Married Again to the Millionaire
Married Again to the Millionaire
Margaret Mayo
Wanted for the marriage bed! When Sienna met sexy entrepreneur Adam Bannerman, she thought she’d found true love. With stars in her eyes she whispered, ‘I do! ’ But Adam’s head was always buried in business, and their whirlwind marriage broke down before she could tell him she was pregnant.Now her little boy is sick, and she has to tell Adam the truth. They’re thrown together again, and sparks fly – but so do the secrets that kept them apart. Can she risk her heart a second time and be coaxed back into her husband’s bed?
‘What are you doing, Adam?’ Sienna asked fiercely when Ethan was out of earshot. ‘If you think spending money on him is the answer, think again. He wants you, not your money.’
‘You’re incredibly sexy when you’re angry—do you know that, Sienna?’
‘This isn’t about you and me.’
It was like water off a duck’s back. Adam smiled, completely unperturbed by her words.
Sienna’s heart drummed an age-old rhythm, each beat building up her senses, and when Adam’s lips claimed hers she was totally ready. It was like much needed rain after a dry summer. It was like finding water in the desert. It fed her inner needs, and against her better judgement she returned his kiss.
Born in the industrial heart of England, Margaret Mayo now lives in a Staffordshire countryside village. She became a writer by accident, after attempting to write a short story when she was almost forty, and now writing is one of the most enjoyable parts of her life. She combines her hobby of photography with her research.
Married Again
to the
Millionaire
by
Margaret Mayo
MILLS & BOON
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/)
Table of Contents
Cover Page (#u0dd710a8-7a42-52ac-a304-e10fd8f465a7)
Excerpt (#u3fe2c4d5-1583-54ff-9eaa-f7aa4c6bd30e)
About the Author (#uc30b541b-461c-5c4a-ae35-15f2e513ed4d)
Title Page (#uf1a14422-2f59-5001-9471-55feab441364)
Chapter One (#u089fde1e-3b20-5af2-9639-10aced872e97)
Chapter Two (#uc23d0407-73b0-5c39-a67e-c5935ccda562)
Chapter Three (#u3e1fbeda-35b4-5e73-ba12-75110fdc1950)
Chapter Four (#u0e07df55-5769-5a6c-9ddc-a5dcde7fa034)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One
SIENNA’S heart pounded as she stood outside the prestigious residential development, which was set in its own park alongside the Thames. Only the very rich could afford to live there. And the last time she’d seen Adam he’d definitely not been in that category…
When no one answered the intercom system, and it appeared that she had wasted her time, she felt strangely relieved. It had taken a lot of courage to come here and she was just about to leave when she heard Adam’s well-remembered voice.
‘Sienna?’
It was like velvet over steel. From experience she knew that it could be as soft as molten chocolate or as hard edged as a razor blade. She had felt both sides of his tongue, and as she stood there now Sienna gave an involuntary shudder.
She’d had no idea that a video camera was monitoring her presence. The thought that Adam knew she was there and that he had probably been watching the expression on her face as she waited chilled her blood.
Forewarned was forearmed, and she was at a definite disadvantage.
‘Adam!’ Was that really her own voice sounding scratchy and nervous when she had been determined to be strong? And why the hell was he keeping her standing here instead of allowing her entrance?
Was he taking some sort of perverse pleasure in it? Unless he didn’t want to see her! After all, it had been over five years. ‘I—I need to speak to you.’ Her mouth had gone suddenly dry, swallowing became impossible.
‘After all this time? How interesting. You’d better come in.’ Again his deep, dark voice scraped over her nerves and as the barrier to the landscaped gardens lifted Sienna made her way slowly to the main entrance door of the complex where she was confronted with yet another see-your-visitor system. With a sigh she pressed the appropriate button and waited—and waited.
After what seemed like several minutes, though was probably only one, Adam’s voice reached her ears again. ‘You look impatient, Sienna.’
‘Are you playing games with me?’ She heard the sharpness in her tone but was uncaring any longer. Her anger was building and she was beginning to wish that she had never decided to approach Adam.
‘I’ve been trying to work out why you’re here.’
‘And unless you let me in, you’ll never know. In fact, don’t bother, I’ve changed my mind.’ She swung on one of her ridiculously high heels, heels she had donned to give her the height and the confidence to do what she was about to do, and was about to march back the way she had come when he spoke again.
‘Wait!’
And she heard a click as the door opened.
‘Top floor, penthouse suite. The lift’s to your right.’
With his curt instructions echoing in her ears, Sienna approached the lift. It whooshed her swiftly and silently to the top of the building and she emerged in an entrance hall lined with beech panelling and lit by discreet, inset spotlights. Beneath her feet were exquisite tiles in varying shades of bronze and olive green. Glossy-leaved plants stood in corners and a mirror was directly opposite.
She looked, thought Sienna, petrified. Her wide blue eyes were burning like coals in her pale face, her chestnut hair awry, despite having taken care with it before she had left home. And having nervously nibbled her lips while she had waited to gain entrance, her lipstick was non-existent.
This was not the image she wanted to portray and she stood there a moment taking deep steadying breaths, pulling herself together, forcing a smile. She combed her hair, reapplied her lipstick and was popping the tube back into her bag when a door opened and Adam strode towards her.
Sienna took in a sharp breath. The change in him was dramatic. He’d gone from being almost too thin to broad-shouldered and well muscled. She could actually see his muscles rippling beneath the silk of his shirt. His waist and hips were still slender but he had powerful thighs, barely hidden beneath fine linen trousers.
Where had all this body development come from? she wondered. It looked as though he worked out on a major scale and yet from what she knew of him, and what she’d read in the press, he didn’t appear to have time for exercise. Work was still his ethos. If there had been more than twenty-four hours in a day he would have worked most of them.
His strong jaw with its cleft beneath sculpted lips was firm. His eyes, which were a dark, dark blue, were riveted on her face. Thick black brows jutted over them. The only thing that hadn’t changed was his black, curling hair, which was as awry as it had ever been. It touched his shirt collar and looked as though it desperately needed trimming and combing.
‘So—Sienna, I wondered if I’d ever see you again.’ His deep voice rumbled into the open space. ‘Actually, I’m intrigued. How did you know where I lived?’
Sienna allowed her fine brows to rise. ‘You’re in the news these days. A few enquiries and I had your address.’
Over the years it had been easy to keep tabs on what he was doing. He had gone from being a simple property developer to someone who bought ailing businesses, turned them around, and then sold them off at a huge profit. He had been voted businessman of the year on more than one occasion. To give him credit, he did a lot of charity work as well.
Wide shoulders shrugged. ‘I always knew that I would make it.’
‘Such modesty,’ she flashed. ‘But at what cost?’ His driving force, his need to make millions, was one of the reasons she had left him.
Adam’s lips thinned. ‘Are you here to discuss my success? Or is it a share of my money that you’re after? Is that why you’ve never asked for a divorce, so that you can lay claim to half of my worth? Well, I hate to tell you, Sienna—’
‘That is not why I’m here,’ Sienna said defensively, though in truth she could understand why he thought that. There were women who would go for the jugular under similar circumstances but she was not one of them.
She had struggled these last few years but she would never have asked Adam for a penny, not a single penny. She had her pride. And as for a divorce, she had liked the idea of being a married woman.
If she had met and fallen in love with someone else she might have demanded her freedom, but there had been no one, and clearly Adam hadn’t wanted to remarry either—which hadn’t surprised her. He enjoyed his life the way it was.
Inside his luxurious suite she stood for a moment looking around her. The large open space was entirely fronted by glass, which led out onto a wide balcony with a riven slate floor, studded with potted plants and cushioned cane furniture. It looked more like a courtyard than a balcony and the view over the Thames was stunning, but she had no time to give it more than a cursory glance before her attention was taken up with the room she was in.
The furniture was minimal. Chunky brown leather sofas and glass topped tables. A massive television screen on one wall. Everything in muted natural colours and the open-plan kitchen at the far end was to die for. Sienna couldn’t help wondering whether Adam cooked for himself or sent out for food, or even used one of the restaurants she had seen along the riverside walk.
‘Please—sit down.’ Adam indicated one of the leather chairs but Sienna shook her head.
‘I’d prefer to go outside.’ Although the space was immense, she felt suffocated by Adam’s presence. Strange when she had known him more intimately than any other man before or since.
‘As you wish,’ he said, leading the way. ‘Would you care for something to drink or would you prefer to say whatever it is that you came for?’
There was harshness in his voice and Sienna shivered. Adam had changed. He had always been a driven man, working hard, collapsing with exhaustion at the end of each day, but there was a hard edge to him now, a cutting edge. He clearly hadn’t got where he was without being utterly devoid of emotion and manically ruthless.
Thank God she had got out in time.
‘I’d like a drink, thank you.’ Something to lubricate her still dry throat. This was going to be far harder than she had envisaged.
‘Tea? Coffee? Maybe something stronger?’
‘Yes.’ Something strong and intoxicating, something to relax her tense muscles because otherwise she would walk out of here without telling him her reason for coming.
She had not imagined when she set out that Adam would be this coolly controlled man who had her at a disadvantage. She had known it would be difficult, she had rehearsed her little speech a thousand times, but this new Adam was making it ten times worse. She felt that he was toying with her, waiting for the right moment to throw her out and tell her that whatever it was she had come for he wanted nothing to do with it.
A dark eyebrow rose. ‘Yes to all three?’
‘I mean, I’d like…something stronger.’
His lips twitched but he didn’t comment. ‘Wine perhaps? Or brandy? How great is your need?’
His sarcasm wasn’t lost on her and Sienna lifted her chin, her light blue eyes meeting his darker ones. She had almost forgotten how amazingly good-looking he was and for one small moment she felt a rush of heat between her thighs. Banished in an instant, deeply horrifying.
That part of her life was over. Not once since she’d left him had he tried to find her, proving that he hadn’t been particularly disappointed or even worried. In essence it had given him a clear field to work even longer hours. To amass his fortune. She found it difficult to understand why anyone would let money be their god. There was surely more to life.
This apartment, for instance, was nothing more than a status symbol. Why would one man live by himself in a place like this? Unless he used it as a love nest. Did he invite lady friends here? Actually, she had not once seen him in the press with a female on his arm. He was either very careful or working his socks off was still his way of life.
‘Wine would be perfect, thank you.’
Left alone for a few minutes, Sienna closed her eyes, wishing she hadn’t felt the need to seek Adam out after remaining silent for so long. If she had any sense, she would blurt out her reason for coming here and then run.
Except that good sense seemed to have deserted her. All she could think about was the way she had looked into his eyes and felt an emergence of the hunger and longing she had always experienced when they were together. He had been an amazing lover, setting her whole body alight with a fire she had thought would never die.
But after their marriage Adam had quickly gone from being her knight in shining armour to working so hard, coming home so late, that he’d barely had time to speak to her before falling asleep each night.
‘Here we are.’
Grateful for Adam’s interruption, Sienna shot her eyes wide. As they cannoned into his she felt a further body blow. He was still devastatingly sexy, causing wave after wave of hot desire to flood her veins. Damn! All these years she had told herself that she hated him, so why was this happening now?
It had to be pure sexual hunger that she felt, it couldn’t be anything else. She certainly didn’t love him any more. How could she possibly love a man who thought more about his job than he did his wife?
The wine looked deliciously cool and inviting. Sienna watched as Adam poured the pale golden liquid, watching it swirl and then settle. Almost instantly a fine film of condensation formed around the outside of her glass and as she picked it up she stroked her finger down its side.
Adam watched her through narrowed eyes, making her wish that she hadn’t done it because he was looking at her as though she had made some kind of erotic gesture. As though she was stroking him!
Heat fizzed through her and she took a long swallow, amazed to discover when she set her glass down that she had drunk almost half its contents.
‘Is it such an ordeal coming to see me?’
The gruff tone in his voice sent her head jerking in his direction. She saw lips that were grim and eyes that were as cold as ice.
‘Why don’t you just spit out what’s wrong and get it over with?’
How could she? They needed to be at ease with each other first. And getting drunk wasn’t the answer!
‘It’s a very fine place you have here,’she said instead. ‘Do you have someone to share it with?’
‘If you’re asking whether I have a girlfriend, the answer’s no. You should know me better than that, Sienna. I have only one lover, and that is my work.’
‘So you haven’t changed.’ Sienna let her eyebrows rise. ‘You still work all the hours God made! Why, when you have this?’ She spread her hands, taking in their impressive surroundings.
‘It’s precisely why I work, for security, and to have nice things around me.’ His dark blue eyes watched her closely. ‘I also have a pied-à-terre in France and an apartment in New York. It gives me a feeling of great satisfaction.’
‘Or is that you have so much money now you have nothing else to spend it on?’ Sienna queried, unable to keep the distaste out of her voice. It was as though he was deliberately throwing his wealth in her face, showing her what she had missed out on.
‘If you’ve come here to question my lifestyle, I suggest—’
‘It’s not that,’ cut in Sienna quickly. But she wasn’t ready yet to disclose her real reason for being here. It was such a delicate subject that she had to get Adam into the right mood. ‘It simply seems odd that you have these other places to live and no one to share them with.’
