Married Again to the Millionaire (6 page)

‘Then I’ll buy a house with a garden. Problem solved.’ He folded his arms and looked at her down the length of his nose.

If only it were that easy! Adam really had no idea what this was all about. It wasn’t about them moving in with him. Despite what Sienna had said, she now knew that this wasn’t about Ethan any more. It was about the two of them.

Their relationship.

Adam was as sexy as hell and there was clearly still an incredibly strong attraction between them. They would be spending more and more time together because of Ethan, and if things continued the way they
were, Sienna knew, deep in her heart, that it wouldn’t be long before she was sharing his bed again. But there was more to life than making love. Adam could declare as many times as he liked that he would change his working habits but she knew differently. Words were easy. Doing it was another matter.

He enjoyed the cut and thrust of business, it was his whole life, it meant more to him than a wife, and it would inevitably mean more to him than a child. Even though he would say he was doing it for Ethan. To provide for his future.

Heavens, he was wealthy enough never to work again. But work was his first love and his last love. She and Ethan would always come a poor second.

‘I suggest we take things one step at a time, Adam,’ she said carefully. ‘Let’s see how we get on. This is all very new for Ethan. He’s excited now but—’

‘But you’re still afraid I’ll let him down? Maybe not today or tomorrow, not even next week or next month, but in a year’s time you’re wondering what sort of a father I’ll be?’

There was steel in his voice, which made her shiver. Nevertheless, she kept her tone firm and her eyes hard. ‘You’re forgetting I know your track record.’

‘We also had a track record in love-making.’ His voice changed, softened, and he took a step towards her.

Sienna held her breath. It would be so easy to melt into his arms, to let him kiss her senseless and carry her off to bed. That huge bed with its tempting gold and cream quilt. Not a man’s colour, though it creatively relieved the brown carpet and curtains.

It was a sumptuous bedroom and everything inside
her quivered at the thought of sharing it with him. Their earlier kiss, brief though it had been, had rolled back the years, made her aware of the power Adam had once wielded over her. And when he looked at her from beneath those thick dark brows, the sort of look that would turn any woman’s bones to jelly, she knew that that power had not waned.

It felt like a trickle of electricity running through her body, sparking and tingling and making her want to feed from his kisses. Which was crazy, considering their circumstances. But if he touched her now, if he attempted to kiss her, she would not be able to stop him. Instead, she would go up in flames.

‘That was then, Adam. Things are very different now.’ Somehow she kept her voice steady and indifferent.

Adam’s lips quirked. ‘A pity. It’s been a long time since anyone shared my bed.’

Sienna let her brows rise upwards in a searching question.

‘You think I’ve had a stream of women in your wake? Not so, Sienna. I’ve dated, yes, but I’ve brought no one here. This is my sole preserve—though I’m willing to share it with you.’

‘It’s a pity, then, that I don’t want to.’ Sienna kept her eyes steady on his.

‘Maybe I could persuade you?’

Another step and he was so close that she could feel the warmth of him, see the intent in his sensational blue eyes, smell the rich male scent of him. It was a heady cocktail. A dangerous one.

She closed her eyes in self-defence, not wanting to see him, not wanting to feel. And was totally shocked
when his arms slid behind her back and his mouth claimed hers all in one swift, devastating movement.

Unable to move or speak, unable to stem the tide of hunger that shot through her, Sienna kept her eyes tightly closed and allowed herself the luxury of feeling Adam’s power, of experiencing a sensational explosion of feelings so strong that they stunned her.

Crazily she did not want him to let her go, she wanted to spend the night in his arms and in his bed, making amazing love. Adam had always been an innovative lover but she imagined that he would have improved, that he would take her to places she had never been before.

And her body cried out for fulfilment.

‘So what is your answer, Sienna?’ Adam lifted his mouth from hers and Sienna immediately felt that he had deserted her.

She shot her eyes wide. His kiss had disturbed her senses, made her forget everything except the thrill of the moment.

If he was going to carry on kissing her like this, turning her body into a mass of sensation that could only be relieved by making love, her answer had to be yes.

But if his intention was to win her over solely so that he could have access to his son, she would be foolish. There was no way on this earth that she was going to let Adam use her.

