Intimate Betrayal (10 page)

The tiny restaurant was filled to capacity. Every red and white checkered table was occupied with couples or groups reveling in the evening, tapping their hands and feet to the strumming of guitar players who serenaded the audience.

“This is marvelous,” Reese said, taking in the atmosphere. She turned her smiling gaze on Maxwell. Her eyes glowed with happiness.

“I'm glad you like it. The food here is fabulous.”

“Even if it wasn't, I'd still have a great time.” She laughed. “Being an investigative journalist has its merits,” she admitted halfheartedly. “Unfortunately, when you travel, you're so intent on getting a story you rarely have the time to forge relationships or enjoy the ambiance of the places you visit. This is like a trip to heaven. I'll never forget it. And I want to thank you for it.”

“I have to admit, I was being a bit selfish when I came up with this brilliant scheme.” He grinned. “I needed to get away, probably just as much as you did. And—” he reached across the table and clasped her hand in his “—I wanted to spend some time with you, away from the office, away from the things that have shaped us into what the world sees. I wanted to find out what kind of woman you were, not how good you were at your job.”

“And?” she probed gently, her heart racing.

“So far, pretty lady,” he said roughly, stroking his finger along her nose, “things are looking damned good.”

 

After dinner, they strolled along the white sandy beach, letting the warm, lapping waves rush across their bare feet. A crescent moon hung at that old precarious angle, illuminating the picture-perfect sky to a backdrop of countless, twinkling stars.

Reese's ankle-length dress blew sensuously around her long bare legs, molding the near-sheer dress to her voluptuous body. Maxwell was totally taken with her unadulterated beauty. She was a vision to behold and for now, she was his.

“Let's go upstairs,” Maxwell said, in an urgent whisper, turning her to face him.

Reese's eyes swam across his face, taking in the hunger in his eyes, feeling the heat fan out from his body and surround her. She felt the hardness of him pulse with need against the juncture of her thighs and she felt suddenly weak and powerful in the same breath.

She reached up and cupped his face in her hand. “Yes,” she whispered with the same fervid urgency. “Yes.”

 

Reese stood facing him, the romantically haunting moonlight, streaming in from the arched window, cast an ethereal glow around their silhouettes.

Maxwell stepped closer to her, his hand grazed each of her shoulders, trailing down her smooth arms until he captured her hands. “You tell me when to stop,” he said, shuddering at the thought that she might resist his ardent advances.

“Never,” she whispered in response.

He eased his caress back up her arms until he reached her shoulders. Slowly, he eased the straps down until the dress was only held up by the tips of her rounded breasts. He moved closer and tilted her face up to his with the tip of his finger.

The meeting of their lips was languescent, tentative, coming together for the very first time on this awakening new level of awareness in their budding relationship. The fire between them began as a single, tiny flame fanned by the gusty wind of their longing for each other, building to a roaring inferno as their bodies melded one onto the other, discovering the textures, contours, swells and valleys of one another.

Soft and groaning murmurs both whispered and cried out spoke of their need to be filled and cocooned. Bare and beautiful to each other under the moonlit night, they came together as man and woman.

Pillowed on the downy softness of their mating bed, Reese clung to Maxwell, raising her hips to meet and allow for his entry into her soul.

Maxwell's vise-like fingers held her steady. “No,” he moaned, “slow, take me slow, just a little bit at a time,” he uttered hot in her ear. Reese acquiesced, succumbing to his erotic command.

His descent was painstakingly deliberate, filling her by infinitesimal degrees until she swore she would scream from the denial of total fulfillment. And then, he was there, all of him—filling, lengthening, and expanding the walls of her dewy cavern. He released her then, giving her full access to
him, allowing her to meet his ebbs and flows with undulations of her own.

Together they found a new beginning, alerting nature to their arrival with each beat of their hearts. Heat surrounded and engulfed them and they played upon each other, fanning and intermittently cooling the flames at their leisure—because they would take their time, knowing that this first time between them could never be recaptured. “Make it last” was their signature song and the words in their hearts as they reached for the pinnacle of completion, allowing the sweet splendor of their ardor to transport them beyond the spectrum of any world they'd ever known.

