead her safely along, Evie kept her eyes closed but her mind whirred. The last thing she’d seen before Max had asked her to close her eyes was that they’d driven through the stunning National Park and through imposing gates and past a gatehouse lodge onto private parkland. A huge hall had stood in the distance but Max had turned onto a smaller single-track road, past a chapel and a hunting lodge.
That was when he’d first asked her to close her eyes.
The temptation to sneak a peek as the car glided silently along had been almost overwhelming and Evie had drawn on every inch of resolve not to give in to the temptation. Even when the car had finally stopped and parked up, and Max had taken an excruciatingly long time getting Imogen out of her car seat and settled in her sling before he finally came around to lead Evie herself out of the passenger side.
She could feel the heat of the afternoon sunshine on her back, and cobblestones beneath her feet, and was glad of her walking shoes. The air was full of the scent of freshly mown grass, whilst the only sounds were the calls of birds and water, like the rippling of a runnel. And then the clicking of a wooden latch, possibly an outside gate.
Still allowing Max to lead her along, she felt the slight drop in temperature, and just as she was about to assume she’d stepped indoors the heat of the sun hit her again and she realised they’d walked through some kind of archway but were still outside.
She opened her mouth to ask but Max spoke before she could.
‘You can open your eyes now.’
Not sure what to expect, Evie obliged. Blinking in the sunshine, it took her a few moments for her eyes to adjust. She gave a gasp of awe.
She was standing in an expansive cobbled quad, at the centre of which an old stone fountain trickled water into a moss-covered stone animal water trough. Large, multi-leaf sets of sliding doors offered tantalising glimpses of the single-storey rooms inside, a couple of which were already open to reveal a large black baby grand piano.
Turning around, Evie looked up at the double height, yellow sandstone building behind her.
‘The old coach house for the main hall,’ Max offered by way of explanation. ‘Shall we look around?’
‘Are we allowed?’ she found herself whispering. ‘It looks like someone’s home now.’
‘It is.’ Max grinned. ‘But it’s up for sale.’
It took Evie a few moments to process what he was suggesting.
‘You’re thinking of moving? To a family house? For you and Imogen?’
Not that it could be considered your average family house. She shook her head in disbelief. You could house about five families in a place like this.
‘For me and for Imogen. And for you,’ he corrected, the first hint of nervousness in his voice. ‘If that’s what you want?’
A family house? For them to be a proper family?
Evie could only gape at him, unable to answer as two warring thoughts crowded out her mind.
It was more than she could have ever dreamed of with Max. But she still hadn’t told him about his parents and the money.
There was no avoiding it any longer. No saying she should come clean with him only to let herself bottle out before it came to actually doing so. This time was it.
‘What are you doing tonight?’ she blurted out quickly.
‘Tonight?’ He looked taken aback at her sharp tone.
‘I mean, are you on call? Do you need to go into the hospital at all?’
‘I wasn’t planning on it, no.’ He frowned. ‘Do you need anything?’
She darted out a tongue to moisten her dry lips.
‘I want us to talk. More accurately, there’s something I need to tell you...something I should have said a while ago.’
His face closed off, and she could see him mentally withdrawing from her.
‘I’m sorry, I’ve obviously misjudged the situation. We should go back.’
‘No, Max.’ She reached out, taking his arm and not letting him pull away from her. ‘This is beautiful. Incredible. I’d love to live here with you, and Imogen. Be a proper family.’
His eyes scanned her face as though assessing her sincerity.
‘I love you, Max.’ The words escaped her lips before she realised it. ‘I think I’ve been falling in love with you ever since I met you.’
There was a fatal beat of silence before he opened his mouth and Evie wished she could take back her involuntary declaration. Not because it wasn’t true, but because she was afraid it was too soon for Max.
She didn’t want to hear him deny her. Before he could speak, she launched herself forwards, her hands protecting Imogen from being crushed as she planted a kiss on Max’s lips.
&
nbsp; She’d meant it to silence him, but as he held her in place, deepening the kiss, exploring and teasing, Evie found she couldn’t pull away.