‘Are you putting yourself forward?’ He smiled grimly and his eyes locked with hers, sending a fresh scurry of feelings through her veins.
She had thought that over the years everything she had ever felt for Adam Bannerman had died. She didn’t want to feel anything for him, she despised him and she wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t entirely necessary.
There was ice in both her voice and her eyes when she spoke. ‘I’ve had a taste of what it’s like living with a workaholic. It’s no fun, I assure you, and I’m not entirely surprised that you haven’t found another woman to share your life.’
‘Are you suggesting that I should? Is it a divorce you’re after? I occasionally wonder why you’ve never filed for one.’
The deep sarcasm in his voice scoured over her already tense nerves like sandpaper.
‘I could say the same about you.’ She held her head high and met his eyes. For several long seconds they challenged each other, Sienna not wanting to be the first to turn away.
‘I’ve never had the time or the inclination,’ he drawled, his eyes still not leaving hers. ‘I knew that one day, when you were ready, you would start proceedings. What I didn’t expect was that you would visit me in person. It’s quite a surprise.’
‘And a mistake,’ she snapped before she could stop herself. ‘I really think I should be going.’ There was no way on this earth now that she could broach the subject that had made her come here. Adam was doing a very good job of letting her know that he liked his life the way it was. He wanted nothing to spoil it. She pitied him. He would become a lonely old man one day if he kept putting work first.
‘You’re not leaving until you tell me what brought you here,’ he said, his tone sharp and authoritative. ‘Why don’t you finish your wine?’
Sienna glared at him, but she picked up her glass and downed the rest of its contents in one swallow. ‘There, finished.’ And she stood up.
Adam followed suit and Sienna was glad that she had worn high heels because they made her almost as tall as he was. She lifted her chin and looked into his eyes—and felt a wave of something she dared not think about pass over her. The word began with S and ended in X.
Why was this happening now, when she needed to be strong and in control? Was it the fact that he was the first and only man she had ever fallen in love with? Had her body retained those feelings even though she had been convinced that they had not?
Hell, what a situation to find herself in. Especially as Adam showed no sign of returning them. She couldn’t believe how cold he was. It was as though she had never meant anything to him.
‘So why are you here?’
Sienna closed her eyes. It looked as if there was no escape. And if the truth be known, she had to do it. She owed it to Adam, to herself, to—She stopped her thoughts there, drew in a deep breath, and bluntly and coldly stated the facts.
‘I’m here to tell you that you have a son.’
Chapter Two
ADAM felt as though he had been poleaxed. The words that had just left Sienna’s lips sent him reeling across the courtyard.
She was saying he had a son!
A son!
A son who would now be…four years old!
And in all the time they’d been apart she had never had the decency to tell him!
The blood roared through his head like a hurricane and he wanted to hit out at her, shake her, ask her what the hell she had thought she was doing, keeping him in ignorance. This was a scenario he had never envisaged, not in his wildest dreams. It was something he was finding difficult, if not impossible, to take in.
He had never wanted a family, he was happy doing what he did. Happy, for goodness’ sake! He didn’t want a child in his life, disrupting his routine. The big question was, why had she told him now? Why not when she found herself pregnant?
His eyes blazed as a bigger scenario hit him. ‘I’m not the father, am I? Why in heaven’s name would you wait this long to tell me if I were? You’re after money. You’re trying to take me for a fool. Get out of here, Sienna. Get out!’
Never in his life had he been so angry. If Sienna had thought she could pull this stunt on him, she was very much mistaken. If the baby really had been his, she would have wasted no time in coming back. She would have made him face up to his responsibilities. Even if she hadn’t, no woman in her right mind would bring up her baby alone without seeking maintenance from the father. She would have insisted on that. She had to be lying.
Sienna’s back straightened and her fantastic blue eyes flashed with indignant fury. She looked like a tigress protecting her young. ‘He is definitely yours.’
‘So you say.’ He was not going to be so easily fooled. Words were easy. He had heard of women who did this sort of thing, who tricked their former partners or husbands into believing someone else’s child was their own.
‘Do you want proof?’ she demanded. ‘It can be arranged.’
Her eyes locked into his and held, and in that moment Adam saw nothing but blazing honesty. His brief suspicion was reluctantly relegated to the deepest recesses of his mind. Maybe it would resurrect itself. Maybe. Perhaps if he saw the child, he would know at once whether he was his or not. He’d had a strong resemblance to his own father so there was every reason to believe that he would see something of himself in this boy.
Adam folded his arms and looked hard into the blue of her eyes. ‘If the boy is mine, why have you waited so long to tell me about him?’ He was aware that his voice was still harshly condemning, and filled with more than a little suspicion, but, hell, she couldn’t drop a bombshell like this and expect no reaction.
His heart felt as though it was trying to escape from his chest and he was afraid to stand any closer to Sienna because he felt like shaking her. Why, for pity’s sake, had she kept her secret all this time? Why?
She looked stunning in a black and white top and stylish black trousers, which hid none of the curves of her sexy bottom. Her black high-heeled sandals gave her added height, even though they looked dangerously difficult to walk in. And her rich chestnut hair, which had always been her crowning glory, was cut in a short, chunky style that suited her elfin face.
She certainly didn’t look like the mother of an energetic four-year-old. She was dressed to kill. She had come here to drop her bombshell—and she had certainly done that. It was a wonder it hadn’t exploded and brought the whole apartment block down around their feet. Above them the sky was blue and serene but inside his body a war was raging.
‘My first instinct, when I discovered that I was pregnant, was obviously to tell you,’ she said, her eyes holding his.
Intense blue eyes, eyes that he had once felt himself drowning in. Eyes which now warred with his but were extremely beautiful nevertheless.
‘But as you’d told me enough times that you didn’t want kids, not for many years anyway, I knew it would cause another unholy row between us.’ Sienna lifted her shoulders and let them drop again. ‘So I decided to bring Ethan up on my own.’
And still she looked unswervingly into his eyes.
Ethan! The boy’s name was Ethan! He rolled the name experimentally on his tongue. ‘So why are you here now?’he asked harshly, ignoring the unease he felt at her words. It was true he had never wanted children and he hadn’t been afraid to say so. But he would never have ignored a son or daughter. They would have been given his love and he would have adapted his lifestyle. He would have had to.
Could he truly have done it, though? He hated himself for admitting that he would have been truly angry that his well-ordered life had been so rudely disrupted.
‘You said it wasn’t for money.’ He pushed his thoughts to one side for the moment. ‘What other reason can there possibly be?’ He did not understand her, not one little bit. The shock still hadn’t worn off and despite the fact that he didn’t drink he felt as though he could do with a generous slug of brandy. He needed something to restore his equilibrium.
‘Because,’ she began hesitantly, for the first time lowering her lids and looking slightly uncomfortable, ‘Ethan’s been ill, very ill.’ Then she looked at him again, a proud tilt to her head, trying to hide the pain in her eyes. ‘He had meningitis and I thought I was going to lose him. I realised that if he had died and you’d never even known you had a son, I would have done you an injustice.’
Adam felt a band tighten around his heart. He felt physical pain. His son had been close to death and he had known nothing about it! The blood roared in his head and he quickly closed the space between him and Sienna, taking her shoulders, gripping them so hard that he saw her wince. But he did not care.
‘What sort of a mother are you,’ he growled, ‘denying your son his father? Especially at a time like that. How could you? I’m presuming that he’s all right now?’
Sienna nodded and swallowed hard but she did not try to pull away from him. She stood there and looked sadly into his eyes.
He saw tears, big fat tears that welled and escaped and rolled slowly down her cheeks. One half of him wanted to brush them gently away with the tip of a caring finger, the other half, the angry half, wanted to shake her to within an inch of her life.
In the end he did neither. He released her and, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, pushed it into her hand. Then he turned away, contemplating the London skyline instead. Not that he saw anything. His eyes were blinded by fury, by disappointment, by the knowledge that his son, his own flesh and blood, had lain at death’s door and he had been left in ignorance.
Adam felt a lump in his throat and an odd feeling he could not put a name to. He was not usually an emotional man, keeping an iron control over his feelings. He had a ruthless work ethic and it often crept into his home life as well. And yet Sienna had found a chink in his armour. She had hit him hard with this fresh piece of information.
Accepting the fact that he had a son had been bad enough, but to hear that he had almost died knocked him for six. How long he stood there staring into space he didn’t know. It was not until he heard Sienna’s tentative voice behind him that he snapped himself back to the present and turned to look at her.
Her eyes, which were sometimes more turquoise than blue, were incredibly pale at this moment. ‘I’m sorry.’ And her voice was so low as to be almost inaudible.
‘Pray tell me,’ he growled, breathing hard and looking fiercely into her face. ‘Would you have ever told me if—if my son—’ he wanted to say the name Ethan but he couldn’t get his head round it yet ‘—hadn’t fallen ill?’
‘I don’t know,’ answered Sienna quietly, still not taking her eyes away from his. ‘I honestly don’t know. But your reaction tells me that I did the right thing. You still don’t want children, do you? You still put your work first.’
Adam didn’t answer. She was so damned right that he felt guilty.
‘Ethan would have had no father figure to look up to if we had stayed and lived with you. He’d be in bed when you got home and you’d have left for your office before he rose each morning. Not an ideal life for a child.’
She paused but he still didn’t answer, he couldn’t answer. Every word she spoke was the absolute truth.
‘But,’ she continued, ‘I think he should know who his father is. Just as I think you should meet Ethan. We can still carry on living our separate lives.’
‘In other words,’ he growled, hating the scenario she had described, even though it was probably true, ‘you will now be well within your rights to claim money from me. Just as I thought.’
‘Damn you, Adam Bannerman! I want nothing from you except a father’s love for his child. I might have known it was too much to expect.’ Her eyes glittered as she swung around on her dangerously high heels.
The next second he heard a sharp crack and Sienna stumbled as one of her heels snapped off. He moved like lightning and caught her before she hit the floor, wrapping his arms around her and jerking her hard against him.
He had forgotten what she felt like. And what she smelled like. A summer’s evening after rain. A delicate fragrance that briefly drugged his senses. She had grown into a beautiful, sensual woman.
He felt himself grow hard and quickly thrust her away from him. Damn! Sienna had just devastated him with her news. He should be hating her, not feeling raw hunger.
Neither did he want her to know that she still had the power to arouse him in case she used it to her advantage. He still wasn’t entirely sure that her sole reason for coming there was to tell him about Ethan’s illness. Why do something like that after the event? There had to be more to it.
Sienna felt stupid. If she hadn’t moved so quickly she wouldn’t have broken her heel. What was she to do now? Walk home barefoot? Hobble? Call a taxi—which she could ill afford?
She had borrowed the shoes from a friend, now she would have to pay for a new pair. But not only had she ruined a shoe, it was her dignity as well. She should have known it was a bad idea. Adam had reacted in exactly the way she had expected him to.
She glared at him as she slipped off her other shoe and marched indoors. She did not want to spend another minute in his suffocating presence.
‘Where do you think you are going?’ Adam’s harsh voice sounded over her shoulder.
‘Home.’ That one single word was as much as she could muster.
‘And how far are you going to get without shoes on your feet?’ he wanted to know. ‘Don’t be ridiculous, Sienna.’
‘So what am I supposed to do?’ she asked angrily, turning to face him. ‘Perhaps you’d like to pay for a taxi?’
‘I could do that,’ he said slowly. ‘Or I could take you myself. And meet this boy I am supposed to have fathered.’
His eyes met and held hers but Sienna saw red. ‘Supposed?’ she queried, her eyes flashing hot sparks. ‘Thanks for your offer, but no thanks. If and when you two ever meet, I want to prepare Ethan first. He doesn’t know about you yet.’
‘So who does he think his father is?’ asked Adam, a sudden fiercely quizzical look in his eyes.
Sienna shrugged. ‘He’s not old enough to ask questions like that.’ Actually, Ethan had more than once asked her why he didn’t have a daddy but she’d always managed to avoid a definite answer, thankful that there were other single mothers at the nursery he attended. She believed that it would be best to tell him when he was older, when he could understand better.
‘But he will have to know one day. So why not now?’ Adam insisted.
‘Because I need to prepare him,’ she answered sharply. ‘I can’t suddenly introduce his father to him. I need to talk to him first, make sure he understands why you haven’t been a part of his life.’
To her annoyance Adam’s lips pulled into a brief, dry smile. ‘And you will tell him—what? That his father’s been busy making money? Actually, it should impress him. It does most people.’
‘Most people don’t know the agony it causes,’ flared Sienna. ‘It’s no life living with someone who’s rarely home.’ She saw a pulse jerk in Adam’s jaw and knew she had hit a raw nerve. Good! He deserved it. ‘I’d be obliged if you’d phone for a taxi.’
Adam closed his eyes momentarily and Sienna knew that he was warring with himself as to whether to do as she asked or insist that he run her home himself. If only she hadn’t broken her stupid heel. She did not want him anywhere near where she lived. She had been protecting herself as well when she’d said that she needed to prepare Ethan.
Just as she had begun to think that Adam was ignoring her request he reached out for the phone and barked a request.
‘My driver is at your disposal.’