Reese gave all of herself to him as she had with no other man. She totally opened to him like a budding bloom flourishing under the ministrations of his tender nurturing. He was so right, she realized through the haze of her passion. She was his now and for as long as time allowed. He put his brand on her as surely as if burned into her heart with a searing iron.

Maxwell released the final embers of his doubts as they poured from him, flowing outward to be washed away, absorbed, and shared by this woman who had metamorphosed his world. Her tender fingers danced and caressed his body. Her lips played a sultry tune against his mouth. Her body became one with his, and he knew that the final explosion that they jointly shared could never be matched by another. His heart ached with joy and surrender when the last drop of his mortality was withdrawn and unified with hers.

 

“You are a wondrous gift, Reese,” Maxwell murmured against her neck as he held her tightly against his body. “I'll always treasure this time we've had together.”

Reese's heart tripped with an unspoken fear. “You sound
as if this will be the first and last time,” she said, adjusting her body to withstand his weight.

He breathed a heavy sigh. “It may be. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. I can't make you any promises Reese. I haven't reached that point yet. I thought you understood that.” His eyes roamed over her face before he pressed his lips to her mouth.

She felt a constriction in her heart that radiated outward to her limbs, immobilizing her. “Memories,” she whispered. “We're building memories.” She placed her hands around his face. “But what if I want more, Max? What then? Will you deny me what we both know is inevitable?”

“If it is to be Reese, then it will. And nothing in heaven or on earth will stop it. But for now, let's just enjoy what we have without strings, without promises of some rose-colored future. I know what I feel for you is more potent than anything I've ever experienced with any woman. There's no doubt in my mind about that. But before I can be all the things that you need—that you deserve—I have to be right with myself. And now I know that I'm not. Will I ever be? Only time will tell. It's up to you to decide if you want to be a part of the process.”

Reese swallowed down her hurt and eased out from beneath him. Pushing her hair away from her face she sat on the edge of the bed, pressing her palms down into the mattress. “What did she do to you Max?” she asked softly.

Maxwell turned over to lie on his back. He stared sightlessly up at the ceiling, slipping his hands beneath his head. “Everything and nothing.”

“Victoria is part of the reason why you've erected this emotional wall, Maxwell. Isn't it about time you took it down? Talk to me, please.” She angled her body to face him.

Maxwell shut his eyes as the painful, humiliating images
replayed. Reese was sure he'd elected not to respond when suddenly, he began to speak in slow, halting tones.

Reese felt every nuance of his hurt as he poured out the story of him and Victoria Davenport from the moment they'd met until the day he walked in on her and her boss.

“I guess I could have dealt with her infidelity if only it would have ended there.” He shook his head. “But her betrayal went even farther. All along, I trusted her like a fool in love. I shared every detail of my new design for an internet program. The next thing I knew, every newspaper in the English-speaking world was heralding the Air Force's latest technological computer innovation, which of course, was using my methodology. Somehow they got wind of our relationship as well as my work, and of course the general consensus was that I was trying to gain information from a government worker to augment my own work. Victoria never said a word to the contrary. And what could have been a crowning glory in my career, became hers.” He laughed a harsh, self-deprecating laugh. “Victoria Davenport became an instant superstar and I was the one who ‘attempted' to ride on her coattails. It took years for me to regain any sense of respect in the industry.”

“Max.” She reached out to him and he pushed her hand away.

“I don't need you to feel sorry for me, or impart words of solace and wisdom.” He turned his face away. “All I want is for you to understand me, Reese. Understand my reservations, my unwillingness to open up—even to you,” he added turning to face her. “I've dealt with losses all of my life—part of my heritage, my stature, my ability to totally commit to someone. I don't intend to lose everything ever again.” He closed his eyes. “If that means shutting down and only depending on—me—the one person I can trust, then so be it.”