She pulled swiftly away from him, darts of sudden hostility shooting from her eyes. ‘I need my head examined.’ She needed more than that, she needed brain surgery. How could she have let him kiss her?

There were dark, dangerous thoughts going through
his head and if she wasn’t careful she would play straight into his hands.

To her amazement Adam laughed, a cruel laugh that sliced into her heart, and his face was inscrutable as he moved away. ‘Drinks on the terrace?’

Sienna wanted to be anywhere but with Adam. He had tested her and humiliated her, and unfortunately there was no escape. It might be a luxury apartment but there was no place to run. She was committed to spending the weekend with him, whether she liked it or not.

S
IENNA
chose to sleep in the same room as Ethan. Here she was safe. Here she could relax. Adam’s continual assault on her senses spun her out of control. But also served as a timely warning.

It was total insanity letting him see that she was still painfully weak where he was concerned and she needed to be careful, to be on her guard at all times, to make sure that it did not happen again. Otherwise he would have her back in his bed. Not because he loved her, she knew that there was no chance of that, but because he wanted Ethan and he knew that they came as a pair. In effect he would have the best of both worlds.

After breakfast they walked along the river, they fed the ducks, they lunched at a riverside restaurant, and Ethan never stopped talking.

He was a welcome diversion. This was what the weekend was supposed to be about. Ethan and Adam getting to know one another.

To give him his due, he was very good with Ethan. They had long conversations and he didn’t try to impress his son again by splashing his money around.

It was not until they got back to his apartment and
Ethan shot away to play with his new toys that she found herself once more alone with Adam.

He had discovered what a joy Ethan was. How good it felt to have a son, his own flesh and blood. A little companion. Sienna had denied him that pleasure and he made no attempt now to hide his resentment. ‘I’ve enjoyed today with Ethan,’he said, ‘more than I thought possible. But I’ll never forgive you for keeping him a secret.’

‘Perhaps I should have told you sooner, but do you remember what our marriage was like, Adam? What do you think you would have done if I’d told you I was pregnant?’ Sienna’s brows drew into a swift frown. ‘Don’t answer that, allow me to. You’d have been angry, furious, in fact. You’d have said it was all my fault. You weren’t ready for children, or marriage for that matter.’

‘Maybe I wasn’t,’ he agreed, ignoring the hint of guilt at the back of his mind. ‘Nevertheless, you stole his first years from me, Sienna. I’ve missed out on seeing him learn to walk, to say his first words, all the cute little things that babies do.’

‘Cute little things?’ echoed Sienna, her eyes flaring. ‘When have you been interested in cute? You had time for no one, Adam Bannerman. No one, not even me.’

‘So how did we produce a baby if I had no time for you?’

She tossed him a scornful glance, one that could have frozen water. ‘Because like all men there’s one thing that you cannot do without. But rest assured, Adam, it will never happen again.’

Her demeanour, her whole attitude, fired him up and made him want to kiss her despite his anger. He knew that to do so would be fatal, but it did not stop him
thinking about it. Sienna had grown spectacularly beautiful over the years. She had an added confidence about her now, a haughty look. He loved the way she tilted her chin, the way she challenged him. She’d been lovely before but the in-between years had turned her into one very stunning woman.

Her rich chestnut hair seemed to have thickened and he was sorely tempted to run his fingers through it. Snatch her face close to his and kiss her fiercely. Her blue eyes were clear and bright and they danced with fire. Hell, he could feel himself hardening.

It had definitely been a mistake suggesting they spend the whole weekend with him. He’d arranged it for his son’s sake, because he wanted to get to know Ethan, but the power of Sienna was in danger of overriding it.

He had never expected to feel like this about her. He’d been as angry as hell when she had told him about Ethan, so angry he could have throttled her with his bare hands, and, yes, he still was angry. But now that he’d spent time again with Sienna he was beginning to realise how stupid he had been to let her go.

And stupid also to think that there might be a future for them, because she’d made it crystal clear that it was not what she wanted.

Even though she responded to his kisses!

There was certainly more to Sienna than he had ever thought. Not only had she improved in looks, she had more guts, more of everything, in fact.

Sienna did not wait for Adam’s answer but walked away from him, out onto the terrace where she could look out over the Thames, throwing over her shoulder as she did so, ‘Why don’t you go and play with your son?’

