Reaching and placing my head on Blake Scotto’s strong chest was automatic. I didn’t know why I did it. Maybe it was because his broad shoulders reminded me of my father’s comforting chest, which was always welcome when I was a child. I could count on it to soak up my tears when I fell off of my bike and skinned my knee and when I needed a good cry. Nevertheless, it was a mistake crying to another man when the incomparable Mr. Black was so close.
I learned that I had made a giant mistake when Blake placed his arms around me, cradling and pulling me into him. I felt his longing and desire, his heart beating like thunder breaking. I gave myself over to the warmth coursing through me, but this was not the time or place.
The jolt I felt wasn’t from Blake but was from Max’s presence—his green eyes glaring at me. I jerked around, surprised to see him standing in the doorway. I stepped out of the warmth of Blake’s arms into Max’s cold stare, which riveted my body.
“I hope that hiring you, Mr. Scotto, was not a mistake. You are supposed to find my son, and here I discover that you are seducing and kissing my wife.” Max stepped closer to me and placed his hand behind my neck. A chill leapt down my spine, settling in the small of my back. I wondered if he had used those large hands to strangle his fiancé. I pulled away. “I’m not your wife, and Blake wasn’t kissing me.”
“Then what the fuck was he doing?” he said, tilting his head to the right. Max took a defiant stance, opening his long legs to gain balance. His hooded eyes and creased brow displayed anger like a wolf showing his teeth before he pounced and attacked his prey.
“I can speak for myself, Alex,” Blake stated, moving farther away from me. Max didn’t wait for an explanation.
“She’s my fiancée, and you will address her either as Ms. Bishop or Ms. Blackstone. I didn’t employ you to—”
“Mr. Blackstone, you can dismiss me, but I came here to do a job, and you know there is no one better at this than me. All I’m concerned about is finding your son. This is not about me or Alex…Mrs. Blackstone.” Blake raised his hands and extended a folder, dropping it on the granite counter in front of Max. Before the folder hit the counter, I thought Max would hit him, or Blake would hit Max.
They stood glaring at each other until Blake opened the folder and said, “Look, these are copies of pictures from your surveillance cameras.” He lined them all up according to time and date. Among the many pictures appeared to be images of Max wearing a blue denim shirt, jeans, and boots, looking handsome and rugged. I’d never seen Max dressed causally. I peered at the photo, and the handsome hunk took my breath away. He was smiling and holding Maxim’s little hand. They looked so happy together. It was a Mayberry moment. Why hadn’t I seen that side of him before? But it wasn’t Max’s moment.
Max clutched the photo in one hand, his eyes drew tight, and he raked his fingers through his hair. “He’s my brother.” The pictures showed Jonas holding Maxim’s hand. Jonas had a fishing pole and a large backpack with camping gear strapped to his back.
Blake raised an eyebrow, bit his lip, and shot a hostile glanced at Max. “This information about a brother was concealed. Your staff never mentioned a brother,” Blake said, angry and confused. “We would have been further along if someone had said something, Mr. Blackstone. You people with your money and secrets.” I raised an eyebrow and peeked at Max’s face. He didn’t care for Blake, but he wouldn’t let his feelings cloud his judgment and interfere with Blake finding our son.
“They were instructed not to disclose that I had a brother,” Max said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “We’re identical twins. It was a business decision.” He met Blake’s eyes.
“Then how did you expect anyone to come to the right conclusions?”
“That’s why I hired you. You have a reputation. You can get to what matters without causing an uproar and making this into a circus, which would endanger my son’s life.”
Blake understood. It was a smart move.
“Do you know where he is?” Max stared into a cup of black coffee, twirling the spoon around the edges. He placed it on the counter, put the cup to his lips, and then drank. He raised his eyes.
“I think I know. Well, I have a good idea. There is a camping ground our father brought us to when we were children. There’s a stream nearby. That’s probably why Jonas had a fishing pole.”
“Do you think your son is in danger?”
“No. Of course not,” he said, his steely look disguising his concerns.
“Yes,” I said. Max cut a serious glance in my direction.
“Well?” Blake asked. “Is he or isn’t he in danger?” Blake’s stare went from me to Max.