Sienna’s brows rose though she said nothing, privately wondering whether there was anything this man could not organise at a moment’s notice. Money spoke. And money ruined marriages! She compressed her lips and nodded her thanks.
‘Before you leave I propose we arrange another meeting. We need to talk about our son and his future.’
Sienna felt her heart drop. It had been hard coming there, it would be even harder seeing him a second time. She had dropped a bombshell, which he would pick up and dissect and come back at her with suggestions that she would not like. Even though it was to be expected, even though she was the one who had started the ball rolling, she felt her whole body grow icy cold at the thought of seeing Adam again, of talking about Ethan, arranging for them to meet.
It was something she had shied away from for the past four years. She had known that Adam wouldn’t want his life disrupted. But now she had done it, and she had to face the consequences. It was quite possible that he might insist she and Ethan move in with him. How disastrous would that be? On the other hand he might be happy to settle a sum of money on them. Wasn’t money his god? Wasn’t it all he wanted in life? His answer to everything?
Ethan would naturally be delighted to meet his father. He wouldn’t know that Adam would remain a distant figure, seen only occasionally. So it would be up to her to stand her ground, declare that they were happy living as they were. She would allow him access, but as for anything else…
‘What are you suggesting?’ she asked stiffly. She was missing the extra three inches her shoes had afforded her. She needed to look up now into his face and it put her at a definite disadvantage. Nevertheless, she kept her chin high and her eyes cold.
‘Dinner tomorrow night?’
‘I thought you always worked late?’ Her response came back with the speed of a bullet.
Even though Adam smiled, it did not reach his eyes. ‘I’m prepared to make an exception.’
So miracles did happen! Or would it be a one-off? She’d like to bet that he would rarely make such exceptions. In the beginning maybe, but soon he would be back to his old lifestyle and poor Ethan would be left wondering what had happened to the father he had only just met.
‘Very well,’ she agreed reluctantly. ‘I guess there are things we need to talk about.’
‘I’ll send a car for you.’
Sienna raised her brows. He would send a car! Not he would pick her up. Oh, no, he didn’t have time for that. He would send his driver. It would give him extra time at the office. Damn the man. She felt like slinging his suggestion back in his face, telling him that he didn’t deserve to meet his son, he would be a failure as a father and she wished that she had never set eyes on him in the first place. But, of course, she said none of these things.
‘Eight o’clock. You do have someone who can look after…Ethan?’
It was the way he said his son’s name, the awkward way he said it, that made Sienna realise that the shock she had given Adam went far deeper than she had at first thought. It had shifted the earth from beneath his feet and he was having great difficulty in getting used to the idea.
Had she made a mistake? A big mistake? Nevertheless, she nodded. ‘I have a friend who will look after him.’
‘Good.’ The word came out harshly. ‘Till tomorrow, then.’
Within minutes Sienna was being driven away from the riverside development, sitting like royalty in the back of a gleaming black Bentley. In the rearview mirror she could see the driver’s impassive face and knew he must be wondering who she was and what sort of a relationship she had with his employer. If only he knew!
Sienna lived in a rented two-bedroom ground-floor apartment in the north London suburbs and as Adam’s driver pulled up outside she could imagine what he must be thinking. Nevertheless, she held her head high and her shoes in her hand.
Once indoors she flopped down on a chair in her living room. Tiny in comparison to Adam’s oversized apartment, but comfortable. She had everything she needed here. Dropping her head back, she let out a deep sigh. It had taken a lot of courage facing Adam today and where had it got her? Precisely nowhere. OK, he now knew he had a son, and he wanted to talk about him, but he hadn’t been exactly enamoured by the fact.
She went over their conversation in her mind and could see no part where Adam had shown enthusiasm or pleasure. Anger that she had kept him in ignorance, yes. But he had asked no immediate questions about Ethan, hadn’t enquired whether she had photographs. She had to face him again to fill him in on the details he should have asked there and then. She guessed it was shock on his part, but even so…
And the outcome was that she would have to buy her friend a new pair of shoes. She glanced at her watch. Jo would be here any moment with Ethan. She had no children of her own and was always willing to look after him, even on a Sunday afternoon.
As if on cue, she heard the sound of their voices outside the door and jumped up to let them in. Ethan ran to her and wrapped his arms around her. Jo smiled. ‘How did it go?’
Her friend lived in the flat above. They had both moved in at the same time and become firm friends. ‘I broke your shoe,’ Sienna said with a rueful grimace. ‘It was a dumb idea, wearing them. I’m sorry.’
‘What were you doing? Running away?’ asked Jo with a laugh. ‘And don’t worry about it. They were stupid shoes. I could never walk in them.’
Ethan went to his room to play and Sienna grimaced. ‘As a matter of fact, yes, I was running away. It was a waste of time going there. Adam didn’t want to know. He actually accused me of trying to get money out of him. He suggested Ethan wasn’t his.’
Jo drew in a swift breath. ‘He didn’t! What did you say?’
‘I suggested DNA.’
‘And?’
‘He backed down a bit.’
‘And the outcome is?’
‘I’m meeting him tomorrow night—for dinner.’
Jo raised her brows.
‘He was in shock,’ declared Sienna with a wry grimace. ‘We didn’t talk much, he needed time to get used to the idea. Can you babysit Ethan?’
‘Of course.’
‘You should see his place, Jo. It’s out of this world. In fact, it’s on top of the world. He lives in a penthouse suite overlooking the Thames. His driver brought me home—in a Bentley no less.’
‘Then you should grab him with both hands,’ said her friend with a wide grin. ‘Why did you ever let him go?’
‘It’s a long story. Do you want a cup of tea?’
Sienna dressed carefully for her dinner date with Adam. She hadn’t many good clothes; as a matter of fact, the trousers and top she had worn to face him were the best things she had, bought a few months ago to attend a wedding. But she couldn’t wear them again or he would think she had nothing else to wear, so she matched a black strappy top—one she sometimes used to sunbathe in, but he wouldn’t know that—with a black floaty skirt that was years old but nevertheless still looked good. She fastened a silver belt around her waist, added a silver necklace and slipped into black sandals. Her hair had been brushed until it shone, and with a slick of lipstick and a dusting of eye-shadow she pronounced herself ready.
Just in time. The car arrived. The impassive driver knocked on her door. Sienna slid into the back seat, inhaling appreciatively the rich smell of leather. And almost immediately wished that she was going anywhere but to meet Adam again. It was going to be an uncomfortable encounter. There would be more recriminations and almost certainly the suggestion that he wanted to meet Ethan.
But she wanted to feel comfortable with Adam first. She wanted Adam to feel at ease as well. Otherwise when father and son eventually met there would be an undercurrent and she didn’t want that. It needed to be a happy meeting. She wanted Ethan to be ready, but even more than that she wanted Adam to treat his son in the way that a father should, with warmth and humour—neither of which were Adam’s strong points.
She wished for the hundredth time that she hadn’t gone to see him. It had been a huge mistake. One she might live to regret.
‘Here we are, madam.’ The driver jumped smartly out of the car and opened her door. Sienna felt almost like royalty. ‘Mr Bannerman is waiting inside.’
Oh, he was, was he? Sienna felt like telling the driver to take her back home. Except just at that moment Adam appeared in the doorway of the restaurant. They were in Mayfair, in the heart of London’s most exclusive district. Shopping, dining, living, all for the very rich.
Sienna felt distinctly out of place. Nevertheless, she kept her head high and her eyes firmly on Adam’s. He wore a grey suit and a white shirt with a grey and red tie and he looked the epitome of the successful businessman. While she felt like the poor relation!
‘Sienna, you look good. I’m glad you made it.’
Liar! On both counts. She didn’t look good, she didn’t feel good. At least, not right now. She had when she had set out, but she hadn’t expected to be wined and dined at one of London’s most elite restaurants. She had thought, she had hoped, that it would be at one of the eating places she had seen near where he lived.
Nothing had prepared her for this.
However, she smiled her acknowledgement of his compliment and when he took her arm to lead her inside she felt a crazy awareness of the man she had once been so madly in love with.
It was insanity. They were here to talk about Ethan. Adam wanted to know more about him. She had brought photographs. But here she was experiencing a reincarnation of the feelings that had once totally consumed her.
With an effort she dashed them away, relegated them to some safe place deep in her body. Hopefully they would never be restored. She was prepared to be civil with Adam, for their son’s sake, but as for anything else—she would fight it every inch of the way. He had hurt her once, and she had no intention of letting him do so again.
Chapter Three
ADAM had half expected Sienna not to turn up that evening. He had thought she would despatch his driver, telling him that she had changed her mind. Her revelation that he had a four-year-old son had stunned him, sent his whole world out of kilter, made a mockery of every thought he’d ever had about not wanting children to interfere with his lifestyle.
After a night lying awake, thinking about its implications, he had not even gone in to work today—which was unheard of. His PA had had the shock of her life when he’d phoned to tell her. Without a doubt his life was going to be disrupted, changed for ever, and it would take a hell of a lot of getting used to.
After Sienna had walked out on their marriage he had buried himself ever more deeply into his work. He had been fiercely angry that she couldn’t accept his need to create a good life for them. In a fit of rage after she had left him, he’d taken out other women to try to get over her.
It hadn’t worked.
Despite what he saw as her failings, and despite the reason he had married her in the first place, he had missed Sienna more than he had ever thought possible, and he’d eventually felt guilty because he’d known that he hadn’t given her the attention that she deserved. In equal parts he had experienced relief. Nevertheless, it had allowed him the space and time to build up his business without Sienna constantly complaining that she never saw him.
Now, though, he found it hard to believe that she had kept something of such monumental importance from him. A son! It did not make sense. It was a nightmare. How could she have done that?
His fingers curled and he wanted to wring her pretty neck.
Being a father would make a marked difference to his life. In the years since Sienna had walked out his business affairs had grown beyond even his own wildest dreams. Success had come to him and he’d embraced it with open arms. He needed no one. He was master of his own universe.
Or at least he had been.
Looking at her now, seeing how nervous she was, he realised that it must have taken a lot of courage to approach him yesterday. He had not thought of that at the time, he’d been too intensely angry to feel anything else. In fact, he was still angry, but he knew that he must hide those feelings if he was to come to any sort of an agreement with her.
‘Would you like a drink before dinner?’ he asked. Sienna not only looked gorgeous in black, she smelled divine too, and Adam felt a swift surge of hunger. The skinny straps of her top revealed velvety smooth, lightly tanned shoulders and the rapidly beating pulse in the long line of her throat gave away the fact that she was incredibly nervous. The swell of her breasts peeping over the top of her camisole made his fingers itch to touch, to feel their weight in his palms, to tease her nipples into tight, hard buds. As hard as he was feeling!
The crazy thing was that she was still his wife. He would be perfectly within his rights making love to her, and yet he knew that she was forbidden fruit. The sweetest fruit, the most tempting fruit.
Damn! It had been a mistake inviting her here tonight. They should have met somewhere far more austere, like in a solicitor’s office, and let a third party work out the best way forward.
‘No, thank you.’
Adam had almost forgotten his question. Sienna’s fragrance was exciting him, her nearness drugging him. He was in danger of making a fool of himself. Instantly he channelled his thoughts away from Sienna’s appearance, reminding himself that she had done the unforgivable. She had wronged him big time and he would find it difficult to forgive her—if he ever did!
They were led to their table and Sienna sat on the very edge of her chair, her back ramrod straight, her eyes wary on his, as though she was expecting him to declare that he was going to take Ethan from her.
Menus were handed to them and for a few moments they both pretended to be studying them. Twice Adam caught Sienna looking at him, her eyes quickly averted each time, and he gave a grim smile. She too was clearly wishing that she was anywhere but there.
Their food and wine orders given, Adam sat back in his seat and looked at her. ‘Are you ready to talk?’
‘About Ethan?’ Sienna knew that the huskiness in her voice gave away her inner tension. All day long she had been dreading this meeting, and with good reason. The stern look in Adam’s eyes, the mutinous set of his chin told her that he was still furiously angry with her.
Adam nodded. ‘What did he say when you told him that you’d been to see his father? Is he anxious to meet me?’
Sienna swallowed hard. ‘As a matter of fact, I haven’t told him yet.’ She had been waiting for the right moment but had begun to have her doubts that there ever would be one. Ethan wouldn’t understand her predicament. He would want to meet his father, he would be ecstatically happy, he would expect them to all live together like one big loving family. And if he discovered that Adam was wealthy enough to buy him anything he wanted, he would instantly become his best friend.
Adam’s reaction was exactly as she had known it would be. He roared with rage. His eyes grew even harder, shooting swift bullets of anger across the table, making a mockery of its fine linen tablecloth and elegant silver cutlery. ‘You have not told him? Why not? Why did you come to see me if it was not to acquaint me with my son?’
Sienna closed her eyes. ‘I made a mistake. I—’
‘No! I will not let you change your mind. You cannot hide him away from me any longer. I have a right to see him.’
Adam’s voice roared into her consciousness, overpowering her, stunning her. She snapped her lids open and stared straight into the harsh blue depths of cold-as-ice eyes. A shiver slid down her spine, reaching out icy tentacles to every part of her body.
‘And so you shall,’ she said, horrified to hear the tremor in her voice. This was not the way to react. She needed to be strong. Drawing in a deep steadying breath, she stared at him unflinchingly. ‘Once I have told him about you.’
