The Annie Carter Series Books 1–4. Jessie Keane

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СКАЧАТЬ shrugged. ‘Anyway, there we were all ready to get down to business when he wanders off and starts looking in my wardrobe and fingering my gear. Then he says he’s always wanted to try on women’s clothes. Well honey, I says to him, if that’s what Massa wants, then that is what Massa is gonna get.’

      ‘We aim to please,’ said Darren.

      ‘Indeed we do,’ agreed Aretha. ‘We was havin’ us a real good time after that. He tryin’ on my best threads and gettin’ pretty excited about the whole thing. You know he usually has a little trouble in the excitement department.’

      They all nodded. The Right Hon. Philip Coogan needed a lot of stimulus to get it up.

      ‘But with my threads on?’ Aretha rolled her eyes. ‘Man, that boy was away. We on the bed, on the floor, on the chair, every damn where you care to mention. He just a natural born trannie, never admitted it to a living soul before.’

      That was the secret of sexual success, Annie knew. Find out what works for you, and go with it. Like Max worked for her, maybe. But should she really go there when her sister’s happiness was involved? But then – weren’t Ruthie and Max damn near living separate lives? Wasn’t the marriage as good as over even before it had started? And if that was the case, what difference would it make?

      Annie drank her tea and listened with half an ear as Aretha, Ellie, Dolly and Darren chatted in the warm and cosy kitchen. First Celia’s, and now it felt like hers. Her place, filled with her friends. They soothed her, just by being there. And she knew she was going to see Max again. But only to tell him it was all over, that she had weakened once but that it was a one-off and not to be repeated. She thought of Ruthie’s face, ashen with hurt on her wedding day, and knew it was the right decision.

      She didn’t know what she had expected from him, but she hadn’t expected this. Max’s driver was there at two o’clock and he’d taken her back to the apartment in Park Street that she had visited with Ellie just yesterday. The doorman let her in and told her that Mr Carter was waiting for her up in the penthouse. She took the lift up to the top floor and stepped out straight into Max’s arms. Before she could say a word he kissed her deeply. She gave in to it and kissed him back. It would be for the last time, after all.

      ‘Come on,’ he said against her mouth. ‘Something to show you.’

      ‘I’ve already seen it,’ said Annie in bewilderment as Max walked with her into the beautiful apartment. ‘I’m expanding the business to accommodate the Whitehall lot. I’ve rented this for six months.’

      ‘No you haven’t.’

      Annie turned to him. ‘Yes, I have.’

      Max shook his head. ‘You’ve been beaten to the bid, Annie love.’

      ‘Meaning what?’ demanded Annie.

      ‘Meaning I made an offer to your estate agent for a year’s rental and he told me what you’d offered and I upped it. He nearly snatched my hand off. When you get back to the house you’ll find he’s called to tell you the deal’s fallen through.’

      ‘But I wrote the cheque. Signed the contract.’

      ‘So he said. He took a bit of persuading.’

      ‘And tore up my contract.’

      ‘Correct.’

      ‘You really are a bastard,’ snapped Annie. ‘Why did you do that? I was so pleased with this place, I really love it. And why bring me back here? To rub my bloody face in it, I suppose.’

      Max had opened the French doors on to the balcony and was gazing out at the view. He turned and came back to her and took her in his arms.

      ‘Don’t touch me,’ said Annie, furious. ‘I hate you.’

      ‘You hate the man who just got this flat for you to live in, fully furnished and with porterage? You hate the man who’s liberating you from that knocking shop in Limehouse? The man who’s putting a car and a driver at your disposal, paying the fucking rent on this place, buying you anything you want?’

      Annie’s jaw dropped. For a moment she couldn’t speak at all, she was too shocked.

      ‘What?’ she said at last.

      Max grasped her arms and stared intently into her eyes from inches away.

      ‘I already said it yesterday, Annie Bailey. Weren’t you listening? I want you. You’re mine.’

      Annie pulled herself free of him. ‘I’m not anybody’s,’ she said hotly.

      ‘Wrong. You’re mine,’ said Max.

      ‘No.’

      ‘You’d let anyone walk in off the street and fuck you?’ he demanded.

      ‘No! You know I wouldn’t do that.’

      ‘Only me.’

      Annie swallowed. It was true. She knew it, he knew it. But this! She couldn’t take it in. It was too much. And what about all her fine intentions to cut this dead?

      ‘You want me to be your mistress,’ she said numbly.

      ‘Yes,’ he said, putting out an arm and indicating the apartment’s luscious interior. ‘I want you right here, with me.’

      ‘You want me on tap, whenever you feel the urge.’

      ‘That’s right. My mistress will want for nothing, Annie. Nothing at all.’

      ‘You’ve got a fucking nerve,’ she stammered. And now was the perfect time to tell him to piss off, she knew it. Again the tormenting sight of Ruthie’s face rose in her mind.

      ‘You already knew that. And you like it.’

      ‘No I fucking don’t.’ The cheek of him, storming back into her life and now trying to run it.

      ‘Come and see the bedroom.’

      ‘I saw it yesterday.’

      ‘Let me put that another way,’ said Max, bending and lifting her up into his arms. Annie shrieked in surprise. ‘Come and see the cunting bedroom, and shut your yap, okay?’

      ‘Bastard,’ said Annie.

      ‘Bitch,’ said Max, and walked through and dumped her on the bed, following her down on to it and stopping all further objections with his mouth on hers.

      Annie looked up and there, above the bed, was Kieron’s nude of her.

      ‘Good God,’ she said in shock.

      ‘Like it?’ asked Max, his eyes following hers.

      ‘It’s … okay.’ Max kissed her again. ‘I still hate you for this,’ muttered Annie when he let her up for air.

      But not as much as I hate myself.

      ‘Hate СКАЧАТЬ