I gazed at Max. “For God’s sake, Max, tell him about Jonas’s history.” Max lowered his head a moment and began explaining about his brother being a troubled child and a runaway as a teenager, his tour of duty in Afghanistan, his drug addictions after returning from the war, and his diagnosis of schizophrenia. He explained everything except Jonas’s sexual activities. Blake’s eyes moved with a disinterested glance, focusing on me and then Max, as if this was nothing new. He had an expression as if he had heard this a million times. It was boredom that lived within the policeman who had seen and heard too much.
“Mr. Blackstone, I need to go over information immediately with my men to ready them for the search.”
“My gear is ready. I’ll meet you near the pines in half an hour,” Max said, leaving the kitchen and walking in the direction of his bedroom. He dropped his cup of coffee in the butler’s pantry sink on his way out of the door.
I bounded behind Max. “I need to be there too,” I screamed.
He turned quickly, facing me. “And do what, Alex? Get in the way?” Max said. He turned his back to me, slipped off his robe, and walked into his closet. When he returned he had on a pair of worn jeans that made my heart flutter. He was shirtless and held his red-and-black lumberjack shirt in his hand. He wore a pair of outdoor boots, the kind you see in Field & Stream. When he put on his shirt, I nudged close to him and began buttoning it one button at a time. Looking down at me, he kissed my forehead and brought my face up with his hands so that I was gazing into his sad eyes. My need and desire for him rivaled anything I had felt before.
“I want to go, Max.”
“You can’t. The place is too rugged, and it’s mountainous.”
I pulled away. “How can Jonas subject a two-year-old to that type of environment?”
“We were that age when my father brought us out there. We survived in worse weather.”
“Yes, but he’s my son.”
“He’s a Blackstone, and I know what’s best for him.”
“Like leaving him with your brother?” I questioned, raising my voice. If anyone was listening, they could hear everything that was said.
“I didn’t know Jonas would be here,” Max said apologetically. “He must have flown down in my jet,” he continued, moving away from me. He paced to the window and stared out. His eyes focused on Blake and his men, standing in the open space steps away from the gathering of large pines.
Max turned with a jerk of his body.
“I’m leaving, Alex.” He walked out of the room with me following after him. When he stopped, he and I were standing outside, away from the pool and into the trees surrounding the property. Blake and his men waited for directions from Max. Van Horn had Max’s gear ready and handed it to him, and Blake and his men trekked after Max. Knowing that Blake was watching, Max turned and jogged back to me, grabbed me, planted a heated kiss on my lips. It felt as if it was a kiss to remember that he was the only man for me. It scared me.
He whispered into my ear, “When I bring our baby back, we’re going to make him a brother.” I looked at him with surprise. Doesn’t he know? Doesn’t he realize how I feel at this moment?
***
I had forgotten to call St. John and tell him that I had an emergency. Reaching for my smartphone in my pocket, I dialed frantically because I didn’t want to lose my position at his bank.
“Mr. St. John.”
“Yes, Alex.”
“I’m sorry, but I had an emergency, and this is the first chance I had to call you.”
“Nothing serious I hope.”
“It’s my son, but all is taken care of. Max…” I thought better than to include another man into my private affairs. Nevertheless, he was in some way involved.
“I should return to Seattle over the weekend and be able to start at your bank on Monday, if that’s OK?”
“If you need more time, Alex, just let me know. I will accommodate you.”
“Thanks, Mr. St. John.”
“I expect to spend more time with you in hopes that you will stop calling me ‘Mr. St. John.’”
I hit the off button. An alarming thought danced in my head. I had not planned to lead him on. I hope I can straighten it out before it goes too far. There was no way I could have a relationship with any other man with Mr. Black lurking around every corner. And since I was so in love with Max, I had been deaf, dumb, and blind—and unable—to view any man in the right perspective. My heart wanted what it wanted.
I was born to love Max. No other woman could endure his raw, erotic, sinful sexual pleasures.
***
Deep into my nightmare an ominous figure stood at the foot of the bed. My consciousness felt the presence of someone, and my eyes opened. I couldn’t read the expression on Max’s face. It was not one of panic, but then, he never panicked. He didn’t say a word, just stood looking at me. “What is it? Is our baby OK?”
“You have finally acknowledged that Maxim is my son as well. And yes, he’s fine.” A small smile crossed his lips. I jumped onto the floor.
“Well, Max, where is he?”