‘And when will that be?’ came the caustic reply. ‘Today? Tomorrow? Next week? Next month? It’s not good enough, Sienna. You cannot drop a bolt from the blue like that and then expect me to sit back and wait patiently. I demand to see him. In fact, I don’t see why we shouldn’t walk out of here right now and—’
‘No!’ Sienna’s voice rose. ‘I will tell him, but in my own good time. And he’ll need to get used to the idea that he has a father before I introduce you. It will be a big thing for him.’
‘No bigger than it was for me.’ Adam’s face contorted into a scowl that scored deep lines on his forehead and narrowed his eyes until they were no more than two silvery-blue slits. ‘I’m still finding it hard to believe that you waited so long to tell me. You shouldn’t have had to go through Ethan’s illness alone. For pity’s sake, Sienna, I’m his father. I deserved to be told.’
He was right, of course. And she would have felt so much better during Ethan’s illness if she’d had Adam to lean on. It had been a terrible time, not knowing whether her son was going to live or die. As she’d sat for hours beside Ethan’s hospital bed she had longed for Adam’s strength, had told herself constantly that he ought to be here, that she should have told him about Ethan. The burden had been almost too much to bear.
Yet still it had taken immense strength to seek him out—and now she almost wished that she hadn’t. His anger was doing nothing to make her feel any easier about the situation.
She was given a tiny respite while her wine was poured. Adam as usual touched nothing stronger than water. Nevertheless, he tipped his glass towards hers. ‘Here’s to a promising future.’
Tension tingled in the air between them. His eyes locked with hers and Sienna felt her heart beating heavily in her chest. When she had sought Adam out yesterday she had never envisaged that she would be sitting here with him tonight, drinking expensive wine, experiencing shock waves of sensation because feelings she had thought long dead were making themselves felt.
It was actually impossible not to feel. Her love for him had once been so strong that she began to wonder now whether it had ever died. Or was it because he was dynamically sexier these days? Success sat on his shoulders like an invisible cloak. And a successful man was always irresistible. At least, to some women. She had never put herself in that category but looking at Adam now, seeing the man he had become, she could not contain a frisson of awareness. It ran through her veins like molten metal, hot and swift and consuming.
‘It might take Ethan time to get used to the idea that he has a father,’ she said quietly. And she needed time too. Their meeting, when it happened, would be an emotional one, there would be a big change in her life. Also in Ethan’s.
She didn’t allow herself to think of the effect it would have on Adam. He had been absent for so long that all she could think of at this moment was herself and her son.
Clearly she hadn’t been thinking straight when she had decided to seek Adam out, and she had not reckoned on the enormous personal trauma it would cause. If only she could turn back the clock. But, of course, that was impossible. She had started this, so now had to suffer the consequences.
Their first course arrived and for a few minutes there was silence between them, Sienna cautiously tasting her vinaigrette of white asparagus with truffles. It was, of course, superb. Adam would not have taken her to a restaurant where the food was not first class. He moved in completely different circles to her these days. It was a life she could have once had but had chosen not to. And she did not particularly want her son to be brought up in this exclusive society.
‘Does Ethan look like me?’
Sienna drew in a deep breath and nodded. ‘I have photographs.’ She reached for her bag and passed Adam an envelope.
He was silent for a few minutes as he scrutinised each photo in turn and Sienna took the opportunity to study him. She could see so much of her son in Adam that it was frightening.
Her lovable little boy was going to grow up in the very image of his father. Tall, devastatingly handsome, a real ladies’ man. And she would worry herself sick over the years, wondering what sort of a life he would carve out for himself. Would he be as driven as his father? Would he put success and riches before everything else? Before human relationships? Human emotions?
There had been times when she felt that Adam had never loved her, when she had wondered why he had asked her to marry him in the first place. His goal hadn’t been a happy marriage and children and she couldn’t help wondering now whether his relationship with Ethan would suffer as a result.
‘May I keep these?’
Sienna nodded.
‘There’s no mistaking that he is my son.’
The words were said calmly and with no malicious intent, but Sienna couldn’t help flaring. ‘If you thought that I would lie to you, you don’t know me very well at all.’
‘But you can surely understand? All these years and not a word.’
Their eyes met and held and Sienna was the first to look away.
‘I’m going to enjoy getting to know him. I’ll take him along the Thames on my cruiser, we’ll fly over to Paris to see my place there and—’
‘Adam Bannerman, don’t you dare!’ Sienna felt herself exploding. She felt sparks of white hot anger sizzling inside her head. If he thought money was the way to impress his son, he was sadly mistaken. ‘A walk along the river, feeding the ducks, a ride on some swings is all Ethan needs. Even just sitting down and talking to you, finding out he has a daddy, will be the most exciting thing that has ever happened to him. You can’t buy his love, Adam. Kids need companionship and love and caring. Doing little things together. And if you can’t get your head round that then it might be better if he never finds out about you.’
‘It’s too late for that.’ Adam’s eyes glittered into hers. Hard eyes, cold eyes, that told her she couldn’t back out now. That he would demand access to his son whether she liked it or not.
‘Nevertheless, we need to set out some ground rules,’ she declared sharply. ‘I don’t want you trying to impress him with your wealth. He needs to get to know you properly first.’
‘I agree,’ he answered with surprising quietness, ‘and the sooner the better.’
The subject of their son drew them closer by an invisible thread. Adam’s eyes had never seemed bluer. Or more fierce. Or more direct. They burned through into the very heart of her, making her wriggle uncomfortably on her seat.
‘Do I have to come knocking on the door and announce myself? I could do that, you know.’
And he would, thought Sienna. He would turn up without warning and she would be left quivering with apprehension. What if the two of them didn’t get on? Adam clearly knew nothing about children and their needs. He would overwhelm his son, maybe even frighten him.
‘I’ll tell him tomorrow,’ she promised. ‘But he’ll need a few days to get used to the idea. I’ll ring you.’
Adam threw her a look of disbelief. ‘And how long will I have to wait? Maybe I should come back with you tonight and—’
‘No!’ yelped Sienna, then looked around swiftly to see if anyone had heard her panicked cry. Fortunately not. ‘He’ll be in bed, for one thing. I’ll tell him tomorrow, I promise, and then I’ll leave it up to Ethan.’
‘What if he doesn’t want to meet me?’
Sienna shrugged. ‘That’s something you’ll have to deal with.’ Though she couldn’t see it happening. Ethan would be so excited he’d want to see his daddy immediately.
‘If you think that I’m going to ignore my son now that you’ve told me about him, you’re wrong.’ Hard eyes met hers. ‘Very wrong. But I appreciate that he’ll need a little time. I’ll give you two days then if I haven’t heard from you I shall turn up on your doorstep.’ He whisked a card out of his pocket. ‘Here’s my personal phone number. Use it.’
The rest of the evening passed in relative harmony. They had both chosen turbot for their main course, which was cooked to perfection, as were the accompanying vegetables. Sienna had never eaten such delicious food and she felt slightly sad that she didn’t have room for dessert.
By the time Adam suggested they leave Sienna felt more relaxed than she had expected. He had regaled her with stories about his work life, some amusing, some deadly serious, and she had finished the whole bottle of wine.
Consequently she felt mellow and sleepy and when they left the restaurant she didn’t even flinch when he put his arm about her waist.
‘Have I told you how stunning you look tonight, Sienna?’
His voice rumbled from somewhere low in his throat, vibrating along her nerves, making her pull suddenly out of his embrace. What had she been thinking, letting him touch her like this?
Without warning his head bent down towards hers and eyes that were the colour of a sun-kissed ocean took her prisoner. And lips that she had sworn would never touch hers again captured her mouth in a kiss that revealed with devastating thoroughness that none of her feelings had gone away.
They had simply lain dormant, waiting like Sleeping Beauty for her prince to kiss her and bring her back to life. Her body felt on fire, electric sensations fizzing through veins and arteries. Emotions she had thought dead rose up and embraced the kiss, responded to it, filling her body with a hunger she had not felt for a very long time.
But it was madness. Allowing these feelings to surface was sheer madness. Adam would gain the impression that she was willing to enter into a sexual relationship and that was most definitely not the case. He had caught her unawares; it was not going to happen again. Not ever! That part of their life was over. They would be civil with each other for their son’s sake, but that was all. She was not going to share his life or his bed ever again.
She jerked away, her eyes wide and fiercely angry. ‘What did you do that for?’
Adam’s smile was smug. ‘How could I help myself? You’re more beautiful than ever, Sienna. How could any man resist you? I bet they queue at your door. Is there someone special in your life at the moment?’
Sienna thought about lying and saying that there was. Except this was Adam, and no matter what had happened between them she found it impossible to lie to him. ‘There is no one,’ she said quietly.
‘Has there been?’
‘I hardly think it’s any of your business. We’ve both been free agents these last few years.’
‘We are still married,’ he reminded her.
‘And has that stopped you going out with other women?’ she riposted, her blue eyes hard and challenging.
‘Touché,’ came the unblinking answer.
‘So I suggest we stop asking each other invasive questions and go home.’ Actually, she would have liked to know how many other women there had been in his life but since she didn’t want him questioning her about her own love life, finding out that it had been non-existent, it was best they kept quiet on the subject.
‘And home is?’
‘If you’re thinking it’s back to your place, you’d better think again.’
‘So I’m coming back to yours, is that it?’
Sienna shook her head, her eyes very blue and wide with horror. ‘You know that’s not going to happen. Where’s your driver? He can take me.’
Adam grinned. ‘I’ve given him the rest of the night off. I’ll be driving you home myself.’
Sienna closed her eyes and gave an inward groan. ‘That will not be necessary. I don’t want you turning up at my house until I’ve told Ethan about you.’ The very thought sent a chill through her veins. It was her worst nightmare come true. She could just imagine what would happen if Adam followed her in.
He would insist on seeing his son. And even though Ethan would probably be able to cope with finding out that he had a father after all these years, she certainly would not.
‘I won’t come in if you don’t want me to.’
Sienna glared at Adam as he led the way towards his waiting car. Not the one she had been chauffeured in. Something small and snazzy, intimate. Not her idea of an easy ride. She would be sitting close and personal and her heart would inevitably play a tune of its own, maybe even loud enough for Adam to hear, make him aware of her plight.
When he opened the door for her and stood back, she slid silently and reluctantly into the seat. The fact that he was smiling made her even angrier, which in turn made his smile wider. It became a self-satisfied grin and she wanted to slap his face. Only good manners prevented her.
He leaned too close for comfort before he closed the door. ‘Have you any idea how beautiful you look when you’re angry? It makes me want to kiss you again, Sienna, feel some of that fire.’
‘I don’t think so,’ she slammed back. ‘The fire I feel is of a very different kind to how it used to be.’
‘Really?’ His brows lifted and he made no attempt to move out of her space. In fact, he was so close that Sienna could clearly see the outer dark ring around the incredible blue of his eyes, feel the heat emanating from him, but more poignant still was the citrus scent of his cologne, the musk of his skin. It wafted over her like a drug and she knew that if he did not move soon she would weaken.
‘You know what I mean. I’m angry with you, Adam. You engineered this whole evening so that you could take me home and hopefully meet Ethan. Well, you’re not going to set foot inside my house. Ethan will be in bed and I refuse to disturb him.’
‘Sienna, you might be angry with me right now, but I won’t go back on my word.’
Still the smile remained in place and Sienna was sorely tempted. But somehow she controlled her impulse. ‘I’m glad to hear it. Let’s go.’
It was with excruciating slowness that he lifted himself away from her and closed the door. For a few seconds she was allowed breathing space until he slid in beside her and the whole car was filled with his essence even more powerfully than before. Sienna closed her eyes, asking herself for the thousandth time whether she had made the biggest mistake of her life in seeking Adam out.
Never in her wildest dreams had she envisaged that she would still be attracted to him. She had thought only that he needed to know about Ethan. It had blinded her to everything else, in the same way that her love had blinded her all those years ago. But now, with her blinkers lifted, she was in grave danger. Adam still had the power to stir her innermost emotions. How cruel was destiny to inflict this on her?
The journey was accomplished in total silence, Adam seeming to know instinctively where she lived. She guessed that his chauffeur must have told him but it didn’t please her. The contrast between his sumptuous penthouse suite and her modest little flat could not be ignored.
She held her breath as he pulled up outside, waiting for his comment, but none was forthcoming. Instead, he looked at her long and hard, giving nothing away now of the raw feelings she had seen earlier. ‘Two days, Sienna. That is all you have. Two days. And if I do not hear from you I shall come to take my boy away.’
Chapter Four
ADAM knew that it had been the wrong thing to say. He had seen the flash in Sienna’s eyes, that over-my-dead-body look. And she had every right. If he was honest with himself, he would not be able to cope with a lively four-year-old on his own. It would mean employing a nanny, which would be stupid when Ethan already had a mother who doted on him and looked after his every need.
