The Marriage Merger (11 page)

“Now perhaps you’ll tell me what the hell you
were doing?” he growled.

Jenna leaned wearily against the elevator
wall as it surged upwards. The door opened. Braden didn’t move.
Jenna glanced at him with sudden insight. He must have thought she
was behaving exactly like his mother - abandoning her child to find
a man who could give her what her greedy calculating personality
sought. No wonder he was so angry.

And he was right to be angry with her about
leaving Caitlin alone. But he should have asked for an explanation
first. Surely he didn’t think she would do that without a good
reason? Her shoulders drooped. Of course he would. All women were
tainted with his mother’s selfishness in his eyes.

She walked to the penthouse door. Braden
brushed past her and unlocked it. She could feel the waves of anger
pulsing from him and her own exasperation flared. She wasn’t his
mother and she’d be blowed if she was going to be treated with that
sort of contempt. She looked squarely into grey eyes flinted with
icy steel.

“As soon as I have a shower I’ll tell you,”
she said with quiet determination. He stepped back and she walked
into the lounge room. Caitlin was happily watching television. She
looked up as they entered and glanced a question at Jenna.

“Everyone’s fine, Possum. But I need a
shower. Show Uncle Braden the drawings you did this morning.”

Shampoo trickled down her nose and she ducked
her head under the streaming water. Her mind was telling her to
forget about Braden, close off the burgeoning love she was feeling
for him and be as cool and aloof as the situation allowed. But they
were emotions that were foreign to her. Her russet hair was
indicative of the fierceness of her feelings and their closeness to
the surface of her being.

That he was attracted to her was obvious, but
sexual attraction wasn’t enough. He couldn’t give her the love she
wanted and she had been hurt before because the man she loved
hadn’t been able to love her in the same way she had loved him.

She was beginning to feel that the nickname
Jeff had given her was more accurate than he’d imagined. Jinxed by
her lack of confidence in her early years and now jinxed in love.
Loving the wrong man once should have been enough. The sooner her
five weeks were up and she could fly home to Sydney the better.
Living in such close proximity to Braden with the desire smoldering
between them and Braden’s fluctuating temper was proving too
wearing on her nerves. She didn’t want to love him and maybe if she
didn’t see him again she could make herself forget him.

With this last thought in mind she walked out
into the lounge room. Caitlin was sitting on the floor happily
drawing another picture with the crayons Jenna had bought her.
Jenna could hear Braden’s deep murmur as he spoke on the
telephone.

As he walked back into the lounge room she
was relieved to see the anger had left him. To her surprise he
smiled at her. Then the smile turned a little sheepish.

“That was the mother of the boys - the police
gave her this number. She phoned to thank you for saving her son’s
life.” His face became grave. “Apparently the older boy reckoned he
wouldn’t have been able to hold his brother’s head out of the water
much longer. If you hadn’t arrived when you did ...”

Jenna shuddered, remembering the wide-eyed
fear on the boy’s face. “Thank God I heard them calling.” She
glanced down to see Caitlin smiling up at her as though in full
agreement. Sometimes it puzzled her, the way Caitlin serenely
accepted whatever she did. Jenna had never before encountered such
instant and implicit trust. And she still hadn’t discovered the
reason for it.

“I realise you did what you thought was
expedient at the time, Jenna, but I’m still not happy with you
leaving Caitlin here by herself.” Braden’s voice was casual but she
could sense his concern.

“I gave the police this address, Braden, and
also asked them to contact you if they hadn’t reached the boat in
fifteen minutes. I’m not irresponsible.”

“No,” he admitted, “you’re far from it.” He
walked over to the refrigerator and took out a stubby of beer.
“Would you like a beer?” he offered. “Or something else to
drink?”

She shook her head, the curls bouncing around
her face in a cascade of dark flame.

“No, thanks. I don’t drink.” She saw his
curious look but he said nothing, and she was grateful. She hadn’t
told him about her asthma, and she was even less inclined to inform
him how badly she reacted to alcohol.

