The Billionaires Mistress (20 page)

“I guess you might be right about that Jenna, but you know.........get some rest and you will feel a whole lot better”.

Rising, she had squeezed his hand.

“Thank you for everything Craig........I do not think I could have made it this far without you” before she had turned and moved to the bathroom to prepare for bed.

The next morning Craig and Jenna had spent much of the time quietly double checking the presentation for after lunch, their talk right after the buffet meal.

Craig on finding out their time had chuckled.

“Oh great...now how will we know if people are sleeping because of the food or me?” he had cried gesturing dramatically.

Jenna had giggled back, knowing what a wonderful speaker he was.

When they had entered the room set aside for the presentations, Ryan had already been there, and with a sense of relief she had been able to select a seat far enough away from him to be comfortable. Seeing as he had looked back at her, his eyes showing that he had understood what she had done. As each group had moved to present, Ryan and Allan Silverman had smiled warmly at them wishing them well, and thanking them afterwards, Jenna once more thinking what a nice gesture, although not looking forward to their turn.

At the lunch, she had kept moving, always in the opposite direction of Ryan, seeing as his eyes had narrowed knowing what was going on, Ryan however making no move towards her. Finally it was their turn to present and the two had quickly set up, with Jenna uploading the files and media she would need.

Prior to the start Allan Silverman had moved forward to wish them the best, Jenna noticing as Ryan had stayed away, moving to sit at the back of the hall feeling relief to not have him sat right in front of her.

From the back of the room Ryan had watched Jenna and Craig, both dressed professionally in suits, Jenna still looking so stunning, even though her hair was pulled back tightly. As they had moved through the presentation, he had not been surprised to see how slick a performance the two gave, admiring the many multimedia elements included, knowing instinctively that this was down to Jenna. Smiling softly, he had remembered so often returning home finding her on the computer working with many different applications, admiring all of the different things she was able to do on the machine.

The thought of the past had sent an all too familiar pang through him, his mind replaying how he would walk in from work to have her fling herself into his arms, to kiss him while laughing, remembering how she was always so interested in what he had been doing that day. Looking over he had frowned, her words from the previous night haunting him. He had come so far to talk to her, done so much to make sure that she was going to be there and she was not even prepared to speak to him. He had clenched his jaw, Craig’s words returning to him. What was he offering her, the chance to finally get things out of both their system? She was about to marry another man, Ryan realising that he had a great deal of respect for Craig, wishing that he did not like the man.

As their talk had ended the audience had clapped to show their appreciation, Ryan staying back as Allan Silverman had moved forward to congratulate them. He had seen as Jenna had glanced over at him, her eyes warmer as she had seemed to thank him for giving her the space she had asked for, this small look sending a shiver of pleasure through him. Ryan returning a small lopsided grin back.

After a break for tea and coffee the presentations had continued, Ryan once more moving to the front to introduce the speakers, Craig and Jenna moving to the back of the room as in an almost unspoken understanding the two had swapped positions. If anybody had noticed Ryan Trudeau’s perceived snub of them, nobody had said anything, Jenna feeling a little guilty at having put him in that position.

Once all of the talks were finished Allan Silverman had then brought the proceedings to an official end thanking everybody for their contributions and laying out the plans for that evening, hoping that everybody would enjoy the final cocktail party. The delegates had clapped loudly to show their appreciation, many conversations continuing as they had slowly moved from the presentation area.

Jenna had looked over at Ryan, stood back from all the others, his expression one of concentration as he had stared blankly out of the window, his brow furrowed. Once more she had felt her heart beating faster, her eyes sliding over him as she had hesitated, wanting so badly to move over to him, to have him pull her into his arms as he used to, knowing that when in his arms the world had been such a safe and happy place.

Pulling her eyes from him, she had straightened turning quickly to move from the room, determination in every step. You can never go back, she had repeated to herself over and over, fighting the tears that stung the back of her eyes.

From his vantage point, Craig had given a sigh, shaking his head softly, his eyes watching both Ryan and Jenna, seeing what neither of them could.

That evening Jenna had worn her last dress, a silver full length dress which dipped daringly at the back, showing of her lovely curves. Choosing this time to allow her hair to fall around her shoulders, a decorative clasp sweeping back one side of it from her face. Craig had smiled at her whistling softly.

“Wow...now if anybody could turn my head Jenna...”

He had taken her hand, twirling her to take in the full effect.

“Jenna.......you are not making this easy for him”.

She had looked back in surprise, her eyes wide.

“No.....this was the only other dress I had” she had cried, not wanting him to think anything more about the way she looked.

He had grinned back softly, smiling, “If you say so”.

Jenna turning away quickly, moving to the door, “I do”, had been her only response as the two had moved down the stairs for their final night at Ryan Trudeau’s house.

Throughout the meal Jenna had stolen glances at Ryan, confused by his mood. He had seemed withdrawn, reserved, hardly eating his meal she had noticed, just as she had struggled to eat hers. Not even the attention of the blonde by his side, the same blonde as the previous evenings Jenna had noted with jealousy coursing through her, had seemed to bring him out of his distracted mood.