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Margaret Mayo
Wanted for the marriage bed! When Sienna met sexy entrepreneur Adam Bannerman, she thought she’d found true love. With stars in her eyes she whispered, ‘I do! ’ But Adam’s head was always buried in business, and their whirlwind marriage broke down before she could tell him she was pregnant.Now her little boy is sick, and she has to tell Adam the truth. They’re thrown together again, and sparks fly – but so do the secrets that kept them apart. Can she risk her heart a second time and be coaxed back into her husband’s bed?
‘What are you doing, Adam?’ Sienna asked fiercely when Ethan was out of earshot. ‘If you think spending money on him is the answer, think again. He wants you, not your money.’
‘You’re incredibly sexy when you’re angry—do you know that, Sienna?’
‘This isn’t about you and me.’
It was like water off a duck’s back. Adam smiled, completely unperturbed by her words.
Sienna’s heart drummed an age-old rhythm, each beat building up her senses, and when Adam’s lips claimed hers she was totally ready. It was like much needed rain after a dry summer. It was like finding water in the desert. It fed her inner needs, and against her better judgement she returned his kiss.
Born in the industrial heart of England, Margaret Mayo now lives in a Staffordshire countryside village. She became a writer by accident, after attempting to write a short story when she was almost forty, and now writing is one of the most enjoyable parts of her life. She combines her hobby of photography with her research.
Married Again
to the
Millionaire
by
Margaret Mayo
MILLS & BOON
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/)
Table of Contents
Cover Page (#u0dd710a8-7a42-52ac-a304-e10fd8f465a7)
Excerpt (#u3fe2c4d5-1583-54ff-9eaa-f7aa4c6bd30e)
About the Author (#uc30b541b-461c-5c4a-ae35-15f2e513ed4d)
Title Page (#uf1a14422-2f59-5001-9471-55feab441364)
Chapter One (#u089fde1e-3b20-5af2-9639-10aced872e97)
Chapter Two (#uc23d0407-73b0-5c39-a67e-c5935ccda562)
Chapter Three (#u3e1fbeda-35b4-5e73-ba12-75110fdc1950)
Chapter Four (#u0e07df55-5769-5a6c-9ddc-a5dcde7fa034)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One
SIENNA’S heart pounded as she stood outside the prestigious residential development, which was set in its own park alongside the Thames. Only the very rich could afford to live there. And the last time she’d seen Adam he’d definitely not been in that category…
When no one answered the intercom system, and it appeared that she had wasted her time, she felt strangely relieved. It had taken a lot of courage to come here and she was just about to leave when she heard Adam’s well-remembered voice.
‘Sienna?’
It was like velvet over steel. From experience she knew that it could be as soft as molten chocolate or as hard edged as a razor blade. She had felt both sides of his tongue, and as she stood there now Sienna gave an involuntary shudder.
She’d had no idea that a video camera was monitoring her presence. The thought that Adam knew she was there and that he had probably been watching the expression on her face as she waited chilled her blood.
Forewarned was forearmed, and she was at a definite disadvantage.
‘Adam!’ Was that really her own voice sounding scratchy and nervous when she had been determined to be strong? And why the hell was he keeping her standing here instead of allowing her entrance?
Was he taking some sort of perverse pleasure in it? Unless he didn’t want to see her! After all, it had been over five years. ‘I—I need to speak to you.’ Her mouth had gone suddenly dry, swallowing became impossible.
‘After all this time? How interesting. You’d better come in.’ Again his deep, dark voice scraped over her nerves and as the barrier to the landscaped gardens lifted Sienna made her way slowly to the main entrance door of the complex where she was confronted with yet another see-your-visitor system. With a sigh she pressed the appropriate button and waited—and waited.
After what seemed like several minutes, though was probably only one, Adam’s voice reached her ears again. ‘You look impatient, Sienna.’
‘Are you playing games with me?’ She heard the sharpness in her tone but was uncaring any longer. Her anger was building and she was beginning to wish that she had never decided to approach Adam.
‘I’ve been trying to work out why you’re here.’
‘And unless you let me in, you’ll never know. In fact, don’t bother, I’ve changed my mind.’ She swung on one of her ridiculously high heels, heels she had donned to give her the height and the confidence to do what she was about to do, and was about to march back the way she had come when he spoke again.
‘Wait!’
And she heard a click as the door opened.
‘Top floor, penthouse suite. The lift’s to your right.’
With his curt instructions echoing in her ears, Sienna approached the lift. It whooshed her swiftly and silently to the top of the building and she emerged in an entrance hall lined with beech panelling and lit by discreet, inset spotlights. Beneath her feet were exquisite tiles in varying shades of bronze and olive green. Glossy-leaved plants stood in corners and a mirror was directly opposite.
She looked, thought Sienna, petrified. Her wide blue eyes were burning like coals in her pale face, her chestnut hair awry, despite having taken care with it before she had left home. And having nervously nibbled her lips while she had waited to gain entrance, her lipstick was non-existent.
This was not the image she wanted to portray and she stood there a moment taking deep steadying breaths, pulling herself together, forcing a smile. She combed her hair, reapplied her lipstick and was popping the tube back into her bag when a door opened and Adam strode towards her.
Sienna took in a sharp breath. The change in him was dramatic. He’d gone from being almost too thin to broad-shouldered and well muscled. She could actually see his muscles rippling beneath the silk of his shirt. His waist and hips were still slender but he had powerful thighs, barely hidden beneath fine linen trousers.
Where had all this body development come from? she wondered. It looked as though he worked out on a major scale and yet from what she knew of him, and what she’d read in the press, he didn’t appear to have time for exercise. Work was still his ethos. If there had been more than twenty-four hours in a day he would have worked most of them.
His strong jaw with its cleft beneath sculpted lips was firm. His eyes, which were a dark, dark blue, were riveted on her face. Thick black brows jutted over them. The only thing that hadn’t changed was his black, curling hair, which was as awry as it had ever been. It touched his shirt collar and looked as though it desperately needed trimming and combing.
‘So—Sienna, I wondered if I’d ever see you again.’ His deep voice rumbled into the open space. ‘Actually, I’m intrigued. How did you know where I lived?’
Sienna allowed her fine brows to rise. ‘You’re in the news these days. A few enquiries and I had your address.’
Over the years it had been easy to keep tabs on what he was doing. He had gone from being a simple property developer to someone who bought ailing businesses, turned them around, and then sold them off at a huge profit. He had been voted businessman of the year on more than one occasion. To give him credit, he did a lot of charity work as well.
Wide shoulders shrugged. ‘I always knew that I would make it.’
‘Such modesty,’ she flashed. ‘But at what cost?’ His driving force, his need to make millions, was one of the reasons she had left him.
Adam’s lips thinned. ‘Are you here to discuss my success? Or is it a share of my money that you’re after? Is that why you’ve never asked for a divorce, so that you can lay claim to half of my worth? Well, I hate to tell you, Sienna—’
‘That is not why I’m here,’ Sienna said defensively, though in truth she could understand why he thought that. There were women who would go for the jugular under similar circumstances but she was not one of them.
She had struggled these last few years but she would never have asked Adam for a penny, not a single penny. She had her pride. And as for a divorce, she had liked the idea of being a married woman.
If she had met and fallen in love with someone else she might have demanded her freedom, but there had been no one, and clearly Adam hadn’t wanted to remarry either—which hadn’t surprised her. He enjoyed his life the way it was.
Inside his luxurious suite she stood for a moment looking around her. The large open space was entirely fronted by glass, which led out onto a wide balcony with a riven slate floor, studded with potted plants and cushioned cane furniture. It looked more like a courtyard than a balcony and the view over the Thames was stunning, but she had no time to give it more than a cursory glance before her attention was taken up with the room she was in.
The furniture was minimal. Chunky brown leather sofas and glass topped tables. A massive television screen on one wall. Everything in muted natural colours and the open-plan kitchen at the far end was to die for. Sienna couldn’t help wondering whether Adam cooked for himself or sent out for food, or even used one of the restaurants she had seen along the riverside walk.
‘Please—sit down.’ Adam indicated one of the leather chairs but Sienna shook her head.
‘I’d prefer to go outside.’ Although the space was immense, she felt suffocated by Adam’s presence. Strange when she had known him more intimately than any other man before or since.
‘As you wish,’ he said, leading the way. ‘Would you care for something to drink or would you prefer to say whatever it is that you came for?’
There was harshness in his voice and Sienna shivered. Adam had changed. He had always been a driven man, working hard, collapsing with exhaustion at the end of each day, but there was a hard edge to him now, a cutting edge. He clearly hadn’t got where he was without being utterly devoid of emotion and manically ruthless.
Thank God she had got out in time.
‘I’d like a drink, thank you.’ Something to lubricate her still dry throat. This was going to be far harder than she had envisaged.
‘Tea? Coffee? Maybe something stronger?’
‘Yes.’ Something strong and intoxicating, something to relax her tense muscles because otherwise she would walk out of here without telling him her reason for coming.
She had not imagined when she set out that Adam would be this coolly controlled man who had her at a disadvantage. She had known it would be difficult, she had rehearsed her little speech a thousand times, but this new Adam was making it ten times worse. She felt that he was toying with her, waiting for the right moment to throw her out and tell her that whatever it was she had come for he wanted nothing to do with it.
A dark eyebrow rose. ‘Yes to all three?’
‘I mean, I’d like…something stronger.’
His lips twitched but he didn’t comment. ‘Wine perhaps? Or brandy? How great is your need?’
His sarcasm wasn’t lost on her and Sienna lifted her chin, her light blue eyes meeting his darker ones. She had almost forgotten how amazingly good-looking he was and for one small moment she felt a rush of heat between her thighs. Banished in an instant, deeply horrifying.
That part of her life was over. Not once since she’d left him had he tried to find her, proving that he hadn’t been particularly disappointed or even worried. In essence it had given him a clear field to work even longer hours. To amass his fortune. She found it difficult to understand why anyone would let money be their god. There was surely more to life.
This apartment, for instance, was nothing more than a status symbol. Why would one man live by himself in a place like this? Unless he used it as a love nest. Did he invite lady friends here? Actually, she had not once seen him in the press with a female on his arm. He was either very careful or working his socks off was still his way of life.
‘Wine would be perfect, thank you.’
Left alone for a few minutes, Sienna closed her eyes, wishing she hadn’t felt the need to seek Adam out after remaining silent for so long. If she had any sense, she would blurt out her reason for coming here and then run.
Except that good sense seemed to have deserted her. All she could think about was the way she had looked into his eyes and felt an emergence of the hunger and longing she had always experienced when they were together. He had been an amazing lover, setting her whole body alight with a fire she had thought would never die.
But after their marriage Adam had quickly gone from being her knight in shining armour to working so hard, coming home so late, that he’d barely had time to speak to her before falling asleep each night.
‘Here we are.’
Grateful for Adam’s interruption, Sienna shot her eyes wide. As they cannoned into his she felt a further body blow. He was still devastatingly sexy, causing wave after wave of hot desire to flood her veins. Damn! All these years she had told herself that she hated him, so why was this happening now?
It had to be pure sexual hunger that she felt, it couldn’t be anything else. She certainly didn’t love him any more. How could she possibly love a man who thought more about his job than he did his wife?
The wine looked deliciously cool and inviting. Sienna watched as Adam poured the pale golden liquid, watching it swirl and then settle. Almost instantly a fine film of condensation formed around the outside of her glass and as she picked it up she stroked her finger down its side.
Adam watched her through narrowed eyes, making her wish that she hadn’t done it because he was looking at her as though she had made some kind of erotic gesture. As though she was stroking him!
Heat fizzed through her and she took a long swallow, amazed to discover when she set her glass down that she had drunk almost half its contents.
‘Is it such an ordeal coming to see me?’
The gruff tone in his voice sent her head jerking in his direction. She saw lips that were grim and eyes that were as cold as ice.
‘Why don’t you just spit out what’s wrong and get it over with?’
How could she? They needed to be at ease with each other first. And getting drunk wasn’t the answer!
‘It’s a very fine place you have here,’she said instead. ‘Do you have someone to share it with?’
‘If you’re asking whether I have a girlfriend, the answer’s no. You should know me better than that, Sienna. I have only one lover, and that is my work.’
‘So you haven’t changed.’ Sienna let her eyebrows rise. ‘You still work all the hours God made! Why, when you have this?’ She spread her hands, taking in their impressive surroundings.
‘It’s precisely why I work, for security, and to have nice things around me.’ His dark blue eyes watched her closely. ‘I also have a pied-à-terre in France and an apartment in New York. It gives me a feeling of great satisfaction.’
‘Or is that you have so much money now you have nothing else to spend it on?’ Sienna queried, unable to keep the distaste out of her voice. It was as though he was deliberately throwing his wealth in her face, showing her what she had missed out on.
‘If you’ve come here to question my lifestyle, I suggest—’
‘It’s not that,’ cut in Sienna quickly. But she wasn’t ready yet to disclose her real reason for being here. It was such a delicate subject that she had to get Adam into the right mood. ‘It simply seems odd that you have these other places to live and no one to share them with.’
‘Are you putting yourself forward?’ He smiled grimly and his eyes locked with hers, sending a fresh scurry of feelings through her veins.
She had thought that over the years everything she had ever felt for Adam Bannerman had died. She didn’t want to feel anything for him, she despised him and she wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t entirely necessary.
