Seduced by the Stranger (Billionaires & Babies, #2) Read online

  He frowned. ‘What do you mean, lost your talent?’ She’d loved her work—it was her passion. ‘How do you even know whether or not you’ve lost your capabilities in your professional life?’

  ‘I tried to sit down and sketch a few designs, but I’ve completely lost the ability to draw and I don’t imagine I’ll ever work again as a fashion designer.’

  ‘What?’ Incredulity burst through him making him sit forward on the edge of the chair.

  She grimaced. ‘I think I’ve lost my skills permanently. I can’t even draw a dress on a stick figure now.’

  ‘Where did you get the idea you were a designer?’

  The grimace turned to a puzzled frown. ‘James told me.’

  It was impossible to bite back the profanity which escaped through his lips.

  Her eyes widened at his reaction. ‘Shouldn’t he have revealed it to me? Was he supposed to wait until I remembered myself?’

  ‘No,’ he started angrily. ‘He was—’

  ‘Sally showed me photos of some of the beautiful designs I’d created and I tried to copy them.’ She pulled a face. ‘My sketches looked abysmal. No fashion house would have me now.’

  ‘James and Sally lied to you,’ Max bit out. ‘You were never a fashion designer!’ A few more curses ran through his head. James and Sally had really done a number on her. ‘You built up your own very successful horse stud, and you’ve made a name for yourself as an eminent horse-riding instructor and horse trainer.’

  Her head jerked forward and her lips parted as she stared at him. ‘I wasn’t a junior fashion designer in a major fashion house?’

  ‘Never! And, believe me, you didn’t lose any drawing skill in your accident, sweetheart. You’ve never been able to draw. It was always something you wished you could do because you said you’d love to be able to draw your horses.’

  Shit! It was obvious Mendles had picked one of the few things Jenna hadn’t been capable of doing and incorporated it into his lies to compound her feelings of inadequacy and loss. The Mendles were both diabolical. Just how else had they poisoned her mind and sabotaged her recovery?

  ‘I was lied to about that as well?’ Her hands crossed over her chest and rubbed up and down her arms.

  ‘I suspect almost everything he told you was a lie.’ Unable to sit still any longer as fury swept through him, Max stood. He began pacing the room, wishing he could go a round with Mendles in a boxing ring.

  ‘But why?’ Her voice was laced with anguish. ‘Why lie about my occupation?’

  It was difficult but he calmed down and resumed his seat opposite her. ‘Obviously he didn’t want you to regain your memory. He pushed you into marrying Curtain, didn’t he?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I’m certain this was all part of their plan. They wanted continued, unchecked access to your inheritance. If you’d regained your memory, their game would’ve been up.’

  She slumped back against the couch and raised her fingertips to her temples. ‘It’s only starting to hit me now, how vulnerable I was.’

  ‘You’re still vulnerable,’ he told her gently.

  More vulnerable than she knew if the person or people who’d run her off the road had been deliberately targeting her. It was possible it’d been a case of mistaken identity—that the culprits had been trying to kill someone else. They might’ve mistaken her car for another person’s. But until the police knew for certain, she’d have round-the-clock protection from the private security firm Max had hired.

  His arms ached to hold her and he had to stop himself from getting up and shifting over to the couch to sit next to her.

  ‘I believed I should’ve been able to trust my family.’

  ‘Any normal family would’ve put your needs first and done everything they could to help you recover your memory. Unfortunately, Mendles was a jealous step-brother who’s used all his inheritance and is now bankrupt.’

  ‘He exploited his relationship to me for financial gain.’

  ‘Yes. He had the power of attorney document dating back to when he’d turned eighteen. When he realised you’d lost your memory, he produced the document and—in the absence of an updated version—the court recognised it as legally binding. That’s how he stopped me from seeing you when you were in hospital.’

  In fact, Mendles had used his power of attorney before her accident, but Jenna didn’t need to know the full extent of her step-brother’s treachery at this point.

  Max ran the fingers of one hand through his hair as he tried again to dampen down his rage. ‘I’ve been fighting Mendles through the court system.’

