His Secretary Mistress(59)

She finally drifted off to sleep, but woke at dawn, alerted by the click of her door being opened. ‘Who is it?’ she whispered, her heart thumping erratically, and Alex muttered a rude word as he stubbed his toe on her bed.

‘Father Christmas! Who else were you expecting to creep into your bedroom at the crack of dawn?’

‘I wasn’t expecting anyone,’ she told him primly, her pulse-rate leaping when he drew back the covers and slid into bed beside her. ‘I thought sex was off the menu while you struggle with a fit of nobility?’

‘Don’t tempt me,’ he growled, and she couldn’t prevent a blissful sigh as he drew her into his arms, his warmth and the tantalising scent of him pervading her senses. ‘I didn’t want you to wake up on Christmas morning feeling sad that Maisie isn’t with you,’ he confided huskily. ‘I know you miss her, but we can still have a nice day, and we’ll celebrate Christmas with her tomorrow.’

‘That was a very kind thought,’ Jenna assured him, her hands straying over his body as if they had a will of their own. ‘I didn’t think you wore pyjamas.’

‘I am kind,’ he told her, as he trapped her hand beneath his and moved it to an area of safety further up his body, ‘and thoughtful, and patient.’ He ignored her disbelieving snort. ‘There’s a very good reason why I’m wearing pyjamas—as you’ve just discovered,’ he added on an in-drawn breath, when her hand tugged free and continued its intimate exploration. ‘Jenna, I honestly came here to comfort you, not to make love to you.’

‘What a pity,’ she murmured, with a heartfelt sigh that demolished his good intentions, and with one swift movement he rolled her onto her back and came down on top of her.

‘I’m trying to do the right thing here,’ he told her frustratedly, the humour in his eyes fading to be replaced with burning desire.

‘I know,’ she whispered. ‘But, Alex, at this moment the right thing is to make love to me. I need you,’ she admitted thickly, and he needed no second bidding, his mouth gentle at first, and then harder, demanding a response she was willing to give. She was on fire instantly, so ready for him that her nightdress was a hindrance swiftly removed along with his silk pyjama pants, and she sighed her pleasure at the first touch of his naked body on hers.

‘Not this time,’ he muttered, tugging her hand away as she closed her fingers around his throbbing shaft. ‘Not unless you want this to be over in an embarrassingly short time.’

‘I want you now,’ she whispered, her thighs already parting to accommodate him, and with a muttered imprecation he entered her, swift and hard, driving into her with an urgency that betrayed him. As promised, it didn’t last long, but for Jenna his savage loss of control filled her with a fierce exhilaration, and she revelled in her power even as he took her to the pinnacle of pleasure and tipped her over the edge.

From that moment the day became happier than she could possibly have expected. Of course she missed Maisie’s excitement as the little girl unwrapped her presents—but she still had that to look forward to on Boxing Day, she reminded herself, and the champagne breakfast Alex’s mother served seemed the height of decadence.

She was stunned to discover that the majority of presents beneath the tree had her name on; it was a long time since anyone had surprised her with gifts, and she beamed her thanks to Alex as she unwrapped a range of top-quality art materials.

‘I haven’t given you much,’ she confessed after lunch, when she found him studying the book on the history of aircraft that she had bought him, and he smiled, the warmth of his expression filling her with sudden hope.

‘You’ve given me everything,’ he said simply, leaning forward to take her mouth in a slow, sweet caress. It lasted long enough for his young nephew to mutter, ‘Ugh—sloppy stuff!’

In the afternoon he gave her a tour of the village, and she curled her hand within his warm clasp, content to walk where he led. It was a small village, but they were out for a couple of hours as Alex insisted on stopping to kiss her at every vantage point, and it was growing dark when they finally returned to his parents’ house.

‘Oh, I’m glad you’re back,’ Katharine Morrell greeted them at the front door, and Jenna was instantly alerted by the older woman’s concerned expression. ‘Your ex-husband has rung twice. He says Maisie is unwell and he wants you to call him.’

‘She was perfectly all right yesterday,’ Jenna muttered worriedly as she dialled Lee’s number. ‘Hello, Lee. What’s wrong?’