There was ice in both her voice and her eyes when she spoke. ‘I’ve had a taste of what it’s like living with a workaholic. It’s no fun, I assure you, and I’m not entirely surprised that you haven’t found another woman to share your life.’
‘Are you suggesting that I should? Is it a divorce you’re after? I occasionally wonder why you’ve never filed for one.’
The deep sarcasm in his voice scoured over her already tense nerves like sandpaper.
‘I could say the same about you.’ She held her head high and met his eyes. For several long seconds they challenged each other, Sienna not wanting to be the first to turn away.
‘I’ve never had the time or the inclination,’ he drawled, his eyes still not leaving hers. ‘I knew that one day, when you were ready, you would start proceedings. What I didn’t expect was that you would visit me in person. It’s quite a surprise.’
‘And a mistake,’ she snapped before she could stop herself. ‘I really think I should be going.’ There was no way on this earth now that she could broach the subject that had made her come here. Adam was doing a very good job of letting her know that he liked his life the way it was. He wanted nothing to spoil it. She pitied him. He would become a lonely old man one day if he kept putting work first.
‘You’re not leaving until you tell me what brought you here,’ he said, his tone sharp and authoritative. ‘Why don’t you finish your wine?’
Sienna glared at him, but she picked up her glass and downed the rest of its contents in one swallow. ‘There, finished.’ And she stood up.
Adam followed suit and Sienna was glad that she had worn high heels because they made her almost as tall as he was. She lifted her chin and looked into his eyes—and felt a wave of something she dared not think about pass over her. The word began with S and ended in X.
Why was this happening now, when she needed to be strong and in control? Was it the fact that he was the first and only man she had ever fallen in love with? Had her body retained those feelings even though she had been convinced that they had not?
Hell, what a situation to find herself in. Especially as Adam showed no sign of returning them. She couldn’t believe how cold he was. It was as though she had never meant anything to him.
‘So why are you here?’
Sienna closed her eyes. It looked as if there was no escape. And if the truth be known, she had to do it. She owed it to Adam, to herself, to—She stopped her thoughts there, drew in a deep breath, and bluntly and coldly stated the facts.
‘I’m here to tell you that you have a son.’
Chapter Two
ADAM felt as though he had been poleaxed. The words that had just left Sienna’s lips sent him reeling across the courtyard.
She was saying he had a son!
A son!
A son who would now be…four years old!
And in all the time they’d been apart she had never had the decency to tell him!
The blood roared through his head like a hurricane and he wanted to hit out at her, shake her, ask her what the hell she had thought she was doing, keeping him in ignorance. This was a scenario he had never envisaged, not in his wildest dreams. It was something he was finding difficult, if not impossible, to take in.
He had never wanted a family, he was happy doing what he did. Happy, for goodness’ sake! He didn’t want a child in his life, disrupting his routine. The big question was, why had she told him now? Why not when she found herself pregnant?
His eyes blazed as a bigger scenario hit him. ‘I’m not the father, am I? Why in heaven’s name would you wait this long to tell me if I were? You’re after money. You’re trying to take me for a fool. Get out of here, Sienna. Get out!’
Never in his life had he been so angry. If Sienna had thought she could pull this stunt on him, she was very much mistaken. If the baby really had been his, she would have wasted no time in coming back. She would have made him face up to his responsibilities. Even if she hadn’t, no woman in her right mind would bring up her baby alone without seeking maintenance from the father. She would have insisted on that. She had to be lying.
Sienna’s back straightened and her fantastic blue eyes flashed with indignant fury. She looked like a tigress protecting her young. ‘He is definitely yours.’
‘So you say.’ He was not going to be so easily fooled. Words were easy. He had heard of women who did this sort of thing, who tricked their former partners or husbands into believing someone else’s child was their own.
‘Do you want proof?’ she demanded. ‘It can be arranged.’
Her eyes locked into his and held, and in that moment Adam saw nothing but blazing honesty. His brief suspicion was reluctantly relegated to the deepest recesses of his mind. Maybe it would resurrect itself. Maybe. Perhaps if he saw the child, he would know at once whether he was his or not. He’d had a strong resemblance to his own father so there was every reason to believe that he would see something of himself in this boy.
Adam folded his arms and looked hard into the blue of her eyes. ‘If the boy is mine, why have you waited so long to tell me about him?’ He was aware that his voice was still harshly condemning, and filled with more than a little suspicion, but, hell, she couldn’t drop a bombshell like this and expect no reaction.
His heart felt as though it was trying to escape from his chest and he was afraid to stand any closer to Sienna because he felt like shaking her. Why, for pity’s sake, had she kept her secret all this time? Why?
She looked stunning in a black and white top and stylish black trousers, which hid none of the curves of her sexy bottom. Her black high-heeled sandals gave her added height, even though they looked dangerously difficult to walk in. And her rich chestnut hair, which had always been her crowning glory, was cut in a short, chunky style that suited her elfin face.
She certainly didn’t look like the mother of an energetic four-year-old. She was dressed to kill. She had come here to drop her bombshell—and she had certainly done that. It was a wonder it hadn’t exploded and brought the whole apartment block down around their feet. Above them the sky was blue and serene but inside his body a war was raging.
‘My first instinct, when I discovered that I was pregnant, was obviously to tell you,’ she said, her eyes holding his.
Intense blue eyes, eyes that he had once felt himself drowning in. Eyes which now warred with his but were extremely beautiful nevertheless.
‘But as you’d told me enough times that you didn’t want kids, not for many years anyway, I knew it would cause another unholy row between us.’ Sienna lifted her shoulders and let them drop again. ‘So I decided to bring Ethan up on my own.’
And still she looked unswervingly into his eyes.
Ethan! The boy’s name was Ethan! He rolled the name experimentally on his tongue. ‘So why are you here now?’he asked harshly, ignoring the unease he felt at her words. It was true he had never wanted children and he hadn’t been afraid to say so. But he would never have ignored a son or daughter. They would have been given his love and he would have adapted his lifestyle. He would have had to.
Could he truly have done it, though? He hated himself for admitting that he would have been truly angry that his well-ordered life had been so rudely disrupted.
‘You said it wasn’t for money.’ He pushed his thoughts to one side for the moment. ‘What other reason can there possibly be?’ He did not understand her, not one little bit. The shock still hadn’t worn off and despite the fact that he didn’t drink he felt as though he could do with a generous slug of brandy. He needed something to restore his equilibrium.
‘Because,’ she began hesitantly, for the first time lowering her lids and looking slightly uncomfortable, ‘Ethan’s been ill, very ill.’ Then she looked at him again, a proud tilt to her head, trying to hide the pain in her eyes. ‘He had meningitis and I thought I was going to lose him. I realised that if he had died and you’d never even known you had a son, I would have done you an injustice.’
Adam felt a band tighten around his heart. He felt physical pain. His son had been close to death and he had known nothing about it! The blood roared in his head and he quickly closed the space between him and Sienna, taking her shoulders, gripping them so hard that he saw her wince. But he did not care.
‘What sort of a mother are you,’ he growled, ‘denying your son his father? Especially at a time like that. How could you? I’m presuming that he’s all right now?’
Sienna nodded and swallowed hard but she did not try to pull away from him. She stood there and looked sadly into his eyes.
He saw tears, big fat tears that welled and escaped and rolled slowly down her cheeks. One half of him wanted to brush them gently away with the tip of a caring finger, the other half, the angry half, wanted to shake her to within an inch of her life.
In the end he did neither. He released her and, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, pushed it into her hand. Then he turned away, contemplating the London skyline instead. Not that he saw anything. His eyes were blinded by fury, by disappointment, by the knowledge that his son, his own flesh and blood, had lain at death’s door and he had been left in ignorance.
Adam felt a lump in his throat and an odd feeling he could not put a name to. He was not usually an emotional man, keeping an iron control over his feelings. He had a ruthless work ethic and it often crept into his home life as well. And yet Sienna had found a chink in his armour. She had hit him hard with this fresh piece of information.
Accepting the fact that he had a son had been bad enough, but to hear that he had almost died knocked him for six. How long he stood there staring into space he didn’t know. It was not until he heard Sienna’s tentative voice behind him that he snapped himself back to the present and turned to look at her.
Her eyes, which were sometimes more turquoise than blue, were incredibly pale at this moment. ‘I’m sorry.’ And her voice was so low as to be almost inaudible.
‘Pray tell me,’ he growled, breathing hard and looking fiercely into her face. ‘Would you have ever told me if—if my son—’ he wanted to say the name Ethan but he couldn’t get his head round it yet ‘—hadn’t fallen ill?’
‘I don’t know,’ answered Sienna quietly, still not taking her eyes away from his. ‘I honestly don’t know. But your reaction tells me that I did the right thing. You still don’t want children, do you? You still put your work first.’
Adam didn’t answer. She was so damned right that he felt guilty.
‘Ethan would have had no father figure to look up to if we had stayed and lived with you. He’d be in bed when you got home and you’d have left for your office before he rose each morning. Not an ideal life for a child.’
She paused but he still didn’t answer, he couldn’t answer. Every word she spoke was the absolute truth.
‘But,’ she continued, ‘I think he should know who his father is. Just as I think you should meet Ethan. We can still carry on living our separate lives.’
‘In other words,’ he growled, hating the scenario she had described, even though it was probably true, ‘you will now be well within your rights to claim money from me. Just as I thought.’
‘Damn you, Adam Bannerman! I want nothing from you except a father’s love for his child. I might have known it was too much to expect.’ Her eyes glittered as she swung around on her dangerously high heels.
The next second he heard a sharp crack and Sienna stumbled as one of her heels snapped off. He moved like lightning and caught her before she hit the floor, wrapping his arms around her and jerking her hard against him.
He had forgotten what she felt like. And what she smelled like. A summer’s evening after rain. A delicate fragrance that briefly drugged his senses. She had grown into a beautiful, sensual woman.
He felt himself grow hard and quickly thrust her away from him. Damn! Sienna had just devastated him with her news. He should be hating her, not feeling raw hunger.
Neither did he want her to know that she still had the power to arouse him in case she used it to her advantage. He still wasn’t entirely sure that her sole reason for coming there was to tell him about Ethan’s illness. Why do something like that after the event? There had to be more to it.
Sienna felt stupid. If she hadn’t moved so quickly she wouldn’t have broken her heel. What was she to do now? Walk home barefoot? Hobble? Call a taxi—which she could ill afford?
She had borrowed the shoes from a friend, now she would have to pay for a new pair. But not only had she ruined a shoe, it was her dignity as well. She should have known it was a bad idea. Adam had reacted in exactly the way she had expected him to.
She glared at him as she slipped off her other shoe and marched indoors. She did not want to spend another minute in his suffocating presence.
‘Where do you think you are going?’ Adam’s harsh voice sounded over her shoulder.
‘Home.’ That one single word was as much as she could muster.
‘And how far are you going to get without shoes on your feet?’ he wanted to know. ‘Don’t be ridiculous, Sienna.’
‘So what am I supposed to do?’ she asked angrily, turning to face him. ‘Perhaps you’d like to pay for a taxi?’
‘I could do that,’ he said slowly. ‘Or I could take you myself. And meet this boy I am supposed to have fathered.’
His eyes met and held hers but Sienna saw red. ‘Supposed?’ she queried, her eyes flashing hot sparks. ‘Thanks for your offer, but no thanks. If and when you two ever meet, I want to prepare Ethan first. He doesn’t know about you yet.’
‘So who does he think his father is?’ asked Adam, a sudden fiercely quizzical look in his eyes.
Sienna shrugged. ‘He’s not old enough to ask questions like that.’ Actually, Ethan had more than once asked her why he didn’t have a daddy but she’d always managed to avoid a definite answer, thankful that there were other single mothers at the nursery he attended. She believed that it would be best to tell him when he was older, when he could understand better.
‘But he will have to know one day. So why not now?’ Adam insisted.
‘Because I need to prepare him,’ she answered sharply. ‘I can’t suddenly introduce his father to him. I need to talk to him first, make sure he understands why you haven’t been a part of his life.’
To her annoyance Adam’s lips pulled into a brief, dry smile. ‘And you will tell him—what? That his father’s been busy making money? Actually, it should impress him. It does most people.’
‘Most people don’t know the agony it causes,’ flared Sienna. ‘It’s no life living with someone who’s rarely home.’ She saw a pulse jerk in Adam’s jaw and knew she had hit a raw nerve. Good! He deserved it. ‘I’d be obliged if you’d phone for a taxi.’
Adam closed his eyes momentarily and Sienna knew that he was warring with himself as to whether to do as she asked or insist that he run her home himself. If only she hadn’t broken her stupid heel. She did not want him anywhere near where she lived. She had been protecting herself as well when she’d said that she needed to prepare Ethan.
Just as she had begun to think that Adam was ignoring her request he reached out for the phone and barked a request.
‘My driver is at your disposal.’
Sienna’s brows rose though she said nothing, privately wondering whether there was anything this man could not organise at a moment’s notice. Money spoke. And money ruined marriages! She compressed her lips and nodded her thanks.
‘Before you leave I propose we arrange another meeting. We need to talk about our son and his future.’