She wished that her own body was as reassuringly calm as some of the boats making their way slowly towards their goal. Their earlier kiss still haunted her. It had been madness, letting it happen. On the other hand, it was a timely warning. One she must remember.

When Adam spoke softly in her ear she jumped because she had believed, had hoped, in fact, that he was safely with Ethan. She needed this breathing space to come to terms with what was happening. Had he deliberately trodden softly? Was he trying to home in on her thoughts?

She turned round swiftly—and found herself trapped between his arms. He was not touching her, not even a hair from his strong powerful forearms caressed her body. But she was his prisoner nevertheless, his hands either side of her on the safety rail. Judging by the way her body reacted, though, he may as well have been touching her.

The musky scent of his skin filled her nostrils and with her heartbeats accelerating to a million times a minute, a flood of heat gathering speed through her limbs, she stood in total shock, her eyes locked with his. ‘What do you think you are doing? Ethan might—’

‘He’s asleep.’

‘What?’

‘I think his walk wore him out. He was lying on the floor with his toy boat in his hand. I’ve lifted him onto the bed.’

‘I’d best go to him.’ Sienna attempted to push past Adam but he was having none of it. He caught her arm and swung her to face him.

‘He’s fine, Sienna, you worry too much.’

She worried! What did he think mothers did? ‘How
dare you tell me whether I worry or not, Adam, when you know nothing about children? When I’ve spent the last four years caring for Ethan, worrying about him. When I sat by his hospital bed for days and nights, not knowing whether he was going to live or die. They were the worst days of my life. If Ethan had died, I would have wanted to die too. So don’t tell me not to worry.’

Adam’s face became harshly angular, his skin stretched so tightly across his cheekbones that it looked as though it had been carved out of stone. And she had no idea what was going through his mind.

‘You didn’t have to be alone,’ he said, his voice coldly damning now. ‘You could have told me. I could have shared your fear. I would have been there beside you. Dammit! You should have contacted me.’

Words were easy, she thought. It would have taken an earthquake to drag Adam away from his business affairs. She certainly couldn’t imagine him sitting for hours in hospital. His eyes, which were sometimes incandescently blue and dangerous, were now dark and accusing. His hand on her arm like a band of steel.

He didn’t care about her, thought Sienna. It was only Ethan. She could walk out of here right now and he’d be perfectly happy—so long as she left her son behind. Fuming, she twisted herself free.

She went into Ethan’s bedroom, pulling up short when she saw him safely curled in the middle of the bed. He looked such an angel when he was asleep, one hand outstretched on the pillow, his dark hair tousled. Adam had pulled a sheet over him and he hadn’t stirred. Her little man! How she loved him.

‘Are your fears allayed?’ Adam’s voice came softly
over her shoulder, all the harshness suddenly gone out of it.

Sienna spun around and almost cannoned into him. She nodded, not trusting her voice.

When she walked from the room Adam followed. ‘We’ve created a unique little boy.’

‘Yes.’ It was all she could manage.

‘But he needs both parents.’

Shock waves rippled through her. Her words rattled into the air between them when she spoke. ‘We need to do this gradually, Adam. Ethan’s all over you at the moment, but it’s new. Wait until he finds you’re always at work whenever he wants to tell you something or do something exciting with you. The novelty will wear off.’

‘You’re not even giving me a chance.’ The disapproval in his voice did nothing to calm her down.

Sienna felt her hackles rise. ‘If you think I’m going to repeat this weekend, think again, Adam. It’s turning into a nightmare.’

‘Not from my point of view.’ There was still a hard glint in his eyes. And his lips pulled into a straight grim line, his whole demeanour one of superb confidence.

Sienna felt like taking a swipe at him. ‘You should be where I’m standing.’

Cold eyes condemned her, telling her clearly that if he had to he would fight for Ethan, and Sienna felt ice trickle down her spine, spreading its fingers until her whole body was frozen. He did have rights, she was aware of that, but even so…

She was the first to turn away, to walk stiffly out of the room, to turn her back on this man who had broken her heart once and looked set to do it again.

If only there was somewhere to run! She was effectively his prisoner here in this chillingly perfect apartment. And she had another day to go before they went home.

