His Secretary Mistress(52)
Jenna refused point-blank to go to the casualty unit, and, realising that her composure was paper-thin, he had to content himself with tending to her injured hand himself, covering the burn with a sterile dressing from the medical box. The rest of the day passed quietly, and he devoted his attention to entertaining Maisie, who was fast taking up a special place in his heart.
‘Maisie likes you,’ Jenna admitted that evening as he made to leave.
He had been adamant at first that he wouldn’t allow her to remain in the house, and had suggested that she and Maisie move into his flat. Imagining his elegant apartment, which overlooked the Thames, Jenna had panicked at the thought of filling it with Maisie’s toys, and had hastily pointed out that her daughter needed to be near her nursery.
Unconvinced, Alex had spoken at length to Chris, who had assured him he would never leave Jenna alone at night again, and the two of them had checked the window locks and repaired the bolt on the back door.
‘Does Maisie liking me bother you?’ he asked softly, and Jenna bit her lip.
‘I just don’t want her to be hurt, that’s all. If this ends—us, I mean; our affair—I don’t want her to suffer.’ She heard Alex sigh as he drew her against his chest, his hand winding into her hair so that he could tilt her face up to his.
‘I’ve given you my word that I would never knowingly hurt you or Maisie, but you’ll have to put some faith in me. Without trust on both sides, any relationship between us is doomed.’
He kissed her then, with a fierce passion that shook her, and suddenly there was nothing but Alex and the seductive stroke of his tongue, his eyes glittering with unspoken desire when at last he set her free.
‘You can’t deny this, Jenna, any more than I can. I’ve never wanted any woman the way I want you. You’re in my blood, coursing through my veins. I can’t think straight when you’re around, and when you’re not I can’t think at all because I miss you so much. Give me a chance, sweetheart, please. Don’t let your ex-husband ruin what we have.’
Alex was right, Jenna admitted as she stared down at her small daughter’s sleeping form before she went to bed. She couldn’t spend the rest of her life in fear of Lee.
She believed Alex when he said that he would never knowingly hurt her, but he was unaware of how important he was to her. In a few months he might decide their affair had run its course, and he would undoubtedly suggest that for Maisie’s sake they remain friends. It would be the sensible, civilised thing to do, but she didn’t feel sensible where Alex was concerned. Her emotions were all over the place. And she wasn’t sure she was brave enough to risk her heart again.
CHAPTER NINE
THE woman in the mirror looked like a drab sparrow, Jenna thought disgustedly. She had donned her old grey suit, the colour matching her mood, her hair was scraped back into a severe ponytail, and without a scrap of make-up her face appeared pinched and wan. There was a defeated air about her, as if she had already conceded victory to Lee, and suddenly she was filled with a burning anger.
Once before she had allowed him to browbeat her and manipulate her, but then she had been a girl barely out of her teens, her world turned upside down by the demands of a new baby. Lee had played on her inexperience, chipping away at her confidence, and the harder she had tried to please him the less she had seemed able to do anything right in his eyes.
It was only after he had left and her parents had sent her the money to fly to New Zealand to visit them that the extent of the damage he had inflicted had become apparent. Her family had been shocked to see how their once vibrant, happy daughter had become so timid and withdrawn, and had done their best to persuade her to stay permanently in New Zealand.
It had been tempting, Jenna recalled. She’d had so little faith in herself at that point that she could easily have taken up her parents’ offer to care for Maisie while she sorted her life out, but the holiday, the time away from Lee, had given her a chance to think straight, and some of the old Jenna returned. She had brought Maisie back to England and set about changing their lives. Along the way her confidence and sense of self-worth had returned—so why was she allowing Lee to destroy her for the second time? she berated herself.
She was worth a thousand Lees, she told her reflection as she changed into the cream suit Alex had bought her. She was a far better parent than Lee could ever be, and although she respected his right for fair access to his daughter, he would not intimidate her again. With a renewed sense of determination she emphasised the colour of her eyes with a soft grey eyeshadow, added blusher and lipgloss, and combed her hair loose.