  ‘Dr Gerber explained when I wanted to know why you hadn’t been there for me before today.’

  His guts cramped. ‘Believe me, Jen, I wanted to be by your side.’ My arms feel empty because I want so badly to hold you. My bed is so lonely at night, I don’t even want to lie in it. ‘I was at the hospital every day. I was there right from late in the evening the night of your accident.’

  ‘Dr Gerber told me.’

  ‘It’s true. James wouldn’t let any of your closest friends see you and the hospital denied us all access because we weren’t family.’ He hated seeing the sorrow in her eyes but he had to tell her the truth. ‘Initially, not knowing what your condition was—not knowing whether you’d live or die—was the worst strain possible.’

  ‘I’m sorry. I imagine it was excruciating.’

  ‘It didn’t matter how much I tried to cajole and even bribe the hospital staff. I received no information because James made certain I was excluded.’ Utter bleakness had torn at Max’s soul and he’d been frustrated by his powerlessness but also determined he’d get answers.

  ‘Thankfully, my friend Nick has a very well connected father who sits on the board of directors which governs the entire area health service. Strings were pulled and a nurse was given confidential authority to pass on updates to me about your condition. We met each day in a family conference room at the hospital.’

  She picked up a cushion and held it to her chest. ‘I guess it put you in the loop, although I believe there wasn’t much change in my condition initially.’

  During the first scheduled meeting, Max had paced the room like a caged animal he was so hungry for news. ‘When the nurse told me you were in a coma, I insisted on being taken to you. It wasn’t possible. Nick’s father was afraid there’d be backlash against the hospital if my visits were leaked.’

  Besides, there’d been a police guard on her door.

  ‘I’d heard coma patients can be aware of what’s going on around them. I was worried you were lying there wondering why I wasn’t with you.’ He’d also been concerned she might still be angry with him—still feel betrayed by him. ‘I wanted to be at your side, holding your hand, lending you my strength and my love. I thought it might be enough to jolt you back into consciousness.’

  Jenna’s gorgeous face crumpled in angst. ‘I’m so sorry you went through all that.’

  ‘It’s not your fault. My legal team put in long days to try to have the court grant me permission for visitation rights and to have me recognised as your fiancé and next of kin. The whole damned system worked way too slowly.’

  She nodded in empathy, drew in her bottom lip a little and scraped it with her teeth.

  He shook his head. ‘Perhaps I shouldn’t have mentioned it. I’m supposed to be answering your questions. But, I wanted you to know I was always there for you.’

  ‘Thank you.’ She sent him a small smile. ‘Where do I live? London?’

  ‘No. You’ve always been a country girl at heart. You were raised at Herlstone Park which was your mother’s family property. It’s on the Suffolk/Cambridgeshire border, close to Newmarket.’ He paused, choosing his words carefully. ‘Your mother left the property to you and, although you always had stables there, you purchased the adjoining property as well in order to expand your stables, construct training arenas, and develop your horse stud.’

  ‘What’s happened to all t
his while I’ve been away?’

  Her concern for her business was very much the Jenna he knew. ‘You’ve got great staff. Things have been humming along.’ He didn’t add that it was only thanks to his intervention that she hadn’t been left without a home or a business.

  ‘I should go back.’ Although she made the statement, there was no conviction in her voice. ‘It might help with my memories.’

  ‘It might. Or it might make you feel more lost to be in surroundings you know you should recognise. Perhaps you should discuss it with Dr Gerber before you make any firm plans?’

  ‘I have.’ Her eyelashes fluttered down for a second. ‘She thinks I should leave it a little while.’

  ‘We both need to place our faith in her.’

  The sudden wariness in her expression pierced him again. ‘James implied you’re a fortune hunter.’

  Straight to the point, letting him know in no uncertain terms she was questioning his motives. Trying to put her mind at rest he told her, ‘I have no need of your money. You have millions, Jen. I have billions.’

  Although she raised her eyebrows, it was predictable that his wealth didn’t appear to impress or daunt her.

