No Regrets: Jani Kay (Firebird Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  “Baby,” my chest tightened, “talk to me.”

  Her lashes shimmered as she blinked, but she stayed silent. Panic gripped my heart. Was this one time all I was getting? “I've wanted you for so long. You have no idea. I'm sorry if I took you too hard. It's just—”

  I shrugged, at a loss to what more to say.

  “Oh, Max, that was perfect.” She cupped my face in her hands and pulled my mouth to hers, kissing me with such intensity I thought my heart would burst. I kissed her back, holding the side of her face, possessing her.

  I would never understand this woman. She remained a mystery. One I wanted to unfold slowly and savor every moment. I loved her fiery passion. I loved her feisty spirit. Her smart mind and her smart mouth. Her curves and her softness. Everything.

  Fuck! I loved her.

  It hit me like a ton of bricks. I'd always been attracted to her, but love?

  I chuckled softly at the corner of her lips before plunging deeper and owning her mouth.

  I wanted all of her. I wanted to own her body, her mind, her soul. But mostly her heart.

  Chapter 24 — Rebecca

  The warmth that spread through my body as Maxwell kissed me sent a glow through me. I was on fire, burning from the inside. I wanted him to consume me, take me, and own me. I wanted to be his. I wanted him to fuck me and make love to me.

  But it was more than want. It was need. It came from deep inside the darkest corner of my soul and begged for his love. I wanted Maxwell Grant to love me. I needed to give myself to him completely, body, mind, and soul. My heart was already his.

  How had I never known this before this moment? Had I been blind?

  My heart burst with love, feeling it in every corner of my being.

  How can you be so reckless, Rebecca? How can you fall for him so hard?

  It was too late. There was nothing I could do to change it. I loved Maxwell Grant with every fiber in my being. I'd been in denial for so long it was freeing to finally allow myself to feel it. Acknowledge its existence. Stop running. Stop hiding from the truth.

  I wanted him again. I wanted his cock inside me. It lay between us, half-mast and heavy, pressing into my hip. I slid off his lap and knelt by his feet, looking up at his face. The most beautiful man I could imagine was mine tonight. I had this one night with him. I had to make the best of it before we went back to our own worlds. Before his regret of what he’d done ate at him. Before the media and stockholders dictated his next move.

  If only it wasn’t so.

  If only we truly could have more.

  But after this was over, when he realized what we’d done, both drowning out our pain in the moment, it would be over just as quickly.

  He stared down at me, his eyes soft. He reached out and stroked my hair, a small smile tugging at his lips. I'd never wanted to give myself so completely, so willingly to a man before. Yet I wanted to with Max. I needed to.

  I leaned forward and took hold of his dick, gently stroking the smooth skin with my fingertips, in awe of its capability to make me so happy. The drop of pre-cum on the tip glistened in the light. I rubbed it with my thumb then sucked it into my mouth to taste him. It was beautiful. Perfect. Just as I expected Max would taste.

  His eyes widened as he stared down at me without blinking. His long eyelashes brushed his cheeks as he closed his eyes for a moment. “Baby, what you do to me...” His voice was low, barely audible.

  I wanted to do more. Please him. I licked around the rim, teasing him to come back to life. He groaned, throwing his head backward, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. I took him in my mouth, gently at first, getting to know him intimately as I licked and sucked and stroked, while I squeezed his balls in my hand. I rasped my teeth down his length, eliciting a long hiss.

  He was ready for me. My pussy was soaked, eager to have him fill me again. I was greedy and wanted him deep. His eyes flew open when I popped him out of my mouth, only holding him at the base, my fingers unable to touch regardless how hard I squeezed.

  Lifting off the floor, I quickly straddled him, directing his cock inside me. I wanted him bare. I placed both hands on his shoulders, pushing down on his hard member. His eyes widened, his mouth forming an O. Before he could protest, he was balls deep into my pussy.

  “It's okay. I'm on the pill.” I smiled at the confused look on his face, loving him even more for his concern. But I knew what I wanted, and tonight I was having him skin to skin.

