His Secretary Mistress(55)

‘There’s something I want to talk to you about,’ he informed her as he swung away from the window, but when she dared to glance at him she found that he was smiling and relaxed.

‘I need to talk to you too,’ she replied quietly, and at her tone he gave her a long, assessing stare.

‘You first.’

Jenna took a deep breath. ‘I saw you and Selina together last night.’

‘I gave her a lift,’ Alex admitted. ‘But from your voice I suspect that you’ve put two and two together and made at least fifteen.’

‘Did she tell you that we had lunch together yesterday? Her choice, not mine,’ she added dryly, as Alex frowned. ‘She told me, among other things, that she had recently miscarried your baby.’

Jenna didn’t know what she had expected Alex’s reaction to be, but his harsh shout of laughter shocked her.

‘Well, it was the immaculate bloody conception. Selina and I have never been lovers,’ he said forcefully, and Jenna shook her head in confusion.

‘But you were engaged.’

‘I knew it was a mistake from the minute I asked her to marry me,’ he admitted quietly as he moved away from her to stare out of the window again. ‘Discovering that I was physically unable to make love to her rather emphasised the point. If Selina was pregnant, which I very much doubt, it wasn’t my child she was carrying.’

The resoluteness of his tone brooked no further argument, but Jenna still murmured faintly, ‘She was very convincing. I’d rather you were honest with me.’

‘I am being honest, damn it!’ He rounded on her, his eyes flashing with fury, and Jenna felt her own temper rise.

‘Why would she lie?’

‘To cause trouble between us, I imagine. If that was her aim, it seems she’s been successful.’

Jenna bit her lip, torn by her desire to believe him and the stark reality that he would be better off with Selina. ‘She said a lot of other things…’

‘I bet she did.’ He took his hands out of his pockets and forced himself to relax as he crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. ‘I hurt her, badly, and I’m not proud of that. But I don’t want to marry her. I want you.’

Alex’s desire for her was not in question, Jenna thought bleakly as he drew her against his chest, his hand soothing her as he stroked her hair. And standing in his arms like this she could almost kid herself that she was content, but a relationship built on sexual attraction was bound to falter; her marriage to Lee had proved that. She wanted more than just his body—although, God forgive her, that was enough to risk her heart and happiness for—but she loved him enough to want what was right for him, and she suspected that one day he would realise that Selina was that person.

‘What did you want to talk to me about?’ she asked, forcing herself to draw out of his arms, and he sighed.

‘I’ve received some reports on Lee,’ he told her; moving to sit behind his desk and indicating that she should take a seat.

‘What kind of reports?’ Jenna enquired with a puzzled frown, and he sat back and subjected her to a long stare.

‘I employed a private detective to run some checks on your ex. He’s come back with some interesting facts—the most pertinent being that Lee owes at least fifty thousand pounds to various credit card and loan companies.’

‘How can your detective possibly have found that out?’ Jenna gasped, her mind reeling. ‘Surely that kind of information is confidential?’

‘You can find out pretty well anything if you’re prepared to pay for the information,’ Alex told her bluntly, and once again she recognised the ruthless streak that hid behind his charm. ‘Were you aware of Lee’s debts?’

‘Of course not. But I’m not surprised—he always liked the finer things in life. What about his girlfriend? Do you think she knows how much trouble he’s in?’

‘I’m not sure,’ Alex admitted quietly. ‘Louise Henry appears to be an astute businesswoman. The dating agency she runs is extremely successful, and she’s built up an extensive property portfolio. She’s either blinded by Lee’s charms, or—as I suspect is more likely—she is aware of his financial problems and is using that knowledge as leverage.’

‘Leverage for what?’ Jenna muttered in confusion.

Alex hesitated for a moment and then continued. ‘Miss Henry has been married twice before, but neither relationship produced any children. My informant got chatting with some of her friends at the gym, and I don’t think you should underestimate her desperation for a child. It’s possible that she’s agreed to clear Lee’s debts if in return he’ll marry her and provide her with the child she longs for: Maisie.’