“In other words, you intend to live the rest of your life in
this self-imposed vacuum—only taking in what you need for the moment and not letting anything out? You don't strike me as the type of man that would capitulate to circumstances beyond his control.” She lay beside him and turned on her side. “I don't care what you say, Maxwell Knight. I was here with you when our worlds collided. That wasn't just good sex and you know it. That's what's scaring the hell out of you. I don't give up easily. My life is a testament to that. Now that I've found you, I have no intentions of letting you shut me out.” She leaned down and placed a solid kiss on his parted lips. “So get used to it. I can understand your reluctance. I can even accept it. But only for now. I'm in for the long haul. And you'll find a way to deal with it.”

A slow smile of relief washed over his face. Her words were exactly what he needed to hear. He needed to know that she would accept him with his shortcomings and his doubts no matter what. “Is that right, Ms. Delaware?” he taunted, pulling her atop him. “Well how about if we start with trying to get our worlds to collide again…”

“I think that's a perfect beginning,” she answered, raising her hips to welcome him back.

 

“Looks like they're in for the night sir,” the agent said, speaking into his car phone.

Keep your eyes and ears open,” came the response. “And keep me posted.”

R
eese awoke several hours later. Blinking her eyes against the blackness, she focused on Maxwell's sleeping form. Gently she extricated herself from his hold and tiptoed to the bureau to retrieve her purse. In the frenzy of her day, she'd completely forgotten about Lynnette. She took a peek at the digital clock. It was nearly 2:00 a.m.

“Better late than never,” she muttered to herself. Quietly she took the bedside phone and dialed the hotel. Moments later, a sleepy Lynnette answered.

“Girl, I am so sorry,” she whispered.

“Where are you?” Lynnette mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “I was worried and didn't have a clue as to where to look for you.”

“I have so much to tell you. But the main thing is I'm fine. Better than fine.” She paused. “I'm with Max.”

“What!”

“We're on Coronado Island. I'll be back in the morning. We'll talk then, I promise.”

“Damn, girl. Now I'll never get back to sleep wondering what he's like.”

Reese giggled. “I'll just say this…words escape me.”

“Ooh, chile, can't wait. You enjoy yourself. And I mean that. See you tomorrow.”

“'Night.” Reese hung up and tiptoed back to bed, curling up beside Max and fell into a peaceful sleep filled with Technicolor images of her extraordinary day.

 

As much as she knew they had to return to the real world, Reese dreaded its inevitability. On the ride back she was uncharacteristically quiet.

“What's wrong, Reese?” Maxwell asked as they pulled up in front of her hotel. “You haven't been yourself since we left the island.”

“The past twenty-four hours have been like a fairy tale, Max. I'm just reluctant to let it go.” She looked down at her hands instead of at him. “I guess, what I'm saying is that I'm afraid we'll drift back to the tension-filled relationship we had…before…yesterday.”

“Listen, baby, believe me, I've had the same feelings. But the reality is, life goes on. You have a job to do and so do I. We can't let what happens between us on a personal level interfere with that.”

She breathed deeply. “The rational, workaholic side of me understands that.” She turned to him, her eyes filled with uncertainty. “It's the rest of me that won't cooperate.” She gave him a lopsided grin.

Max leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. “This can't be the same woman who told me to ‘deal with it,'” he teased. “We're just gonna take this thing one day at a time. Okay?”

She nodded in assent.

“Now let's get you upstairs so you can relay your adventures to your friend,” he said giving her a sly grin. “Just make sure you tell her I was kidnapped and seduced under duress.”

Reese's eyes widened in shock. Her mouth opened to deny his statement, but all she could do was laugh with joy.

 

Maxwell took Reese to her door, saw that she was safely inside, and turned to leave. “I'll be at the office for the rest of the day,” he said when he approached the door. “You can reach me there if you need me for anything.”

“I'm going to try to work on the article today. I seem to have fallen behind,” she said coyly.

“I can't imagine how that could have happened,” he returned, chucking her under the chin. “I'd better check on Carmen, too. She's probably worried out of her mind. Or more likely she's probably rubbing her hands together in glee. I'm sure she's put two and two together by now and got us as the end result,” he chuckled.