  His fingers dug into my hips as I rode him, slowly lifting and falling, riding his cock, both of us staring into one another’s eyes, trying to read everything there we weren’t saying.

  I leaned forward and took his mouth, relishing in the taste of his tongue on mine, scraping my nipples along his chest with every rise and fall.

  “Jesus, Rebecca, you’re going to kill me, baby,” he murmured.

  I laughed, delighted I could do this to him. The man whose feathers never ruffled was putty in my hands. I grabbed a breast and squeezed it, then pushed it into his mouth. A deep rumble from his chest told me he loved it. He sucked hard, then bit down on the nipple, sending pain and pleasure shooting through my body.

  “Oh, yes,” I moaned, my hand slipping between us to find my hard clit. He placed a hand over mine, replacing my finger with his. It was so hot; I was ready to explode. Together, we explored my wet pussy as I rode him, my legs quivering from the exertion.

  I pressed my knees into his hips, on the edge of an orgasm. God, I loved him so much. I wanted this night to never end. He grabbed a handful of my breast, pulling on the nipple. That was the signal my body needed to spiral out of control.

  “Max,” I screamed, unable to stop the wave after wave of pleasure rolling through me. His fingers dug into my hips, helping me slide up and down his length, increasing the friction as I became tighter and he swelled inside me.

  “Christ. Your pussy is perfect. You were made for me, Rebecca. Made for my cock.” With a shudder, he found his release, pumping into me.

  I stayed in his lap, holding him inside me, sending every sensation to my memory banks for later when I’d relive this moment.

  “Kiss me,” he ordered.

  I did. Long. Hard. With all the love in my heart.

  Chapter 25 — Rebecca

  With a steaming coffee in my hand, I turned the television on to check the weather forecast for the day, waiting for Maxwell to pick me up to take me to the hospital. Chewing my bottom lip, I couldn’t help but worry if it would be awkward this morning and if he regretted last night.

  Flicking through the channels, I froze as I came to CNN. Splashed on the screen was more ‘developing news’ about the Grant split, theories abounding about what went wrong in the marriage, speculations of cheating rife. If Max and I were caught together, it would fuel the media’s suspicions and make his life hell with his board of directors and major shareholders.

  If he was really serious about being with me, we’d have to stay low for a while. That was fine with me, as long as I got to be with him.

  Three sharp knocks rapped against the door. I smiled. Max was early.

  I sprinted to open the door for him, eager to see him again. I wanted to see if what we’d had last night was real—that I hadn’t imagined it all. Taking a deep breath, I jerked the door open.

  A flashlight blinded me momentarily, and I automatically lifted my arm to ward it off. The grin I’d reserved for Maxwell slid off my face. How in hell’s name did this team of reporters find me this fast?

  I slammed the door shut, completely unprepared for this. I leaned against the door, my heart racing. This was going to be so much worse than I imagined. Somebody tipped the press off—I had to warn Maxwell.

  My phone started vibrating then ringing on the coffee table. Wary, I reached for it and checked the caller ID before I answered. Maxwell. Thank God.

  “Max, there are reporters at my door,” I shrieked, unable to keep my voice calm.

  “Fuck. That’s what I was ca
lling about. To warn you not to open the door.”

  “So what do we do now? How will I get out without being followed? And you can't come here to pick me up either.”

  This was becoming a nightmare.

  “Listen closely. I’ve sent my guys to get you. James will come to your door. Brent will be waiting in the SUV for a quick getaway. Just walk out as calmly as you can. Don’t say a word. Nothing. Okay?”

  “Are you sure about this? You know they’ll trace James and the car back to you.”

  “Of course I’m sure. Nothing is more important than us, Rebecca. I'm not going to let the press keep us apart. I've waited too long for this.”

  Thank you, God. Max hasn’t changed his mind.

  “But shouldn’t we lie low for a while? Wait for it to blow over?”

  He sighed, his voice raspy. “It won’t ever blow over. In my experience, it's best to handle these issues head on. If we don’t, the media will make up their own stories—twisting the truth—and come up with things far worse than you can imagine. Anyway, what’s wrong with a boss sending a car for an employee?”