Finally with the meal over, Craig and Jenna had returned to their room. He had looked down at her his eyes undecided.

“Look Jenna are you sure you won’t change your mind?”

She had smiled at him.

“Positive Craig, go...go and have some fun”.

Craig had hovered for a few seconds. Prior to them coming on the weekend he had planned to meet his partner on the final evening, Jenna encouraging him at the time. However, given recent events he had tried the previous day to cancel the plans, Jenna begging him not to, promising that she would be fine and would stay well out of Ryan’s way. With a final look she had given a sad smile.

“After today, I think that Ryan got the message .... So he will leave me alone anyway”.

He had looked undecided, before giving a long sigh.

“Ok Jenna.......but I will be back in plenty of time for breakfast”.

She had moved with him to the door, seeing as he had picked up the sign at the side of the large bed, grinning at her, “Just to be on the safe side......” hanging up the “do not disturb” notice.

Rolling her eyes at him, she had once more closed the door, undecided as to what to do next.

For an hour she had watched some television, not changing out of the dress before she had felt the overwhelming need for air. Pulling the door back she had checked to make sure that nobody was around before slipping out, sneaking down the back steps to avoid the party that was going on downstairs. Moving out into the garden, Jenna had breathed a sigh slowly moving down to the small garden she knew to be just behind the house itself, letting the peaceful surroundings gently sooth her fragile soul.

In his room, Ryan had paced backwards and forwards, his mood unsettled. All day he had done what she had asked. He had stayed away, while every instinct in him had wanted to go over and demand that she listen to him. That she see the truth of their situation. Craig was a good man, Ryan feeling the prickling sensation of guilt at his need to take Jenna from him. However, her reaction to his kiss the first morning had shown him that he was not the person she was meant to be with. Are you sure it is you either? the unsettling question had tortured his mind all day.

Growling angrily he had stopped striding, once more searching for an answer, his insides in complete knots. Closing his eyes he had groaned softly, once more seeing her at the dinner table. Her hair on his side pulled back to reveal the slender curve of her throat. With a decisive move to the door he had made up his mind. Jenna Long was going to talk to him. On the last night of the retreat he was going to talk with her and make her see that the two of them were meant to be together. That they were meant to work out this thing between them, something they should have done four years ago.

Not finding her or Craig in the party, he had frowned wondering where she could be, as he had waited for over an hour for them to appear, meandering around the other guests, being pulled into conversations, most of which he could not remember seconds later. Finally, he had slipped out of the party and headed upstairs to where their room was, realising that if it took Craig to be there then so be it, he was that determined to talk to her.

Reaching their room Ryan had frozen, a gasp leaving him as he had looked at the sign, the anger and jealousy filling his stomach with a white searing heat which enveloped him. Feeling the need to be anywhere but there, he had quickly turned and moved down the stairs, ignoring the calls of many of the other guests, who had jovially invited him to join them, feeling the need for air. Moving out of the French windows to the gardens outside he had stood still sucking in large lung full’s of air, steadying his nerves, the anger still filling him, as he had allowed the tranquil setting to wash over him calming him.

Finally he had sat on one of the stone ornate benches, his hands balled together, as he had rested his chin on them, staring sightlessly ahead, his thoughts churning within his head. Damn her, damn Jenna to hell. There were a thousand other women out there, so many more women. Even as he told himself this, he could feel the sinking sensation, knowing that in the last four years, no woman had even come close to her, knowing that he was not prepared to end that week without her back by his side. His mind once more returning to the sign on the door “do not disturb”, it’s meaning at that time of the day so obvious, the thought of her in the arms of another man like a knife twisting deep inside his gut.

Moving his hands to cover his face, he had tried to block out the image of Jenna with Craig, the thought causing him physical pain much to his surprise, and it had taken all his effort to sit there and not return to the room and demand she leave with him, the memory of their frantic lovemaking the previous morning causing him to moan softly with need.

“Ryan?”

His head had snapped up hearing her voice, seeing as she had approached him from the garden, looking so beautiful in the silver blue cocktail dress the same colour as her eyes.

“Are you OK?” she had asked softly her voice full of concern.

Standing, he had moved towards her.

“I thought you were in your room” he had finally managed, the confusion in his voice unmistakable, as she had nervously looked back at him.

“No, I was walking in the garden......Craig is up there”.

Realisation had hit Ryan, as he had felt another wave of anger fill him.

“That bastard” he had cried, seeing her look warily at him.

“That two timing ...” he had looked at her, feeling sorry that he had cried out his feelings, seeing as she had looked at him with confusion.

“What?” she had began as he had moved forward.

“Craig isn’t alone Jenna”.

To his surprise, rather than upset or disbelief, she had looked nervously back at him, giving him a small wary attempt at a smile.

“I wouldn’t worry about it Ryan” she had finally said, as she had moved over to stand by the wall, her eyes not able to meet his.

Moving closer, he had looked at her in disbelief.

“You knew?”

He had cried in shock.

“You allow him to behave in that way........to do that to you?” his eyes had held surprise along with contempt as she had shaken her head.