Only the ringing of his mobile finally made them reluctantly separate. As he glanced at the screen Max’s lips tightened into a thin, disapproving line.
It was irrational, but she couldn’t help a shudder of apprehension rippling down her spine.
‘I have to take this,’ he told her. ‘Go inside, look around. I’ll catch up with you in a moment.’
Against her better judgement, Evie watched him leave as she continued a tour of the stunning house alone.
She knew the moment he walked into the room that something had changed. That something was very wrong.
‘Max...?’
‘That was my parents.’
She could actually feel her blood pressure dropping, draining from her head, as her heart slowed down. She reached for the back of a chair to steady herself.
‘Your parents? I didn’t think...that is...you said you didn’t have much contact.’
It wasn’t what she meant.
‘They were calling to ask me if I’d submitted a medical paper yet on my work in Gaza. I decided it was time they knew about you and Imogen—after all, she is their grandchild. So imagine my surprise when it turns out they already knew all about you both.’
‘I wanted to tell you myself—’ Evie stumbled but Max interrupted.
‘Did my parents pay you to keep Imogen a secret from me?’
Quiet fury radiated out of every fibre of him.
She should have told him everything from the very start, instead of bottling out every time she came close.
‘Whatever you think, it isn’t like that.’
It sounded clichéd and hollow, but it was the best she had.
The flat, emotionless resonance of his words had cut into her. Whatever she said, it wasn’t going to make a difference. An overwhelming sadness consumed her. A sense of grief for what might have been, and the pain of losing yet another person she loved—except this time, it was all her own fault.
‘Did you cash their cheque?’
He didn’t even realise he’d been holding his breath, fervently urging her to deny it, until she offered a short, jerky nod.
Dammit, he was such a fool.
His whole life he’d looked down on people who believed in love, in others actually loving each other, caring for each other, wanting the best for each other. When he was a child, his parents had mentally knocked any such foolishly romantic notions out of him.
A few minutes ago Evie had promised him that she loved him. Yet lying to him was how she defined love? His response had been on his lips when she’d landed that kiss on his mouth and effectively silenced him. Thank goodness he hadn’t told her he loved her in return.
He’d learned to trust himself and his career. Nothing more, nothing less.
And then Evie had come along and shattered all the fortifications he’d built around himself, like a sledgehammer to a landmine.
He had trusted in her. Believed in her. He’d even begun to rewrite his future, a family life with Evie and the beautiful daughter they’d somehow managed to create in that wild week together.
Never once had he thought he could be hurt—no, wounded—as deeply as he felt in this moment.
‘Please, Max, you have to understand...’
She tailed off on a hopeless cry. He wanted to walk away. He wanted to shut down whatever apology or explanation she was about to offer, but he couldn’t. So help him, his feet refused to move.
‘All this time, I thought you kept Imogen from me because you felt you would be better off without me. I never once thought it was because you felt you were better off with my parents’ money.’
She winced as though the accusation actually hurt her physically, but Max didn’t care. He felt too raw, too angry.
‘It wasn’t like that.’
‘Then how was it, Evangeline?’ He managed to keep his voice level. He didn’t know how.
She started to speak then stopped, shaking her head. The taste of acrid disappointment filled his mouth.
‘So it was like that,’ he bit out in disgust. Though whether more with her, or with himself, he couldn’t be sure.
His legs finally began to work again and he turned for the door.
‘No. No, it wasn’t,’ she exclaimed. ‘Wait, Max, please. I’ll... I’ll explain everything.’
‘I don’t want to hear it.’
‘Then for Imogen’s sake. Please.’
He whirled around, enraged.
‘Don’t ever, ever use our daughter like that again.’
‘I’m sorry. You’re right.’ She stared at him, wild-eyed and teary. ‘I don’t know why I said that. But I can explain. Please.’
He should keep moving. Leave. Every fibre screamed at him to do so.
‘You have five minutes,’ he ground out.
She nodded, still staring at him in silence.
‘Four minutes, forty-five seconds.’
‘I wrote you a letter when I first found out I was pregnant,’ she blurted out.