Reese covered her mouth in horror. She'd forgotten all about Carmen. “How will I ever face her?”

“You're a resourceful woman. You'll think of something. See you later.”

“Promise?”

“We'll see. Get to work.” He turned and strode out of the door.

Reese closed the door behind him and emitted a heavenly sigh. Then without further ado, she dashed for the phone and dialed Lynnette's room.

 

“Sounds like you're in deep, girl,” Lynnette said over a greasy cheeseburger. “What are you going to do?”

“There's not much I can do. I'm falling for the guy, Lynn.”

“But you've interviewed hundreds of eligible men over the years. You've never resorted to jumping into bed with them just to get a story and then falling for them on top of it—or on the bottom—depending on your preference.”

Reese's amber eyes snapped with outrage. “And it's not what I'm doing now,” she hissed. “Don't you get it, Lynn? This isn't about a way to get a story.”

“You're really serious, aren't you?” she asked in wonder.

“Yes, I am. I thought you knew that.”

Lynnette swallowed. “Hey, girl, I'm sorry. I just thought it was one of those ‘things' when we talked on the phone. But what about ethics? I mean you are out here to do a job. What if this got out? What would it do to your credibility?”

“I know. So that's why it can't. Our relationship—such as it is—is not fodder for a story angle. I can't let how I feel about him cloud my objectivity on this story.”

Lynnette waited a beat. “You said your relationship ‘such as it is.' What aren't you telling me?”

Reese took a breath and looked away. “Max has been hurt before. I mean really hurt and he's leery about any sort of commitment. He wants us to just take it one day at a time with no strings or promises.”

“And you…?”

Reese looked into her friend's eyes. “I want more,” she confessed. “I want it all.”

“And what if he's never ready? Can you handle it?”

Reese pursed her lips. “I don't have any other choice, now do I?”

“Know you, girlfriend, you'll think of something.”

 

Maxwell tried to concentrate on the designs that rested in front of him, but his thoughts kept drifting back to his day and night with Reese. She was under his skin. There was no denying it. Sure, he could let the relationship ride until
it was time for her to return to Chicago. But then what? If he did decide to pursue a full-fledged relationship with her, what about the distance that separated them? Would she be willing to pull up stakes to be with him? Would he be willing to relocate? Or would he find himself in another long-distance relationship—one that ultimately spelled trouble?

He shook his head in frustration. He was getting way ahead of himself. So, he'd slept with her, so she'd made him feel whole, so he'd realized there was an emptiness that she filled. Where was it all going? He'd felt this way before and it had brought nothing but heartache. Reese isn't Victoria, his conscience warned. She deserved a chance and so did he.

The ringing of his intercom intruded on his swirling thoughts.

“Yes, Carmen,” he answered, depressing the flashing button.

“Ms. Davenport is on line one,” she said with a distinct note of disdain in her voice.

“Thanks.” He paused, debating whether he should take the call. “I'll take it,” he said finally. He pressed the steady red light on the dial. “What can I do for you, Victoria?”

“Hello, Max,” she said hesitantly. “I'm going back to D.C. this afternoon. I was hoping we could meet, before I left.”

“For what? It's a little too late for you to get any inside information. The chip is already in production.”

“I deserved that.”

“To say the least.”

“Listen, Max, I can't undo what I did to you. I don't expect you to ever forgive me, but at least give me an opportunity to tell my side. If we ever meant anything to each other at least give me this one chance.”

For three long years he'd wanted to know what had made this woman that he thought he loved turn on him. More times than he cared to count, he'd picked up the phone to dial her
number and then didn't. He'd spent sleepless nights trying to figure out how he could have been such a fool. He'd avoided the answers for years. Maybe it was time that he finally put this part of his life to rest.

“What do you have to say?”

Victoria let out an audible sigh of relief. “Can we meet somewhere? My plane leaves at five.”

 

“…things were really crazy for me back then, Max. I know I was never truly candid about my life but it was spinning out of control.” Victoria looked deep into his penetrating gaze. “You were my anchor.”

“That doesn't explain or excuse anything, Vicky.”

