Read Online No Regrets: Jani Kay (Firebird Trilogy Book 2) by Jani Kay - Free Book Online Page A

To stop women from hounding me. For convenience.”
    “That’s one hell of a scam.” Anger surged through me. I’d believed he was married for so long. Duped. Wasn’t I the fool?
    Hurt flashed in his eyes. “It's hard to explain. It was a good idea at the time, but it's superfluous. Things have changed. I have changed .”
    I sucked in a breath. “What do you mean? How have they changed?”
    He pushed to his feet and walked toward the window, his hand raking through his hair. He stared at the moon for what felt like centuries before he replied.
    “I made a deal with Natasha three years ago. I was tired of being relentlessly hounded by the tabloids—always speculating if I would get married, making wild assumptions. If I was with a woman, they would hunt her down and plaster pictures everywhere. If I backed off, rumors went around I was gay because I never married. It affected the business. Share prices went down every time a story broke. The board was concerned. They urged me to settle down.”
    I squirmed in my chair, my heart racing as I digested what he was saying.
    His shoulders slumped forward. He looked disconnected, speaking as if no one were in the room. “I had a long hard think about it. There was no one I wanted to commit my life to. Sure, I had a lot of women I could pick from, all eager to be Mrs. Maxwell Grant. But believe it or not, I’m an old-fashioned kind of guy. My adoptive parents have been married for nearly forty years and still going strong. They adore one another. If I couldn’t have that, I wasn’t going to settle for less.”
    Standing against the cold glass window, my heart ached for him. He looked so lonely. I pushed up from the chair and moved closer to him.
    “I had to do something. I couldn’t let the business suffer because I didn’t want to commit to a woman.” His jaw tightened, his hand running along the back of his neck. I sensed his despair, knowing the lengths he would go to protect his empire.
    “Then a brilliant idea hit me. At least, it was brilliant at the time.” He laughed, but it was humorless and hollow.
    He grimaced as he paced the room. “I entered a contract with an up-and-coming young model. She wanted the exposure and fame I could give her as Mrs. Grant. I needed arm candy to portray a settled life to the business world. A win-win situation for both parties.”
    I leaned back on the console table, my hands gripping the cold marble for support.
    “Is the relationship real?” I whispered.
    I have to know.
    He pressed his lips together. “The contract stated that she would use my name to propel her career. I would support her financially. In return, she had to deliver...wifely duties.”
    He narrowed his eyes as if to gauge my reaction. I stood frozen, my knuckles white, gripping the cold marble as if my life depended on it. My breathing slowed to the point of almost stopping. If it weren’t for my heart hammering against my ribs, I’d believe I was having an out of body experience.
    “I couldn’t be caught with other women. That would cause an outrageous scandal, and she wasn’t allowed to fornicate with anyone but me in case she was caught out. She’s a beautiful woman. I could work with that. Fuck her when I needed release, without the emotional involvement. A perfect plan. ” I flinched at his words. “Until—you.”
    He closed the distance between us and lifted my face to his, his eyes burning into mine. I searched their depths for the answers, unwilling to draw conclusions, in case I was wrong. The heat radiating from his body reflected onto my limp body, warming the chill in my veins.
    “Me?”
    “You.” A slow lazy smile spread across his face. “The most infuriating, rebellious and obstinate woman I’ve ever known.”
    All the breath in my body left my lungs. “Oh.” Does he despise me that much he’s now making fun of me?
    “You. The woman I want in my bed and my life. Every day from this minute.”
    Maxwell leaned in and placed