‘I didn’t get it.’
‘No. Your parents turned up at Annie’s house instead.’
Max glowered, trying to work out whether she was lying or not.
‘How would they have known?’
‘I didn’t know how to contact you out there, and I didn’t want a letter like that sitting on your doormat for months, so I went to HR and got your emergency contact details.’
‘And my parents’ address,’ he realized, raking his hand through his hair. ‘Why didn’t you just send it to the charity to forward on to me?’
Evie looked aghast.
‘I never thought of that.’
And so she’d trusted that his parents would pass the letter on. But they never had.
The truth hit him again and a fresh wave of nausea bubbled in his gut.
‘What did your letter say?’
‘It...explained how I first found out I was going into first stages of renal failure when I came to Silvertrees. The week we first slept together. Then, a month or so later, I found out I was pregnant.’
‘So they read your letter to me, and visited you at your brother’s house?’ he reminded her flatly.
‘Yes,’ Evie answered after a moment. ‘They accused me of deliberately setting out to trap you.’
Just as he had. The irony wasn’t lost on him. His parents were undoubtedly the people he least wanted to emulate and yet here he was, more like them than he had ever realised. It didn’t make him feel any better about himself.
But neither did it change the fact that Evie had betrayed him. Lied to him.
‘And what did they say?’ he asked grimly, not wanting to ask but needing to know their response.
‘They told me that losing the baby would be for the best.’ Evie gulped, clearly struggling to contain her emotions. ‘They told me that if the baby did survive, given that we knew my PKD had developed into kidney failure by that point, the chances of him or her being completely healthy were slim. They also said that you were a successful surgeon with a promising career and they weren’t going to let me ruin it.’
A firewall of fury swept through Max. No one should ever treat anyone in that way, least of all someone as kind and giving as Evie. He knew his parents were callous, but even he wouldn’t have believed they could stoop so low.
And any promising career only reflected well on them, Max knew. Their consideration had nothing to do with him, only with themselves.
As Evie hiccupped beside him, he realised she was still fighting to compose herself.
‘They told me you weren’t interested in a family—which I already knew—but that you would
feel obligated to do the right thing.’
That brought Max up short. Obligation had definitely been his motivation in the very beginning, but that had quickly, subtly—so subtly he hadn’t even noticed it at first—changed. Now he missed both Evie and Imogen when they weren’t around, and actively looked forward to going home to them.
Or at least, he had done, until that phone call had turned everything on its head.
Now he felt used, unwanted, a means to an end.
Just as his parents had made him feel as a kid.
‘I once told you the one thing I couldn’t accept was people making decisions which impacted on me, without even consulting me about it,’ he snarled.
‘I know. But they told me you would end up resenting me for curtailing your career and ruining your future. More importantly that you would end up resenting Imogen for it.’ Evie gave a helpless shrug. ‘I could never put my daughter in that position.’
‘So you took the money,’ he surmised curtly.
‘No. Not then. I told them I didn’t need their money. I’d stay away if it was for the best, but I wouldn’t be bribed to do so. I even ripped the cheque up in front of them.’
Max frowned. He hadn’t been told this.
‘They said you took the money. You even just told me you cashed the cheque.’
She took another deep breath, her hair bouncing around her face as she nodded again.
‘When Imogen was born, once I knew she was stable and going to make it, I realised I had to tell you. I wanted to tell you I’d understand if you didn’t want to be a part of her life, but I felt you had a right to make that choice.’
‘So what changed?’
‘Your parents came to me first.’
‘My parents did?’ He could scarcely believe what she was telling him.
‘They’d obviously been monitoring my progress because Imogen was delivered in the afternoon and they got there that night, after visiting hours.’
Max grimaced. He’d always known his parents were emotionally lacking, acting logically and practically, if that seemed somewhat cold to those around them. He could imagine they would have kept an eye on Evie once they’d known about the baby. Not because they were the grandparents—that would have been an emotional connection, which simply wouldn’t have occurred to them—but because they would have seen it as their duty. An unwanted obligation.
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