Sunday followed a similar pattern. Sienna had slept in Ethan’s room again and now they were on the London Eye. She pointed out St Paul’s Cathedral to Ethan. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. But he was more interested in the Thames itself.

‘Look, Daddy, boats!’ he exclaimed excitedly, pointing into the distance. ‘Which one is yours?’

‘It’s the furthest away,’ answered Adam, winking at Sienna. ‘Can you see it?’

‘I think so,’ said Ethan, screwing his eyes up and concentrating hard.

Sienna knew that she was not going to hear the end of Adam’s boat. Ethan would go on and on about it and wouldn’t be satisfied until he had actually seen it close up and been on board. But it was not going to happen today. Once they had finished their ride and had had lunch, they were going home. She would insist on it.

But things did not work out the way she wanted. They had lunch at the riverside restaurant near Adam’s apartment and afterwards he insisted on taking them both to see where he worked.

Actually, she was curious. Even when they had been together, she had never been to his offices. He had never invited her and she had never asked. So why he wanted her to see it now she had no idea. To impress, she guessed. Though Ethan was too young and she already knew that it would be state of the art.

She wasn’t mistaken.

It was a different address from the one he had used
when they had first married. He had gone up in the world, of course. His offices were on the top floor—yet again—with views over London equally as impressive as those from the London Eye.

Everything was operated by the touch of a button and Ethan was in his element. Mirrors on the walls turned into screens for video conferencing. Monitors popped up out of desks. All the sort of stuff she had seen in futuristic movies.

‘It’s very nice,’ she managed.

‘Is that all you can say?’

Sienna shrugged. ‘What do you want me to say? Your wealth doesn’t impress me, Adam, and it never has. I wanted a man who cared for me, who thought more of me than he did his work. If you want my opinion, I think you’re happier married to your work than you ever were to me.’

‘So why didn’t you divorce me?’

Sienna shrugged. It was a fair question, something she had occasionally asked herself. ‘I didn’t need a divorce. I had no other man in my life.’

Adam’s brows rose. ‘So if anyone asked where your husband was, what did you say?’

She would have liked to declare that she had told everyone she had walked out on him because he was more in love with his job than with her, but she didn’t. She would have liked to say that she had told everyone that the love had gone out of their marriage, but she didn’t. She would have even liked to say that she’d told everyone he was the lousiest husband in the world, but she didn’t.

‘I simply said that it didn’t work out.’

A frown furrowed the space between his eyes, as if he had expected, wanted even, a better explanation than that.

‘I don’t believe in airing my dirty linen in public. What did you tell people? That I didn’t understand you, that I didn’t approve of your need to work so hard?’

‘Something like that,’ he agreed easily.
‘Ethan!’

They had both been so busy niggling at each other that they hadn’t seen Ethan climb on a chair. They knew nothing until he fell over backwards and his head hit the floor.

Sienna screamed.

Adam bounded towards him.

She saw blood—and almost fainted herself.

It was during the next frantic few moments that Adam became her strength. She did not remember him phoning for an ambulance, she remembered nothing except cradling Ethan in her arms, trying to stem the flow of blood with the handkerchief Adam had swiftly pushed into her hand, soothing him when he cried that his head hurt.

In the ambulance he was sick, twice, and when they got to the hospital they were immediately taken into an examination room where he was sick again. She continued to hold the pad to Ethan’s head and talked to him constantly because she was afraid of concussion. ‘Where is everyone?’ she kept asking, almost out of her mind with worry.

‘They’re very busy,’ answered Adam, trying to look reassuring when she knew that he was as concerned as she was. In fact, he probably blamed himself for letting Ethan play on the chair, for even taking them to his office.

A nurse came to check on Ethan and confirmed that
they were doing the right thing in keeping him awake. ‘A doctor will be with you shortly.’

‘Can’t you do anything?’ Sienna asked Adam crossly when several more minutes went by and there was no sign of anyone.

‘Relax, Sienna,’ he answered calmly. ‘He is in the best place and if they thought there was anything seriously wrong they’d be examining him by now. We just have to be patient.’

‘Patient?’ she cried. ‘When my son’s split his head open? I thought head injuries were always treated seriously.’

‘I’m sure it’s not as bad as it looks,’ said Adam, trying to soothe her. ‘I remember doing a similar thing when I was Ethan’s age. Boys will be boys.’