Sienna felt her heart drop. It had been hard coming there, it would be even harder seeing him a second time. She had dropped a bombshell, which he would pick up and dissect and come back at her with suggestions that she would not like. Even though it was to be expected, even though she was the one who had started the ball rolling, she felt her whole body grow icy cold at the thought of seeing Adam again, of talking about Ethan, arranging for them to meet.
It was something she had shied away from for the past four years. She had known that Adam wouldn’t want his life disrupted. But now she had done it, and she had to face the consequences. It was quite possible that he might insist she and Ethan move in with him. How disastrous would that be? On the other hand he might be happy to settle a sum of money on them. Wasn’t money his god? Wasn’t it all he wanted in life? His answer to everything?
Ethan would naturally be delighted to meet his father. He wouldn’t know that Adam would remain a distant figure, seen only occasionally. So it would be up to her to stand her ground, declare that they were happy living as they were. She would allow him access, but as for anything else…
‘What are you suggesting?’ she asked stiffly. She was missing the extra three inches her shoes had afforded her. She needed to look up now into his face and it put her at a definite disadvantage. Nevertheless, she kept her chin high and her eyes cold.
‘Dinner tomorrow night?’
‘I thought you always worked late?’ Her response came back with the speed of a bullet.
Even though Adam smiled, it did not reach his eyes. ‘I’m prepared to make an exception.’
So miracles did happen! Or would it be a one-off? She’d like to bet that he would rarely make such exceptions. In the beginning maybe, but soon he would be back to his old lifestyle and poor Ethan would be left wondering what had happened to the father he had only just met.
‘Very well,’ she agreed reluctantly. ‘I guess there are things we need to talk about.’
‘I’ll send a car for you.’
Sienna raised her brows. He would send a car! Not he would pick her up. Oh, no, he didn’t have time for that. He would send his driver. It would give him extra time at the office. Damn the man. She felt like slinging his suggestion back in his face, telling him that he didn’t deserve to meet his son, he would be a failure as a father and she wished that she had never set eyes on him in the first place. But, of course, she said none of these things.
‘Eight o’clock. You do have someone who can look after…Ethan?’
It was the way he said his son’s name, the awkward way he said it, that made Sienna realise that the shock she had given Adam went far deeper than she had at first thought. It had shifted the earth from beneath his feet and he was having great difficulty in getting used to the idea.
Had she made a mistake? A big mistake? Nevertheless, she nodded. ‘I have a friend who will look after him.’
‘Good.’ The word came out harshly. ‘Till tomorrow, then.’
Within minutes Sienna was being driven away from the riverside development, sitting like royalty in the back of a gleaming black Bentley. In the rearview mirror she could see the driver’s impassive face and knew he must be wondering who she was and what sort of a relationship she had with his employer. If only he knew!
Sienna lived in a rented two-bedroom ground-floor apartment in the north London suburbs and as Adam’s driver pulled up outside she could imagine what he must be thinking. Nevertheless, she held her head high and her shoes in her hand.
Once indoors she flopped down on a chair in her living room. Tiny in comparison to Adam’s oversized apartment, but comfortable. She had everything she needed here. Dropping her head back, she let out a deep sigh. It had taken a lot of courage facing Adam today and where had it got her? Precisely nowhere. OK, he now knew he had a son, and he wanted to talk about him, but he hadn’t been exactly enamoured by the fact.
She went over their conversation in her mind and could see no part where Adam had shown enthusiasm or pleasure. Anger that she had kept him in ignorance, yes. But he had asked no immediate questions about Ethan, hadn’t enquired whether she had photographs. She had to face him again to fill him in on the details he should have asked there and then. She guessed it was shock on his part, but even so…
And the outcome was that she would have to buy her friend a new pair of shoes. She glanced at her watch. Jo would be here any moment with Ethan. She had no children of her own and was always willing to look after him, even on a Sunday afternoon.
As if on cue, she heard the sound of their voices outside the door and jumped up to let them in. Ethan ran to her and wrapped his arms around her. Jo smiled. ‘How did it go?’
Her friend lived in the flat above. They had both moved in at the same time and become firm friends. ‘I broke your shoe,’ Sienna said with a rueful grimace. ‘It was a dumb idea, wearing them. I’m sorry.’
‘What were you doing? Running away?’ asked Jo with a laugh. ‘And don’t worry about it. They were stupid shoes. I could never walk in them.’
Ethan went to his room to play and Sienna grimaced. ‘As a matter of fact, yes, I was running away. It was a waste of time going there. Adam didn’t want to know. He actually accused me of trying to get money out of him. He suggested Ethan wasn’t his.’
Jo drew in a swift breath. ‘He didn’t! What did you say?’
‘I suggested DNA.’
‘And?’
‘He backed down a bit.’
‘And the outcome is?’
‘I’m meeting him tomorrow night—for dinner.’
Jo raised her brows.
‘He was in shock,’ declared Sienna with a wry grimace. ‘We didn’t talk much, he needed time to get used to the idea. Can you babysit Ethan?’
‘Of course.’
‘You should see his place, Jo. It’s out of this world. In fact, it’s on top of the world. He lives in a penthouse suite overlooking the Thames. His driver brought me home—in a Bentley no less.’
‘Then you should grab him with both hands,’ said her friend with a wide grin. ‘Why did you ever let him go?’
‘It’s a long story. Do you want a cup of tea?’
Sienna dressed carefully for her dinner date with Adam. She hadn’t many good clothes; as a matter of fact, the trousers and top she had worn to face him were the best things she had, bought a few months ago to attend a wedding. But she couldn’t wear them again or he would think she had nothing else to wear, so she matched a black strappy top—one she sometimes used to sunbathe in, but he wouldn’t know that—with a black floaty skirt that was years old but nevertheless still looked good. She fastened a silver belt around her waist, added a silver necklace and slipped into black sandals. Her hair had been brushed until it shone, and with a slick of lipstick and a dusting of eye-shadow she pronounced herself ready.
Just in time. The car arrived. The impassive driver knocked on her door. Sienna slid into the back seat, inhaling appreciatively the rich smell of leather. And almost immediately wished that she was going anywhere but to meet Adam again. It was going to be an uncomfortable encounter. There would be more recriminations and almost certainly the suggestion that he wanted to meet Ethan.
But she wanted to feel comfortable with Adam first. She wanted Adam to feel at ease as well. Otherwise when father and son eventually met there would be an undercurrent and she didn’t want that. It needed to be a happy meeting. She wanted Ethan to be ready, but even more than that she wanted Adam to treat his son in the way that a father should, with warmth and humour—neither of which were Adam’s strong points.
She wished for the hundredth time that she hadn’t gone to see him. It had been a huge mistake. One she might live to regret.
‘Here we are, madam.’ The driver jumped smartly out of the car and opened her door. Sienna felt almost like royalty. ‘Mr Bannerman is waiting inside.’
Oh, he was, was he? Sienna felt like telling the driver to take her back home. Except just at that moment Adam appeared in the doorway of the restaurant. They were in Mayfair, in the heart of London’s most exclusive district. Shopping, dining, living, all for the very rich.
Sienna felt distinctly out of place. Nevertheless, she kept her head high and her eyes firmly on Adam’s. He wore a grey suit and a white shirt with a grey and red tie and he looked the epitome of the successful businessman. While she felt like the poor relation!
‘Sienna, you look good. I’m glad you made it.’
Liar! On both counts. She didn’t look good, she didn’t feel good. At least, not right now. She had when she had set out, but she hadn’t expected to be wined and dined at one of London’s most elite restaurants. She had thought, she had hoped, that it would be at one of the eating places she had seen near where he lived.
Nothing had prepared her for this.
However, she smiled her acknowledgement of his compliment and when he took her arm to lead her inside she felt a crazy awareness of the man she had once been so madly in love with.
It was insanity. They were here to talk about Ethan. Adam wanted to know more about him. She had brought photographs. But here she was experiencing a reincarnation of the feelings that had once totally consumed her.
With an effort she dashed them away, relegated them to some safe place deep in her body. Hopefully they would never be restored. She was prepared to be civil with Adam, for their son’s sake, but as for anything else—she would fight it every inch of the way. He had hurt her once, and she had no intention of letting him do so again.
Chapter Three
ADAM had half expected Sienna not to turn up that evening. He had thought she would despatch his driver, telling him that she had changed her mind. Her revelation that he had a four-year-old son had stunned him, sent his whole world out of kilter, made a mockery of every thought he’d ever had about not wanting children to interfere with his lifestyle.
After a night lying awake, thinking about its implications, he had not even gone in to work today—which was unheard of. His PA had had the shock of her life when he’d phoned to tell her. Without a doubt his life was going to be disrupted, changed for ever, and it would take a hell of a lot of getting used to.
After Sienna had walked out on their marriage he had buried himself ever more deeply into his work. He had been fiercely angry that she couldn’t accept his need to create a good life for them. In a fit of rage after she had left him, he’d taken out other women to try to get over her.
It hadn’t worked.
Despite what he saw as her failings, and despite the reason he had married her in the first place, he had missed Sienna more than he had ever thought possible, and he’d eventually felt guilty because he’d known that he hadn’t given her the attention that she deserved. In equal parts he had experienced relief. Nevertheless, it had allowed him the space and time to build up his business without Sienna constantly complaining that she never saw him.
Now, though, he found it hard to believe that she had kept something of such monumental importance from him. A son! It did not make sense. It was a nightmare. How could she have done that?
His fingers curled and he wanted to wring her pretty neck.
Being a father would make a marked difference to his life. In the years since Sienna had walked out his business affairs had grown beyond even his own wildest dreams. Success had come to him and he’d embraced it with open arms. He needed no one. He was master of his own universe.
Or at least he had been.
Looking at her now, seeing how nervous she was, he realised that it must have taken a lot of courage to approach him yesterday. He had not thought of that at the time, he’d been too intensely angry to feel anything else. In fact, he was still angry, but he knew that he must hide those feelings if he was to come to any sort of an agreement with her.
‘Would you like a drink before dinner?’ he asked. Sienna not only looked gorgeous in black, she smelled divine too, and Adam felt a swift surge of hunger. The skinny straps of her top revealed velvety smooth, lightly tanned shoulders and the rapidly beating pulse in the long line of her throat gave away the fact that she was incredibly nervous. The swell of her breasts peeping over the top of her camisole made his fingers itch to touch, to feel their weight in his palms, to tease her nipples into tight, hard buds. As hard as he was feeling!
The crazy thing was that she was still his wife. He would be perfectly within his rights making love to her, and yet he knew that she was forbidden fruit. The sweetest fruit, the most tempting fruit.
Damn! It had been a mistake inviting her here tonight. They should have met somewhere far more austere, like in a solicitor’s office, and let a third party work out the best way forward.
‘No, thank you.’
Adam had almost forgotten his question. Sienna’s fragrance was exciting him, her nearness drugging him. He was in danger of making a fool of himself. Instantly he channelled his thoughts away from Sienna’s appearance, reminding himself that she had done the unforgivable. She had wronged him big time and he would find it difficult to forgive her—if he ever did!
They were led to their table and Sienna sat on the very edge of her chair, her back ramrod straight, her eyes wary on his, as though she was expecting him to declare that he was going to take Ethan from her.
Menus were handed to them and for a few moments they both pretended to be studying them. Twice Adam caught Sienna looking at him, her eyes quickly averted each time, and he gave a grim smile. She too was clearly wishing that she was anywhere but there.
Their food and wine orders given, Adam sat back in his seat and looked at her. ‘Are you ready to talk?’
‘About Ethan?’ Sienna knew that the huskiness in her voice gave away her inner tension. All day long she had been dreading this meeting, and with good reason. The stern look in Adam’s eyes, the mutinous set of his chin told her that he was still furiously angry with her.
Adam nodded. ‘What did he say when you told him that you’d been to see his father? Is he anxious to meet me?’
Sienna swallowed hard. ‘As a matter of fact, I haven’t told him yet.’ She had been waiting for the right moment but had begun to have her doubts that there ever would be one. Ethan wouldn’t understand her predicament. He would want to meet his father, he would be ecstatically happy, he would expect them to all live together like one big loving family. And if he discovered that Adam was wealthy enough to buy him anything he wanted, he would instantly become his best friend.
Adam’s reaction was exactly as she had known it would be. He roared with rage. His eyes grew even harder, shooting swift bullets of anger across the table, making a mockery of its fine linen tablecloth and elegant silver cutlery. ‘You have not told him? Why not? Why did you come to see me if it was not to acquaint me with my son?’
Sienna closed her eyes. ‘I made a mistake. I—’
‘No! I will not let you change your mind. You cannot hide him away from me any longer. I have a right to see him.’
Adam’s voice roared into her consciousness, overpowering her, stunning her. She snapped her lids open and stared straight into the harsh blue depths of cold-as-ice eyes. A shiver slid down her spine, reaching out icy tentacles to every part of her body.
‘And so you shall,’ she said, horrified to hear the tremor in her voice. This was not the way to react. She needed to be strong. Drawing in a deep steadying breath, she stared at him unflinchingly. ‘Once I have told him about you.’
