The Billionaires Mistress (23 page)

“I could never leave you .... I love you”, Tara mouthing back to him “I love you too” both smiling at each other with such love.

Jenna had felt the tears rising to her own eyes at the touching scene, her head dropping to the floor sensing Ryan watching her.

As if suddenly aware of the other people in the room, Tom had looked past Tara, his smile wide seeing Ryan and Jenna standing together.

“Hello bro” he had mumbled weakly.

“Thought you had some conference on” his eyes twinkling mischievously at Jenna.

Ryan had moved closer, smiling back at him.

“You know.......was pretty much finished so I thought I would come and laugh at what an ass you are”, seeing as Tom had chuckled softly, his eyes now struggling to focus shifting to Jenna.

“I blame you”, he had muttered; as she had looked at him with dumbfound surprise, her eyes wide with shock.

“Me? How can you blame me?” she had asked incredulously.

“Well...” his voice now slurred, his fingers gripping hold of Tara’s.

“What kind of a guardian angel are you...shouldn’t you have pushed me clear or something?”

The other two had broken down into laughter at Jenna’s look of pained surprise, her mouth silently opening and closing with disbelief.

Tom had given another small smile, his voice trailing away as he had slowly slipped into drug induced unconsciousness, a smile playing on his lips.

“Finally she is speechless” his last words, as the other two had laughed once more.

Tara had moved out of the room with Ryan and Jenna, her features more relaxed at having spoken to Tom, relief so evident in her features.

“I think I will stay here” she had said softly looking at the two.

“Be here when he wakes up”.

With that she had given Jenna a big hug, smiling at her.

“Thank you for being here” she had said before Ryan had pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly.

“You have my number Tara...........if anything happens.... or you need anything phone it.........no matter what time”.

She had flashed him a bright smile nodding.

“We will be back in the morning” he had finished, smiling reassuringly.

Jenna had felt strange at having been included in his plans, nodding softly to the other woman

“I will bring you some stuff tomorrow morning Tara” Jenna had said gently, seeing the thankful look on the other woman’s eyes as she had nodded.

Finally the two had moved back out into the main area of the hospital. They had managed to avoid the press throng, distracted by the hospital spokesman giving them the news of Tom’s condition.

Standing at the entrance, Ryan had phoned to have the car brought around, Jenna looking up at him, giving him one of her wide smiles.

“I am so glad that everything is OK” she had managed, seeing as he had nodded softly beside her, Jenna clearing her throat nervously.

“Well I think that it would be best if I found a hotel room for the night..........you could phone me in the morning”. She had seen as Ryan had given a small frown.

“That is ridiculous Jenna.......I have the apartment so close. You are welcome to stay there, you can even have your old bedroom” he had said softly.

Shuffling her feet nervously she had once more looked to the ground.

“I ...I just don’t think that would be a good idea Ryan” she had finally managed, feeling as his finger had hooked under her chin lifting her head to look at him.

“I promise not to try anything” he had said softly “I just ......... don’t really feel like being alone right now”.

She had seen the honesty in his eyes giving a small nod, seeing the relief fill his eyes.

“OK”.

Just as the car had arrived, Ryan holding the door open for her.

“Thank you Jenna” he had whispered, real emotion in his voice, Jenna pausing to look into his eyes feeling the emotions once more engulfing her before quickly moving into the car wanting so badly to reach up to stroke his cheek and tell him once more how much she loved him. She had bit her lip, the memories of the last time she had spoken those words to him re-surfacing, the hurt once more filling her.

In the car Ryan had still been quiet, seeming lost in thought as the car had manoeuvred through the city streets, Jenna finding herself become excited as they had neared the apartment she had first met him. As the car had come to a halt outside of the building, she had glanced over smiling seeing him watching her.

“How does it feel to be back?” he had asked softly, seeing as she had flashed him a quick grin.

“Unexpected” she had giggled, seeing his mouth twitch back at her.

“Not exactly how I had planned” he had finished, as the door had been opened by the driver.

Moving up the lift she had given a soft chuckle looking over at Ryan.

“Do you remember the first time we met?” she had said seeing as he had given a small groan.

“God I was such a jerk to you” he had laughed.

“I was so sure you were some groupie” his eyes holding hers, warmth in them, “Then Tom comes out declaring you to be his guardian angel”.

She had laughed, her eyes sparkling with the memory.

“Yes and then you got all cave man on me...........carrying me all over the apartment”.

The two had laughed together, the lift doors opening, Jenna once more finding herself back in the apartment of Ryan Trudeau, dropping her jacket on the chair she knew to be there, as though she had never been away.

He had turned on the lights, moving into Tom’s room, as she had moved into the living room kicking off her shoes as she had always done in the past. As Ryan had returned he had been holding a set of what appeared to be woman’s pyjamas, smiling down at her as she had raised an eyebrow at him.