“I know that. Please, just listen. I was up for promotion. A big one and my mother was dying. Her treatments and care were costing me a small fortune. She'd exhausted her medical coverage.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't know.”

“Somehow, Air Force intelligence got wind of our relationship and the work that you were doing. They convinced me that if I could get them inside information on your new design it would be well worth it for me.” She looked away. “My back was against the wall.” Her voice broke. “I know what I did was wrong, Max. But I couldn't see any other way out.”

“I suppose sleeping with the enemy was also part of the deal,” he bit out.

She lowered her eyes and nodded her head in shame.

“You could have told me. You could have trusted me. I would have given you anything, Victoria—anything.” His heart constricted in his chest with the memories.

She swallowed. “I know that—now. All I could think of at the time was my mother and what she needed. Other than you, she was all I had.” It was on the tip of her tongue to
tell him about Reese, her half sister, about the life she was excluded from.

Maxwell shook his head. “So now I understand. You had a reason.” He looked into her pleading green eyes. “But it doesn't change anything, Vicky. It never will. It's too late.”

“I don't expect you to take me back, or blindly accept what I've said. I know I made a shambles of your life and I would do anything to make that up to you.” She paused. “I was only hoping that the truth would be a start.”

“A start of what?” he asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

“A start of the healing, Max,” she said, sincerity ringing in the crystal clarity of her voice. “I know you. Remember? I took your trust and your love and crushed it. And by knowing you, I know what that would have done to you. Please, don't let what happened between us tarnish any happiness that you might find.”

“Since when did you become the concerned citizen?”

“When I ran into you the other night with that woman, I envied her. I envied the very idea that anyone would experience with you the joy I've known. But what bothered me most of all was the notion that you may never be willing to give that part of you again. And that would be the greatest loss. I don't want to be the reason.” She let out a breath and shook her head in wonder. “I can't believe I'm even saying this to you. I spent nights praying that you'd never find anyone else. That one day we'd find our way back to each other. That you'd forgive me. But…I did what I did. And if the same circumstances were to arise, I'd do it again…and again. That's who I am, Max.” She smiled a sad, lonely smile. “And you know it as well as I do.”

Maxwell looked at her, really looked at her and he knew she was right. Victoria Davenport was finally a part of his life that he could close the book on.

He reached across the table and covered her hand with his. Victoria felt the tears of regret burn her eyes. “We can't go back, Vicky. We both know that. But we can go forward—from here. I don't know if I can ever truly forgive you, but at least I can begin to understand.”

“I just don't want you to hate me, Max. I couldn't bear that.”

“I don't hate you. I stopped hating you a long time ago. Maybe now, I can start liking you and finally accept you for who you are and not what I imagine you to be.”

She sniffed back her tears and smiled. “So…tell me about this lucky lady that you have goo-goo eyes over.”

 

“He's in the restaurant with Davenport,” the agent said into the microphone.

“We know she's headed back here. I'll have one of the team pick her up at Dulles.”

“Yes, sir.”

 

“I'm going to head over to Max's office. I need to interview a few more of the employees before they quit for the day. I plan to really dig into this article tonight,” Reese said as she and Lynnette walked down the palm-lined street together.

“Do you have time for a blitz shopping spree before you head off to the drudgery of work? I was able to get in contact with Quincy's publicist and I have an appointment for tomorrow afternoon. I've got to look fly!”

“You go, girl. You didn't tell me you got the assignment.”

“How could I? Between the stars in your eyes and love notes in your voice I couldn't get a word in edgewise.”

Reese playfully pushed her aside. “Very funny.”

“Well do you?”

Reese checked her watch. “All right. You have one hour
and then I've got to get across town or this whole day will have been a bust.”

“Charge!” Lynnette giggled.

 

An hour and a half later, totally worn out, Reese pulled up in a cab in front of Maxwell's offices. Just as she stepped out of the cab, movement caught her attention in the corner of her eye.

There was Max, with one arm around Victoria Davenport's waist, the other carrying a designer garment bag, squiring her into his Corvette.

Reese stood still as stone as she watched them drive away.