  “It's going to hurt Grant Industries. All your charities.”

  “Let me worry about that, okay? I’ll figure out how to handle this. I'm sorry it happened to you.”

  God, how sweet. Here his world was crashing down around him and he was sorry for me.

  “Put on a brave face, sweetheart. Give the press your most confident smile. Cause you’re going to be headline news, whether you like it or not.”

  I sucked in a breath. The other woman. I'd be branded and burned at the proverbial stakes. It was the one thing I never wanted to be. Strange how life had a way of bringing our worst fears to fruition to test us. My mind raced as I weighed up all the options.

  Was I prepared to do this so I could be with Maxwell? I could deny it all and walk away. Pretend last night never happened. Go back to Australia and never talk to Mr. Grant again. That would save face for him and his company, and me. He could say it was all a big mistake, a miscommunication. It happened all the time. He could go back to Natasha.

  “Rebecca, are you listening to me? Why have you gone so quiet?”

  “Max, you know if I walk out that door and get into your car, it's going to change everything. Are you prepared for that? Are you sure you don’t want to rethink it and—”

  “Rebecca. Fuck, woman, if you run now, I’m going to chase you down until I find you. No more running. I want this. I want you. That’s all there is to it. We will face the challenges together.”

  I had to try one more time.

  “Maxwell, let me take a taxi to the hospital. I’ll call you from there.”

  “You don’t seem to understand. You have already been implicated. Natasha and her lawyers are fighting the divorce. She has her PR Company—the one I helped set up for her—all over this. They want to make us look bad.”

  I sank into the chair. How did I ever think this was going to work between Max and me? I should have known Natasha wouldn’t give him up without a fight. A contract was a legal binding document. She clearly wasn’t letting him go.

  “We have to be brave now, sweetheart. Fight for us.” He went silent for a moment; all I could hear was his heavy breathing on the other side. “If that’s what you still want. After last night, I know it's what I want.”

  The way he spoke those words melted my heart. I wanted nothing more than to be with him right that minute, and for the rest of my life.

  My attention was drawn back to the television by a chat show host advertising his guest for that evening’s show. He was interviewing none other than Natasha Brighton, the soon to be ex-Mrs. Grant. Fuck. My stomach turned. What was Natasha’s game?

  “Fuck.” Max exhaled a hard breath.

  “What?”

  “I'm on CNN. Natasha is stirring the pot.”

  “I'm watching CNN too. She’s on a chat show tonight. Dammit, Max, that can't be good.”

  Pictures of Natasha flashed on the big screen. She was a beautiful woman. Could I compete with that? She was pure perfection and I was flawed in so many ways I couldn’t even count. My insecurities surfaced.

  “Max, I can’t do this. You’re making a mistake. Go back to Natasha before it's too late.”

  “Fuck, Rebecca, now you’re just pissing me off. I don’t love her. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life with her. Can't you understand that?”

  “But she’s beautiful. She’s successful and famous. How can any man not want that?”

  “Because looks aren’t everything. Yes, she’s gorgeous. I won’t deny that. But she doesn’t get my heart racing like you do. Trust me on this, baby. Please.”

  Maxwell Grant was willing to beg me.

  “Unless you don’t want to be with me? Unless last night meant nothing to you?”

  I sucked in a breath. I was still on a high from last night. Just thinking about it made me squeeze my thighs together. I wanted him all right.

  “I do. I want you,” I whispered, ashamed to admit it. I could deny it all I wanted. The truth was I wanted Max more than I'd ever wanted any man. Since I’d let my mind and body go there, I wanted more.

  “That’s my girl. Come now, Rebecca, I’m waiting for you.”

  “But the reporters...won’t they follow us?”

  “Yes, they’re going to try. The paparazzi are relentless. You’ll have to get used to that part of my life. But James and Brent are skilled at outsmarting them. That’s why they travel everywhere with me.”

  “Okay. Wish me luck.” I smoothed over my skirt with my palms.