“Now how come you didn’t have those the first time I was here” she had giggled, seeing as he had smiled back.

“Well I bought these for Tara for Christmas” looking at the expensive garments.

“I have a sneaky feeling that she has not worn them” giving a wicked grin, wonder what they do?

Seeing as she had smiled back knowingly.

“Yes I wonder “she had chuckled back, Ryan throwing them to her.

“You hungry?” he had asked, seeing as she had nodded back at him, her stomach suddenly feeling so empty.

“Well why don’t you change and I will order us food?”

Looking nervously at him, he had given her a steady look.

“I promised not to try anything........and I will keep that promise”.

Jenna had given a nervous smile, knowing that his word was his bond as she had risen moving to the room she had first used when she arrived; the familiarity of it tugging at her as she had fought the sensation of being home that had filled her.

Quickly changing she had found that the pyjamas completely covered her, glad that she and Tara were the same size and the linen was not the flimsy material of most night wear. She had pulled her hair from the clip that held the sides away from her face, brushing out her long hair until it shone, cascading around her perfect body.

Finally ready she had moved back out, padding on bare feet, into the smaller living room where Ryan had put on the fire. Only the light from a single lamp and the fire itself lit the room, giving it a warm homely atmosphere, the memories of other such nights sending a small shiver through her.

He had joined her after ten minutes, wearing pyjama bottoms and a black t-shirt carrying two glasses of wine, handing one to her and sitting at the other end of the settee, keeping his distance from her.

“I ordered a stack of sandwiches...hope that is OK”.

She had flashed him an approving smile, her mouth watering at the thought having eaten nothing all day, having not been able to eat any of the breakfast that morning. Briefly she had thought how so much had happened since then. Silently both had sipped their wine, Jenna enjoying the full bodied red, knowing that it was his favourite. It was Ryan who had eventually broken the silence.

“I really want to thank you Jenna” his soft voice sending pleasurable shivers through her.

“I don’t know how I would have coped without you”.

She had nodded gently, watched him seeing the intensity in his face, needing so badly to change the subject. Giving a small half laugh she had looked into his eyes, hers full of laughter.

“If you had told me yesterday I would be back here alone with you tonight.........I would never have believed it” Ryan chuckling back nodding in agreement.

“Nope, I guess you would not” once more thinking how determined he had been to bring her home with him after the weekend, frowning his features becoming so serious, his mind once more going back to when she had left, his eyes holding hers.

“When you left...........I looked for you”.

Jenna had looked back, surprised.

“You did?” seeing as he had nodded.

“I had my investigators try to find which flight you had taken............but they couldn’t find your name on any of the planes itineraries that left that night.........so I figured that you had possibly gone by train”.

She had shaken her head softly.

“My passport is still in my legal name” she had replied, seeing his surprised expression.

“Your legal........?” he had began as she had raised her hand, explaining.

“My mother divorced my father when I was a baby........and she met my step-father a few years later. I grew up with his name - Long. Also my full name is Jennifer........so unless your investigator was looking for Jennifer Buchanan.....you would not have found me”.

Ryan had looked at her in bemusement.

“I had no idea” he had finally managed, as she had shrugged.

“Well it never came up I guess. I have spent most of my life being called Jenna Long........I never really thought about it...just one of those annoyances when booking flights”.

He had given a small unhumorous half laugh before looking once more at her.

“I missed you”.

Jenna had shuffled uneasily in her seat before replying, the pain in her voice so clear.

“It took me so long to get over us Ryan...so very long...in the end I gave up my trip and returned back to the UK”.

He had looked over at her with sorrowful eyes.

“I’m sorry......I know how long you had planned that”.

She had given a small sad smile.

“I guess there was just no pleasure in it for me anymore. I was miserable Ryan......without you”.

Her voice had faltered before clearing her throat she had finished.

“... So I went back to the UK and started work”.

He had nodded softly, about to speak, a strange look in his eyes, as the intercom had sounded heralding the arrival of the sandwiches. Rising he had left her to retrieve their meal, giving Jenna the time she needed to brush away a tear which had slid down her cheek, not wanting him to see that talking about the past still hurt her so much.

Together the two had dived into the delicious sandwiches, both realising how hungry they were, both having eaten little in the past 24 hours. Jenna had been careful to keep the conversation away from the past, talking about Tom and Tara and the plans for the project they were now working on.

Finally finished, the two of them had stood together, Jenna picking up the empty glasses while he took the nearly empty platter into the kitchen, Jenna looking shyly at him.

“I...I should go........get some sleep” she had whispered, seeing as he had nodded, his dark eyes watching her.

“Yes.......well please let me walk you to your room” he had grinned giving that large smile of his which had her heart racing as it always did.