Page 203 of Under Her Skin

Everything except for Theo. He made everything okay. She glanced back down at her phone then, on impulse, sent him amessage.

‘Mr Storm, later this evening, I have a feeling I may needdisciplining.’

Her phone bleeped straight away. ‘Miss Wood, I concur. Present yourself to my room, stripped and ready to be chastised.Thoroughly.’

She giggled, a hot rush of desire flooding through her, a pulse beating between her legs. God, he could make her wet just by thinking about him. She closed her eyes and visualised trailing her lips against his strong jaw, pressing them into the hollow behind his earlobe, breathing himin.

Then the carstopped and reality came screeching back. Jules opened the car door and smiled down at her coldly. ‘Jessica, my darling. Welcomehome.’

Max waiteduntil Josh was asleep before sliding out of bed and into the living room. He grabbed his phone and calledTheo.

‘Yup?’

‘It’sme.’

Theo laughed softly. ‘I guessed that from the caller i.d.,buddy.’

Max was silent for a beat and Theo cleared his throat. ‘You okay,Max?’

Max drew in a long breath. ‘I got the preliminary report on Jules Gachet. It’s not good,Theo.’

It was Theo’s turn to be silent for a moment. ‘Tellme.’

Max related everything to him, including what Bud Clermont had told him. When he was finished he waited, listening to Theo cusssoftly.

‘What do you think he’s doing to her?’ Theo’s voicebroke.

Max really – really – didn’t want to answer that, didn’t want to speculate. ‘I don’tknow.’

Theo sighed heavily and told him what Jess had relayed earlier tohim.

‘Fucking manipulativecreep.’

‘I pray that’s all he’s…’ But Theo couldn’t finish the sentence and both men knew without a doubt, that it wasn’t the fullstory.

‘What do you want me to do,Theo?’

Silence. ‘Nothing. Jess would freak if I told her what we’d done. I realised today, our relationship is balanced on a tightrope. Until we both can entirely be honest with each other… god.’ Theo sighed. ‘I’ll just have to protect her as much as I can until she’s ready to confide inme.’

After Max had hung up,he sat in the cool darkness of his apartment for a while then went back to bed. As he slid into bed next to his sleeping love, he felt a weight pressing down on him. Guilt. His love was here, safe in his arms, absolutely no secrets between them, complete love, completetrust.

Max prayed that Theo and Jess would one day get there. He prayed they would be free to love without limits, without the threat that hung overthem.

Because Max had no trouble believing that Jules Gachet was, if nothing else,evil.

Jess reasoned that at least,Jules had only partially lied to her about the evening. William Corcoran, the kindly family lawyer was waiting for them at the house, and over dinner, discussed the financial status of their family estate. Jess didn’t listen to most of it, certainly she had no idea that William was discussing her until Jules tapped her shoulder rudely and nodded atWilliam.

‘I’m sorry, William, what did you say?’ She liked the old man very much and smiled at himnow.

He flushed with pleasure. ‘Jessica, you are twenty-five in October and as you know, you are due to receive the balance of your trust fund your father setup.’

Step-father, she corrected silently but nodded. ‘Yes. I already discussed with you what I want to do with the bulk of it. The projects, the college, the art societies. You still have my outline for how to split the money,correct?’

William looked embarrassed and glanced at Jules. Jess looked between the two of them, her heart sinking. Whatnow?

‘Jessica, Julien has informed me that he wishes to continue funding your projects indefinitely. In fact, the trust board had indicated that this is the only way they will agree to disperse the money. They feel that if you were given such a large amount, that, due to the history of mental illness in your family lineage, that you could be a danger to yourself. Drugs. Alcohol. Jules has informed me of your…episodes.’

Jess was speechless.More than that, she was sure she was having a nightmare. ‘What episodes? What the hell,Jules?’