In the past she had encountered reservations
and pity from some people when she had revealed her allergic
reactions and although she always put them on her medical records
she had made a habit of not discussing them. Her chronic asthma had
waned in her early teens, but in her early twenties she had
developed acute reactions to certain triggers. But she avoided
these triggers and always kept her puffer and medication handy. So
she could see no need to alert anyone to a problem that might never
occur.

“A fruit juice would be nice, though,” she
amended.

He poured juice into two glasses, placed them
on a tray with his beer and added a small bowl of nuts and savoury
biscuits.

“Would you ladies like to accompany me
outside in the cool and fill me in on all the details?” he smiled a
charming good-natured smile that had all Jenna’s thoughts of
leaving flying out the window. Her treacherous heart lurched back
under the spell of eyes that were growing bluer by the second. They
lingered on her just a fraction of a second longer than necessary
and she could feel the heady pull of his attraction.

She took two deep breaths to steady her
rapidly beating heart as she followed Braden and Caitlin out to the
courtyard.

"I've brought the video camera back with me,
Caitlin." Braden said as he passed the girl her glass. "Tomorrow
I'll take some shots of you and Jenna together so Jenna can send
them home to show Jeff and her parents. They must be wondering what
she looks like after being away from home so long. Do you think
that's a good idea?"

Jenna was pleased to see the eager smile on
Caitlin's face. She glanced up at Braden and he flashed her a
conspiratorial grin that wreaked havoc with her insides. Her knees
turned to jelly and she sank down onto a patio chair. Oh, if only
she wasn't so susceptible to him! All he had to do was smile at her
and she fell under his spell.

Braden swung his video camera around. Jenna
was playing ball with Caitlin, occasionally hitting the ball a
little wild deliberately so the girl would be forced to run to
catch it. Her limp was still evident, but greatly diminished. It
was exactly what Braden wanted to capture to show Alicia how much
her daughter had improved.

It was the first time Braden had seen Caitlin
wear shorts since the accident. The scar on her thigh was still
noticeable but she no longer seemed to care if people saw it. He
could hardly believe the change in her. Like a drought-ravaged
flower she had blossomed under Jenna’s nurturing. Her once pale,
thin face had filled out and she glowed with the vitality of normal
childhood.

What a remarkable change Jenna had wrought.
She obviously affected everybody she came in contact with. With a
wry grin Braden included himself in that thought. When he had seen
her with Mark jealousy had raged in him like a fire out of control.
If he hadn’t had his briefcase and the video-camera case in his
hands he wouldn’t have been able to control his urge to punch the
look off the other man’s face.

He knew the look and what it meant because it
was the same way he’d felt when he first saw Jenna in a bikini. Her
pale slender body with those beautiful full breasts and shapely
long legs had a quality that was both ethereal and erotic, and
evoked a reaction that was protective and arousing at the same
time.

He’d kissed her twice now and the effect had
been so devastating he knew if he kissed her again he’d be lucky if
he could stop himself doing what he’d fantasized about since he’d
first seen her. His imagination started to take over again and his
mouth went dry.

The ball landed at his feet. He brought his
mind back from its dangerous meanderings, picked up the ball and
threw it to Caitlin. She grinned. A happy, carefree grin that he
was quick enough to capture on video. And suddenly he could see a
future for her. Suddenly the worry that had eaten into his
consciousness day and night since Alicia’s breakdown dissolved.

Since he was five years old he had become
Alicia’s protector, guarding her from the emotional debris of their
parents’ fights, showering her with the love she’d never received
from their mother. When she had married he had made himself back
off, not wanting to have David think he was trying to interfere.
But with Caitlin’s birth he had become a doting uncle, pleased that
the child was so like him, strong and determined.

So it had proved an immeasurable frustration
when she had withdrawn into herself after Alicia’s breakdown. He
had always been in control before, always able to fix any problems
that occurred, and for the first time in his adult life he had been
left floundering, unable to find a solution for either Alicia or
Caitlin. Until now. Until Jenna.