‘And when will that be?’ came the caustic reply. ‘Today? Tomorrow? Next week? Next month? It’s not good enough, Sienna. You cannot drop a bolt from the blue like that and then expect me to sit back and wait patiently. I demand to see him. In fact, I don’t see why we shouldn’t walk out of here right now and—’
‘No!’ Sienna’s voice rose. ‘I will tell him, but in my own good time. And he’ll need to get used to the idea that he has a father before I introduce you. It will be a big thing for him.’
‘No bigger than it was for me.’ Adam’s face contorted into a scowl that scored deep lines on his forehead and narrowed his eyes until they were no more than two silvery-blue slits. ‘I’m still finding it hard to believe that you waited so long to tell me. You shouldn’t have had to go through Ethan’s illness alone. For pity’s sake, Sienna, I’m his father. I deserved to be told.’
He was right, of course. And she would have felt so much better during Ethan’s illness if she’d had Adam to lean on. It had been a terrible time, not knowing whether her son was going to live or die. As she’d sat for hours beside Ethan’s hospital bed she had longed for Adam’s strength, had told herself constantly that he ought to be here, that she should have told him about Ethan. The burden had been almost too much to bear.
Yet still it had taken immense strength to seek him out—and now she almost wished that she hadn’t. His anger was doing nothing to make her feel any easier about the situation.
She was given a tiny respite while her wine was poured. Adam as usual touched nothing stronger than water. Nevertheless, he tipped his glass towards hers. ‘Here’s to a promising future.’
Tension tingled in the air between them. His eyes locked with hers and Sienna felt her heart beating heavily in her chest. When she had sought Adam out yesterday she had never envisaged that she would be sitting here with him tonight, drinking expensive wine, experiencing shock waves of sensation because feelings she had thought long dead were making themselves felt.
It was actually impossible not to feel. Her love for him had once been so strong that she began to wonder now whether it had ever died. Or was it because he was dynamically sexier these days? Success sat on his shoulders like an invisible cloak. And a successful man was always irresistible. At least, to some women. She had never put herself in that category but looking at Adam now, seeing the man he had become, she could not contain a frisson of awareness. It ran through her veins like molten metal, hot and swift and consuming.
‘It might take Ethan time to get used to the idea that he has a father,’ she said quietly. And she needed time too. Their meeting, when it happened, would be an emotional one, there would be a big change in her life. Also in Ethan’s.
She didn’t allow herself to think of the effect it would have on Adam. He had been absent for so long that all she could think of at this moment was herself and her son.
Clearly she hadn’t been thinking straight when she had decided to seek Adam out, and she had not reckoned on the enormous personal trauma it would cause. If only she could turn back the clock. But, of course, that was impossible. She had started this, so now had to suffer the consequences.
Their first course arrived and for a few minutes there was silence between them, Sienna cautiously tasting her vinaigrette of white asparagus with truffles. It was, of course, superb. Adam would not have taken her to a restaurant where the food was not first class. He moved in completely different circles to her these days. It was a life she could have once had but had chosen not to. And she did not particularly want her son to be brought up in this exclusive society.
‘Does Ethan look like me?’
Sienna drew in a deep breath and nodded. ‘I have photographs.’ She reached for her bag and passed Adam an envelope.
He was silent for a few minutes as he scrutinised each photo in turn and Sienna took the opportunity to study him. She could see so much of her son in Adam that it was frightening.
Her lovable little boy was going to grow up in the very image of his father. Tall, devastatingly handsome, a real ladies’ man. And she would worry herself sick over the years, wondering what sort of a life he would carve out for himself. Would he be as driven as his father? Would he put success and riches before everything else? Before human relationships? Human emotions?
There had been times when she felt that Adam had never loved her, when she had wondered why he had asked her to marry him in the first place. His goal hadn’t been a happy marriage and children and she couldn’t help wondering now whether his relationship with Ethan would suffer as a result.
‘May I keep these?’
Sienna nodded.
‘There’s no mistaking that he is my son.’
The words were said calmly and with no malicious intent, but Sienna couldn’t help flaring. ‘If you thought that I would lie to you, you don’t know me very well at all.’
‘But you can surely understand? All these years and not a word.’
Their eyes met and held and Sienna was the first to look away.
‘I’m going to enjoy getting to know him. I’ll take him along the Thames on my cruiser, we’ll fly over to Paris to see my place there and—’
‘Adam Bannerman, don’t you dare!’ Sienna felt herself exploding. She felt sparks of white hot anger sizzling inside her head. If he thought money was the way to impress his son, he was sadly mistaken. ‘A walk along the river, feeding the ducks, a ride on some swings is all Ethan needs. Even just sitting down and talking to you, finding out he has a daddy, will be the most exciting thing that has ever happened to him. You can’t buy his love, Adam. Kids need companionship and love and caring. Doing little things together. And if you can’t get your head round that then it might be better if he never finds out about you.’
‘It’s too late for that.’ Adam’s eyes glittered into hers. Hard eyes, cold eyes, that told her she couldn’t back out now. That he would demand access to his son whether she liked it or not.
‘Nevertheless, we need to set out some ground rules,’ she declared sharply. ‘I don’t want you trying to impress him with your wealth. He needs to get to know you properly first.’
‘I agree,’ he answered with surprising quietness, ‘and the sooner the better.’
The subject of their son drew them closer by an invisible thread. Adam’s eyes had never seemed bluer. Or more fierce. Or more direct. They burned through into the very heart of her, making her wriggle uncomfortably on her seat.
‘Do I have to come knocking on the door and announce myself? I could do that, you know.’
And he would, thought Sienna. He would turn up without warning and she would be left quivering with apprehension. What if the two of them didn’t get on? Adam clearly knew nothing about children and their needs. He would overwhelm his son, maybe even frighten him.
‘I’ll tell him tomorrow,’ she promised. ‘But he’ll need a few days to get used to the idea. I’ll ring you.’
Adam threw her a look of disbelief. ‘And how long will I have to wait? Maybe I should come back with you tonight and—’
‘No!’ yelped Sienna, then looked around swiftly to see if anyone had heard her panicked cry. Fortunately not. ‘He’ll be in bed, for one thing. I’ll tell him tomorrow, I promise, and then I’ll leave it up to Ethan.’
‘What if he doesn’t want to meet me?’
Sienna shrugged. ‘That’s something you’ll have to deal with.’ Though she couldn’t see it happening. Ethan would be so excited he’d want to see his daddy immediately.
‘If you think that I’m going to ignore my son now that you’ve told me about him, you’re wrong.’ Hard eyes met hers. ‘Very wrong. But I appreciate that he’ll need a little time. I’ll give you two days then if I haven’t heard from you I shall turn up on your doorstep.’ He whisked a card out of his pocket. ‘Here’s my personal phone number. Use it.’
The rest of the evening passed in relative harmony. They had both chosen turbot for their main course, which was cooked to perfection, as were the accompanying vegetables. Sienna had never eaten such delicious food and she felt slightly sad that she didn’t have room for dessert.
By the time Adam suggested they leave Sienna felt more relaxed than she had expected. He had regaled her with stories about his work life, some amusing, some deadly serious, and she had finished the whole bottle of wine.
Consequently she felt mellow and sleepy and when they left the restaurant she didn’t even flinch when he put his arm about her waist.
‘Have I told you how stunning you look tonight, Sienna?’
His voice rumbled from somewhere low in his throat, vibrating along her nerves, making her pull suddenly out of his embrace. What had she been thinking, letting him touch her like this?
Without warning his head bent down towards hers and eyes that were the colour of a sun-kissed ocean took her prisoner. And lips that she had sworn would never touch hers again captured her mouth in a kiss that revealed with devastating thoroughness that none of her feelings had gone away.
They had simply lain dormant, waiting like Sleeping Beauty for her prince to kiss her and bring her back to life. Her body felt on fire, electric sensations fizzing through veins and arteries. Emotions she had thought dead rose up and embraced the kiss, responded to it, filling her body with a hunger she had not felt for a very long time.
But it was madness. Allowing these feelings to surface was sheer madness. Adam would gain the impression that she was willing to enter into a sexual relationship and that was most definitely not the case. He had caught her unawares; it was not going to happen again. Not ever! That part of their life was over. They would be civil with each other for their son’s sake, but that was all. She was not going to share his life or his bed ever again.
She jerked away, her eyes wide and fiercely angry. ‘What did you do that for?’
Adam’s smile was smug. ‘How could I help myself? You’re more beautiful than ever, Sienna. How could any man resist you? I bet they queue at your door. Is there someone special in your life at the moment?’
Sienna thought about lying and saying that there was. Except this was Adam, and no matter what had happened between them she found it impossible to lie to him. ‘There is no one,’ she said quietly.
‘Has there been?’
‘I hardly think it’s any of your business. We’ve both been free agents these last few years.’
‘We are still married,’ he reminded her.
‘And has that stopped you going out with other women?’ she riposted, her blue eyes hard and challenging.
‘Touché,’ came the unblinking answer.
‘So I suggest we stop asking each other invasive questions and go home.’ Actually, she would have liked to know how many other women there had been in his life but since she didn’t want him questioning her about her own love life, finding out that it had been non-existent, it was best they kept quiet on the subject.
‘And home is?’
‘If you’re thinking it’s back to your place, you’d better think again.’
‘So I’m coming back to yours, is that it?’
Sienna shook her head, her eyes very blue and wide with horror. ‘You know that’s not going to happen. Where’s your driver? He can take me.’
Adam grinned. ‘I’ve given him the rest of the night off. I’ll be driving you home myself.’
Sienna closed her eyes and gave an inward groan. ‘That will not be necessary. I don’t want you turning up at my house until I’ve told Ethan about you.’ The very thought sent a chill through her veins. It was her worst nightmare come true. She could just imagine what would happen if Adam followed her in.
He would insist on seeing his son. And even though Ethan would probably be able to cope with finding out that he had a father after all these years, she certainly would not.
‘I won’t come in if you don’t want me to.’
Sienna glared at Adam as he led the way towards his waiting car. Not the one she had been chauffeured in. Something small and snazzy, intimate. Not her idea of an easy ride. She would be sitting close and personal and her heart would inevitably play a tune of its own, maybe even loud enough for Adam to hear, make him aware of her plight.
When he opened the door for her and stood back, she slid silently and reluctantly into the seat. The fact that he was smiling made her even angrier, which in turn made his smile wider. It became a self-satisfied grin and she wanted to slap his face. Only good manners prevented her.
He leaned too close for comfort before he closed the door. ‘Have you any idea how beautiful you look when you’re angry? It makes me want to kiss you again, Sienna, feel some of that fire.’
‘I don’t think so,’ she slammed back. ‘The fire I feel is of a very different kind to how it used to be.’
‘Really?’ His brows lifted and he made no attempt to move out of her space. In fact, he was so close that Sienna could clearly see the outer dark ring around the incredible blue of his eyes, feel the heat emanating from him, but more poignant still was the citrus scent of his cologne, the musk of his skin. It wafted over her like a drug and she knew that if he did not move soon she would weaken.
‘You know what I mean. I’m angry with you, Adam. You engineered this whole evening so that you could take me home and hopefully meet Ethan. Well, you’re not going to set foot inside my house. Ethan will be in bed and I refuse to disturb him.’
‘Sienna, you might be angry with me right now, but I won’t go back on my word.’
Still the smile remained in place and Sienna was sorely tempted. But somehow she controlled her impulse. ‘I’m glad to hear it. Let’s go.’
It was with excruciating slowness that he lifted himself away from her and closed the door. For a few seconds she was allowed breathing space until he slid in beside her and the whole car was filled with his essence even more powerfully than before. Sienna closed her eyes, asking herself for the thousandth time whether she had made the biggest mistake of her life in seeking Adam out.
Never in her wildest dreams had she envisaged that she would still be attracted to him. She had thought only that he needed to know about Ethan. It had blinded her to everything else, in the same way that her love had blinded her all those years ago. But now, with her blinkers lifted, she was in grave danger. Adam still had the power to stir her innermost emotions. How cruel was destiny to inflict this on her?
The journey was accomplished in total silence, Adam seeming to know instinctively where she lived. She guessed that his chauffeur must have told him but it didn’t please her. The contrast between his sumptuous penthouse suite and her modest little flat could not be ignored.
She held her breath as he pulled up outside, waiting for his comment, but none was forthcoming. Instead, he looked at her long and hard, giving nothing away now of the raw feelings she had seen earlier. ‘Two days, Sienna. That is all you have. Two days. And if I do not hear from you I shall come to take my boy away.’
Chapter Four
ADAM knew that it had been the wrong thing to say. He had seen the flash in Sienna’s eyes, that over-my-dead-body look. And she had every right. If he was honest with himself, he would not be able to cope with a lively four-year-old on his own. It would mean employing a nanny, which would be stupid when Ethan already had a mother who doted on him and looked after his every need.
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Margaret Mayo
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 16.04.2024
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О книге: Wanted for the marriage bed! When Sienna met sexy entrepreneur Adam Bannerman, she thought she’d found true love. With stars in her eyes she whispered, ‘I do! ’ But Adam’s head was always buried in business, and their whirlwind marriage broke down before she could tell him she was pregnant.Now her little boy is sick, and she has to tell Adam the truth. They’re thrown together again, and sparks fly – but so do the secrets that kept them apart. Can she risk her heart a second time and be coaxed back into her husband’s bed?