“He’s sound asleep in the first room to the right. You can access it through those doors.” He pointed. I glanced at the door that led to the room where Maxim slept and dashed into it. I leaned over him and saw that he was clutching a stuff animal. It looked like a small deer in his arms. Oh that’s great, Max. Give him Bambi as a child and then later, hand him a gun to shoot Bambi’s mother.
I crawled into the bed and draped my arm around him and kissed his forehead. He didn’t move. I looked up at Max. “Are you sure he’s OK? He’s so quiet and so still.” I touched his forehead. “No fever,” I murmured, glancing in Max’s direction.
Max laughed. “He had a long day, but if you’re concerned, I’ll call the pediatrician in to tend to him. He’ll give him a thorough checkup tomorrow. And you could use one as well.”
“Thank you, but I will see my own doctors. I’m going to lie here for a few minutes. When I leave this bed, I want to know what happened. Where is your brother?”
“He’s in the kitchen. He wants to see you and apologize for taking Maxim without notifying anyone.”
“I don’t know if I want to see him this soon. I still haven’t gotten over him masquerading as you and never saying anything to me.”
“He was just following orders. Blame me, not him.”
“Don’t worry; there is more than enough to spread around. You have to take responsibility for what has happened and what is happening to our relationship, if you can call it a relationship.”
“Alex…”
I shuddered when he put his hand on my shoulder. “I think we need to talk, but not here,” I said, staring up at Max.
I kissed Maxim one more time and rose from the bed. I walked back into Max’s bedroom and sat on the sofa, looking out into the wooded area. He sat near me and tried to hold my hands. My hands were cold, and he felt it when I pulled away. “You are so cold. Do you want me to start a fire?”
“No, I’m not going to be here long. If you can have your jet take me back to Seattle when Maxim wakes, I would appreciate it.”
“You’re planning to take Maxim with you? I can’t do that, Alex.”
“Clearly you see that he’s not safe around Jonas.”
“Jonas did nothing to harm Maxim. You have no reason to take my son.”
“You promised me that you would give me time to be with him,” I said in disbelief.
“That was until I realized the threat…”
“What threat? The only threat is the one with that out-of-control brother of yours…I have something to say to him.” I stood and headed straight for the door, but Max stopped me. He placed his hand over mine as I grasped the knob.
“Look at yourself.” I glanced down and all I was wearing was a revealing cami with string bikini underwear.
“I didn’t have time to pack anything. I just grabbed the nearest things and threw them into my bag.” I made an excuse for my erratic behavior.
“Here. Put this on.” He placed a robe over my shoulders. He stared into my eyes, and I met and held his gaze. His head moved to my breasts. He sucked one nipple, and he growled with enjoyment. My hand passed over his toned chest and abs. I was losing this battle and was close to surrender when I put reason in front of passion. I’m not getting anywhere with this stubborn man, I observed. “What’s the use?” I said, pulling away.
Eyeing him, I said, “What difference does it make to him what I have on? He has seen everything. It’s like locking the barn after the horses have gotten out.”
“I’m thinking about the servants. You’re to become my wife.” I placed my arms through the sleeves of the robe, tied the belt, and turned away. “That’s a little premature with the state of our relationship.” And I sauntered out of the bedroom, leaving the door open. When I turned to glance at Max, he was entering Maxim’s room.
It took only a moment to come face-to-face with Jonas. He caught me off guard because apparently he had expected me to be angry. My stunned eyes locked on his white T-shirt. He had the sleeves rolled up, the muscles in his arms betraying the hard body under his shirt; the tattoo on his hand, a small star between his thumb and finger, was visible. Now I could tell the difference in the two men. The details had escaped me. Why didn’t I see it before now? Because physically they are so alike. Only a mother would know, you idiot.
I appeared to be in shock at the gorgeous man standing before me with an incredible tattoo, making me salivate and wish his arms were encircling me. I gained composure of myself to prevent him from seeing how hot I thought he was.
“Before you say a word, Alex, I want to apologize for everything. I apologize for taking Maxim on that hike into the woods. He’s a Blackstone after all. We were raised on fishing, camping, and horseback riding in the wilderness.” Jonas’s apology was not a real apology.
“That’s an apology?” I said, gripping the side of the bar. “He’s a Bishop too. Is that all you want to apologize for? Because it was very immature and selfish to take a child out like that and not tell anyone.”
