by Jani Kay
Glancing through the glass doors, my gaze fell on Maxwell where he was sitting on the sofa with his phone to his ear and his hand brushing through his hair. He caught my eye and smiled.
The lopsided anxious smile of the man—allowing his vulnerability to be exposed—tugged at my heartstrings. Gone was the cocky arrogance of the alpha male Mr. Grant that I'd known over the months. I wanted to rush inside and placate him, assuring him he was the man I chose to be with and not Alain.
Alain stepped into my space and pulled me into his arms. My heart raced and I sucked in a breath as his mouth crashed down on mine. Oh, God, Maxwell is watching.
I pushed against his chest. “Alain, please stop. Accept that it's over between us.” I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand as his arms fell away.
“How is it possible for you to fall out of love with me so quickly?” Arctic blue eyes penetrated mine, searching for answers.
“I...I don’t know, Alain. Maybe I was more in lust with you than in love? Infatuated? Flattered that you wanted me?”
“And you don’t think that’s what you feel for Grant now? He’s a powerful man. He knows his way around women. He clearly wants you. Maybe you’re having the same reaction to him?” The smirk on his face reflected his displeasure.
I shrugged, holding my arms out, palms up. “I told you. It’s different. I've been denying my true feelings because he was attached—”
“Well, I certainly don’t want to be anyone’s second choice, Rebecca. Love should be in equal measure, not one loving more than the other. A relationship can only work when both partners love the same.”
“I’ve learned that the hard way, Alain. I've had my heart crushed twice now, and I’m possibly going to have that happen a third time. But I'm willing to take my chances. I want the man who’s right for me.”
“And I’m not?”
“You chose another path when you had the chance to choose me. How can I ever forget that?”
His lips curled into a snarl, and his arctic blue eyes went hard, transforming his handsome face to something I didn’t like. “God, you’re infuriating and stubborn. Not answering my calls or messages...I've explained my reasons. You know how much my heritage meant to me—”
“I do. And that’s not something to be ashamed of, Alain. It's what was right for you at the time. I don’t blame you. It's just that I need more.”
“And you think Grant is the one to give you that?”
A shiver ran up my spine. His displeasure was clear in his tone.
I inhaled deeply into my lungs. “I hope so. Like everyone else, all I want is to find happiness. With someone who will choose me above everything else, because that’s what I’d do for the man I love.”
“You have a very unique way of looking at the world, cherie.” He leaned against the railing, rubbing his chin. “Look, I'm staying in Munich for a few days. Believe it or not, I do have business here as well. So I’ll be around if you change your mind. I'm hoping you will come to your senses and realize we are perfect together.”
I shook my head. It wasn’t going to happen. “Alain, sex with you is mind-blowing. And while I believed I was in love with you, it seemed perfect. But I know differently now. It's time for you to move on, too. To find that person who was made just for you.”
His eyes widened. “It's like that with Grant?”
I sucked in a shaky breath. “Not that it's your business, but yes. We fit perfectly in every way.”
“Lucky fucker. And he doesn’t even know what he has in you.”
I laughed. “He may have some idea.”
This time I stepped closer to Alain and placed my hand at the side of his face. He rested his forehead against mine and took a deep breath. “It really is over between us, isn’t it? Not only because of the choice I made, but because it's really been Grant all along—”
I closed my eyes. “Yes,” I breathed. “I'm truly sorry, Alain, but it’s better to find that out now. There is someone out there for you. Someone who is going to steal your breath away, and your heart. The one you will give everything up for—even life itself.”
“Thank you, cherie. I want that. I want to feel and be loved like that.”
“You will.” I reached up on tiptoes and kissed his lips softly. He hugged me tightly to his chest. Our last goodbye.
“What the fuck, Frenchman?” The growl came from behind me. “I let you in here to talk to Rebecca, not have your paws all over her.” Large hands landed on Alain’s shoulders, pulling him away from me.
“Relax, Grant,” Alain said.