  ‘Are you part of the horse world?’

  ‘No.’ He laughed. ‘Although my first job was as a stablehand for your family, I left Herlstone Park when I was eighteen.’ Not quite the truth because he hadn’t left voluntarily. He’d been kicked off the property by Charles Mendles and his parents had been sacked.

  ‘A stablehand became wealthier than the fortune I seem to have inherited?’ There was scepticism in her voice as she replaced the cushion onto the couch. ‘How did that happen?’

  ‘I moved to London and got a job in construction. At the same time, there were two other guys around my age who started as labourers with the company. We all had big dreams and decided to study at night school to get our builder’s licences. As soon as we’d achieved our first goal, we secured a loan and set up our first construction company. Through sheer hard work—almost round-the-clock work—we each achieved our financial goals. I was a millionaire by the time I was twenty-two, a multi-millionaire eighteen months later, and I now have a personal fortune worth a few billion dollars. That’s quite separate from my corporate assets.’

  She regarded him thoughtfully. ‘Very impressive.’

  ‘The Jenna I know was always too trusting. You shouldn’t take my word for it. I can easily arrange to provide you with bank statements and a list of my corporate assets to prove I’m telling you the truth.’

  ‘No. It isn’t necessary.’

  ‘You’ll trust me?’

  ‘I’m not taking anyone at face value anymore. I haven’t had any internet access since I came out of the coma but I asked Dr Gerber for her iPad and the hotel internet access code. I did a search on her before I went to sleep to make certain she wasn’t an imposter. As you know, she checked out. You can guarantee I’ll be using a search engine to look at you as well.’

  He laughed at the unexpectedness of her warning, although was a little disappointed he hadn’t been the first person she’d searched.

  ‘As you should.’ At least she was starting to take back control. ‘You didn’t run a search on yourself?’ Nothing would’ve turned up had she searched for Jenna Sinclair, fashion designer.

  ‘No. Dr Gerber made me promise I wouldn’t search my own name. She told me she didn’t want me to access any memories via internet and said she’d prefer I work through things under her guidance.’

  ‘She’s the expert.’

  She looked at him contemplatively. ‘You know, I think I’d rather have been told I was a self-made woman than that I inherited my wealth. I admire you’re a product of your own merits.’

  ‘Not completely on my own. I became successful in partnership with my friends.’

  ‘Even so, I’m impressed.’

  ‘You inherited wealth and received an income from the brewery before …’ He stopped and cleared his throat, realising it was better he didn’t go down that road at this point.

  ‘Before?’

  ‘Before it was sold.’ He rushed on before she could question him more closely about the brewery. ‘You built on the fortune you inherited. As I said, you grew the horse stud and training centre completely independently. You were very passionate about it and it’s been a huge success.’

  She sat in silence for a while and he could tell she was trying to absorb everything—mentally manoeuvring all the pieces of information around to see if she could find a fit. ‘You say we were engaged before my crash?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Did I know I was pregnant?’

  ‘You hadn’t said anything to me and I don’t think you would’ve kept it to yourself if you’d known.’

  ‘When did you find out I was pregnant?’

  After a couple of months of being told Jenna was stable but comatose, the nurse finally had more to say than, ‘Still unconscious but stable.’ However, the news she’d delivered was earth-shattering.

  Max would never forget how nervous the nurse had been when she joined him and his two closest friends at their regular meeting. Her inability to look at any of them had made Max fear the worst.

  ‘Er …’ The nurse was so hesitant when she walked into the family conference room at the hospital, Max gripped the arms of the chair he was sitting in until his hands cramped. ‘This is rather delicate …’

  ‘Just tell us,’ Luca commanded.

  ‘The … er … medical staff have observed that while Miss Sinclair has been in a coma, she hasn’t had a menstrual period.’

  ‘Bloody hell!’ Max was glad he was sitting down as all the blood drained away from his extremities. ‘She’s pregnant?’