“I wasn’t thinking.”
“Precisely.”
“Now that we have broken the ice, have a cup of coffee with me. You may find something to like,” Jonas said, reaching for the coffeepot. He poured a cup of brewed coffee from the silver container. “You see, I’m not a bad person after all,” he said, flashing those green eyes and moving closer to me, causing chills to rise on my arms.
I stepped back, and he stepped closer. It appeared he knew the appeal he had over women, more so than Max. It was Max’s incredible sexual antics in bed that separated the two brothers in my experience.
I gazed into his eyes and saw the seduction that I was running away from, but I also saw a lost soul and someone yearning to be whole again. In Jonas’s eyes and the twitch of his lips, he appeared to be a nervous wreck, and although I felt his pain, I could not let my son fall into his hands again.
“Jonas, I have nothing against you, but I can’t forget how we met.”
“I can’t say that that was my finest hour. I didn’t know that you and Max were…”
“Yes, I know.” I cut him off because I didn’t want to relive that embarrassment again. That kind of embarrassment took a lifetime to wash away, and staying away from the person involved was the only way I knew to lessen the humiliation.
“I will be leaving soon and taking Maxim with me.”
“Did Max agree to allow you to take Maxim with you?” There goes that word again.
“He can’t allow me or prevent me from having Maxim.” At that moment my feelings concerning Jonas went from hot to cold.
“That is not exactly the truth. He has custody of him and he can do what he wants.”
“That is enough, Jonas. This is a conversation between me and Alex.” I didn’t hear Max enter the kitchen. He just stood silent until Jonas inadvertently informed me of Max’s intentions.
“It is now apparent that you are not going to give me your permission to take my son home with me.”
“This is his home, Alex.”
“His home is with his mother, wherever that is,” I said, turning to meet his angry, hooded eyes. “I am not a child, and I am not one of your acquisitions. I had nothing when I met you. I never wanted anything from you but my son. Now I realize that you will not compromise with me.” I felt weak throughout my body. “What would your mother say, Max?”
“She would say, ‘Take care of your son.’”
“Would she say, ‘Take your son from his mother’? The way you and Jonas were taken from her? Why do you think you and Jonas are so fucked up?” I saw the uneasiness and hurt cross their faces, and immediately I froze. I turned and ran into one of the bedrooms to call Charles St. John. Arguing with Max and Jonas would not get me anywhere, and staying around Max was getting too toxic.
After rushing out of the kitchen and into the bedroom, I searched for my phone.
“Charles. This is Alex. Can you send a plane for me?”
“I can do better than that. I’ll send my limo to Max’s estate in thirty minutes. It will take you to the airport to my private plane. You will be in Seattle soon.”
“Do you think it’s safe to take my son?”
“Alex, the only way to gain custody of your son is with a court order, and that’s impossible now.” I hit the off button on the phone and placed it on the bed.
I can’t marry Max, and I can’t be without my son. I dropped the robe and walked into the shower. The door opened, and Max stood behind me.
“What are you doing here?” I said loudly.
“You know that I get hot whenever you are around me.”
“How do I know that you are Max and not Jonas?”
His warm hands touched my breasts. He moved them down slowly and settled on my mound. “I see you are letting your hair grow the way I like it. Do you remember what I said to you when first we met?”
“Do you mean the fortuitous meeting?” His eyebrow arched. “Those are your words, not mine,” I said, throwing Max off guard.
“Well, if that is all you can remember, then what about this?” Max wrenched me into his arms, his hands cupping my breasts. His head lowered, biting my nipples hard. The pain excruciating and exciting and pleasurable, my nipples rose like cherries bursting into his mouth. The pain only heightened my arousal. He made the most erotic sounds as he sucked each nipple, one at a time. His hands reached for my clit, and his finger circled it until I was moist and panting for air.
His body’s motion, moving his hard penis into my mound and rubbing against my pubic hairs, excited me and aroused me.
Then my common sense took over. We hadn’t settled anything. It was like putting out a forest fire with a cup of water. “No, no, this is not going any further. You are using sex against me,” I said, pulling from his embrace and running naked from the shower.
“And you are using it against me by taking yourself from me when you know that I would do anything to have your body. Anything!” His dark gaze frightened me.
“If that is true, then let me—no, I will use your favorite word—allow me to have my son.”