“Kissing my woman is not an option,” Maxwell huffed as he shoved Alain away from me and into the balcony railing, raising a fist to hit him. Alain sidestepped the blow with lightning fast speed and planted a fist into Maxwell’s stomach.
“Max, no,” I cried out. This has to stop. Although Alain wasn’t as tall or bulky as Maxwell, he was faster on his feet and trained to fight.
Max lunged forward and crashed his shoulder into Alain. Glass shattered as both men fell through the window onto the carpet. Chloe shrieked, her shrill voice breaking the deathly silence. How long has she been back in the room? Pieces of glass scattered over the entire room, making it look like a war zone.
“Oh, God, no!” I stared in horror as both men lay still amongst the shards.
Chloe glared at me as if it was all my fault. “Alain, are you okay?” She rushed to his side, her slightly damp hair curtaining her face as she knelt down beside him.
A loud groan from Maxwell spurred me on to pick my way over the glass pieces to his side. I expected to see blood pouring from both men. The impact. The glass. But nothing.
“Thank God for safety glass,” Chloe said as she brushed her hand over Alain’s chest and shoulder, sending a few stray pieces to join the others on the floor.
“Max!” He hadn’t moved since he’d landed, sprawled on his back, on the carpet.
I knelt down and placed Maxwell’s head on my lap. He opened his eyes and stared at me, then grinned.
He must be concussed.
I held up three fingers. “How many fingers, Max?” He gripped my hand and brought my fingers to his mouth, kissing them one by one.
“Three. And before you ask, my name is Maxwell Grant, CEO of Grant Industries, and today is Friday.”
“Jesus, Max, what were you thinking?” I breathed, slapping his chest.
He chuckled. “I wasn’t. I've just wanted to knock the crap out of the Frenchman since the first day I met him in Paris. Mission accomplished.”
I didn’t know if I should kiss him or slap him again. I did neither, just gaped at him, at a loss for words. My gaze shifted to Chloe and Alain. She was acting weird for someone who’d just met the guy hours ago. She’d placed a cushion under his head and was stroking his hair gently, both of them just staring at one another, lost to the rest of the world.
Seconds later, two security men rushed in, weapons cocked. Max sat upright. “Stand down, guys. It's okay.”
Their incredulous expressions would’ve been funny if I wasn’t pissed off with Maxwell. Yet I was rejoicing inside. Max was jealous of Alain. That could only mean he felt more than just lust for me.
Chapter 33 — Maxwell
I sat watching the Frenchman coax Rebecca to take him back. Even though I couldn’t hear their conversation, I was pretty good at reading body language. But when Rebecca leaned in and kissed him, I lost my shit. Whatever smooth words he’s used to entice her must’ve been working. She was softening to him, and then fucking kissing him.
His pretty playboy face begged for my fists. I'd balled them, restrained them, tried to ignore them—until I couldn’t any longer. Fucker had it coming to him for a long time. Not only for how he’d pissed me off, but also for hurting Rebecca. As happy as I was that she was no longer fucking him, the sadness I'd seen in her eyes after their breakup had twisted my heart many times over.
“Get your sorry ass up and get out of this house,” I growled. I
f he didn’t leave while he was still ahead, I couldn’t guarantee he’d walk out of here in one piece. Falling through glass was just the beginning.
Chloe helped him up, allowing him to lean against her. “Don’t be ridiculous, Maxwell. He’s hurt,” she said, giving me the death stare. Feisty, just like her sister.
He limped to the couch with his arm around her shoulder. Jesus, don’t tell me Chloe’s falling for his fucking charms too. Fighting the urge to grab him by the shirt and throw him out myself, I shoved my fists into my pockets. She helped him settle on the couch, fussing over his leg. I rocked up on the balls of my feet, gritting my teeth.
Rebecca gaped at me as if she wanted to protest too. Fuck. Did she really want him to stay? I'd deal with her later for kissing the Frenchman in front of me. She was going to pay for torturing me like that. My palm itched with the spanking it was looking forward to giving that sexy ass.