  ‘The doctor ran a pregnancy test and confirmed that Miss Sinclair is pregnant. Judging from the hormone levels in her blood, she would’ve been about seven or eight weeks along at the time of the crash.’

  Max’s chest swelled with joy at the unexpected news he was going to be a father. He and Jenna had talked about starting a family, but were planning to wait until after they were married. A huge lump formed in his throat making speech an utter impossibility and he looked at his friends through a blur of unshed tears.

  ‘Congratulations,’ Luca offered.

  ‘Shit,’ Nick ventured. ‘This makes things even more complicated.’

  Through his elation, Max was hit by another fear. ‘Is the baby okay?’

  ‘Yes. The accident occurred early in Miss Sinclair’s pregnancy, and she didn’t suffer any abdominal blows. Ultrasound scanning showed the foetus is developing well.’

  ‘Max? Did you know I was pregnant before you saw me at the church?’

  ‘Yes.’ Jolted out of the memory, his voice sounded distant. ‘They’d run tests while you were in a coma.’

  ‘It was a hell of a shock to me. I guess it was the same for you,’ she said.

  It’d been a rotten way to learn he was going to be a father and it raised the stakes in the predicament even further. Not only did he need to be able to advocate legally on Jenna’s behalf, he had to be able to protect their child.

  ‘It wouldn’t have been a shock had I heard it from you. It would’ve been good to have shared in the excitement together.’

  Her gaze darted away from his. ‘I’ve been told I was seven or eight weeks pregnant when I had the accident. According to the ultrasounds I’m twenty-one weeks along now.’

  His gaze rested on the swell of her abdomen. The sweetest emotion pierced his heart knowing their child was growing inside her. ‘Is everything going well?’

  ‘Yes.’ Her tone was detached—missing the pride and happiness he’d noticed in other women as they’d discussed their pregnancies.

  Whenever Jenna had spoken of the foals she’d bred, there’d always been an excited glow to her face. Now they were speaking of their child—a child they’d both wanted—yet, there was no softening or joy in her expression. Her detachment lanced through him, causing
a physical pain in his chest. ‘Do you know whether we’re having a girl or a boy?’

  She flinched a little and he guessed it was difficult for her to accept his stake in the welfare of the child she carried.

  ‘No.’

  He saw the uncertainty in her hazel eyes.

  ‘I know I’m pregnant …’ Her laugh mocked her words. ‘Well, anyone can see I’m pregnant. I’m … I’m having difficulty coming to terms with it. It doesn’t feel real to me.’

  Max suppressed a curse.

  Words failed him.

  Jenna needed comforting and he wanted to be the one to do it, but he couldn’t think of a single, adequate thing to say. How did he reassure her?

  He could hardly tell her it’d be okay because he wasn’t her. He hadn’t suffered memory loss and he wasn’t the one carrying their child. Despite Dr Gerber having tried to prepare him, he had no real clue of the magnitude of the impact the amnesia was having on Jenna’s psyche.

  Tears gathered in her eyes. ‘It’s dreadful. I’m disconnected from everything and I can’t feel anything for this innocent baby growing inside me.’

  The last few words were barely formed as her voice broke.

  Unable to comfort her with words, he did the only thing he could. Without thinking, he was off the couch and at her side, putting his arms around her and drawing her against his chest, where she started to cry in earnest. ‘You’re going through hell.’

  ‘Yes,’ she admitted on a sob.

  It was an automatic reaction to cradle her to him, even though his inner voice warned him he was a stranger to her and this was another risk of being too much, too soon.

  It was a glaringly obvious sign of how very alone Jenna felt that she didn’t resist him. In fact, she placed one palm against his chest and lifted the other up to his shoulder. She almost burrowed against him as he used one hand to smooth over her silky, dark brown hair.

  Shakily, she asked, ‘What sort of woman am I that I can’t feel anything for this baby? What sort of mother am I going to be?’

  Max shifted to try to mask the great heave of his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly and willed away stinging tears. Thankfully, his head was able to rest on top of hers and she couldn’t witness his internal battle as the sadness of her plight tore him up.