As though sensing his thoughts she turned
towards him. Their eyes met, and held. There was wariness in her
gaze and he knew he was to blame. He knew he had been unfairly
angry with her several times now, but the truth was he hadn’t meant
to be. He was struggling to come to terms with the feelings she
evoked in him, feelings he didn’t like because they left him
vulnerable.

But he was essentially a fair man, and he had
resolved this afternoon that he would make an effort to see that
she enjoyed her stay here. After all, it was the least he could do
for her after all she had done for Caitlin.

He suddenly realised that in three weeks
Jenna would be leaving to fly home to Sydney. What surprised him
was the queer sense of loss that thought brought with it.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Jenna had never felt so happy ... or so
miserable.

Braden had been incredibly nice to her for
the past two days. He had even helped her to cook some of the
meals, joking, laughing, involving Caitlin in the simpler chores.
He had shown her a side of himself she had only guessed at before.
He could so easily be all that she had ever wanted in a man. If
only ...

But there was no point in “if onlys”.
Although he had been charming, friendly, and helpful, the spark
that had ignited between them had been effectively extinguished.
Not on her behalf. No, she still felt that quick tightening in the
stomach, that shivery tingle through her body when he walked into
the room, that slow liquid heat between her thighs as her eyes
caressed him when he wasn’t aware.

But for the past two days he had treated her
with ... her teeth ground ... brotherly nonchalance. No spark of
desire flared in his eyes. If his hand touched hers while he helped
in the kitchen it didn’t linger.

She’d tried to tell herself that this was
exactly what she wanted. That this would make her stay here so much
easier to bear, would make her leaving far less wrenching than if
her relationship with him had developed any further. But she was
lying to herself. And she knew it.

She had just finished stacking the dishwasher
when there was a knock at the door. She heard a masculine voice
reply to Braden’s greeting. Mark. She bit her lip. She had meant to
take his towel back to him but she'd been busy with Caitlin and
when Braden was home all thoughts of Mark flew out of her mind.

“Mark, I’ll just get your towel,” she
called.

The contrast between the two men struck her
forcibly as she handed the towel to Mark. Not just the difference
in their colouring, but Mark’s amiable, pleasant nature was - well,
comfortable, compared to the sensual, vibrant force of Braden’s
personality.

“I was wondering, Jenna,” Mark said after a
few minutes of general conversation, “if you’d like to have dinner
with me tomorrow evening?” He glanced quickly at Braden. “That’s if
you can get the night off. I don’t suppose you’ve had much of a
chance to see the night-life up here yet?”

Jenna shook her head and looked at Braden. He
had been smiling during their conversation, but Jenna noted the
smile had not reached his eyes, and now his lips appeared to
stiffen, but he spoke pleasantly.

“If Jenna wants to go I can’t see any
problem. I’m not working in Brisbane tomorrow. I have to go in to
our local office but I should be home in plenty of time.”

Jenna smiled at Mark but her thoughts were
far from happy. Why couldn’t Braden have shown just the slightest
bit of jealousy? If he’s trying to make sure that nothing ever
happens between us then he’s succeeding admirably. Then she
remembered that he was behaving in the strictly professional manner
she had demanded and kicked herself for her contrariness.

“Thank you, Mark, I’d love to.” She sweetened
her smile. “What time shall I be ready?”

“I’ll come for you at seven.”

At seven-thirty Jenna sighed.

“I’m sorry, Mark. Braden must have been
delayed. Would you like to cancel the restaurant booking? I could
make us an omelette here.”

They were sitting on the lounge, Caitlin
strategically placing herself between them when they sat. She had
not responded to Mark’s friendly overtures and had clung to
Jenna.

“We won’t give up yet,” Mark replied. “I’ll
phone the restaurant and get them to hold our booking a bit
longer.”

He’d just taken out his mobile phone when the
front door opened. Braden strode into the room, dropped his
briefcase on the lounge, walked to the bar and poured a strong
scotch and dry.