A Forever Love by Maggie Marr Read Free Book Online Page A

hot entrance and propelled her into the stratosphere of orgasm upon orgasm.
    Aubrey didn’t fool him. She was terrified. She did another sweep of the dining room. Not rushing, not acting as though anything was out of the ordinary. Not behaving as though she were a caught thief who’d stolen from him a priceless piece of art. No, Aubrey remained the perfect hostess, the premiere businesswoman. Finally, after a last circle around the dining room and without turning her head to look at him, she exited toward the kitchen, her firm round ass making a spectacular exit.
    He lifted his napkin and pressed the linen to his lips. Yes, the physical want for her body, the attraction was still there, but he didn’t have the luxury of indulging his desire for Aubrey. He wanted only one thing from her—not to rekindle their affair but to get what was his, to take home to Manhattan his only son.
     
    *
     
    Crickets chirped in the cool night air. A deep breath. The scent of wet grass and the earthy scent of animals and timber. She remembered nothing of walking from the dining room and down the long hall, through the kitchen, past her office, and out the back door to the small secluded area where waitstaff hid to grab a smoke. She turned the corner past the line of maple trees and stopped at the corner of The Red Barn.
    Justin was at Rockwater Farms. He was here for Max. He knew of his son and wanted to take him from her. Her intention to give Max a quiet life filled with substance mattered little to Justin. She’d seen the fury in his eyes. The anger of a Travati who’d been wronged.
    A roar pressed between her ears. She bent forward at the waist, and her hand caught the rough wood to steady herself. She could run. Her Jeep was at the house. She could pack a bag, drive to Camp Willow, pick up Max, and disappear long before Justin even realized she was gone.
    “Aubrey?”
    Nina’s voice rushed to her through the roar of sound in her head.
    “Aubrey, are you okay?”
    The pressure of Nina’s hand against Aubrey’s back. Aubrey couldn’t stand upright. She turned her head and her eyes met her sister’s gaze.
    “He’s here. Justin is here.”
    “What?” Nina’s eyebrows crinkled. “Justin—”
    “Is here. In the dining room. He has the Rockwater Suite. He’s the VIP the Times critic called about.”
    “Not a coincidence?”
    Another deep breath and finally she stood. She planted her hand on her hip and pressed the other one through her hair. “Not a coincidence. He’s in Kansas, a thousand miles from New York, and Max just asked Dad about Justin. I do not believe my life to be that coincidental.” Her tongue chased across her lips. Her mouth was dry, and she couldn’t seem to swallow.
    “Why now?”
    “Wasn’t it you who said I was naive about what Max knew and didn’t know? One Internet search, one e-mail or phone call, and look who’s here. Daddy in his private jet with a dozen well-trained lawyers all ready to take away my son.”
    “You don’t know that’s true.” Nina pressed her arm around her sister’s shoulder. “Service is nearly finished. Go. Talk to him. Figure this out. At the very least make certain he’s not planning on taking Max. You can be persuasive. He’ll understand that Rockwater Farms is still the best place for Max.”
    Guilt fluttered through Aubrey. How many lies had she told to even her family to try to protect Max? Would Justin understand? His eyes didn’t hold any understanding. No, she’d seen only anger and contempt and barely contained rage. Part of her already felt a weary defeat. The heat that thrummed through her body in Justin’s presence combined with fear and the feeling that she deserved everything she got; she deserved Max’s anger and Justin’s rage because of her dishonesty and her failure to tell her son the truth. Her motives really didn’t matter, did they?
    She stood and followed Nina into the kitchen. She pulled herself together and watched from the back