  He chuckled softly. “Rebecca, I—” he hesitated for a beat, “see you soon.”

  I clicked the remote to turn the TV off and grabbed my purse from the chair. I had to go immediately if I didn’t want to lose my nerve—walk out of that door and face what lay waiting for me.

  Maxwell Grant was worth whatever I had to go through to be with him. I'd never been as willing to stand up and fight for a man as I was for him.

  Chapter 26 — Maxwell

  From experience, I knew I had to get Rebecca out and to my place before she changed her mind and ran. It was what she always did, but this time, I wasn’t taking chances. I would chase her to the ends of the earth, but it would be such a waste of time. Time we could spend fucking and enjoying one another.

  Grimacing, I turned the volume of the television down when my phone rang.

  It better not be Rebecca calling to say she’d changed her mind. That would mean I had to go over to her place and get her myself. Ideally we had to get out of Munich, but with her sister in hospital, I knew there was no way she’d come with me.

  With a heavy sigh, I checked my phone. It was Drake, my PR man. “Max, did you see CNN? I'm not sure what time it is in Germany right now, but in a few hours, Natasha will be on a chat show. All I could get from her PR rep, is that it's going to ruin you. She’s out to get you, Max. Are you sure you want to go ahead with this?”

  Why was everyone doubting my fucking decision? It pissed me off. I'd never been a man who didn’t go after what he wanted. It was how I got to where I was.

  “Let her do her fucking best. Nothing she says or does will change my mind. Do as much damage control as what’s possible. She’ll soon realize it's over.”

  “Okay. It's your life.”

  “Damn right it is. Discussion over.”

  Fuck, I never thought Natasha would react like this. Yes, she was ambitious. I’d known that from the start. She would never have agreed to the contract if she weren’t. But I'd made it clear that I could end the arrangement at any time. I warned her not to get attached to me. She didn’t listen.

  Or was it revenge for the sake of being snubbed? I'd be the last man to try to pretend to understand women.

  My phone beeped. James. I read the message.

  On our way. Target safe and secure. ETA ten minutes.

  I replied quickly.

  Good job.

  I'd moved from th
e hotel where I’d stayed last night. I'd managed to get the details of Natasha’s plan before it went global—an insider on her make-up team was screwing Brent’s sister. We planted him some time ago, exactly for this reason.

  Brent had found a secure location where all the big name movie and rock stars hid out when they were in town. It cost triple the price of the top floor suite at the best hotel in Munich, but it came with twenty-four hour security and a team of guys who knew their job. It was worth every dollar for peace of mind.

  I paced the room, my hands sweating as I visualized what could go wrong. If the paparazzi caught wind of this, they’d be hounded and end up in a high speed chase. Those usually didn’t end well, and my heart pounded at the mere thought of the implications. Minutes ticked by as I jammed my hands into my pockets and stared out of the window onto the garden with unseeing eyes.

  Why did I always have to fight so hard for everything I wanted? My brother, Ryder, believed I was the lucky one but in reality, he was the one who was blessed by the love of his woman.

  I wanted that. I wanted love. Real. Unconditional.

  Watching the gates of the estate open from the vantage point I had, relief washed over me. Security had been briefed and I felt comfortable we’d be safe here, far from prying eyes. But it was still going to be a fucking media circus with Natasha as the lead clown.

  I rushed down the stairs, two at a time, remembering other times I’d chased after Rebecca. Jesus, the woman gave me such a fucking hard time, and most men would’ve given up by now. I wasn’t a quitter.

  I opened the heavy wooden door and stepped outside just as the SUV came to a grinding stop at the entrance. The sun shone in my eyes, so I squinted as I opened Rebecca’s door, eager to feel her in my arms. She placed her trembling hand in mine and emerged from the vehicle, her lips quivering and her skin ashen.

  “We had to drive like hell to shake them off,” James offered. He was unusually pale too. It must’ve been a hell of a ride.

  Brent nodded in agreement. “Somebody tipped them off, Mr. Grant. There was a swarm of paps just waiting outside.”