I leaned in till my lips brushed her ear. “Baby, tonight that ass of yours is going to be a delicious shade of red. And then I’m going to fuck you so hard you’ll forget every other name but mine.”
She gasped and her cheeks turned the exact color I had in mind. I grinned at her, noticing the change in her eyes. Fuck me. She was turned on. “Making you wet, baby?” I murmured, grabbing a handful of her ass and squeezing hard.
That was the moment Brent chose to walk into the disaster area. “Mr. Grant?” he asked in a what-the-fuck-happened-here tone of voice.
“Man talk,” I offered. He nodded, suppressing a grin as he peered at Alain.
The fucker should be bleeding, not getting the sympathy of a beautiful woman.
“Sir, the police are here. They have news about the attack on Miss Lily. Shall I show them to another room?”
Chloe dragged her attention away from Alain. “Lily! Oh, my God.”
“No, bring them in here. They may as well witness what happened here before the Frenchman tries to make a case against me, seeing how he’s putting on an act to get sympathy from the ladies.”
The fucker had the gall to hiss at me.
Moments later, two uniformed men entered the room. Their eyebrows shot up as they surveyed the room. “A misunderstanding,” I said by way of explanation.
“Anyone want to press charges?” the older man asked.
“No,” Rebecca said before either Alain or I had a chance to respond. “Tell us about Lily. Do you have any news about the attack?”
She gestured for them to sit on the couch opposite Alain and Chloe, on the far side of the room and away from the broken window and scattered glass. Then she pulled me down onto the third couch and shivered before she snuggled closer to my side.
I introduced Chloe and Alain to the officers, explaining that they were family and a family friend and it was okay to discuss the case in front of them.
The younger man cleared his throat. “The good news first. Your sister is out of her coma and the doctor will allow you to visit her. But only for a short time. Then in a few days, they will release her provided she has nursing staff to take care of her.”
“Of course,” I said, leaning forward.
“What’s the bad news?” Rebecca asked, sucking in a long breath.
“Miss Clarke, we have reason to believe the attack was meant for you, not your sister.”
“What?” Rebecca gasped and clutched my arm.
“What do you mean?” I asked. “Explain.” My head felt as if it wanted to explode. Somebody wanted to kill Rebecca? Christ!
The older man, Sergeant Weiss, swallowed hard and turned to Rebecca. “Lily said the person used your name. The attacker thought Lily was you.”
Fuck. It wasn’t a random attack?
“Oh, my God,” Chloe said, her already pale skin turning the color of alabaster. “Why? Who’d want to kill Becca? It doesn’t make sense.”
Both officers turned to Alain, sizing him up. “The attacker had a French accent,” Weiss said matter-of-factly, but his gaze stayed trained on the Frenchman’s face.
Alain spoke up. “Don’t be ridiculous. I have alibis. Two in fact. My father and my fia— ex fiancée.”
“We weren’t implying anything, sir. The matter is still under investigation. You will most likely be called in for questioning. It's routine.”
“I’ll help in any way I can. I want the bastard caught as much as anyone else in this room. I came to Munich to stand by Rebecca’s side.”
Rebecca flashed a smile at him. As much as I detested the bastard, she still had a soft spot for him that turned my insides out. What if he was the one behind the attack? He had motive and opportunity. Maybe it was all a clever plan to scare Rebecca? I couldn’t quite figure out why he’d use such a tactic, and my brain worked overtime to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.
The fucker miscalculated—he hadn’t bargained on finding me in Munich. If Rebecca was spooked enough by an attacker, he most likely figured she’d go back to him when he swooped in like the knight in shining armor to ‘protect’ her.
“It's easy to mistake the three of us for one another. We all have the same build, the same hair. We’ve experienced it all our lives, haven’t we, Becca?” Chloe surprised me with the way she defended the Frenchman. What was it about him that made women melt at his feet? Fuck. Blinded by his charm; endangering their lives in the process.