“Only if I know that you will marry me.”
“I’m no liar. I don’t know.”
“I have compromised with you, Alex.”
“You call that a compromise when you have all the cards, and they are stacked against me. I would call that a coup.” I threw on a pair of jeans, a tee, and a leather jacket. I had my bag in my hand and set it at the door of Maxim’s room. I crept near his bed. I kneeled and kissed and hugged him. Then I walked out and picked up my bags with Max behind me.
“Where are you going, Alex?” he said, his demanding voice reaching a crescendo.
“Where I can be rid of you.”
“You will never be rid of me.” My glance fell on Max and then I notice Jonas entering the large room.
“I wouldn’t count on that,” I said, eyeing Jonas. I walked past Max and out the door on wobbly legs. My phone rang. It was St. John. I stood on the front entrance and answered the call.
“My car will be there in five minutes.”
“Thanks, Charles.” I walked down the stone stairs and stood outside in the cool mountain air. I felt the chill whip through my hair. I was not ready for this season of winter with Max. I had been use to a warm season. I had defied him and I would be in for the fight of my life.
Throwing my bag on my shoulder, I stopped farther down the path and looked back and saw both Jonas and Max staring at me as if I were a child that had threatened its parents with running away from home. Their expressions mirrored my father’s when I left home as a teen.
My father had sat on the porch and said, “See you at sundown. Mother and I will keep supper warm.” That was when I was sixteen, a rebellious teenager who loved her independence. The next time I saw my father, I was twenty-one and bringing Maxim home.
It had taken five years for me to face my parents. How long would it take to face Max and my son?
I looked up and saw a sleek black SUV rounding the corner. It had the appearance of an armored car. The driver instinctively knew it was me and pulled to the edge of the road, where a small stream and trees could be seen for miles. He came to a sudden stop, stepped out, and opened the door. “Ms. Bishop?”
“Yes.”
“I’m to take you to Mr. St. John’s private jet.”
“Thank you.” I stepped into the car, and he closed the door. Apprehension surrounded me, and I became lonely and afraid, as if I was that child of sixteen again, suddenly faced with the reality of my actions. But I couldn’t turn back, or my stubbornness wouldn’t let me.
A text message came across the screen:
Alex,
Y have you chosen to desert our son?
I can’t believe that u would word this text as if u were planning to use my actions against me. U made me an offer of marriage and insinuated that it was the only way that I could have my son.
It was the only way I knew to keep u.
You can’t keep me as if I am a business of yours. Even they go bankrupt if u don’t put something back into them. U can’t keep taking from me and expect me to love u.
What can I do, Alex?
Now? Nothing. The next move is up to me, not u. U have done enough to me.
Alex, that sounds like a threat.
Absolutely!
Alex, where r u and when r u coming back?
I’m not. And don’t try to find me.
My cameras picked up u climbing into St. John’s limo. I’m flying to Seattle now.
Who r u leaving Maxim with? Not that psycho brother of urs I hope.
Jonas is leaving for San Francisco tonight. He has an appearance to make. Maxim will stay with his governess. His mother has decided to desert him and his father.
U r horrible, Max. There is no use talking to u.
Alex, don’t leave me. We need u.
If I answered another text he would probably use it against me. He believed in scorched earth to get what he wanted. It appeared impossible to win with him. I loved him too much and I felt that he loved me the only way he knew how, but he could not see that he was tearing us apart. His need for family was great, and if I stayed around him, he would probably destroy both me and our son if I didn’t do something soon.
The chauffer handed off my bag to me, and I boarded the private jet at the private airfield. I spied two jets side by side. I arrived on Blackstone’s jet yesterday and I’m leaving on St. John’s jet today. What irony.
I handed my bag to the stewardess. “Hello, Ms. Bishop. Your cabin is ready if you would like to shower. The food and wine menu is on your desk, and your bed is available if you need a quick nap. If you have any questions, ring this buzzer.”
I glanced around, searching for answers, not the nearest exit, because if this jet crashed there was no way I could survive. “What am I getting myself into?” I mumbled in a fit of desperation.
Taking my seat, I looked around and spied the cabin where I could take a nap. I had entered into a world of billionaires, and the only way to fight a billionaire was with another billionaire. I finally accepted my plight. I had become the pawn in this chess game of rich, influential kings.