“Yes, just like I thought Chloe was you at the airport.” I wanted to smack the smug look off Alain’s face. I balled my fists at my sides, taking a few deep breaths to calm down.
Someday I was going to get my chance.
Sergeant Weiss turned to Alain. “Mr. du Bois, since we have you here, we need to clear up a few things.”
The Frenchman scowled, clearly pissed off.
“How long have you been in Munich, sir?”
He leaned back in the seat and crossed his arms. “Why does it matter? But...to answer your question, I arrived this morning.”
“We’ve been checking all arrivals from France in the last week. We have security footage of you arriving in Munich on the day of the attack. Care to explain that?”
He swallowed hard. Sweat broke out on his brow and I watched him squirm in the seat. The bastard didn’t look as damn arrogant any longer. His voice rasped as he spoke. “I had business in Munich, but I was in and out on the same day. Then I returned this morning.”
Chloe cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes at the Germans. “How do you know all of this?” She hooked her arm into his, squeezing his bicep.
The younger officer shifted in his seat under Chloe’s intense gaze. He cleared his throat before speaking, “We work with Interpol, Miss Clarke. Europe is a small and tightly connected continent. Several international...matters...cross our desks on a daily basis. We are aware of cases and crimes that happen in other countries. Since our borders are open, it's easy for people to escape to a neighboring country in a matter of hours.”
Straightening her back, she sucked in a breath. “What exactly are you implying, officer?”
“Nothing, Miss Clarke. You asked a question. I answered it. Mr. du Bois please meet us at the station for questioning. When will be convenient for you?”
Chapter 34 — Rebecca
After Alain and the police left, Maxwell excused himself to talk to the security guys about getting the glass cleaned up and the window repaired.
Maxwell rubbed the back of his neck. “Isn’t much of a fortress if any asshole can get in.” Was he referring to intruders in general or specifically to Alain?
I went to the kitchen to see what was being served for dinner with Chloe following close behind me. We talked about Lily and everything that happened, but I knew her well enough to know she had more on her mind. I was used to her directness and candor. She wasn’t one to hide her feelings or beat around the bush.
“So...about Alain. I can't believe you don’t want him back. What’s wrong with you?” Her tone was light and blasé, but underneath her casual enquiry was a touch of anxiety.
She raised an eyebrow. “And Maxwell? Even a blind person can sense how much the two of you are into one another.”
I sucked in a breath. “Really?”
“Yeah.” She took a bite out of an apple she had taken from the fruit basket. Narrowing her eyes, she stared at me while she chewed and swallowed. By the expression on her face, I knew her brain was working overtime. My lovely sister was scheming as she always did.
“What? Spit it out.” I said, rolling my eyes.
“So if Maxwell is your man...you shouldn’t mind if I see more of Alain.”
Folding my arms across my chest, I took a deep breath before answering. “Yes, I mind. I don’t want you to get mixed up with Alain. Things aren’t sorted in his life—he told me some disturbing things about his ex-fiancée and his father. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Um...Becca, I'm old enough to make up my own mind about who I see. Alain is fucking hot...and I’m attracted to him. Sucks that you fucked him first, but I can look past that.”
“Jesus, Chloe, that’s exactly why you shouldn’t go there. Alain and I were very intimate. It's just weird if you slept with him, too.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I'm not all prim and proper like you, Becca. I'm...more adventurous. Not prudish like you and Lily when it comes to sex. I see a man I want to fuck; I go for it.”
I nearly spat the mouthful of water I’d just taken all over the kitchen counter. “Stay away from Maxwell,” I blurted. “He’s mine.”
“Haha, Sis, you can have Maxy all to yourself if you don’t like sharing. I’ll take your sloppy seconds—the totally fuckable Frenchman.”
Maxy? Cheeky little bitch.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Chloe, aren’t you listening to what I’m saying? It's not a good idea going after Alain. I've told you about the family history and the countess. Believe me, you’ll get your heart broken like I did.”